by Zoey Draven
“What is this?” Rixavox asked him, peering down at the metal bracelet.
Privanax pressed his lips together, his jaw tightening, which only increased Rixavox’s curiosity.
“The lavrix’an asked for this before her and the Prime Leader departed for their mating ceremony. She was concerned about becoming pregnant.”
“She did not want offspring?” Rixavox asked, surprise in his tone.
“Nix. Not that soon. This was supposed to help stop conception…but the Fates decided for her in the end.”
Rixavox’s breath went short when he understood why Privanax was giving this to him.
“Perhaps humans need more time in matters such as these,” Privanax continued slowly. “Regardless, it would be best for her, and her health, that she does not become heavy with offspring at this time.”
Rixavox went still, looking down at the healer with a cold gaze before thrusting the metal band back at him with force. Privanax took it with surprise.
“Despite what you may think of me, healer,” Rixavox said slowly, “I am an honorable Luxirian warrior. I am not a beast, bent to the will of my Instinct. And as the Ambassador of Velraxa and a war general of Luxiria, on my honor, her safety and well-being is my only priority until she is returned to your care. I swear this on the Fates.”
Privanax shocked him with a glare. “With all due respect, Ambassador, I know of your reputation. Rumor has it that you’ve mated half of the remaining female population on Luxiria and only the Fates know how many more off planet.”
“You will watch your tongue, healer,” Rixavox said, his voice deadly quiet.
Privanax seemed to remember himself, to remember his rank, because he inclined his head down, although begrudgingly. He remained silent.
Rixavox called on his warrior training to calm the quiet rage that was building, building. Mostly, it was rage at himself because he knew that the healer had a right to be concerned, had a right to question. Rixavox had dealt with his brother’s exile and his parents’ subsequent deaths with mating and pleasure drugs and war. It was all he’d known for the past ten rotations.
But his life had literally changed in one span. He would never be that warrior again. Not even if Sessela rejected his courtship, not even if she chose to return to Earth. Because he would know what he was missing. He would know that nothing could ever replace a fated mate.
“Have you ever seen your mate, Privanax?” Rixavox asked, the hum of the hovercraft drowning his words. “Your one mate that the Fates have gifted you above all else?”
“Nix,” Privanax admitted, raising his gaze slightly, his jaw still set in defiance.
“Then you understand nothing. Words cannot and will not ever explain it,” Rixavox told him, holding his gaze. “Think what you will of me. You will not be the first to judge. But know this: there is a reason why Vaxa’an chose me as an Ambassador, why he befriended me all those rotations ago during warrior training. Tev, I have a reputation, but I am also loyal to those I trust and I keep my word, no matter what. So take my word on this, Privanax, and trust it. She will be cured of her hellixaxava before we ever consummate our matehood. If we ever do,” he forced himself to add, even though it tasted like rancid brew on his tongue.
Privanax held his gaze and Rixavox had the stray thought that the older Luxirian should have continued with his warrior training instead of leaving to become a healer. He would have made a damn good warrior.
Privanax finally jerked his head in a nod. “I will trust that you keep your word, Ambassador.”
Rixavox didn’t know why the healer’s opinion mattered to him in that moment. But it released a weight off his shoulders and he tilted his head down in acceptance.
Gruffly, he said, “I will contact you through the Coms when we arrive at Velraxa.”
Rixavox didn’t wait for the healer to reply. Instead, he guided his hovercraft off the ground and shot off towards the command center, towards his mate, towards his future.
SEVEN
“Are you sure about this?” Lainey asked, her gaze flickering to the door that Cecelia was currently making her way towards. She’d told the group about her cancer, about how Privanax believed he could heal her, and that she would be leaving them for a short time. She’d already said her goodbyes to most of the women in the group, trying to reassure them since many had expressed their doubt.
Lainey, true to form, was expressing hers the loudest.
