Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Epilogue

Author’s Note

Other Titles

About the Author

The Naked Alien

Exposed to the Elements

Honey Phillips

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

Chapter One

The sensation of a cold, damp nose exploring her neck penetrated Jane’s slumber, and she bit back a groan. Mr. Tiddles, her roommate Amanda’s cat, had found his way into her bedroom again. Amanda liked the idea of having a cat more than she liked the reality of it, and she had a tendency to pawn him off on Jane whenever she could. Normally Jane didn’t mind, but they were in the middle of tax season, and it had been a very late night at work.

“Just let me sleep a little longer,” she muttered, her eyes still closed. “I’ll play with you later.”

Mr. Tiddles responded by poking her cheek with a determined little finger.

Wait a minute. A finger?

Jane’s eyes flew open. The warm weight perched on her chest was most definitely not Mr. Tiddles. She had never seen anything like the creature staring back at her from enormous black eyes. Pink and gold streaked fur covered a small round body with an oversized tail striped with pink and gold. The soft morning light revealed the delicate tracery of pink veins in the huge, tufted ears.

Too shocked to react, she froze. The creature poked her again with a small, pink finger, chittering expectantly. The movement released her from her stupor and with a startled scream, she sat upright. The little creature squawked in response, scrambling back across the clearing and clambering up a long vine with lightning speed.

Clearing? Vine?

Her familiar bedroom had disappeared. Instead she was surrounded by a rainbow array of vegetation, none of which looked remotely familiar. Candy colored vines dripped from huge trees in deep shades of magenta and purple, while feathery vegetation in a startling variety of blues and golds provided contrasting undergrowth. Her slightly worn mattress had also vanished, and she was sitting on a huge velvety leaf in a deep shade of purple.

With a horrified gasp, she realized the reason she knew that it was velvety was because there was nothing separating her from the leaf. Her pajamas too were missing.

She was completely naked. And alone. And in the strangest place she’d ever seen. What the hell had happened to her?

Was she hallucinating? Could someone have drugged her?

As usual, Amanda had been entertaining when Jane finally dragged her way home last night. She had accepted a small glass of wine in a hopeful attempt to be social but, again as usual, she just felt out of place. After standing awkwardly next to Amanda while her roommate flirted with a skinny hipster, she drained her glass, muttered an excuse, and fled to the safety of her room.

She supposed it was possible that there had been something in the wine, but she knew that most of Amanda’s friends considered her drab and uninteresting. Why would anyone have bothered?

More importantly, this didn’t feel like a hallucination. The air was thick and heavy with humidity. The giant leaf beneath her felt soft and velvety to her touch, and the small creature who had awakened her had been warm and alive. The rich smell of growing things surrounded her, lush and fertile and underlaid with the sweet scent of flowers. The air was full of sound—leaves rustling, the chirps and squawks of what she assumed was some kind of insect life, even a distant growl that made her shiver. This felt all too real.

But if this was real, where was she? Her surroundings were beautiful and exotic and… alien. As if she were no longer on Earth.

Nonsense!

She hastily dismissed the idea. Just because this type of vegetation was new to her didn’t mean that it didn’t exist somewhere on Earth. It was probably just some sort of exotic jungle that she had never seen before—she certainly wasn’t an expert on wilderness areas. No matter how strange it might be, the fact that she was here meant that someone had to have brought her. And if someone had brought her here, they could just damn well return her to her safe little life.

Despite her determination, she could feel panic hovering just beneath the surface. It didn’t help that she had absolutely no idea where to start looking for whoever had abandoned her here.

A soft chittering sounded from across the clearing and she saw her earlier visitor peering at her from between two of the giant leaves. It was a cute little thing and it seemed harmless enough. It would be nice to have a friend…

“Hello there,” she said softly. “Did I scare you? You startled me too.”

She held out her hand and clicked her tongue encouragingly. The big dark eyes stared at her for a moment, and then it cautiously emerged from the undergrowth, hovering uncertainly on the other side of the clearing.

“That’s right. I won’t hurt you.”

Now that it was more clearly visible, she could see that it looked like an odd cross between a monkey and a cat. Its body was monkey-like with small, sturdy looking limbs and paws that looked like miniature hands, but it had the flattened muzzle and facial structure of a feline. She clicked her tongue again and those enormous ears tilted to catch the sound. It advanced slowly across the clearing as she continued to encourage it, then covered the last few feet in one big jump, landing in her lap with an excited squeak.

She laughed and gently stroked its, no, his fur. He made a purring noise and leaned into her hand.

“You may not look like him, but you sound like Mr. Tiddles.” He purred again and she smiled. “Does that mean you approve of the name? Perhaps I should call you Mr. Tiddles as well.”

As she stroked his soft fur, she cast a nervous look around her. “Are there scary things in this jungle?”

He chittered softly in what she feared was agreement. The shadows seemed to have lengthened over the past few minutes. And was the sky getting darker? The idea of setting out into the darkness appalled her, but so did the idea of spending the night out in the open. Where was she going to sleep?

Her stomach growled and she realized that sleeping arrangements were only part of her problem. How was she going to find anything to eat or drink?

The panic that she had been trying to hold at bay rose to the surface and she started to shake. Mr. Tiddles made an anxious noise and patted her face. The sympathetic gesture was the final straw. Tears started to drip down her cheeks as she gathered him close and gave into despair.

From his perch high in the trees, Commander Taraxan Bellkandis watched as the little female below huddled into a tight ball of misery. He had the strangest impulse to go and comfort her, but he immediately pushed it aside. He had no intention of making his presence known until he determined whether or not she presented a threat. While he could not believe that such a small, lushly female body represented any danger, she could be intended as a lure to a larger trap.

When he had awoken on this strange, colorful planet instead of in the crisp whiteness of his quarters onboard the Sword of Meikka, he assumed he must have been brought here by an enemy. Although his people, the Doturans, were not currently engaged in active conflict with any other race, the galaxy was a tumultuous place, and periods of peace never seemed to last long. The fact that he had been taken from within his own ship, safely—he had thought—docked on the farthest moon of their system, argued a level of technology that indicated a formidable opponent.

A quick inspection had confirmed that he had been abandoned without weapons or clothing. The lack of clothing he dismissed, but the lack of weaponry had sinister implications. Was it an attempt to render him defenseless? A grim smile curved his lips. His natural abilities, not to mention his years of training, made him a formidable enemy—which anyone attempting to cause him harm would rapidly discover.

A thorough search of the area where he had been left revealed nothing except a crudely woven bag, but within the bag he discovered a long sharp knife and a sheet of something that was definitely not native to this primitive environment. The thin, flexible material was etched with what appeared to be a map, although the symbols were unfamiliar.

With an impatient glance at the thickness of the surrounding vegetation, he took to the trees instead, climbing rapidly upwards until he could see over the vast canopy of trees. Comparing his surroundings to his map, he decided that one set of symbols must represent the mountains rearing up in the distance. The glint of water in the other direction suggested a river, which also appeared to be represented on the map. Based on those features, a symbol that bore a faint resemblance to a sword must indicate his current position. That symbol was repeated again a considerable distance away, next to what could be a representation of his home planet of Dotura.

If the map could be trusted, it might indicate that he needed to reach that location in order to be returned to his previous existence. Was this a test to see how well a Doturan could survive without the aid of technology? If so, his unseen opponent was in for a surprise. He smiled again. Despite their present star-faring capability, the Doturans had never forgotten their origins. He had been trained to survive in the wilderness since he was a child and even now, he escaped the confines of his duties whenever possible—a feat that had grown more difficult with his increasing rank. This could prove most enjoyable.

He was halfway back down the tree when a noise from below caught his attention. It seemed out of place amongst the other sounds of the jungle and he descended rapidly until he could observe… a female?

Small and lushly curved, with a mane of long dark hair, she was certainly not Doturan. Was she a native? He dismissed the thought immediately. Her pale skin, a striking contrast to the rich hues surrounding her, and her awkward movements argued that she was as out of place as he. Perhaps her race was being tested as well. He scanned the clearing below and recognized a bag similar to his own, confirming his suspicion.

