THE BUFF BEAST

EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS (A SCIFI ALIEN ROMANCE)

HONEY PHILLIPS

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Epilogue

Author’s Note

Other Titles

About the Author

Copyright © 2021 by Honey Phillips

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author.

Disclaimer

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or people, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Cover by Maria Spada Book Cover Design

Edited by Lindsay York at LY Publishing Services

Created with Vellum

CHAPTER ONE

Mina peered cautiously into the darkness under the highway overpass, then breathed a sigh of relief. The only other occupants were a swaddled figure high on the ledge under the road and old Larry, cocooned in his cardboard nest. The freezing weather had driven the other transients into shelters or warmer locations.

“Whatcha you doing here, girly?” Larry’s pale, rheumy eyes peeked at her over a sheet of cardboard. “You should be at the shelter.”

She shuddered. After her last horrific experience, she preferred to take her chances out in the cold.

“You know I like the fresh air,” she said as lightly as possible.

Larry didn’t look as if he believed her, but if there was anything the homeless people who gathered here were good at, it was minding their own business.

“You got any food?” he asked instead.

Half a sandwich, all that remained of the one a Good Samaritan had handed her earlier that day. She had been saving it for tonight, but looking at Larry’s emaciated hand as he clutched his cardboard blanket, she decided he needed it more.

“Here you go.”

He grabbed it eagerly, hands shaking, and started stuffing it in his mouth. Even though her own stomach ached with hunger, she smiled at his enthusiasm before she started to clamber up the sloped concrete wall to a hidden corner on the top ledge.

“Here,” Larry said thickly as he handed her one of his precious pieces of cardboard.

“I don’t want to take that from you.”

He ignored her. “Put it under you. It’ll help.”

Reluctantly, she took it and resumed her climb, settling into the small space where the retaining wall met the bridge supports. The structure helped to block the wind and from here, she could see anyone approach. She placed the piece of cardboard under her and found that Larry was right. The minor insulation helped prevent the cold from the freezing concrete seeping into her bones.

Unfortunately, nothing could completely stop the icy breeze that needled its way in through her layers of clothing. She huddled in her corner, trying to ignore the empty ache in her stomach. How long had it been since she had been warm?

Her life had never been easy—shunted from foster home to foster home—but she had never expected to find herself homeless. When she aged out of foster care, her caseworker had managed to find her a job working in the office of a small trucking company and a room in a halfway house. Everything seemed to be looking up. She enjoyed her job, and she’d made friends with her coworker, a big, cheerful girl named Debbie. When Debbie found out about her living situation, she had insisted on renting her tiny spare room to Mina.

With a regular, if small, paycheck and a safe place to live, Mina had even started some online classes. But it all came crashing down around her when Debbie’s boyfriend, the disgusting Keith, tried to force himself on her. Debbie had walked in before he succeeded, but instead of defending Mina, the other girl had placed all the blame for the incident on her. Debbie threw her out of the apartment that same night, but even worse, when Mina arrived at work the next day, she’d been called into Mr. Duncan’s office.

An older man with a worn face and kind eyes, Mr. Duncan looked as uncomfortable as she felt when he told her that Debbie had shown him proof that Mina had been stealing from the company. She hadn’t even tried to protest. What was the use? Debbie had been there for years, and Mina was just a nameless orphan. She just nodded her head and walked away.

But times were hard and jobs were scarce and word of her alleged theft dogged her search for a new job. A week ago, she’d even been desperate enough to try talking to Debbie again. But Keith opened the door instead, smirking at her bedraggled appearance.

“You don’t look so high and mighty now, do you?” His gaze swept disparagingly down her body, but despite the mockery in his words, she saw him lick his lips. He shot a quick glance back over his shoulder, then stepped out into the hallway and pulled the door closed. “I can take care of you, you know. How long has it been since you had a good meal or a pretty dress?”

God forgive her, but she had almost been tempted.

“I…”

He smirked and grabbed her waist, hauling her up against him. Before she could protest, he kissed her, forcing her lips apart and invading her mouth with a thick, red tongue. He tasted of beer and cigarettes, and she could barely breathe. He easily subdued her struggles, and the memory of his previous attempt washed over her. Determined to escape, she bit down on his tongue.

He swore and jerked back, then slapped her hard across the face.

Tears sprang to her eyes as she raised a hand to her throbbing cheekbone.

“Don’t waste those pitiful looks on me,” he sneered. “You had your chance. Get the hell out of here. And don’t come back—unless you’re willing to beg.”

Keeping a watchful eye on him, she edged to the end of the corridor, then turned and fled.

Even now—cold, hungry, and desperate—she would have made the same decision.

The wind whistled around the pylons, bringing with it the scent of snow, and she shivered and huddled deeper into a corner. Eventually, she fell into a restless sleep, haunted by dreams of hot soup snatched away by Keith’s leering face.

THE FIRST THING that penetrated her half-awake mind was the absence of noise. The city was always loud—people, traffic, the sound of everything from garbage trucks to fire engines. But now she couldn’t hear anything, just the faint whisper of the wind.

She shivered, as cold as she had been when she went to sleep and wrapped her arms around her stomach only to feel the press of skin against skin. Her eyes sprang open.

All of her clothing had disappeared. She could only think of one reason why she might be naked, and panic swept over her. But other than the increasing cold, her body didn’t feel damaged. She knew the signs of abuse all too well, but there were no bruises, no lingering aches.

Her clothes weren’t the only thing missing. Her small bag of possessions had disappeared as well. Her vision blurred. There was nothing in it of any value—a change of underwear, a few tattered paperbacks, a broken locket that had been an unexpected gift from a long-ago foster parent—but it had been all that she had. Even Larry’s tattered piece of cardboard was gone.

Instead, a roughly woven bag, not much larger than a sheet of paper, was lying at her feet. She snatched it up, hoping for some kind of explanation. Inside, she found a small silver square and a sheet of plastic covered with unreadable symbols.

Useless, she thought in despair.

But as she went to shove both of them back inside the bag, her fingers brushed the silver square and it started to unfold—and unfold and unfold. The resulting piece of fabric was taller than she was and as wide as her outstretched fingertips. It was too thin to provide much protection, but it was better than being naked and she wrapped it around herself.

To her surprise, she immediately felt warmer. Despite the thinness of the fabric, it successfully blocked the wind and trapped her meager body heat.

Grateful to be covered, she turned her attention to her surroundings. She was still huddled in a corner, but she was no longer under the corner of the overpass. Rough rocks, rather than concrete, surrounded her, forming a shallow cave with an opening to her left.

Where was she?

She’d heard the rumors—they all had—of wealthy people who played cruel games with the homeless, but she’d never heard of anything like this.

Determined to find out what was going on, she tried to find some way to keep herself covered without having to clutch the blanket with both hands. She attempted to tear armholes in the fabric, but as thin as it looked, it resisted her efforts, even when she tried to use a sharp rock to cut the holes. Finally, she tied it in place as best she could, leaving her right arm free. The cold instantly sent shivers over the exposed flesh.

At least I can use my arm to defend myself, she thought grimly, as she reached down and picked up the sharp rock.

Moving as quietly as possible, she made her way to the opening. She could hear nothing but that ceaseless wind. Half-convinced that she would walk out to face a crowd of jeering spectators, she took a deep breath. It took all her courage to peek around the edge.

There was no one there.

Only rocky ground and dark, heavy clouds awaited her. A short distance in front of where she was standing, the ground dropped away. She inched closer and found herself on the edge of a cliff—a very, very high cliff.

Far below she could spot what looked like a prairie, but it was carpeted in muted shades of lavender as it stretched out towards the distant glimmer of a dark purple ocean.

Lavender grasses? Purple oceans?

Even though she had spent her life in the city, she was quite sure those colors didn’t exist in nature. It had to be some trick of the light. The clouds swirled in a dark, turbulent mass, occasionally floating between her and the ground below, and she shivered. She recognized the scent of snow.

As if her thoughts had conjured it up, an icy flake drifted across her bare arm. Several more followed, descending with that slow, deceptive gentleness that she knew from experience would soon cover the ground.

After another look around confirmed that she was still alone, she placed her rock in the bag and slung it around her neck before rearranging the blanket to cover her arm. She immediately felt warmer.

Now what?

Even though she couldn’t see any sign of civilization below, it had to be a better choice than remaining on this barren mountain. It looked as if the ledge to the right wound downwards, and with a silent shrug, she set off in that direction.

As she had predicted, the snow continued to fall—slow, beautiful, deadly. The blanket could do only so much, and her unprotected feet grew increasingly numb. The sky was growing darker as well, as if the unseen sun was setting, and she realized she must have lost time during her transition. The footing was treacherous enough already, slick and icy beneath her bare feet. There was no way she could make it down the mountainside in the dark.

She would have to find someplace to spend the night. For a moment, she considered returning to where she had awoken, but it would take her twice as long to return uphill on the slippery slope and, hopefully, the lower she went, the warmer it would be.

A rock wall formed one side of the ledge, but there were no openings or gaps of any size. The snow showed no signs of letting up. She turned a corner and had to fight back the tears. The ledge ended in a small bare plateau, and even in the muted light, she could see the sheer drop on the other side.

As she turned to begin the climb back up the mountainside, she saw a darker slit folded into the rock. A lifetime of disappointment had taught her not to expect anything, but hope still beat in her chest as she approached the narrow opening.

Inside, it was even darker, but there was enough light for her to make out the boundaries of a tiny cave. The rocky ground wasn’t even large enough for her to lie down, but that was the least of her worries. It was dry and it was out of the wind, and that was all that mattered.

As she backed as far away from the entrance as possible, she noticed a lingering musky fragrance, but nothing about it alarmed her. If anything, there was something curiously reassuring about the odor.

She crouched down in the corner, wrapping the blanket around her icy feet. They tingled painfully, but she knew that was a good sign. Better to be in pain than numb from frostbite.

Her stomach ached, and she thought regretfully of the half sandwich she had given away. What had happened to Larry? Was he somewhere in this rocky wilderness as well? And how could she possibly have ended up here without being aware of what was happening?

She ran her fingers over her arms, searching for any sign that she had been injected with drugs, but found nothing.

The questions circled endlessly in her mind, and she barely heard the faint sound. Sound that was not caused by the wind. Was there someone outside the cave?

Her heart thudded painfully in her chest as she tried to quiet her breathing, to make herself invisible.

The sound came again, and this time she thought—no, she was sure—that it was a whimper. Something was in distress.

She was halfway to the entrance before she considered the possibility that it was some type of trap. Her heart sped up again as she cautiously peeked around the edge of the rock.

The snow had stopped falling, for now at least, but the ground was covered with a thick blanket of white. She couldn’t see anyone, and she had almost decided she must have been mistaken, when she heard the weak cry again and saw something flutter against the far edge.

Unable to ignore the pitiful noise, she edged out of the cave, wincing as her feet were once again covered with snow. She crept across the small space, but she would have missed the bird, its feathers as white as the snow, if its wings hadn’t fluttered again.

“Oh, you poor thing. What’s wrong?”

She bent over, moving slowly so she wouldn’t frighten it, then froze when she finally was close enough to see.

That was most definitely not a bird.

The white wings appeared to be made of skin rather than feathers, similar to a bat’s wings, but the rest of its head and body looked more like that of a lizard. Sleek white scales covered the small body, and a crown of spikes topped its head. There was something strangely familiar about it.

A dragon! The little creature looked like a miniature white dragon. She vaguely remembered something called a dragon lizard from high school biology, but she had no idea that they looked so much like the fantasy creatures. She started to reach for him, then hesitated, not certain if she should touch him. But he repeated the pitiful cry and she noticed that one wing drooped at an odd angle. He was hurt, and she couldn’t leave him out here in the cold.

“I’m going to get you out of the snow. Please don’t hurt me,” she added, with an uneasy glance at the spikes crowning his head and his sharp little claws.

Big dark eyes looked up at her trustingly, and some of her nerves vanished. She stroked a cautious finger along the base of the spikes and discovered that his scales were cool and silky to the touch. The little dragon leaned into her touch.

Gathering her courage, she picked him up as carefully as possible. He didn’t fight her, although he whimpered again when she folded his wing in place.

“I’m sorry, but you’ll be better off out of the snow.” The damp, heavy flakes began to descend again as she lifted him to her chest, and he snuggled closer.

Making her way back across the rocks, she hurried into the cave. She and the dragon were both shivering and, a little nervously, she opened her blanket and tucked him beneath it. Once again, he made no attempt to fight her, just settled down with what sounded like a sigh.

She sighed too as she pulled the blanket tight once more. The presence of another living being was amazingly comforting.

Tomorrow, she would have to try and find a way off this mountain, to find some answers, but for right now, she was safe and she was no longer alone.

CHAPTER TWO

Her feeling of safety did not last long. The snow finally stopped falling, but as it did, the temperature dropped and the cave grew even colder.

The little dragon, who she decided to call Draco, didn’t seem affected by the falling temperature. He continued to curl up in her lap, giving an occasional pained squawk when he tried to move his injured wing.

Now that the snow had stopped, the sky had brightened. She briefly considered trying to climb back up to her original position, but the sun was low on the horizon and she couldn’t face the icy trek.

She started to shiver again, despite the blanket, until a sleepy lethargy finally swept over her. Her eyelids drooped heavily, even though she knew she shouldn’t fall asleep. But she was no longer as cold and she couldn’t bring herself to move.

As the sun began to set, a faint gold glow illuminated the opening of the cave. Like a portal to heaven, she thought sleepily. And as if her thoughts had conjured him up, an angel appeared at the entrance.

His big body glowed pure white, even the long hair whipping around his shoulders the same color. She watched him move towards her—so tall his head brushed the roof of the small crevice. His wings were drawn in, but she could see the last rays of sunlight tinting the edges, turning them from white to gold. Some distant part of her thought she should be afraid, especially when he reached for her and she saw silvery claws gleaming on his odd-shaped hands, but the fear that had haunted her for the past few months had disappeared.

“Angel,” she whispered.

He lifted her into his arms, muttering something she didn’t understand when Draco, still nestled in her arms, squawked a protest. She tried to tighten her grip on her little dragon.

“He deserves to go to heaven too.” Her voice sounded odd, distant and dreamy.

The angel said something else. He sounded gruff, but his hands were gentle as he tucked her against him. His skin was warm and soft, like fine suede beneath her cheek, and she rubbed her face against his big chest.

Who knew angels were so muscular, she thought. He smelled amazing, clean and… pure, and she smiled as he carried her out of the cave. He leapt out into the open air, and for a dizzying moment she felt weightless. Then his big wings flapped, and they were soaring into the setting sun. She smiled and closed her eyes.

MYK-EL SWORE SILENTLY as he felt the strange female’s body go limp. At least he could still feel the slight flutter of her pulse against his skin, but he had seen men die in battle with the same distant look in their eyes. Despite the kestava cloth covering her, her delicate skin was icy cold.

The injured winged creature for whom he had been searching squawked softly, as if urging him to hurry. He shook his head even as he sped towards his temporary shelter. Only a few days ago, he had renewed his vow to avoid all entanglements, and here he was with both an injured female and an injured avian who needed his assistance. But then again, a few days ago, he had been in his familiar aerie on Letenja…

He had returned to his isolated home from a rare trip to town. Usually, he had the few things he needed delivered, but today was the first day of Onovat, the season of renewal, and he had been tempted by the thought of fresh sladje. The treat was only available for a limited time, and he had decided to go after it himself.

It had been a mistake. He had forgotten how much he hated the whispers and the sideways glances of the villagers. He hated the pitying looks even more than the suspicious ones. But as he breathed in the peaceful solitude of his home and laboratory, the door alarm sounded. Had he forgotten something?

Without bothering to check the door camera, he threw open the door impatiently. Lil-et, his brother’s mate, posed on the threshold. Her perfect features were as beautiful as ever, her body sleek beneath her thin gown, but his desire for her had ended many years ago.

“What do you want?” he asked, his voice cold.

“Now is that any way to greet an old friend?” she murmured, her hand reaching for his arm.

He stepped back before she could touch him, but not quickly enough to prevent the scent of her heavy, seductive perfume washing over him. “We were never friends.”

A flash of irritation crossed her beautiful face, quickly hidden.

“It’s been a long time, Myk-El.”

Fifteen years.

Fifteen years since he’d returned from military service, wounded in body and spirit, and found her stomach swelling with the fruit of his brother’s seed.

“Why are you here?” he repeated, his wings snapping in irritation.

“I want to heal this rift between us.”

He studied her. In addition to the expensive silks that draped her body, her face was carefully made up, the edge of her wings highlighted in gold, but her current polished perfection bore little resemblance to the young female he had thought to make his life mate.

