Page 182 of Pets in Space 10

Luka directed the bike into an underground cavern Kari never would have discovered on her own. The dim interior made it hard to see until he tossed two glow sticks from his pockets onto the floor, illuminating the carved walls and low ceiling.

Next, he pulled up the seat compartment of the bike and grabbed a black hard-shelled case before stumbling against one of the walls. Rivulets of sweat ran down his pale face and his black shirt clung to his chest in places.

When he fumbled and dropped the case to the ground, she hurried over to his side. “What’s wrong?”

His gaze shifted in her direction. Confusion loomed in the green stare as he blinked repeatedly. Licking his lips, he finally mumbled, “Need to see your leg.”

The odd statement threw her, but she raised her pants leg above her boot. Two red rings circled her calf from the tight grip of the harenae’s tentacle.

“P-p-punctures?” he stuttered.

She shook her head. “I’m fine, now tell me what’s wrong with you.”

“Stingers.” He slowly slid down the wall to a seated position, legs sprawled. “Toxic. Need anti-venom.”

“Is it in the case?” she asked as she rushed to retrieve the black box he’d dropped and worked to open the latching mechanism.

Swiping his forearm across his brows, he nodded. “Two shots. In the chest.”

She read the labels on the neatly organized syringes. The yellow label had harenae displayed in bright red letters. She removed the first, carefully uncapping the tip. She’d never administered an injection before. Her field medic experience was limited to binding wounds from laser blasts.

“I need to give you two shots in the chest?” she clarified as her heart raced and her mouth grew dry.

“Yes.” He managed to undo the first few buttons of his shirt then coughed.

She held the shot in her hand and froze as he went into a choking fit. He wheezed and contorted, curling inward on himself. His eyes closed on a ragged exhale, sending panic on a burning path from her guts to her chest.

Crawling on her knees, she set the injector down and eased him to his back. Heat seared her palms, his skin hot to the touch. “Luka? Luka!”

No reaction. Fingers flying, she finished unbuttoning his shirt for him. Four green thumb sized stingers protruded from the middle of his stomach. Blood poured from each one, saturating the waist band of his pants.

After a moment of hesitation, she ripped them out and tossed them to the side, his grunt of pain the only response. “You do not get to die on me and leave me here alone in a dark, scary cave.”

She reached for the first injector, eyed his chest and sent a quick prayer she got this right then jabbed him in the space between his dark nipples. His chest rose on a shuddering breath and deflated.

“No, no, no. I like you. I’ve decided to have sex with you. Meaningless sex but good sex. You owe me that at least for abducting me.” She kept up a running monologue of nonsense and grabbed the second injector. She didn’t hesitate and aimed it slightly to the left of the first injection site.

Once, she’d administered both, she rose to her feet and retrieved the black case. She tossed items around, looking for any information to detail how long the anti-venom would take.

Nothing. There was no information. She sat back on her haunches with an inward curse and watched the slow rise and fall of his chest.

He’d saved her. Saved her at the expense of himself. What sort of criminal did that? “Who are you really, Luka?”

There was no answer. Alright, not a problem. Calm settled over her. Years in the military taught her to focus and plan. She unsealed the thermal blanket from the med pack and spread it over him. Water, purifying tablets and six nutrient bars were among the other medical supplies she recognized.

Unsure how long it would take him to recover, she pulled her legs up to her chest and looped her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees.

Her gaze strayed to his left forearm and the detailed rendition of a gathos.

Zsusa’s tail wrapped around his wrist, front legs extended as if reaching for his bicep.

Her pulse sped up as she put the clues together. Somehow the animal was able to shift forms into the tattoo. She’d never heard of a living tattoo. And how exactly did it work?

Luka tossed to his side, dislodging the blanket and mumbled under his breath. She moved closer, patting his bare shoulder. He continued to twist and thrash around, his mumbles increasing in volume as he grew more and more agitated.

Remembering her father’s trick to get her to relax as a young girl after the death of her mother, she slid under the blanket next to him and smoothed his hair back from his forehead. “It’s alright. We’re alright.”

She whispered the reassurance over and over until finally he settled. Left to her thoughts, she stared at the smooth angles that made up his handsome face and waited.

In rest, his features lacked the intensity she’d grown accustomed to in their short acquaintance. Long dark lashes feathered his lids, resting on high cheekbones. His nose had a crook so slight it was almost unnoticeable.

