Axen

by Arcadia Shield

  To begin with, Axen had almost been conscious, and Eloise had managed to get him to his feet and walk him towards the cave she’d been hiding in. But then he’d collapsed, the injury from what looked like a lightning strike, too much to bear.

  As Eloise had inspected the wound, and then struggled to get Axen back on his feet, he’d begun muttering and cursing, fighting her the whole time. And then he’d grabbed her and kissed her until stars shone in her vision. She’d never been kissed like that before.

  At first, she’d resisted, the breath punched out of her as Axen had squeezed too tightly, his muscles rippling underneath her. She couldn’t help but respond; his kiss had been urgent and desperate. His fingers wrapped into her hair and then ran down her body, squeezing her to him as if he wanted to mold them together and join them for life. No one had ever wanted her so much.

  Eloise let out a shaky breath as she recalled Axen’s passion. She’d never felt anything like it before. Earth men were always so reserved. They held back, often unwilling to reveal their true feelings. But Axen hadn’t hidden anything when he’d touched her. He was so honest in his desire for her. It had made her legs tremble when she’d finally pulled away from his kiss, and Eloise had taken a moment to let the rain pour over her, calming her hot skin and getting her thoughts back into focus. She couldn’t get carried away; Axen was injured, and the medical kit was back in the cave, a cave that had felt like a thousand miles away.

  And then Axen had pulled out a blade and started hacking at the air, hacking at her. Eloise had been able to dodge most of his clumsy, half-conscious attacks, but not without losing a chunk of hair, as one of his blades came a little too close for her liking. Axen had also sliced her flesh several times. Nothing deep, but he’d drawn blood before collapsing.

  After that, it had taken all her strength and a bucketful of curses, but she’d dragged Axen back to the cave. Her muscles ached as she recalled how heavy he was. He’d managed to help on a couple of occasions, but kept slumping into unconsciousness, and at the end, she’d had to grab Axen’s weapons harness and physically haul him. The slippery mud underfoot had assisted her in getting them both to safety. But, at one point, Eloise had wondered whether they’d both have to lay in the rain, and she’d have no choice but to watch him die before awaiting her own death at the hands of the Fraken.

  But now, in the relative safety of the cave, they were both drying out and healing. Eloise had used most of the Medi-kit supplies on Axen and had been relieved when she’d seen his face relax as they took effect. She just hoped she’d done enough to ensure Axen’s wounds would repair themselves. Vortens had enhanced healing abilities, but not many individuals could survive a direct lightning strike.

  She leaned back against the cave wall. Why had he tried to harm her? The hit from the lightning would have muddled his brain, but was there something else behind his intentions? Had he changed his mind and was intending to kill her after all? She couldn’t believe that. He had been so genuine with her earlier.

  Eloise watched Axen as he slept. He was handsome, his features chiseled and sharp. And she liked the scars; they added even more character to his face. And, as for his muscles, they were sensational. She felt herself blush and had to look away.

  Taking a deep breath, Eloise edged towards Axen, still cautious he might launch another wild attack on her. She needed to remove the weapons harness that crossed his chest and make sure there were no more injuries. She checked he was breathing regularly and then went to work on the complex harness. After some tugging, Eloise figured out how to unclip it. She then removed his shirt and stared at his muscles. She was not used to this. Humans were generally malnourished, and she hadn’t seen anyone with a decent set of muscles for a long time. Axen was magnificent.

  She inched her hand onto his bare chest, and the color shifted from green to brown, then dark orange and pale tan. It was solid and warm. That was a good sign. She ran her fingers from his throat down to the light tuft of hair at the top of his waistband. Eloise bit on her bottom lip. He was a wounded warrior; she really should stop exploring him. She was taking advantage of an injured alien. And he could come to and still want to fight her. Kill her even. If Axen’s intentions had changed, she should get away from him as quickly as possible, not feel him up and lust after his muscles. Even so, she kept her hand where it was and gently stroked backwards and forwards. She saw Axen’s skin react and liked that he responded to her touch, even in his weakened state.