In that case, he should keep his distance… Or perhaps he should continue to observe, he amended as she rose to her feet and he got a good look at her naked body. Every inch of her was softly curved, from full, heavy breasts to a lush, round ass perfect for gripping as he entered—

His thoughts came to an abrupt halt.

What was wrong with him? He was an officer and a gentleman. Lustful thoughts about a strange female were beneath him, even if his interactions with females had been as infrequent as his survival trips for the past few years. This primitive environment must be to blame, arousing his own more primitive instincts.

As he argued with himself, he heard her speaking in a low sultry voice, and he automatically dropped further down the tree in order to hear her better. Despite his translation implant, her words were unintelligible. Interesting. As far as he knew, it was programmed to handle all known languages. Could she be a native after all?

But as he watched her give in to despair, he was quite sure she was as much a stranger as he was on this planet. Her sorrow bothered him more than he liked to admit, but he still couldn’t disregard the possibility that she had been planted here as part of whatever test was being performed. Still, relief swept over him when she finally stopped crying and lifted her head.

The small forest creature she had enticed from the trees muttered anxiously, and he watched with what he refused to admit was envy as she stroked its fur. How would those small, soft fingers feel on his own much harder skin?

She stood, still cradling the creature between those tempting breasts, and wandered aimlessly around the clearing. He waited for her to pick up the woven bag that matched his own, but she passed it twice before he realized that she hadn’t noticed it amongst the colorful undergrowth. Hmm.

After a brief debate with himself, he pulled a dead stick loose from the tree. Aiming it carefully, he tossed it down into the clearing beside the bag. She jumped at the noise, then went to investigate. As she did, she tripped over the bag. Not exactly what he had in mind, but at least she’d found it at last.

Good. He settled back against the trunk to await developments.

Chapter Two

The harsh crack of something hitting the ground made Jane jump, then frown when she realized it was just a branch. It seemed odd that it would have landed with such force in the center of the clearing. She hesitated, then went to take a closer look. As she did, her foot caught on a trailing vine.

No! Not a vine. She had tripped over the handle of a primitive bag, roughly woven out of the vines that surrounded her.

She snatched it up eagerly, hoping that it would provide some type of explanation. To her disappointment, it only contained two items. The first was a small metal de—an unmarked cylindrical tube. The metal was smooth and unblemished, polished to a high sheen, and looked completely out of place in this primitive setting. She started to throw it away in disgust, then reconsidered and placed it back in the bag.

The second item was even more baffling. A thin sheet of white plastic was covered with meaningless symbols. If it had been intended to communicate with her, she had absolutely no idea what it was supposed to represent. Her hands shaking, she crumpled it into a small ball, but as soon as she let go of it, it unfolded into a smooth, unwrinkled sheet.

Another sign of obviously advanced technology, but what did it mean? And why would those two sophisticated items be left in such a rustic bag?

Her head ached as she tried desperately to come up with an answer. She rubbed her temples, simultaneously realizing that her mouth was dry and her throat sore from crying. She desperately wanted something to drink, but she had no idea how to find water.

“I knew I should have joined the Girl Scouts,” she muttered. Of course, her widowed mother hadn’t wanted her only daughter venturing into the wilderness. And Jane had been content enough with her books not to push the issue.

But she was still going to need to find some water, assuming that it would even be safe to drink. A sloshing noise interrupted her thoughts, and she looked over to see Mr. Tiddles upending a leaf and pouring the moisture from it into his mouth.

She rushed over to join him and realized that the plant he had chosen had large cup-shaped blue leaves, each one containing a small amount of fluid. Was it water? She hesitated, biting her lip, then dipped a cautious fingertip into the liquid. Her fingertip didn’t burn and it felt just like water. After a cautious sniff, she touched her damp finger to the tip of her tongue. It tasted cool and slightly minty.

Mr. Tiddles chittered at her with what seemed like encouragement. Screwing up her face, she took a cautious sip. The cool liquid flowing into her parched mouth felt like heaven, and she abandoned her caution, draining leaf after leaf until her thirst was assuaged.

Afterwards, she sank back down to the ground and was immediately seized by second thoughts. What if the water wasn’t safe? Horrible thoughts of poisoning and dysentery and death danced in her mind—the type of reaction her mother would have had—but she did her best to push them away. The water, if it was water, had tasted fine and she didn’t feel any distress. In fact, she felt surprisingly clear-headed.

“And you’re fine, aren’t you?” she said to Mr. Tiddles, resolutely ignoring the fact that he was undoubtedly a native of this place.

He chirped amiably back at her and she realized that the noises of the surrounding jungle were changing. The light was definitely beginning to fade. She felt exposed in this clearing, but she couldn’t bring herself to face the shadowy darkness of the surrounding jungle.

In the end, she gathered more of the enormous leaves and piled them at the base of a tree on the edge of the clearing. She sat down, her back to the tree, and pulled another leaf over her. Everything felt a little damp from the humidity, but the leaf provided a surprising amount of warmth as the air cooled. Mr. Tiddles crawled up on her shoulder and wrapped his long furry tail around her neck before falling asleep. Having him there comforted her, even though he couldn’t defend her from anything larger than a bread box.

She stroked his fur idly and tried to come up with a plan. In her earlier thirst she had drained most of the leaves from the blue-leafed bush, and she hadn’t seen any others in the immediate vicinity. She was going to need more water and soon. The liquid had been surprisingly filling, but at some point she was going to need food as well. Perhaps she could watch Mr. Tiddles and see what he ate. But water…

Night fell with a sudden overwhelming blackness. A fragment of memory appeared—something she had once read about sunset in the tropics. Did that mean that she was near the equator? If so, at least she wouldn’t have to worry about freezing to death.

It was scant comfort and she returned to worrying about supplies. As she closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the trunk, the image from the sheet of plastic reappeared in her mind. There had been a long wavy line angling across the sheet. With her mind still preoccupied with thoughts of water, she suddenly wondered if it was intended to represent a river. Could the sheet possibly be a map of some kind?

Her eyes popped open, and she scowled at the darkness as she tried desperately to remember what else it had contained. The one thing she was pretty sure about was that each side of the sheet had contained a symbol. On one side there was a circle with a line above it, and on the other side, a circle with a line below it.

As she racked her brain trying to decide what they might symbolize, a small light appeared on the far side of the clearing. It reminded her of the fireflies she used to chase in the backyard on warm summer nights. She smiled at the memory as it blinked off and on again like a tiny flickering sun.

Sun!

What if one of the symbols represented the rising sun and the other the setting sun? It leant more credence to her notion that the sheet was a map. And even if she couldn’t decipher the other symbols, she did know where the sun had gone down, and she could mark where it rose in the morning.

The flickering light blinked out and then reappeared, accompanied by more. They began to fill the clearing and as they drew closer, she realized that they were much, much larger than the fireflies of her childhood memories. Each light was easily the size of her palm, and she caught brief glimpses of large gauzy wings surrounding the glowing bodies.

She sank down a little further against the tree and pulled the leaf up to her chin, but the fireflies paid no attention to her. They danced in the clearing, their lights shimmering in shades from pink to blue to gold, moving in beautiful, intricate patterns as she watched in delight.

Then an enormous dark shadow dove down from above. She caught a brief glimpse of a yawning mouth gathering up dozens of the fireflies before they all blinked out. A harsh squawk echoed through the clearing as she shivered in terror, afraid to move. A gust of wings and another brief glimpse of a huge shadowy flying creature, and it was gone.

Her whole body shook, her hands aching from the tight grip on the leaf. She peered sightlessly into the night, jumping at every noise until finally the constant tension wore her down, and she slipped into an uneasy doze.

Twice during the night, she heard cries. Once a jagged scream from the far side of the clearing, and the second time a harsh growl that seemed to come from the branches directly above her. Only the fear paralyzing her body kept her from scrambling out into the clearing.

