by Zoey Draven
* * *
Kat blinked, trying to process everything at once.
They had just come through something that looked straight out of Star Wars. They’d docked their ship into a massive room with walls of metal. Luxirians were everywhere, either working on other ships that were parked in the bay or hurrying to secure the ship they’d come in on. What Kat noticed first was the heat. It was sweltering and humid. It made her hair stick to the nape of her neck and it dewed her skin.
Vaxa talked to another Luxirian when they got off the ship but Kat was too busy looking around the dock to pay much attention. What she did notice was that everyone was looking at her while trying not to at the same time. She wondered if they’d ever seen a human before, whether she was the first to ever step foot on this planet.
Take that, Neil Armstrong, she thought, trying to trick herself out of her nervousness. Their stares prickled her skin more than the humidity.
But when Vaxa led her out of the dock, her breath left her and she forgot all about the discomfort.
Luxiria was beautiful. Breathtakingly beautiful.
Not in the usual sense, like majestic, snowy mountains and green valleys. No. Luxiria had a dark landscape. The ship dock was high up on a slope of land, but miles away she could see a city…literally carved into the side of a mountain. The land was black and grey. It reminded her of black sand, but when she saw forests of strange looking trees off in the distance, she knew that it was fertile. Sharp, jagged mountains rose out of the black sand, tinged pink with the two suns rising up from the horizon. The entire sky was a soft, golden peach. Kat had never seen anything more striking or lovelier…even though the scene laid out before her did look a little like Mordor from Lord of the Rings. Except, there was no Eye of Sauron watching or volcanos erupting. Only a calm sky with gothic looking mountain peaks.
Her eyes returned to the city she spotted. From this distance, it looked small, but on closer inspection she saw that the city was terraced. The lowest level nearest to the black sand had the widest base and she saw a myriad of home-like structures. As the city rose higher and higher, she saw a clearly defined path that led all the way up to the very top of the city. It looked like a bitch to climb and she hoped that she’d never have to do it.
So, it was a relief when Vaxa led her to a much smaller circular spacecraft with an open top. It was the size of a large car and Vaxa easily plucked her off the ground to set her inside. He didn’t speak at all and she didn’t say anything. The tension between them was starting to make her feel a little guilty for what happened the night before, but she wasn’t in the mood to talk about it.
He climbed inside after her and approached a very complicated looking console. He effortlessly started up the smaller spacecraft and she squeaked in surprise when it began to hover off the ground. A freaking hovercraft.
“Vaxa,” she said, uncertain, clutching the sides. Besides the solid railing that ran around the circumference of the hovercraft, there was nothing to prevent her from going over the sides. It wasn’t enclosed at all. “I don’t know about this.”
“Trust me, luxiva,” he said, punching in a code onto a familiar silver pad she’d seen through the spaceship they’d just exited. “I have been flying xrellexax almost my entire life span.”
And with that, the hovercraft shot forward, hurtling towards the city. Kate was frozen in a crouch, gripping the sides until her knuckles turned white. Slowly, as if afraid a sudden movement would flip them over, she turned her head and saw the docking bay begin to shrink as they picked up speed.
They climbed a little higher before finally evening out. Vaxa looked behind him and his lips quirked when he saw her crouch.
“Come here, female,” he said, warmth infused into his tone. He was happy, she realized. He loved this planet, loved his home, and he was happy to return to it. “You will get a better view from up here.”
“I’m okay,” she rasped.
“Do you not like to fly? We were just on a spaceship for three span,” he pointed out to her.
“At least on a spaceship, there wasn’t a chance I’d fall out,” she said.
“You will not ‘fall out.’ Now, come.”
Kat took a deep breath, willing her legs to move. Ever so slowly, she unfolded herself from her crouch. The hovercraft was smooth so she didn’t even feel the need to balance herself as she hesitantly approached the console.