  Eloise shook her head as an unexpected pleasurable heat grew inside her. She needed to get a grip of herself. Axen needed to rest and recover. She would wait by his side until he recovered enough to get them out of the game and free from the Fraken. Although, she had no firm idea what his plans were, so she could do nothing more than act as a pawn in his grand scheme, she was still willing to trust him.

  She stroked a hand more confidently up his chest and then froze. Axen’s eyes were open.

  ***

  Axen reacted instantly as his enemy peered down at him. He jumped to his feet and shoved the female away. He grabbed a blade from his weapons belt and thrust it towards her.

  “Stay back.” The blade shook in his hand, and a sickness grabbed at his stomach. What was wrong with him? What had this silent killer done?

  Eloise scuttled backwards on her hands and feet. “What’s wrong?”

  “You were trying to kill me.” Axen waved the blade in the air. His head felt full of messy, confused thoughts. He’d been fighting, then kissing someone. And now this. Woken to find his weapons about to be taken and a female he didn’t recognize in front of him.

  “Axen! It’s me, Eloise.” She stood slowly, her hands held out. “You’ve been injured by a lightning bolt. You’re not thinking straight.”

  He lunged at her and swung the blade in the air, missing her only by an inch. “Lies.”

  “Stop!” Eloise danced around the blade as he swung it again.

  “How do you know my name?” Axen stalked around the female, whom he recognized as a human. He thought he recognized her scent. Maybe she’d been tracking him for some time in her efforts to kill him, so he knew her smell from that.

  “Because we’ve been in this game for days.”

  He lunged at her again and succeeded in slicing the blade into her right arm, making the woman scream. “I do not know you.”

  “Please, stop for a second and think.” Eloise clasped her fingers over the wound on her arm. “You’re in a Fraken game. My name is Eloise Harper. We’re working together to get out of this alive.”

  Axen stumbled forward; his brain ached as if it had been boiled, and strange flickers of light filled his vision. The blade in his hand lowered, feeling too heavy to hold any longer, despite the threat in front of him.

  Eloise took advantage of his stumble and knocked the blade out of his hand. “Stop fighting me and listen.”

  Axen roared and charged. He threw his weight onto the female and pinned her to the ground.

  A scream of terror shot out of Eloise’s mouth, and she raised her hands to defend herself. “You don’t want to do this.”

  “I do not need weapons to destroy someone so feeble.” Axen grabbed Eloise’s arms, noticing one of them was already injured. Perhaps they’d fought before and she had been chasing him for revenge.

  “You promised you wouldn’t hurt me.” Eloise struggled beneath him, trying frantically to shift his weight off her.

  It was easy for Axen to keep her restrained on the ground, despite his own injuries and the continual pounding of his head. “I do not know you. I would never have promised that to a stranger.” His hands moved to her throat.

  “Axen, please!” Eloise writhed beneath him, the scent of fear enveloping them both as she fought to stay alive.

  Despite his anger, Axen felt a stir of arousal. There was something familiar about her. “If we are in a Fraken game, that means you’re my prey.”

  “I am. I was. But it’s not like that.” Eloise’s vo
ice trembled. “Give yourself time to think about what’s happening. You’ve been badly injured.”

  “Not by you.”

  “Never by me. By the lightning the Fraken sent.”

  Axen loosened his grip on the woman’s throat. Could she be telling the truth? “I do not remember that.”

  “See if you remember this.” Eloise leaned up and pressed her lips against his.

  For a second, Axen froze. He’d never kissed a human woman before. Her taste was like sweet Bachcilian wine, and her skin soft and hot.

  Eloise broke contact and stared into his eyes. “Remember who I am. I am not your enemy.” She wriggled a hand free and laced it around Axen’s neck before pulling him down and kissing him again.

  Axen responded fiercely, a growl ripping out of him, as his tongue explored the woman’s mouth. This was familiar. He’d done this before.

  Eloise tightened her hold and responded just as fiercely.