Mr. Tiddles lifted his head the second time, and she could feel the tension in his small body, but he didn’t move and after a few minutes, he snuffled quietly and settled back down to sleep. If he felt safe, hopefully that meant she was safe as well—unless he had some foolish idea she would be able to protect him.

Sleep was a long time coming after that.

When she finally fell asleep, she began to dream. She was lying on a tropical beach, the air thick and heavy with the scent of flowers. A man rose out of the sea and came towards her, his body outlined against the rising sun. He dropped down beside her, then gentle fingers began to climb up her leg. She smiled contentedly until the sound of Mr. Tiddles chittering penetrated her slumber. Her tired mind jerked awake, only to realize that she still felt the fingers on her leg. She gasped and yanked away the leaf covering her, then screamed and jumped her feet.

The most enormous insect she had ever seen was crawling up her leg. What looked like a thousand feet lined each side of a bright pink shell. She swatted at it frantically, and it dropped off her leg only to be pounced on by Mr. Tiddles.

He made an excited noise as he brought it up to his mouth and bit into it with a resounding crunch. A small spurt of purplish goo erupted from the shell and she had to turn away, her stomach churning. So much for the idea of eating what he ate.

Resolutely ignoring the contented chomping from behind her, she went to investigate the blue-leafed bush. To her relief, the cup shaped leaves were once again filled with liquid. She drank several, then faced the unpleasant reality of a jungle bathroom. At least she could use more of the liquid to clean up afterwards.

By the time she finished her perfunctory wash, Mr. Tiddles had come to join her. He drank the contents of one of the leaves, then looked up at her expectantly.

“You know I have no idea what I’m going to do, don’t you?”

He still looked expectant, so she sighed and went to dig out the sheet of plastic. After her revelations of the night before, she was even more convinced that it was some kind of map.

A grouping of three stacked circles, like a child’s drawing of a snowman, was in an open space in the center of a series of semicircles. Could that possibly be intended to represent her?

Hardly the most flattering depiction, even if she did have a few extra pounds. Of course, unless she found a food source that wouldn’t be true for long. Pushing that depressing thought out of her mind, she returned to trying to decipher the map.

Straight lines crossed the bottom of the sheet. She couldn’t decide what they represented, but the river, if it was a river, led down to them. And in the center of those lines was a patterned blue dot.

As she stared at it, she realized that it almost looked like the planet Earth.

The implications made her heart pound. What if this really wasn’t just some unknown jungle deep in the Amazon? What if she really wasn’t on her own planet any longer?

She tried desperately to convince herself that she was imagining things, but the vibrant foliage, the enormous fireflies, even the shadowy creature that has attacked them…

Mr. Tiddles reached up and patted her cheek, and she choked back a sob. She’d never heard of anything like him before either. Her thoughts circled frantically, trying to come up with another explanation, but deep inside she was already certain. She was no longer on Earth.

Chapter Three

Taraxan listened intently as the small female talked to the forest creature she had befriended. Given sufficient time and input, his translation implant should be able to decipher her language, but so far it had little to work with.

He had become increasingly convinced that she was neither a threat, nor part of a larger scheme to entrap him. The fact that she had a map of her own, even though she didn’t seem to understand it at first, was one factor. Another was simply her complete lack of familiarity with her surroundings.

Once he realized that, he should have continued on his own path to the destination on the map that suggested a way off this planet. However when she had curled up at the base of the tree, looking absurdly small and defenseless, he didn’t have the heart to leave her.

It was just as well that he had not. Once he had intercepted a long, legless reptile that had been slithering towards her. It had been large enough to wrap itself around her small body, but he had dispatched it easily enough, and the meat had provided protein as he continued to watch over her.

The second predator had been a large feline that could have presented an interesting challenge, but after Taraxan growled at him, the animal slunk away. He shuddered to think what would have happened if it had decided to attack the female.

Now he watched as she returned to the map. She finally seemed to have deciphered its meaning, but from the expression of shock on her face and the way her shoulders drooped, the knowledge did not provide any comfort.

Once again, he thought about making himself known to her, but before he could decide, she straightened her shoulders and picked up the bag. He watched approvingly as she lined it with some of the leaves from the water gathering plant, then poured more water inside. A crude solution and not entirely leakproof, but it was a sign of intelligence.

He was less impressed by her next activity. She picked up one of the large leaves that had covered her during the night and, with some difficulty, made a hole in the center of it. He watched disapprovingly as she placed it over her head and then used a vine to secure it around her waist. Clothing was far from a necessity in this type of survival situation—and he already missed the sight of her enticing body. Perhaps her culture had some type of taboo against nudity?

Before he had time to do more than speculate about her society, she consulted her map again, then walked into the jungle. Assuming that he had interpreted his glimpse of her map correctly, her destination and his were in the same general vicinity. Thankfully she was heading in the right direction. He decided to follow from above, leaping easily from branch to branch, or taking advantage of the many hanging vines to swing from tree to tree as he followed.

He told himself that he needed to keep close to her so that he could pick up any additional words she spoke, and to make sure she continued in the right direction. At first, she did just that, although her pace was frustratingly slow. She seemed to trip over even the smallest vine and run into every low hanging branch. His translation implant decided that the frequently repeated word “dam-uht” was a colorful metaphor indicating distress.

If he had been observing one of his young cadets, he would have immediately dismissed them as clumsy and unworthy, but instead he found this female’s determined efforts admirable and… adorable? He was not used to thinking of a female in such a way, but it seemed to suit her. However, her helplessness also increased his protective instincts, and once again he debated making his presence known. As he argued with himself, he realized that she was beginning to stray off course. That seemed to decide the matter, but before he could drop down to ground level, she appeared to realize the same thing. She came to a halt and slumped down against a large fallen branch.

The small forest creature—Misstuh Tiduhlz—had accompanied her on her journey, sometimes perched on her shoulder and other times skipping along beside her. Now it looked up at her expectantly.

“Idontwanttogetlost. Weneedtowaituntilthisafternoon.” As she pointed to the sun directly overhead, he realized that she had been using it to guide her.

The little creature chittered at her, then began digging around in the rotten wood of the branch. Taraxan nodded approvingly when it retrieved a large insect and tried to hand it to the female. To his surprise, she shuddered and drew back. Why was she rejecting an obvious source of protein?

After one more attempt to offer her his prize, Misstuh Tiduhlz bit into it with obvious enjoyment.

Perhaps she was not a flesh eater. It was not a common trait amongst Doturans, but he had heard of such things in his travels. If she would not eat meat, she would still require sustenance. The tree in which he was currently perched held clusters of small pink fruits. He tested one and determined that it was edible. Moving quietly along an overhanging branch, he dropped one of the clusters so that it landed in the moss at her feet.

She jumped and cast a startled look upwards, but he had already withdrawn from view.

“Fruit! Doyouthinkitssafe?”

To his disappointment, she offered one of the fruits to her companion but after he devoured it eagerly, she lifted a pink globe to her own mouth. Her first cautious bite was followed by a little moan of pleasure that sent a streak of excitement straight to his cock. He could easily imagine her making a similar noise when he pleasured her…

Resolutely pushing the image aside, he saw with satisfaction that she was eagerly consuming the rest of the fruit. He was not as pleased that she insisted on sharing them with her companion, but he found an unexpected sense of satisfaction in the knowledge that he had assuaged her hunger.

Moving quietly, he dropped two more clusters close to her. She gave them a longing look, then shook her head.

“IsupposeIshouldsavetheseforlater.”

He frowned as he watched her add the fruit to her supplies. It was a sensible precaution and yet, he hated to think that she might still hunger.

After she shared a drink with her companion, she settled back against the log. Misstuh Tiduhlz climbed into her lap, and within minutes they were both asleep. Taraxan quietly dropped a few more bunches of fruit nearby, then settled back to watch over her.

