Page 181 of Pets in Space 10

Kari followed Luka to the bikes with Zsusa bouncing between them. Her heart pounded and any moment she expected the raiders to burst into the camp.

“Can you ride?” Luka asked, tugging one of the bikes free from the clasp locking it on a stand.

“Fine time to ask.” She went to the other one and mounted it with ease.

He smirked, tossing her one of the helmets with a wide face shield. “You pilots in the military tend to be risk takers. I had a feeling you’d be up to the challenge. Otherwise, we would have ridden double.”

She gave in and laughed, nodding her head at Zsusa who twined around his feet in an effort to trip him. He dodged the gatho with the familiarity of practice. “What about her?”

“Zsusa, return.”

Her growled response was loud before she leaped into the air, swirled into mist and landed on Luka’s forearm. A vibrant tattoo in the shape of the gatho appeared in shaded detail from his inner elbow to the tail curling around his wrist. Kari stared once more caught off guard by what she’d seen.

Aiming a finger at his face, she stated, “You will be explaining that.”

He straddled the bike and waited until she started the other one. Sending a cocky smile in her direction, he said, “Later.”

Now was not the time to argue but they’d definitely come back to this later. Strapping the helmet on her head, she flicked the power switch and adjusted to the quiet rumble of the bike powering up. It had been a while since she’d ridden, but she was confident she could keep up.

Luka signaled her and rose to a low hover. Her bike rose slowly and idled. As soon as she joined him, he took off across the desert sand. She had no idea of their destination but hoped he knew what he was doing because she was placing a lot of trust in him.

Which brought to mind why. Trust but verify was her motto in life with relationships. Grimacing at her word choice, she leaned low over the bike. She and the intriguing Luka were not in a relationship.

Sure, he was hot. Downright sexy to be honest. But thinking like that was guaranteed to set herself up to be hurt. Been there done that and had the medal to show her achievement in the endeavor.

Against her will, her gaze roved over his hunched form on the bike. Due to the force of the wind, the fabric of his shirt pressed firm against the wide spread of his back. Thick thighs clamped the sides of the bike and she licked her lips imagining those same thighs between her legs.

He gave the impression he’d be a powerful lover, one who’d be demanding in bed with his partner. Maybe a hair puller. Heat seared her loins and she muffled a groan. Exactly her type.

Criminal inclinations aside, she’d give up her next vacation pass to spend one glorious night in his bed to burn up her pent-up frustration from her lackluster sex life. She shook her head to clear her mind.

No.

Absolutely no way, Kari Lilah Ma’are. Luka, aka her abductor, was not someone to lust over. Her libido cried out in dismay, but she knew his type. Men like him only wanted one thing from a woman.

Her gaze dropped to the curve of his butt in the fitted pants. She sucked her teeth and reconsidered. Then again, maybe a round of sex followed by a quick goodbye would work. No chance of being hurt and she’d go in with her eyes wide open.

The more she thought on the idea, the more she liked it. Should she worry about his potential criminal connections? Absolutely, but if she guarded her secrets as well as she planned to guard her heart, it wouldn’t be an issue.

Her outlook brightened. Hot sex with a hot guy coming up. Grinning, she lowered her head and followed Luka’s lead. They flew over the dips and hills, no signs of anyone giving chase. The face shield protected her eyes from sand and she had the opportunity to see Orion in a different light.

It wasn’t often she veered far from the military bases she visited when off duty. Most of her time was spent on the Aranea. The battle cruiser was equipped with rec and entertainment spaces for soldiers along with a variety of eateries.

Occasionally, her team went on scouting missions but that didn’t involve landing top side. Compiling reports on the terrain, recording data of the landscape and inhabitants during the flyovers were the extent of their duties during those times.

In the rarer instances, her team was called to assist in skirmishes that escalated beyond the surface. Air battles, while uncommon, had the ability to excite her in a way she couldn’t explain. Pitting her skills against another pilot gave her the thrill she craved when in the cockpit.

A blast of air caused her hover bike to wobble. She glanced behind her but didn’t see anything. As if he sensed something as well, Luka glanced over at her. She couldn’t read his expression behind the face shield.

Another thud came from below. This time the rear of the bike jerked.

Her head rocked back and forth from the force.

Heart in her throat, she lifted her butt from her seat, pressing down with her toes on the foot pads as she fought to regain control.

A small whirlwind swirled beneath, grains of sand clogging the blades.

The engine stalled, throwing her. She rolled on impact and jumped up. The bike slammed onto the sand beside her with a rough thump. Adrenalin pumped through her veins. Had the raiders caught up with them?

