by Presley Hall
“What will you do?” I ask suddenly. “If the inter-planetary communicator thing actually works, and you’re able to reach out to people on Vox? What will you do if you get to go home?”
“We’ll finish what we started.” Kaide looks down at me, determination gleaming in his eyes. “We’ll end the battle, and end Drokar’s reign as a tyrant king. We would’ve been successful the first time if—”
He breaks off, shaking his head.
I lean closer to him, momentarily forgetting my plan to keep as much distance between us as possible. “If what? What happened?”
“Droth’s brother betrayed us,” Bohrir says quietly, and Kaide’s hands clench into fists. “He learned of our attack plans and informed Drokar. They were ready for us, and our rebellion failed.”
I blink, glancing around at all of the men. They each wear almost identical expressions of pain and sadness, and I don’t quite know what to say. I’ve had people let me down before, more times than I’d care to count, but that level of betrayal is…
“Shit, that’s awful,” I murmur, looking up at Kaide.
He nods, holding my gaze for a moment, and I realize too late that I forgot to put my walls up. A spark of electricity seems to arc between us, and I clear my throat and pull away, tossing my fruit pit to the forest floor as I reach for my pack.
“We should probably get moving again soon, right?” I ask, hefting it to my shoulders.
Kaide presses away from the fallen log with a laugh, jerking his chin at his fellow warriors. “She’s right, you laze-abouts. Let’s go.”
The other men chuckle, and we all gear up and head out again quickly. For the rest of the afternoon, the conversation settles on lighter topics as the men banter about their favorite hunts and describe the strange animals they’ve encountered here. Kaide asks me questions about my home world, listening curiously as I describe palm trees and graffiti. I find myself drawn in by the men’s easy camaraderie, and it strikes me that although Droth never appointed an official leader of the group as far as I know, all three of the other warriors seem to look to Kaide to fill that role.
It’s strange. One part of him is so cocky and carefree, full of teasing jokes and banter. But there’s another side of him that’s much more serious, that’s experienced deep pain and loss. A side that’s protective and determined.
All of those things exist in the same man, and I can’t help but be curious if his lighthearted side is his way of dealing with the shit he’s been through. I’ve done the same thing, in a way, except instead of turning to jokes and banter, I chose to toughen myself up, to build a wall around my heart. Maybe we’re both trying to protect ourselves, just in different ways.
Seriously, Raina? Are you really trying to psychoanalyze the alien who claims to be your fated mate? I chastise myself inwardly.
I shouldn’t allow myself to be curious about him or try to solve the puzzle of who he is. The less I get to know him, the less confusing and difficult this whole mess will be.
But as soon as I have that thought, another little voice pops up inside my head.
Were you just lying to him, then, when you said you’d give him a chance to prove that the mate bond can be more than just some mystical connection? To prove that it could turn into real love?
There’s no way this insane, inexplicable connection between us could ever turn into more than just a powerful physical reaction to each other if I don’t at least allow for the possibility of more. If I don’t make an effort to get to know him, and let him get to know me.
The idea is vaguely terrifying—I haven’t let anyone truly know me in a long, long time—but after he held up his end of our bargain and convinced Droth to let me come on this journey, I feel like I should hold up my end.
I feel like I should give him a chance.
By the time the sun starts to set and we stop to make camp for the evening, the conversation has slowed a bit. I don’t know about the others, but I’m a bit tired from the long day of walking and ready for a good night’s rest. The men briefly debate about making a fire but decide against it. Although we haven’t run across any dangerous animals on our journey so far, the light from a fire could draw both predators and roving raiders, so we’re better off not risking it.
I’m definitely on board with that decision, although I can’t help regretting it a little as I settle down on the rapidly cooling grass after dinner. I shiver, rolling onto my side and wrapping my arms around myself—then jump when a large, warm body settles onto the ground behind me, a muscled arm wrapping around my waist.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I hiss at Kaide, craning my neck to look over my shoulder at him in the darkness.
He grins, his markings glowing slightly as his teeth flash in the dim light. “Keeping my mate warm.”
I narrow my eyes, and he chuckles, holding up his hand in what must be the universal gesture of I mean no harm.
“I promise, that’s all I’m doing, Raina,” he murmurs, his deep voice vibrating in his chest so that I can feel him speak as well as hear it. “I’ve never taken an unwilling woman to my bed, and I never will. Especially not my mate. You may prefer the human way of finding a mate, but for Voxerans, the bond is one of the most sacred things there is. I will never hurt you.”
His expression turns serious as he finishes speaking, and I shiver again—but this time, it’s completely unrelated to the chill in the air.
There it is again. That side of him that isn’t teasing or joking or just flirting. The side of him that’s grave and honorable, the side that doesn’t just want to seduce me, but that seems to truly want me as his partner in life.
I don’t react for a moment, internally debating what to say. Kaide doesn’t do anything either, just waits, with his gaze still fixed on mine. The intensity of his stare is doing strange things to me, and I’m afraid he’ll see things in my eyes that I don’t want him to, so I nod abruptly and turn away, settling back down on my side.