A loud squawk from far overhead awoke Jane. She hadn’t intended to fall asleep but between the previous night’s disturbed sleep, the morning’s long walk, and finally getting some food into her stomach, she hadn’t been able to keep her eyes open. At least the sun was no longer directly overhead and she would be able to get back on track—or what she hoped was on track.

And wasn’t this what people in tropical countries did anyway? Take a nap in the middle of the day? Maybe that was true on tropical planets as well. She still didn’t want to believe that she was on an alien planet, but she couldn’t think of any other explanation.

The squawk sounded again and she looked up to catch a fleeting glimpse of an extremely large bird—although bird was not exactly the correct term. The creature had wide, brightly colored wings, but they appeared to be made of skin rather than feathers, and a long, sinuous tail whipped along behind it. She gulped. Definitely not like any Earth bird she had ever seen.

How the hell had she ended up on this planet? She prayed that there would be an answer at the destination marked on the map. And perhaps she would finally encounter a native of this planet. There must be someone here—although what kind of being would steal someone away from their home and abandon them in a jungle?

Maybe it was just as well that she hadn’t met any natives.

“Well, except for you,” she smiled, stroking her companion’s head. He purred, then hopped out of her lap and went to catch another beetle.

She shuddered and turned away as he devoured the insect, then realized that more of the tasty pink fruit had fallen while she slept. She gathered them up, and then decided that she had enough to eat a few more. They really were delicious, like a cross between a peach and an apple with a slightly tart outer skin and a sweet, juicy interior.

After she satisfied her hunger, she tucked the rest away in her bag. It had not held water as well as she would have liked, but she had seen quite a few of the blue-leafed bushes as they walked. She thought she could count on gathering more water wherever they stopped for the night. The thought of another night in the jungle made her shiver, but there didn’t seem to be any alternative. Since there was nothing on the map to indicate scale, she had hoped that perhaps she would reach the river today. There was no sign of it so far and she suspected that she might have a longer journey than she had anticipated. With a sigh, she picked up her bag, adjusted her vine belt and set out once more.

The walk seemed even more difficult this afternoon. Her legs ached from the unaccustomed exercise. Fortunately much of the ground was covered with deep blue moss, but her bare feet were still bruised from her encounters with unexpected rocks and twigs. The undergrowth through which she pushed scratched at her skin and had an unfortunate tendency to smack back against her. Even Mr. Tiddles seemed tired, content to perch on her shoulder rather than jumping ahead to explore.

She reached up and patted the wide furry tail he had wrapped around her neck for stability. “You don’t like this either, do you? I hope you haven’t left your family behind to accompany me.”

The thought that he might have left his home worried her, but she couldn’t deny that his presence was a comfort. And she had yet to see any others of his kind, so perhaps he had been alone as well.

The afternoon dragged on but she kept putting one foot in front of the other. She still held out hope that she might reach the river, but by the time the sun had lowered to the point where it was shining directly into her eyes, she had to accept the probability that she would not reach it today. Instead, she started looking for a place where she could spend the night. A small clearing where she could at least see her surroundings seemed like a better alternative than camping amongst the bushes.

Swearing, she pushed through an especially stubborn set of branches that clung to her with determined tendrils, then gasped with delight when she reached just such clearing.

The space was even larger than the place where she had spent the previous night—a long, wide strip of land exposed to the sky. More moss covered the ground, but this moss was a deep gold and small patches of white flowers were scattered across the surface. It was stunningly beautiful in an exotic kind of way, the deep colors of the surrounding jungle a perfect background.

“This looks like a good place to spend the night, don’t you think?” she asked Mr. Tiddles.

To her surprise, he chittered anxiously, his paws tightening on her shoulders. Why did he seem worried, she wondered. Perhaps it was because he was more used to the closer confines of the jungle. Still, his nervousness gave her second thoughts and instead of moving directly into the sunlight in the center of the clearing, she walked slowly along the edge looking for any indications of danger.

The golden moss grew thickly here, especially soft beneath her feet, and she cast a longing look at one particularly inviting patch highlighted by the rays of the setting sun. It would be a welcome change to be out from under the heavy shadows of the trees, away from the scratchy branches and clinging vines.

Everything looked quiet and peaceful and she took a few cautious steps out into the sunlight. Mr. Tiddles squeaked and grabbed her hair.

“Ouch! What’s wrong with you? It looks perfectly safe.”

As if in response to her words, a heavy thud sounded behind her. She whirled around, and froze, too frightened to scream. A huge, spider-like creature had dropped to the ground. Golden fur that glittered in the sunlight covered a bulbous body supported by a disconcerting number of long thin legs. The small head was composed mainly of an enormous mouth filled with long shining teeth dripping a sickly yellow substance.

“Oh shit.”

Chapter Four

Jane’s heart pounded against her ribs so hard that she felt sick. The spider thing was between her and the trees on that side of the clearing, but it remained beneath the branches. Perhaps it wouldn’t come all the way out into the opening. Forcing her shaking legs to obey, she tried to take a cautious step backwards. The golden moss clung to her feet as she lifted them, but she managed to retreat a short distance.

To her dismay, the spider skittered forward and she froze again. The moss was past her ankles now and she could feel it sticking to her.

I’m on a giant fly trap, she thought hysterically as she looked around frantically for a weapon on any kind. The branches and rocks that had littered her trail were completely absent now that she needed them. As she scanned the ground, a gleam of white amidst a thick patch of flowers caught her eye. If she could get that rock into her bag…

She dragged a foot free of the moss and took a half-step in that direction. The spider clicked its mandibles together threateningly, but it didn’t come any closer. She looked back down to judge her distance to the rock. She could see more of it now, oddly round and white against the golden moss…

Her stomach churned as she finally realized that it wasn’t a rock—it was a skull.

Mr. Tiddles trembled on her shoulder, but he gave a defiant little growl at the spider, still watching them from the edge of the trees. She had to be brave for his sake, as well as her own. Keeping a wary eye on the spider, she bent down to grab the skull. The moss clung to her fingers as she reached it, but she managed to pull them free along with the skull.

The weight of the bone gave her a small degree of comfort, but she wasn’t quite sure how to use it. She doubted she could throw it hard enough, or straight enough, to damage the spider. Instead, she decided to use it to weigh down her bag. It dropped down inside with a satisfying thud, and she took a firm grip on the strap.

Now what? She could try to reach the other side of the clearing but the moss was even thicker in the center, the patches of flowers larger. The moss already clung to her feet and ankles and she was afraid that if it got much deeper, she would have a hard time freeing herself. The spider thing was still watching her, unmoving. She tried taking a few more steps away from it, staying parallel to the edge of the woods but as soon as she moved, it hissed and followed her.

Her knees shook, but she couldn’t just stand here until night fell. The longer she stayed in one spot, the more it felt as if she were sticking to the ground.

“I think we’re going to have to run for it,” she muttered to Mr. Tiddles, giving her bag an experimental swing.

The creature’s thin, spindly legs didn’t look that strong. With any luck, she could swing the bag hard enough to knock out a few and give them the chance to get away. She took one step, then another towards the trees, but the spider mirrored her movements. Each step brought it a little closer to her, and her heart sank as she realized that it would reach her before she reached the jungle.

“Just go away, dammit!” she yelled, fear and frustration bubbling to the surface.

To her shock, the spider reared back. Did the noise intimidate it?

“Go away!” she yelled again, and Mr. Tiddles added his minuscule growl to her words.

Her heart pounded even faster as the spider poised on its rear set of legs, but just as she started to hope that it would retreat, it dropped down on its front legs and charged towards her.

A deafening roar echoed through the jungle as a large, green male leapt down from the trees to land between her and the charging spider. Frozen in shock, she stared as he easily dispatched the spider, metal flashing in his hand as he separated its head from its body in a gush of yellow blood. The body twitched, legs still scrabbling, and he tossed it easily into the center of the clearing. As soon as it landed, small tendrils of golden moss began to creep over the carcass.

