“Be well, brother. I will join you shortly.”
He wraps his hands around the door hinge, preventing it from closing. “What do you mean ‘shortly’? What are you up to?” Slicing a claw across my own hand, I slap it on the pod’s exterior and smile. “No.”
With that single word, I know what he means. He doesn’t need to say more, but knowing my brother, he will. “You cannot give me your pod. You do not need to do this.”
“Yours was never functional, brother. Not yet, anyway. Do not worry about me. The risk is not too great with what remains for me here. Take your female and go home. Tell mother and father I will see them soon. I have a mate to catch.”
Slamming the door closed, I watch to ensure the exterior seals completely before I turn and run back to the beach in search of the one meant for me.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Leigh
The sickly wet feeling of this foam is making me want to crawl out of my skin. It’s in my ears, and all I can hear is the dull hum of my heartbeat. Binky’s here, purring against my chest, and Saxon’s hitting a bunch of buttons. He still hasn’t said anything. At least, I don’t think he has.
I try to reach out to comfort him, but my arms are already molded into the foam, so all I can do is talk and hope I can hear him.
“Are you okay?” I ask, but rather than answer, he continues to do whatever he’s doing, then turns himself around in the tiny space so that he’s facing me and his back’s against the pod door.
He hits another button on his communicator and the foam cradling me in place spreads around him, too. Once it covers his ears and everything behind him, he starts to speak.
“I am fine, Mu Xitall. Getting better every second with you near me.”
“What was all that with your brother? I couldn’t hear but it looked intense.”
“It is of no consequence. Do not trouble yourself. Tell me, are you okay?”
I try to shake my head but its stuck in place, so I smile instead. “I’m terrified. Worried about what happens next. Elgin’s men are still out there. What if they figure out how to find us again? How long is this going to take? Will I feel anything? What’s going to happen?”
He reaches out and presses his fingers to my lips. “That filth may not have died by my hand, but your life—our life together—is more important than seeking vengeance. Where we are going, your kind cannot follow. We are safe here. We will go to sleep, just like this.” He moves closer a bit, leaving the foam that had already cradled to him to follow after. He presses his forehead against mine, leaving just enough space for Binky to move. Normally, I wouldn’t want someone so close to me, but I need his touch, and Saxon doesn’t have to tell me he needs me too.
We’ve been through so much in such a short period of time. And this is the first moment we’ve spent together where no one’s trying to kill us. Well, except for maybe space. But at this point, there’s not a damn thing I can do about that.
Three sets of needles rise from the foam, and I tense. “What are those? Tell me they’re not going inside me.”
“Just here and here.” He points to my wrist, then his. “And thanks to Pavil’s recent modifications, one for the furry overlord as well. They will assist us with sleeping and keep us fed through our journey.”
With a slight pinch, the sharp barb pierces my skin and a cool wetness begins to flow through me. It feels gross at first, then a few seconds later, the odd sensation disappears entirely.
Like being in an elevator, I can sense movement around us as we take off, but I can’t muster the energy to be worried. Whatever juice is flowing through me veins is like Valium on steroids.
Saxon grabs my hand and squeezes tight. Despite being inside and safe from Elgin’s men, my heart’s still racing.
“Don’t let go, okay? I’m worried about waking up and forgetting where I am.”
The depths of his sunshine eyes swirl as he meets my gaze. “I will never let you go, Mu Xitall. And as I have many times before and will continue to do, I will carry you through your dreams.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Saxon
“Wake, my child. Wake…”
The sweet sound of my mother’s voice whispers in my mind. The exterior of my pod is responding to her presence as it was created to do. It is customary for the first greeting once returning home be from those who created you. Our capsules recognize their life blood just like they recognize ours.
The cold chill of the serum coursing through my veins recedes, leaving a slight throb as they warm. My consciousness flares, my eyes adjusting to the darkness of my pod as the injection needle slides from my wrist and the foam releases me.
A warmth settles deep in my chest, comforting me in a way I have never known. I have succeeded in my life’s mission. Leigh is here, with me, and I am home.
Like some sort of gift from the spirits, my female lies sleeping, her face a wash of relaxation. Her golden locks have grown, now trailing down her back. The worry and fear that etched her face so often before are gone, and all that remains is smooth, unmarred skin, fresh from the nutrients the pod system provides.
She is exquisite. And she is mine.
Before waking her, I check the furry overlord to ensure the tiny creature has survived. The complex tasks of sustaining such delicate life forms have not been tested before and the last thing I want to do is wake Leigh up to find the overlord did not survive our journey here.
She would be devastated, and after all she has suffered, would not recover from the loss.
Gently, I remove the tube feeding my mate’s beloved creature and she too stirs, blinking awake. Relief washes over me, and despite the wretched beast’s decidedly unsavory behavior, I am almost pleased to hear her continue her lust-ridden advances.
Taking in Leigh’s beauty once more, I gently remove the injection tube from her wrist and draw my own blood to press against the tiny wound. The gesture will go unseen, but recognition does not matter. I want my female to start her life here anew with no wounds to remind her of her past trauma.
