by Hope Hart
“I’m so sorry.”
He stares up at the ceiling, his fingers running through my hair. “When she died, my father fell apart. He turned to noptri—a drink that steals your wits,” he explains at my frown. “Suddenly, he no longer cared that he still had a son.” His voice hardens. “I take after my mother. I have her eyes and many of the same features. My father could not stand to look at me.”
My heart breaks at the pain in his voice. He was just a kid who’d lost his mom. His father should have been there for him.
“So what happened?”
“He gave me to my father’s brother. They already had sons and wanted no more, but his mate had been close to my mother, so she agreed to raise me.”
“I’m guessing that wasn’t a good thing.”
His jaw hardens, and I lift my hand, running my fingers over his cheek. He glances back at me, and something seems to soften in his eyes.
“Now that I am fully grown and I can look back, I believe there was something broken in my uncle. Something wrong with his mind. He would tell me that I was just like my father. That I would grow up to be alone, just like him. He would beat me, tell me I was useless, that my father lost himself in noptri to forget about his failure of a son.”
My hands shake as I sit up. “Where is this asshole now?”
My fury seems to amuse Vrex, and the corner of his mouth twitches as he pulls me back down to him. “Dead. He challenged the wrong warrior from another tribe and was sliced apart.”
“Good,” I growl. “Why didn’t the tribe king help you?”
He shrugs. “The qatai’s health was failing. Not many people knew, of course, but I was sometimes close to Dexar. His father was also obsessed with growing the tribe and taking down any who threatened the safety of the tribe.”
“What about Dexar? He could’ve done something.”
“I wanted nothing more than to leave the tribe. As soon as his father died, I petitioned Dexar, and he allowed me to leave.”
Vrex strokes his finger down the line between my eyebrows as I scowl.
“So he never helped solve the problem? He just let you walk away?”
“That was solving the problem,” Vrex says gently. “I prefer to be alone.”
I ignore the hurt that slices through me at that. People who abuse children are very good at convincing those children that it’s their fault. It sounds like both Vrex’s father and uncle taught him that if he let people close to him, they’d fail him, or worse, abuse him.
“Your uncle should have paid for what he did.”
“A few years later, I found out that he had attempted to seduce my mother before she mated with my father. I believe he had convinced himself that he was in love with her and that my father took her from him. When she died, I was a living memory that she chose another male.”
I grind my teeth at that. “I don’t blame you for leaving. I would’ve told all of them to go fuck themselves and left the tribe as well.”
He huffs out a breath, his fingers returning to play with my hair. “I have no doubt that you would have, little Flame Hair.”
I attempt to ignore the way my toes curl at his low voice. “You know, you act like you’re no good with women. But from what I’ve seen, you’re chivalrous, kind, and one hell of a good lay.”
Vrex is silent for a long moment, his fingers gently untangling my hair. “Females are frightened of me,” he says matter-of-factly. I study his face, but his expression is completely blank.
“I don’t understand why,” I murmur.
“You are a brave female,” he says. “You are never afraid of me, even when you should be. Most females do not like my size. They have heard of my…reputation, and this disgusts them.” He reaches up a hand, pushing his hair off his face so I can see his scar.
I snort, and he narrows his eyes at me, obviously confused. Most of the time, I forget his scar is even there.
“You can’t be serious.”
He tilts his head.
“About the scar thing. I can maybe understand the other stuff, although they sound like little bitches to me. But the scar is hot.”
I’ve managed to shock the warrior. He stares at me as if I’ve suddenly announced that I’m planning to take off my clothes and ride his mishua through the forest.
“Hot?” His voice is strangled, and I frown at him.
“Come on, the whole tortured soul thing? The remote cabin in the woods, the air of mystery, the seven feet of pure delicious male, and then the interesting scar? If you were on Earth, you’d be snapped up in a heartbeat.”
He glowers at me, rolling away. “You are mocking me.”