“Oh my God,” she whispered, horrified at what might have happened if she had ventured further into the open area.

A stream of harsh words distracted her and she turned back to see her savior stalking towards her. He did not look happy.

She suspected he would have been an imposing sight under any circumstances. Easily a foot taller than her, his broad frame was layered with muscle upon muscle – all of which was clearly visible because all he wore was a thin rope twisted around his waist. His body was essentially humanoid but no human man had ever possessed skin in multiple shades of green, nor the white fangs she could see all too clearly as he continued to berate her. He had short, dark hair and as he came closer, she could see dark lashes surrounding eyes that gleamed a fierce gold, accented by catlike pupils.

He came to a halt in front of her, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off his body, as he continued to yell at her. Even though it was difficult not to feel intimidated looking up at the huge, angry male, her relief at her rescue was finally replaced by anger.

“Stop yelling at me! I have no idea what you’re saying, and I don’t think I want to know. It was a stupid mistake and I know that now—but shouting at me isn’t going to change anything.”

By the time she finished speaking, she was yelling almost as loudly as he had been, and he was finally quiet. He glowered down at her from his imposing height, and she did her best to withstand the heat of that angry yellow gaze, straightening her shoulders and glaring back. Then, to her utter shock, he burst into laughter.

Taraxan had no idea what the female was saying, but she clearly had run out of patience with his lecturing. He couldn’t blame her. The knowledge of how close she had come to disaster had shaken him out of his usual composure. He had made the mistake of dropping behind in order to collect more fruit for her, lulled into complacency by the lack of danger during the day.

When he had caught up with her and seen her standing up to the arachnoid with nothing more than her makeshift weapon, his heart had literally skipped a beat. Although her bravery had impressed him, he intended to make absolutely sure she didn’t need it in the future.

“You are a very brave female,” he acknowledged, happy to see that he had not intimidated her with his anger. Or perhaps she had realized that he was not angry at her but at himself for letting her get so close to danger. He sighed and started again. “This isn’t exactly how I intended to introduce myself, but I am Commander Taraxan Bellkandis.”

He swept her a formal bow but to his surprise, she bit her lip and took a step back.

“Taraxan Bellkandis,” he repeated slowly, patting his chest.

He repeated his name once more before she attempted to mimic him. Her accent was atrocious, and she stumbled over his name several times before she finally managed to say, “Tarax.”

Close enough, he decided. He patted her chest peremptorily. “And you are?”

She jumped at his touch, her blue eyes huge in her pale face.

“I mean you no harm,” he said as gently as possible. “I just want to know your name.” He patted his chest again. “Taraxan. And you are…”

He extended his hand towards her again, but she caught it before he could touch her. Her small fingers weren’t strong enough to prevent him, but he recognized that she was trying to stop him. The feel of her soft skin against his sent an unexpected streak of pleasure through his body. He turned his hand to enclose her fingers in his, and her eyes widened again.

“Whatareyoudoing?”

The words were unintelligible, but the meaning was clear and he gently squeezed her hand with his.

“I mean you no harm, little female. What is your name?”

She finally seemed to understand, patting her chest with her free hand. “Jane.”

“Jayn?” It took him several tries before she finally shrugged and nodded. “Jayn,” he said with satisfaction, enjoying the sound of her name on his lips.

Her companion had been perched on her shoulder the entire time, eyeing him curiously, and now he chittered at him.

Taraxan laughed. “I know you are Misstuh Tiduhlz.”

“Howdoyouknowhisname?” Jayn asked, her eyes widening.

Once again she was looking at him suspiciously, and she attempted to withdraw her hand. He wasn’t ready to let it go, but he reluctantly released her fingers. He half expected her to run, but instead, she only took a step back and looked at him.

“Idontsupposeyouknowthe way outofhere? Orcanyouhelpme find thisplace?” she asked. A few of her words made sense to him, and he realized that the translation implant was beginning to decipher her language.

She reached in her bag, grimacing as she touched the skull she had chosen as a weapon. As she started to toss it away, he put his hand over hers again and shook his head.

“Hold onto it. I don’t intend to let you run into danger again but it never hurts to be prepared.”

She frowned up at him, then nodded and left the skull in her bag, reaching past it to retrieve her map.

“Canyouleadmetothis place?”

She pointed at the destination on her map, and now that he was close enough to examine it in detail, he realized that it was identical to his destination. He also realized that she seemed to assume that he was a native of the planet. Without a common language, he didn’t think he could explain to her that he too had been abandoned on this planet. And really, what did it matter? Her assumption would allow him to accompany her and keep her out of danger.

He nodded. “Yes, I’ll take you there.” He took a quick look at the sky. “We have time to travel further before the sun sets and I will be happier if we are a long way from here. Shall we go?”

He held out his hand to her. Once again, she hesitated, but then she placed those small soft fingers back in his and satisfaction roared through him. She would accept his protection.

Chapter Five

Jane kept glancing surreptitiously at her companion as they walked. So this was a native of the planet—and he was not at all what she had expected. She didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but she couldn’t help wondering why he had shown up to rescue her. And why was he willing to take her to the location on the map? Didn’t he have any friends or family?

She looked up again only to find him studying her in return with those odd golden eyes. When she blushed, he grinned at her and despite the white flash of fangs, it was a remarkably attractive grin. In fact, despite his differences, he was a remarkably attractive male. She had never been particularly attracted to athletic men, but here in the jungle those rippling muscles and his air of easy competence were very enticing.

She was so busy looking at him that she tripped over a half-hidden branch and stumbled to a stop. Tarax stopped as well, studying her thoughtfully before spreading out his arms as if to say take a good look. She found herself focusing on his chest where the ridges of muscle seemed to delineate the varying shades of his skin.

Curious, she started to stretch out her hand, but didn’t quite have the courage to touch him. With an impatient sound he grabbed her hand and brought it firmly against his chest. His very hard chest. The ridges of muscle felt more like armor than skin, she realized as she explored his massive pectorals.

Could he actually be wearing some type of body suit, she wondered, but then her curious fingers reached his abdomen. Still impressively muscled, but with the warm firmness of skin rather than armor. Her fingers skated down the ladder of muscle, one, two, three… Good lord, he had at least an eight pack.

But then he made a muffled noise. Startled, she looked up to see that his face was rigid, his eyes closed. She couldn’t possibly be hurting him, could she? She looked down again and… oh my.

The effect of her exploration was all too clear. He wasn’t fully erect but his already impressive cock was definitely thicker, stirring even more beneath her gaze. But it wasn’t just the size that had her staring. More ridges covered the surface, expanding as she watched.

She started to reach out a curious hand, then came to her senses and jumped back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get you, um, excited. I was just curious. Thank you for letting me touch you, but maybe we should just get moving now…”

Her words died down in a flurry of embarrassment. He didn’t respond, but when she dared to sneak a look at his face, he looked almost amused. Hmph. Not entirely sure she appreciated that reaction, she cast one more quick glance at that much too intriguing cock, lifted her chin, and turned to continue the journey. And promptly tripped over a vine.

Tarax caught her, of course, and for just a second his hands seemed to linger against her waist before he set her firmly on her feet. He took her hand and they started walking again.

She quickly realized how much easier traveling was with him along. He created a path through the undergrowth, held vines out of her way, and steadied her when she inevitably tripped over a hidden obstacle. She still thought it was odd that he wanted to hold her hand, but there was no denying that the strength of his grip gave her added confidence.

As the last rays of the sun began to slant through the trees, she started to wonder when, or even if, he was going to stop for the night. Even with his assistance, she was tired. Her legs ached and her feet hurt and she just wanted to sit down.

“Shouldn’t we find somewhere to stop?” she asked. “I’m ready to take a break.”

He looked down at her, but he didn’t respond and he didn’t slow his pace.

She tried again. “Look, I realize you must be at home here, but I’m not, and I’m not used to all this exercise. I’m very grateful that you agreed to take me to the place on the map, but I really think we should stop for the night.”