  Axen stroked a hand down her injured arm and stopped. He pulled back, horror filling him, as he realized what he’d almost done. “Eloise? It’s you.”

  “It is,” said Eloise. “You remember?”

  Axen blinked several times, his thoughts still failing to connect. “You were going to harm me?”

  “I wasn’t. I was trying to help you.”

  “What were you doing to me when I was on the ground?”

  A blush crossed Eloise’s cheeks. “Examining your injuries.”

  Axen shifted some of his weight off Eloise and looked at the large burn mark raking down his right side. “You did this?”

  “No! You were struck by lightning.” Eloise thumped Axen on the arm. “How could I have done that to you?”

  “This was done by lightning?” Axen gestured to the wound on his side.

  Eloise nodded and explained what happened. “The Fraken had been sending lightning bolts my way for some time, but must have decided you’d make a more entertaining target. I heard you cry out when the lightning hit you and came to find you.”

  Axen’s head flooded with a strange mix of memories. “You got me out of the rainforest?”

  “I did.”

  His head pounded and his vision blurred. Everything was a mess. He couldn’t be certain Eloise hadn’t been involved with his injuries. “Why would we not be completing the Fraken game?”

  “Because we both want to be free.” Eloise kissed him again, and the fog in Axen’s brain faded as the heat from Eloise’s mouth broke through his confusion.

  He did know her. She wasn’t his enemy. He returned her kiss, and Eloise gave a low moan, driving Axen’s passion to a new level. He released his grip on her arm, and she grabbed the back of his neck and drew him tighter to her, molding their bodies together. Her fingers traced down his back, exploring his muscles and battle scars.

  Axen growled in appreciation. He pulled Eloise’s vest off, gaining access to her firm breasts. His thumbs caressed the nipples, making Eloise moan into his mouth and kiss him harder.

  Eloise pulled back, her breath coming out of her in gasps. “Do you remember me now?”

  Axen smiled. “I remember you, Eloise Harper.”

  Eloise returned his smile. “You had me worried for a moment.”

  Axen kissed her again before moving his head down her throat, kissing and tasting her hot skin. His mouth reached her breasts, and he kissed the soft skin underneath them before moving his attention to her hard nipples. As his tongue moved over them, Eloise groaned and arched her back, bringing him closer to her.

  He moved his head lower, keen on exploring more. Axen paused as he noticed a number of cuts and recently healed slash marks on Eloise’s skin. He traced his fingers over several of them. These were new. He pulled back and studied more of her injuries. These had been done by blades, and a new wound on her arm still leaked blood.

  “How did you get these?”

  Eloise raised her head, her glazed eyes coming into focus. “They’re nothing.”

  Axen’s hand traced over her stomach. “Who did this to you?” A sickening dread crept over him as more memories returned, the sound of Eloise screaming, the flash of his blade slicing towards her.

  “None of them were deep.” Eloise rested back on her elbows. “I barely felt them.”

  “It was me. I attacked you.” Axen pulled himself off Eloise and looked down at her.

  Eloise jumped to her feet and reached her hand out. “You didn’t mean to do it.”

  “I could have killed you.” Axen moved farther away. “I remember hacking at you with a blade.”

  “You were barely conscious. I easily avoided your clumsy attempts at taking my head off.”

  Axen growled. “This is not funny.”

  Eloise’s smile faded. “Really, I wasn’t badly hurt. Come back to me.”

  Axen shook his head. “That slash on your arm must be hurting.”

  Eloise nodded. “It stings. But I can repair it with a Healing Stick. You didn’t know what was happening when you first woke up. You were acting on instinct. I should have been more careful.”

  Axen rubbed his forehead as he noticed the chunk of hair missing from Eloise’s head. He’d thought it had been a bad dream, but now, he knew he’d been the one to remove Eloise’s hair as he’d attempted to kill her. She must loath him for what he’d done. How could she bear to be near him?

  “I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about me.” Eloise’s gaze grew concerned. “What’s the matter?”

