by Hope Hart
I clear my throat, looking away from the warmth in her eyes.
“You should go rest,” I say.
She hesitates for one long moment and then turns, slowly making her way back into the hut.
Beth
Never again will I take clean water for granted. It seems to take forever to fill the bath, as the water has to be brought back, heated, and poured into the large tub. Sonis helps me maneuver myself into the bath, encouraging me to keep my injured leg out of the water.
“I stitched your flesh,” she says. “Zarix knows how to remove the thread, and he will do it for you when it is time.”
I nod, trying not to think about the risk of infection. At least I’ve had a tetanus shot. “Thank you. For everything. Including this bath. The water feels amazing.”
Her face softens, and she nods. “Let me know when you’re ready to get out.”
She turns, and I reach for the soap before lathering my hair and rinsing it twice. The water turns murky, and I make sure to wash the rest of my body before finally resting my back against the tub, exhausted.
I could use some serious painkillers right about now.
I can’t complain though, knowing that Zoey and Ivy are still stuck with the Voildi. I wish we all could have gotten free together. But since we didn’t, I’m going to do everything I can to get them free.
Hopefully Zarix will cooperate.
I chew on my lip as I consider the giant warrior.
He’s impatient and seems to be more annoyed by my presence than anything else. He’s gruff but not cruel, and I feel my heart thump as I remember how he ruffled Javir’s hair earlier.
The kid looks at Zarix like he’s his hero. And Zarix tamps down his obvious impatience long enough to talk gently with a boy who is likely in need of a male role model.
I call to Sonis, and she steps in, helps me out of the bath, and hands me a long, wide piece of material to use as a towel.
“Thanks again,” I tell her. “I can’t even tell you how long it’s been since I was clean.”
She nods, a smile dancing around her mouth. “I left some clothes in your room.”
After everything I’ve been through, it’s comforting to know that there are good people on this planet. People like Zarix who would rescue an alien woman from a trap and Sonis who would tend to that alien’s wounds and make her comfortable.
I use the cloth to squeeze the excess water from my hair and then wrap it around me, opening the door. I step out and freeze as I meet Zarix’s gaze.
He gives me a long look, taking his time as his eyes run over my body. I blush as I feel my nipples peak, and his gaze snags on my chest before rising to my face.
His eyes are dark, and I catch one of his hands clenching into a fist before he returns his attention to his sword.
“You should eat before we leave,” he says. “You’re too thin.”
I swallow and whirl, limping painfully into the bedroom. I grind my teeth as fire shoots through my leg, and I wish I had brought my walking stick with me.
Too thin.
Ballet dancers are supposed to look ethereal onstage. We need to be light so our partners can lift us. Our costumes leave nothing to the imagination, and we stare at ourselves in the mirror for hours at a time while we practice, wearing only a leotard.
Our bodies are continually examined, and it’s easy to lose touch with reality, constantly thinking about what we’re putting in our mouths.
I try to put myself in Zarix’s shoes. He’s huge and well-muscled, and he just went and killed a beast for Sonis, suggesting that food is in short supply. Maybe he thinks I’ve been starving, and—in his blunt, surly way—he’s attempting to help.
It still stings. No woman wants to be told she’s somehow lacking while she’s wearing only a towel. And especially when those blunt words come from someone who radiates sexual charisma like Zarix.
I grind my teeth some more as I struggle into the clothes Sonis left for me. And then I replay the interaction in my head.
I’m well-versed in body language. I spent years ensuring I was perfectly in step with the other dancers in the corps. And the look in his eyes, combined with the way his hand had fisted…
My heart beats slightly faster at the thought of that large hand touching me.
Get a grip, Beth. You’ve got plenty of other stuff to focus on right now. Keep your head in the game.
I struggle uselessly with the back of the thin shirt. Cool hands take over, and I turn my head as Sonis deftly ties the strings holding it to my chest.
“I’m sorry. This is very large on you.”
I shrug. “I guess I’m just a scrawny weakling on this planet.” I laugh, but it must sound bitter because Sonis’s hands pause.
“Zarix is…difficult.”
I blush. She must have heard us talking a few moments ago. “Ignore me. I’m being a whiny baby.”
She lets out a low laugh. “Some males speak before they think. Smart females will look beyond their words and to their actions.”
I nod. Zarix may be blunt to the point of bordering on rude, but he also saved me in the forest, brought me here, and hung around even though he clearly has other things to do.
I change the subject, turning around to face her as she finishes with the shirt. “Your son is lovely.”
She smiles, her blue face shining with love. “He is my pride and joy. Zarix is very patient with him.” She glances away, and a rough sigh leaves her throat. “My mate was taken by a pack of Voildi three summers ago when we lived deeper within their territory. My friend used to trade with some of the Braxian women from Zarix’s tribe, and she convinced me to ask Zarix’s qatai for help. His tribe king,” she tells me at my blank look.
“Did they help?”
She nods. “Zarix hunted the pack alone. I was furious at first, convinced that he was being arrogant and should have taken more warriors with him to face the monsters who took my mate.”
“I’m guessing he didn’t need them.”
