Page 189 of Galaxy Games Four-Book Box Set (Galaxy Games)

189

Life’s Blood

A ’Dar

Lovely human. Maya. Is she my mate? Could it happen this fast? I can’t understand a word of her language, and until a few minutes ago, she looked at me as though she wished she could activate my chuntrum to fire at me.

She’s not angry at me now, though. She’s limp and relaxed in my arms. I’ve never been with a female before, but I’m certain she just climaxed as she rode my thigh. I want more of this. More of her. There has to be a way to vanquish our enemies so I can have her by my side forever.

I’ve never drunk blood before. Because I’ve never been in machta before. Whatever brought it on, I’m almost back to my normal strength. Her blood was more powerful than I could have imagined. Because she’s not of my race, I didn’t think it would be so potent.

We’ve got a battle ahead. Now she’s the one in need of strength.

She gave her life’s blood to me. She’s tired, but I’m energized. I braid her hair to match my array. There’s something primal, primitive, about making her look more like me. Removing some of my beads, I place them on her braids to keep them from unraveling.

I can’t hide my smile and approving nod, although I don’t need to because she’s sleeping. If I saw her from afar, her array would look like that of a Xenon.

Will she think it’s intrusive? That I’ve overstepped? I know nothing about Earthers. Nothing about females. And I can’t understand her, although she understands me. None of that seems to matter. For just this moment, with her in my arms, all that matters is Maya.

We need to plan our escape. But the vid on the far wall says we have time. 122 females still live. I think we’re safe until they release the males from the brig.

I want to learn Maya. I want to learn my mate.

Maya

Shit. Did I just do that? Give an alien my vein? Get so turned on that the very air itself seemed to arouse me as it gusted across my skin? Did I ride myself to completion against his thick, muscular alien thigh?

I’m still sprawled on him, sitting in his lap as he fusses with my hair. Is he braiding it? Are his huge hands tending to me? With everything that has happened to me today, I don’t know why an alien male braiding my hair feels the most surreal. I don’t want to like it, but despite everything that’s going on around me, it feels so tender, so safe.

I hadn’t noticed before, but he smells good. No. The word good is inadequate. Divine. Glorious. Those are better words to describe the sweet, musky, addictive smell of his skin. I inch closer and breathe in through my nose just to sneak another whiff.

“Are you awake? How are you feeling, Maya? I drank too deeply. I am sorry.”

I turn in his arms to look at him. His eyes are brighter. No longer a sickly yellow, they’re glowing gold.

“Just tired,” I say. My gaze doesn’t shy from his. I imagine that tells him I’m okay. I wonder what he thinks about what happened between us.

“I want to learn your language. The more you speak, the faster my translator will learn. Will you speak to me?”

A shriek pierces the relative quiet of the ship. It echoes to us, as if the sound originated from far away. Both our eyes flick to the screen. It’s in Xenon, but he reads it, “79 females are confirmed dead. 121 left. The males from the cellblock will soon be released, then more havoc will begin.”

Right on cue, the screen is filled with Jahzara Zedd’s beautifully evil red face. “…so exciting, females and males,” she continues. “79 females dead, 77 at each other’s hands, two who opted out before The Game began. We are nothing if not compassionate here at TGN, The Galaxy Network. We allowed the fearful ones to be euthanized at their own request.”

Compassionate? Scalding bile crawls up the back of my throat when I think of poor Lila being so hurt and terrified they forced her to make such a horrendous choice.

“As if this female-on-female action isn’t fascinating enough, look what we have here.”

The feed flicks to pictures of the prisoners in their cryo pods, the vid now enhanced to better show how big and terrifying they are.

“Crap,” I breathe. I doubt when they’re released they’ll be on a mission to braid anyone’s hair. They’ll be looking for a fight.

Every muscle in A’Dar’s body tightens under mine.

“We’re going to watch the numbers. When there are only fifty or sixty females, we’ll have to ready ourselves. In the meantime, we’ll remain here, grow stronger,” he says.

“No pictures of us?” I ask, though I know he won’t understand. “And the Earth girls?” Are they safe in cabins, too, or are they dead in a hallway? “Friends?” I try again. “Are my friends okay?” I put up two fingers and cup my breasts. That should make it clear I’m asking about two females… my friends.

“My officers, Ran’Kin and Mel’Kan.” He points toward one wall and then the other. “Have your friends next door. They are safe for now. These are good males. They will not hurt human females. You are far too precious.”

A picture pierces into my mind. I wonder if even as we speak my new friends are donating blood like I just did. And if they are, I hope it’s optional and not required.

Can life get any crazier?

He speaks rapid-fire into his wrist-comm, obviously talking to his friends. My translator helps me follow their conversation, but I’m relieved when he confirms, “Your friends are okay. We all have working vids. We’ll watch the numbers. That gives me time to get to know you before we must fight.”

Realizing I’m hungry, I try to rise to retrieve my computer pad from my pack. He tugs me tight and uses a gizmo on his gauntlet that shoots out a cable with a hook on it. He then drags the pack closer.

I down a bottle of water and then unwrap a nutrition bar. “I need to eat to keep my strength. And the water will help the blood loss.”

“Thank you again, Maya,” his voice is so gentle, when I’m not looking at him I forget he looks so scary.