The Alien's Touch (A SciFi Alien Warrior Romance) (Warriors of Luxiria Book 4)

by Zoey Draven

  Levrix was tall and imposing, but her features were more delicate than the Luxirian males she’d seen. Her hair was black, the darkest of shades, and her eyes were a light blue. When she removed her coat, Cecelia saw that she was curvy, the kind of curvy that would make human men salivate, the kind of generous curves that she herself would never possess, especially since she’d been losing so much weight.

  Cecelia cleared her throat as Levrix approached. In her hands was a platter of food covered in a clear disk to keep it hot. Levrix set it down on the cushions in the fire pit and then took Cecelia’s hands in her own. They were cold from the outside but warmed quickly against her flesh.

  “You can call me Levrix,” she said. “I do not know if Rixavox told you my name.”

  “He did,” Cecelia said, having to crane back her neck to see her. She had to be at least a foot taller. “My name is Cecelia.”

  Predictably, Levrix repeated, “Sessela,” and she knew that it might be hopeless for a correct pronunciation on Luxiria.

  “Yes,” Cecelia said, smiling slightly. Then she said, “Tev,” figuring that if Levrix was speaking in English, the least Cecelia could do was try out a bit of Luxirian.

  Levrix blinked at the word, but then smiled, revealing straight, but sharp teeth. “You have learned our language from Rixavox?”

  “Only a few words,” Cecelia admitted. “I fear that I probably cannot pronounce most.”

  Levrix grunted slightly and then released her hands. “Come,” she said. “Eat. Rixavox was very clear that you should eat.”

  Cecelia relaxed slightly, glad that there didn’t seem to be any strange tension between them, considering that Cecelia had walked in on her naked as she’d tried to seduce Rixavox. If Levrix wanted to brush that under the rug, then Cecelia certainly could.

  For once, she actually felt a little grumble in her stomach. Again, she wondered if it was the Rillirax’s doing, but she wouldn’t question it too much. She wanted to regain the weight she’d already lost, so she settled into the fire pit, Levrix settling next to her, and she lifted the disk off the food platter.

  The food was familiar to her. It was the same meat she’d been eating since she arrived. It was tender and delicious and surprisingly still warm, despite the journey it had taken to get there.

  “Thank you for bringing this,” Cecelia said after she swallowed a bite.

  “It is my honor,” Levrix responded, studying her. Cecelia brushed off her perusal, figuring that if this was the first time she was seeing a Luxirian, she would be more than a little curious.

  “I brought you something to drink as well,” Levrix said slowly, sounding out the words, before she reached into the folds of her heavily lined dress. She pulled out a flask and handed it to her.

  “What is it?” Cecelia asked curiously.

  Levrix thought for a moment. “I think you would call it tea? It is brewed from a Luxirian plant. Very good for your health.”

  Cecelia wondered if Rixavox had told her why she was there. When she took a sip from the flask, she found that the tea was still warm. It tasted faintly like green tea, one of her favorites, but it had a black licorice aftertaste.

  Levrix smiled when she took another sip. “You like it?”

  “Yes,” Cecelia said. “It’s very good.”

  “We females used to drink this often. It is good for the…for the womb, I believe you say. It makes the young stronger.”

  Cecelia almost sputtered on her next sip. She felt a light flush color her cheeks. “Oh, I’m not…we’re not…” she trailed off, wanting to groan in embarrassment. “I’m not pregnant.”

  Something flashed across Levrix’s face at her pronouncement but she didn’t want to read too much into it. “Regardless,” the Luxirian female said, “it is good for you.”

  An awkward silence descended between them so Cecelia took another sip and then returned to her meal. After she’d chewed a few bites, feeling Levrix’s gaze on her all the time, Cecelia said, “I’m, uh, I’m sorry I barged in on you and Rixavox the other day. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  Levrix waved her hand in the air, dismissing her words. “Rixavox did not want me that night. You interrupted nothing.”

