Page 3 of Rescued by the Alien Hit Man (Villains Do It Better)
CHAPTER 3
MIA
I followed Cikarius through the dense jungle, my heart pounding in my chest as we navigated the treacherous terrain. He moved with the grace and agility of a predator, blending seamlessly into the alien environment. Every so often, he would stop and motion for me to hide behind a tree or some other form of cover. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratitude towards him for saving me from those slavers, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to him than met the eye. Why was he just strolling through the jungle on Dufair? It was mostly scientists and their guards here, after all. Could I really trust him completely?
As we continued our journey, the eerie sounds of the jungle filled my ears–strange calls from unseen creatures echoing through the dense foliage, and the soft rustle of leaves suggesting hidden movement all around us. The air was thick with the scent of exotic flowers mingling with damp soil, while towering trees with bioluminescent leaves cast a surreal glow on everything they touched.
My mind raced with questions about why someone would hire slavers to capture me. Were they going to kill me, or simply abduct me? Thankfully, I never got to find out because Cikarius had intervened. At the thought of his muscular arms enveloping me, my body shivered with a sudden wetness in my core, and I wondered how rough he might be, if given the chance.
“Keep moving,” he said. His voice was low and commanding. I nodded, forcing myself to focus on staying alive and following his lead.
The sensation of danger was palpable, like a living, breathing entity surrounding us. Still, as we ventured deeper into the jungle, I couldn’t help but admire its beauty. The vibrant colors and unique flora were breathtaking, unlike anything I’d ever seen before. And somehow, Cikarius blended in seamlessly, as if he were a part of this alien world.
“Watch your step,” he warned, his glowing yellow eyes scanning our surroundings for any potential threats. I swallowed hard, my pulse quickening at the thought of what else might be lurking in the shadows.
We pressed on, determined to find shelter before nightfall. With each passing moment, my attraction to Cikarius intensified, despite my lingering reservations. I needed him to survive, but I couldn’t ignore the fire that burned within me, threatening to consume us both. Sensual thoughts of him ricocheted in my mind, and I needed to get my mind off how it would feel to have his hands roaming my body.
“Can I see the tablet again with the photo of me?” I asked, my voice barely audible above the cacophony of alien jungle sounds.
“Why?” he asked, his tone sharp and direct. “Someone wanted you dead or captured. Why do you need to see the photo again?”
“I just… I just do,” I said, hesitant but adamant.
With a sigh, Cikarius pulled out the tablet and handed it to me. As our fingers touched, a sizzle went through me like an electric shock, leaving me breathless and craving more of his touch. So much for getting those thoughts out of my mind.
I examined the image, a snapshot of my life before this chaos began. It was taken right after I had made a breakthrough in my research project. The discovery had been so significant that Amund and I had come to Dufair to gather more specimens for testing. The timing couldn’t be a coincidence. Someone, somewhere, wanted me silenced.
“Could this have something to do with someone hiring slavers to capture me?” I asked, the thought chilling me to the bone.
Cikarius gave me a doubtful look, but there was something in his eyes–a flicker of calculation, as if he were piecing together some hidden puzzle. “What are you thinking?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he said, too quickly. “We need to keep moving.”
It wasn’t nothing, but I nodded. If we got through this, I would press him for more details later.
As we continued deeper into the jungle, the sense of danger around us grew stronger, the shadows darker and more menacing. But Cikarius never faltered, leading us through the treacherous terrain with the skill and precision of a predator.
As we continued our journey, I couldn’t help but marvel at how easily Cikarius navigated the dense foliage. He moved with a grace and precision that belied his formidable strength, as if he were an extension of the jungle itself. And though I had seen others of his kind on Alfataken Station, everyone gave them a wide berth–a fact that only added to the mystery and danger surrounding him. Rumors floated in the air, through the ducts on the station, that those like Cikarius were hired killers.
As we moved deeper into the jungle, my foot caught on a tangled mass of foliage. I stumbled forward, but before I could hit the ground, Cikarius’s powerful arms were around me, holding me securely against his firm body. Warmth seeped into every part of me that was in contact with him, and my knees went weak.
Heat pooled between my legs as his nose flared, and he stared down at me intently. His mouth was so close to mine that I could feel his breath on my lips. “Be careful,” he warned, righting me before taking a step back. “We need to hurry.”