Vaxa looked peaceful, at ease, and confident as he watched her. And, not surprisingly, she felt a tingle between her legs, looking at him. Vaxa was in his element and if she thought he was hot on the ship, he’d just been promoted to scorching.
He reached her her once she neared and he tucked her in front of him, her belly pressed against the console, her back against his strong, firm chest. As Vaxa wrapped his arms around her, instead of tensing up, she relaxed. Her nerves soothed a little, knowing that she wouldn’t be walking into an alien city all by herself. He would be there with her.
Even if he didn’t have a choice, a snide voice in her head reminded her. Kate frowned, shaking off the thought, not liking that side of her. She would be there for a month and then, if he held up his end of the deal, she’d be gone. There was nothing to be done except make the most of her time there. And if she wanted to be awkward and lonely, then she could continue giving him the cold shoulder. But she didn’t want that, she realized. Their stupid little fight—that wasn’t really a fight and more of her being stuck inside her own head—seemed silly to her now, in the light of this Luxirian day.
It didn’t matter that Vaxa said he had no choice in choosing her. It wouldn’t matter soon anyway.
“Our city,” he murmured, bending down to whisper in her ear. Warm wind brushed her cheeks as she stared out of the open hovercraft, straight at the carved mountain city they were steadily approaching. She closed her eyes for a brief moment. The air was fresh, nothing like the circulated air on the spaceship. Hell, she was just glad she hadn’t dropped dead stepping off the ship, she realized. Luxirians breathed the same oxygen she breathed on Earth. At least she would be able to survive there, something she hadn’t even thought of before now.
When Kate opened her eyes, she could see more of the city, small details focusing into view, sharpening. She saw Luxirians milling around throughout the terraces. The lower terrace, closest to the black sands, seemed like a marketplace of some sort. There were stalls set up, with brightly colored fabrics, shiny stones that sparkled brilliantly in the peachy sunlight, pieces of dark metal she couldn’t make sense of, cooked meat and spices. As their hovercraft raced over the terraces, necks craned up to look at them. A few cries of recognition raised in the air—‘ex-rive-ex-euh-on,’ they said, complete with that same rolling purr her tongue just would not do—which she figured was some sort of name for Vaxa.
It was only the bottom terrace that held the market, she realized. The top of the mountain were homes, carved into the rock face, airy homes with large windows and domed ceilings that opened up into the sky.
Not much privacy, she noted.
The structures were beyond impressive and seemed surprisingly large and spacious. She tried to take everything in as they ascended upwards sharply. Kate was glad that Vaxa was braced behind her or she surely would’ve lost her footing by now.
Vaxa finally slowed the hovercraft at the very top of the mountain, at the lone structure that looked over the city. He landed it on the wide terrace just in front of the house before powering it down.
“Our home,” he murmured to her. “And I am much pleased to show it to you, luxiva.”
Our home. Those words made those treacherous butterflies start up in her stomach again but she told them to cut it out. It would be her home for the month. Only the month.
A Luxirian stepped out from the doorway of the house, dressed in flowing blue robes. He was shorter than Vaxa, but still towered over her. There were wrinkles around his eyes, showing perhaps a more advanced age, although he didn’t look elderly by any means.
His hair was dark, just like all the other Luxirians she’d encountered, and he had golden bands around his wrists.
He eyed her curiously before he bowed lowly to Vaxa, as they both stepped down from the hovercraft. The terrace felt warm under her feet. The terrace, the house, the whole city looked like it was made out of the same material, like a cross between sandstone and marble. It seemed incredibly strong, sourced from the mountain itself.
Vaxa greeted the Luxirian and tugged Kate forward. “This is Bidan,” he said, although he said it like ‘bee-don.’ Finally a name she could pronounce fully.
Kate gave the other Luxirian a small, almost shy smile. “Hello, Bee-don.”
Bidan seemed to startle, casting a gaze at Vaxa. He returned his eyes to her—a yellowish color, so unlike the blue of Vaxa’s. He bowed his head to her.