  Cecelia swallowed, wondering how Luxirians could be so, so blasé about sex. It was somewhat refreshing, she had to admit, although it was strange hearing Levrix talk about Rixavox in that way, especially after her jealousy episode earlier that morning.

  “Right,” she murmured, staring down at her plate. God, she hoped it wouldn’t be this awkward all day. Or else that day would seem even longer than yesterday had.

  “You are uncomfortable,” Levrix realized, cocking her head to the side. “Have I made you so?”

  “It’s just a little weird,” Cecelia admitted. “I appreciate you taking the time to come be with me though.”

  “I wished to meet you, Sessela,” Levrix insisted. “I told Rixavox I would like to meet with you, that you should have a companion during the span while he goes about his duties. He is a busy male. He cannot expect you to sit here all span with nothing to occupy you.”

  Cecelia relaxed a little more and gave her a soft smile. “That was thoughtful of you.”

  Levrix returned her smile and scooted closer. “Let us begin again, yes?”

  Cecelia gave a little laugh and nodded. “Okay.”

  “Good. Then you must tell me all about you. I wish to know everything.”

  Cecelia smiled. “That could take a while.”

  “It is good that we have a while then,” Levrix replied.

  Cecelia smoothed the smile from her lips, feeling the awkwardness begin to drain between them.

  “Alright,” she said. “I will tell you everything about me, if you tell me everything about you and about Luxiria. I want to learn, to understand. Deal?”

  “Deal?” Levrix repeated, a puzzled look on her face.

  “It is a human expression. An agreement on an exchange,” she tried to explain.

  “Ah,” Levrix said, her chest rumbling in an excited purr. “Yes, you can teach me these expressions. For now, I agree to your deal.”

  “Okay,” Cecelia replied, chuckling, settling in for what would probably be a long, but enjoyable, day.

  SIXTEEN

  When Rixavox returned to her and Levrix once he had a break in his duties, they were chatting like girlfriends Cecelia had had in college.

  She was surprised how easy it was. Even though they both came from completely different cultures, completely different planets, for that matter, Levrix was easy to talk to.

  Rixavox could only stay for a brief time before he was called away again. Cecelia’s eyes trailed after him as he left, already missing him.

  There was an uncomfortable pause in the room after he left but then eventually, they picked back up again.

  Throughout the afternoon, Cecelia learned much about Levrix during their numerous chats. She learned that she owned a market stall of Luxirian silks and fabrics and furs down at the bazaar, that she’d closed up the stall that day for the specific purpose of staying with her. She learned that she was highly intelligent, that she’d studied Luxirian ancient history and the Fates extensively, although most of the scholars on Luxiria were primarily males. She learned that Levrix grew up in the Velraxa outpost, that she’d traveled to the Golden City once and hated it.

  “I could imagine being no place else,” she’d said, gazing out the window of Rixavox’s house. “It is brutal here, yes, but only true Velraxians see the beauty.”

  It was beautiful there, no doubt. Cecelia could understand the appeal. But she’d really only seen the area around Velraxa, like the mountain range where the Rillirax hid, or the valley below as they traveled. She wondered if Rixavox would take her to see his outpost, or if she wasn’t allowed because she was an outsider.

  “Rixavox seems to like it here,” Cecelia murmured.

  Levrix smiled. “Tev, a true Velraxian even though he was not born in the northern lands
.”

  Cecelia hesitated, but a strange curiosity won out. “Have you known him long?”

  “Tev, quite long. We are friends even though we were pleasure partners.”

  Jealousy clenched in her gut so hard that her hand trembled, an intense reaction to such innocent words. Yet, she knew what those words meant.

  “Oh,” she said, trying to calm her breath. The thought of Rixavox with anyone hurt. She was as envious about those females as she was confused by her body’s reaction. How was it possible, this intensity? “I’m sorry,” she forced out. “It’s none of my business.”

  Levrix cocked her head to the side. “Is it not?”

  “No,” Cecelia said, swallowing. “We’re not…we aren’t together in that way.”