“Where are we going?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly from the proximity of our bodies.
“We need to find shelter,” he said, his eyes scanning our surroundings. “See if we can stay off the slavers’ radar.” He raked his gaze over me, making me shiver. “I don’t suppose you have anything in that equipment you made us bring along that is more appropriate to wear?”
Though I had a jacket in the backpack, I shook my head. If my appearance unnerved him even a little, I’d take that advantage. “No,” I lied, hoping he wouldn’t press further.
He nodded curtly and turned, continuing to lead the way through the dense undergrowth. We pressed on, the ever-present sounds of the jungle keeping us on edge. I was grateful for Cikarius’s presence, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I should be wary, yet I found myself irresistibly drawn to him, longing to know more about the man beneath the stoic facade.
As we trekked onward, the vulnerability I felt, both physically and emotionally, in this alien world pressed in on me. My life had been turned upside down, and now I depended on a mysterious stranger for my survival. But despite the uncertainty and danger that surrounded us, one thing became crystal clear: my attraction to Cikarius had become impossible to ignore.
And as the shadows lengthened and the jungle’s bioluminescent canopy cast an eerie glow around us, I swore that if we survived this ordeal, I would do everything in my power to explore the connection between us–to feel alive in his arms, writhing beneath him like never before.
As we ventured deeper into the jungle, my senses became more attuned to our surroundings. The damp soil squelching beneath my feet, the humidity clinging to my skin, and the unique fragrance of alien flowers filling my nostrils. The vibrant colors from the bioluminescent canopy above us cast a surreal glow on the foliage, making it difficult to discern genuine threats from mere shadows.
My unease grew as I sensed movement nearby. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, alerting me to the danger that lurked just out of sight. My heart raced, and I struggled to breathe, the weight of fear settling on my chest.
“Stop,” he said, grabbing my arm to halt my progress. He looked at me, his eyes narrowing in concern as he scanned the environment.
Suddenly, I came face to face with a laghairt. Its menacing presence sent a jolt of fear through me, paralyzing me where I stood. The creature, a blend of reptilian scales and mammalian fur covering its muscular body, stood on powerful hind legs with a long tail for balance. Its sharp, alert eyes locked onto mine, and razor-sharp teeth filled its mouth.
Unable to move or react, my mind raced with panic and desperation. One wrong move could prove fatal. But just as the creature lunged toward me, Cikarius sprang into action, swiftly intervening to protect me.
His movements were fluid and deadly, a lethal dance born from years of training and honed instincts. He expertly dodged and countered the creature’s strikes, using his formidable strength and agility to keep me safe. I watched in awe as Cikarius showcased his protective nature, fighting with every ounce of his being to ensure our survival.
As he finally gained the upper hand, overpowering the laghairt and driving it away from us, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of gratitude mixed with relief. My heart pounded in my chest, and my breath came in ragged gasps as I tried to process what had just happened. Cikarius turned to face me, his eyes filled with concern.
“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice softening ever so slightly.
I nodded, swallowing hard as I tried to regain my composure. “Yes, thanks to you,” I said. “You saved my life. Again.”
He simply nodded, his glowing yellow eyes locked onto mine, as if searching for something deeper within me. The intensity of his gaze made my knees go weak, and I had to fight the urge to reach out and touch him–to feel the heat of his skin against mine and know that he was as real as the danger we had just faced.
As we continued on, my mind raced with conflicting emotions. I was growing increasingly dependent on Cikarius for protection, and part of me worried about what that meant for my survival. Was it wise to rely so heavily on someone who was still a stranger to me?
And yet, my attraction to him intensified with each passing moment. His strength, his skill, his unwavering determination to keep me safe… all of it fueled the fire that burned within me. My body ached with desire for him, and I longed for the moment when we could finally give in to the passion that threatened to consume me.
But there were more pressing matters at hand. We needed to find shelter and stay off the slavers’ radar–or whatever alien technology they used to track their prey. And though the thought of being alone with Cikarius in some hidden refuge stirred a delicious thrill within me, we couldn’t afford to let our guard down or succumb to our baser instincts. Not yet, anyway.
“Where are we going?” I asked, trying to focus on the task at hand and ignore the heat that spread through my body at the mere thought of him.
“Somewhere safe,” he said, his voice low and measured. “We need to stay hidden until we can figure out who wants you dead or captured… and why.”