She braced her feet on the shifting sand, turning right then left. Ahead of her, Luka brought his bike to a hover in place. He waved at her, but she continued to focus on the sand. The ground vibrated under her feet.

Fear licked at her spine. More vibrations caused her pulse to kick up a notch. Suddenly, something caught her lower leg and tugged. The force dragged her and she fell onto her side. Pain seared her side.

Dimly, she heard Luka yelled, “Kari, get up! Run!”

She pushed up to her elbows and looked down. Wrapped around her lower left leg, a green vine pulsed and tightened before the rest of the length disappeared beneath the sand. Her gaze flew back to Luka. Horror creased his cheeks and his eyes widened.

Another pull jerked her backward across the sand on her belly. The action shifted her shirt upward. She gasped in shock as the tiny grains abraded her abdomen.

“Kari, get the fuck up!” Luka yelled.

She snarled under her breath and dug her fingers into the sand. What did he think she was doing? She managed to crawl a few inches forward, but another yank sent her face down in the sand and pulled her arms flat. She rolled to her side and kicked back with her free leg.

From this position, she had a better glimpse of what held her. Bile lurched in her throat. Four green tentacles whipped around. A large cavernous mouth opened, revealing rows of serrated teeth and two flickering tongues.

A harenae. Her pulse stuttered and renewed determination filled her.

She frantically twisted and kicked. There had been a brief overview given to visitors about the native plant-animal hybrids that lived in the desert on Orion.

Harenae were known to eat prey whole and leave nothing behind, not even bones.

Energy pumped through her limbs at the thought of being swallowed. She managed to get her knees under her and desperately clawed at the shifting sand to move forward. Gravity worked against her. The slant of the ground contributed to her continued slide down.

“Relax. Stop fighting. The harenae is drawn to resistance from its prey.” Luka’s voice broke through her struggles.

She tore her helmet free, tossing it to the side and gasped for breath. He crouched at a safe distance from her, his own helmet missing. His hair was mussed, but his narrowed gaze remained focused on her.

Fear battled against her survival instinct. She screamed as the creature dragged her closer to its’ gaping mouth. “Help me, Luka!”

His lips firmed and she realized he held a sharp knife the length of her forearm in one hand. He eased near and she extended her hand, hoping he would pull her free. Instead, he dove toward her legs and swiped at the thick tentacle latched around her calf then dodged back.

Green blood sprayed into the air, splattering the sand. The harenae’s unnatural, shrill scream assaulted her ears. The severed green limb withdrew into the churning depths. Another tentacle took its place, seeking a hold.

“Move, lieutenant!” Luka snapped.

She flipped onto her back and dug her feet in to scoot away as fast as possible, desperation lending her strength. Luka’s grunts and snarls empowered her as he fought the creature.

Suddenly, he screamed. She turned around. More of the harenae’s thick body lunged from the hole, revealing his wide neck and scaled frills. “Luka!”

He jumped to his feet and tossed a round object into the gaping mouth then ran toward her. He grabbed her elbow and pushed her toward his bike. “Go! Go! Go!”

He mounted his hover bike and she climbed behind, wrapping her arms around his waist. The bike rose above the sand moments before the explosion hit. She cringed and buried her face against Luka’s back.

***

Every breath a pant, Luka accelerated and pushed the hover bike for maximum speed. Where one harenae was, another usually lurked close by. They traveled as mated pairs. He rode hard until certain he’d put enough distance between others of its kind.

Sweat dripped in his eyes and he blinked it away only to have his vision waver.

Fuck. The stingers on the harenae’s tentacles contained a toxic venom and he already felt its effects.

His damp shirt attested to the injuries he’d sustained fighting the creature.

Blood soaked his front and the wet spot grew at a rapid rate.

As he dipped over a dune, Kari tightened her hands at his waist. The aftershocks of the attack left her body shaking and trembling against him.

His own heart continued to thunder in reaction.

Watching her bike go down sent his stomach crashing to his feet.

Terror unlike any he’d known before burst forth and he’d leaped from his bike without thought.

Attacking the creature had been a risk he’d been willing to take.

Raising his voice over the whistling wind, he yelled, “Were you stung?”

The pause while he waited for her answer sent a chill down his spine. He tensed, prepared to immediately stop the bike to see to her wounds when she responded. “No, I don’t think so.”

He checked their location positioning on the dash and targeted an underground cavern he wanted to reach. Ahain kept med kits in a pack on all of his bikes. There was sure to be an anti-venom inside for harenae stings.

Hopefully, he’d get there before he lost consciousness. At the thought, he hunkered over the bike and increased the speed.