She wondered how he planned to get them off Orion. If Gubu had lookouts at the station and a bounty on her head, it would be damned difficult.

And what did all of this have to do with her father? How did he tie into this?

So many questions and the only person who might have answers lay unconscious next to her. He groaned and shifted about, his arms coming around her waist to tug her in close. She brought her hands up between them and pressed against his chest, but his hold was solid.

Giving in, she rested her head on his shoulder. Gradually, listening to the even sound of his breathing lulled her to sleep. She wasn’t sure how long she was out, but Luka’s pained groan woke her. She tapped his cheeks, trying to wake him. “Luka, its Kari.”

Another groan accompanied by a grimace then his eyes flashed open, an eerie glow to the green gaze. “Hungry.”

An appetite had to be a good sign the anti-venom had worked. Excited, she attempted to sit up. “I can grab you a nutrient bar.”

“No.” His grip tightened. “Gwyfed. Need more.”

“More?” She paused in her efforts to move. “More like what?”

“I’m Gwyfed,” he repeated as his gaze dropped to her neck. “We feed on blood.”

***

Luka woke to a gnawing hunger. His fangs dropped and his head pounded with need.

When he opened his eyes, Kari leaned over him.

His first thought was to feed. Only years of ruthless control kept him from attacking the nearest source.

Kari. Her shocked expression cleared a little of the haze from his mind.

He wouldn’t take from her without consent. Never. The reminder of his vow brought a little bit of his sanity back.

“You need to move away from me,” he told her, easing back and forcing his fingers to unclench from her waist.

Proving she read the danger in his gaze and didn’t doubt his warning, she pushed at the blanket he hadn’t noticed covering them, and scrambled back. “What do you mean you feed on blood?”

He pressed the palms of his hands to his eyes and drew a deep breath. The absence of a fever and pain in his midsection reassured that the anti-venom had been administered and worked, but he needed blood to restore the energy he’d burned healing.

“Explain to me what’s going on, Luka,” Kari demanded.

He dropped his hands and met her wary stare. The time to tell her of his nature came sooner than he expected. Once she knew the truth of his needs, the light flirtation and attraction they shared would fade on her end.

It didn’t matter. Nothing could come of it anyway.

Shoving up to a seated position, he ignored the blanket that pooled at his hips.

“I’m half Gwyfed. We have to take in a certain amount of blood as part of our diet.

I fed before…our paths crossed but because of the harenae’s attack my body worked hard to repair the injury and exhausted what I’d consumed. ”

After he finished, he waited for the inevitable disgust, fear and potential anger.

“You can heal yourself?” she asked, not moving closer.

The question wasn’t the one he expected, but he pointed at his smooth abdomen and lack of wounds. She leaned forward and peered at his torso. The shirt she wore dipped in the front flashing the upper curves of her breasts. His body reacted typically to the sight and thickened beneath his pants.

Her clothing didn’t cling to her body and reveal as much as the flight suit she’d worn previously, but his imagination was strong enough to supply the details.

He could envision his face planted between those plump mounds.

He’d suck her nipples until she lost control and back off before she released.

Working her toward orgasm would bring him utmost satisfaction. His hands would map every curve and dip on her body, memorizing which touch brought her the most pleasure and left her arching against him. He’d edge her again and again until she begged him to come.

“So how do you do it?”

Hard and fast. Slow and easy. However you want it.

“Luka?”

A flush warmed his face as he realized he’d been lost in the fantasy of her. “Do what?”

She twisted her fingers in her lap and bit her lip. Her gaze jerked to the left then came back to him. “The blood thing.”

Her nervous behavior didn’t initially make sense. When he finally put it together, his pulse jumped and he had to breathe deeply and resist the urge to leap across the space separating them. He needed to make sure he understood her question. “You want to know how I take blood?”

“I asked, didn’t I?”

He fought a smile at her disgruntled tone. “The fastest and easiest way is through my bite.”

She shivered and folded her arms across her chest. Had he offended her? And why did he anxiously await her answer?

“Alright. Let’s do it. I can’t have you less than your best since you’re my way off planet.”

Laughter spurred by relief slipped free and he held the corner of the blanket open in invitation. “You’ll need to come closer.”

“You’re ridiculously handsome and it should be illegal,” she muttered as she crawled toward him.

The corner of his lips curved up. “Thank you.”