Without the rage that needled into everything he did, Simone could feel the purity of his heart. The longing of someone who just wanted to find peace, even if they were steeped in blood and violence.
In that moment, she promised herself that she would take care of Zar’s heart just as tenderly as he’d taken care of hers. That she would protect his body just as fiercely as he protected hers.
Zar pulled back and continued to rub her cheek softly. His eyes began to shift color, from violet to black. He stared down at her as if he was trying to decide whether he should mate her now.
Simone giggled. “For once, can you wait until we’re lying down? You’re always throwing me against walls.”
“I do not,” Zar growled.
“First it was the cave. Then the bathroom. Do Plutonians only mate standing up?”
Zar’s lips twitched.
Korben cleared his throat. “In case you two have forgotten, I am still here.”
Simone froze. Embarrassment swept through her.
Great.
Now the terros knew exactly where and how, Zar had…
An embarrassed croak vibrated her throat.
Zar just shook his head, wrapped her in his arms and kissed her cheek gently. In her ear he whispered, “Very well. We will find a cot.”
Slipping her hand in his, she smiled shyly and walked with her alien warrior to his busted-up zapten.
Thirty-Three
Zar
His fingers tightened around Si-Moon’s. He could not take his eyes off the beautiful female smiling at his side. After all he had done, after all the bloodshed and the chaos, did he really deserve this happiness?
Neh.
Zar did not.
But knowing this would only make him hold on tighter.
Si-Moon’s nose scrunched. “Ah, babe, are you trying to break my hand?”
“My apologies.” Zar glanced down at where their fingers were joined and softened his hold. “What does that word mean?”
“What word?” Si-Moon asked, glancing at Korben who was on his comms updating the others to what had happened.
His lips struggled to form the sound that he’d heard. “Beb.”
“Oh.” Si-Moon’s eyes softened.
When she made that expression, Zar found himself drawn to lick at her heat.
Si-Moon had requested that he mate her lying down. Zar had no particular preferences. As long as he could taste and plunge into her heat, as long as she made those little moans that guided him to the right spot and the right pace, as long as those blunt nails were raking down his back in pain and pleasure, Zar was satisfied.
But Si-Moon had expectations and he would not break them by throwing her against a tree and wrenching her tunic to her waist just because he could not control himself.
Zar was beginning to understand that his mate’s coquettish expressions were not intentional. Si-Moon had no idea that the way she looked at him invited his desire.
He swallowed hard, struggling to keep his hands away from her thighs. “Yes, beb.”
“It’s baaabe.” Si-Moon stretched out the tone as if he would understand simply by her efforts alone. “And it’s like a pet name.”
Zar’s lips twitched with amusement. “I am your pet?”
“No. I mean…” Si-Moon’s eyes darkened as she glanced over him. “You would make a really bad pet.”
“Really?”
“You can’t listen to instructions.”
“Neh.”
She stopped and faced him. “Tell me the truth. You’re about three seconds from carting me over your shoulder and taking me in the bush, aren’t you?” She pointed left. “Right against one of those trees where Korben can’t see.”
“Does the mate connection allow you to read minds?”
“Is mating all you think about?”
This time, Zar smiled. “You are a lot more vocal now that I can understand you.”
“And you don’t communicate exclusively in grunts.” Si-Moon looked up at him with that soft expression again. “Although I liked it both ways.”
Zar sighed and pulled his female close to his chest. Her body was so soft against his. So small. So fragile.
And yet, she was the stronger of the two because she had wrestled with his anger and came out the victor, vanquishing every opponent in his heras.
“My Si-Moon,” Zar whispered.
Just then, Korben returned to the clearing.
Si-Moon glanced at the terros. “What did Sara and the rest of the girls say?”
“They are worried about Chozo.”
Si-Moon’s stiffened in his arms. “How do we get him back?”
“I will find him,” Zar promised.
“How?”