“Bidan is our…” Vaxa trailed off, as though searching for the right word, before settling on, “servant.”
“Servant?” she repeated, frowning. She eyed the gold bands circling his wrists. “I—I don’t…” The idea made Kate uncomfortable. “You don’t have slaves, do you?” she burst out, not knowing how to soften a question like that.
“Slaves?” Vaxa asked. “No. Bidan has been serving my family since before I was born. He is the only family I have left.”
Kate’s shoulders relaxed. Still, she needed to ask, “So…he wants to be here?”
Vaxa stared down at her…before throwing his head back and laughing. Kate’s lips parted, her skin tingling, listening to his laugh. It was incredibly attractive, deep and husky. Slightly different from a human laugh since there was a little purr thrown in there for good measure…but still, she wouldn’t mind hearing it often. Very often.
Bidan looked just as surprised as she did and when he caught her looking at him, he immediately turned his gaze away. It was like he didn’t know what to make of her.
“Bidan has a family of his own, luxiva. A Breeding partner. Offspring,” Vaxa finally said, his tone full of amusement. “He did not finish military training when he was a youth and has chosen this life to give him purpose. I do not keep him chained up inside.” It was Vaxa’s attempt at a joke and her cheeks burned bright with embarrassment.
She realized that she had much to learn about his culture.
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I didn’t…”
He brushed her sticky hair away from her cheek. “Do not apologize, luxiva.”
Bidan’s head jerked to Vaxa. “Luxiva?” he asked, eyeing Kate anew. She shifted under his sudden scrutiny.
“Tev,” Vaxa said. He said more in the Luxirian language but Kate recognized none of the words. Finally, he murmured to her, “Come. Let me show you our dwelling.”
“Does he live here too?” she wondered, giving a hesitant smile to Bidan as Vaxa led her away.
“Nix,” he said. “He lives down the facev with his family. But he is here every span. If you ever need anything and you cannot reach me, you will ask him and he will help you.”
She was about to ask what Bidan did there, but they’d stepped into the home and her thoughts trailed off.
The place was massive.
She felt something stir in her breast as she gazed around, wide-eyed, a kind of belonging that made her heart twinge.
Luxirians sure know a thing or two about interior design, she thought.
What struck her first was that it looked like a pleasure den. Rich, sensual reds and varying shades of ruby and maroon were present in tapestries and rugs and materials used to make some of the chairs and cushions. A huge, black fur throw lined what she could only imagine was a living room, with its fluffy cushions on the floor. A fire pit sunk into the ground in the center of the room, blackened coals smearing the insides. It looked well-used and she wondered why on earth they would need it, given how sweltering it was on the planet.
Bidan said Vaxa’s name from behind, the first Luxirian Kate had ever heard address him like that. Although, if what Vaxa said was true, Bidan was like family.
They spoke in Luxirian briefly while Kate continued to look around. Her feet padded softly on the exposed floor, making a light swish-ing sound, as she ventured deeper inside.
Behind her, she heard Kirov’s name spoken, one of the first Luxirians she’d met and when she turned around, she saw Bidan boarding a similar hovercraft on the terrace before powering it up and disappearing.
“I have sent him to get a language implant,” Vaxa explained. “For your English.”
With his accent, he pronounced it more like ‘Ang-lesh,’ and for some reason, Kate found it unbelievably charming.
“Is this like your Earth dwellings?” he asked, coming up beside her, running a hand down her spine.
“Actually,” she murmured, her eyes returning to the space, “it is very much like an Earth ‘dwelling.’”
Although, she hadn’t seen a kitchen yet. The ‘living room’ seemed to be the nucleus of the house since she saw multiple hallways branching off of it, where she assumed the bedrooms would be. There were three hallways on the right and just one to the left.
Vaxa brushed a hand through her hair and then said, “Come, I will show you more.”