“Why? I don’t believe that Mef-Ts sent you.”

“No.” Her polished claws tapped in a quick display of nerves. “Couldn’t we go inside? To… talk?”

Once again, she reached for him, and he evaded her touch.

“No. Now tell me why you’re really here, Lil-et.”

“I think Mef-Ts has found another female,” she burst out.

He couldn’t prevent the smile twisting his lips, and she flinched.

“Why have you always blamed me? He seduced me!”

“Did he? Or were you seduced by the fact that he had persuaded my father to leave him everything?”

That had been the second blow that awaited him on his return. Not just that his brother had behaved so deviously, but that his father had died believing the lies Mef-Ts told him. Lies that he had spread throughout their small village.

“I… I was young.”

And she was no longer young, despite her beauty. Perhaps that was why she had come to him, thinking him an easy target. The wealth he had acquired through his inventions had no doubt increased his value in her eyes, especially now that his wings had finally healed.

“It no longer matters,” he said truthfully. Long years of discipline and control had eliminated the pain and the anger. “You no longer matter to me, Lil-et.”

He stepped inside and closed the door without the slightest regret. Never again will I be so foolish, he vowed, as he turned to the familiar comfort of his work. By the time he reached his laboratory, she was already forgotten.

The next morning, he had found himself… elsewhere. Even before his eyes opened, he knew he was no longer on Letenja. The scent of the air, the feel of the cold breeze blowing across his body—both of them were unfamiliar. Opening his eyes a fraction, not enough to reveal his alert state to any unknown enemy, he searched for any clues as to his location.

All he could see were rocks and an endless expanse of unfamiliar sky. No one appeared in his field of vision, and even though he strained his ears, he could hear nothing. He opened his eyes the rest of the way and sat up.

He was alone on a stretch of rocky ground. One side sloped down to a thickly wooded slope while the other reached up towards an overcast sky. His clothes had disappeared but that was of little consequence. Due to the natural protection of their feathers, clothing was a relatively recent development for the Letenjans, used more for decoration or to indicate status than for any practical purpose. His datapad, on the other hand, would be sorely missed.

But right now, he was more interested in determining his location.

Rising to his feet and shaking out his wings, he discovered that he was close to the peak of a mountain, one of a long chain that formed the backbone of an enormous valley. Far to his right, a broad river flowed out of the mountains, surrounded by dense, colorful vegetation. The jungle gradually transitioned to a wide expanse of grasslands which, in turn, ended in a range of low, rocky hills. His keen vision caught a glimpse of what looked like a pink desert beyond the hills. In the distance, he could see the ocean, dark and purple as it stretched towards the horizon.

He scanned the area again and saw no sign of habitation, no sign of any enemy. The open air called to him, and abandoning his caution, he took flight. As he soared over the valley, he noticed a block-like white building that stood isolated in the transitional area between the jungle and the grassland. No roads led towards it, and he detected no sign of life. He would have assumed that it was abandoned except for the fact that it was so pristine.

Keeping a wary eye on it, he flew further down towards the ocean, then circled towards the hills that separated the desert from the plain. From the air he could detect the straight lines that indicated the presence of intelligent thought, perhaps a small village of some kind, but it appeared to have been abandoned long ago.

The jungle held little interest for him and after a cursory inspection, he returned to the mountain where he had first awoken. Whatever—whoever—had placed him here had chosen well. The clear, cold air and the expansive view of his surroundings suited him.

As he came in for a landing, he saw a roughly woven bag on the ground next to where he had awoken. Another sign that there was an intellect behind his presence here.

Inside the bag, he found a long, sharp knife. Useful, but not entirely necessary, he thought, flexing his claws. The only other item was a sheet of flex plas covered with symbols. After his flight, it was easy enough to recognize it as a map. The location where he had awoken was marked by a pair of wings, and another set of wings was marked at a location that corresponded with the white building. There they were joined by a symbol that he interpreted to represent Letenja.

He considered the map thoughtfully. Was it a challenge? A test of some kind? The implication seemed clear enough: journey to the white building in order to return to his planet. But did he even want to return?

He thought of his abandoned studies and the upcoming conference where his latest invention would be presented, but he also considered Lil-et’s appearance at his door and the drama that would undoubtedly occur if his brother chose to abandon her.

No, he was in no hurry to return.

How long had it been since he had a chance to test himself in such a primitive environment? His father had taken them into the wilderness many times when they were children, before age and infirmity sapped his strength. They were some of his last happy memories of his family. A smile crossed his face—the first genuine smile in a very long time. His analysis of the situation might have been logical, but the certainty that it was the right decision came from a different place, a place he rarely considered anymore.

The thought made him uncomfortable, and he turned to more practical matters. If he was going to remain, he needed food and shelter. He considered the valley floor again, but he had no desire to return to the lowlands. No, this mountaintop would suit him well enough.

By the time the sun went down, he had located a series of caves that would serve as a suitable aerie. Each of them had a small natural chimney opening to the sky so he would never feel completely enclosed. And not only were they spacious enough to accommodate his size, but the back cave opened into a grotto containing a hot spring.

After building a fire and catching a small animal for his meal, he settled into the warm water with a contented sigh. Even though he practiced the exercises he had learned during his military training every morning, the day had required a different type of physical exertion and the swirling warmth soothed his tired muscles.

The opening to the sky was at the far end of the grotto. He heard a loud squawk, followed by a whimpered cry and then a soft thud, as something tumbled to the ground at the bottom of the chimney. A flutter of movement caught his eye, and he abandoned the hot springs to investigate.

A small avian lay crumpled on the ground, one of its wings obviously injured. He didn’t recognize the species of course, but avian bone structure tended to follow predictable patterns. Avoiding its sharp little claws and the spikes crowning the small head, he carefully gathered it up and returned to the main cave to see if he could mend the broken wing.

Over the next few days, he kept the small creature confined to one area of the cave as the wing began to mend. It was not happy about the confinement and squawked at him indignantly whenever he approached. On the third day, he returned from a hunting trip and found that it had made a hole in the barrier and flown away.

He was sure that the wing was not completely healed, and he frowned out at the snow that was already beginning to fall—the reason he had cut his trip short. The logical thing to do would be to let the little avian go, but he didn’t like the thought that it was alone and still injured. With a sigh, he took to the air.

The snow didn’t bother him, but it made visibility increasingly difficult even for his keen eyesight. The persistence that had carried him through his injuries and guided his studies wouldn’t allow him to abandon the search. He circled the area, sure that the wounded creature could not have gone far.

The snow finally ceased to fall just before sunset, but there was still no sign of the avian. He was about to abandon his search for the day when he caught a hint of its scent, almost hidden beneath a luscious, unfamiliar aroma. He had never encountered anything quite like it. He followed the scent to a small plateau but didn’t see either the avian or the source of that tantalizing new fragrance.

A closer examination revealed a small crevice, too small to be called a cave, hidden amongst the rock. He peered through the narrow opening and saw a small silvery bundle huddled against the rear wall. Pulling his wings as close against his body as he could, he stepped into the crevasse just as a face looked up at him.

Big blue eyes set in fragile, delicate features looked up at him. She—and he had no doubt at all that she was female—looked impossibly small and helpless as she crouched on the floor. He froze, expecting her to panic, perhaps even to scream. Instead, soft, full lips curved into a welcoming smile.

“Angel.”

CHAPTER THREE

By the time Myk-El returned to his aerie, the female was completely unresponsive. The big blue eyes didn’t open, and the soft lips were as pale as her skin.

He carried her into the warmth of the hot spring grotto, then carefully opened her blanket. Her arms were still loosely wrapped around the avian, but there was no resistance when he opened them. The small creature glared up at him through a beady black eye but didn’t fight when he lifted it free.

The injured wing dragged along the ground, but the repair was still intact. He suspected the limpness was due more to overused muscles than a new injury. He considered returning it to its cage, but it had already proven adept at escaping and the female needed immediate assistance.

“You were foolish to leave,” he told it as he turned back to the female. “But I will not restrain you.”

Somewhat to his surprise, the avian didn’t immediately head for the outer cave. Instead, it remained close, watching as he lifted the female into his arms. He started to unwrap the rest of the blanket and discovered that she had a bag matching his own slung over her shoulder.

So she is a stranger here as well, he thought, although whoever had brought them both here had apparently not taken her needs into consideration. He shuddered as he thought about what might have happened if he had not found her. He still wanted to know why they were here, but right now, taking care of her took precedence.

He slid the rest of the blanket free, leaving her naked in his arms. Her skin was as cool and pale as Ceredian silk. And just as flawless, he thought as his gaze traveled down over her softly curved figure.

Her full white breasts were topped with pale pink nipples. Although Letenjan females did not nurse their young, he was familiar with the concept, and he had a sudden desire to taste those two little buds. For the first time in years, his body responded to the presence of a female, his zemka stirring inside his body.

The sensation shocked him so deeply that he almost put her aside until he could regain his usual control. But she didn’t have time to wait while he went through a calming ritual.

In order to avoid shocking her system, he needed to warm the center of her body first. He arranged her limp body against his chest, her head tucked under his chin, those oddly tempting breasts plastered against his pectoral muscles, and the soft little patch of fur between her legs resting against his lower stomach. He wrapped first his arms and then his wings around her body.

She felt… right in that position.

No. He would never allow another female to weaken him. Even one as soft and defenseless and deliciously fragrant as this one.

His zemka did not agree, still throbbing restlessly inside his body, but he ignored it as he continued to hold her, checking periodically to make sure that her temperature was increasing. The avian settled on a low rock next to them, his head tilted as he watched. The water murmured gently, and a strange kind of peace settled over him as he sat holding his—the—female in the quiet cave.

As her body temperature increased, she began to stir occasionally, her gentle movements torturing his zemka. In a vain attempt to divert his attention, he started planning for her needs. Food first. Perhaps he could make some broth from his last kill. She would need a bed eventually, but she would sleep with him until he was assured of her health. And she would need clothing, at least during this cold season, but once the weather warmed there would be no need to cover that delightful little body…

His thoughts ground to a halt. Warmer weather? She would not be here when the weather turned. And why did that thought leave him feeling oddly desolate?

Appalled at the direction of his thoughts, he began running through formulas in his mind, attempting to lose himself in the cool practicality of science.

Science that lost all meaning when she wiggled suddenly, her hot little cunt settling directly over the opening through which his zemka would emerge. He looked down and found her looking up at him, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright.

“Are we in heaven now?”

He didn’t recognize the language, but he had developed a neural processor for soldiers deafened in combat and tested it on himself. It would translate her words, although it would take him longer to learn to communicate in return.

She wiggled again, her eyes widening as she brushed against the engorged rim of his opening, and he bit back a groan as her body slickened.

“You must stop moving.” He lifted his fingers to her throat and felt the wild beat of her pulse beneath warm, silky skin. “That’s better.”

Ignoring her soft protest, he lifted her free. She shivered as soon as the air touched her skin. He sighed and brought her back onto his lap, placing her sideways across his legs.

She immediately snuggled into him. “That’s better.”

The hand she placed on his chest was still cold, and he covered it with his own, wrapping his other hand around her tiny, icy toes. She needed further warming. Before he could carry her to the hot spring, the avian squawked.

The female scrambled away from him, her round little ass brushing tantalizingly across his opening in the process.

“There you are, Draco. How’s your wing?”

She carefully examined the injury, cooing over it and stroking the avian’s head. An unexpected spurt of jealousy washed over him. He wanted those small, soft fingers stroking his body, not that of another creature.

“You need to get thoroughly warm,” he said gruffly, lifting her away from the creature and stepping into the pool with her.

“Hot! Hot!” she squealed, fighting him for the first time as her feet touched the water.

He winced and immediately raised her out of the water. Fuck. He should have realized that the water would feel much hotter on her chilled extremities. He had let his ridiculous jealousy—of an animal—override his common sense.

“I apologize,” he said, hoping she understood.

His voice sounded stiff in his own ears, but she immediately gave him a soft smile and patted his chest.

“I know you didn’t mean to hurt me. But maybe a bit slower this time?”

Inch by inch, he lowered her back into the water. He could tell that the heat was uncomfortable for her, but blunt little teeth closed down over a plump lower lip and she nodded for him to continue. Brave little female.

When she was finally immersed in the water, he started to let her go, but she murmured a protest and clung to him. He had tasks to perform and it served no purpose to sit here and hold her, but he couldn’t make himself pull those small hands away.

She started squirming again, and he could feel her hard little nipples rubbing against his chest. The unfamiliar sensation shouldn’t have been erotic, but he could feel his zemka beginning to stir again.

“You must remain still,” he said as firmly as possible, tightening his grip. Even if she couldn’t understand his words, he hoped his actions conveyed the message.

Instead, she moaned. He put his hand on her face, careful of her fragile skin, and lifted her chin so that she was looking at him. Her eyes were huge and bright, and a hectic flush colored her cheeks. Were these signs of arousal for her species?

The idea was almost unbearably tempting, but he had spent years learning to ignore the false promptings of his body. He shifted his hands, preparing to set her to one side, but as he started to lift her free, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his.

This was not an act in which his people participated, although he had seen it performed before. Her hot little mouth brushed against his, a curiously pleasant sensation. He opened his mouth to tell her that it was not a suitable custom, and her tongue slipped between his lips. The taste of her flooded his senses as she shyly stroked her tongue against his. Hot, wet, delicious.

His careful logic flew out the window. He didn’t care if this was intended as a gesture of thanks—he wanted more.

He gripped her head, holding her in place as he began to explore. A distant part of him knew that he was holding her too tightly, that he was not giving her a chance to object, but it was overwhelmed by this urgency, this need.

She made a soft sound, but it wasn’t a protest. Her hands gripped his head just as tightly as she tried to press closer to him.

His other hand slid down that bare, wingless back, impossibly fragile, but as he pulled her tighter, he noticed the heat of her skin, hotter even then the hot springs. Was that normal for her race?

He forced himself to lift his head. As he did, her eyes fluttered open, but they were dazed and unseeing.

“Angel,” she murmured again, and then went limp in his arms.

Fuck.

What he had assumed was passion was obviously fever. He should have known that a fragile creature like her would have no interest in a scarred warrior.

A squawk, sounding distinctly reproachful, came from the small avian and he shot it a look as he rose to his feet carrying her limp body.

“I didn’t realize she was ill.”

Now he was apologizing to a lifeform incapable of verbal communication. The sooner this distracting female was on her way, the better.

But then she shifted in his arms, nestling closer even though her eyes were still closed.

He needed to restore her health first, he decided, ignoring the faint pang of guilt. As he carried her through into the front cave and placed her carefully on his bed, he found himself unexpectedly grateful that he had a chance to find out more about the intriguing little female.

CHAPTER FOUR

Mina floated in and out of consciousness. Reality came and went in brief flashes. Sometimes the bed beneath her was cold and hard; other times it was warm and firm. She would be so hot she could barely breathe, and then so cold that her teeth chattered.

Her angel was always with her, tending to her every need, his cool, clean scent surrounding her. Even when he was forcing her to drink some horrible bitter liquid, she felt safe knowing that he was there.

There was another presence too, a small sleek body that curled against her stomach or tucked himself into the crook of her neck. In one of her lucid moments, she remembered the little dragon’s injured wing, but when she tried to examine it, she was too weak to lift her trembling hand.

“He’s fine.” The deep, melodic voice of her angel soothed her fears. When he had spoken before, she hadn’t understood his words, but they made sense now, despite his strange, almost musical accent.

She searched for him, to thank him, but she only caught a glimpse of that strikingly handsome face before her eyes fluttered closed once again.

Night had fallen the next time she awoke, but she had no idea how much time had passed. Her body felt weak and limp, but for the first time in a long while, her thoughts were clear. The bed was hard and cold again, and she wiggled uncomfortably but didn’t have the strength to sit up.

“Stop moving.” Her angel’s voice sounded from across the room.

Room? No. The flickering firelight revealed rough stone walls. A cave.

Ignoring his words, she tried to scramble into a sitting position, clutching her blanket and swaying dizzily as she moved. Her angel muttered something that sounded suspiciously like a curse—did angels swear?—and came to her assistance, putting his big arm around her to support her as she sat upright.

“I don’t understand. I thought heaven would be all fluffy clouds and soft beds.” A new thought struck her as she looked around at the roughhewn rock, red and gold in the firelight. “This isn’t hell, is it?”

Looking up at him didn’t completely erase the suspicion. Her angel was certainly handsome enough, but not in an entirely comforting way. The lines of his face were drawn in harsh slashes, his eyes gleamed pale and silvery, and for the second time, she noticed the sharp, silvery claws that tipped his fingers. When he opened his mouth, she caught a glimpse of sharp white fangs. No matter, she decided. As long as he was here, she knew she was safe. He was frowning down at her, but she gave him a sunny smile.

