by Hope Hart
“Why are we here?”
“It’s much closer than my tashiv. You need to rest. And you can see your friends.”
My stomach twists. Does he not want me to go home with him?
Be cool, Ivy. You guys haven’t talked about any of this stuff yet.
I nod. My head’s spinning. I must’ve been in a deep sleep ’cause I’m insanely groggy. I glance to my right, where Rakiz has Nevada curled into his arms like a baby, her head buried in his neck as she sleeps.
Aw.
Vrex helps me off the mishua, and I give Nari’s nose a stroke. A short, curvy woman steps forward, a huge smile on her face.
“You helped me make a sling out of my pajamas when we were following the Voildi,” she murmurs.
I can’t help but grin back at her. “I did. How are you, Ellie?”
A huge warrior joins her, wrapping an arm around her waist.
“I’m great. I’m glad you’re okay. This is Terex, by the way.”
The warrior nods at me, but it’s clear that he only has eyes for Ellie. I drop my eyes to her stomach, and she laughs as she sees the direction of my gaze.
“Yup, it didn’t take long before Nevada and I ended up barefoot and pregnant,” she jokes, but it’s clear that she’s deliriously happy.
I attempt to ignore the stab of envy that slides through my gut like a knife. Vrex finishes handing Nari over to one of Rakiz’s warriors, and Nevada snorts as she walks past, rubbing at her eyes.
“Speak for yourself,” she says, dropping her gaze to Ellie’s feet, which are, indeed, bare.
Terex frowns at this. “You should be wearing shoes, tiny female.”
She smiles up at him. “I was excited to see these guys. It’s okay, I’ll go back to bed as soon as Ivy and Vrex are settled.”
Vrex goes still next to me, and I have a feeling it’s because Ellie called him by his name and not the Goddamned Assassin of Agron.
Nevada calls over her shoulder to Ellie, “There’s an empty kradi for these guys near yours.”
Ellie nods, turning back to me. “We can figure out everything else tomorrow, but I’m sure you’re tired right now.”
“Exhausted,” I say.
Vrex is quiet beside me as we trail after Ellie and Terex. They lead us to a large tent-like structure, and I almost kiss Ellie’s bare feet when I poke my head into the attached bathing room. A woman is filling a large tub with water.
“I thought you guys would want to take a bath,” Ellie says, chewing on her lip as she glances between Vrex and me. I’m suddenly awkward, but Vrex nods, and she smiles. We say our good nights, and the woman who was filling the bath grins at us as she leaves.
“God,” I say, glancing between the pile of furs and the huge tub. “I’m so tempted to go back to sleep, but I need a bath so bad.”
Vrex steps forward, and just like that, any awkwardness melts away as he takes my mouth with his.
“I will bathe you, little Flame Hair,” he murmurs against my lips, and I blink at him. How am I suddenly this aroused when a moment ago, all I wanted to do was crawl between those furs and sleep for a week?
“That sounds amazing,” I say, “but only if you’ll get in there with me.”
Vrex’s sudden grin tells me exactly what he thinks of that idea, and I laugh.
We both strip, and I sigh as I hop into the warm water. Vrex slides in behind me, and a very different sound leaves my throat as I feel the long, hard length of him against me.
I lean against his chest, tilting my head up and back as he leans down, brushing his mouth over mine. Once. Twice. On the third time, I groan.
“Tease.”
He laughs against my lips, the sound low. I can feel him shaking behind me, and the thought of this huge warrior trembling as he tries to restrain himself…
I pull back, examining his face. I raise my eyes, meeting his burning gaze, and I shiver. I have…things to say to him. He runs his hand down, along my arm, his touch possessive, and all thought leaves my mind as he cups my breast, stroking my nipple.
He mutters a curse as it hardens for him, and I press kisses against his shoulders, throat, anywhere I can reach. I twist in the water, and Vrex cups my butt, holding me up before I can accidentally knee him in the nuts.