He did not know, but there had to be a way.
At that moment, a sudden explosion ripped through the trees. A blue light energy expanded, knocking into Zar and throwing him back with a force he had never felt before.
His arms naturally reached for Si-Moon and he pulled her to him, cushioning her fall as he and Korben slammed into the ground.
Si-Moon banged her head on his chest, a curse slipping out of her lips. She remained on top of his body, her lower legs between his thighs and her hands pushing up on his chest so she could look up.
“What the hell was that?” Si-Moon shrieked.
Korben groaned. “I do not know.”
Zar tightened his grip on his mate’s waist as he noticed a massive ship in the distance. Its motors were so powerful that the surrounding trees began to bend and leaves fluttered all around them.
Korben grunted. “Denizi.”
“What… is that?” Si-Moon pointed at the massive ship.
“It’s them,” Zar said through clenched teeth.
“They’re coming…” Korben whispered. “It’s what Chozo told us when we reviewed the footage of the Heronas annihilation.”
Si-Moon scrambled to her feet, her head tipped back so she could stare directly at the ship.
Korben strode urgently toward them. “I must get back to Sah-ah.”
Zar nodded. “My zapten is damaged, but it is still mobile. We will be—”
“Chozo!” Si-Moon screamed, pointing at the sky.
A whirring sound filled the air and a bright blue light streamed from the middle of the ship. Caught in the middle of the streaming light was a small figure wearing a black mask. He had thin, reed-like arms, a boneless torso, and flat fingers.
“They’re taking him!” Si-Moon strode forward as if she would battle the unknown enemies alone.
Zar grabbed her arm and wrenched her back. “Neh.”
“But they’re—”
He gently shook her. “Si-Moon, look at me.”
“Chozo…” Fear pulsed in Si-Moon’s eyes and in his mind.
“My heras!” Zar yelled.
She finally looked at him. He could feel her affection for the Heronas brood and that meant that he, too, would protect Chozo with his life.
As his mate, Si-Moon’s enemies were his enemies.
And Si-moon’s allies were his as well.
“I will get him.”
“I’ll come with you,” Korben said. “My Sah-ah has an affection for the Heronas too.”
“Neh. I will do this on my own.”
“Zar!” Si-Moon shrieked.
“I will be back with Chozo in no time.” Zar kissed her on the forehead. “But for now, you need to leave.”
“No.” She shook her head.
“Please, Si-Moon.”
“No, I’m not leaving you!”
“I agree, Zar. What if something goes wrong? We don’t know what we’re up against.”
“He’s right.” Si-Moon lifted her chin. “I’m not running away. We rescue Chozo.” She took his hand. “And we rescue him together.”
Zar wanted to argue. If anything happened to Si-Moon…
“It won’t.” She strode toward his zapten. “Now let’s go!”
They hurried to mount their machines and l
ifted off into the air, heading toward the dangerous light beam.
Chozo was near to the base of the enemy spaceship. Zar calculated the distance left and realized they might not reach him in time. Even if they did, the pull of the beam could be tricky to resist. Any attempt at rescue could mean getting sucked into the enemy’s ship as well.
“Korben!” He gestured to the terros. His hair flowed wildly around his face as the powerful wind caused by the machine’s motors chopped loudly.
Korben glanced his way, his eyes narrowed to combat the harsh winds.
Zar pulled a strong vine from the treetops and used it as a rope. Woven by the elements, it was the strongest material on the planet encased in a soft fabric to make it easier on the hands.
Korben nodded, agreeing to the plan. They both drove to either side of the beam. The energy burned his eyes and made it hard to maneuver, but he forced himself through the pain and leveled the zapten up to where Chozo was hovering.
Si-Moon bravely held on to the handles. Turning to look at him, she said, “Bring him back to me, Zar.”
Wielding his rope, Zar tried to get it around Chozo, but the wind from the energy beam swatted it away. Korben’s rope met the same end.
