by Ivy McAdams
Even if I’m dying to know what he says in return.
“You’re very huge, you know that?” I murmur, looking him over. “Big shoulders. Big chest. Such long arms. I bet it’s nice to be tucked into that wingspan.”
I bite the inside of my cheek to stop my mouth. Maybe saying whatever I want to him isn’t the best idea. I may be talking myself into a bit more of a frenzy than I need.
But he must have heard it in my voice too because his eyelids are at half-mast as his gaze melts over me like butter. Then his fingers are on the strap of my mask again. His other hand joins in and he fits his thumbs under the straps to lift it.
When I realize what he’s doing, I slap my hands over the clear facemask to keep it in place. My heart hammers in my chest, half in sheer excitement of him touching me, the other in fear of the pain breathing in their air. And what if the mask is damaged or misplaced? I could suffocate.
Some of the hunger eases from his eyes and there’s only sincerity left. An excited but gentle longing. His fingers caress my cheek and he whispers my name.
I’m like a lost puppy staring up at him, drinking in every bit of attention he’s giving me. I barely even stand anymore, letting him hold me up by my cheeks. My body feels numb, drawn to him.
“Da nah zil3,” he breathes as he caresses my cheeks.
This time when he presses on the straps of my masks, my fingers fall away to allow it. His eyes have me tied to him like a homing beacon. We're attached. He's got me and I trust him enough to let him keep going.
I instinctively take a final breath as the mask moves over my mouth and nose, as if I’m going underwater. He slides the soft, malleable plastic up to rest on my forehead, then looks down at me.
It feels ridiculously good to stand there in the cool air without that thing on my face, but already the nerves are ticking at me. Telling me I need to be safe and put it back on.
Drek’s face is wonderfully distracting, though. I feel as if I can hold my breath there for hours so that he can stare at me. His gaze moves over my face, settling on my lips, and a new realization hits me.
He’s going to kiss me.
My body clenches, buzzing in excitement.
I don’t know how the hell I’m going to manage not being able to breathe, but when he lowers his head, I nearly leap the rest of the way to meet him.
His lips trace mine delicately at first, smoothing over them. His mouth is strong but gentle. It’s so hard not to draw in a breath as the tingles move through my face. His face is bigger than mine, but his kiss is perfect. I lean into it as one of his hands slides around the back of my head to cradle it.
My lungs burn from lack of oxygen. The flicker in my quickening pulse draws every bit of air I have left and I’m straining to keep the discomfort at bay. I don’t want to stop and put my mask back on. I want to stand here and kiss this big warrior until I grow even more lightheaded and giddy.
But the body is stubborn and wants what it wants. I’m going to give it one painful draw of Xion V air before I give in, because Drek’s lips are on fire and it’s spreading up and down my body.
As soon as I open my lips to him, he does the same, and I draw in a sharp breath. I freeze, tense, waiting for the pain, but it doesn’t come. The air in Drek’s mouth is surprisingly fresh and perfect.
At first, I think I must be losing my reasoning due to lack of oxygen, but when I take another breath of him, I discover that I'm not mistaken at all. I feel fine. The pain in my chest has eased. There's not a feeling of sharp rocks raking down my throat.
I can breathe.
The revelation that he must be breathing out traces of oxygen, and less of the dreaded metallic element that’s in the atmosphere, is thrilling.
I'm standing here, surviving on an alien planet, without any help from any outside sources.
If I want to live the rest of my life attached to Drek’s face, that is.
The thought is tempting, but not practical.
But for now, I’m going to let it take me over.
I can’t reach much of his body, but I want to touch him. His hands still cup my head so I move my fingers up his arms, sliding them over his tight forearm muscles. He makes a low purring sound against my lips and my nipples grow taut beneath my t-shirt.
One of his hands slides down my neck to my back, pulling my body nearly off the ground and closer to him. I draw a breath in through my nose, and even though pain bites the inside, I pull in a lungful of his delicious scent.