Cecelia was resolute as she stopped just in front of the closed swooshing door. Kate and her towering Luxirian mate, Vaxa, were waiting just beyond it, ready to see her off to these northern lands.
“It’s not like I’m leaving for good, Lainey,” Cecelia said, turning towards the redhead once more. She tried to make her smile seem nonchalant. “I think I’ll only be gone a week or so. It depends.”
“What if this is just some set-up?” Lainey questioned, frowning. “What if it’s just a ruse? And what about this Kate chick? I mean, we don’t know if she’s telling the truth. This could just be a severe case of Stockholm Syndrome! They probably brainwashed her or something.”
Cecelia sighed. “She sounded perfectly sane to me yesterday. And she really does seem happy. Who are we to judge what she chose? And you know you sound crazy, right?”
Lainey made a sound in the back of her throat. “Okay, fine, a little crazy, yes. But I’m just trying to look out for you.”
Cecelia felt tears prick the backs of her eyes. Strangely enough, she’d never really had this many people looking out for her. She was having trouble handling it all.
“I need to do this,” Cecelia finally told her, reaching out to take her hand and giving it a slight squeeze. “If there’s the slightest chance this could work…”
“I know, I know,” Lainey said softly, shoulders sagging.
“Thank you though,” Cecelia murmured. Over Lainey’s shoulder, she could see the rest of the women watching them from the fire pit. “For looking out for me.”
Lainey let out a soft breath and nodded. “Take care of yourself. And hey, if these sacred pools are as good as this doctor claims, bottle some up for me, okay?”
“Lainey,” Cecelia said, bursting into a small, unexpected laugh.
“Just a small bottle,” Lainey insisted, “like travel-sized. Nothing crazy.”
Cecelia knew there was a reason why she liked Lainey, even though many of the others didn’t.
She pulled the redhead into a hug and said, “See you in a week.”
“Good luck,” Lainey murmured before pulling away and letting go of her hand. Cecelia gave her a small smile and the rest of the women a small wave before she knocked on the door and it swooshed open to reveal Kate and Vaxa.
They stepped back so she could step out. And then the door closed behind her.
“All ready?” Kate asked, smoothing a hand down her mate’s arm.
Cecelia hoped she hadn’t heard what Lainey said and nodded, “Yeah. I’m ready.”
Just as she said the words, her skin tingled, a familiar yet new sensation. With a small intake of breath, she turned her head down the hallway and saw him approaching, his footsteps growing heavier and heavier as he came closer and closer.
He was dressed in a thin grey tunic today instead of sporting his bare chest and glinting nipple piercings. Cecelia didn’t know if she was relieved or disappointed and settled on a little of both. His face was composed of serious, harsh lines, but he was just as handsome and masculine as she remembered. His eyes gleamed under the bright lights and his scaled, shimmering skin took on a blue tint to match.
Rixavox stopped in front of her, bowing his head slightly to Kate and Vaxa before turning his gaze onto her.
“The hovercraft is prepared. Have you said your…goodbyes?” he pronounced slowly, as if unsure how to say the word.
Cecelia’s lips quirked slightly before she sobered, Kate’s warning flooding her mind. Don’t even think about getting involved with someone like him, she reminded herself.
Nodding, she said, “Yes.”
“Let us depart,” Rixavox said in response, standing aside and letting her walk past.
For some reason, his massive height was just now registering with her. Yesterday, she’d fainted before he got close enough and when she woke up…well, she’d been sitting on the bed. Now, she was standing next to him and realized that she didn’t even come up to the middle of his chest. He was well over seven feet.
More importantly, she didn’t know why this fact made her feel…aroused.
Cecelia almost groaned, trying to ignore her treacherous, confused body, and she quickly passed him before he could smell her. Which, as he’d informed her yesterday, he could, adding insult to the injury.
She made quick work of the hall, refusing to stop to catch her breath. Not only could she hear Rixavox behind her, stomping away in his boots, she could feel him. She didn’t know what the hell was happening to her, but she chalked it up to strange alien planet atmosphere.