When he still didn’t come to a halt, she tried to disentangle her hand from his. That made him stop, although he didn’t let go of her, and she realized there was no way she could escape his grip unless he chose to let her go.

“Can we stop?” She pointed at the ground. “For the night?” This time she pointed at the setting sun.

He tilted his head and studied her, so she tried some more sign language. Putting her hands together, one still cradled in his, she lifted them to her cheek and placed her head on them. Was that the universal sign for sleep?

He nodded, and she sighed with relief, but then he started walking again.

“No. I don’t want to walk any further.”

He came to a halt again and said something in his growled language.

“I have no idea what you’re saying, but I’m tired and I want to stop for the night.” Her voice broke on the last words as exhaustion and the events of the day caught up with her.

His face softened, then before she could react, he lifted her easily into his arms, cradling her like a baby against his hard chest. Both she and Mr. Tiddles let out a startled squeak, but Tarax just smiled down at her and started walking again. She wanted to protest, but he was obviously determined not to stop, and it was a huge relief just to be off her feet.

At first she held herself stiffly, trying to maintain some sense of dignity, but his steady pace and the warmth and comfort of his arms quickly overcame her reserve. With a tired sigh she nestled her head against his shoulder. Mr. Tiddles curled up in her arms, his own eyes closing.

If someone had told her a week ago that she could fall asleep while being carried through an alien jungle by a huge native, she would have laughed in their face. But as the shadows lengthened, she did just that, and it wasn’t until Tarax shifted her position in his arms that she awoke.

He had her tucked firmly against his side, one arm under her ass while he used the other to… climb? Oh my God! She gasped and threw her arms around his neck when she realized they were already halfway up one of the enormous jungle trees. Mr. Tiddles squeaked a protest as she squeezed him between their bodies, and she reluctantly eased her grip.

Tarax rumbled something that might have been intended to be reassuring, but he sounded a little too amused for her liking.

“Dammit. Humans don’t belong in trees,” she muttered. “I really don’t think this is a good idea.”

To her relief, he came to a halt a moment later and settled down in the notch where one of the broad branches joined up with the trunk of the tree. He kept her cradled against him as he sat and she ended up in his lap – his completely naked lap. She was suddenly extremely conscious of the warm strength of his thighs beneath her and started to jump up, only to reconsider when she realized the branch wasn’t wide enough for the two of them.

Tarax made that odd rumbling laugh again and pulled her back down. She squirmed uncomfortably, and he made another noise. This one did not sound amused, and she was suddenly aware of his cock stiffening beneath her. She froze, uneasily aware that if he intended to take advantage of her, she had absolutely no hope of fending him off. The heat of his body surrounded her, his arms held her firmly but gently, and her heart raced—but not entirely from fear.

He growled something else, a low rumble that was somehow reassuring as his arms tightened briefly in what felt like a hug. She held herself stiffly for a few more minutes, but although his cock was still huge and hard beneath her, he didn’t do anything else, and she gradually relaxed.

Mr. Tiddles had climbed out of her arms when they first sat down and was now exploring their surroundings, chittering gently. She watched him sleepily, still exhausted from the long day.

Taraxan shifted position, wedging the length of his cock more firmly between her buttocks, and she bit her lip. But all he did was reach into his belt and withdraw a handful of fruit to hand to her.

It was the same pink fruit that had fallen around her earlier.

“Did you drop these for me when I stopped before?” she asked, twisting around to look up at him. “You were following me earlier, weren’t you?” she added.

The knowledge didn’t really upset her. As far as she could tell, he had been looking out for her, first by feeding her and then by coming to her rescue.

“Why didn’t you let me know that you were there?”

Was he shy, she wondered. But looking up at that strong, competent face, regarding her with an amused look once more, she discarded that notion.

“Hmm. It can’t have been because you thought that I was a danger to you. Were you just checking me out?”

That thought brought on a whole new series of worries. She had assumed that he had agreed to take her to the destination on the map, but what if he had something more nefarious in mind? She hadn’t seen any other natives. Maybe females were scarce enough that he was happy to find one, even an alien one. She gave him a suspicious frown and he shook his head, fangs flashing in that surprisingly attractive smile, as if he knew what she was thinking.

He said something in his harsh language that she chose to believe was intended to reassure her. Then he took one of the pink fruits and lifted it to her mouth. She sighed and accepted it. It was just as delicious this evening as it had been earlier. She ate half of them before she felt guilty that she was taking all his supplies and offered one to him. He firmly shook his head, then grunted disapprovingly when she offered it to Mr. Tiddles. However, he didn’t attempt to stop her as she fed several of them to her small companion.

Full darkness had fallen by the time she finished, and her eyes were getting heavy. She would have liked a warm washcloth and a toothbrush, but she was too sleepy to spare them more than a fleeting thought. Tarax tucked her against him as Mr. Tiddles rejoined them, and she didn’t protest, tucking her head into his unexpectedly comfortable shoulder and drifting off to sleep.

Taraxan knew the moment that Jayn succumbed to her exhaustion and carefully adjusted her to ease the strain on his aching cock. He had not realized how tempting it would be to have her pressed against him. He had never had an issue controlling his arousal before, but he had not anticipated the delight of having her in his arms.

He was not a stranger to the female sex, but he had deliberately kept his previous encounters brief and formal. Although the Doturans had a history of all-consuming bonds between a male and female, he had long ago decided that it was not for him. He had no intention of succumbing to the weakness that had led to his father abandoning him by following his mother into death. His decision to avoid a mating bond had never been tested before, and yet…

Holding Jayn, protecting her and caring for her, fulfilled a part of him that he would have sworn did not exist. But it was a part that had no future. He would be returning to his planet and she would, no doubt, be returning to hers. This closeness that he felt to her was simply the result of being in a survival situation with a desirable female.

Very desirable, he thought with a silent groan as she moved in her sleep and her makeshift garment pulled away from her body. A full breast rubbed temptingly against his arm and he felt a pebbled nipple press against his skin. His hand ached to explore that tempting little peak and see how responsive it would be, but he forced himself to remain still. He had promised her he would not take advantage of her, and even though he knew she hadn’t understood him, he had given his word. With a sigh, he rested his head against the trunk of the tree and prepared himself for a long, frustrating night.

Chapter Six

Jane was dreaming again, once more back on that tropical beach with a mysterious lover. But this time he was doing more than running his fingers up her leg. This time she could feel him beneath her, feel the firm strength of his body as her breasts rubbed against the rigid muscles of his chest. The heavy weight of his cock was wedged between her legs, hot and hard and tempting. His girth parted her lower lips, and her body was slick and ready. She rocked her hips, rubbing herself along the wide shaft.

A deep rumble echoed from the chest beneath her, sending a thrilling sensation through her aching breasts, and she moved faster, searching for the pleasure that hovered just out of reach. Large hands grabbed her ass to help her move, and the strength of that grip finally startled her awake.

Her eyes opened to find Tarax watching her, golden eyes ablaze. His hands flexed on her buttocks, but he didn’t make another move. Still half asleep and caught up in the remnants of her dream, the demanding ache in her body overcame her embarrassment, and she instinctively pressed down against him. He groaned and started sliding her back and forth along the length of his cock.

A distant part of her mind realized that something felt different, but it felt too good for her to stop and analyze it. All she knew was that with each stroke, a hard ridge rubbed against her clit, sending waves of pleasure through her body. His hands pulled her legs further apart, exposing more of her sensitive flesh to that wonderful sensation. She cried out, and he increased his pace until she was shaking, poised on the verge of ecstasy, then a heated flood of liquid hit her oversensitive bundle of nerves and sent her over the edge into a long rolling climax. His grip finally loosened, but he continued to rock her gently back and forth until her body stopped quivering.

“Oh my goodness.” Color flooded her cheeks as her climax faded away and she realized what she had done. She tried to sit up quickly but only succeeded in rubbing herself against him in the process. They both groaned. When she looked down, she realized that what she had felt was his climax. Thick streaks of golden liquid coated his stomach and her thighs.