And I was right.
It’s even more phenomenal when not filtered through the mask.
My legs grow weak as I try to store the smell to my memory since it won't be often that I get such a concentrated dose of it. He smells of dirt and wood, some sort of organic animal that I'll attribute to the levadon. Of rain and a musky, manly scent that curls my toes.
How I wish I could breathe him in again and again.
When he leans back, my eyes flutter open. His lips are turned up in a devilish smile that sends exciting jolts through me. He takes my chin in his fingers, rubbing his thumb over my lower lip, and uses his other hand to slide my mask back in place.
The feel of the plastic settling around my mouth is disheartening. I wish I could rip it off and be free. Free to eat and drink or kiss Drek any time I wanted.
The realization that I want to kiss him again already causes a blush to roll across my cheeks. But he’s already taken my hand again and we’re heading for the tent flap.
“That was nice. Thanks,” I mutter like an idiot. Thank the Lord he can’t understand me. I just can’t let the silence linger between us now.
At the tent flap, he tugs me up against him and smiles down at me.
“Zhona amula4,” he says with that sexy twinkle in his eye.
I don’t know what it means, but it makes me feel as warm as buttered toast on the inside. I smile back at him and duck inside my temporary home, already excited for what tomorrow might bring.
Chapter 8
Eva
“You mean to tell me these guys exhale oxygen?” Gemma laughs. “That’s rich. You just going to suck face with Drek forever then?”
“If only.” I grin. “That was hands down the best kiss I’ve ever had. From a damn alien too. I guess men on Earth just don’t got it going on, huh?”
Gemma snickers behind my head. “You won’t hear any argument from me.”
She pulls back on the reins around me and Pearl comes to a stop. The wide, white head perks up in front of me, turning back and forth as the levadon surveys the valley below us.
We’ve covered the area around the village, wide plains of swaying green grass. The purple tree groves that line the north side and far to the south, rocky cliffs that lead down to the gray ocean. The beautiful waterfall and crystal caves. Now we’ve ventured a little further to some foothills and stone plateaus.
Gemma doesn't want to go further. She's been passed these hills, she says. And there's nothing beyond them but blood-thirsty dinosaurs and things that want to eat us.
I’ll take her word for it, no problem. I’m no more than a piece of popcorn to most of the giants that live here. There’s no chance I’d survive a run-in with some hungry dino.
They may be amazing from afar, and I'd love to see anyone of them tranqued and up close, but other than that, I'm good. They're fascinating as hell, but I don't want to die.
We left the village a couple hours ago, after the warriors set out for their scouting and we nabbed Pearl a bite to eat. Gemma's made it her mission to show me the beauty of the land and the people.
I have no doubt she has something up her sleeve.
“There’s another starward herd down there,” she says, pointing with her long arm.
Sure enough, there’s a large family of mid-sized dinosaurs with pink lights flickering along their backs.
Starward. Of the Staridae family. Most closely related to our Iguanodons. Except for the bioluminescence. It’s far more vibrant and useful than
the data that was given to us in our studies. The dinosaurs definitely communicate with it, flashing signals to others.
I’ve seen the levadon flicker colors at their Kutarian partners too.
Fascinating.
Though not nearly as much as the people. And how we’ve integrated with them.
I peek over my shoulder at the giant silver alien woman that now houses my best friend.
“So what’s it like being—um, you know…”
She glances down at me. Blue eyes that still somehow shimmer with her spirit. They’re not the same color or shape as her old ones, but I still see her in there. Especially when she smiles.
“Being an alien?”
“Well…” Yes, that too. Though I’m digging deeper today. “...being pregnant with an alien baby?”
She laughs as if all of it is normal life. "I don't know how it is being pregnant with a human baby, so I suppose it's similar."
“Morning sickness?”
“Not that I know of.”
"From stories I've heard you would know if you had it."