“I don’t mind if it is,” she assured him.

“What are you—”

Before he could continue, a short squawk interrupted him and Draco hopped onto her knee.

“I thought you were here. How’s your wing?”

He stretched out both of them, as if in response. The injured one still did not extend fully, but he had obviously regained control over it. She murmured approvingly, scratching around the small spikes that crowned his head.

“He’s fine,” her angel said firmly. “Where—”

“You healed him too?”

“For the second time. Which would not have been necessary if he had remained where I put him.” He frowned at the little dragon, but he stroked a gentle finger along his back. “Now, where do you think you are?”

“I thought you were coming to take me to heaven when you appeared out of the snow like that, but now…” She gestured around the cave. “I’m thinking maybe this is hell? Not that I mind,” she added again.

“You think you are in the afterlife?”

“Where else would I be? I’ve never seen a place like this before. Or anyone like you.” Her eyes traveled admiringly across his wide muscled chest. One of his wings was wrapped around her, and she ran a finger down a soft, silvery white feather. Driven by a shameful curiosity—although, if this was hell, surely she was allowed a few lustful thoughts—her gaze dropped down past the taut ridges of his abdomen but found only smooth white skin stretched between his legs. She did her best to muffle a disappointed sigh. Of course. It made sense that an angel would be sexless, but the rest of him was so distractingly masculine that she had hoped for something else.

“Your skin is turning pink again. Are you feeling ill?”

His concerned voice made her jump guiltily, and she snatched her gaze back up to his face.

“I’m fine. I just feel so weak.”

Ignoring her words, he placed a big hand across her chest. It was so large that it spanned most of her rib cage, his fingers curving around her left breast. Her nipple immediately hardened into a tight little point.

“What… What are you doing?”

“Checking your heart rate.” His voice was calm, almost disinterested, but then he shifted his grip and his palm brushed the taut peak. Desire rushed over her so quickly that she felt dizzy, and she pushed against him, seeking more of that tantalizing touch. He dropped his hand as if he had been scalded.

She could feel more heat rushing into her cheeks as he jumped to his feet, but he was no longer looking in her direction. As he turned away from her, she could have sworn that the skin across his lower abdomen was no longer smooth and flat, but before she could get a second look, he was bending over the fire on the far side of the cave.

“You have been ill for several days. It is only natural that you would feel weak.” He returned with what looked like a cup made from bark, his voice calm and his face expressionless. “Drink some of this.”

Despite her uncertain memories, she recalled him giving her something very bitter to drink, and she frowned at the cup. “Do I have to?”

“It will do you good.”

The hand holding out the cup did not waver, and she sighed and took a tiny sip. To her delight, it contained a warm, meaty broth. She drained half of it before she remembered her manners.

“I’m sorry. Did you want some?”

“There is plenty.”

Her little dragon gave a hopeful chirp, and she laughed. “Does that mean you want some too?”

“No.” A big hand prevented her from lowering the cup. “This is for you.”

“But I think he’s hungry.”

“He has already devoured an entire pouch of broth. He is not hungry.”

Despite the acerbic words, her angel didn’t seem annoyed. Draco was still giving her that same eager look, but since her angel showed no signs of relenting, she finished the broth herself, despite feeling guilty.

“That’s better.” He took the empty cup. “Do you want to rest? We can talk later.”

The warmth in her stomach spread throughout her body, her limbs feeling heavy and tired, but she shook her head. “I have the feeling that I need to know what you’re going to tell me. If this isn’t heaven—or hell—where am I? And who are you?”

“My name is Myk-El.”

“Michael.” She smiled. “Just like the angel.”

“Myk-El,” he repeated, and she could hear the subtle difference.

“Mikel?”

“Close enough. I am not a messenger from the afterlife.”

He hesitated, and she patted the rock ledge next to her. “Please sit down. It hurts my neck to look up at you.”

It wasn’t entirely true, but she wanted him close to her for whatever he was about to say. An uneasy feeling was making her stomach churn.

He sat down but didn’t immediately resume the conversation. His claws tapped together, and she put her hand over his.

“Please tell me.”

His hand turned under hers, then he wrapped his fingers carefully around her hand.

“What is your name, little one?” he asked.

“Mina.”

“Mee-na,” he repeated, and she had the strangest urge to blush again.

“Where do you live, Mee-na?”

“I don’t really have a home.” The familiar ache filled her chest.

At the desolation in her voice, he put his arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him.

“Perhaps I should rephrase that. You are aware that you live on a planet that circles a star? One of many stars in the universe?”

“Yes, of course.” Her annoyance helped relieve some of the dread. “I might not have gone to college, but I’m not stupid.”

“I did not mean any offense. I was just unsure as to the state of your technology.” His arm tightened. “You are no longer on your home planet.”

“You mean… you’re an alien?” Her heart started thumping alarmingly fast. Why had it been so much easier to believe that he was an angel than an alien?

“It would be more correct to say that we are both aliens. This is not my planet either.”

“Whose planet is it?”

“I don’t know. I awoke here—as I suspect you did.”

“Yes,” she admitted. “But you… you speak English.”

“I have a… device in my head that translates languages.”

“Wow. Where did you get that?”

His body stiffened. “I built it.”

“Really? That’s amazing.”

“My people look down on such work, but it was a rewarding challenge.”

“I think it’s incredible,” she said sincerely.

The tension left his body, and she snuggled closer. “So someone just dumped us here? Together?” She hummed thoughtfully. “You know, that’s what I thought when I first woke up. That it was some sort of stupid game.”

“Perhaps. Or perhaps an experiment of some kind.”

“One where I would have died if not for you. Thank goodness they picked you as my partner.”

And thank goodness she wasn’t alone. A reckless impulse swept over her, and she rose up on her knees.

“Thank you for saving me.”

Leaning in, she brushed her lips across his. As soon as she did, it felt somehow familiar. She had done this before.

He felt like a statue beneath her mouth, but she was sure he had kissed her back last time. Greatly daring, she licked the seam of his lips.

The cave whirled around her, so quickly did he pull her into his lap. His mouth forced her lips apart as he returned her kiss with feverish intensity. The blanket slid down, and her naked breasts pressed against the velvety firmness of his chest. She tried to rub the aching peaks against him, and he helped her, sliding her slowly up and down without ever breaking their kiss.

He slid her lower, the ridges of his abdomen sending a shock of pleasure straight to her exposed clit, and settled her against a swelling bulge. Oh, Lord. That felt even better, and she wiggled shamelessly against the heated ridge of flesh. Some distant part of her mind wondered where it had come from, but she was too hot, too needy to care.

A sudden pressure against her swollen clit sent her into a short, hard climax. She was still shuddering when she felt a wide, hot knob pressing against her entrance.

And then Myk-El was gone and she was alone on the rocky ledge, an icy chill sweeping over her still throbbing body as he fled the cave.

CHAPTER FIVE

Myk-El rushed out into the freezing night, desperately trying to force his zemka back inside his body. What in the name of all the gods was wrong with him?

Fifteen years. Fifteen years of solitude and discipline, learning to control his body and his emotions, and one taste of Mee-na and he was lost.

His zemka ached, still swollen and throbbing, and he gave into the inevitable. Leaning against a tree, he took himself in hand, rubbing fast and hard, desperate to relieve the tension. But his hand provided little satisfaction. It wasn’t until he allowed himself to recall the feel of Mee-na’s body against his, her enthusiastic response, and the slick heat of her cunt against the tip of his zemka, that he finally exploded. His seed spurted out into the snow, steaming in the frigid night, as he sagged against the tree.

This was unacceptable. He would not allow himself to trust another being—and especially not a female.

Unsatisfied but spent, his zemka retreated inside his body. He cleansed himself with snow, welcoming the icy chill, then pulled control back around himself like a cloak.

That control almost faltered when he reentered the cave and saw Mina huddled on the rocky ledge that served as their—his—bed. Her blanket was back around her shoulders, and she looked as small and defenseless as she had when he found her.

“You did not give me a chance to finish my explanation,” he said, determined to ignore their previous encounter. “This game, as you put it, appears to have a goal. We were each provided with a map.”

She raised her head and looked at him, blue eyes wide with hurt. The avian was leaning against her side, and he could have sworn that it too was giving him a reproachful look. He refused to acknowledge the pang of guilt.

“I don’t think I had a map,” she said softly.

He pulled out the one he had retrieved from her bag and handed it to her, immediately stepping away.

“This is a map?” she asked.

“It is. There is a symbol which indicates your planet in the grasslands.”

“You mean this little blue and white dot?” She frowned at it. “I suppose it does look a little like Earth.”

“I believe it indicates that there is a way to return to your planet at that location.”

“But what if I don’t want to return?”

Then you can stay with me, he thought, then immediately pushed the tempting idea aside.

“You do not belong here.”

The color drained from her face, and she closed her eyes. He saw a single tear on her cheek and took half a step towards her before he forced himself to remain on the far end of the cave.

“I will take you there. As soon as you are well enough,” he found himself adding.

“Is it a long way?”

Yes. The word trembled on his lips. If they traveled down the mountain and across the grasslands, it would take days and she would be with him the entire time.

“No,” he said instead. “I will carry you and we will fly there. It will not take long.”

“I see.” Her voice was flat, dead.

“Get some sleep. You need to recover your strength as quickly as possible.”

“So you can be rid of me.” The words were barely audible as she turned her back on him and huddled against the wall.

He wanted to protest. He wanted to go to her and pull her back into his arms. He wanted her to promise that she would never leave him. But he was too old for such foolishness. She would leave eventually. It would be better for both of them if she left now.

MINA DIDN’T KNOW if Mikel had heard her, but he made no response. She heard a soft rustle, then felt a cold breeze whisper past her face. Perhaps he had left the cave again, but she didn’t bother to turn around and look. What was the use?

Everything had happened so fast that she still felt shocked. From thinking that she had died to finding out that her angel was an alien to the sudden, explosive passion that had flared between them. He had kissed her so hungrily, as if he needed her, and that had been as seductive as the feel of his body against hers. He felt so good, so right, but then he left her. When he returned, he acted like a cold stranger instead of her angel.

She should have known better than to think he might have wanted her to stay. A lifetime of moving from one foster home to another had taught her differently. The longest she had stayed anywhere were the two years she spent with Mother Ruth and Father Joseph. Mother Ruth was very strict and very religious, but she had not been unkind. Mina had been desperate enough for a home that Mother Ruth’s refusal to allow any popular culture into her home had seemed like a small price to pay. But then Mina turned fourteen, and her body had finally started to develop. Father Joseph had paid her little attention up until that point, but suddenly he was asking her to help him in his shop and coming in to tell her good night. A few weeks later, Mother Ruth had handed Mina her battered suitcase.

“Time for you to move on, child,” she said firmly.

“I don’t want to go. Please don’t make me leave.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I’ll work harder. I’ll be good.”

The older woman’s face had softened slightly, even though she shook her head. “A wife’s duty is to her husband. That includes keeping him away from temptation.”

“But I didn’t do anything,” she pleaded.

“It doesn’t matter. Your caseworker will be here in five minutes.” Mother Ruth stepped back into the house and closed the door.

That was the last time she had ever tried to argue when she was told to move on. It hadn’t done any good then, and it wouldn’t do any good now.

The thought of returning to Earth filled her with dread. She would be cold and alone and desperate once more.

She tried to lose herself in sleep, but memories of the past horrible months tormented her.

The rock ledge was hard and uncomfortable, and despite her blanket and the fire still burning in the cave, she couldn’t get warm. Draco pressed against her side, but all she could think about was that she was going to lose him too.

She did her best to remain still, but suddenly Mikel was there. He lay down next to her and lifted her into his arms so that she was lying on top of him instead of the hard stone. She started to push herself free, but his arms tightened around her.

“Hush. You need your rest.”

His wings settled over her, soft and warm, and she took a deep breath of his cool, clean scent. This felt so familiar, and she realized he had held her in just such a way while she had been ill. His long, white hair brushed her cheek, and she ran her fingers through the soft, thick strands. Not hair exactly, she decided, as his hand came up to cover hers.

It was an illusion of safety, of belonging, but she let herself give into it. Her body relaxed and she finally drifted off to sleep.

But she didn’t sleep peacefully. Her dreams were haunted by memories of all the times she’d been forced to leave a different home. Each time she startled awake, Mikel was there, stroking her back or her hair until she settled into another uneasy doze. When the pale light of dawn finally began to illuminate the cave, she pushed herself free. This time, he let her go.

“I need to use…” She couldn’t quite make herself say it, even though she was sure he had tended to her while she was unconscious.

Silently, he led her into a back cave. Steam rose from a pool of water in the center, and she remembered him holding her in the warm water.

“You brought me here, didn’t you?”

“Yes. I needed to raise your body temperature.”

She sighed and some of her frustration ebbed away. Perhaps he had been her angel after all. She was quite sure that he had saved her life.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

The stiffness in his bearing eased as he dipped his head in acknowledgment. Then he showed her a channel where the overflow from the hot springs traveled along the rear wall before disappearing into the rock. She nodded, but he showed no sign of leaving.

“Would you mind leaving me alone?” she asked.

“What if you fall? Your strength is not fully returned.”

“I’m sure I can handle this.”

He hovered uncertainly, and more of her annoyance seeped away at his obvious concern.

“I promise I’ll call you if I need help.”

He left reluctantly, and she quickly took care of business, afraid that he would return to check on her. She used the water from the hot springs to wash herself and considered taking a bath, but he was right about her lack of strength. Her legs trembled as she returned to the main cave.

He took one look at her, then came and picked her up, carrying her back to the rocky ledge which served as a bed. She didn’t protest. And was it her imagination or did his hands linger against her skin as he set her down?

Before she could decide, he moved away to attend to a pouch suspended over the fire pit. Now that the sun was up, she could see more of the cave. It was surprisingly homey. In addition to the fire pit, he had a small store of supplies against the far wall.

“How long have you been here?” she asked.

“I arrived several days before you.” He poured hot liquid into the bark cup and brought it to her. “Here. Drink this.”

The meaty scent of the broth made her stomach gurgle, and she sipped willingly.

“Then why didn’t you return home? Did you go to the place you’re going to take me?”

He turned back to the fire, but she could see the ends of his wings flutter.

“I am in no hurry to return.”

“There’s no woman—no one—waiting for you?”

“No.” He looked over his shoulder at her. “There never will be.”

She got the message, but she found herself feeling more sorrow for him than for herself. He must be just as lonely.

“There’s no one waiting for me either,” she said quietly.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, then shook his head and rose to his feet, shaking out his wings. As she watched admiringly, the sunlight gave the white feathers an almost silvery gleam.

“I do not think you are ready for the journey today,” he announced. “I will hunt for our meal, but I will not go far.” He headed to the cave opening, then hesitated and looked back at her. “You will be all right while I’m gone?”

“Just lonely.”

His wings fluttered, but he only dipped his head in acknowledgment of her words and then he was gone. Draco hopped down from the bed ledge, and for a moment, she was afraid that he was about to go after Mikel. Instead, he headed for the fire pit.

Afraid that he would hurt himself, she followed him.

The fire pit consisted of a bed of coals placed between a short rock pillar and a wall of rocks Mikel must have built. The smoke escaped upwards through a natural opening in the rock. A wide, flat stone covered one half of the pit, while a cooking pouch made from some kind of leather hung suspended from a branch over the other half. Draco eyed the pouch longingly, and she laughed.

“I suspect you’ve already had your share.”

Unable to resist the little dragon’s pleading look, she dipped out more of the broth. He certainly devoured it as if he hadn’t eaten in weeks.

Once he was finished, he curled up next to the fire, and she started investigating the small collection of supplies neatly assembled on natural shelves formed by the folds of the rock. One shelf held a stack of bark like that used in the cup. Hmm. Maybe she could make her own.

She studied the construction of the other cup, then set to work. By the time Mikel returned, she had managed to make a second cup. A little lopsided perhaps, but it held water, and she couldn’t wait to show it to him.

CHAPTER SIX

Anxiety tugged at Myk-El as he hurried back to his aerie. He had been gone longer than he intended, but he barely left the cave while Mee-na was ill and now he needed to restock their supplies. His eyes went to the bed ledge as soon as he entered, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw that she was no longer sitting there. Had she left him already?

Then a slight noise made him look towards the fire and he found her sitting there, smiling happily at him. His immediate relief was followed by anger. Not only was his concern for her welfare far too intense, the sight of her waiting for him was far too welcoming.

Pushing aside his desire to greet her with another of those tempting kisses, he frowned.

“You should have remained in bed.”

