Page 20 of Healer (The Outlander Book Club… in Space! #4)
The jungle was dense and humid. The air was so thick I found it a struggle to draw a deep breath, and hot, sticky sweat clung to my skin.
Despite the discomfort, I’d never felt more alive and free.
Hiding from the Aljani, on guard from dangerous predators, and exploring this new world with Hakkar was an adventure I’d relish for the rest of my life.
A life that loomed longer and happier thanks to the man at my side.
Since the surgery, we’d spent every night—and any other moment we could find—wrapped in each other’s arms. It felt like I’d contracted another disease, some type of deficiency that made me crave Hakkar’s touch.
I hadn’t wanted my own husband this badly…
I’d never wanted anyone or anything this desperately.
Could I be falling in love with him?
The idea of being with Hakkar—of being his mate—filled me with a sense of excitement and longing. Vienda’s description of his mating ritual seemed less than pleasant, yet despite the risks involved, I was more than willing to take a chance at happiness with Hakkar.
The sun slowly descended behind the towering trees, casting a warm, orange glow across the jungle.
The sounds of the wild grew louder and more primal as day faded into night.
Seeking comfort and protection, I stepped closer to Hakkar.
With natural ease, he wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me closer.
Despite the fact that he stood close to seven feet tall, our bodies fit together perfectly, as if made for each other.
A soft smile adorned his face, his golden eyes shining affectionately as he glanced down at me.
Even amid this untamed alien wilderness, I’d never felt so safe… and adored.
Seriously… was I falling in love with Hakkar?
In just a few days, we would rendezvous with the Bardaga.
My heart quickened at the thought of Hakkar freeing me from the ALS that plagued my body for so long.
The only thing that made my heart happier was imaging a future with him.
.. a future that seemed as vast as the endless expanse of stars in this foreign sky.
I wanted... no I needed to tell Hakkar how I felt. And despite my doubts and fears, I believed Hakkar felt the same for me. My heart pounded as I considered laying my heart on the line, knowing this would change everything between us.
But what if he couldn’t cure me?
I knew without a doubt that Hakkar would exhaust every alien medical technology available to overturn my death sentence. However, that small voice of doubt that had whispered negatively for decades asked one question….
What if even the advanced alien medical technology couldn’t conquer ALS?
It loomed over me like an ominous cloud, threatening to squash my hope. But I refused to let fear and doubt consume me, holding onto the glimmer of faith that perhaps there was still a chance for a miracle. A chance for happiness with Hakkar.
Even so, the thought stilled my confession.
The weight of unspoken words hung heavy in my heart.
Even more than wanting to spend my life at his side, was the determination that I didn’t want him to feel a sense of obligation or duty if things took a turn for the worse.
The idea alone made my heart ache with guilt and fear.
I loved Hakkar.
I loved him enough not to want him burdened with guilt or duty if he could not cure me. So, I would hold my secret until the future loomed as bright as the pale pink moon in the night sky.
My mind was so consumed with my musings that the sudden lack of towering trees came as a shock.
We had come to the edge of the jungle, the small settlement on the horizon surpassing my expectations.
Though appearing haphazard and makeshift, built with a patchwork of wood and metal, the buildings undeniably bustled with activity and a thriving population.
“We’re here?” I blinked at Hakkar, blushing when he grinned and kissed me.
“We’re here.” He announced, wrapping his arms around my waist, and pulled me back toward the shadow of the trees.
“What? We’re leaving?” I protested but didn’t resist. I didn’t seem able to muster an ounce of resistance when in his arms.
“We’re not leaving,” Hakkar promised, stopping under the branches of a large tree. The town seemed no more than a quarter of a mile away. Its yellow lights were a welcoming beacon in the approaching darkness.
“As much as I would like to, we can’t just go marching into the settlement,” Hakkar said, rummaging through the pack.
A chill of foreboding passed along my skin. “Are the Ulk… the bastards that experimented on me there?”
“I do not know if the Ulkommanian are nearby.” Hakkar pulled a wad of fur from the pack, shaking it out and frowning at the mix of brown and black hairs floating through the air before dropping the piece onto the ground.
“The settlement of Poikash is known for trading. Many species pass through its streets.” His eyes focused on my face. “Many species save yours.”