Her skin feels clammy against my own as I hold her upright, supporting her while the foam recedes, and like many other races outside of my own, she remains asleep. The stasis serum affects her differently, and she will wake slower. I have to resist growing anxious during the wait.
As always, my movement triggers the pod’s opening sequence, and it scans the environment around us. The hatch releases, and I bring my female against my chest, fully cradling her in my arms, then step out into my mother’s embrace.
I have returned and fulfilled my duty as an Exune. Brought honor to my family. But even more than that, found the match to my soul. The female created by the ancient sky spirits for me, and I will never take this gift for granted.
Leigh
“Zor a et in’askulatian vex tocart, Saxon,” a sweet voice says, her words carrying like music in the wind. I’m so tired I can hardly muster the energy to pay attention but then something soft and warm presses against my bare cheek—his lips, maybe?—and he answers back in the same unknown language. “Yar as, Mu Jortec. Leigh ut.”
A slight sting to the back of my neck sends a brief shock of pain down my spine but it’s gone before I even have the chance to respond. Saxon whispers in my ear, “Shhh, my everything. Do not fight it. Allow the implant to work.”
Implant?
A light breeze rustles my hair, sending the strands flying every which way. I’m surrounded by warmth and the familiar feel of Saxon next to me. It’s pleasant wherever we are and it smells of fresh flowers and something else…citrus, maybe?
With my hands tucked up under my chin, I snuggle in Saxon’s massive arms and enjoy the light jostle of him carrying me. I don’t even care where we’re going. There are no bombs going off and I’m not seconds away from having a nervous breakdown.
Wait. Why is everything calm? And where’s Binky? Crap, am I dead?
Jerking up with the grace of a wildebeest, I topple backward, n
early falling out of Saxon’s arms. An odd inhuman cry tears from me, and I spin my head around trying to figure out what’s going on. “Fuck, I am dead aren’t I?”
Saxon chuckles. “If you are, I am also Can a dead male do this?” he asks, grabbing my hand and pressing it against his massive erection.
“In my version of heaven they could.” Binky’s collar jingles, and for the first time, I see her prancing around Saxon’s feet. On purple soil. Wait? Purple?
Sitting up as straight as I can without falling, I scan the landscape around us and gasp at its beauty.
A blazing golden sky lit up by two bright red-orange suns staggered on the horizon. Trees with deep blue and forest green leaves are clustered in the distance with the most beautiful flowers I’ve ever seen.
“Is this…”
“My home, my everything. It is your home, too.”
“My everything? Wait. You’ve never called me that before. You sure this isn’t some kind of weird afterlife I’ve conjured up?”
He presses on the back of my neck, and a mild soreness flares to life. “Your implant is working. My mother met us on arrival and delivered it to me. She is anxious to formally meet you.”
So, that’s what Mu Xitall means…
My hands immediately go to my insane hair and unwashed face. Not to mention, my ass is still half out. I smack him on the shoulder, and he cocks a brow. “You let her see me like this?”
He nuzzles my nose with his. “It is customary for the Exune and their mates to be greeted by one or both of those who gave them life. My mother came alone today. She is who received our pod and woke me.”
“How did she even know to come if you didn’t call her?”
He shrugs. “Everything on this planet is automated and requires very little interaction to initiate. Receiving those who have returned is one of the customs we have chosen to nurture and keep intact. Like our destined mate, our return is delivered in a vision to the ones who love us most.”
“Did she like me?” I ask, my cheeks warming. I know it’s a stupid question to ask seeing as she hasn’t even met me yet, but she saw me and the vain part of me wants to know what she thinks.
“She may have spoken a few words…”
The curve to his lips makes me smile. I like this version of Saxon. Teasing and joking. All of our relationship so far has been doom and gloom, and now that we’re here, I feel like I’m going to see a whole new side of him.
“Like what?”
Saxon whistles, and within seconds, a hovercraft of sorts zooms around the corner and lands. I follow his gaze as its door opens without words. “Whoa, how’d you do that?”
Gently releasing me into the seat, he steps away and climbs in the other side. It’s weird, like something out of an Star Trek episode. There are no handles, no buttons, no screens. Just some kind of shiny black metal lining the inside, two bucket chairs, and bags full of weapons in the back area.
Saxon looks back, and his cheeks darken. Wait. Is he blushing? “I am sorry. I did not think to clean it out before I left. I was so excited to find you.”
He licks his lips. A nervous habit, maybe? And he’s so damn cute, I can’t contain myself. We’re both gross, and Binky’s in the back of the car glaring at me, but my hormones don’t care. His brows shoot up in surprise when I climb into his lap.
“Leigh,” he groans as I press my lips to his, but whatever else he says gets lost between hungry strokes of my tongue. His cock’s like granite beneath me, and with every twist of my hips, he brings me closer to coming. He hasn’t even gotten my pants off, and I’m ready to explode.
“Touch me,” I blurt out, caught in the moment as I drag my hands into his hair and deepen the kiss. “I’ve never wanted anything or anyone so bad in my life.”
Gripping my ass with both hands, Saxon presses down on my hips and angles his own, increasing the friction between us. “More,” I demand, increasing my speed to grind on him harder, but it’s not enough. I need more.
