by Stacy Jones
Unfortunately, as incredible as his story was, nothing in it would help them escape the dungeon.
“In the time you’ve been down here, have you seen or noticed anything that we might be able to use as a way out?”
“Yes.”
He said it so casually that Aria was sure she’d misheard for a second.
“Wait, really? What is it?” she demanded, heart suddenly pounding.
“In the primary den, food is dropped from an opening in the ceiling. I tried to reach it, but even I could not climb upside down that far. If I had the wings of a meketar, perhaps… ”
Aria exchanged a look with her men.
The dragon.
“We know someone who might be able to help.”
If I can get him to come near me.
A pang of hurt had her biting her lip, but she pushed it down. Standing, she smiled at Sauran.
“Thank you. We’ll let you know when the time comes to escape. Be ready.”
“I am a warrior. I am always ready.”
At his deadpanned statement, her smile became more genuine. He really did remind her of Skaa.
“Do you need anything before we go? Food, water, weapons? We don’t have much, but we’re happy to share.”
For the first time, he smiled. It was just a small tilt of his stern, black lips, but she could see the approval in his green eyes. Tension she hadn’t realized was still there eased from his shoulders.
“You will make a good leader, Aria.”
With that, he turned and disappeared behind a fissure in the back wall.
“I guess that means he didn’t need anything,” she quipped, but his words stayed with her long after they left to hunt down another prisoner.
Chapter 33
Aria and her men didn’t end up having to search for the next prisoner.
He found them.
They’d just left the tunnel to Sauran’s cave and entered the main cavern when a cheerful hail had them all whipping around and drawing weapons to face the unexpected visitor. Kix blazed to life, and Aria heard the distinct sound of Tirox’s battle spikes emerge.
A low, wry chuckle preceded a figure stepping out of the shadows with his hands held out to the side to show he wasn’t holding a weapon.
“I would prefer you not discharge. I find I dislike being shot by resonance guns,” the stranger remarked almost playfully, his voice deep, purring.
When they didn’t lower their weapons, he sighed, but his smile never faded. Lowering his arms to his sides, he turned and walked to a nearby outcropping of rocks, but Aria saw that his gaze never left them despite his apparent nonchalance.
No. His gaze never left her.
Once seated on a boulder, he went back to staring at her unabashedly.
“My regrets for surprising you. I see now I should have waited for you to find me,” he quipped with a wink.
He spoke directly to her and his gaze never wavered, as though her men didn’t exist or he thought they didn’t present a threat.
If he knew just how wrong he was…
A second scan of his body didn’t show any weapons, so she holstered her gun, knowing her men would keep theirs aimed, and took a second to really look at him.
Her first impression was that he reminded her of a tattooed, pierced bad boy which was only reinforced by the smirk he aimed at her and the cocky way he carried himself.
She estimated him to be six foot two or three. His low slung, spray-paint pants showed off the cut V of his hips, the defined muscles of his abs and chest, and broad shoulders, but he had a lankier build than what she was used to seeing on the gladiators there. She had the feeling people underestimated him because of that, likely to their own detriment if the way he moved was any indication.
He didn’t just walk, he prowled.
One movement flowed into the next in a lazy, almost seductive kind of saunter and, yet, each motion was controlled, precise, intentional. That told her this was a man who knew how to use his body, both in the bedroom and in combat. He actually reminded her, quite strongly, of a cat. If a cat had horns.
A set of thick, mottled grey and black, spiraling horns eight or nine inches long rose from his upper temples. They arched back over the top of his head and ended in wicked points.
Every bit of his whitish-grey skin was decorated with sharp, tribal-esq, bluish-colored tattoos. They weren’t heavy and overpowering, nor did they detract from his appeal. Instead, they appeared to intentionally enhance it, defining his musculature.
They flowed over his body, crawled up his neck, and even adorned his face. They cut through the corners of his lips, curved over to his cheekbones, then slashed diagonally over his eyes to end in a design on his forehead that reminded her of a crown.
He was the first alien she’d come across, other than Tirox, that had tattoos and piercings.
His pointed ears, both corners of his lower lip, nipples, and his slashing, black eyebrows were all pierced with what looked like handcrafted metal rings and barbells.
Silver dreads cascaded down to mid-back and spilled over his shoulders, framing a face that was, by anyone’s standards, sexy as hell. Full, defined, utterly kissable lips, a strong jawline, cut cheekbones, and an expression that promised wickedness and pleasure in equal measure combined to make him the most attractive man she’d ever seen. Ever. But there was calculation and darkness there, lurking beneath the invitation to sin.
That told her he knew his appeal and that he used it as a weapon.
He was trying hard to hide those haunted shadows in his beautiful, fiery orange eyes, and it might have worked on anyone else. They probably wouldn’t look past the flirty, come-hither look he wore. But she saw them.
He’d been hurt, badly, in a way that left scars where most people didn’t care to look: on the inside.
That sense was reinforced by the fact that, despite her being naked, and contradictory to the seductive vibes he was giving off, he hadn’t once looked at anything other than her eyes. It wasn’t from a lack of sexual interest in her, because she was definitely picking that up. It felt more like respect or consideration.