I blink at him. “I’m not.”
“People on this planet know me as nothing more than the Assassin of Agron. The only females who deign to lie with me are those who care more for my coin than my reputation.”
“You pay for sex?”
He blinks at me, as if surprised that this is what I’ve latched onto. “Did you hear nothing of what I said?”
I wave that away. “Yeah, yeah, you’re a fearsome warrior, a misunderstood male, yada yada. But who do you pay for sex?” Yup. I sound jealous.
Vrex gives me a scathing look. “Whores in Sebe who are willing to overlook the scar on my face in return for a few orgasms and some credits.”
He’s trying to shock me with his words, but it doesn’t work. Instead, I slide one leg over him until I’m sitting up, staring down into his grumpy face.
His eyes are hard, his jaw tight. And he won’t even look at me.
I sigh and lean down, pushing his hair away. He tenses, his hands rising to my shoulders.
“Shh,” I whisper. “Let me.”
He closes his eyes, and his huge body trembles as I gently kiss every inch of his scar. When I’m done, his eyes are dark, unfathomable, and blazing with need as he rolls me onto my back.
He spends the rest of the night dragging moans of pleasure from my lips.
I’m still tired in the morning, but I smile as Vrex nuzzles me awake.
“We must go,” he says. “I have packed what we need, and we can eat on the way.”
I blink up at him. “Okay. Just give me a few minutes.”
It doesn’t take me much more than that because he’s already packed my clothes. The clothes that Ilax gave me.
My chest tightens at the thought, but I picture the peaceful expression on his face as he stared up at the sky and thought of his family. I hope he’s with them now.
Vrex slides my knife into a sheath, which he fastens around my upper thigh, on top of my slim pants but beneath the tunic. If I need to reach for it, I’ll lose time pulling up the tunic, but I should still have the element of surprise.
Vrex has removed his sling, and his arm doesn’t seem to pain him much as he leads us along a new trail. When I ask why we’re traveling in a different direction, he informs me that he spent the early hours of the morning setting even more traps. Anyone who attempts to get close to his home will regret it.
For once, there aren’t that many people at the trading post when we arrive. Vrex leads me into the messenger tashiv, and the guy who works there instantly hands him a couple pieces of paper.
We walk back to the mishua, and I watch him as he reads the first note. Finally, I sidle up close to him, wishing I could understand the language he’s reading.
My eyes widen. Beneath the first note is a second message. And it’s written in English. I don’t hesitate, leaning forward to pluck the piece of paper from Vrex’s hands.
“Hey, Ivy, this is Nevada,” I read aloud. Vrex tenses, and I frown as I continue, “If you get this, congrats on that whole staying alive thing. We’ve hired this hulking piece of man-meat to help you get back to us. Zoey and Beth are fine, so if you want to get off this planet, you need to start moseying toward our camp.”
I look up at Vrex, betrayal hitting me like a punch to the gut.
“How much?” I demand.
“How much what?”
“How much are you getting paid to bring me back?”
He’s silent for a long moment. “Two hundred credits and a favor from the tribe king.”
“A favor?”
One sharp nod. “Ivy—”
I lift my hand. “Why didn’t you tell me? You let me think you were helping me just because you happened to be in the area.”
Vrex’s jaw tightens, the look in his eyes strangely desperate. He turns his head, and I realize everyone is staring at us.
“We need to leave,” he says, and a harsh laugh escapes me. Even now, he can’t explain himself. I crumple the note in my fist and then flatten it out before carefully folding it and sliding it into the pocket of my tunic so I can read it again later.
I get on the mishua and try to ignore the wrenching pain in my chest. “Fine.”
Chapter Nine
Vrex
Ivy is as cold as ice as we travel toward Rakiz’s camp. My plan is to leave her with the tribe king and then hunt the Zintas and the Voildi once she is safe.