Hurt blossomed in her eyes, but she lifted her chin. “I wanted to find something to do. Look, I made another cup.”

She placed it next to his, and longing speared through him so intensely that he felt dizzy. How long had it been since he had a companion to share a drink or meal? Those two cups represented the home, the family, he would never have.

While he was still struggling with that acknowledgment, she looked at what he was carrying.

“What’s all that? You weren’t gone that long.”

“I made the kill before…” Before he found her, and everything changed. “But there was a storm coming and I was in a hurry to return. I only had time to skin and dress the animal. I brought some meat back, and I intended to return once it stopped snowing.”

“But you’ve been taking care of me instead.”

He forced himself to shrug as he brought his burden to the fire. “It wasn’t a problem. I stored it high in a tree. Everything was still there and still frozen.”

He unfolded the fur and she quickly averted her eyes from the butchered kill. Draco squawked and hopped forward inquisitively.

“He doesn’t seem to be as squeamish as you are.” He handed the avian a small piece of still-frozen meat which he gnawed at eagerly.

“I’m not squeamish. I’m just not used to seeing meat like this.”

Which was another reason why she needed to return to her planet. He didn’t say it out loud, but from the color that washed across her cheeks, he suspected she knew what he was thinking. She lifted her chin.

“What do we need to do to prepare it?”

We.

His pleasure at the word almost made him reject her offer, but perhaps the reality of life on a primitive planet would prove his point.

“I’m going to roast the leg portion. Some of the rest will go into the stew pouch, and I will dry what remains. If you insist on helping, you can cut this into strips while I build up the fire.”

His words came out harsher than he intended and she flinched, but then she nodded and reached for the meat. He handed her his knife and showed her how to shave off thin strips from the thawing meat, then went to collect more firewood.

They worked together in silence at first, but she started asking an occasional question about what they were doing and the tension eased. After she finished with her strips and arranged them on the flat stone over the fire, she offered to help scrape the fur.

“What are you going to do with this?” she asked as she scraped the sharp edge of a rock across the underside of the pelt.

“It will make the ledge more comfortable for you.”

“For me?” Her big blue eyes filled with tears, and he half-hoped, half-feared, that she would give him another one of those tempting kisses.

“I do not want you to be uncomfortable while you’re here,” he said gruffly. Or ever, but all he could control was the here and now.

“I’m not uncomfortable here.”

He didn’t respond to the quiet statement, and she turned back to her task. As she did, her blanket slipped down yet again. She had tried to tie it in place, but the slick material kept coming undone. Each time it revealed a delicate, wingless shoulder, he remembered how her silky skin felt beneath his hands.

“But perhaps I should use it to make you a functional outfit,” he suggested.

“Maybe you should,” she agreed as she retied the knot. “I tried using one of the bark strips to tie it in place, but the material is too slippery.”

He sighed and stood up. “Come here and let me see what I can do.”

She obeyed, looking up at him trustingly, even though her pale golden head barely reached his chest. She was so small… They couldn’t possibly be compatible as mates, he told himself.

But then he reached for the knot just as she did and it fell apart, the material sliding down her body and leaving her completely exposed. His doubts about their compatibility vanished.

He had seen her naked many times while he cared for her, but he had forced himself to focus on her well-being. Now she was no longer ill and he could appreciate every luscious inch. From the soft fullness of her breasts, topped by those odd, tempting nipples, to the small patch of pale, silky curls which shielded her little pink cunt.

She made no attempt to cover herself, letting him look his fill. Her eyes were huge and midnight-dark in her small face, her lips parted.

His zemka began to swell, and he wanted more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life to lift her into his arms, carry her to the ledge, and worship each part of that strange, unbearably tempting body. Instead, he called on all the control he had learned over the years and bent down to pick up the kestava cloth instead.

It was a mistake.

They were so close that when he reached for the fabric, his arm brushed across her soft stomach. He felt her skin tremble at the touch as the sweet scent of her arousal filled his head. His control vanished. With a groan, he dropped to his knees in front of her.

One taste, he promised himself. One taste to remember for a lifetime.

He ran his hand up the inside of her leg, relishing the soft skin quivering beneath his fingers as he gently urged her legs apart.

He heard her soft intake of breath, but she didn’t protest. Her small fingers clutched his shoulder as he reached the apex of her thighs. Slick heat greeted him, and he growled approvingly. Sheathing his claws, he ran his finger along the delicate folds. He already knew she was not built the same way as a Letenjan female, but he hadn’t been able to truly explore those differences before.

Keeping his touch featherlight, he parted the delicate skin. As he stroked the length of her slit, he brushed a small pearl of flesh that hardened under his touch. A muffled gasp escaped her lips and her hands clenched. Was she uncomfortable? He looked up and saw that her cheeks were flushed, her nipples tight little peaks, and her eyes heavy. No, she was not uncomfortable.

He swirled a careful finger over the small nub of flesh and felt it swell even more.

“What is this?”

“My… clit,” she whispered.

“And you enjoy it when I touch you here?”

“God, yes.”

He tapped it a little harder, and her whole body shook. He smiled, delighted that she was so responsive to his touch. With his other hand, he found the entrance to her cunt. That part was much the same, although hers was impossibly small and not protected by the hard rim that shielded a Letenjan female. There was nothing to stop him from sliding his finger into that hot little channel except the natural tightness of her body.

She would welcome my zemka the same way, he thought as he thrust deeper. She gasped again, and her blunt little claws dug into his shoulders. Using her body’s response to guide him, he worked her clit while he thrust into her tight channel in a slow, demanding rhythm. He could feel her growing hotter and slicker, and he couldn’t resist. He shifted his hands to her hips, holding her in place as he speared his tongue deep inside.

Her body convulsed, bathing his tongue in her essence as her channel milked him in long, pulsing waves.

His zemka sprang free from his body, aching to be buried inside her, but he ignored the impossible need, contenting himself with long, slow licks as her body slowly eased. Despite the throbbing ache, the knowledge that he had given his female pleasure filled him with satisfaction.

It was enough. It has to be enough.

MINA CLUNG to Mikel’s shoulders as the waves of her climax washed over her. His muscles were like iron ridges beneath the velvety suede of his skin, and his hands gripped her hips so hard she could feel the faint prick of his claws.

He began to pull away, but her knees were too weak to support her and she started to collapse to the ground. He caught her—of course her angel would catch her—and tucked her against his chest as he sank back on his heels. As he did, she felt the heated, throbbing length of what had to be his cock beneath her ass.

But where had it come from?

As the warm glow of her climax began to fade, her curiosity returned. She gave an experimental wiggle and felt the instant response from beneath her. Although somehow it didn’t feel quite like she would expect a cock to feel.

“Stop moving,” he growled.

Emboldened by their encounter and the fact that he had not rushed away—yet—she smiled up at him.

“I was just testing a hypothesis.”

That stern mouth quirked. “What hypothesis, my little scientist?”

“I didn’t think you had a… cock.” Despite her newfound bravery, her cheeks heated at the word.

“You thought I was not a functioning male?” He frowned at her, looking as if he was hovering between amusement and offended pride.

“I didn’t see anything, umm, between your legs.” Her face must be completely crimson by now.

“We do not expose our genitalia.”

The hard length throbbing beneath her ass contradicted his words, and she gave him a questioning look.

“Unless it is time to mate,” he added. “But you do not need to be afraid. I know that we are not compatible.”

They weren’t? Why not?

“Can I… Can I see?”

CHAPTER SEVEN

Mina held her breath as she waited for Mikel’s response. She wasn’t quite sure what was driving her, other than an urgent desire to learn as much about him as she could.

Finally, he sighed and adjusted her position on his lap.

His cock sprang up between them. Oh my. Now she understood why it had felt strange beneath her. Instead of a smooth column of flesh like a human male, he had a wide, spiral shaft that ended in a pointed tip with four petals. It was as white as the rest of his body, but it gleamed with an opalescent sheen.

Unable to resist, she smoothed a finger along one of the wide spirals. He groaned and gently pulled her hand away.

“It is not possible, little one.”

“Why not?”

“We are too different.”

“Oh.” Why did that hurt so much? She had thought he had enjoyed their encounter as much as she had, but maybe he had only been humoring her. “You mean because I don’t have wings? Or because I’m different… down there?”

He actually looked shocked. “You are different, but it is a delightful difference. I meant that you are too small.”

His cock certainly wasn’t small, but was it too big? Before he could object, she put her hand around him. Her fingers didn’t quite meet, but she suspected that the slick, spiraling surface would feel immensely pleasurable. She slid her hand experimentally to the base of his cock, where a firm, circular ridge surrounded the shaft. He groaned again as she traced the ridge.

“If you keep touching me, my body will respond.”

“Is that bad?” She circled him again, delighted when his wings flared out behind him. Still swirling her finger around him, she moved back up the wide shaft. “Does that feel good?”

“Yes.” Opal sparks flared in his pale eyes. “You are teasing me.”

“I’m testing, remember?”

“Perhaps I should conduct my own experiment.”

He pulled her closer, so that his cock rested between her pussy lips, wide and hot and slick. Lord, that felt good. Then he cupped her breast, stroking a clawed thumb delicately across the pebbled tip, and she shivered.

“I believe you enjoy that.”

He seemed fascinated by her nipples, stroking and tugging until she was writhing against his cock. Determined to make him feel just as good, she gripped his shaft again, sliding her hand up and down in the same rhythm that he was using on her breasts. He growled, and she felt him grow even harder before he bent her back over his arm and sucked a throbbing peak into his mouth. Her body arched, forcing her clit against his ridged shaft, and she came in a shower of sparks that pulsed from her breasts to her swollen clit. His body jerked, and a rush of heat flooded her stomach and legs, bathing her clit and sending another shock of pleasure through her.

Her body went limp, still bent over his arm, and his head came to rest next to hers. She clung to him, and he held her just as tightly.

Then Draco squawked, and Mikel stiffened. He didn’t rush away this time, but as he sat up, she could see the stern mask was once more in place.

Her heart ached, even though she had known deep down that no matter how much he seemed to need her, sex alone would not create a bond. Another lesson she had learned young.

“I—”

“I’m going to take a bath in the hot springs,” she interrupted, horribly afraid that he was going to apologize.

Her blanket was still in a crumpled heap on the floor. She grabbed it and fled, determined to be out of sight before the tears started to fall.

MYK-EL WATCHED MEE-NA LEAVE, fighting the urge to call her back. Was he foolish to send her away? After all, it wasn’t as if there was any competition for her… affection on this isolated planet. She would need him to provide for her, and that would keep her at his side. He found he liked the idea that she would be dependent on him, but then he remembered how easily she had learned to assist him earlier. Even though he would be happy to take care of her, he suspected she wouldn’t need him for long.

Staying with her would mean he could never return to Letenja, never take the risk of exposing her to other males, but that seemed like a small price to pay. He would miss his lab and his tools, but he relished the challenge of creating a comfortable life for Mee-na out of the wilderness. A life satisfying enough to make up for the technology she would be relinquishing.

From creating neural translators to cooking pots, he thought wryly, but he smiled.

His first impulse was to discuss it with her immediately, but long years of caution held him back. He would sleep on it and tell her in the morning, he decided. But for now, he wanted a smile back on her beautiful face.

He found her bending over the hot springs, naked and open to his gaze. The round globes of her ass perfectly framed her sweet little pink cunt, and his zemka throbbed. He had the sudden, illicit urge to walk up behind her and thrust himself into that tempting entrance. The position was, if not actually forbidden, considered highly deviant on Letenja because of the vulnerability of one’s partner’s wings.

But Mee-na has no wings, he thought, studying her narrow, fragile back. There was nothing to stop him from bending over and sinking his zemka into her tight little cunt. Or even exploring her other tight little hole… The depravity of his thoughts shocked him back to reality.

He still was not sure that their bodies were compatible, and he would make no attempt to find out until he knew that she would stay. But in the meantime, there were other pleasures to explore.

“I thought perhaps I could help you bathe,” he said softly.

She jumped and turned to face him, her arm hiding his view of her delightful little nipples. He could see the uncertainty on her face and hated that he was the cause of it.

“That is, if you would permit me,” he added.

Her mouth trembled, but then she smiled, an innocent, provocative smile that sent a rush of excitement to his zemka.

“As long as you’re careful.”

He suspected she meant a lot more than his physical assistance, but he deliberately took the words at face value.

“Very careful—although it may take a very long time to make sure you are thoroughly clean.”

Her sweet laugh echoed through the cave, and she held out her arms to him.

That night, he dreamed.

After a long and satisfying time in the hot springs where he brought her to climax over and over, he had insisted that they eat. As soon as they were finished, she told him shyly that she wanted to “return the favor.”

The shocking pleasure of her small mouth closing around the sensitive tip of his zemka had sent him into an almost instant, overwhelming climax—as if he had no more control than a youth on the edge of manhood. She had only given him a happy smile and bent back over him. Eventually, they fell into an exhausted sleep, and that was when the nightmare found him.

He was imprisoned again, his wings clipped and burning, surrounded by darkness so thick he felt as if he were suffocating. He could hear the faint, distant cries of another soldier being tortured and, gods help him, he clung to that noise, the only reminder that he was not alone.

Then the dream shifted. He was landing on Letenja with the few remaining members of his team. His brother sneered at him, his gaze flicking derisively over his damaged wings. Lil-et shrank away from him as the wind whipped her gown against her body. He could see the swell of her stomach and knew she had been unfaithful, but tired and heartsore, he had been prepared to forgive. Instead, she turned from him and took his brother’s hand.

As she dismissed him, he felt himself falling back into the suffocating darkness of his cell.

He startled awake, his heart pounding as if he were truly a prisoner of war again. His gaze went instantly to the fire, the soft glow reassuring him that he was not confined in the dark.

And he was not alone. Mee-na was curled in his arms, her body rising and falling with her gentle breathing.

But he could control the fire. He could not control her feelings for him.

With the pain of Lil-et’s betrayal still fresh in his mind, he couldn’t take the chance. He had recovered from Lil-et. If Mee-na betrayed him, he suspected it would destroy him.

No. He couldn’t take the chance. He would send her back to her planet, back to plumbing and a real mattress and the company of others.

He would remain here—and she would exist in his memories, always giving him that sweet, seductive smile.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Mina awoke with a lazy feeling of contentment. She hadn’t known she was capable of so much pleasure. Pleasing Mikel had been just as rewarding. Her first blow job and he had fallen apart, she thought a little smugly, remembering his reaction.

Mikel’s arms were wrapped tightly around her and she tried to snuggle closer, wondering if he would let her practice her newfound skills again. But as soon as he felt her move, he lifted her free and sat up.

“We should leave soon. The morning air currents are best for flying,” he said, not looking at her.

An aching hole opened in her stomach. She had thought they were so close yesterday, but it had only been an illusion.

“Leave?” she whispered.

“To journey to the white building. So you can return to Earth.”

“I don’t want to go back to Earth. There is nothing for me there.”

“There is nothing for you here,” he said, his voice hard, but when he flashed a quick look in her direction, she was sure that she could see pain in his eyes.

“But—”

“Does your planet have warm dwellings?”

“Yes, but—”

“And mechanical transportation? Readymade clothing? Boots?” His big, warm hand cupped her small foot for a moment.

“Yes.” She stopped attempting to explain.

“Then you are better off there.”

He stood and went to the fire before she had a chance to respond. No use in fighting it, she thought, sagging in despair. How many times had she begged to stay, only to be sent away anyway?

Determined not to cry, she sat up and looked for her blanket.

“Here.” Mikel handed it to her, and she saw it had been transformed into a simple dress with a woven bark ribbon holding it together.

A tear escaped despite her resolve, and he sighed and sat back down, putting his arms around her.

“It’s for your own good,” he said softly.

She’d heard those words many times before as well. She only nodded and let him dress her as if she was a small child. In addition to the dress, he had created some rough moccasins from the fur she had been preparing, and he knelt down to tie them in place.

“When did you make these?”

“While you were sleeping.”

Even though he was sending her away, he had taken the time to create these for her?

Draco had been sleeping next to the fire since their activities of the previous night had driven him off the bed, but he hopped over to her now, squawking hopefully. She picked him up and cuddled him against her chest as he rubbed his head affectionately under her chin, his spikes prickling gently.

“Can you take him with you?” Mikel asked.

“No. He wouldn’t belong on my world.” She looked up to find him watching her, an inscrutable expression on his face. “Will you take care of him?”

“Of course.” He hesitated. “You will have to leave him here. He can’t fly well enough to accompany us.”

“That’s fine. I would rather remember him here.”

She fussed over the little dragon a few minutes longer, then put him down and turned to Mikel. “I’m ready.”

