The Alien's Ransom: A SciFi Alien Warrior Romance (Drixonian Warriors Book 1)

by Ella Maven

  This got her to whirl around. “Don’t say that!” She jabbed a finger at me. “Daz is… not like Tark. He’s harder, and his entire demeanor is tougher. He’s intimidating, and I can’t imagine what kind of emotions you’ve been going through. Plus, Tark told me how you helped defeat the Kulks that were tracking you.” She smiled and took my hands. “I can see that Daz is enamored with you, and he probably was before the thought of a mate ever entered his mind.”

  “I hope so,” I wanted to believe what she said was true. Would Daz and I have a partnership and a home like her and Tark? I admired her little family. “I’ll get to see you again, won’t I?”

  She squeezed my fingers. “I hope so. I’ll talk to Tark. He’s very protective, and he’s worked so hard to keep us a secret here.”

  “I understand,” I said. “It’s dangerous and scary out there. I would protect you two if I were him.”

  She gave me a wobbly smile. “I can’t tell you how much I loved having you here.”

  “You’re the best hostess on planet Torin. I can say that with utmost confidence.”

  She hiccupped a laugh and hugged me to her chest. I breathed in her scent and wiggled my nose when her hair tickled the tip.

  A hand patted my back, and I turned to find Bazel behind me. “Oh! Hey there, Bazel.”

  “I have a present for you.” She held up a braided length of rope—red and black with a pretty silver thread running through it. “It’s a necklace.”

  I bent at the waist and took the gift from her. I ran my hands over the braid, admiring the uniformness of the pattern. This had to have taken a while for her little hands to do. “I love it so much. It’s absolutely my most favorite thing I own.”

  Bazel clasped her hands in front of her and twisted side to side from the waist, beaming. “You’re welcome.”

  “You did a marvelous job. Will you put it on me?”

  Bazel nodded eagerly. I held up my hair so she could tie the necklace at the back of my neck. I let my hair fall and held my hands out, rocking my shoulders to show off my chest to Bazel and Anna. “What do you think?”

  “It’s lovely,” Anna said. “Bazel, that was very thoughtful of you.”

  “Thank you so much, sweetheart,” I said.

  “Will we see you again?” she asked.

  “We will see our friends again.” Tark’s voice filled the home. He entered the doorway, Daz on his heels.

  I saw that Daz an armband that matched my necklace. “Did Bazel give you a gift too?”

  His eyes landed on my chest, and he smiled as he touched his armband. “She did. I told her it was the best gift I’d ever received.”

  Bazel looked like she was going to explode with happiness.

  “Fra-kee,” Daz said. “I’m sorry, but we must leave.”

  “I know. I know.” I pointed to the pack on the floor. “Enna made that up for us. She said it’ll fit on the back of your bike.”

  He eyed it, and fortunately for him, he didn’t complain. “Thank you for the supplies. As soon as we reach our settlement, I will repay you in whatever goods you want.”

  “I know you’re good for it,” Tark said, clapping him on the back. “Ride safe, my friend.”

  When it was time for final goodbyes, both Anna and I cried. Bazel cried. Rufus barked. The men tolerated our blubbering for a long time before Daz nearly dragged me back down the mountain. I finally got myself together halfway to the bike. As much as I’d miss Anna, I was looking forward to seeing Miranda and the other girls again. Now that I was less scared of Drixonians and could understand their language, I was also a little excited to meet Daz’s family.

  Daz told me the journey to the hideout would take two rotations, and he wanted to get there as fast as he could. I didn’t quite understand what he meant until he started up his bike and we hurtled forward at what I logically knew wasn’t warp speed, but what surely felt like it.

  We stopped for the night, and although I was exhausted and so was Daz, he didn’t let either of us rest before he’d eaten me out until I came twice and then fucked me into a coma. An entire pack of those hippo things plus an army of Kulks could have invaded our camp that night, and I wouldn’t have woken. I was sure of it.

  The next day, he hauled me out of precious REM sleep to drag me back onto the bike. I dozed on and off as he drove. Anna’s jerky was, in fact, delicious. I didn’t know what spices she used, but it had a barbecue flavor to it. The woman was perfect.