I should have told her. Should have admitted that I was sent to help her. I can’t explain why I didn’t. Except that for a brief period, I wasn’t just the Assassin of Agron. I was the male who saved the human female with the flame-colored hair.
I wanted to be more than just a killer. More than just a mercenary. For her.
“Will you not talk to me now, female?”
She sniffs. “I need some time, Vrex. I’m pissed at you.”
I attempt to ignore the way my shoulders straighten with hope that she will forgive me. Last night was the best night of my life.
A night that should not have happened. I am not worthy of the flame-haired female with the wide smile and sparkling eyes. But for a few short hours, she was mine.
I’m not ready to give that up.
“I did not think you would be the type of female to punish me by withholding your words,” I tell her, and she inhales sharply, glowering at me over her shoulder.
“You deserve the silent treatment,” she snaps. “You let me think that you just so happened to be close by and you decided to help me because you were a good man.”
I tense, hoping she can’t see how much her words sting.
“You are an honorable male, Vrex. I’m sorry that you do not believe yourself worthy of a mate.”
I scowl as Ilax’s words run through my head on a loop. The male was wrong.
“That was your first mistake, little Flame Hair. Believing that I was good. I warned you not to trust anyone on this planet.”
She shakes her head in disgust as she turns back around to face our trail. “You’re right. I should’ve listened.”
I grind my teeth in frustration. “If you want me to be your villain, I can,” I say, and she stiffens.
“Is that a threat?”
“No. I’m merely willing to conform to your expectations of me.”
I lean forward and run my teeth down her neck. I’m rewarded with her gasp even as she curses at me.
I grin with my lips pressed against her skin. “You still want me.”
She leans back and elbows me in the ribs. “I still want chocolate, but I don’t seem to have much of that in my life right now.”
I frown. What is this “chocolate”? And how will I find it for her?
We are close to the edge of the forest, and I turn Nari toward the plains that will lead us to Rakiz’s camp. Already, I feel tense at the thought of being surrounded by so many people. But it is the idea of leaving this female behind that makes me itch beneath my skin.
A huge tree is lying across our path, and I pull the mishua to a stop.
“Can we go around it?” Ivy asks.
My instincts are roaring at me. “I don’t like the look of this. Stay on the mishua.”
She nods, and I jump down, drawing my sword. I approach the felled tree slowly, noting that there have been no recent storms. There are no other fallen trees in this area.
I turn. “We will find another route.”
A Voildi drops out of a tree, and I growl. I’m suddenly surrounded.
“GO!” I roar at Ivy. I whistle at the mishua, and she turns, racing back through the forest, Ivy holding on tight. The Voildi curse, a few of them giving chase while the rest of them attack.
Ivy
Five minutes after declaring himself a villain, Vrex made his mishua take me to safety while surrounded by a pack of mishua.
I don’t think so.
Now I’m hiding in a bush after bailing from the mishua, who was running through the forest like her ass was on fire.
I creep back toward the Voildi. Vrex is swinging his sword like a wild man, but there are too many of them.
I run through options in my mind. If I had a gun, I could take them all out. Unfortunately, all I have is a large knife, and while I’d probably do okay up against one Voildi, I’d be sure to die if I attempted to take on them all.
They’re going to kill him.
I flinch as Vrex’s giant sword slides through one of the Voildi just as another one darts forward and slices his own sword along Vrex’s side. Vrex roars, whirling around and beheading the guy, but another is quick to replace him, slashing his sword across Vrex’s ribs.
I sprint toward them.
Vrex swings his arm, the sunlight glinting off his sword as he smoothly steps away from the Voildi, sliding under his guard and cutting his head off his shoulders. He lifts his own head, baring his teeth at me in fury.
Yeah, yeah, I didn’t listen. Sue me.
I leap into the air, landing on the back of one of the Voildi and driving him into the ground. I slam the back of my knife into his head, and he doesn’t get up.