Saxon reaches beneath me to grab his cock. “You want this?” he asks, running a hand down his length. If I was turned on before, the sight of him stroking himself sends me way past nuclear.
“Yes,” I answer, mouth dry. “Do that again.” I lean back and watch as he once again runs his hand up and down his cock. He’s so big, my core clenches at the reminder of the night we spent together in the hut, and I can’t take it.
Attacking his lips once more, I reach past his waistband and grip his cock. It’s warm against my palm and already slick with precum.
“You are mine,” Saxon growls. A heated moan tears from my throat as he rips open what remains of my pants and yanks them and my panties to the side. With one swift motion, he enters me, and I cry out, completely consumed by him.
My thighs burn as I bounce up and down, matching his every movement. I want and need every inch, every single sensation, and when he bucks his hips, driving himself deeper inside me, I come so hard I nearly pass out.
The car or whatever it is lurches forward right at the end of my last moan, and Saxon climaxes. I try to lift my head as best I can, but the world spins so I give up.
“Is this thing…driving by…itself?” I manage, still trying to catch my breath.
Saxon bucks his hips once more in the aftershock of his orgasm, then tightens his arms around me. “Yes.”
“Shouldn’t you be controlling it or something?” I ask. There are plenty of windows, but none of them are positioned like the ones on Earth.
“It does not require navigation assistance, only a command to initiate transport.“ Saxon rubs a thumb across my furrowed brow.
“Are you telling me you were thinking about driving when we were—”
“No,” he rushes to answer, then kisses my forehead. “I may or may not have yelled the word go in my head when you reached your pleasure point. Perhaps it thought I was speaking to it.”
I tilt his chin down so I can see his eyes. Laughter bubbles up despite my best attempts to control it, and I snort. “You’re serious aren’t you?”
“I like it when you come. I quite enjoy making you feel that way.”
“I’m not complaining. That far exceeded anything I ever hoped for from car sex, but shouldn’t we know where we are going?”
“It is taking us to my home. There is a celebration in your honor, and you will require clothing.” He chuckles and picks up one of the pieces of my shredded pants. “I seem to have been a little overzealous. I apologize for leaving you with so little to wear.”
“Stop apologizing. That was so hot. Just thinking about it makes me want to do you all over again.” Saxon’s pupils widen, and his nostrils flare. “Oh, geeze. Don’t even think about it. Put that thing away before you break me. I’m sure I’m already going to walk like I’ve been riding a horse.”
“Horse?” he asks, and I laugh.
“An Earth creature you ride around for transportation. It’s not important. Tell me more about this celebration.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Saxon
She is beautiful. The length of her yellow hair is braided up into a bun, and she wears the Revari colors—red and gold—around her eyes. Tradition calls for my mother to assist her, but since she requested not to meet Leigh until after my mate had rested from our journey, I had to do my best.
Where females have a delicate touch, my hands are rough and cumbersome, but my Leigh looks ethereal nonetheless.
She chews on her thumb waiting for the procession to begin. She has yet to be revealed to them but once she is, she will understand she has nothing to fear. “So what am I supposed to do again?”
We have discussed this multiple times, but she is convinced she will forget something. She does not understand her existence is a miracle in and of itself, and that is why my people have gathered to welcome her.
No one here will judge her or dare to put her down. She comes from a world where everything must be proven. Every scrap of respect earned. Here, value is innate.<
br />
“You simply walk. All Revari present will act as they are moved to. Some cheer, some stand silently by your side in quiet contemplation. Their reactions will vary, but your task is always the same. Just walk. I will be by your side and, if at any time, you do not wish to continue on, we will leave.”
Leigh blows out a breath and straightens. “All right, I’m ready.”
I grab her wrist as she starts out the door and intertwine our fingers. “Always together.”
“I love you,” she whispers.
“And I love you, mate.”
With her at my side, we open the door to my dwelling and she stiffens the second she sees the massive crowd waiting for us. I nudge her forward with a hand on her lower back, and as we move closer, the group parts.
Flowers float down from the sky to settle at her feet as my people toss them.
“What does this mean?” she asks under her breath as we walk through a sea of pink.
“Throwing Yu’Kuvu flowers is a sign of gratitude and respect. They are covering your feet to bless the path you have taken. I attended over a hundred of these as a youngling and never have I seen such a display.” Tears gather in her eyes, and my need to protect her ignites. “We do not have to continue on if you wish to leave. ”
“No,” she shakes her head. “They’re gorgeous. I just wish I knew how to thank them without looking awkward, you know?”
“This moment is yours, my everything. Do with it as you wish.”
“There aren’t any words big enough to show how much this means to me. Thank you for bringing me here.” She tugs me down as we pause on the makeshift walkway and presses her lips to mine, earning us several loud cheers from the males in the crowd. Her shoulders loosen. “Males… You’re all the same, no matter the planet.”
Unable to resist the urge to hold her, I wrap my arms around her middle and scent her hair. “I will be anything you wish.”
Saxon (Shared Survival Book 1) Page 18