Her mouth twists into a wry smile. “No,” she says softly, “he didn’t. Zarix tore through the Voildi pack, removing all traces of them from this planet. Unfortunately, it was too late for my mate. He was severely wounded and died hours later.”
“I’m so sorry.”
She nods and wipes her face, her movements brusque. “We brought him home, and he spent his last hours with his family. That was more than I had even hoped for once he was taken.”
“You live alone now?”
She nods. “My friend lives closer to Sebe, but I won’t leave. This home is all we have, and we are close to the hut where my son completes his lessons. After Zarix destroyed the pack, he left the evidence for other Voildi to see, and word spread that to target us is to invite retaliation by the Braxians.”
“You’re very brave.”
Sonis shrugs. “Do you have any children?”
“No.”
“I have no choice but to be brave for Javir. He has already lost more than any child should have to lose.”
She runs her gaze over my dress and nods, and we both smile as my stomach lets out a rumble.
She reaches over and hands me my walking stick. “Time for some food.”
Chapter Five
Zarix
Beth is quiet as she eats, and I fight not to pace restlessly. We need to leave soon if we are to get to Sebe before dark. While the area is supposedly neutral territory, it would be stupid to travel with a female when the sun is down.
My hands fist at the thought. I work best alone. Now I will have to make allowances for this female. She is small, injured, and weak, and I don’t have time to take her back to camp and resume my journey.
Beth’s gaze meets mine, and she frowns as if she knows what I’m thinking. She stares at me for one long moment and then returns to her meal—root vegetables and meat from the udazin I hunted earlier.
I offended her when I told her she needed to eat. I could tell by the widening of her eyes, the
slight twist of her mouth. I don’t have soft words like other males, and if she imagines that I will whisper gently to her, she is wrong.
I have no desire to be responsible for another person’s safety. Especially a tiny female’s.
I get up and move into the cooking room before gathering the food that Sonis has kindly prepared for us to take. She gives me a small, wistful smile, and I know she wishes I was not leaving.
There have been many times that I have hunted for this female and she has attempted to convince me to stay.
“Take this. She will be in more pain soon and will need it.”
I nod and take the waterskin, which Sonis has filled with her pain tonic. Beth appears behind me, and Sonis takes her bowl.
“Thank you,” Beth says. “I was very hungry.” She keeps her eyes off me, and I wonder if she is still grieved by my words from earlier. I shrug. The female has obviously been without food for some time.
Her body…while delicate, with the cloth wrapped around her, there was no doubt that she is a fully grown female. Her breasts, though small, are round and perfectly formed. Her hips, while narrow, curve gently, showcasing her tiny waist. And her legs…
I stifle a groan. The female is much shorter than Braxian females, yet her legs seem to go on forever. They were long and smooth in the dim light, pale and toned.
I turn away, striding for the door, and my voice is tight. “We are ready to leave,” I say, and the females are silent for a moment.
“Jeez,” Beth says. “Have you ever seen him smile? I bet his face would crack.”
Sonis laughs and says something that I don’t hear, and I move outside to ensure the mishua is ready. I’m well aware that my face is hard, my body scarred, and my expression often stern. I am not a male who laughs and smiles with ease, which is one of the many reasons I stay away from camp, aware that my sour presence discomforts my tribemates.
I am sure Beth is well used to being surrounded by males that have wide smiles. Males that give her sweet compliments and make her laugh.
My mood is dark as I saddle the mishua. She nips at my fingers, and I give her a handful of feed. “You’ve already been fed,” I tell her. “You’ll feel unwell if you have more before we leave.”
She snorts at me and seems to glare but swings her head, staring at Javir as he follows me from the hut.
“Can I come with you?”
“You know you can’t.”
He glowers at me. “You said one day I could. One day I would be a warrior like you. Why can’t it be today?”
“I said this would happen when you were fully grown. You are still too young.”
“Why does the female get to go with you? She doesn’t know anything. She didn’t even know what an udazin was.”
He stamps his foot, and I stare. Javir is usually even-tempered—more likely to attempt to wheedle than to demand.
“The female needs to find her friends,” I say, reaching for patience.
“I never get to go,” he says. “I’m sick of being stuck here. I want to hunt the Voildi too.”
Ah. That’s what this is about. He has heard me and his mother talking.
I sigh. “You will. One day. You would be killed by the Voildi if you were to hunt them now. Your father wouldn’t want you to throw your life away.”
“My father is dead,” he says, his eyes filling with tears, and he glances away, refusing to let them fall.
“Then think of your mother,” I say. “And do not make her mourn the last of her family.”
He gazes back at me for a long moment and then turns and runs inside, almost crashing into Beth as she exits the hut.
“Javir!” Sonis snaps, but he ignores her, slamming the door behind him, and she widens her eyes at me.
“What was that about?” she asks.
“He wants to come with us.” I reach for a small knife that I use to gut fish and cut fruit. “Give him this,” I say, handing it to her. “Tell him that when I return, I will show him how to use it.
Sonis nods, and I catch Beth’s soft smile out of the corner of my eye.
She moves closer to the mishua, gazing up at it as she chews on her lip. “I know I must have been on that thing on the way here, but it looks pretty scary from where I’m standing.”