I shuddered despite the humid heat.
“We must enter the village, keeping the fact that you are human hidden.” Hakkar frowned, anger making his golden eyes sparkle. “Many would see you as nothing more than a prize.”
“What do we do?” I glanced toward the village, the buttery lights no longer inviting.
“We wait until the settlement sleeps.” Hakkar shook out another large fur and laid it on the ground next to the tree. “Then we slip in unseen.”
“Wait,” I grumbled, settling on the fur. I’d never been much on patience.
Hakkar sat beside me, propping his back against the massive tree trunk as he pulled dried meat and a waterskin from the never-ending depths of the pack. “We will eat and rest.”
I took a piece of dried meat from him, eyes widening as the spicy flavor hit my tongue. “How long do we have to stay in the village?”
“By my calculations, the Bardaga should be only a few days away. Our contact will know more.”
“Who exactly is our contact?” I asked after taking a swig from the waterskin. The spicy jerky had set fire to my tongue.
“She is a member of the spy network we Vaktaire depend on to help rescue humans. My Chieftain has worked with her many times.”
“How long do we have to wait?” I settled with my back against Hakkar’s chest, his arm draped over my shoulder. If I had to wait, there was no reason I couldn’t be comfortable.
“A few hours.”
“I know something we could do to kill the time,” I purred, running my fingernail up his thigh. The tightening of his pants at the crotch told me his thoughts ran in the same direction as mine.
“Hmmm.” Hakkar nipped at my ear, running his tongue along the curve of my neck as he pondered. Finally, he loosed a heavy sigh and settled me chastely in his lap. “As delicious as I know you are, my Aggie, and as much as I’d like to bury my cock deep inside you, I dare not.”
“Why not?” I pouted. I felt his hardness growing under my thighs, and I squirmed a small bit for effect.
Hakkar cocked a brow to go along with the upward quirk of his lips. “I need to stay vigilant to danger nearby. Plus, you moan too loud. It would alert the village.”
My mouth fell open, cheeks blazing. “I am not too loud,” I argued, although recent memory suggested otherwise. My moans and screams last night had sent more than a few small animals scurrying.
Hakkar’s deepening grin in answer might offend me if he wasn’t so damn cute.
“Well, if I am too loud, it’s your fault for pleasing me so well.” I crossed my arms over my chest with an exaggerated humph.
The thighs I sat on bounced me up and down until I laughed.
“I will happily take the blame for making you scream with pleasure,” Hakkar said, the gold in his eyes so molten it did things to my nether regions. No way in hell was I going to be able to sit here for hours and keep my hands off him.
I straddled his lap, sitting chest to chest with him. “I think it’s time I introduced you to another Earth custom.”
“What?” His eyes glinted with amused curiosity.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, issuing my sauciest smile.
“It’s a little something I learned as a teenager called necking .”
Hakkar proved a quick study, as he did with most things.
We spent close to an hour acting like a couple of teens just shy of curfew.
Finally, with a resoundingly regretful moan, Hakkar sat me off his lap, cuddling me to his side and telling me to behave myself and get some sleep.
I meant to refuse... I really did, but the quiet of the night and the sense of security I felt in his arms helped sleep steal me away without much effort.
However, somnolence proved no match for the feeling of firm but gentle lips kissing over my face a short time later.
“It is time to wake, my Aggie.”
Unlike most times, when sleep held onto me like an overprotective mother, I came instantly awake and found myself lying alone on the fur. Hakkar knelt a few inches away, his attention honed toward the village.
“Is everything okay?” I glanced about the landscape, discerning nothing but darkness and a few oddly shaped blobs. Unlike mine, Hakkar’s vision was like having a built-in set of night goggles.
He moved to my side, a soothing hand running down my spine. “It is time to go.” He nodded toward the distance, where the bright bustle of the village had diminished to a dim glow.
I stood, moving off the fur and addressing myself to the handful of jerky and waterskin Hakkar offered while he repacked the satchel, leaving out a large piece of oversized gray fur.
“You will need to cover your head and face.” Hakkar shook the fur out before handing it to me. “I will keep us out of sight as much as possible, but if someone notices, this will hide your being human.”