Once again, she tried to back away and scramble off of him, but he growled something and kept his hands tightly on her hips. It took another minute for her dazed mind to remember that they were still perched high in the tree.

“I guess I can’t exactly run away, can I?” she muttered.

Even though he couldn’t understand the words, he must have understood the sentiment because he gave her a satisfied smile.

“You don’t have to look so pleased with yourself. I was dreaming and you just happened to be there.”

He frowned, and she decided that he had understood that sentiment as well. Guilt immediately swept over her. Yes, she had been dreaming, but when she woke up, she had known it was him and she hadn’t wanted to stop.

She patted his chest in silent apology and for the first time, remembered the protective ridges covering his pectoral muscles. Half unconsciously, she explored the area, finding where the ridges stopped, replaced by the firm muscles of his abdomen. Her gaze automatically dropped down further to the cock she had so shamelessly ground herself against. She had been too embarrassed to really look at it the day before but it was a little late for modesty now.

Despite the deep green color, his cock was not dissimilar to a human penis—although it was definitely larger than any she had ever encountered. But the same ridges that covered his chest also covered his cock, and she realized that was what had caused those exquisite sensations. She started to run a curious finger down his length, then blushed and hastily drew her hand away.

What on earth was wrong with her? She had never been particularly adventurous in the bedroom – or particularly lucky in the boyfriend department for that matter. She had certainly never encountered anyone like Tarax. Obviously, she thought to herself, but she suspected that even if he had been a human male, he would have been exceptional.

She looked up to find him watching her, but to her relief he seemed thoughtful, rather than smug. He lifted a hand her cheek in a surprisingly tender gesture, and she had the oddest desire to burst into tears. Instead, she forced a smile to her face.

“I suppose we had better get moving, right?”

Again, he at least seemed to understand the sentiment. He gave her a reluctant nod, then lifted her off of his lap. She squeaked as she swung through the air, but he held her in a firm grip as he rose and tucked her against his side once more.

“Wait a minute! Where’s Mr. Tiddles?”

A familiar voice chittered excitedly, and she looked over her to find her small companion gnawing cheerfully on a large, many-legged insect. She shuddered, glad that she hadn’t realized what was sharing the tree with them the previous night.

“It’s time to go,” she told him, then grimaced as he shoved the rest of the insect in his mouth before leaping cheerfully into her arms.

“Yuck,” she shuddered. “I hope you swallowed it all.”

Tarax chuckled and she frowned up at him. “Can you understand what I’m saying?”

He tilted his head on one side, studying her face, but he did not respond and she sighed. “No, I suppose not. I guess I’m just easy to read.”

He opened his mouth, then shook his head and closed it again. He tightened his arm around her, then grabbed a vine and leapt off of the branch. Her squeal trailed through the air behind them as he swung easily down to the ground. She was still shaking when he set her down.

“Oh my God. Do not leap off a tree without warning me first. I thought I was going to die,” she scolded him.

He actually looked offended, and she sighed and patted his chest. “All right. I know you weren’t going to let me die.”

He briefly touched her cheek again, then went to collect water leaves as she attended to the morning necessities.

Taraxan did his best to keep an eye out for any possible dangers as they resumed their journey, but his mind was still consumed with the events of the morning. When Jane had started rubbing her luscious body against him, he had been thrilled. His caution of the previous night had been forgotten as he responded to her. Then, when he realized she had been sleeping, he had tried to force himself to put her aside. But when she gave him that sweet smile and moved, his good intentions disappeared. The feel of her soft body against his, the liquid arousal bathing his cock, had been too much to resist. He had been lost in her, and his body had betrayed him, exploding with pleasure without waiting for her. Fortunately, his climax had triggered her own, and he had been privileged to experience the exquisite sensation of her coming apart in his arms.

Afterwards, when he had seen her embarrassment and confusion, he had longed to pull her closer, to assure her that he cared for her, to promise her that he would never leave— His thoughts came to an abrupt halt.

You can’t bond with her, he reminded himself. She is not Doturan. These feelings are caused by the situation, and they will disappear as soon as you return home.

But despite his lecture to himself, the thought of their future separation made his chest ache. He forced himself to focus on the present instead, while they were still together.

The night’s rest seemed to have refreshed Jayn, and he watched her study her surroundings with an interested eye. Several times she stopped to observe a plant and pose a clearly interrogatory question. It was quite clear that she still thought he was a native of this planet. He had no more idea of the names of the plants he was pointing out than she did, but he hated to disappoint her.

Instead, he gave the plants generic names in his own language – pink flower, big ass leaf, golden rain plant. The last was a vine that dripped long strands of small yellow flowers. Giving in to an unexpected impulse, he plucked one of the strands and wove it into a circle that he placed on top of her dark mane. The shy smile she gave him in return was more than enough reward.

As they continued their journey, she chattered on, talking to both Mr. Tiddles and to him. He encouraged her as best he could, and his implant picked up more and more of her language.

But by the time the sun reached its zenith, her words had died down and he could see that her footsteps were beginning to drag. He remembered that she had rested at midday the previous day and decided that it would be worthwhile finding a safe place to stop. His conscience gave a brief twinge that he was not hurrying to his destination as quickly as possible so that he could return to his duties, but it was easily pushed aside. Here in this wild jungle with his female—the female—at his side, strategy and battle tactics seemed far away. His duty was to care for her.

He caught the scent of water a few minutes before he led her through another sheet of hanging vines and into a small clearing. Water trickled along a rocky streambed, gathering in a crystalline pool surrounded by lush, deep purple vegetation. Jayn gasped with delight, then hesitated, obviously remembering her last experience in an open space.

“Isit safe?” she whispered.

He studied the area carefully. The moss carpeting the ground was the same as that beneath the trees. He could see some faint tracks leading to the water, but those were only to be expected and none of them looked recent. Reluctantly dropping her hand, he found a sturdy branch and cast it out into the middle of the clearing. It landed with a thud but no predator appeared, and the area remained undisturbed except for a small flight of brightly colored avians that fluttered from one tree to another.

“I believe that it’s secure,” he said reassuringly, but he kept one hand on his knife as they emerged from under the trees.

Jane immediately headed for the pool, but he grabbed her hand before she could dip it into the tempting liquid.

“Let me check it first,” he said firmly.

He did not like the fact that her eyes widened with fear at his warning, but he was not about to take any chances with her safety. A few minutes later, he decided that it was safe. The pool was simply the water it appeared to be, and no dangerous aquatic creatures lurked in the shallow depths. He gave her an encouraging nod.

“Go ahead.”

Her fingers trembled as she held them hesitantly above the surface, so he plunged his own hand into the cool water to show her that it was safe. Driven by an unexpectedly playful impulse, he flicked a few drops in her direction.

Her eyes widened again, but not in fear this time. Then she grinned, gathered up a handful of water, and returned the gesture. Her fingers were so small that she barely captured enough to splash him but he responded enthusiastically, then winced when water drenched her entire head. She mewed like a startled raskit cub, and he couldn’t help but laugh at her expression. Her brows drew together in an adorable frown, then she reached down with both hands to splash him in return. This time, she did succeed in wetting most of his chest, and with a playful roar, he lifted her into his arms and leapt into the water with her.

The pool was not that deep to him, but it was over her head and she bobbed up, spluttering indignantly. He smiled apologetically and gathered her close, supporting her so that her head was above the water. Their bodies were pressed together, and he realized that the leaf she had been wearing had finally deteriorated. The soft warmth of her skin directly against his had the inevitable effect on his cock.

Jayn looked up at him as his shaft hardened between them. He pulled her even closer, rubbing her tentatively along his length, and her lips parted. She didn’t protest or try to get away, and he repeated the movement, letting each ridge of his cock drag slowly across her sensitive flesh. He felt her arousal coating him, warmer and slipperier than the water surrounding them.

