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Page 3 of His Fierce Fugitive (Earthly Possessions #2)

3

IRIS

E verything goes black.

Then there’s the horrendous sound of metals crunching and popping, wood splintering, and foliage snapping underneath us.

And finally an eerie silence.

I don’t know how I’m still conscious, but from the look of the cockpit, it remained mostly intact, barring a few cracks in the front windshield.

I hear a groan beside me and look to my left.

Silver Guy is blinking wildly, shaking out his silver locks. Our hands are clasped together.

When did that happen? And I actually let him ?

There’s a strange flutter in my belly and I pull my hand away.

He turns toward me and his electric green eyes soften. "Are you hurt?"

"I think I'm okay," I reply, checking all my appendages and running my hands over my body. "But where are we?"

He undoes his harness and tries to bring up the spacecraft screens, but only sparks of color come up and then fizzle out.

He grunts and taps his arm, but the same thing happens. “I don’t know,” he says, blowing out a breath. “But you need not worry. No matter what we face here, I will protect you at any cost.”

I shake my head, trying to understand. “But…why?” I throw up my hands. “Tell me who you are and why you must protect me. Do you want to sell me or something, too?”

His eyes go wide. “No, no…that’s not?—”

“Then why should I trust you?”

“Iris,” he says, kneeling before me.

“How do you know my name?”

“Please,” he takes my hand and looks into my eyes. My heartbeat speeds up.

Why am I not pulling away? What is wrong with me?

“I am Takizet Afrajem. But everyone calls me Tak. I was sent by King Ryzordiek and Queen Gwen to bring you to Ydris.”

Did he just say…?

“Gwen? As in Gwen MacKinley, my best friend?” My voice trembles. “She’s alive? And a queen?”

He nods. “She crash landed on the outskirts of the Royal grounds. The marriage was strategic to aid Ydris in a power struggle between other forces in our galaxy and for Gwen to secure the resources to find you and your other friend.”

“Lacey? Gwen found her, too?” A tendril of hope winds its way into my chest. Could my two best friends have made it through this whole shit show?

He shakes his head. “Unfortunately, we haven’t found her yet.”

Disappointment hits me, but I’m still trying to comprehend Gwen’s fate. Married and a queen ?

She was so against marriage. And to do it for…me and Lacey? She’s a saint.

“I’m sorry about your friend. But know that Gwen and Ryz are very much in love.”

I scoff. “Right.”

“You don’t believe me?” he smiles.

“If you knew Gwen, you wouldn’t believe it either.”

He glances down at our hands for a moment, and licks his lips. Firm, rugged, and nicely shaped lips. “There’s more I need to tell you.”

I wait. I have to admit, his hands are warm and comforting.

God, I must be losing it.

“You can trust me, Iris, because…I am yours . We are fated mates.”

What?

Fated mates?

He looks serious. As in, he’s not even blinking. Why am I still staring into his stupidly mesmerizing eyes?!

He squeezes my hand. "And know this, sweet one. I will not rest until you are safe, until your heart is mended, and until you are ready to accept the love that is yours to take."

Is he for real , right now?

"Fated mates? Are you freaking kidding me?" I snap. "Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the rescue, but that doesn't mean I'm buying into some cosmic soulmate nonsense." That’s just a little too far-fetched, even for this impossibly insane adventure I’ve been forced into.

Tak's expression remains unwavering, though his chin dips slightly. "Many Kraetians believe in the deep bond of fated mates. I've felt the connection since I laid eyes on you in your cell."

He is serious.

Sure, there’s something about him that’s different. Probably because he’s an alien! But fated mates? Spare me.

"You must think I'm pretty naive," I say. The way he's looking at me, with those piercing green eyes, makes my heart flutter despite my skepticism. I snort, feeling the all-too-familiar weight of my past relationships pressing down on me. "I've had my heart broken enough times to know better than to trust fate."

I finally pull out of his grasp and undo my harness.

“I know,” he says, helping me despite my sudden irritation.

“Excuse me?” I cross my arms over my chest. “How do you know ?”

