Page 8 of Aliens Snared My Heart (Awakened Womb #3)

8 / Kur’tok

I gripped the human’s leash in my hand as I led us down to the water’s edge. He followed obediently, never fighting back or twisting away, and yet I couldn’t shake the dread that Paz would leave someday.

My fingers curled tighter. He wasn’t going anywhere. Not if I could help it. I’d nail his leash to the floor of my den if I had to.

I still couldn’t believe Kookee ate that foul fruit. It survived up until now on meat alone, didn’t it? Didn’t that mean I did a good job? But though I hated to admit it, Paz was right when he said Kookee looked happy after eating his illicit snack. Maybe the flesh-bag knew more than I thought.

But if Paz was that clever, he’d use his wiles to escape me—and that would not do.

As we stood by the pool, I muttered, “The collar stays on.”

“Sure,” Paz replied.

I narrowed my eyes. I didn’t trust his go-with-the-flow attitude. Behind that casual smile lay a villainous plot to run away and leave me behind.

“The leash, too,” I growled.

“Whatever you say, Kur’tok.”

“Hmph. Get in.”

Paz toed the water’s surface. The edge of the pool was tranquil, broken only by gentle ripples from the waterfall’s impact further away. The human stepped into the water with a content sigh. He lowered his body until only his head and shoulders remained. The rope collar floated on the water like a kelp strand.

Paz tilted his head up at me. “Well? Aren’t you coming, too?”

A strange, warm feeling stirred in my chest. It felt good to be invited.

I leapt in beside him. The water exploded in my wake, crashing over Paz’s head and soaking his head-fur.

“Ack! Dude!” Paz cried. “At least warn me if you’re gonna cannonball like that.”

He shook his head, shooting droplets of water everywhere. I grunted as he flung them into my eyes.

“You’re getting my face wet, flesh-bag,” I complained.

Paz let out a snort. “You started it, doofus.”

“Doofus?” I roared.

Paz broke out into laughter. The bright, tinkling noise doused my burst of rage. In fact, it made me astonishingly happy.

I smirked, letting a huff of amusement escape. “You’re lucky you’re cute. Otherwise I would have eaten you by now.”

Stars glittered in Paz’s eyes. “Oh, yeah? I’m cute, huh?”

What was the flesh-bag insinuating? He had that lecherous look on his face again.

“You are cute the same way Kookee is cute,” I grumbled. “You are both my pets. Therefore, you’re cute.”

“Uh huh. Sure.” Paz’s grin flashed like a crescent moon. “For what it’s worth, Kur’tok... I think you’re cute, too.”

Suddenly, I felt a serpentes slither up my back. I jerked, grabbing at my shoulders, trying to find the accursed thing... except I found nothing.

“What’re you doing?” Paz asked through a chuckle.

“What is that feeling?” I snarled in frustration. “There’s something on my spine.”

Paz leaned over to look. “I don’t see anything except your feelers.”

“I felt it,” I insisted. “It was a strong shivering sensation.”

“Maybe it was just your body?” he suggested.

As he said it, I realized he was right. Again.

Paz’s words made me shudder so hard it felt like a creature crawling up my spine.

I felt appalled by myself. How could this human—this delicate, breakable flesh-bag, my very own pet— make me feel that way?

I growled softly at him. “Stop your tricks.”

“What tricks? I told you, I don’t have magical powers. Trust me, if I did, I’d show them off at any given moment.”

I jabbed a claw into his chest. “You do things to me. Cease them at once, or I’ll eat your leg.”

Paz snorted in the face of my threat. “Just one, huh? It’s like you really don’t want me to run away or something.”

A burst of neon-lime dread flared over my feelers. As Paz’s gaze flicked to them, he frowned in sympathy. I hadn’t realized he was familiar enough with Maeleons to understand the chromatic bursts. How long had he lived in that stupid village? And how many of those Maeleons had interacted with my pet? I’d fight anybody who even looked at him.