She shrugs a big shoulder. “Guess that’s a no.”
“How long before you can feel it kick?”
“Oh, I can.” She slides a hand behind my back to press on her belly. “Right around in here.”
I blink, leaning forward so I can look at her slightly swollen abdomen. “That sounds fast. My sister’s had a baby. I think she was much further along when she could feel it. Like halfway.”
Gemma’s hand looks huge as she splays out her fingers to rub her belly. “I thought it seemed a little fast, but it’s not like I could google it.”
“Have you asked how long they normally carry?”
“Six moon cycles.”
I recall the charts we learned during the flight over. The brightest moon in the sky is bigger than ours back home and moves twice as fast. Six cycles would be…
“Three months? That’s it?”
She smiles. “Quickies around here, I guess.”
“No kidding. No wonder they’re excited about new females. The population will be booming in no time.”
“Seven new babies before the cold months set in.”
“Seven?” I narrow my eyes a little as I peer up at her.
That saucy grin is clear no matter if it’s on a human’s face or an alien’s. “Don’t tell me you haven’t been thinking about it,” she says. “Making out with Drek after the party.” She winks.
I open my mouth to protest, but my argument is lost in the wind. I can’t deny I haven’t been thinking of him most of the morning. The feel of his lips on mine. His hands on my face. Being able to smell him without the converter strapped on.
And he smells so damn good.
“Making out with Drek does not equal baby,” I say. “Didn’t you ever take sex ed?”
Gemma laughs. “Officially? No. But did I see a few frisky animals at the zoo once and require the birds and the bees talk with my parents? Yes.”
I chuckle despite the weight in my stomach. “ Don’t forget I’m a human. Not a female Drek wants to make babies with.”
“Well, no. Not yet. I wouldn’t want you to be impaled and die.”
I can’t help but laugh this time. Now that I know one of the Kutarian warriors isn’t going to attack and try to use that thing on me, I can take the joke.
“No worries,” I snicker. “I won’t accidentally fall on one.”
“Not today.” She winks again. “But he’s waiting for you.”
My pulse trips. “He?”
“Yes, he. I haven’t seen Drek crack around any of the other females.”
My heart beats harder against my ribs and I try to push down the flare of excitement.
“Just wait until you swap,” she continues. “Then you’ll get the energy boost and, holy shit, it’s amazing.”
My brows perk. She’s spoken of the energy thing before, but I’m not sure I fully understand it.
“So once you switched you could—?”
“Wait, shh,” Gemma says, sitting higher in the saddle.
Her ears move back and forth and she pulls in a subtle breath. I stay hunched over in front of her, watching in surprise. What the hell’s going on?
Then she sits and huddles down close to me.
“There are stagni out here,” she whispers.
“Those scaly alien things?” I gasp.
One of her fingers presses to her lips as she nods. “Yes. We need to get back to the village.”
Pearl snorts as we sneak back down the rocky plateau rise. From what I remember of the buggy aliens, and what Gemma and others have mentioned, they are some nasty motherfuckers and we sure as hell don’t want to get caught out here alone with them. I’d like to kick Pearl into gear myself already, but Gemma knows this place better than I do and I wait for her.
We’ve just reached the bottom of the ridge, and I’m about to pass out from holding my breath, when yelling from down below startles me straight.
A pair of whoops and other shouts lift from down in the valley. Gemma pulls hard on Pearl's reins, taking us back up the plateau. I hold tight to the edge of the saddle with clenched teeth.
“What are we doing?” I hiss. “Going back where they can see us?”
“There are warriors down there,” she whispers as we jerk to a stop.
In the valley below us, the starwards have scattered and two of the stagni are being chased by Kutarians. Five big silver warriors on levadon herd the awkwardly running aliens away from the paths up to the village.