He settled Draco in the corner with a meaty bone, then placed a barrier of brush in front of him. The little dragon shot it a suspicious glance, but he was more interested in the bone.

Still, Mikel hesitated, then he sighed again and reached for her. She went willingly into his arms, determined to remember every moment. He carried her outside, one arm cradling her ass and the other secured tightly around her back.

“I won’t let you fall,” he murmured.

“I know.” But she wrapped her arms and legs around him and buried her face in his neck.

His muscles tightened, and then he leapt into the air in one powerful movement. His wings snapped out and caught the air, and they were airborne. The world whirled and her stomach whirled with it, but she took a deep breath of his cool, clean scent and her body settled.

She cautiously opened one eye, taking in the wide expanse of sky above them. Encouraged, she opened both eyes, blinking dizzily as she saw the vast panorama of land below. Their mountain was already receding into the distance behind them.

It was beautiful in a strange and unexpected way. His arms held her securely, and she grew more confident about the flight. If he hadn’t been sending her away, she would have loved to discover more of this world.

Trying to distract herself from her melancholy thoughts, she concentrated on her surroundings.

They were flying towards the ocean, wooded foothills gradually morphing into a lavender prairie. A herd of large ruminants, oddly reminiscent of big purple buffalo, grazed peacefully amongst the grass, and in the distance, a flock of colorful bird-like creatures took flight.

“You haven’t seen any signs of people here?” she asked.

He bent his head to hers, the wind whipping the soft strands of his hair across her face. “Only our destination. Plus some very old ruins.”

“I wonder what happened to them.”

“Races die out. It is not uncommon.”

“I suppose not.”

They lapsed into silence until she spotted a white building in the distance. Their destination.

She wanted to scream, to cry, to beg, but all she did was close her eyes and cling to him. He seemed to be flying slower now, but he finally landed and gently placed her on her feet.

The white building was a short distance away. Now that they were here, she could see it was composed of two separate shapes—an enormous rectangle that rose high in the air and a much smaller rectangle along one side. It was absolutely featureless, the walls smooth and white, with no windows and only one door at the end of the smaller block.

Something about it terrified her, but she lifted her chin and refused to cower.

“I… I WILL LEAVE YOU HERE,” Myk-El said, his voice hoarse.

Mee-na turned to look up at him, her face pale.

“You aren’t going to come inside with me?”

No. He couldn’t bear the thought of watching her walk away from him. He needed to be the one to leave.

“I have to return to Draco.”

Her eyes filled with tears. “Take care of him.”

“I will.”

“And take care of yourself, Mikel. Thank you for saving me.” Her smile trembled.

“Thank you…” For being here. For easing the loneliness. For making me remember what it felt like to care for another being.

None of the words emerged. Instead, he dipped his head and took flight, telling himself that it was the icy breeze that stung his eyes and made his chest ache.

DESPITE THE TEARS blurring her vision, Mina watched Mikel fly away until he vanished into the sky. She felt as if he had taken part of her with him, leaving a gaping hole inside.

Should she have tried harder to convince him that she wanted to stay? Even if years of experience had taught her that trying to prolong the inevitable only made it hurt more?

Not that it mattered now.

She turned back to the building. Nothing about it appealed to her. The stark white building had a sterile, antiseptic look that reminded her of some futuristic hospital. She shuddered at the thought, but it only reinforced her decision not to enter.

Why would she? She had no desire to return. There was nothing on Earth for her.

Instead, she would find a way to survive here. Even in the short time she had spent with Mikel, she had begun to learn how to make use of her surroundings.

She cast a glance over her shoulder at the tree line. Maybe she could find some supplies there. Like bark I can use to make a cup, she thought, and her mouth trembled. But she lifted her chin and marched away from the building the same way she had marched away from every one of the foster homes she had been forced to leave.

The landscape transitioned surprisingly quickly from prairie to a few scattered trees to dense jungle. There were signs of life everywhere here as well. Insects buzzed and twittered, more of the colorful avians darted amongst the trees, and she could hear small animals rustling in the undergrowth.

The vegetation was a startling array of candy colors, and a variety of flowers filled the air with perfume. It was beautiful, the air warmer than it had been since she arrived—and she missed her mountain.

Why had she even entered the jungle?

A wave of loneliness swept over her and she sank to her knees, finally giving in to the tears she had been suppressing since Mikel told her he was sending her back. She cried until her head ached and her eyes felt red and swollen, but when the tears finally ceased, she felt lighter. She leaned back against an enormous moss-covered tree and considered her options.

The jungle was beautiful and full of life, but she didn’t feel right here. The air was too thick and heavy, the constant buzz of sound grating rather than soothing. She even had the odd feeling that she was being watched.

No, she decided, she would make her way back to the prairie, and then back to the mountains. To Mikel.

If he still rejected her, she—and Draco—would find their own cave.

She suspected the journey back home was going to take her several days, maybe even longer, but she didn’t care. For once, she was going to go after what she really wanted.

Decision made, she started to get up but discovered she couldn’t move. The moss that covered the tree was covered with small, sticky drops that had glued themselves to her clothes, her hair, and even her skin where her arm rested against the trunk.

Crap. Huffing a disgruntled sigh, she started slowly separating herself from the clinging stuff. She had just managed to work her arm free, leaving a little skin behind in the process, when a faint noise made her look up.

A huge spider-like creature covered with spiky golden fur was crawling down the tree, sickly yellow fluid dripped from a terrifying array of sharp teeth. Its bulbous, faceted eyes were focused directly on her.

She screamed.

CHAPTER NINE

Myk-El was halfway back across the prairie, still rubbing his aching chest, before he realized that he was an idiot. A cowardly idiot.

Mee-na was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Even though he had tried to convince both of them that he was letting her go because it was in her best interests, the truth was that he was afraid. Afraid of being hurt.

He had to go after her. After his foolishness, she might still want to leave, but at least he could ask her to stay. As long as he wasn’t too late.

As he raced back towards the building at lightning speed, the ache in his chest finally eased. Despite his fear that he wouldn’t be in time, he knew he had finally made the right decision. When the building came into view, he searched frantically for any sign of her small figure.

She was no longer in the grass where he had left her, and the building looked as untouched as always. He would have to enter, he decided, aiming for the door, even though the thought made him shudder. But as he came into a landing, his keen eyesight picked up a trail of small footprints, heading into the woods that edged the grasslands.

She hadn’t even entered the building? Where was she going? And why hadn’t she told him she intended to stay?

Because I didn’t give her a chance, he thought guiltily.

Flying low, he followed the footprints until the dense growth made him drop to the ground. The trail was harder to follow in the jungle, the ground thick with moss, roots and vines waiting to trap unwary feet.

He didn’t like this place. The foliage was too dense for him to keep an eye on his surroundings. The air was too warm and damp, disturbingly reminiscent of the atmosphere in his cell. But he kept going, driven by an increasing sense of urgency.

The footprints disappeared.

No.

He refused to give up. He was going to find her. He searched for her scent, but there were so many fragrances filling the air that it was almost impossible to find. Just as he thought he caught a hint of it, a scream split the air.

Mee-na!

He took to the air, desperate to reach her. The heavy vines and thick branches impeded his progress, but he fought his way through them, not caring that he was leaving a trail of broken feathers. He burst through a final group of leaves and into a small clearing.

Mee-na sat against the base of a tree, undamaged, and relief filled him.

Until her terrified blue eyes met his, and he saw the many-legged creature suspended above her head.

With an angry roar, he launched himself across the clearing. The creature hissed and raised a glistening claw. Suspecting that it was venomous, he ducked beneath the claw and slashed at the bulging abdomen. A thin blue line appeared amongst the bristling gold fur, and the creature hissed again.

It was focused on him now, not on Mee-na, and he was determined to keep it that way. He dove at it again, barely avoiding its claws, and opened another wound. His knife would have increased his reach, but he had left it at the cave. No matter, he would never allow this creature to harm Mee-na.

The fight dragged on. He managed to inflict considerable damage, but none of it was fatal. One of the creature’s claws caught a wing, and he could feel the edge of it going numb. He had to finish this fight before he was unable to use it.

He flew higher, then swooped rapidly, and this time his claws raked across a bulbous eye. The creature yowled and started to retreat. Determined not to let it escape, he repeated the maneuver, and this time his claws sunk deep into the viscous fluid of its other eye.

It shuddered, and then its body plummeted to the ground a short distance away from Mee-na. The legs twitched a few times, then stilled.

He followed it to the ground, making sure it was dead before he turned to Mee-na, still crouched against the trunk of the tree. He snatched her into his arms, vaguely aware of a ripping sound, his whole body trembling.

Her arms tightened around his neck as if she would never let him go.

“You saved me, my angel. Again.” Tears streamed down her face as she hugged him.

“Are you hurt? Was I in time?” He ran his hands frantically over her body, checking for injuries. The back of her makeshift gown had disappeared, but her silky skin appeared undamaged.

“I’m fine. Nothing happened.”

His hands slowed, caressing now. “I should never have left you.”

“No, you shouldn’t have.” Her voice trembled, but a defiant nod accompanied her words.

He choked back a relieved laugh, then lifted her into his arms and kissed her. She kissed him back, her sweet mouth as urgent as his, as his hands slid down her bare, wingless back and cupped the soft curves of her ass.

The fact that she was only partially dressed finally penetrated. “What happened to your clothing?”

She pointed back at the tree, and he saw the kestava cloth entrapped in the moss.

“The moss is sticky. It acts like a trap for that spider thing.”

They both shuddered. He started to turn in the direction of the grasslands, then staggered as his increasingly numb wing threw him off balance.

“Mikel! What’s wrong?”

“The creature caught me with a claw. I suspect it was venomous.”

Terror flashed over her face. “It poisoned you?”

He tried to stretch the wing, but it barely moved. “Not poison. I suspect it’s a paralytic agent designed to hold the creature’s victims in place.”

“Do you think it will wear off?”

“Probably, but it would help if I could wash the injury. I heard a stream while I was following you.”

She insisted that he put her down, but her small fingers locked around his as they headed in the direction of the stream. “I still can’t believe you came after me.”

“I told you I was foolish to have left you.” His words sounded thick and slurred, and she shot him an alarmed look.

“Is it getting worse?”

“A little.” He tried to shrug, but the shoulder on his injured side did not want to move.

By the time they found the stream, his head felt like it was floating above his body, and Mee-na was half-supporting him.

A sunlit slab of moss-covered rock edged a small pool, not even as large as their hot springs. The water sparkled invitingly in the sunlight, but Mee-na hesitated as they reached the moss.

“Do you think it’s another trap?”

The dark blue surface was smooth and undisturbed. Ignoring her protest, he stepped onto it. Nothing happened.

“It’s fine.”

“You shouldn’t be so reckless,” she scolded, but he was already heading for the water.

He sank into the cool depths with a grateful sigh. It was barely more than knee deep, but it was large enough for him to submerge his entire body. The debilitating numbness immediately started to fade, replaced by a welcome tingling sensation.

“Is it helping?” she asked anxiously.

“Yes.”

“Oh, thank goodness.”

She collapsed onto the soft moss and, after a quick look around, shrugged and discarded the tattered remnants of her outfit. Her body gleamed pale and perfect in the sunlight, and more of the numbness washed way in a rush of desire. He had come so close to losing her.

“I need you,” he growled, his voice harsh in the quiet clearing.

CHAPTER TEN

Mina’s breath caught at the intensity in Mikel’s voice. He sat up in the stream, water glistening on his big, perfect body. As he stood, his wings flared, scattering crystal droplets into the air.

He stalked towards her—there was no other word for it—and arousal flooded her system. His cock had already emerged, the thick, spiral length gleaming in the sunlight.

Her breasts ached and her clit throbbed as he knelt down next to her. His nostrils flared, and she blushed, knowing he was inhaling the scent of her arousal.

Despite the heat burning in his eyes, he paused, studying her face. “I almost lost you, little one.”

“But you didn’t. You saved me, my angel.”

She reached up and tangled her fingers in the thick strands of his hair, tugging him towards her. He came willingly.

His mouth brushed hers, and then there was no more hesitation. He kissed her, demanding a response and taking everything she gave him in return until her body was on fire with longing. His hands roamed her body as they kissed, demanding touches that only added to her escalating arousal.

“I want to take my time,” he muttered when he finally raised his head. “To worship every inch of you. But I don’t think I can wait.”

“Then don’t wait. I want you too.”

He groaned and bent his head to her nipples, drawing them into his mouth with hard sucking pulls, then scraping his fangs lightly across the sensitized tips, sending streaks of electricity straight to her needy clit. His big hand cupped her mound, and then he swiped his thumb across her swollen nub. The climax rushed over her so fast that bright lights sparkled in her vision while she shuddered and clung to his broad shoulders.

He finally lifted his head from her swollen breasts and knelt between her legs, lifting her hips to align his cock with her entrance.

“I want… I need to be inside you.”

She relaxed against him, no thought of denial in her mind, but he didn’t move. His cock hovered at the entrance to her pussy, tantalizingly wide and hot against her needy flesh.

“What are you waiting for?” she demanded.

“You’re so small.”

“You’ll fit,” she assured him, and his hips jerked forward.

At least I hope he will, she thought, as he began to stretch her open. She could feel her body struggling to adjust, but she didn’t want him to stop. The first spiral entered her, and she bit back a cry. Pleasure and pain fought for dominance, and then he brushed his thumb over her clit again and pleasure won. He forced another spiral inside as he caressed her again. Sensations rushed through her, so intense that her vision blurred.

“Do you want me to stop?” he asked, his voice hoarse.

“No.” When he still hesitated, she thrust her hips up, hard enough to take another spiral, her eyes watering at the stretch.

His hands clamped down on her hips, holding her in place while his thumb reached over to gently circle her clit, the rush of pleasure easing the strain.

“You will let me control the pace.”

“Okay,” she whispered, even as she tried to wiggle closer.

Despite the intensity on his face, his lips quirked, revealing a flash of fang. “Patience, little one.”

“Then quit stopping!”

“I won’t stop again.”

And he didn’t, even though the slowness with which he entered her threatened to drive her crazy. Her body quivered, the contrasting sensations sending flashes of hot and cold rippling over her flesh. Her breasts ached, the hard tips throbbing in time with her heartbeat.

When his body finally came to rest against hers, she could feel the hard ridge at the base pressing against her clit. Her entire body tensed, hovering on the edge of orgasm.

“Look at me,” he demanded, and she obeyed.

Opal sparks glittered in his pale eyes as he met her gaze.

“Are you all right?”

“Oh, yes. But I want to move.”

“Not yet. Your body needs time to adjust. You are so tight, like a silken fist gripping my zemka.”

He seemed to swell even more as he spoke, and she couldn’t stand the anticipation any longer. She slid her hand down her body, brushing across her swollen breasts. He didn’t object, his eyes heating as he watched the path of her hand.

His width stretched her folds, leaving her clit exposed and throbbing. She circled it once, twice, then slid her finger directly across the heated nub. Her climax roared over her like an oncoming train. She was vaguely aware of her body jerking, escaping even his strong grip, and of his hoarse cry as her vision sheeted to white, lost in the exquisite sensation.

Her channel tried to clench around him, but he filled her completely. Her body convulsed helplessly, and then he was moving, his hips pounding into her in a frenzy. Each time he withdrew, each time he pushed back inside, his spirals dragged across her flesh, sending her into one long, continuous orgasm until he finally plunged deep and froze. She felt him open inside her, spreading her even further, then pulse after pulse of heat filled her, sending another jolt of pleasure through her system as he collapsed down over her, his wings blanketing their locked bodies.

She floated in a satiated daze, gradually aware of the sounds of the jungle again, of the life surrounding them. He raised his head, even that slight movement sending a spark of excitement through their still joined bodies, and brushed his lips across hers.

“Are you all right?” he asked again.

“I’m wonderful—although I would feel even more wonderful if you stopped asking me.”

He laughed, causing another ripple of arousal, then slowly withdrew. Each still-thick spiral sent another little aftershock through her body, and she was panting by the time he slipped free.

“You are very swollen, little one.”

He ran a careful finger through her folds, and even that gentle touch caused another small climax to wash over her. His eyes heated, but he only lifted her in his arms and carried her to the shallow pool.

The cool water soothed her heated flesh, and her intense arousal finally subsided. She nestled into his arms.

“I had no idea,” he murmured.

“No idea of what?”

“That a female could be so responsive.”

She felt her cheeks flush. “I don’t know what came over me. I lose all control when you touch me.”

“Good.”

He kissed her, and even though she was exhausted and slightly sore, her arousal started to build again. She rubbed her breasts against the velvety suede of his big chest and heard his breath catch.

“You are far too tempting, little one.”