“Move,” Vrex roars, and I glance behind me, my mouth going dry at the sound of hooves thundering on the ground as Nari charges toward us. I roll aside, and she lowers her head like a bull, driving into the fray. Her horns pierce and stab, while Vrex takes advantage of the chaos, swinging his sword like he’s possessed.
I jump to my feet, and then I’m falling as my foot gets caught on something. I try to get up, but whatever has me isn’t letting go, and I flip onto my back, staring at a Voildi who holds the rope that’s tied tightly around my ankle.
A trap. And I fell for it.
I try to crawl away, a frustrated sob leaving my throat as he laughs, stepping closer.
“Ivy!” Vrex’s voice is thick with what sounds like panic.
And then everything goes black.
Vrex
The world turns red as I slash my sword across a Voildi’s throat and blood sprays across my face. The creature slashes at me with its sword, and I duck, kicking out as I turn, plunging my own sword into its gut.
The Voildi thought it could sneak up behind me. That I wouldn’t smell its stench as it approached.
I shy left, ducking as another Voildi swings, and cut across its arm, the limb falling to the ground. It screams, and I ignore it, turning my head as I frantically search for Ivy.
The flame-haired female is quiet. Too quiet.
A Voildi leaps at my back, the tip of its knife carving through my shirt and into my shoulder. I spin, slicing as it falls, and it collapses, blood pouring from its throat.
There. Ivy is fighting with a Voildi. He has her ankle caught in a rope on the edge of the clearing, and I roar her name as he leans over, picking up a rock before slamming it into her head. She instantly goes limp, and I barely dodge a blade as it slices toward me. I fight to get to her, but the Voildi disappears with her slumped over his shoulder, melting into the trees with several of his pack members.
Another Voildi lunges desperately at me, and I crouch, slicing along its thigh. I move as he falls before stomping on the back of his neck.
I pant, wiping blood off my face.
Nari steps close, lowering her head and almost poking me in my eye with one of her horns as she attempts to nuzzle me.
I stroke her nose before pushing her gently away.
; I count eight Voildi already dead, but one of them is twitching. I stalk over to him, and his face pales.
“Where did they take her?”
“To the Zintas. Don’t kill me. Please.”
I ignore that. This Voildi would have laughed as I was slaughtered and likely eaten my body.
“Where?”
He begins to babble, and I put a picture together. We are close to the Great Water. The Zintas traveled here from across the water, and if they take Ivy with them, I may never see her again.
“Don’t kill me,” he begs again.
I return my attention to the Voildi, raising an eyebrow as blood bubbles between his lips. And then I run my eyes over the huge wound in his chest.
“I don’t need to.”
Nari clomps toward me, then nudges me with her nose.
“Yes,” I say. “We’re going to find her. Now.”
Ivy
When I pictured Vrex rescuing me, I imagined it happening before I ended up on a rickety, shabby boat.
It looks like a bunch of logs have been tied together and a hut built on top. What it doesn’t look like is a seaworthy vessel. Even if the Zintas did use it to cross the water to get here.
“Nuh-uh,” I say, but the Zintas ignore me as they drag me closer to the boat, and small rocks and stones shift beneath my feet as I struggle.
I’m no match for the two Zintas holding me, each with a hand clamped around one of my arms. The waves lap against the shore, and the sound would be relaxing if I weren’t staring at a small vessel that looks like it’s guaranteed to flip or sink. I’m a strong swimmer, but who even knows what creatures are waiting for me beneath the water on this planet?
I shiver as my imagination presents all kinds of scary beasts, with tentacles and sharp teeth, waiting to drag me into the depths below.
What if Vrex is dead? What if those Voildi managed to kill him and he’s lying somewhere in the forest?
Or what if he killed them and decided I’d brought enough pain and heartache to his life? And then he headed back to his cabin in the woods?
“That was your first mistake, little Flame Hair. Believing that I was good. I warned you not to trust anyone on this planet.”