  Cecelia might not recognize Luxirian facial expression as well as she could recognize human ones, but the surprise on Levrix’s face was universal. “That is…strange.”

  “Why?” Cecelia questioned, her brows furrowing.

  Levrix studied her for a long while, long enough to make Cecelia squirm in her seat.

  Finally Levrix shook her head. “That is for Rixavox to discuss with you, not me. Are you feeling any hunger? Do you wish for me to fetch you another meal? I do not know how often humans are supposed to eat.”

  Cecelia let the obvious change in subject slide, but her mind ran wild with what went unsaid. Did she think it was strange that they weren’t sleeping together because Rixavox had a womanizing reputation? That was what Kate had implied.

  Or…was it something else? Something that she’d caught only in brief moments? Something that nagged at the back of her mind even though she didn’t truly know what it meant?

  Cecelia shook her head and said quietly, “No, I’m not hungry. Maybe in a couple hours.”

  “Will you explain ‘hours’ to me?” Levrix requested.

  Which led them into a discussion about Earth time, about the seasons where she lived in the United States. Levrix seemed shocked that the seasons changed as rapidly and as drastically as they did in certain places. In return, she told her that there on Velraxa, there was only a lunar cycle—which Cecelia deduced was about a month—of warmer weather, but it never got as hot as the Golden City on its coldest day.

  The afternoon passed in a similar fashion until finally, Levrix told her that she had to take her leave. She had a shipment of silks being delivered and she had to prepare for the next day at the bazaar.

  “Thank you for keeping me company,” Cecelia said, standing and walking with her to the door. “I enjoyed our talks.”

  Levrix turned to her right before she pushed the door open and said, “I cannot come this next span, but perhaps the span after.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to,” Cecelia said, biting her lip. “I don’t want to keep taking you away from your business.”

  Levrix waved her hand in the air. “It is a privilege to sit with you, to learn about you and your kind. I will return.”

  Cecelia inclined her head when Levrix did. “Thank you. I look forward to it.”

  With one last look, Levrix departed and that harsh bite of wind that had gusted in when Rixavox left returned until the door shut. On the other side, she listened for the familiar hum of the hovercraft to start up and take flight…and then there was silence.

  Curiosity spiked. Even though it was clear that Rixavox didn’t want others seeing her, which was why she couldn’t go out during the day and explore, why couldn’t she just take a little peek?

  She grabbed one of the heavy fur wrappings that Rixavox had taken off her the night before and settled it around her shoulders, bringing it up to cloak her hair and head. She was completely covered from head-to-toe in fur, except for her silk house slippers that Rixavox had bought for her to wear during the day.

  With a tug that strained her muscles, she managed to wrestle open the heavy door and she squeaked as the chill billowed her fur cloak around her body. She snatched it more tightly around her and with a deep breath that seared her lungs, she stepped out onto Rixavox’s patio, in the middle of the afternoon.

  She knew from their nighttime travels that Rixavox’s house was somewhat secluded from the rest of the outpost. And even though it was at the base of a mountain, it was situated at a higher elevation in the valley. Even knowing all this, it couldn’t prepare her for the sheer awe she felt when she stepped up to the ledge, allowing her a clear view below.

  Velraxa was situated at the base of the mountain range, but its sprawl was impressive. There were smooth, stone buildings and houses as far as she could see, dotting the valley below the mountain. To the west, she could see what she assumed was the bazaar, the marketplace, because there were more organized lines of little buildings and when she squinted, she could see a flurry of activity, of Luxirians shopping and walking and socializing. More north, she could see taller buildings, with what looked like a few football fields of cleared, empty ground right behind them. A stadium of some sort? Or were they training grounds?

  But above the outpost, the mountains stood tall and imposing. She craned her neck up but the tops disappeared into the thin cloud covering. They were frosted in silver and they glittered whenever the suns’ rays broke through.

  Beyond the mountains, she could see vast, open land and nothing else. Hadn’t Rixavox said Velraxa was a hunting outpost? She wondered how long they had to travel to find game.