He smiles, that crooked smile he only gives me, and my eyes sting. “Thank you for coming for me,” I murmur.
“Always,” he vows.
He slants his mouth over mine, sliding his hand down to where I’m aching for him.
His mouth drops to my collarbone, and he kisses his way up my neck, paying special attention to the spot right beneath my ear. I break out in goose bumps, shivering in pleasure, and Vrex gently runs the edge of his teeth along the side of my ear.
His fingers are playing with me below the water, and I drop my head, pressing my forehead against his as I gasp.
I reach for him, and he growls as I take his hard cock in my hand, stroking up and down the length of him. Pleasure almost blinds me as he flicks my clit before thrusting two fingers into me.
“I need you,” I say, and he doesn’t argue, removing his fingers and positioning me on top of him.
I rock my hips, sliding down as I kiss the man who gives me more pleasure than I’ve ever known. He moves his fingers back to my clit, and I buck, my nails digging into his shoulders. How can I be this close already?
Vrex shifts both of his hands to my butt, the strength of him incredible as he raises me and lowers me back down as he thrusts up into me.
“Come for me,” he murmurs against my lips, and I do, just as he angles me, hitting my G-spot.
I cry out his name as I tip my head back, my body melting in his arms. With a low groan, Vrex takes my hair in his hand, tilting my head so he can take my mouth as he empties himself inside me.
Chapter Thirteen
Ivy
“Yoo-hoo,” a voice says, and I lift my head. Truthfully, I should’ve gotten up before now, but I’m so comfortable lying here wrapped in Vrex’s arms.
I glance at the kradi entrance, then pull the furs possessively over Vrex’s body. “You can come in, Nevada.”
She doesn’t hesitate, waltzing in like she owns the place, which I guess she kind of does.
She nods to Vrex, who nods back, and then her gaze finds mine.
“I’ve been waiting for you guys to get up, but then I figured I may as well just come to you. I haven’t had a chance to see the ship we landed here in yet. Rakiz took me to the other one—” She waves her hand as I raise an eyebrow. “I’ll tell you all about that one later. But the piece of space junk we crash-landed in is probably the best shot at getting off this planet…for anyone who wants to leave, of course.”
Vrex tenses next to me, and Nevada’s face is blank, but I can see humor dancing in her eyes.
“And just how do you propose we fix an alien spaceship?” I ask.
“You remember Alexis? Long blonde hair, killer figure? She’s mated to Dexar, so she’s not going anywhere. But guess what she did on Earth?”
I shrug, wishing I could roll over and snuggle some more with Vrex, who’s currently driving me crazy running his fingers over my upper thigh under the blanket.
“She was an astronautical engineer. She basically built spaceships.” Nevada’s voice is triumphant, and Vrex moves his hand away as we both stare at her. “Can you believe that shit?”
I clear my throat. “No.”
Nevada narrows her eyes at me, obviously unimpressed that I’m not more excited. “Look, Rakiz has some boring meeting, and he said I can go check out this ship as long as Vrex goes with us.” She glances at him, raising her eyebrow. “What do you say, big guy?”
He gives one sharp nod, and she grins.
“Excellent.”
Both Vrex and I are silent as she leaves. In the back of my mind, I always imagined that I’d be able to get off this planet somehow. It was my goal from the moment we crashed. But once I spent more time with Vrex, I stopped daydreaming about a
rriving back on Earth. Somehow, I pushed the idea right out of my head.
Vrex rolls away, reaching for his pants. The silence is awkward. Truthfully, I don’t want to leave him. But all I’ve brought to his life are pain and heartache. Does he want to return to his cabin in the woods where he can be alone?
I open my mouth to ask him, but a bell rings, and I reach for one of the furs, wrapping it around me.
“Yes?”
It’s Ellie. “I thought I’d bring you guys some breakfast.” She smiles at me as she places the tray on a small table. “I’m so glad you’re safe. Nevada said you’re going to go check out the ship?”
I nod. “Do you want to come with us?”