So he knows what it feels like to be leered at like a piece of meat.
Cocking her head, she narrowed her eyes. There was something else in his expression, something… sneaky. Knowing. It took a moment before she realized what it was.
“You were listening in,” she accused mildly.
It was a guess, but a good one. The surprise that flashed through his vivid, orange eyes confirmed it. He didn’t reply, but he didn’t need to. Some of the cocky flirtation he wore like a mask eased from his face, revealing the man beneath.
“There you are,” she whispered, smiling just slightly in approval.
His brows twitched together in a frown before he smoothed his expression, but he couldn’t quite hide the flicker of vulnerability in his eyes.
She’d taken him by surprise, thrown him off balance. He obviously wasn’t accustomed to people actually looking at him. Not at his body, or his handsome face, but at the man under all that.
Aria wasn’t willing or able to let down her guard fully. He was still a stranger, after all. But, now that she knew he wasn’t there to try and hurt them, she moved closer and perched on the boulder across from him so they were seated less than three feet apart. It was a show of trust, one she hoped would encourage him to trust her, at least a little, in return.
Tirox and Kix took up positions behind and to either side of her, like bodyguards, and lowered their guns, but remained silent, content to let her do the talking.
“Who are you?”
He blinked slowly—something she immediately recognized was his way of taking a moment to get himself back under control—and adjusted so that he was facing her with an arm propped behind him and his legs spread slightly.
It was a practiced move, one that made him look deceptively relaxed and drew the eye to both his bare, muscular chest and the bulge between his legs, but he was poised
to attack or retreat in a heartbeat.
“I am Rellik,” he finally answered.
“Good to meet you, Rellik. I’m Aria. These are my mates, Kix and Tirox. But you already knew that, didn’t you?”
A genuine smirk quirked his lips. “I did.”
“So, you also know we’re getting out of here. You want to come with us, I assume?”
Wariness subtly tightened his features as if she’d asked a trick question, and he didn’t know how to answer or didn’t want to reveal how badly he wanted what she offered.
Oh, you have definitely been hurt.
“It’s not a trap,” she murmured softly.
He hesitated for a moment longer before he sighed and dropped the seductive pose, moving to sit more comfortably.
“Yes. I want to get out, but I was only locked down here a few hesse—‘months’—ago. I— I have no knowledge that would aid us in escaping.”
Aria echoed his sigh. It made her sad that he obviously worried she would leave him down there just because he didn’t have anything to give her in exchange, but she understood. She’d seen that jadedness more than she wanted to over the course of her career.
Thinking he might appreciate the honesty, she decided to be blunt. If her gut was wrong and he ended up being a double agent, Tirox could always stun him to unconsciousness.
“Actions speak louder than words, so you’ll find this out for yourself eventually, but in the interest of speeding things along, I’ll just tell you. We’re the good guys. We’re not going to hurt you.” She paused for just a second to make sure he really heard her before continuing, “And we won’t take anything from you that you don’t give freely.”
She let that sink in for a moment. When he gave her a small, uncertain nod, she kept going.
“We are going to take this place over, free all the slaves that aren’t too far gone, and imprison, maybe kill, the assholes running it. After that, we’re taking over the planet, one arena and slave market at a time. We’ll do what we can to help the prisoners Zhrovni and the other overlords really fucked up, but I can’t make any promises there. They may be trapped in stasis forever, if we can’t find a way to fix them. You don’t have to join us, and I’m not going to leave you down here just because you don’t have anything to give. But if you’d like to fight, we could definitely use the help. It’s your choice,” she finished meaningfully.
He needed to know she was serious, that he wasn’t a slave, and she wouldn’t ever treat him like one.
Emotions, too fast for her to read, flashed across his face in rapid succession before he finally settled on something halfway between incredulous and delighted.
A grin spread across his face, changing his features from merely gorgeous to absolutely breathtaking.
Goddamn, but he is pretty…
A soft growl from Kix startled her out of her momentary stupor. Closing her mouth, she blinked hard to focus on something other than how unreasonably attractive Rellik was when he smiled.
“Right. So. Ahem. You in, or do you want to go your own way once we’re free?”
“Oh, I am in. I am very, very in,” he purred lowly, his grin changing to something dangerous and anticipatory.
Aria mirrored his smile. “Good. We’re glad to have you. Now, do you know where anyone else is hiding down here?”
Rellik’s expression grew serious. He looked reluctant but answered, “Yes. Three other than the, er, Sauran. But, I do not recommend you seek them out.”
She was shaking her head before he’d even finished. “No. No one gets left behind, not if I can help it. We’re all dangerous. But, that’s a risk I’m more than willing to take.”
He gave her a searching look and, when he saw that she wouldn’t be swayed, pursed his lips.
“As you will it, my sarasha. ‘Queen.’”
Aria blinked hard at that, but he kept going before she could adamantly insist he not call her that.
Pointing to various tunnels, he gave her a brief description of each being hiding within before warning, “Be cautious with the scaled one. He has been a slave too long. I think the violence has broken his mind.”