The heat of Luxiria smacked her in the face when she stepped out into the open air. It was early morning and the twins suns were almost level with the distant black mountains. She could only appreciate the planet’s beauty briefly before a sweat broke out over her body, making her wish she’d stayed inside. God, how could they deal with this heat? And why wasn’t Kate as affected by it? Surely, this couldn’t just be the effects of her returning cancer.
Cecelia jumped when she felt a palm on her back and she whipped her head around to see Rixavox frowning down at her. His touch made goosebumps spread over her skin and her nipples tightened to sharp peaks underneath her fresh tunic.
She watched as his pupils flared, his nostrils widening at the very base, before he seemed to shake himself out of it. He guided her forward to the hovercraft and she squeaked when he easily lifted her up and set her down on the metal flooring. He pulled himself up behind her, his wide palm lingering on her waist.
Rixavox said something in Luxirian to Vaxa over his shoulder and the Prime Leader jerked his head in a nod. Kate came forward and handed up the small black sack that she’d been carrying.
“Food,” Kate explained when Cecelia gave her a curious look. “So you don’t get hungry. Luxirians can go a while without eating, but I figured you’d need something for the journey.”
Cecelia accepted it with gratitude, although her appetite had rapidly been diminishing lately. She didn’t know how much of it she would actually eat. Nonetheless, Cecelia lifted a trembling hand to Kate, who stood back with her mate and gave her a comforting smile. Her hand was lying on her enlarged belly and Cecelia couldn’t help but remember what the other woman said…about how humans and Luxirians were biologically compatible and how anything was possible.
Swallowing hard, she snuck a look at Rixavox who was standing at the controls of the hovercraft, his legs braced and spread wide.
The hovercraft lifted off the ground and she quickly reached out a hand to the side, steadying herself even though the ascent was relatively smooth.
Rixavox looked over his shoulder at her and held out a hand. “Come, Sessela.”
Slowly, as if approaching a fierce, hungry lion, she did as he asked and she gave a little gasp when he pulled her close, her back to his chest, the control panel laid out before her.
“W-what are you—” she started to ask but, more quickly than she could anticipate, Rixavox revved the hovercraft and they were hurtling into the sky. Cecelia let out a small shriek, her heart in her throat. Her dark hair whipped over her eyes, but the warm breeze felt amazing at the faster speed.
She felt Rixavox’s chest rumble before she heard his deep voice next to her ear. “Are you well, Sessela?”
Cecelia felt heat creep into her cheeks and her throat went tight. God, he sounded amazing, like pure sin drizzled in dark desire. His chest was rock hard against her back and she remembered his ripped, scarred, broad body from yesterday, every muscle chiseled to perfection.
“Y-yes,” she said, raising her voice slightly so he could hear her over the rush of wind. “I’m fine.”
Chancing a peek over the edge of the hovercraft, she swallowed as a shot of adrenaline spiked through her system. They were up high. Very, very high. She craned her head to see around Rixavox’s body and she could see the place where she’d been staying, but it was already a dark metal speck in the distance. How fast can this thing go? she wondered.
It was like flying in an open air plane, standing up, while going at lightening speeds, but she adapted quickly. Rixavox didn’t seem concerned, so she figured it was safe. Shortly, Cecelia managed to calm her racing heart and she asked, “How far do we have to travel?”
“Half of a span,” he replied. “I will put the cold shield up later, which will slow our pace.”
Half a day?
Hopefully I won’t have to pee, she thought.
They traveled in silence for a long time and gradually continued their ascent until they were level with the mountain tops. It felt considerably cooler than down below and for that, Cecelia was thankful. Sweat no longer beaded her forehead and she could take a breath without feeling like hot bricks of air were being shoved down her throat.