“I’m fine right here.” She shakes her head, and I ignore the envy that blooms inside me at her sweet smile. She obviously has the complete certainty that comes with finding her place in the universe.
“I need to speak with Rakiz,” Vrex says quietly. He stepped into the small bathing room while we were talking, I realize, and he’s pulled on his clothes.
“Okay,” I say, leaning up for a kiss. He brushes his lips against mine, and then he’s gone.
I stare after him for a moment before returning my attention to Ellie. “You want to have breakfast with me?”
“Sure.”
We sit at the small table, and Ellie fills me in about everything that’s happened while I was away. Apparently, Zoey is almost recovered, and I can go see her before I leave with Nevada. Beth is at Rakiz’s tribe, but Ellie’s hoping for all of us human women to get together soon.
“What made you decide to stay here?” I blurt out, and she’s quiet for a long moment.
“It was…Terex. He was like no one I’d ever met on Earth. I’m sure you know what I mean.” She smiles. “You know, I never believed in soul mates until I met him. I thought maybe one day I’d settle down with my friend Tim. We liked each other just fine. We might’ve gotten married, maybe had children together. And I never would’ve known what this kind of love feels like. The ‘do anything for him’ kind of love.”
My eyes sting, and Ellie’s face falls.
“Did I say something?”
“It’s nothing. I’m just tired. Probably an adrenaline crash from the last two days.”
Ellie’s eyes are shrewd. “You know, your warrior seems nice,” she says, and I laugh.
“Vrex is many things, but I don’t know if I’d ever describe him as ‘nice.’ We had a…moment, in that hole together. He promised that he’d always come for me. And he gave me this.”
I hold up the gold pendant, and Ellie’s eyes widen.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Yeah. I guess what I’m asking is…how did you know you wanted to give up your life on Earth…for a guy?”
She shakes her head. “It wasn’t just for a guy,” she says as she pops a piece of fruit in her mouth. “When I settled into life here, I just knew it was where I was always supposed to be. It felt like home. Terex was a large part of it, don’t get me wrong. But I’d already decided I was going to stay before he declared his undying love for me.” Her wide smile transforms her face from cute to beautiful.
“Why?”
“The people here are special. There’s a real community in this camp. A family. I was happy to give up electricity for a chance to build a life here. With Terex.”
I mull over this for a while as we eat in silence.
“I just don’t know if Vrex is in it for the long haul, you know? We came pretty close to making promises to each other. The kind of promises you can’t take back. But he’s still a mercenary, and I’m still the woman he was paid to bring back.”
“Well, for what it’s worth, I hope you decide to stay.”
I smile at her. “Will you take me to Zoey?”
She nods, and we’re both quiet as we walk to the tent she calls the “healers’ kradi.”
It’s large, with a bunch of beds placed several feet apart. For some reason, I expected the clinical, sterile smell of a hospital, but the kradi smells like herbs. Zoey is the only person using a bed, although a warrior is currently sitting in front of a woman who must be one of the healers while she bandages a wound in his arm.
Zoey’s talking to a blonde woman who looks like she belongs on magazine covers, and the woman scans me from head to toe as I walk in.
I raise my eyebrow at her, and she grins right as Zoey notices me.
“Oh my God, they told me you were here, but I could barely believe it.”
Tears roll down her face, and I leap forward, wrapping her in a hug.
“Good to see you alive,” I tell her, and she chokes on a laugh.
“Likewise.”
“You remember Vivian?”
Oh yes, I remember Vivian. I was tempted to deck her at one point when she wouldn’t stop being a giant bitch to Ellie. From the smile on Ellie’s face, there are no hard feelings, and she winks at me as she hands Zoey a cup of water.
Zoey leans against the pillows, catching her breath.
I eye her. “How are you feeling?”
She waves a hand. “I’m feeling like I’m sick of being on the receiving end of that exact look.” She laughs.
Ellie narrows her eyes at her. “We’re just worried. We’re allowed to hover over you occasionally, considering you almost died.”