He gently lifted her free, then carried her back to the soft moss. He held her hand as the sun dried their skin, warm and comforting, but her brain had clicked back on.

“Why did you try and make me leave?” The words burst out before she could call them back.

He sighed. “I thought it would be less painful if I sent you away instead of waiting for you to leave me. I was wrong.”

“Why would I leave you?”

“Let’s just say that in my experience, females are not to be trusted.”

The echo of old pain in his voice made her chest ache. “Do you still… care about that female?”

“Not at all.” Relief swept over her at the certainty in his words. “But some lessons are hard to forget.”

She was half-afraid that he would push her away, but instead he pulled her closer. His fingers trailed up and down her arm as they listened to the sounds of the jungle.

“Why did you stay?” he asked finally.

“I didn’t want to go back.”

“But your world has technology. You would have food and shelter, clothing, without having to create everything from scratch.”

A bitter laugh escaped. “No, I wouldn’t. I was homeless, Mikel. I didn’t have a job and I was sleeping under a bridge. It was as cold there as it was here and you weren’t there to save me.” A lump appeared in her throat. “I think I would have died there.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he demanded.

“I did. I told you I had no reason to return.”

“You omitted the rest of those details.” He raised his head, studying her face. “Did you really think I wouldn’t listen?”

“I… I wasn’t sure,” she admitted. “I’ve never found that objecting does anything but make it harder for me.”

“And it’s easier not to try?”

“I suppose.”

“Just like I found it easier to avoid others rather than to risk being hurt.” He shook his head, but his lips quirked in a rueful grin. “Aren’t we a pair?”

“Are we? A pair, I mean?” She could feel her cheeks heating. “Because it wasn’t just the fact that there was nothing on Earth for me. I didn’t want to leave you.”

“We are together now,” he assured her. “If you’re sure you don’t want to return to your planet—”

“I’m sure.”

“—then I think we should go back to the mountain. Together. Unless you’d prefer to remain down here, where it’s warmer?”

She shuddered. “No, thank you. I don’t like the jungle. I had already decided to return to the mountains. If I never see another tree, I’ll be perfectly happy.”

“There are trees on the mountain.”

“Not like that one,” she said inarguably.

He laughed and lifted her into his arms. “Then let’s go home.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Myk-El watched anxiously as Mee-na wandered aimlessly around their cave. Since their return almost a month ago, they had made a number of improvements, ranging from a fur covered mattress to a table and two stools, many of them the result of her ideas. She might have lacked survival experience, but she had a quick mind and nimble fingers and she constantly surprised him.

He had almost managed to quench his doubts, to believe that she wouldn’t leave him, but her restlessness made him uneasy.

“What’s wrong, little one?” he asked, as Draco fluttered over and landed on her shoulder.

“I don’t know. I think I’m just tired of the cold.”

“The spring thaw has begun,” he assured her. He had seen the signs of it on his hunting trips.

She wrinkled her nose. “That’s what you say. It still seems cold to me.”

“Do you think we should move to the lowlands?” He hoped she understood the emphasis. She wasn’t going anywhere without him, even though he wasn’t thrilled with the idea of moving.

“After everything we’ve done here?” She shook her head. “Not at all. But it might be nice to visit.”

“Not the jungle, I assume?”

She shuddered. “God, no. And I know the desert would be warm, but it doesn’t seem very appealing.”

“What about the ocean?”

“You mean go to the beach?” Her eyes lit up. “That sounds like a wonderful idea. It’s not too far, is it?”

“Not for me. But it would be a long flight for Draco.”

“Then I suppose we’d better leave him here,” she agreed reluctantly.

Once again, he herded the little avian into the corner. He was less willing to go this time, but he begrudgingly accepted the bone Myk-El offered him in exchange.

The brush barrier would not keep Draco confined if he truly wished to leave, but he pushed it into place and turned to Mee-na.

“Are you ready?”

Her smile lit up her face. “I can’t wait.”

He lifted her slight weight into his arms and leapt into the air.

As soon as he took flight, he realized how erotic it was to fly with her. When he’d taken her to the white building, he had been too miserable at the thought of losing her to notice, and even on the way back, he had been more conscious of relief than excitement.

But now she was his and he could truly enjoy the soft press of her body against his. Her legs were wrapped around his waist, and her arms hugged his neck. It would be a simple matter to let his zemka spring free and slide her down to meet it. His shaft jerked in approval.

Mating flights had once been common amongst the Letenjans, but now they were regarded as a primitive relic of the past. Of course, this was a primitive planet…

But Mee-na didn’t have wings and he didn’t want to scare her. He reluctantly pushed the idea aside, but he couldn’t push his arousal aside as easily. By the time he found a suitable spot by the ocean—a sheltered cove with a soft, sandy beach—he was on fire with longing.

He placed her on her feet, but before he could kiss her, she skipped away, exclaiming in delight over the sand, the warmth, the sun on the ocean. It wasn’t until she bent over to spread out their fur and gave him a provocative look over her shoulder, that he realized she had been teasing him.

“You knew I wanted you,” he growled as he stalked towards her.

“Considering that you kept squeezing my ass and rubbing me against your body?” She laughed. “Let’s just say I suspected.”

“Take off your clothes,” he ordered.

She shimmied out of her dress, her enchanting little nipples already taut with excitement, and he expected her to lie down on the rug. Instead, she got down on her hands and knees in front of him and wiggled her ass.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m suggesting a new position.” She tried to speak casually, but he saw the pink coloring her cheeks.

“Like that?”

He remembered his illicit thoughts when he had seen her bent over the hot springs, and lust swept over him so quickly that he felt light-headed. His zemka sprang free as soon as he knelt behind her. He stroked her soft curves and saw her quiver with excitement.

“You like this idea.”

“Oh, yes.”

He pushed her knees further apart, revealing her delicate pink flesh, already glistening with arousal. Despite the urgency of his need, he lingered, delighting in the way this new position exposed so much of her to his eager eyes. He teased her clit until it was pink and swollen, probed teasingly at her tight little channel, then circled the puckered star of her anus.

“Mikel?” she asked, her breath catching.

He stroked her soothingly as he gradually inserted his thumb into the small opening. Her body trembled, but he could see the slickness on her thighs. Leaving his thumb in place, he tightened his grip on her hips, then slid his zemka into her sweet little cunt in one long, hard thrust. She cried out and came, her body clasping him so tightly that he couldn’t move. As soon as her grip loosened, his control vanished and he thrust helplessly into the heated haven of her body, plunging deeper and deeper, his thumb moving with each stroke.

Her body convulsed again and pushed him over the edge, his zemka opening and seed erupting in long, hot pulses as she fluttered around him. He collapsed down over her back, pressing kisses to her silken skin, until his body calmed and he reluctantly withdrew.

After cleansing her with a damp cloth, he drew her into his arms.

“You have a wonderfully creative mind,” he murmured.

“I don’t think it was my mind you were appreciating.” Her voice was heavy with satisfaction.

“Let’s just say I appreciate every part of you.” He feathered his hand across her breast, loving the way her nipples responded to his touch. “Although I’m afraid I have neglected some parts.”

“Maybe you should make up for that.” she suggested, arching into his hand.

He laughed and obeyed.

“I WANT to take a closer look at those ruins,” he murmured a long time later.

He had appreciated Mee-na so thoroughly that she didn’t even open an eye. Instead, she waved a limp hand. “Go ahead.”

“I don’t want to leave you.”

“Is there anything dangerous here on the beach?”

“No,” he admitted. “But don’t go in the water.”

“I won’t. You go explore. I’m going to soak in the sun and take a nice little nap.”

“You will remain here?”

“Right here.” Sleepy blue eyes opened and she smiled up at him. “I need to restore my energy for next time.”

His zemka immediately responded to the teasing look in her eyes.

“You don’t need energy. I will do everything.”

“Later, my angel. Now go explore.”

He brushed a too brief kiss across her lips and took off.

The ruins had obviously been built with advanced technology, but they had been very simple dwellings. Whoever had lived here did not seem to have been interested in adorning their buildings. But then his aerie on Letenja was the same way, plain and functional.

As he flew back in the direction of the beach, one of the buildings caught his eye. It took him a moment to realize that this one had a roof and flowers planted around the walls. Someone was living there.

Mee-na!

He raced back to the beach, his wings cutting through the air, and arrived in time to see her extend her hand to a golden-scaled male. Rage and jealousy and hurt exploded in a thunderous torrent of emotion as he slammed to the ground between them, knocking the male away.

“Never lay a finger on her,” he roared.

He wanted to cut off the male’s offending hand, but it was more important to remove Mee-na from his presence. He snatched her up in his arms and winged back into the air.

“Stop it! What are you doing?” she yelled, struggling in his arms.

He tightened his grip to make sure that she wouldn’t fall, even though agony speared through his chest. How could he have been foolish enough to think that she wouldn’t betray him? As soon as another male appeared, she had turned to him.

“Mikel, listen to me. Sabrost speaks English too. He has a human mate.”

“And now he wants another?” he asked bitterly.

“What? What are you talking about?”

“I saw you touch him.”

“We were shaking hands. It’s an Earth custom.”

A distant, rational part of him knew he should listen to her, but all he could see was her small hand on another male’s skin. Just as Lil-et had taken Mef-Ts’s hand, choosing his brother over Myk-El.

“You touched him,” he repeated.

Her body went still, her voice quiet. “You don’t trust me, do you?”

I do trust you. But he couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud, to make himself vulnerable.

MINA DIDN’T EVEN TRY to talk to Mikel as they flew home. Her own feelings were in turmoil. She had been terrified when she looked up and saw the strange golden-scaled alien at the edge of the cove. But he had politely averted his eyes as she grabbed for her dress, and then he had spoken to her—in English!

But they had only exchanged a few words, just enough for him to introduce himself and to let her know that he had a human mate. He had been inviting her—them—to meet his mate when Mikel came swooping in and snatched her away. She knew that he was fiercely protective, but this had been much more than that.

And now he had all but accused her of cheating on him. She wasn’t completely oblivious—she knew a female had betrayed him in the past, even though he hadn’t discussed the details. But she would never do that. Didn’t he know how much she loved him?

How could he? a small nagging voice prompted. You’ve never told him.

The words had hovered on her lips a thousand times, but she had never had the courage to speak them aloud. Not only because of her old fear of rejection, but because he hadn’t said them either.

But it wasn’t just the lack of words. As much attention as he paid to her, as much as he did everything he could to make her happy, she always had the uneasy feeling that he was still holding back. And he’d just proven it.

The heavy silence still lay between them when they landed in front of their cave. Draco flew out, squawking reproachfully, and landed on her shoulder. She reached up and absently stroked his back as she watched Mikel pace back and forth, his wings fluttering. She had never seen him lose his control so completely, and it made her unexpectedly hopeful. He must have cared to be so agitated.

“Do you want to talk now?” she asked finally.

“No!” he yelled, then his wings sagged. “Yes.” He sighed. “I don’t know.”

“Did you hear me say he has a human mate? Her name is Janet and I’d like to meet her.”

“No!” he roared, then visibly tried to calm himself. “Why?”

“Because she is human. Because I suspect that she—that both of them—were brought here the same way we were. Maybe together we could come up with some answers.”

“I don’t need answers. I had everything I wanted.”

Her heart sank at his use of the past tense. “And now you don’t?”

“I…” His wings flared out again. “If only you knew what I felt when I saw you touch him.”

“It was an innocent gesture. It didn’t mean anything.” She took a deep breath. “I would never betray you, Mikel. I love you.”

His body turned to stone, even his wings stilled, frozen in midair. She couldn’t read his expression at all, and her heart started to pound.

Didn’t he believe her? Or didn’t he feel the same?

Unable to face him, she turned and paced to the edge of the cliff. Her eyes went to the distant ocean and the promise of meeting another woman, but it faded into insignificance next to the fact that Mikel still hadn’t spoken.

She turned to face him and saw him open his mouth just as a loud roar shook the air. For a moment, she thought it had come from him, but then she looked up and saw the side of the mountain racing towards her. She grabbed Draco and tried to scramble back towards the cave, saw Mikel start towards her, and then the edge of the cliff dropped out from under her and she was falling.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Myk-El watched in stunned horror as the avalanche swept down the mountainside. He saw the cliff start to crumble, but before he could react, Mee-na disappeared over the edge.

He leapt after her, his wings tucked tight against his sides to increase his speed. He knew he was descending too quickly but he didn’t care—he had to reach her in time. A rock thudded off his back, another, but he wasn’t going to slow down to try and avoid them.

He never took his eyes off her small figure. She had one arm out in a futile attempt to stop her fall, the other cradling Draco against her chest.

“Mee-na!” he cried.

She looked up, her face pale and frightened, but when their eyes met, he saw relief wash over it. Her outstretched arm reached for him, and he arrowed towards her. More rocks hit him and pain streaked down his back, but he ignored it.

He was almost there… almost…

His fingers brushed hers. Relief coursed through his veins as he prepared to pull her into the safety of his arms—and she vanished.

In the fraction of a second, she was gone, leaving only the dress she had been wearing and a small, squawking creature. He automatically seized them both, still searching frantically for any sign of her.

Only rocks tumbled through the air towards the dangerously close ground. Still staring stupidly at the empty space where she had been, he finally snapped out his wings. He managed to break his fall, but he still hit the ground in an ungainly sprawl.

Draco squawked again as they hit, but Myk-El managed to protect his fragile body as he collapsed to his knees.

Mee-na was gone. She had told him she loved him, and then she had been taken from him before he had the chance to tell her how much he loved her in return.

The pain in his chest was worse than any of the torture he’d endured. Whoever had brought her to him had taken her back.

No.

Whatever it took, he was getting her back.

MINA DRIFTED BACK to consciousness to the sound of people talking. But they don’t sound exactly like people, she thought fuzzily. There was an almost mechanical note to the voices.

“Now what are you going to do?” the first voice asked, and despite the clipped precision of the words there was a suggestion of impatience. “You can’t send her back.”

Back? To Earth? Away from Mikel and Draco?

No!

She wanted to scream her protest, but her body wasn’t responding. She felt as if she was floating in a thick, warm cloud.

“No, of course not. She would have died that night.”

She would have died beneath the bridge? Her body tried to shudder, but only her fingers twitched.

Maybe she’d been right all along and Mikel was an angel. Her angel.

“You intervened too soon, Va’rik’at’char.”

“We agreed that she would not be harmed. He wasn’t going to reach her in time.”

“Yessh, he wass.” Indignation finally forced out the words. They were soft, slurred, but she felt the shock in the sudden silence.

“She is awake? What have you done, Va’rik’at’char?”

What felt like a cool breeze washed over her, and the warm cloud began to dissipate. Her eyes popped open.

She was lying on a table in the middle of a barren white room. Only a square translucent panel high on one wall broke the featureless surface.

“Where am I? Where’s Mikel? Where’s Draco?”

“You are safe.”

It was the one named Va’rik’at’char, she decided, the one who had brought her here, and she scowled at the panel. “I was already safe. Mikel had reached me.”

“I did not think he would. I already made one mistake by bringing you here in the cold season. I did not want to make another.”

“Mikel saved me then, and he would have saved me now.”

“You see?” the cooler voice spoke. “You should not have interfered. This is precisely what we have been testing.”

“Testing?” So Mikel had been right. It wasn’t a game after all. “What exactly are you testing?”

Neither of them responded, but she could have sworn she heard a faint buzzing, like they were talking in a distant room.

“It is complicated.” Va’rik’at’char again. “But perhaps it is time, La’tok’at’bron.”

“Not yet. This will be the final test.”

“What test?” she asked again. “Please just send me back to Mikel.”

But the thick cloud was surrounding her again, and she slipped away.

MYK-EL WINGED ACROSS THE PLAIN, heading back to the ruins. Mee-na had said that the golden-scaled male—Sabrost—had a human mate, and that they had arrived on this planet the same way they had. Perhaps the male would have additional information about what might have happened.

Draco squawked softly, and he tucked the avian closer against his chest. Somehow, he had been unable to leave him behind, even though he knew the little creature wouldn’t be able to provide any assistance in his search.

The beach was empty. After a perfunctory glance around, he headed for the one building he had seen that was not in ruins, praying that its proximity meant that the other male was located there.

He landed in the small courtyard in front of the house, but before he could head for the door, Sabrost stepped out. A Hsslak, he recognized now. The other male matched him in height, and the Hsslak had a reputation for their fighting skills, but they were also known as a peaceful, devout race.

“I need your help,” he said immediately.

“Indeed.” The male surveyed him thoughtfully, his face serene.

“They have taken my mate.”

“Who has?”

“The ones who brought us here.”

Sabrost paled and turned back to the house. “Janet,” he called.

