Page 10 of Seized by the Alien Space Warrior (Alien Romance #8)

Chapter Ten

D rekking seven hells. He’d nearly kissed her. Ravaged her mouth and tasted her delicate plump lips as the very cells in his body urged him to do. It would have been a claiming kiss. A kiss that was a mere prelude to the way he wanted to worship her body if his newly reawaken nodes were any indication. Drek it all .

He would have if not for the sight of her pale skin, deep shadows beneath her eyes, and smudges of dirt over her body. Let alone her damaged shoulder she favoured. The female was exhausted and in pain, and yet she’d decided to walk by herself all the way to the dubious safety of the town on this godsdamned planet.

She should be safe at the Sanctuary by now. Fed, warm, and receiving medical attention surrounded by the support of females of her own species. Not lusted after by a failure who couldn’t save his bond-mate and lacked the strength to forego revenge for the safety of a precious human female.

And precious she was. She had no idea just how much. Rare. Exotic. Human females were the light touched by the gods, forming mate-bonds between many species, even those species who had nearly died out and had lost all hope. The Rasidians for one. Those lucky bastard brothers had found their mate-bonds with human females. One of their females was due to give birth any day now. To their third child no less. They were indeed blessed.

Each human female that had been rescued had brought out the best in each warrior, and yet Aekon had only shown his worst. He shouldn’t be surprised. He’d lost the blessings of the fates all of those years ago. The least he could do was ensure Ava’s safety—even at the cost of his own.

He just had to withstand the connection forced on them and believe that fate had it wrong. So wrong. Ava deserved more than he could ever provide her. She deserved an untarnished soul. A being whose sins could be forgiven.

The gravelly sound of an engine rumbled across the ground. He just had time to scoop his arm about Ava’s waist before he dashed behind the safety of one of the large boulders that dotted the otherwise flat desert plain. He knelt close to the ground in the shadows of the boulder, Ava cradled in his lap. Her breath was choppy and her heart fluttered in her chest as though it had wings and was trying to escape the cage of her ribs. Her hand wrapped about his shoulder and she pressed against him as though she might disappear right through him if she could.

A small Ixod craft thundered overhead. One of the craft that had attended the crash site. Its spotlights scanned the ground as it passed. A scattering of gravel sounded somewhere in the darkness and a small creature darted over the rough stones, its hiding spot uncovered by the bright lights.

There was a flash of bright orange as a laser shot from the front of the craft, leaving a smoking hole where the creature once was. The craft slowed and hovered over the hole. The spotlight circled the crater before the craft rumbled into gear and continued to the buildings.

Ava jerked in his arms and a panicked sound left her lips. Her eyes were round, scared and dark.

Aekon mentally cursed. She was exhausted. He should never have listened to her protests. He should have picked her up and walked with her all this distance. He’d only been thinking of himself and his lack of control while she suffered.

She’d been abducted from her home world, a planet that knew nothing of other life, and sold by filthy Reptiles to the immoral Ixod. She was injured and exhausted, at the mercy of a male who found it hard to reign in control. If Treega could see him now, he would be stripped of his right to rescue these precious females.

She shook like a leaf in a storm, every muscle pressed against his locked tight in terror. He swept the wayward strands of hair from her face and tucked them behind her ear. “They have passed. It was only a security search.”

Ava licked her dry and cracked lips. Aekon felt his nodes throb, drek them. She was more than exhausted. She needed food and water and rest. The need to comfort her was an all-consuming urge crashing through his body.

“It is a normal part of Ixod patrol. If they see a downed craft, they search for survivors.”

“Do you…do you think they’ll find us?”

A fresh shiver worked through her body.

He would do everything in his power to ensure they didn’t, but the Ixod were a tenacious species, better known for their battle prowess than their empathy. If the craft was searching, it was because they suspected survivors, otherwise they wouldn’t have wasted fire power like that on a mere Rachet. Those creatures were best known for being roasted and eaten for dinner, not obliterated.

Ava would need to know none of that.

“They’ve gone now,” Aekon said.

Her slim fingers wrapped about his wrist. They were freezing cold. “But they might come back. They might see us and then they’ll blast us like they did that…that….rabbit thing.”

He had no idea what a rabbit was, but she had to have meant the Rachet. “I will protect you, Ava. I told you that.”