  “I need to leave.” Axen grabbed his weapons and clothes before staggering towards the cave entrance. He had to put as much distance as possible between the two of them before he did something to hurt Eloise. How could he have been so reckless? He should have recognized her. And just now, he shouldn’t have taken advantage of her in her desperate attempt to get him to remember who she was.

  “You don’t have to go.” Eloise pulled her vest over her head. “You haven’t done anything wrong. I wanted to help you. Stay with me.”

  Axen didn’t look back as he strode out of the cave.

  Chapter 15

  Eloise glared at the cave entrance. He’d abandoned her. Once Axen had come to his senses and realized what they were doing together, he couldn’t move fast enough to get away from her.

  She stroked her fingers over her hot flesh, still sensitive from Axen’s touch. She’d always considered herself attractive and in good condition. Most humans had suffered from some sort of radiation sickness, but she’d been given access to the medication that kept the worst of the symptoms at bay, so she could continue her work for the Intergalactic Council. But the way Axen had just looked at her, like she was deformed and not fit to be near, had made her feel worthless. She hated that he had that effect on her.

  Vorten women had incredible physical form. Maybe she looked pathetic compared to them. They were genetically modified, just like the males, to be supreme hunters, fighters, and warriors. Her pale limbs most be a poor substitute, one Axen couldn’t stand to touch.

  Eloise grabbed her bag and pulled out a Healing Stick. She ran it over the wound on her arm, welcoming the numbing effect it had on the slashed skin. It would repair quickly, Axen had been too clumsy to do her any harm. She wished she could use it to numb her feelings as well.

  What had she been thinking, kissing Axen like that? At first, she’d done it in an attempt to get him to recognize her, but the second their lips had touched, her desire took over.

  Maybe the situation made her reckless, but Eloise wanted to be with Axen. He’d protected her, offered her the chance of something different, and given her a brief glimpse of a life changing opportunity. A life with him, changing things for the better for millions of aliens, ending the tyranny of the Fraken. And maybe, discovering what being wanted and loved was all about.

  She snorted to herself as she stashed away the Healing Stick. She was behaving like the one who’d been shot with a lightning bolt. How could she care for Axen? She barely knew him. The feelings she had were due to the i
ntense situation they were in; that was all. He’d made his feelings very clear just now by walking away. Actually, he’d almost run out of the cave. She could lust after him all she wanted, but the only way they’d be together was if he was knocked senseless.

  Eloise dashed tears out of her eyes and repacked her bag. What now? Was Axen coming back? Had he gone to wash her unpleasant smell off him before figuring out what he wanted to do in this game?

  She moved to the entrance of the cave. The muggy air and strange forest sounds made her reluctant to go out. The Fraken would be hunting her. They’d want to know where she was. They could have seen Eloise dragging Axen to safety. What would they make of that?

  She should have taken her chance when he’d been knocked out and ended the game by killing him. The thought made her throat tighten. Even though Axen had rejected her, she couldn’t do that. She didn’t want to have such a bitter victory, killing the male who had hinted at a new future, a better way of living, without the Fraken dominating the galaxy and exploiting the weak.

  Moving back into the cave, Eloise sat on the ground and curled her knees to her chest. She couldn’t figure out why Axen had reacted so badly to her touch. Vortens mated with other aliens, especially now they were struggling to keep a viable population. She knew the Vortens had been negotiating to exchange fertile females from other alien races in an attempt to breed with them and produce an effective hybrid warrior. Eloise wasn’t sure how she felt about that. As far as she knew, no humans had been exchanged, but her Council members were desperate for extra help. If the Vorten offered the right incentives, she knew the Council would be packing any female they found onto a ship bound for Vorten.

  But from the way Axen had reacted to their closeness, she doubted Vorten males found human females attractive. It wouldn’t lead to successful breeding if Vortens couldn’t bear to touch a human. She cursed herself for kissing him. But he had touched her first, when they were in the rainforest, and she’d been trying to get him back to the cave. His touch had been sure, and his mouth had sought hers. And she’d seen the way he’d looked at her before. His gaze had lingered on her figure. He had wanted her.