A female opened the door and peered at them. Human, he concurred, although she bore little resemblance to his Mee-na.

“What’s wrong, Sabrost?”

“He said his mate was taken away from him.”

She gasped and hurried to Sabrost’s side, clutching his hand. He returned her clasp and something inside Myk-El eased. He could see the bond between these two. The same bond that he and Mee-na shared, but he had been too foolish to admit.

Sabrost turned back to him. “Were you at the lab? The white building?”

“No. We thought the map indicated that it was a portal back to our planets so we avoided it.”

“So did we. But I should have known that if they could reach us on our planets, they could reach us here as well.” His hand tightened around Janet’s, and for the first time, Myk-El noticed her swollen stomach and realized she was pregnant.

Human females could mate with males from other species? He tried to ignore the tide of longing as he pictured Mee-na carrying their child. Right now, all that mattered was getting her back.

“Do you think they returned her to her planet?” If so, he would find a way to go after her. She wouldn’t be safe without him to protect her.

“I don’t know about your mate,” Janet said slowly, “but I was in a bad situation before I was brought here.”

“So was she. Surely they wouldn’t have sent her back?” His chest ached as he remembered her describing the world she had left behind.

“We have discussed it, and we think that perhaps the Goddess chose us for a happier path.” Sabrost’s serenity had returned, now that his mate was next to him. “If that is true, She would not return your mate to her previous surroundings.”

He bit back an impatient protest. He didn’t believe that there was a religious aspect to their arrival, but it would do no good to argue with a believer.

A chirp came from within the house, then a colorful avian flew out and landed on Janet’s shoulder. Draco emerged from where he had been hiding behind Myk-El’s wing.

“Oh my goodness. You have a little dragon!” Janet exclaimed.

“This is Draco.” At the sound of his name, the avian let out a loud trill, one Myk-El had never heard before. The other avian responded.

“And this is Tinkerbell.”

He nodded absently, trying to focus on what to do next. His increasing panic made it hard to think clearly.

“Do you have any other information that might help?”

“I’m afraid not.” Sabrost sighed. “My only suggestion is to enter the white building. If they have the technology to transport us here, perhaps they also have the technology to track down one of their… subjects.”

It was a slim hope at best, but it was better than nothing. And if all else failed, perhaps he could find a way to travel to her planet to search for her.

“Thank you,” he said, raising his wings.

“Wait a minute. Do you want to leave Draco here?” Janet gave the little avian an anxious look. “You don’t know what you’re going to find.”

He hesitated, then shook his head. “I know, but he wants to find her as much as I do. He’s coming with me.”

“We will follow you on foot,” Sabrost said, his hand tightening around Janet’s. “It’s time we faced our fears and discovered what the building holds.”

He nodded his thanks and leapt into the air.

“We think there are others,” Sabrost called after him. “Don’t attack them.”

He lifted a hand in acknowledgement, guilt washing over him at his original response to the other male. If only he hadn’t lost control and let his emotions take over. Mee-na would never have been near the edge of the cliff. He already knew she would have been delighted to meet Janet—and Tinkerbell.

Will be delighted, he amended, determined to remain positive. He would find her, and they would visit with the other couple.

But his hope faltered as he reached the white building. It looked as serene and undisturbed as when he had originally brought Mee-na here. But it was the only thing he could think to try. He took a deep breath and headed for the door.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

A cool breeze washed over Mina, and at first, she thought she was back on the mountain. Then the faintly antiseptic smell of her surroundings penetrated. She was still in the same room.

She sat up, surprised to find that she felt completely normal, and realized that she was now dressed in a simple white gown.

“We have been considering your situation.” It was the colder voice, La’tok’at’bron. “We agree that we cannot return you to your planet.”

Thank goodness. Her body sagged with relief.

“But you cannot remain here without a mate.”

Her pulse immediately increased. “What do you mean? Did something happen to Mikel?”

“He had not proven himself worthy.” La’tok’at’bron sounded faintly disapproving.

“Of course he has. He has saved me time and time again. From the cold, from sickness, from the spider. He would have saved me from the fall if you hadn’t snatched me away.”

“He has not acknowledged the bond between you.”

“He just needs time,” she said quickly. “He was hurt badly before.”

“We knew that. We just… hoped that he would be able to overcome the past.”

“He can! I think he already has, but he isn’t quite ready to acknowledge it.”

La’tok’at’bron ignored her protest. “We will find you a new location and a more appropriate mate. It’s for your own good.”

The words and the cool, dismissive tone were all too familiar, but this time, she wasn’t giving up without a fight. She wasn’t leaving. She wasn’t abandoning Mikel.

“It’s nothing of the kind.” She jumped off the lab bed, storming around the small room. “He’s good for me. I love him, and he loves me.”

Certainty flooded her as she spoke. So he hadn’t found the words yet. Everything he did showed how much he cared for her.

“You will get over—”

“I will not get over him! I’m not leaving and you can’t make me.” They could, of course, but she would fight them every inch of the way.

“I see.” A pregnant silence. “Then we will give him one more chance. You may watch if you wish.”

The panel on the screen flashed, and Mikel appeared. He was heading for the door of the white building, Draco perched on his shoulder. His face was drawn and stern, his body tense, but his determination was obvious. Her heart welled with love.

“What is he doing?”

“He’s looking for you. We will see if he can find you.”

AS MIKEL APPROACHED THE BUILDING, the door panel slid silently aside. He assumed it was an automatic switch, but it gave him the uneasy sensation of being watched. Draco seemed to share his unease, huddling closer to his neck.

Inside, he found a long, white corridor lined with doors. He proceeded down the hall, methodically checking every room despite his growing panic. He found several supply rooms. A lab fitted with equipment that would have made his mouth water under other circumstances. A small but fully functional medical lab. A short corridor led to the other block, opening into a spacious hangar.

The newest model RAV-X4 spaceship waited on the landing pad. He had flown similar ships during his time in the military, but he dismissed it without a second glance. It was of no use to him now.

More supply rooms, then a luxuriously equipped bed and bath suite. He had been through the entire building and there was no sign of his mate. His chest was so tight he could barely breathe.

“Where are you, Mee-na?” he whispered despairingly.

Draco had been perched silently on his shoulder the entire time, but at Myk-El’s words, he suddenly squawked and took off. He sighed but went after the avian. If—when—he found Mee-na, she would be devastated if anything had happened to Draco.

As would I, he admitted to himself.

He followed Draco back into one of the supply rooms. He had only given it a cursory examination before, just enough to establish that Mee-na wasn’t there, but the avian led him to the back corner, squawking excitedly.

At first glance it appeared to consist of nothing more than a blank wall, but when he looked closer, he found the faintest outline of a door panel. Trying not to get his hopes up, he searched until he found the control.

The door slid aside.

Darkness loomed on the other side, so thick and black that it seemed to reach into the supply room. He shuddered and stepped back, but Draco hopped over to the entrance and squawked again.

“Please don’t tell me you expect me to go in there,” he muttered. “Unless… Is Mee-na in there?”

Draco fluttered up to his shoulder.

He took a deep breath and crossed to the threshold. He could only see a short distance into the darkness, but it appeared to be another corridor. Putting a hand on the wall to guide his steps, he forced himself inside. He would do whatever it took to reach his mate.

The first few steps weren’t as bad as he feared. The dim glow of the doorway behind him helped keep his panic away. But the corridor soon sloped downwards in a series of zigzags and the comforting light disappeared.

Total blackness surrounded him, and his heart thudded painfully against his ribs. To make matters worse, the air temperature slowly increased until it was as warm and thick as it had been in his cell. Memories of that time kept flashing over him and his footsteps faltered.

He leaned against the wall, trying to control the panic, and Draco chirped softly, reminding him that he was not alone. Reminding him that his mate was worth any struggle. He pictured her face in his mind, and the fear receded a little. He took a deep breath and resumed the trip.

The corridor seemed to descend for miles. Time lost all meaning, although twice he had to fight back another panic attack. Each time, the thought of Mee-na kept him going.

When the faint, dim glow appeared below him, he thought he was hallucinating at first, so desperate for light that he had conjured it up in his imagination. But it continued to increase as he grew nearer and he ran the last few steps, bursting into a well-lit corridor with a sigh of relief.

He didn’t stop to wonder why the door was open.

The corridor appeared identical to the one above. He was about to start searching when Draco lifted off of his shoulder and flew to the last door on the right. A desperate hope filled his chest as he followed.

The door opened, and then Mee-na was there, flying into his arms as Draco circled them, squawking happily.

She was laughing and crying at the same time, clinging to him as he kissed her over and over.

“I thought I lost you,” he said between kisses. “If it hadn’t been for Draco, I might not have found you.”

“He’s such a good boy.” She freed one hand so she could stroke the avian’s back until he was chirping happily, then looked back up at him. “I thought I lost you too. They told me they were going to send me away.”

Who told her? But that could wait. He had something more important to say first.

“I love you, Mee-na. I should have told you before, but I was afraid. And then you disappeared and I knew what fear was really like.”

Her eyes were damp but her smile was brilliant. “I should have told you sooner. I knew it the moment you appeared in the cave. My angel.”

“I think I did too, but I denied it for so long. I was a fool, little one.”

“No, you weren’t.” She drew his head down for another kiss, one that spiraled rapidly into passion.

He picked her up and carried her to the bed in the center of the small room, but as he set her down, she suddenly drew back.

“Wait. We’re not alone,” she whispered.

“What do you mean? And who told you they were going to send you away?”

“We did.” The disembodied voice seemed to come from the walls.

He stepped in front of Mee-na, his claws flexing. “You aren’t going to separate us.”

“Of course not. You passed the test.”

“What test?” He didn’t relax his pose.

“You faced your fear and declared a mate bond. Most satisfactory.”

“That’s Va’rik’at’char,” Mee-na whispered. “He’s the one who took me away from you when the cliff collapsed.”

Despite the desperate uncertainty of the past few hours, a small part of him was grateful for that at least. He thought he’d reached her in time, but he wasn’t entirely sure, and she had escaped injury.

“Thank you,” he said aloud. “Do you have any more tests?”

“No, no. The tests are complete, aren’t they, La’tok’at’bron?”

“I would prefer more data, but I suppose we have enough.”

“Enough for what?” he asked impatiently.

“To reveal the situation.” There was a quick pause. “Ah, your fellow subjects have arrived. If you will proceed to the end of the corridor, you will find a lift to carry you back to the surface.”

“You could have shown me that before,” he muttered.

“You had a journey to complete,” La’tok’at’bron said briskly. “Once you are all assembled, we will join you.”

The relief of returning to the surface prevented him from demanding any immediate answers. He lifted Mee-na into his arms and sped off towards the lift, Draco flying ahead of them.

“I can walk, you know.”

“I know, but I would rather have you here in my arms.”

She gave him her sweet, seductive smile. “There’s nowhere else I would rather be.”

“Good.” He hugged her closer as they stepped into the lift.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Mina felt Mikel’s body relax as they stepped out of the lift. She tightened her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“Thank you for coming for me.”

“I will always come for you, little one.”

“My angel. I love you.”

She saw his eyes flare, and he started to bend his head, but just as his mouth brushed hers, a door opened at the far end of the corridor. She sighed.

“I guess the party is starting.”

As much as she wanted to kiss him, she wanted to meet the other women and she wanted some answers. He reluctantly put her down but kept hold of her hand as they entered the door. Draco perched on his shoulder, half-hidden amongst his long hair.

Three couples waited for them in what could have been a comfortable Earth living room—although three of the occupants would certainly not have been found on Earth.

A big blue alien had his arm around a tall brown-haired woman. Sabrost was there with his Janet, a slender woman with a cap of golden curls. In the far corner, a massive green alien cradled a short, plump woman with dark hair who in turn was holding… a baby?

A tiny baby with pale green skin. Did that mean—

Her gaze flew back to the other women, and this time she noticed that both of them had a baby bump.

“You’re all pregnant,” she burst out.

Janet grinned at her. “Yep. You wanna bet whether or not you are too?”

Her mind raced back over the time since she’d arrived, trying to count the days. She was sure it had been over a month and she hadn’t had a period the entire time. She looked up at Mikel, who didn’t look quite as shocked as she felt.

“A child,” he said slowly.

“I guess so. Do you mind?” she added nervously, a little afraid that it would stir up bad memories.

“Mind? I’m delighted!” He picked her up and swung her around happily.

“You’d better watch out,” the brown-haired woman said dryly. “Pregnant women have a tendency to throw up.”

Mikel quickly placed her back on her feet, and everyone laughed. The tension eased, and they introduced themselves. The brown-haired woman was named Erica, and her blue mate was A’rien. The green alien was Taraxan, his mate Jane, and their adorable baby Jaxan. Those two couples already knew about each other, but Sabrost and Janet had been unaware of them, although they had suspected they were not alone.

As the others discussed their living arrangements, Mikel drew her aside.

“Are you happy about the child, little one?”

She looked over at Jane cradling her son, her mate hovering protectively over both of them, and then up at Mikel’s beloved face. Tears filled her eyes.

“I’m very happy. We’re going to be a family. And our child will always have a home.”

“Always,” he vowed as he pulled her against his chest. Wrapped in their own little bubble of happiness, they stood in contented silence as the others talked.

And then the door opened.

Two tall, cylindrical tanks floated into the room. Each tank contained what looked like a cross between a giant brain and a jellyfish floating in a clear liquid. Three thick tentacles descended from beneath a pink dome-shaped mass, along with dozens of thinner strands. A ring of what looked like small, dark eyes circled the base of each dome.

All of the males assumed protective positions in front of their mates. Mina sighed and stepped up next to Mikel.

“Va’rik’at’char and La’tok’at’bron, I presume?”

“You are quite correct.” La’tok’at’bron’s voice seemed to come from the walls themselves.

“Who are you? Why are we here?” Taraxan demanded. The big green alien had an air of authority that suggested he was used to being in charge.

“In good time, Commander Taraxan,” La’tok’at’bron said, confirming her guess. “Why don’t you all sit down? This could take some time.”

After a brief hesitation, they all obeyed except for A’rien. He raised an eyebrow, then leaned casually against the wall, although Mina noticed he kept a possessive hand on Erica’s shoulder.

“I am La’tok’at’bron and this is my associate, Va’rik’at’char. We are the ones who brought you here to Vajoc,” La’tok’at’bron began. “It is our home, although it was not always as you see it now. Our people once freely inhabited the surface.”

“But we paid little attention to our surroundings,” Va’rik’at’char continued. “We have always been a race of scientists. We devoted ourselves to study and learning, eventually developing technology to handle all of our physical needs. It was so successful that we didn’t realize that our physical bodies were deteriorating, that our birth rates were falling.”

The liquid in one of the tanks shimmered.

La’tok’at’bron made a sound that could have been interpreted as a sigh. “We were especially interested in how species survived. But despite all that time spent studying other races and their paths to extinction, we didn’t realize that we were heading the same way. Until it was too late.”

“The Collection - was that the result of your studies?” Sabrost asked grimly. “The metal guardian watching over your collection of extinct species tried to kill us.”

“We wouldn’t have allowed that to happen.” Did Va’rik’at’char sound guilty?

The golden-scaled male drew Janet closer. She patted his chest, then studied the floating tanks.

“But if you’re still here, then you are not extinct.”

“We are the last. We chose this form because it required little maintenance while we continued to devote ourselves to our studies.”

“What are you studying?” Mikel asked.

“The same thing. Life. Death. What drives a race to extinction.”

“Did you find any answers?”

“None as conclusive as we would have wished. Some races do everything wrong and survive. For example, we expected humans to die out long ago. Other races vanish with no previous indication that they will not thrive.”

Mikel’s hand had tightened over hers when La’tok’at’bron said that humans should have died out. Now he frowned thoughtfully, and she could tell he was considering the matter from a scientific perspective.

“Without answers, what did you do?”

“We decided to take a different approach. We chose human females because of their race’s resilience.”

“And capacity to breed,” Va’rik’at’char interjected.

“Yes, yes. And we chose a variety of males—all from species that we did not think would thrive—and placed each pair in a different environment.”

“What do you mean ‘not thrive?’” Taraxan growled. “The Doturans are a race of successful warriors.”

“Based on our studies, warrior skills are not sufficient. Nor are spiritual beliefs, or a distaste for authority.” La’tok’at’bron seemed to focus on A’rien. “We had already proven that scholarship was not sufficient.”

“Why the four of us, specifically?” Mikel asked.

“You were all most carefully chosen because you were not happy in your previous lives. You were saved from a meaningless military career, an unchosen vocation, a hanging…”

A’rien grinned unrepentantly before the eyes focused on Mikel.

“And as for you, you were saved from a solitary existence that brought no joy to you, or anyone else.”