The bug creatures have long spindly back legs that don’t look like they’re made for running. They bumble along as they scream and fuss, sometimes stopping to growl their displeasure at the warriors, but the Kutarians use their black-tipped spears to push them forward. The bugs seem pretty wary of the weapons.
At the head of the field, it looks as if the aliens will cross the river and be on their way, but one stops and takes a leap into the group of warriors.
Gemma and I gasp together. One of her arms wraps around me, pulling me tight to her chest. I have to peek over her arm to see what’s happening.
One of the levadon bends low and nearly trips to sidestep the bony fingers swiping at its neck. It roars at it spins around. Its warrior clings to its shoulders with both arms to keep from being thrown.
Two other Kutarians are on the alien immediately. Gemma’s arm tightens on me, and I realize one is Kovak. He thrusts his spear at the creature. It pierces the bug’s abdomen and it screams as it wheels around on him.
Something of a choked gasp ruffles my hair.
The second warrior attacks from behind.
My heart stops when I realize it’s Drek.
With his big arms and shoulders, he jumps off his levadon and lands on the alien’s back. It thrashes its head, trying to reach him with its slick knife-like fingers, but he wraps an arm around the monster’s throat to hold it in place. It shrieks and flails as Drek’s legs encircle its chest.
Kovak withdraws his spear and gores the bug again. It doubles over and Drek pitches forward but holds tight to his captive. His loincloth and tail fly in the air.
When the creature goes down in a clump in the grass, I turn to ask Gemma if everything is okay, but she’s already got her eyes set on the horizon and Pearl is on the move. We dash back down the plateau and take the winding path into the valley. It’s much quieter now that one of the bugs is down and the other is gone.
Gemma whoops as we get closer and the warriors look up. Kovak’s face goes from business to surprise in the blink of an eye and he rides toward us.
Behind him, Drek is on his feet and disentangling himself from the fallen alien. I let out a breath of relief. Thank the Lord he wasn’t trampled.
Kovak shouts some things at us that sound what I imagine “What the hell are you doing here?” would sound like. When we’re close enough, Gemma slides out of the saddle and runs the last few steps to her mate. He drops down to take her in his ar
ms. His hand is in her hair, her face buried in his shoulder.
I suppose being a big, strong alien doesn’t exempt you from any worries over your new husband. Especially when you’re pregnant.
Then they’re kissing and I avert my eyes.
Drek is watching me as some of the other warriors work around him, bringing his levadon back and pulling weapons free of the bug. But his eyes are only for me, and I wish he could scoop me up and hold me close like Kovak and Gemma.
His huge chest moves with his deep recovering breaths. His long legs are strong and hold up his sturdy core. One I can’t help but move my gaze over as I look back up to his handsome face. The small smile on his lips is tantalizing, and my cheeks burn as I glow back at him.
* * *
Drek
Eva’s been on my mind all day. From the moment I woke this morning to join the scouting warriors to the moment I saw her sitting on the white levadon down in the valley. The feeling of her soft skin on mine as I kissed her lips at the guest hut the night before has haunted me all day. In both good and bad ways.
I may have forgotten to call out my position once and nearly got a spear through the head. That was bad.
But I threw myself into fighting the attacking stagni with greater vigor than I’ve ever felt, knowing I had to keep it away from the village. Away from little Eva.
That was exhilarating.
I feel the same rush as I watch her from across the community circle. She sits with Gemma and the other females, smiling and laughing as they eat. Even as a small human, her spirit is huge. I see it in her eyes. Once they cross over the clearing and find mine. Her gaze latches onto me and the spark flickers. A new kind of smile spreads up her lips. Warm, flirty. My heart beats harder.
I must be blatantly staring, because Kovak thumps me on the shoulder with a chuckle as he walks up.
“Taking your pick of the females?” he asks.
I clear my throat and lower my eyes. “It’s been a long time since we had any in camp. Just admiring them, I suppose.”
“Go admire them up close.” He laughs this time. “Look, Xjhun has joined them.”