Zoey rolls her eyes but gives Ellie an indulgent smile before raising her eyebrow at me. “You see what I have to put up with?”
I’m just glad she’s alive to be annoyed at the smothering attention of both Vivian and two women who are practicing for motherhood. She grins at my expression, obviously reading my mind.
“Tell me everything,” she says.
I fill her in, and she tells me all about how she got back here and her recovery process. Ellie jumps in occasionally, and we only stop chatting when one of the healers tells us that Zoey needs to rest.
“You know Tagiz will want a full report of what you did while he was away hunting,” the healer murmurs, and Zoey rolls her eyes.
“He’s so bossy.”
Her eyes are sliding closed though, so I lean forward to say my goodbyes.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t make it back for you,” I murmur.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she says with a yawn. “I knew you’d do everything you could. It was worth being alone for a while when I heard Killis screaming about you taking his eye.”
Ellie looks a little green at that, and I laugh.
“He’s dead, you know,” Zoey mumbles. “Killis. The Voildi tried to attack one of the tribes.”
I smile. “Sounds like the past few weeks have been eventful for everyone.”
I turn my head as Vrex appears in the kradi, and my heart flutters at the heated look he gives me.
“Are you ready?” he asks.
I smile. “Yup.”
Ivy
“What a piece of shit,” Nevada says as we stare at the ship.
“Yeah,” I say.
In the bright sunlight, it reminds me of a rusty tin can.
Vrex makes us wait while he checks out the ship, and then he returns, giving us a nod.
“I will wait here,” he says, his gaze constantly scanning our surroundings. We’re close to his house, I realize. Does he want to return to his peace and quiet?
I nod and leave him with the other warriors, who spread out to guard the area.
We climb the stairs, and Nevada wrinkles her nose. “Wow, it stinks in here.”
It sure does. Nevada moves restlessly around the space, and I give her a moment alone when she moves downstairs to see the cage we were locked in together.
“Do you ever think of the other women?” she asks me suddenly as she reappears. “The ones who were sold to other people? And the ones who stayed on the ship?”
I nod. “Yeah, all the time. This planet has been so hard. But we got lucky compared to what some of those women are probably going through.”
Nevada runs her gaze over the control center
while I stare at the blinking light.
“Ivy?” Something in her voice tells me this isn’t the first time she’s said my name.
“We have a problem,” I tell her. I count the seconds once more just to be sure, and then I curse. “That light is flashing way faster than it was the last time we were here.”
Nevada narrows her eyes on it, as focused as if she’s hunting and the light is her prey. “What do you think it is?”
“I’d love to get Alexis to check it out,” I say. “I could be wrong—I hope I am—but I think it’s some kind of GPS signal. And the fact that it’s blinking faster…”
Nevada’s face goes white. “You think they’re coming back.”
“Yeah.”
We’re both silent for a long moment as we stare at the light. Nevada runs her hands over it, throwing me a questioning look at the giant cracks from where Vrex attempted to smash it.
“Why would they come back?” she murmurs.
“We’re nothing but products to them,” I choke out. “Products they bought and paid for. What if they want to find those products so they can sell them? Maybe they just want to see if their ship can still fly.”
The color returns to Nevada’s face as her eyes glitter in rage. She strokes the sword at her side. “If they try to take us off this planet…”
I don’t say what we’re both thinking. That any alien race advanced enough to travel through space will likely be armed with weapons that the warriors on this planet would have no hope of matching.
“We need to prepare in case you’re right,” Nevada says. “If they are coming back, we need to find better weapons. We need a fucking army.”
I nod, and we both stare at the light for a few more moments. Then bile creeps up my throat, and Nevada lets out a string of curses that would make a sailor on Earth blush.
“It just got faster,” she says.
“Yeah.”
Vrex
Ivy’s face is pale as death when she exits the ship and moves toward me. I reach for her, and she buries her head in my chest. She’s shaking, I realize.
“What’s wrong?”