  Maybe I’d be a homemaker wonder too in the future? I didn’t have much to bring to the table. I reminded myself Anna had ten years to get used to things on this planet. I pondered this as I chewed on my jerky, and we flew through the air.

  I spotted several settlements that looked like they’d been through a war—houses with walls missing and barren fields. Daz explained the Uldani salted much of the farmland to ruin it for crops so the Drixonian wouldn’t have food. “So, we cut down trees and made new farmland,” he said with a shrug.

  The next night even Daz was too sore to do much. He tried, but fell asleep with one hand up my shirt, tenderly holding my breast, while the other was down my pants cupping my pussy. So, naturally, he woke up, fucked me on all fours like he had something to prove—he proved it—and then we were off.

  I shifted on the seat and winced as he took a turn around a grove of trees. “You know,” I yelled over the rushing wind. “You could have held off on the ass smacking until I didn’t have to ride on a damn bike for hours.”

  His arms tightened around me, and I could have sworn something like a laugh rumbled from his chest. I whirled around, but his expression gave nothing away other than a slight smirking curve to his full lips.

  He said, “It is not my fault your flesh looks so pretty beneath my hand.”

  “Yeah, well,” I grumbled. “How about I smack your ass and then make you straddle a hunk of metal for an entire day.”

  The bike wobbled. “You wish to smack my ass?”

  His blue ass was round and tight. Corded with muscle. “Or bite it.”

  “Bite me?”

  “Yeah, anyone ever tell you that you have a biteable ass?”

  This time he did laugh. I saw it happen. He threw his head back, hair flying, and boomed a laugh into the sky. It was magnificent. He was magnificent.

  “You are the first, my cora-eternal,” he dropped a kiss on my head. “My first and only.”

  Fourteen

  Frankie

  I turned and tapped Daz on the shoulder. “I have to pee,” I yelled over the wind rushing past our faces.

  Daz frowned. “It can’t wait?”

  “Uh, no, this isn’t exactly a smooth ride, and my bladder is screaming.”

  He huffed out a breath and found an area to touch down his bike, an annoyed expression on his face. He’d grumbled about every interruption to our journey. It was such a normal-feeling interaction—like one I could have had back on Earth with any boyfriend on a road trip—and the thought made me smile.

  I trotted off behind a tree and did my business. When I returned, Daz was leaning against the bike, arms crossed over his chest. He stared at the ground, his expression contemplative. As I approached, he didn’t look up.

  “Daz?” I asked.

  His raised his head, and when his gaze met mine, his expression lightened somewhat. He held out his hand. “Come, Fra-kee. It’s good we stopped. I need to talk to you.”

  I walked slowly, not liking the sound of this. The last time I’d had The Talk with a boyfriend he’d told me he’d been sleeping with his secretary and wanted to know if I was interested in a threesome. I wasn’t.

  I took Daz’s hand, running my thumb over the calluses on his palms. His chest expanded with a deep breath. “As you know, I’m the drexel of my clavas.” After my nod, he continued. “When we worked for the Uldani, we were split into separate units with unique jobs. During the Uprising, we fought with those same units, and after the war was over, we stayed together. All drexels are voted on, a
nd it’s a huge honor and responsibility.”

  “I understand,” I said, my nerves on edge. He was so serious. Fear snaked its way up my spine to clog my throat.

  “You are my mate.” He pulled my closer and cupped my cheek. “My cora-eternal. I believe with every beat of my cora that you belong with me. You have proven yourself brave and smart.”

  “Daz, these compliments are nice, but where is this going?” I asked.

  His eyes closed briefly. When they opened, the purple was swirling. “I don’t like putting this responsibility on you, but I have no choice. You will need to be a leader to the females. An example. You have to help show them that we don’t mean them harm and that they can trust us. I’m sorry to ask anything of you, but I can’t do this without you.”

  The fear withered and slid away as a warmth filled my chest. “You want my help? That’s what this talk is about?” He nodded solemnly. “Of course, I’ll do this. I would have anyway. I’m sure they’re terrified, but I’ll talk to them, and it will help immensely once they can communicate with the other males.”