Her gaze focussed on him, her pupils so enlarged with fear the blue surrounding them was only a flimsy, thin ring. “But who will protect you?”

Gods help him, he would take the protection she offered if it meant he could lose himself in her arms and sink into her warm, willing body and give into the craving that uncoiled inside him like a living entity. His shaft throbbed and his abdomen lurched with latent desire.

He swallowed past his dry throat. He would not succumb. How was it this little human could slip right past an oath he’d only just made? There was only one answer. He had to set her straight. He had to let her know that even through he’d vowed to rescue her, he was not a good being.

“I am a warrior of the Mercy Division, human. I have seen many battles. I have executed many beings without a second thought. I kill for my job. Slaughtered those who stood in my way. I don’t need protection. Not from anyone. Not my Commander. Not my brothers. Not from any female. I’m here to do a job and I promise you I shall do that, but expect no more from me than I can ever give.”

Her shock almost broke him. His arms shook with tension, fighting the urge to cradle her close to his chest and soothe her until she was soft and languid. He fought his muscles, remaining stoic even though the look on her face crushed him.

She flattened her hand over his chest and pushed away while she tried to move her legs over his knee. “I think we’re safe. You can let me go now.”

He stood, trapping her in his arms, ignoring the way her soft body moulded against his and her hot breath fanned over his neck. She was the perfect weight in his arms. Just the right balance so that she fit with ease against his chest.

He ignored his throbbing cock and cast his gaze to the fast-lightening sky and the too-distant buildings. Then he said the words that were ash on his tongue. “I need to carry you. I can’t have you slowing us down. We’re sitting Platoons out here. We need to move as fast as possible and you’re a liability.”

The dimming of the light in her eyes nearly undid him, but he forced himself to watch trust be overcome by hurt. He’d intentionally hurt her. He deserved no less than to see the effects of his words.

She dropped her arm from his shoulder, winding her delicate fingers around the bicep of her injured arm, every muscle in her body stiff. “I understand. I don’t mean to slow you down.”

Her round eyes, plump lips, and hurt look was seared into his brain. If he were a better male, he would apologise.

If he were a better male, she wouldn’t be here at all.

He forced her image from his mind. Instead, he formed the memory that haunted his dreams into the forefront of his brain: the look of betrayal on Onda’s face when she realised he was too far away to protect her, and then the agony when Zavis had thrust his sword right through her.

Ava would one day forgive him for his rudeness. He would never forgive himself for Onda’s death. Nor should he.

He strode towards the buildings, keeping track of the boulders that littered the ground in case another patrol came past. If he didn’t keep his wits about him, they would be no better off than the Ratchet.

Ava’s stiff body eventually eased. Her head lolled against his chest, the long strands of her hair floated over his shoulders and tickled his neck. It was a testament to how exhausted she was that she’d succumbed to sleep.

A distant rumble alerted him to another craft. He dashed to the closest boulder, barely making it into the shadows before another patrol flew overhead. He pressed his back to the jagged rock, cursing under his breath. He waited for it to pass into the distance.

The darkness had lifted to shades of murky grey. There was no telling how fast daybreak was on this planet. He couldn’t recall much about it. Venturi had locked down decades ago. It refused trade and interspecies communication, run by a dictator that ruled through separation and fear. It was largely the reason the Ixod worked in hordes, instead with unified organisation. Even then, the hordes were deadly. Lawless. No being knew exactly why they lived how they did. They usually ran the other way when approached by an Ixod horde, or else they never lived through the encounter.

Right now he needed to find some sort of shelter and way to feed Ava before trying to send a communication to his brothers. If he could find a craft to steal along the way to get off this rock-pile, he would also take that. Hopefully one that could withstand the pressures of the GeoPass, or they would likely be space-borne for weeks. Together. With him trying to fight Fate and the accursed mate-bond that thrummed through his system more strongly with each step he took.

He darted from boulder to boulder, keeping to their protection as best he could. The desert gave way to a distant dwellings, then clusters. He merged with the shadow of another boulder as an Ixod craft landed near a lone dwelling. Several Ixod emerged and crashed through the entrance, followed shortly by raised voices and screams before the guards re-emerged, went back into their craft, and took off again heading towards the town.

Drek. They had to know there were survivors and were looking for them.