“And the goal?” Sabrost asked calmly. His usual serenity seemed to have returned.

“To see if you would form a mate bond, of course.” The eyes surveyed them. “And you did, all of you. It’s really most rewarding to see our theory proven correct.”

“I don’t understand.” Jane frowned at the tanks.

“Our theory is that the capacity to form a mate bond is what keeps a species from becoming extinct—that bond, love if you will, between a male and a female. The human females seem to have the ability to inspire it.”

“And now that you’re satisfied? Are you going to return us to our lives?” Erica asked.

Mikel’s hand clamped down on Mina’s and she could see similar reactions from the other males.

“No, of course not.” Va’rik’at’char hesitated. “Unless you wish it?”

No one responded.

“Now we will continue, with our own people,” La’tok’at’bron said.

“You said you were the last,” Janet protested.

“In some ways.” A screen appeared on the far wall, showing a storage facility filled with row after row of small bottles. “They are our future. All that remains of our people. They sleep and wait.”

“Wait for what?” she asked softly.

“For us to discover a solution. And now that we have one, we will grow bodies for them—physical bodies as we were long ago. Once they have been implanted in those bodies, they will start a new life on the surface, with a human female at their sides.”

“You can’t just take people away from their lives!” Janet protested.

“Why not?” La’tok’at’bron sounded almost amused. “None of you were happy either. You had no friends, no family…”

Erica made an abortive movement, then shook her head.

“Can any of you truthfully claim that you would rather return to your previous existence?” he continued.

Silence filled the room.

“The other females will be selected just as carefully. They will have the same chance to bond—or to return. That possibility is always open. We will seed the couples throughout the planet and give them the chance to grow a new society, one that will not become extinct.”

“But what of us?” Erica asked.

“This lab is designed to meet your needs. As you grow, as your children grow.” The eyes flicked briefly to Jane and her child. “You may choose to take advantage of it, or not. But we hope that as our race begins to return, you can help to guide them.”

“Guide them?”

There was a slight hesitation.

“Yes. They will have fully adult bodies, with the necessary knowledge for survival. But they will have no real experience with relationships.”

“Do we have a choice?” Erica asked sarcastically.

“Of course. The option to return to your planet is always open.”

“Easy to say now,” Jane muttered, cradling the small, pale green baby. “Jaxon wouldn’t be welcome on Earth.”

Taraxan gave her a worried frown, but she smiled up at him. “Don’t worry, love. I would never have left you, even without our son.”

She had a point, Mina realized. No one could return to Earth with a half alien baby. The knowledge didn’t bother her. She was quite content to remain here with Mikel. As she looked around the room, she saw that none of the other women appeared to be concerned.

“Do you have any other questions?” Va’rik’at’char asked.

“I do not approve of your tactics,” Taraxan said sternly. “But I cannot argue with the results. I will render whatever assistance I can.”

“As will I,” Sabrost added.

A’rien grinned and shrugged. “Perhaps I will teach them to play cards.”

Erica shook her head, but she was smiling. Her smile faded as she looked back at the tanks. “I still think it’s wrong to steal people away from their lives without giving them a choice.”

“They will have the choice to return. Just as you did.”

“I don’t believe it’s quite as simple as you make it sound.”

“Perhaps not, but we do not have an alternative.” La’tok’at’bron hesitated again. “Unfortunately, there is always the possibility that despite our success with each of you, our males will not be capable of forming the same bond. In that case, we will open the planet to settlement by a small, carefully selected group of immigrants. No matter what happens, you will not be isolated here.”

Mikel frowned, and she squeezed his hand. She suspected he would enjoy the occasional company once he had the chance to get used to it.

“I suppose I am willing to help as well,” he said.

“We were hoping you would… volunteer.” Va’rik’at’char twirled gently in his tank. “The lab has been programmed to meet most basic requirements, but a skilled scientist could greatly expand its capabilities.”

She saw the glimmer of interest on Mikel’s face, but he kept his tone non-committal. “Perhaps.”

Jaxan woke up and started to fuss, and Taraxan immediately rose to his feet. “I am taking my mate and child home.”

The others nodded agreement and started to trickle out after arranging to meet in the near future—away from the lab. She and Mikel were the last to leave, and she stopped by Va’rik’at’char’s tank, placing her hand on the glass.

“You weren’t really going to send me somewhere else, were you?”

“Not unless you requested it. But you needed to learn to fight for what you want.”

“I guess I had to find something worth fighting for.” She looked up at Mikel. “You are worth it.”

“As are you,” he said solemnly, then his face lightened. “Let’s go home.”

He scooped her up in his arms, carrying her out of the building as she called goodbye to the two scientists. Draco hopped from Mikel’s shoulder into her arms, and she cuddled him close as Mikel leapt into the air, his strong wings carrying them into the sky.

Exuberance filled her as they soared higher. She had a mate, a home, a child to come.

She had found the place where she belonged at last.

EPILOGUE

One month later…

DRACO SQUAWKED, and Myk-El looked up from his work.

“Are you trying to tell me something?”

Draco squawked again, and he laughed.

“I know. It’s time to leave.”

Even though he had agreed to take a job in the lab, neither he nor Mee-na liked the cold white building. As much as they enjoyed the mountain aerie, they had also decided to renovate one of the buildings in the ruined village where Sabrost and Janet lived. It was more suitable as a permanent home, and they both liked the open sea views. He worked from the house when he could, but it was an easy flight to the lab if he needed to use the equipment—as he had today.

“Where’s Mee-na?” he asked Draco, and the avian took to the air, winging his way ahead of him.

Not that there was any great mystery about her location this time, but there was something comforting in knowing Draco could always find her.

His mate was exactly where he had known she would be, poring over one of the records in the vast library that Va’rik’at’char had opened to them. Mikel had rigged up a device that would translate the material into her language, and she was eagerly devouring as much information as she could.

“Time to go, little one,” he said softly.

She blinked up at him, her focus gradually returning to the present, then smiled, the innocent, provocative smile that always sent a surge of longing through his body.

“I didn’t realize it was so late.”

“I didn’t either, but Draco reminded me.”

She laughed and scratched the base of the avian’s head spikes. “He knows when it’s mealtime. Don’t you, sweetheart?”

“He always thinks it’s mealtime,” he said dryly.

“You know what I mean.”

“You’ve been quite enthusiastic about meals yourself lately.” He curved his hand over the small swell of her stomach and she smiled.

“She’s almost as demanding as Draco.”

“She?”

She shrugged. “Today it feels like we’re having a girl.”

“The medical lab could tell you for sure.”

“I’d rather be surprised—unless you want to know?”

“It makes no difference to me, although I hope she has your eyes.”

Those beautiful blue eyes darkened, and she tugged his head down so she could kiss him. As always, her sweet, succulent mouth sent a streak of heat straight to his zemka. He pulled her closer as the kiss intensified, but then Draco squawked again and she giggled.

“Maybe we had better continue this at home.”

“I suppose you’re right.” He lifted her into his arms and called to Draco. “Come along, little nag.”

The three of them took flight.

“I was reading about Letenja earlier this week,” Mee-na said suddenly as they headed towards the ocean.

He tried not to flinch. He was happiest forgetting that it even existed.

“That’s nice,” he said as neutrally as possible.

“Did you know that it used to be the custom to take a mating flight to seal the mate bond?”

A bolt of lust roared through him.

“I did,” he admitted.

“And you never thought to mention it?”

He could hear the trace of uncertainty in her voice and hugged her reassuringly. “I just didn’t think you’d enjoy it.”

“Why ever not?”

“I thought you would be afraid of falling.”

“I know you would never let me fall.”

His zemka throbbed eagerly. “Then you would like…”

“A mating flight with you? Oh, yes.”

“When?” he demanded.

“How about tonight?” She gave him a mischievous grin. “I’ve already made a few preparations.”

He started to fly faster, already anticipating their time together, but she pointed out that they were leaving Draco behind and he forced himself to slow down.

She patted his chest. “Don’t worry, my angel. We have all the time in the world.”

MINA NERVOUSLY SMOOTHED the brief gown down over her hips. One of the first things Mikel had developed was a way to set the replicator to create fabric, delighting all of the human women—although she suspected that none of the males were big fans of clothing, for their mates or themselves. None of the males wore more than brief shorts whenever they all got together.

Of course, even with the fabric, they still needed to make the actual clothes, and her sewing skills were decidedly limited. For this occasion, she had managed to put together a simple shift in a silky blue fabric. It fastened high on one shoulder, and she had tied a woven bark ribbon beneath her breasts.

The late afternoon sun slanted through the window opening, and she gave it an anxious glance as she waited for Mikel to return. He had decided to take Draco to spend the night with Tinkerbell. The two avians had formed a fast friendship, and Draco would be happier there than trying to accompany their mating flight.

She heard the sound of wings, and then Mikel was there in the courtyard. The setting sun lined the edge of his wings with gold, just as it had done the first time she saw him. Her angel.

Opal sparks gleamed in his pale eyes as she rushed out to meet him, a decidedly unangelic smile curving his lips.

“You look beautiful, little one.”

She did a twirl, knowing the short dress would flutter out and reveal her naked pussy and bare ass.

He growled and stalked towards her. She loved it when he abandoned his control and gave in to his desire for her. The ridge concealing his cock was beginning to show, but his wide shaft was still tucked inside. As he lifted her into his arms, she rubbed her clit across the hard ring and they both groaned.

“If you keep that up, we won’t make it into the air,” he warned.

She deliberately wiggled against him, then laughed. “That would be a shame. I’m ready.”

His muscles bunched and he leapt into the air. As frequently as they flew together, this moment always excited her. He soared high into the sky, already tinted rose and gold, then executed a few fast barrel rolls.

She squeaked and clung to him, even though she had no doubt at all that he would never let anything happen to her.

“Too much?” he asked, settling into a long glide.

“It’s exciting,” she admitted, “but hadn’t you better save the athletic feats for our mating?”

He smiled down at her. “Don’t worry. I always have enough strength for that.”

“The record I found said that in a traditional mating flight, the male chases the female through the sky.” She bit her lip. “Are you going to miss that?”

His arms tightened around her. “First of all, it’s an ancient custom and very few Letenjans would even consider it. Second, I chased you into the darkness. That’s enough chasing for any mate.”

She felt him shudder and stroked his broad, velvety chest. He’d had nightmares the first few weeks after the events at the lab. When she woke him, he turned to her with a desperate hunger, burying himself in her body over and over until he was limp and at peace once more. He refused to discuss the dreams and she didn’t push, content to know that her presence soothed him.

His muscles relaxed beneath her hand, and he smiled again. “And most importantly, I already know that you are my perfect mate. I don’t need a ritual to confirm that.”

Her lips twisted into a teasing pout as her hand came up to play with the small knot on her shoulder. “Well, if you don’t want to do this…”

“I most definitely want—”

His words came to an abrupt halt as she released the knot and the fabric slid down to reveal her naked breasts. His fascination with them never faded, and she could feel his ridge beginning to expand. He growled and tugged on a taut, pink bud as she leaned back to watch his cock spring free. The sight never failed to thrill her—or arouse her. The thick, spiraling length emerged in one rapid movement, already glistening and ready for her. Her breath caught as the pink hues of the sunset shimmered along the pearly length, and she was suddenly desperate to feel him inside her.

“I want you now,” she demanded.

“Soon,” he promised, lifting her higher so that he could draw a tight peak into his mouth.

His mouth closed around her, shockingly hot and wet on her increasingly sensitive flesh. His big hands gripped her ass, his thumb teasing her rosebud and adding to her excitement. She tangled her fingers in the long, soft strands of his hair, urging him on. He obliged, sucking harder, then scraping the tip of his fangs across the small bud.

A tiny shock rolled through her, a precursor to her climax. “Please, Mikel. I want to come with you inside me.”

He growled and let her drop down over his cock. The wide length thrust up into her body, stretching her to her limits, and sending her straight into a dizzying climax. He held her close as she shuddered, her channel fluttering around the massive invader.

When her body finally softened, she could feel the tension in his arms. His face was taut with the effort to restrain himself, but he smiled down at her.

“I love you, little one. I choose you as my mate. For now. Forever.”

“I choose you too, Mikel. For now. Forever.”

He shuddered, and his control vanished. He plunged into her as they climbed through the fiery sky, over and over, until he cried out her name and exploded, the hot rush of his seed spurring another climax as she clung to him.

They floated on a warm current of air, still locked together. The sun was sinking below the horizon, creating a shimmering path across the deep purple sea and kissing the tops of the faraway mountains with gold. A faint sweetness from the distant jungle mingled with the salty tang of the sea.

“What are you thinking, Mee-na?” he asked, his voice heavy with satisfaction.

“Besides the fact that I love you?” As she said the words, she felt his barely diminished cock harden inside her. “I was thinking that this is a beautiful world. I’m glad our child will grow up here.”

“It is beautiful,” he agreed, but he was looking at her, not their surroundings. “But it wouldn’t matter to me where we were. As long as we are together.”

She tugged his head down, and his mouth met hers in a long, satisfying kiss. When he finally raised his head, she gave him a shaky smile, then deliberately brushed her nipples across his chest.

“But I was also thinking that we should repeat this mating flight. Frequently.”

“I agree,” he said solemnly, but opal sparks gleamed in his eyes. “However, this one isn’t over yet.”

He moved inside her, dragging the thick spirals over her sensitive flesh. She gasped and clutched his shoulders, and together they soared joyfully into the path of the setting sun.

ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THIS? La’tok’at’bron asked for the fifty-ninth time.

I’m sure, Va’rik’at’char said firmly, also for the fifty-ninth time. It is only logical for one of us to perform the first test.

But think about how much knowledge you will be losing.

I’m tired of knowledge, he admitted. I have been observing for thousands of years. It is time to experience.

You will be a great loss.

I have stored all of my memories in the storage banks.

But I… I will miss you.

And I you, my… friend.

La’tok’at’bron’s tentacles waved softly, and then he turned to the controls.

The lights in Va’rik’at’char’s tank dimmed, and he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness. If he could have smiled, he would have been grinning with excitement.

He could hardly wait for his adventure to begin.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Thank you so much for reading The Buff Beast! I hope you enjoyed the story - and seeing our reluctant hero give in to love! Not to mention finding out more about the agenda behind these experiments.

Whether you enjoyed the story or not, it would mean the world to me if you left an honest review on Amazon – reviews are one of the best ways to help other readers find my books!

As always, I have to thank my readers for joining me on these adventures! Your support and encouragement make it possible for me to keep writing these books.

And, as always, a special thanks to my beta team – Janet S, Nancy V, and Kitty S. Your thoughts and comments are incredibly helpful!

Va’rik’at’char’s story is next - and he’s about to get a taste of his own medicine! Coming up in - The Strip Down!

Can Amanda discover the secrets behind an alien ruin?

And the mysterious alien with the haunted eyes?

Click here to order The Strip Down!

To make sure you don’t miss out on any new releases, click here to sign up for my newsletter!

OTHER TITLES

The Alien Abduction Series

Anna and the Alien

Beth and the Barbarian

Cam and the Conqueror

Deb and the Demon

Ella and the Emperor

Faith and the Fighter

Greta and the Gargoyle

Hanna and the Hitman

Izzie and the Icebeast

Joan and the Juggernaut

The Alien Invasion Series

Alien Selection

Alien Conquest

Alien Prisoner

Alien Breeder

Alien Alliance

Alien Hope

Exposed to the Elements

The Naked Alien

The Bare Essentials

A Nude Attitude

The Buff Beast

The Strip Down

Cyborgs on Mars

High Plains Cyborg

The Good, the Bad, and the Cyborg

A Fistful of Cyborg

A Few Cyborgs More

The Magnificent Cyborg

The Outlaw Cyborg

Treasured by the Alien

with Bex McLynn

Mama and the Alien Warrior

A Son for the Alien Warrior

Daughter of the Alien Warrior

A Family for the Alien Warrior

The Nanny and the Alien Warrior

Standalone Books

Jackie and the Giant - A Cosmic Fairy Tale

Krampus and the Crone - An SFR Holiday Tale

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Honey Phillips writes steamy science fiction stories about hot alien warriors and the human women they can’t resist. From abductions to invasions, the ride might be rough, but the end always satisfies.

Honey wrote and illustrated her first book at the tender age of five. Her writing has improved since then. Her drawing skills, unfortunately, have not. She loves writing, reading, traveling, cooking, and drinking champagne - not necessarily in that order.

Honey loves to hear from her wonderful readers! You can stalk her on her website at

www.honeyphillips.com

Or at any of the following locations…

Table of Contents

Title Page

Contents

Copyright

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Epilogue

Author’s Note

Other Titles

About the Author