Chozo was almost at the top of the beam now.
In a few moments, he would be consumed by the machine.
Zar gritted his teeth. They had no time. He had to save the brood. Now.
Turning to Si-Moon, he said, “My heras…” He caressed her cheek. “I need you to catch me.”
“What?” Her eyes widened.
Without hesitation, Zar launched himself off the zapten and hurtled towards the beam. Raking through the hot light, he roared and wrapped his arms around the brood.
The force of his body slammed into Chozo, knocking him out of the beam. They hurtled through the sky, falling at lightning speed. Zar gritted his teeth, protecting the unconscious brood in his arms.
Si-Moon awkwardly guided the zapten below him just in time. He grabbed hold of Garbus’s spikes with one arm, hanging on as Si-Moon brought the zapten to an abrupt stop.
“Are you crazy?” she screamed.
“Yell at me later, my heras.” Zar grunted as he held on to the zapten with one hand and carried Chozo in the other. “Now is not the time.”
Korben’s zapten inched closer. “Here. Give him to me, Zar.”
He tossed the brood over and used both hands to climb back onto his machine. Si-Moon’s horror and fear continued to spread through his mind even after they’d gotten far away from the massive spaceship.
The moment Zar landed in front of their hideout, Si-Moon hopped off the zapten and kissed him hard. Then she pulled back and smacked him.
“Aish! Female!” Zar winced.
“Never do that again.” Her nostrils flared.
He pulled her into his arms and whispered, “I won’t.”
“I mean it!”
“Thank you for saving my life, Si-Moon.”
“You crazy alien…”
Zar threw his head back and laughed.
Epilogue
Simone
“Chozo’s still knocked out, but he should be up soon.” She stepped out of the room where the kid was sleeping. “Not that I’m an expert or anything.”
Sara squeezed her shoulders. “Korben told us what you did for Zar and Chozo. The way you rescued them both.”
“So cool.” Lilliana hefted a thumbs-up.
“It wasn’t that cool.” Simone tugged at one of her thick curls. “I just knew that Zar wasn’t going to die on my watch.” Simone’s hardened gaze swung in Zar’s direction as he spoke in a low voice with the other Plutonians. “If he tries a stunt like that again, I’m going to kill him myself.”
Kia smirked. “Sounds like a woman in love.”
“You all sound like that,” Emma said with a scowl. “It’s nauseating.”
“Especially me, right?” Lilliana batted her thick eyelashes.
Emma just shook her head and strode away.
“You see the way Tiegan looks at me, right? He’s totally in love!” Lilliana chased after Emma.
Sara sighed and rubbed a finger against her dark cheek. “A lot’s happened in a couple hours. Are you okay?”
“I’m… processing.”
“The guys kicked us out of their super-secret tribas meeting, but it sounds like they’re all concerned about that spaceship you saw out there.”
Sara frowned. “What do you think is coming?”
“I don’t know.” Simone lifted her chin. “But I know that we’re going to stop it.”
“We?”
She glanced at Kia. “Yes. We. The guys aren’t the only ones who can cause damage. We can too.” Simone tossed her hair over her shoulder. “It takes a strong human to mate with a Plutonian warrior.”
Kia’s lips trembled. “Does she mean that figuratively or…?”
Sara chuckled. “I think she means both.”
“Oh definitely both.”
“Speaking of…” Sara whispered, “your mate is coming this way, Simone.” She ducked her head close. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of Chozo if he wakes up while you’re… busy.”
Simone pulled in her lips to hide her embarrassment.
Zar stopped in front of their huddle. “Females.”
“Zar.” Sara smiled knowingly and walked off.
Kia winked before leaving to stand beside Pin.
Simone cleared her throat. “The meeting’s over?”
“Yes.” Zar’s eyes were heavy on her.
“Did you guys figure out what that spaceship was? Who sent it?”