Eventually, Rixavox leveled out the hovercraft and his arms on her loosened. Cecelia took that to mean she could step away but for some reason, her feet didn’t want to move. He was warm and smelled like rain and it had been a long, long time since she’d had a man’s arms around her. She allowed herself a brief moment of weakness, to savor the closeness of another.
“Do you wish to rest, Sessela?” he asked her, his chest vibrating against her back.
And she really, really liked the way he said her name. It was so damn charming.
Swallowing, she told herself she should step away. Maybe he was trying to politely direct her away from him.
She could take a hint.
“No,” she murmured, ducking under his arm, and scooting out of the way. She was strangely tired of sleeping. She’d slept most of the day yesterday and the entire night, even though it had been interrupted with vivid, jarring dreams. Besides, when would she ever experience something like this again? It was like having her own private tour of Luxiria and she intended to see it all. “I’ll just, uh, sit over here.”
His blue eyes tracked her as she nestled herself down close to the edge of the hovercraft. She laid her arms on the metal barrier and rested her chin there, so she’d get the best view below.
Admittedly, it was hard to see details from how high up they were, but Cecelia could still appreciate the rolling black sand hills, the jagged mountains and the golden light that lit up the dark landscape. Behind her, Rixavox was silent and he remained that way for quite some time.
Eventually, the black sand gave way to large jungles of…trees. Or at least what she believed to be trees. They were tall and skinny and white, making them easy to spot. Then she spied sparkling pink bodies of water, so glossy that they almost looked like spills of oil. When they passed over a giant mountain range that must’ve stretched hundreds of miles in both directions—so far that she couldn’t see where it ended—she could only feel a dizzying sense of awe. Everything was overwhelming. At times, she didn’t even believe her own eyes.
The mountain range seemed to act like a barrier for the Luxirian heat, because a few minutes after passing over it, she noticed the sudden chill that swept through the hovercraft. The skies seemed darker past it too and heavy dark grey clouds loomed overhead.
So strange, she thought, craning her neck to look up at the sky. The twin suns were barely visible now but the cold air felt amazing on her skin.
The longer they traveled, the colder it got, however.
Soon, it was a little too cold. When she wrapped her arms around herself, Rixavox finally spoke.
“Come, Sessela,” he called over the loud, rushing wind, repeating his words from earlier. Cecelia slowly rose from the ground, hissing a little when her joints ached. How long had she been sitting?
&n
bsp; As she approached, Rixavox grabbed a fur blanket that had been tucked away in a corner and immediately wrapped it around her, before encircling her once more in his arms. It was the same position they’d started out in and Cecelia let out a little sigh as warmth seeped back into her bones. She suspected she was running a slight fever, but the heat felt too good.
“I apologize, female,” Rixavox murmured next to her ear, running his hand down her blanket-covered arm. Cecelia shivered at his touch. “We cannot use the cold shield for a little while longer or it will drain the fuel too much.”
“It’s okay,” she said, glancing up at him briefly. His eyes looked almost navy blue in the dark light. “I’ll be fine in this.”
Hesitantly, she wondered if she should move away again, but when she made the move to do so, his arms tightened around her.
“Nix,” he said, his voice dropping to an even deeper tone, as if the word had been torn from his throat. “I wish to warm you.”
Cecelia held her breath at his words, staring forward into the vast expanse of Luxiria, but she didn’t see much.
Even in her limited experience, she knew that his words would’ve been the human equivalent of flirting. He held her against him tightly, as if afraid she would leave. Yet, he’d hinted earlier that she should move away and he hadn’t spoken to her at all during the first part of the journey.
It was confusing. What was even more confusing was why she was overanalyzing it in the first place. She’d told herself not to get involved, but it seemed that her body, judging by the way it perked up at his touch like a dog expecting a treat, was ignoring her mind’s wishes.
What the hell? she wondered, dazed, and not for the first time. Something was going on with her. She didn’t know what, but did she really want to spend the mental energy trying to figure it out?
Instead, she did as he asked and stayed in his arms.