TWELVE
Vaxa’an led her through their home, showing her the two other quarters at the back of the dwelling. One had been his own quarters when he’d been a youth, before being sent away to military training. The other had been his blood brother’s. His lips pressed together when he saw it. He hardly ever visited these quarters as there was no reason to. One span, he hoped they would be his own offspring’s quarters, a wish that had hardly seemed possible before now.
The other section of the dwelling was his work room. His Com was set up to connect to the main command center database. He spent much time there, more than he should, but until now, there had been nothing else that motivated him besides the safety of his own people.
They were a warrior race, that was true. But Vaxa’an tried to do everything in his power not to start wars or to fight in them, if it could be helped. Many species sought after Luxirian weapons and blades and their pure, unadulterated strength. Vaxa’an had fought wars in space and on alien planets where he could hardly breathe, planets so cold that sometime he still felt the chill in his bones. He’d seen more death than he’d wished to ever see in his life span. He didn’t relish the thought of unnecessary Luxirian blood being spilled on foreign planets.
But sometimes war was essential for peace. He knew this. His sire had known this and his sire before him.
After showing Kat his work space, he led her back into the center hub before approaching the hallway that led to their own quarters. Inside was their sleeping platform—much larger than the one on his ship—and a resting area with a fire pit, much like the one in the main hub. There was a window overlooking the terrace, which overlooked Luxiria in the direction of the plains of the Ravrax’tor and subsequently, the outpost watched over by Rixavox.
Beyond their sleeping platform, there was another door which led to their washing room. Inside was a large sunken bath, wide enough to swim in. Luxirians loved to soak in hot baths; it was almost like a religion. The washing stalls were not as popular and were usually only equipped on ships where physical space was limited.
Vaxa’an looked out the window, towards the Ravrax’tor, feeling anticipation build within him. That was where the ravraxia, the traditional mating ceremony, would take place, where he would take his female soon. Very soon. His Instinct was leeching more and more of his control every span and he wondered how much longer he’d be able to wait until he claimed her fully.
Once he finished giving her a tour, he turned to her, worrying that she might not find their dwelling suitable. “Is it to your liking, female?”
His Kat glanced up at him, looking at the large bath, which was steaming lightly. Moisture dotted her brow. The heat felt good to Luxirians; they tended to have colder blood than other species. He made a mental note to make a visit to Privanax, who work
ed in the labs. Perhaps the older Luxirian could research human biology and tell him more about his mate and her needs. They’d never needed to research the human species before now.
“It’s…” she said quietly, “it’s wonderful, Vaxa.”
Relief flooded his veins. “You will enjoy living here?”
“Yes,” she nodded. “For the month, I mean.”
His chest squeezed, lips turning down, and he led her back into the hub, not knowing how to reply. His eyes caught on his Luxirian crystal, displayed on top of a column that reached the middle of his waist. It floated in mid-air, twirling and humming. It had been in his family for generations. It was one of the most perfect Luxirian crystals ever found…and it would be more than enough to power one of his vessels to take her back to the Fourth Quadrant, back to Earth.
He glanced away, pushing back his shoulders. She said she’d give him one lunar cycle. He would just have to convince her not to leave…and he planned to be very persuasive.
Vaxa’an turned to his female, purring at her closeness. The night before, he’d felt cut off from her, a sudden wall between them that he didn’t know how to breach. But now…he knew he needed to get a response from her. He needed to remind her that he was her male and that she desired him just as much as he desired her.
His horns straightened in anticipation and he crouched down in the resting area, leaning back against his furs and the embroidered pillows that lined the pit, before stretching his long legs in front of him.
Kat stared, lips slightly parted.
“Come, female,” he purred.
Her pupils dilated and then she hesitantly moved towards him, dropping down to her knees at his side, before he reached out to tug her onto his lap, her thighs straddling his groin. He held back a groan when he sensed her heat above his thickened cock. His nostrils flared. He scented her intoxicating arousal.