  It was ridiculously cold. Her thin slippers weren’t holding up to the ice-packed patio and even through the layer of thick fur, the chill seeped into her. But she understood what Levrix meant. As she gazed out over Velraxa, she felt the beauty of it, the calmness of the silver mountains, the quietness of the icy air. In the distance, she could hear the bustle of activity from below.

  Cecelia squinted. She spotted a hovercraft approaching from the tall buildings she’d seen towards the north. It was just a speck in the sky, but it grew and grew. Cecelia smile, her heart beating a little faster, because, instinctively, she knew it was Rixavox.

  Even though her fingertips were numb, she stayed and waited on the patio until she had to step away so he could land the hovercraft.

  She wondered if he would be angry that she’d come out here, but as he disembarked, it was worry she saw on his face instead.

  “What are you doing out here, luxiva?” he asked, approaching quickly, taking her in his arms. Immediately, she felt some of his warmth transfer into her and she sighed.

  “I just wanted to see the outpost during the day,” she said, her breath puffing out in front of her. His eyes softened as he looked down at her, at the makeshift hood covering her face. “No one saw me. I promise.”

  He stroked his fingers over her cheek and she held her breath as they glided gently over her lips.

  “What do you think of Velraxa?” he rumbled, nudging his head in the direction of the city.

  “I think it’s beautiful,” she replied. “Cold and quiet and beautiful.” She broke his gaze to point at the taller set of buildings he’d flown from. “Is that where you work?”

  His gaze focused to where she pointed in the distance before he looked back at her. “Tev. The Velraxa command center.”

  “What’s the empty space behind it?”

  “It is used for warrior training. Velraxa produces a fair amount of warriors. I oversee the training there.”

  “Busy guy,” she commented, smiling. “Do you have to go back today?”

  “Nix,” he said. “I am yours.”

  Those words did things to her, things she didn’t want to explore because she worried what they might mean for her future.

  “Come,” he said. “You need warmth. I brought you food as well.”

  Cecelia let him lead her back into the house. He closed the door easily and she sighed as she felt her bones begin to thaw. She’d always liked the cold, but it felt nice to be inside as well.

  Rixavox helped her out of the furs and even though she slowly warmed, his touch still made her shiver.

  He p
urred low in his chest but then huffed out a breath, releasing her to retrieve the two platters of food he’d brought with him.

  His reaction confused her. He seemed to do that often. He would touch her, say things to her that made her tremble with need, but then he’d pull away, as if something was keeping him in check. She didn’t know if it was a Luxirian thing or not, which frustrated her. Was she expected to make the first move? Was that how it worked?

  She should’ve asked Levrix, but didn’t know how to bring it up without making it awkward, considering the past relationship she’d had with the alien male in question.

  Maybe she would have to make her interest clear to him.

  Because dammit, she wanted him.

  And if she had to push past her nervousness to get what she wanted…she would. Absolutely she would, especially since she was determined to make the most of her time there, with him, before her cancer had the opportunity to progress more than it already had.

  Tonight, she decided. Tonight in the Rillirax, when it was just the two of them.

  Cecelia didn’t think she could wait much longer.

  SEVENTEEN

  Sessela was quiet that night as they made their way to the Rillirax for her soak.

  But he was on edge. For the rest of the span into the night, he’d scented her need. That scent had wrapped around his mind, addled his thoughts, driven his Instinct into a frenzy. Even now, he could scent her arousal.

  Every time he was on the verge of acting on his desires, he thought of Privanax, of his vow, and it kept him in line. But only barely. He still had four spans to spend with her on Velraxa, possibly longer if Privanax decided she needed more time in the Rillirax based on her scans. He didn’t know if he could last much longer.

  Rixavox took carefully measured breaths as they journeyed into the mountain. Yet, his hands clutched her tightly to him, wanting things he shouldn’t want, maddening his Instinct.

  The steady trickle of the Rillirax helped calm his frayed nerves. He unbundled Sessela from the furs, which made her arousal all the more obvious.