They were close to the town now, but between them and the buildings stretched a flat plain of rocky ground beneath a quickly lighting sky. He had to make it there before the full rise of the sun.

“I’m sorry, Ava.” He positioned her over his shoulder, bearing her slight weight easily.

She stiffened, uttering a surprised sound. “What are you..?”

“I must run.” He locked his arm about her thighs, ignoring the delectable cushion of her backside near his face. “Hold onto me.”

She clasped her arms about his waist, even though the position had to be excruciating for her, and he took off. His feet left little puffs of dirt as he pounded towards the buildings. His heart hammered and his breath became ragged as he pelted over the barren stretch of land. He ignored his straining muscles, and the sweat that trickled down his spine. All that mattered was making it across the barren plain to the buildings and keeping Ava safe.

As he drew closer, details of the buildings became clear. Metal and concrete melded into rigid straight lines, interspersed with windows and doors. Various coloured lights blazed over doorways, advertising clubs and businesses. Overhead, small craft rising above the roof line signified a waking population. His legs burned as he ran. He ignored them, pushing harder. Faster.

One step. Another. Nearly there.

He headed for the dark space between the buildings, shelter from the open environment. Ava’s grip was firm but it was slipping. He felt her uneven breathing and stifled sounds of discomfort with each step he took.

Movement at the side of the building snagged his attention. An Ixod had rounded the side of the closest building, and halted, staring at them. Aekon cursed out loud, veering away from the being and darting along the side of the building, dodging tufts of hardy weeds and loose rocks that threatened to trip him.

He didn’t run far before a thunderous roar rumbled overhead. The dark shape of a craft hurtled towards them. Aekon skidded to a stop, turning back toward the Ixod and barrelled into him. He held Ava tight as he shoved his opposite shoulder into the soft gut of the Ixod. The being stumbled back with a whoosh of air, slamming into the wall. Aekon didn’t stop. He darted into the darkened alley just as the craft homed in on them.

A flash of orange and a burst of heat flashed before the laser struck the wall just above their heads and sent shards of crumbling brickwork raining down on them. Ava screamed, a sound that sent daggers through his gut. He felt the frantic beat of her heart. Her arms tightened about his waist as she held on for dear life.

Aekon pounded through the alley and into a street. Several beings turned at the commotion. He scanned the street and dashed into another alley, darting through the narrow, dark space.

The smells of a city wafted up his nose. Garbage. Mould. Piss. He pounded to the end of the alley and took a sharp right just as another laser struck the wall close to his head. A brick shard sliced his cheek but he didn’t notice the pain. Ava screamed, a sound filled with terror.

Aekon gripped her waist tighter as he bolted between the gap in the buildings.

An Ixod rounded the corner in front of them and pointed a blaster at them. “Halt!”

Behind them, more Ixod stepped into the other end of the alley. They were trapped on either side and no way out. There was only one of him against several trained Ixod warriors. His death would be quick. Hers would take much longer. She’d already suffered too much. If they got their hands on her, her torment would be a fate worse than death.

Onda’s face flashed through his mind. The look of shock, then agony as she’d died on the tip of Zavis’ sword too far away for him to save her. But he had Ava in his arms now. He could save her that .

Death – it was the only way so she wouldn’t suffer. Quick. Painless. It was the only option. Ava’s death would tear him apart, but Onda’s had scarred his soul forever.

Aekon slid a sharp blade from a thigh pocket as he eased Ava from his shoulder to her feet. Her hair was a wild mess about her face. She clutched his shoulders, her body shaking as her dark eyes widened in terror as she spotted the Ixod closing in on them.

Her whimpers cut to his soul, as did the knowledge that he had failed her.

For this, he would be forever condemned to the seven hells but for her ultimate best interests he would gladly take the penance. One nick would be all it would take. The blade was so sharp she wouldn’t feel a thing. He would hold her while her life passed through his fingers. He would watch the light fade from her eyes and pray for her soul. Gods only knew they were not destined to the same afterlife.

“On your knees!” an Ixod shouted.

Ava jerked at the shout. Aekon pressed his lips to her forehead, breathing in her scent. It would have to be enough to last a lifetime, however long that may be. “I am sorry, my Ava.”

Aekon pressed his blade to the artery along her neck just as the bricks at his back gave way and they both tumbled backwards.