“Kur’tok,” Paz said. “You’re scared I’m gonna leave you. Right?”

“I’m not scared of anything,” I snapped.

But as the statement left my mouth, I felt empty. He was not wrong. I was afraid he would disappear. It didn’t matter that Paz only entered my life yesterday. Now that he was in it, I refused to exist without him.

Paz saw through my lie. He put his petal-soft palm on my arm.

“I’ll stay with you,” Paz promised. “As long as it takes for you to believe me.”

His vow must be hollow. He only said it to trick me, to make me feel better.

“You have no choice,” I muttered. “You’re collared.”

Paz met my gaze unflinchingly. “It doesn’t matter. Even if you took it off, I’d stay.”

I snorted. “You are foolish.”

He laughed off my insult. “If you think I’m dumb, you should meet my friend Levi.”

I didn’t give a pandar’s ass about his fellow flesh-bag friend, but talking about them clearly improved Paz’s mood, so I let it slide this time.

I crossed my arms, leaning against the edge of the pool. “Hmph. If you want me to meet him, he must come here.”

Paz perked up. “So, you would let my friends visit?”

“Maybe if you keep behaving.”

His expression brightened like the morning sun. My chest squirmed in a cottony, weird way. Why did the human’s smile bring me happiness?

I hadn’t meant my promise about his stupid friends. Unfortunately, now I felt compelled to see it through. But not now, and not anytime soon. I wanted Paz all to myself until I had my fill—and I’d never be satisfied.

My gaze raked over him. The water was crystal-clear, and I saw every part of his strange body. He was so squishy and breakable. I felt the fierce, hot urge to protect him from the world’s dangers.

It was only natural, wasn’t it? He was my pet, and therefore, my responsibility.

Without thinking too hard about it, I reached over to stroke the tuft of curly fur on his round little head. It was damp but silky. The sensation was pleasant, so I quickly fell into a rhythm.

Paz made a humming sound and leaned against my palm. I felt the weight of his slight figure press into me, trusting I wouldn’t let him fall.

A lick of warmth brushed my ribs. Despite being a naked weakling with no sense, the human was cute. I was glad I’d caught him in my trap.

As I continued petting his head-fur, Paz shuffled closer until his head rested on my bicep. It weighed nothing. I could’ve lifted his entire body with a single tentacle wrapped around his waist.

That sort of weakness usually angered me. I despised weakness of any kind. But with Paz, it dug open a well deep inside me and awakened a fiery mix of emotions. I wanted him to be safe. I wanted to protect him. And I knew that if anything or anyone threatened him, they’d face my white-hot rage.

“Hey, what’re you so stiff for, Kur’tok?” Paz asked casually. “Relax.”

I grunted by way of apology, then forcibly unclenched my muscles. I’d forgotten how perceptive the human could be. It was like he really cared.

I shook off that thought. Paz was my prey. My pet. A human flesh-bag. He couldn’t care about me like that —I was crazy for even considering it.

My hand roamed wherever it desired. It slipped down the back of Paz’s neck, making his skin shiver. My fingers were large enough to wrap around his thin throat, and strong enough to wring the life out of him—but he wasn’t scared. In any case, I would never dream of hurting him. I liked him the way he was: warm, alive, and mouthing off.

My hand drew a path down his spine and along the plane of his back. It was smooth as the rest of him, not a patch of fur or scale in sight. The lack of feelers was the weirdest part of human anatomy. The fact that his shoulders were even visible felt obscene.

“Mm, that feels nice,” Paz said, swaying pleasantly. “I don’t remember the last time I had a back rub.”

My nostrils flared. I didn’t want anybody else touching Paz this way.

“I will give them to you,” I growled. “Only me.”

The corner of his lip curved. “I’m okay with that.”

One hand wasn’t enough. Grunting, I picked up Paz. The human didn’t protest. He weighed as much as a wet handful of soil. I placed him between my legs so his back was easier to access.

“You were too far away,” I grumbled.

He cleared his throat. “We’re, uh, pretty close now, huh?”