The mishua lowers her head, curling her lip to display sharp teeth, and Beth jolts back, using her walking stick for balance.
The movement seems to hurt because her face drains of color, and my mood darkens further.
“Stop moving,” I snap, and Beth freezes as her eyes widen at my tone. I suppress a growl, and Sonis sends me a knowing look.
I lean forward and pick up Beth as she lets out a squeak, almost hitting me with the stick she uses to walk. Once she’s seated on the mishua, I turn to Sonis.
“Thank you for your help,” I say, and she smiles at both of us.
“Anytime. May the gods watch over your journey,” she says, and I nod, casting one last look at the hut, but Javir is nowhere to be seen.
I swing myself up behind Beth and direct the mishua back toward the path while Beth waves at Sonis.
It’s time to resume my mission.
Beth
Zarix is silent behind me while I fight to keep my calf from rubbing against the leather saddle. This is nothing like riding a horse.
This strange beast is scaled, yet it feels warm when I dare to touch its green skin. Lethal-looking horns protect every inch of its face and head.
“What’s his name?” I ask.
“Her. Only female mishua can be ridden. The males are too wild. Her name is Rexi.”
Rexi moves in an odd way, jolting me around on her back. Zarix has relaxed in the saddle, while I seem to be bouncing around like a Ping-Pong ball.
I attempt to keep track of the way we’re going, and it’s not long until we’re back at the trap, which is still covered in my blood. I swallow down bile as Zarix jumps down before leading the mishua forward.
“What are we doing here?” I ask.
He ties Rexi to a tree and then deftly dismantles the trap. “I will ensure the Voildi cannot use this again.”
“Thank you,” I say as he moves back toward the mishua. “I wouldn’t have been able to get free. You saved my life.”
He nods, glancing away, obviously discomfited by my gratitude. I suppress a smile. This guy isn’t big on feelings. Or talking. Or pretty much anything, it seems.
Zarix gets back on the mishua, and I feel his big body freeze behind me. He has tied my walking stick to the mishua, who didn’t seem pleased, and I glance down, wondering if something has fallen off the saddle.
Then I’m being lifted again, and I yelp as Zarix moves me so I’m riding sidesaddle. He takes a blanket from one of the saddlebags and wedges it beneath my knee so my calf is in no danger of hitting the saddle or the mishua.
“Thanks,” I say, and he nods stiffly, eyes focused ahead.
He seems to hate my appreciativeness, and I bite my lower lip to suppress a smile.
Mental note: When the giant alien tells me I’m scrawny, I can annoy him by thanking him for things. His dark gaze meets mine for the briefest moment, and he seems to read my mind because he scowls.
Then I’m bouncing along again, almost losing my seat at the new position. Zarix lets out a low growl and wraps his arm around me, pulling me closer to him. I glance up at him from beneath my lashes and frown at his blank expression.
In New York, the men I date are smooth, eager to please, charismatic, and funny. They’re gentlemen, and they know how to navigate every possible social situation. Zarix? He’s barely out of the cave. Stubborn and scowly, alternating between snapping at me curtly and attempting to ignore me completely.
So why do I find myself strangely drawn to this grumpy, rough warrior? Why do I find myself imagining what his hard face would look like if he smiled?
I push the thought from my head as we turn onto a slightly wider trail.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“A place called Sebe.”
I frown. Getting information from Zarix is like pulling teeth.
“Why are we going there?”
He sighs, and his breath tickles the back of my ear. I fight back a shiver.
“I believe the Voildi are planning to work together. Right now, even one or two packs wouldn’t be enough to take the smallest Braxian tribe. But if they could cooperate, they could attack as one, slaughtering an entire camp and taking it as their own.”
I shudder at the thought. “When I was with the Voildi, the leader mentioned that there aren’t many females here and he had plans for us.”
Zarix nods behind me, adjusting his arm and pulling me slightly closer as I wobble in the saddle. “If they weren’t going to eat you, it’s likely that they would be planning to sell you. There was a slave market in Nexia until my qatai found out about it and we destroyed it several summers ago. However, it’s possible that it has been rebuilt.”
I nod. “Where’s Nexia?”
“Nexia is the area surrounding Sebe. We will look for any sign of your friends while I gather information about the Voildi’s plans.”
“Do you really think the Voildi could take one of your tribes?”
He adjusts his body in the saddle, and I resist the urge to lean against his hard chest.
“I think it is unusual that a pack of Voildi had the intelligence to think to sell you instead of simply using you as fresh meat. And I think if that pack can convince other packs to work with them, they could be a threat.”
I mull this over. “I guess, all things considered, we’re lucky we were taken by those Voildi. At least they were willing to let us live long enough to sell us. You called your people Braxians? How many tribes do you have?”
Zarix’s chest brushes my back as he shrugs, leaning forward to adjust the mishua’s course slightly. “There are many.”
“Why don’t you join together to fight the Voildi?”
He’s silent for a moment. “Our tribes are very different. We have sometimes been forced to protect ourselves from other Braxian tribes who would take our resources for themselves.”