  His face softened, and his full lips turned up at the corners. “You are the perfect mate,” he whispered. “Worthy of being queen to the Night Kings.”

  I squeezed his wrist as he slid his nose up the length of mine. “Daz.”

  His lips pressed against each eye, and then brushed across my lips. “I wish I had time to worship your cunt.” Oh damn. I pressed my thighs together. He pulled back an inch and grinned wickedly, a rare sight for the solemn alien. “Maybe I’ll play with you on the bike. Would you like my fingers in you, my cora? My bike vibrating between your legs while I make you come on my hand?”

  I was out of breath and squeezing his wrist so hard I could feel my fingernails digging into his scales. “Stop.”

  He nipped the end of my nose before smacking me on the ass and stepping back. His pants sported a massive bulge, and he adjusted himself without shame. “Hop on, Fra-kee.”

  I shivered as I lost his warmth. Glaring at him, I hauled myself on his bike with trembling legs. “Cruel, cruel man.”

  He slid in behind me and started up his bike. His hand slid around to my belly, and he tugged me against him as we rose into the air. As his lips teased the rim of my ear, he said, “I’m a tease, but I’m not cruel.” His hand fingers slid under the waistband of my pants. I sucked in a breath as the tip of his smallest finger teased my curls. “I wouldn’t leave you hungry.”

  I held on to the body of the machine with white knuckles as his hand descended lower and he brushed my clit. “I’m not hungry,” I murmured.

  “Your cunt is hungry,” he said in my ear as he slipped two fingers inside me.

  I gasped and tossed my head back onto his shoulder. He grunted and pulled his fingers out only to plunge them back in with a toe-curling slide. I should have been nervous he was steering this massive machine with only one hand, but I was too turned on to worry about it.

  “See?” he said. “This greedy cunt is sucking me in.” His thumb pressed on my clit and my vision swam. His kissed down my neck and bit my shoulder. “You’re soaked for me. This’ll have to do until I can give you my cock. Will my fingers satisfy your hungry cunt for now?”

  I couldn’t stop myself from bucking into his hand as his fingers curled inside me, filling me. “Oh Daz.”

  “Is this enough?” he asked again. “Or do I need to stop and fill my greedy cunt?”

  “E-enough,” I stuttered on a breathless moan. “Th-this is enough.”

  His only answer was a grunt as he worked me with his fingers and flicked my clit with this thumb. I thrusted into his hand, riding it for all I was worth as the bike vibrated beneath me and my hair swirled around me. Being finger-fucked by an alien on a hover bike had never been on my bucket list, but I mentally wrote it down and checked it off with a flourish.

  “Come, Fra-kee,” Daz rasped in my ear. “Let’s feed that cunt.”

  He pinched my clit, and I came like a geyser. If his forearm hadn’t been pressed against my stomach, I would have fallen off the bike. When the aftershocks were still rocketing through my body, my muscles gave out, and I slumped back against Daz, exhausted.

  He pulled his fingers out of my pants, licked them off with that talented tongue of his, and grinned at me. Then he placed both hands on the handlebars like he hadn’t just blown my mind.

  For a while, I remained in post-orgasmic bliss. I enjoyed the scenery and the way the sun heated my skin. But as we rode on, Daz’s words began to filter through my mind. Nerves flitted in my stomach like a hummingbird. I’d never been a leader in my life. I’d been a follower, the comedic relief.

  From what Gar had said, the women hadn’t much warmed to the Drixonians. Would they think I betrayed them? It had only been a few days, but so much had changed in that time. Everything had changed. I’d had to adopt an entirely new worldview and plan for my future. My life on Earth now felt like a whole lifetime ago, and in a way, it was.

  I was the Drixonian mate of a drexel. I had to be the example, but what if… What if the women didn’t trust me? What if they thought I was brainwashed or blackmailed? We weren’t sheep, and no matter what I said, they had their own minds and opinions. Even I had a tough time believing everything that had happened over the last few days, and it had happened to me. Should I have questioned Daz more? Been less trusting?