She knew immediately he was talking about the dragon.
Smiling tightly, she replied, maybe a bit defensively, “He’ll come around.”
He frowned and tilted his head, gazing at her speculatively before understanding softened his expression. His eyes flicked to her men behind her. “Ah. He is one of yours, then.”
Her throat squeezed, making her words come out rough. “No, not mine. It’s ah, complicated.”
“The best things always are,” he remarked with a roguish smile and a low chuckle.
Aria snorted. “Yeah, right. What about the winged guy?”
He shook his head. “Best to leave that cranky bastard to me. I will speak to him of your plans and relay his decision. Be cautious, as well, of the last. He is not particularly appreciative of company,” he muttered wryly, rubbing his hand over a fresh looking scar on his chest. “But food makes him… slightly less murderous.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Standing, she waited for him to get to his feet and started to reach out and shake his hand, but paused when she caught the look on his face. Some of the quiet tension from earlier was back. His jaw was clenched, and he was staring at her like he didn’t want her to leave, but they both knew he was still too wary to say it out loud.
Unable to ignore that look, Aria did something impulsive. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him in a light hug.
Like her dragon, he went perfectly still. Unlike her dragon, he returned her embrace almost immediately, relaxing into it with a deep, shuddering sigh that told her she’d been right in thinking he needed it, and clutched her to his chest so tightly she was lifted up on tiptoe.
Did she normally go around hugging almost strangers while buck naked?
Hell, no.
But, her gut told her he needed it, and she found herself unwilling to deny him something as simple as a hug.
Maybe her time with the dragon made her more sensitive to identifying that longing for touch in people. Maybe it was just Rellik. Either way, the desire to ease some of his hurt was too strong to fight.
She may be a hardass, but she’d become an FBI agent to help people. She’d learned to temper that empathy after all the shit she’d seen, but she cared, deeply. Always had.
The hug only lasted a couple of seconds, but when he pulled back to gaze down at her, some of those haunted shadows were gone from his bright-orange eyes, and his smile came a little easier.
Dipping down, he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, dangerously close to the corner of her mouth… then quickly sprang away with a mischievous laugh when Tirox growled and pulled her back into his chest.
“Easy, giant,” he chuckled. Dropping his eyes back to her, he held her gaze while he spoke to her barbarian. “I would eagerly join you in her circle of mates if I thought she would have me, but I fear she feels no desire for the same… ”
Yet.
He left it unspoken, but she heard it just as clearly as if he’d whispered it in her ear like a promise.
Aria felt her eyes widening. Despite his playful tone and the lighthearted smile curling his lips, she could see he meant every word. He wanted to join her, er, circle. It was there in his eyes, unhidden and unmistakable; desire, admiration, an invitation.
And then, in a flash, it was gone, concealed under a wink and a cocky smile.
Chapter 34
They’d barely entered the shaft leading to the murderous, but apparently bribable, prisoner that gave Rellik that scar when Tirox pulled her to a stop.
He and Kix moved to stand shoulder to shoulder then eyed her like she was a puzzle they were having difficulty figuring out.
“Aria,” her barbarian started, drawing her name out like he was trying to keep from setting her off.
“Yesss?” she drawled back, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
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��You are… considering him?”
She frowned, not understanding his concern. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”
They couldn’t have looked more shocked if she’d clocked them upside the head.
“That quickly?” Tirox sputtered. “We had to gentle you for… for sun risings! How can you know so quickly?”
“What the hell are you talking about? Gentling?” Before he could say something that made even less sense, she held her hands up. Realizing suddenly they were being overprotective after Rellik told her this guy might be prone to attack first and ask questions later, she gave them a reassuring smile and spoke placatingly, “Listen, this guy might be a hermit, but Rellik said he’s not completely unreasonable. We give him some food, lay it all out, and bam! Honestly, why would he refuse?”
“Gods’ tears! Him, too?” he all but yelled.
Her barbarian looked damn near apoplectic. Even Kix was staring at her slack-jawed.
“What is going on with you two? That’s the whole reason we’re talking to everyone down here!”
“Everyone?” Kix gasped.
She gave him an astonished look. “Of course, everyone!”
“Moons above,” Tirox groaned faintly and stumbled back to lean against the wall like he was lightheaded.
Darting forward, she tried to brace him so he didn’t collapse to the floor. Whipping a wide-eyed look back at Kix, standing frozen and staring blankly into the distance, she snapped, “Help me, would you? He’s sick or something!”
Kix blinked and turned to look at her distractedly. His gaze flicked to Tirox, but he didn’t appear at all alarmed. Instead, he focused back on her and approached her hesitantly, like you would a wild animal.
“Aessa, you know I am not… opposed to your gathering more males. It is wise to have a select number to protect you, in any environment, and most especially in this place. Even so, perhaps you might at least meet them before deciding they suit you,” he suggested a little desperately.
Aria stared at him, hard, before realization hit her like a fucking sledgehammer. Letting go of Tirox, she turned to face Kix fully only to whip back around when Tirox slid to the ground with a thud and a low yelp.