He makes a low, pleased noise in his throat that I wish didn’t affect me at all, then tightens his arm around me a bit as he molds himself to my back. It’s been about a million years since I spooned with a guy, and the way we’re situated allows me to feel every line of his powerful body… including the suspicious hardness pressed up against my ass.
I wait for him to grind against me or for his hands to start wandering or something. I’m fully prepared to shove him away the moment he makes a move that proves this was never about keeping warm in the first place.
But he doesn’t.
Although I can feel the heat of his cock against my ass and am certain he’s aroused, he doesn’t do anything about it. He just holds me, and the warmth of his body is like a blanket around me, banishing the cold.
My muscles slowly start to unkink, my eyelids drooping a little as exhaustion washes over me. But it still takes me a long time to fall asleep. I’m way too aware of Kaide behind me, of the heat of his breath on my neck and the weight of his arm slung over my waist.
It feels better than anything has felt for a long time, and it’s more than just sexual attraction. In his arms, I feel… safe.
And that?
That scares the shit out of me.
9
Kaide
I can tell the exact moment when Raina wakes up, just as I knew the moment when she fell asleep last night. Tension returns to her muscles, as if her body is fortifying itself with whatever kind of armor it can create.
Her breathing shifts too, losing the deep, easy rhythm and becoming shorter and faster. In her sleep, she melted against me, her soft curves lining up perfectly with my larger frame, but now that she’s awake, I can feel her pulling away from me a little.
I let her go, lifting my arm to give her room to slide out of my embrace. I meant what I told her last night. Although I will pursue her with every means at my disposal, I have no interest in forcing her. I believe that the bond chose us for each other for a reason, and I already like her so much.
&
nbsp; I want her to be my mate willingly, or not at all.
Grinning at her as she gets to her feet, I stretch my arms over my head, enjoying the way her gaze tracks over the planes of my chest and stomach. She stares at me as if she can’t quite help herself, and when her attention drops a bit lower to where my cock—still hard from sleep and her close proximity—strains against my loincloth, her eyes bulge a little before she wrenches her head away.
“Did you sleep well?” I ask, my voice a little hoarse as my cock throbs. I stand and quickly adjust myself, trying to think of other things to distract myself from the arousal coursing through me.
“Yes. Thank you for the, uh, warmth.”
“Of course.” I give her another grin. “It’s my duty to keep my mate safe, and that includes protecting you from things like the cold.”
She rolls her eyes, but one corner of her lips twitches upward, as if she’s trying to hide a smile.
Ochar, Bohrir, and Orin are awake as well, and the five of us quickly forage for breakfast before beginning the day’s trek.
Yesterday, we were lucky enough not to encounter any dangerous animals in the thick forest, and our good fortune holds out again today. We stop a few times to rest and eat but keep up a hard pace. At this rate of travel, we should reach Pascia in two more days.
On the third day, our luck fades. Just after our midday meal, a sound in the forest draws my attention, and I look over just in time to see an umbaba emerging from the trees, tusks bared and mouth hanging open. My fellow warriors and I leap into action immediately. Bohrir and I lunge forward to meet the creature with our spears raised as Orin and Ochar quickly circle around to attack it from behind. We work as a team like that, those in the umbaba’s field of vision drawing its attention so that the others can dart in close enough to try to land a killing blow.
These tusked, hairy creatures are known for their tough hides, and it takes several attempts to bring the thing down. When Ochar manages to bury his spear in its flank, making it bellow in pain, I leap forward and drive my own weapon into the creature’s open mouth and through its skull. It drops to the ground with a heavy thud and a low groan, dead.
“Impressive takedown, Kaide.”
Ochar nods at me as he steps forward to retrieve his spear, and I dip my chin in acknowledgement. Before pulling my spear free to clean it off, I glance over at Raina. She’s standing on one side, the knife that she keeps strapped to her side raised defensively, her body tense and knees a bit bent.
I grin at the sight.
I’m grateful that she didn’t try to dive into the fight. The other warriors and I have trained together for years, and we know how to work together, how to coordinate an attack without any need for words. Raina doesn’t have the same experience we do, so I appreciate that she left this battle to us. Still, I can’t help but be impressed that instead of cowering in fear, she drew her weapon and stood ready to defend herself.
My mate is not helpless, that’s certain. I like that about her.
Our gazes meet, and she straightens, lowering her blade.
“Holy shit,” she murmurs. “I mean, I’ve seen you guys fight before, but… holy shit.”
I don’t know what’s holy about it. Although the multi-language chip implanted in my brain allows me to understand her words, the phrases the Terran women use don’t always make sense. But from the tone of her voice, I can tell she’s impressed, and pride swells in my chest at the way she’s looking at me.
“Are you all right?” I ask, striding closer. I can see that she is, since we felled the umbaba before it could go anywhere near her. But I want an excuse to be close to her, and irrational fear fills my mind at even the vague idea of my mate being hurt.
“Yeah.” She nods, then shakes her head, grinning wryly as she looks down at her knife. “I didn’t really do anything. That was all you guys.”
“That’s not true.” I stop just a step away from her. “You did plenty. You reacted, and not everyone does that when faced with a threat. That kind of thing can save your life on this planet. You have good instincts.”