  I could feel him pulsing in my mind, and there was no deceit there. How the hell did I explain that to the other women in a way they could understand?

  Worse, what if I failed him? The way Daz looked at me… the way he called me brave… it felt like he was talking to someone else. I wasn’t sure I could deal if he looked at me with disappointment.

  It felt like only minutes later that Daz slowed the bike. “We are nearing the hideout,” he said with a pat on my thigh.

  I sat up and paid attention. I thought we were heading straight into a thicket of close trees, but at the last minute, Daz banked the bike and we shot through a small space among the dense foliage. Leaves slapped my arms, and I closed my eyes as the wind caused them to water. When I opened them again, Daz was slowing the bike. Up ahead was a one-story building, about the size of a small ranch-style home on Earth. There were a few square cutout windows but no glass.

  It looked deserted and decrepit, but as Daz brought the bike to a stop, I saw a face peer out of one window. I stepped down off the bike, cautiously approaching the building. A high-pitched voice shrieked and a few seconds later a stampede of feet sounded from inside the building. The door flew open, and Miranda raced outside. On her heels followed four more women.

  Miranda threw herself at me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. I clung to her, unable to stop the relieved tears from coursing down my face.

  “I thought I’d never see you again.” She pulled back and held me at arm’s length. She shook her head and firmed her lips, but I didn’t miss the tears in her eyes. “Do you have any idea how worried I was?”

  “Yes, I do, because I was worried about you! I only just found out you were safe.”

  “Why’d they separate us?” Her wide-eyed gaze darted over my shoulder and I watched fear pass through her brown eyes.

  Daz stepped to my side. “She has no reason to yell at you.”

  I turned to find him watching our interaction curiously. “She’s not yelling at me,” I said. “She was worried.”

  “Her tone and words are aggressive.”

  “Aggressive? Excuse me, warrior, but your default setting is aggressive, so you don’t have room to talk.”

  I turned back to Miranda to see her staring at us with huge eyes. “C-can you understand him? And he lets you talk to him like that?”

  I pointed to the implant behind my ear. “I have a lot to tell you, but yes, I can understand him. I have a translator implant, and we have enough for all of you.”

  A tall white woman with a black bob crossed her arms, her posture defensive. “An implant? Does it have a tracker in
it? Can it read my mind?” Large gauges hung in her ears and there were remnants of winged eyeliner at the outer corners of her eyes. Before I could answer, she shook her head. “I don’t think so. I don’t need to know what these blue bastards are saying.”

  “She will get the implant whether she wants it or not,” Daz barked.

  The woman flinched at his tone, and I was thankful that she couldn’t understand what he’d said. I smiled at her. “He said it’s your decision.”

  “I did not!”

  A voice boomed across the clearing. “Daz!”

  A massive Drixonian filled the doorway to the building, and even I took a step back at his harsh voice and imposing figure. The left side of his face was a spiderweb of scars, and his horn was broken, the end sharp and jagged. Each nostril was pierced with large golden rings, and his hair hung in braids past his shoulders.

  “That one hates us,” Miranda said, standing beside me as the rest of the women seemed to shuffle behind us, like we were their shields.

  “I don’t think he hates us,” said a short woman with pale skin, freckles, and long, brown, wavy hair.

  “He doesn’t hate you,” I said. “They don’t… These aliens don’t hate females.”

  “I’m starting to strongly dislike some of them,” Daz muttered.

  “What?” I snapped.

  He ignored me, which was probably for the better, and walked to greet his warrior. The two clasped each other’s necks and then brought their foreheads together before separating. I’d seen Daz do the same thing with Tark, so I assumed it was a common greeting for his species. After a few murmured words, Daz reached into a pouch at his waist and took out his implant updater. He aimed it at Gar’s implant. The big alien made no reaction to the update, but his eyes did shift to me for a moment.

  Wait, I was Daz’s mate. Why was I hanging back? My place was at his side. I didn’t feel like I’d earned my place there, but “fake it ’til you make it,” I guessed. I marched ahead and planted my feet next to Daz. I noticed only Miranda followed me, but she hung back.