“Neh. Clavas and Lans went out to check, but it disappeared. We will wait for them to return.” He glanced at the room where Chozo was sleeping. “Something tells me they will be back to retrieve what was lost.”
“But they’re not going to win,” Simone said confidently.
Zar’s lips curled up. “Neh.”
“I already talked to the other ladies.” She nodded. “And we’re going to help you guys fight.”
“Will you?” His voice was a low growl. Eyes flashing, he stepped closer to her.
“Yes.” Simone retreated until she bounced against the wall. A little gasp tore from her throat and she lifted her chin. “We’re not going to sit in the background. You’ve never met this enemy before. You’ll need fresh perspectives. You’ll need us.”
Zar placed his hand on her hip and jerked her forward. Tingles exploded in her body and pooled between her thighs.
He caressed her cheek. “My heras…”
“Yes?”
“No matter how hard you try to match me, I will protect you more.” His fingers slid down her cheek, leaving a blazing hot trail of electricity on her skin. “I will care for you more. I will sacrifice more. My time. My heras. My life. This is my burden as your mate.” He leaned down until his nose brushed hers. “Do not try to compete with me.”
As she began to tremble, Zar bent low and swept her up into his arms.
Simone’s body flashed with heat. “Zar…”
“Come, Si-Moon.” He gave her a wicked look. “It is time for me to keep my promise to you.”
She kissed him deeply, stroking her fingers against his blue jaw. In a hot whisper, Simone pointed to the room at the back. “The bed is that way.”
The alien warrior grinned, kissed her heatedly and carried her away.
Thank you so much for reading The Alien Warrior’s Heart! Want to know more about Ga Eun and Rune, the first couple on the planet? Get their story FREE and access tons of exclusive content and deals when you sign up for my newsletter.
The Alien Warrior’s Heart is my third novel in the series. Writing these heart-wrenching alien love stories has been an absolute blast. I’m so thankful that you chose to spend your time with Simone, Zar, Chozo and the gang. If you enjoyed the book, I’d really appreciate if you’d consider leaving me a review on Amazon here.
Want to follow more couples? The next st
ory features Lans and Emma in an enemies-to-lovers alien romance. Pre-order The Alien Warrior’s Vow here.
Read on for a sneak peek!
The Alien Warrior’s Vow
SNEAK PEEK
Sneak Peek! The Alien Warrior’s Vow
Lans
“What do you mean they’re all dead?” Korben’s eyes widened and he stared across the room at the projection on screen. “No, that can’t be right. One hundred Plutonian warriors can’t just… no.”
Lans struggled to contain his fury. It was a massacre, but it could have been avoided. “The tribas to the north grew impatient.”
Korben slammed his palm on the table.
The wood shook.
It was the only thing that moved.
Everyone else in the room remained frozen.
Lans turned sideways, noting Clavas’s tightening lips. He lowered his voice. “It is not your fault, Clavas.”
“It is.” His friend glared into the air, no doubt thinking about his escape from the Heronas prison. Only two sun rotations ago, Lans had joined in the mission to free Clavas and the Healer. They’d been half successful, having only gotten to Clavas in time to make a successful escape.
Tiegan leaned forward, causing his hair bounce across his shoulders. “How did it happen? What… technology is that?”
“We’re still analyzing the footage.”
“We?” Tiegan lifted an eyebrow nub.
Lans cleared his throat. “Chozo and I.”
Zar scowled. The hulking warrior had only begun to tolerate having a Heronas expeh in their midst. Though he had been a tortured captive of his species, Chozo was still—technically—the seed of their enemy. Lans had been just as suspicious when Zar and his mate, Simone, brought Chozo to the camp, but the brood had proven to be invaluable.
“Should we trust a word he says?” Korben asked pointedly.
“Chozo has intel into the Heronas’s mind. It’s an unprecedented advantage.” Lans moved his eyes gravely to the projection. “And one we’re going to need.”
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