“It is better this way.”

I placed both my hands on Paz’s shoulders. They disappeared beneath my giant palms. Rubbing circles with my thumbs, I massaged my pet until he moaned and melted into the touch. The whimpering sounds that spilled from his mouth made me feel hot, but the water hadn’t changed temperature. I was still convinced the human kept his special powers hidden, but as long as he didn’t use them to escape, I was fine with his secret.

My hands dipped down to the gentle slope of his lower back. My thumbs dug in, sensing the tension there.

Paz groaned and arched into it. “Fuck, that’s nice...”

His praise pleased me. I never sought approval from others, yet Paz’s words were honey to my ears. There was something unique about this flesh-bag.

It was uncharacteristic of me, but I craved more of his encouragement. I massaged him longer and deeper, smoothing my hands all over his soft body. I felt ravenous—not for food, but for his sweet reactions.

When my palms swept over his inner thighs, he yelped.

I stopped dead. Did my claws graze his stupidly fragile flesh by accident?

“Did I hurt you?” I demanded.

Paz released a shaky breath. “No, you’re good.”

“Then why do you scream?”

He chuckled. “I didn’t scream, you drama king. I squeaked because you’re so close to my...” Licking his lips, he trailed off.

“Your what?” I growled. “Stop speaking half-sentences.”

Paz tilted his head back to face me. “My cock . Your hand brushed against my dick and it felt good, okay?”

His sassy comments both annoyed and amused me. He was a creature of paradox.

I peered over his shoulder and grunted. “Your cock is small. I didn’t even notice it.”

“Aww, that’s just what every man wants to hear,” Paz said in a light, sarcastic tone.

“Well, it is,” I grouched. “Mine is a thousand times the size of yours.”

Paz’s eyes flashed. “Oh, yeah? That better not be an exaggeration.”

I thought I heard a hitch in his voice. Was the lecherous human excited at the thought of my cock?

Paz’s eyes captured mine and didn’t let go. Heat fluttered in my belly. Tension coiled within me, like a serpentes poised to strike.

His flirting was not serious. He was a soft little human who’d snap in half on my cock. It was impossible.

Unless it wasn’t.

Growling, I leaned closer to his ear. “Do not tempt me, human. Your breakable body can’t withstand my arousal—so don’t ignite it.”

Paz swallowed hard. His gaze sparkled and danced.

I expected him to heed my warning. If he was smart, he would have. But I should’ve known better than to think the human would know his place.

“Don’t be so sure I can’t take it,” he shot back in a low voice.

An electric current zapped my blood. I breathed hard, nostrils flaring wider. My feelers flashed deep pink and red as they lifted into the air. Paz noticed them. He knew what he’d done to me, and the irritating human grinned about it.

His arrogance made me laugh. “You wouldn’t survive my cock, human. Just accept it.”

Paz screwed up his face in an angry pout. “How do you know that?” he demanded. “I know two humans who took Maeleon cock—and not only did they survive, they got pregnant, too!”

I continued to laugh. What a ridiculous story.

“I’m not making it up,” Paz insisted, crossing his arms.

He sounded serious, but that was impossible. I couldn’t imagine a tiny flesh-bag like him getting pregnant, especially not from my cock. It would split him in two.

“I’m not sticking myself in you, tiny human,” I stated. “But if you need sex, I can provide pleasure to you in other ways.”

Paz’s mouth opened, about to cut me off—until he heard that. His narrowed eyes flew open and his jaw dropped silently.

I snorted. He was so easy to handle. To prove my intentions, I ran my hands down his slim arms in a tantalizing motion.

“Are all humans as easily aroused as you?” I asked.

Paz rolled his eyes, but continued to grin. “Coming from a Maeleon? That’s funny. You guys are the horniest people I’ve ever met.”

A growl slipped through my fangs. I hated thinking about other Maeleons in close proximity to my human—especially horny ones.

I vowed to sate Paz’s urges until he forgot the rest.