“I can feel it,” he says, like it’s nothing, as he fiddles with the craft hatch. “Your pain is my pain.”

“Are you sure you didn’t hit your head when we crashed?” I ask.

“I am sure,” he says, pounding a bit on the hatch now, flexing all of his muscles in the process. The spandex-like material that covers his torso and legs does little to hide his…bulk. Neither does it hide that significant bulge at his groin. “You know, Gwen and Ryz didn’t believe in fated mates either…but Ryz’s sister, the Ydris oracle, was correct when she divined it. They fought it at first, but eventually, they succumbed. It’s almost sickening to watch them together.”

I huff. No way. Gwen hated PDA. “I’ll have to see that to believe it.”

“And you will.” He gives the hatch one final kick with one of his long legs and it gives way to the jungle outside.

“Stay behind me,” he says, helping me climb out of the wreckage.

We emerge into the jungle under a canopy of long-vined trees.

I feel like I just stepped into Jurassic Park… in space .

It smells moist and rich. Almost too pure. Exotic flora glows around us under the fading light of the twin suns in the sky. Everything is so much different than I’m used to. Leaves are muted, bark is vibrant, and flowers are a wide range of colors from green to blue to black. Nothing makes much sense, but I’ve already learned to let go of my preconceived notions.

Tak pulls some booties from the pack he grabbed in the warehouse. “Put these on.”

I take them and slide them on, thankful for the protection against who knows what on the ground here.

“Thanks,” I grumble.

He smiles and gives me a small bow.

This guy is ridiculous.

But what choice do I have. He’s my only hope to get back to Gwen.

As we trek through the alien jungle, the sheer danger of our surroundings forces me to rely on Tak. His knowledge of this strange world is impressive, and he guides us through eerie primordial landscapes with ease. Despite my better judgment, I find myself beginning to trust his lead.

But it’s not fate .

After we eat a couple of protein cubes, I hear a soft buzzing… that’s getting louder.

“Tak, what is that?”

He stops and listens, then grabs my hand.

“Run!” he says, pulling me along with him.

I stupidly look behind us and see a swarm of giant…insects—that look more like horses with huge wings—beating in a thunderous rhythm.

Jesus Christ!

Tak's powerful strides keep us ahead, and his skill with the blade I found in the warehouse, clearing a path for us is admirable. I can't help but appreciate the graceful way he moves, a fearsome fighter with a dancer's precision.

When I don’t think I can run any more, he pulls me hard off to the side and we slam up against a massive pink tree. He holds me tight against him as the giant horse-flies fly past us.

“Shhhh,” he whispers, as our bodies heave, our breath wild from the chase. I close my eyes and curl into his broad chest.

I’m panting as he covers my head with his palm.

Soon, all I hear is our breathing—the buzzing long gone.

“It’s safe now,” Tak says, and I tilt my head back to look up at him. Damn, that jaw is chiseled.

He gazes down at me, those eyes becoming a deep forest green. I feel something hard and thick against my belly and I hold back a moan.

Is that?—?

“We better keep moving,” he says, interrupting my thoughts. His voice is husky. I’ve got goosebumps. But it’s probably just the air getting colder as the suns get lower. Totally.

"This planet is pure madness," I mutter, as we get back to walking. "Where are we going?"

He points forward. “That way…”

I roll my eyes. “Okay, why that way?”

“Instincts.”

“I feel like I’m missing something.”

“I’m a born tracker. I come from a long line of royal trackers and I’m good at what I do.”

“Are you now,” I say, scanning the area for more dangers. I eye a menacing-looking patch of colossal mushrooms as we pass.

“I found you.” He smirks over at me.

His confidence both irritates and reassures me. I sigh, accepting that, for now, my safety lies in his hands. "Just keep those big bugs away from me," I grumble, my annoyance coming more from the fact that I’m having these… feelings …around him. I really don’t want to believe in fated mates. It’s much to woo woo for me.

“While I’m alive, nothing will harm you ever again, Iris,” he says. How easily he lets those huge declarations roll off his tongue.

And now I’m thinking about his tongue.