She looks surprised at my words, and a faint spot of color rises up on her cheeks. Her mesmerizing brown and green eyes flash, and her grin widens. “Thanks.”
I make a mental note of her reaction, determined to make it happen again and again. I’m still not entirely sure how to go about wooing her like a Terran man would, but she seems to like it when I compliment her competence.
I can do that.
“Should we get moving again, or would you prefer to wait and see if another umbaba finds us?” Orin drawls from behind me.
Akhi.
Of course. The creatures rarely travel alone, so Orin is right. We should get out of here unless we want another fight on our hands. Dragging my unwilling gaze away from my mate, I turn back to where the creature’s body lies. Orin has already retrieved my spear and cleaned the weapon on the grass, and he gives me an amused look as I walk over and retrieve it.
I shake my head at him, although I can’t help but laugh at myself.
I’ve seen several other men experience the mate bond, both here and back on Vox, but nothing could’ve truly prepared me for what it feels like. It’s beyond anything I’ve ever experienced, and I know my friends can see the change in me.
We continue onward, staying alert in case another umbaba or some other animal happens upon us, but we encounter nothing more dangerous than a herd of hiwarns for the rest of the day.
At night, I curl up behind Raina again, just as I have since that first evening of our journey. She settles into my arms without a word, letting out a small, contented sigh. Although she usually springs to her feet as soon as she’s awake and has made no mention of the mate bond since before we left the village, I can read the small change in her body. She may be no more inclined to accept the bond between us than she was before, but she’s beginning to trust me.
That’s a start.
Around midday on the fourth day of our travels, we slow our grueling pace. The trees are beginning to thin out around us, replaced by moss-covered stumps where the forest has been cleared.
“We’re nearing Pascia,” I murmur to Raina, who nods and squares her shoulders.
After another few moments of walking, the outskirts of the city become visible. Most of the wealth and power is concentrated closer to the heart of the city, so the structures at the outer edges look decrepit and neglected, made of rotting wood and roughly hewn stone. Some are made of little more than pieces of leather slung over the rough framework of several large sticks, and they seem like they might blow over in a strong breeze.
“Wow.” Raina’s eyebrows shoot up. “I can see why you guys prefer not to live here.”
“Yes.” I nod, grimacing. “The prisoners who live in these slums mostly avoid the attention of the crime lords who compete for territory in the inner parts of Pascia, but that freedom comes at a price. They mostly subsist by begging or stealing from those who have more than them, and if they’re caught, they’ll be killed or enslaved.”
“Charming,” she mutters as we make our way between the haphazardly placed structures. A few eyes peer out to look at us, but our watchers wisely decide that it’s better not to tangle with four armed Voxeran warriors. “I can’t believe they have no wardens or guards down here. The way they just dump everyone on this planet and make them fend for themselves is insane.”
“I think they hope that many of them will die.” I glance around as I speak, keeping a sharp eye on our surroundings. “No one is sent to Nuthora for anything less than a lifetime sentence, and for many, their lifetime is cut very short.”
She shivers, stepping a little closer to me, and I have the sudden urge to wrap a protective arm around her waist, to pull her against my side and bare my teeth at everyone we walk past, making sure they know that she’s with me.
That she’s mine.
But I know my mate well enough by now to know that she wouldn’t react well to that. She’s s
tubborn and independent, and despite the bond that pulses between us, she isn’t fully mine yet. Not in all the ways I want her to be.
So I just allow her to come to me, pretending not to notice the way her arm brushes against mine.
Once we’re through the ramshackle collection of tents and lean-tos that make up the area surrounding Pascia, we stop for a moment, the five of us gathering into a tight knot as we discuss our next moves.
“I think the best plan of action is to take care of our usual trading first,” I say quietly, glancing into the distance where the taller buildings in Pascia rise up in the center of the city. “That should be simple enough, and then we can move on to the task of having the communicator built.”
“Do you know someone who can do it, or will we need to find somebody?” Raina asks, her gaze catching mine. The mix of brown and green in her eyes reminds me of the forest, and I have to work to keep my focus on her question and not their stunning color.
“There’s a man we’ve dealt with before,” I say. “K’Mek. He should be able to do what we need—or at least, I hope so. He’s the best with tech of anyone we’ve met in the city. And if he can’t do it, he might know someone who can.”
“We’ll have to be careful,” Bohrir grunts. “The more people who know we have diamantum with us, the more risky our mission will become.”
I nod grimly. He’s right about that. The gems that Kzuri and Gemma brought back when they returned to the village from the mines will go a long way toward buying the silence and cooperation of whoever we engage to build the communication device. But diamantum is valuable in its own right, and if more people find out about it, we won’t be able to buy them all off.
“Then let’s get moving,” I say, flashing a grin. “If all goes well, we could be on our way back to the village tomorrow.”
“That barely gives you enough time to start a fight with someone,” Ochar quips, grinning back. “Or to try your luck in the gambling dens.”
I chuckle. “I know my reputation will take a blow, but I don’t plan on doing either of those things on this journey.”