He lifted her higher, high enough that the head of his cock could probe at the tight little entrance to her body. Her breath caught, but she still didn’t protest. She stared at him, eyes huge and blue, then leaned into him, pressing her impossibly soft lips against his. It was not a practice in which his people engaged, but that didn’t stop the streak of arousal that raced down his spine, his hips automatically thrusting upwards.

The heated entrance to her channel brushed against his cock head but her body resisted. He slowly started to push deeper… And a series of indignant squeaks came from the edge of the pool.

He immediately swung Jayn behind him, placing himself between her and any danger. Even when he realized that it was only Misstuh Tiduhlz protesting their absence, guilt swept over him. He had been too lost in his desire to keep watch as he should.

“Dam-uht,” he muttered, and Jayn gave him a startled look as he returned to the edge of the pool.

“Howdid you learn thatIwonder?”

He raised an eyebrow and she grinned, then leaned closer to him, brushing her lips against his cheek.

“Im sorry abouttheinterruption.”

He almost stumbled as he carried her out of the water. Did she mean it? Did she want him as much as he wanted her? His cock flexed eagerly at the thought, but the shock of the interruption still haunted him. He needed to think of her safety first—although the feel of her lush naked body sliding down him when he reluctantly released her almost overrode his good intentions.

“I will make a sayf place,” he told her, hoping she understood his meaning as he turned away to begin his preparations.

Chapter Seven

A loud squeal sounded from the jungle, and Jane twisted her hands together nervously as she waited for Tarax to return from what she thought was a hunting trip.

As soon as they left the pool, he had started setting up camp. He had dragged a number of the large leaves out of the jungle to prepare a bed—one of which she had immediately appropriated to create another makeshift dress. He frowned disapprovingly, but she ignored him. Naked in the pool or in his arms was one thing. Naked in a jungle clearing was another. Not that she wanted him to get dressed, she thought, admiring the tight muscles of his ass as he stalked away.

But he hadn’t stopped with preparing a bed. He had also retrieved tall branches and more leaves to make a sort of teepee over the bed. Apparently they were stopping here for the rest of the day. She didn’t really object, even though it meant it would take longer to reach her destination. And the thought of what might happen when they were tucked away in their shelter sent a quiver of arousal straight to her clit. Tarax’s head lifted, his nostrils flaring as he looked at her, and she blushed. His eyes gleamed gold, but he returned to his tasks.

A small, brazen part of her was tempted to saunter over to him, take him by the hand, and lead him to that soft bed of leaves. She had never experienced this before—this urgency, this need—but the very strength of her desire made her nervous. Her mother’s lectures about proper behavior echoed through her head, but she did her best to ignore them. She wanted Tarax, and if she didn’t quite have the courage to approach him now, she had no intention of turning him away tonight.

The memory of the massive head of his cock pressing into her entrance made her shiver with pleasure—and the tiniest hint of trepidation—but she resolutely pushed it aside. Later.

Her eyes traveled back to where he was working, his big body crouched down to clear moss from a circle of ground in the center of the clearing. Once the ground was clear, he began gathering small branches and arranging them in a pyramid. She clapped her hands together excitedly as she finally understood what he was doing.

“Are you building a fire?”

Despite the warmth of the jungle air, there was something reassuring and civilized about the idea of a fire.

He tilted his head, then nodded. “Fie-uhr,” he agreed.

“That you understood?” she muttered. He was obviously learning her language much faster than she was learning his.

Even though she had tried to reproduce the names of the plants he had taught her, her throat just wasn’t equipped to make those deep, growling sounds. He’d had to resort to sign language when he told her that he was going to hunt. Or at least she hoped that’s what he meant when he mimicked plunging his knife into something.

Now, another squeal echoed through the jungle, followed by the loud thrashing of bushes. It sounded scarily close, but the vegetation was too thick for her to see anything. Mr. Tiddles climbed up on her lap and patted her cheek reassuringly, but she couldn’t help worrying.

What if something happened to Tarax? The thought made her heart skip a beat—and it wasn’t just because he was providing her with guidance, she acknowledged. Or even that she was insanely attracted to him physically. Even though she had only known him a short time, something about him drew her to him like a moth to a flame.

He belongs here and I’m going back to Earth. Stop being ridiculous, she told herself, but she still sighed with relief when he emerged from the jungle, a carcass slung over his shoulder.

“Oh thank goodness you’re back.”

He flashed her his fierce grin, then dropped the body he was carrying to the ground. It had a small head and a long, round body with short, stubby legs. It might have looked ridiculous, except for the oversized tusks projecting from its lower jaw. She decided that it somewhat resembled a wild boar—that is if boars had long, blue fur.

Tarax wasted no time, but quickly and efficiently began skinning the animal. Jane had to look away. She preferred her meat from the supermarket, thank you very much. And yet she couldn’t help but long for a change from the fruit, no matter how delicious. Gathering her courage, she went to join him.

“Can I help?” she asked tentatively.

Tarax shook his head, already gutting the animal. He removed one of the organs and offered it to her expectantly. She backed away so quickly she tripped over her own feet.

“No! I mean, thank you very much, but I just can’t.”

He frowned, then shrugged and bit into the morsel with sharp white fangs. She shuddered. Mr. Tiddles had been watching intently and now he patted Tarax’s leg, looking up at him with big hopeful eyes. Tarax laughed and handed him a piece. The two of them split the rest of the organs, although Tarax offered each one to her first.

When they were finished, Mr. Tiddles rubbed his round little belly, found a sunny spot by the pool, and curled up and went to sleep. She watched him enviously.

“I hope you plan on cooking some of that,” she muttered, looking hopefully at the pile of wood.

Right now, Tarax seemed preoccupied with cutting the meat into long thin strips.

He had placed the skin of the animal to one side and as she studied it, she wondered if it would be a sturdier replacement for her leaf outfits. She drew a little closer, fighting back a wave of squeamishness at the traces of flesh that still clung to the inside. But when she touched a tentative finger to the fur, it was as soft as it appeared.

“Tarax,” she asked tentatively. “Can you show me how to prepare the skin?”

She realized as soon as she spoke that she had no way of knowing whether or not he knew how to work with the fur. He certainly didn’t seem to have any desire for clothing himself.

He had looked over to her as soon as she spoke, and she carefully picked up the skin, holding it in front of her in an attempt to mime her intentions.

“I thought maybe I could make some clothing out of it.”

He raised an eyebrow, and she was suddenly sure exactly what he was thinking. He would be perfectly happy if she remained naked.

“I would feel more comfortable if I had some clothes,” she said firmly. “Please?”

He shook his head and grumbled something, but he abandoned his carcass and came to join her. Choosing a relatively straight-edged rock from the ones that lined the edge of the pool, he showed her how to scrape it across the underside of the fur to remove the last traces of flesh.

She had secretly hoped that asking him for assistance would result in him actually doing it for her, but it was only fair that she should participate. Doing her best to hide her disgust, she set to work. By the time he had finished butchering the boar thing, the inside of the skin was as clean as she could make it. He inspected it, then gave her an obviously approving smile. A feeling of satisfaction washed over her. Maybe she could handle this wild environment after all.

He started threading the strips of meat he had prepared onto long thin branches, and buoyed by her success with the fur, she went to help him. Now that it was in strips, the meat was similar enough to something she would have bought from the supermarket that she didn’t mind assisting. As soon as all the meat had been skewered, he took the laden branches to where the water from the pond trickled out the far side, and washed them thoroughly.

Picking up an assortment of rocks, he struck them against each other until he found two that created a small spark. A short time later, a fire was burning merrily in the cleared circle. He retrieved one branch of meat strips and hung it over the fire. Her stomach rumbled as the delicious smell of roasted meat filled the clearing.

By the time he pulled the branch off the fire, her mouth was watering. She burned her fingers and then her mouth, but it was worth it. The meat did taste rather like roast pork, and it was absolutely delicious. It wasn’t until she finally filled her stomach that she looked up and saw him watching her with an odd expression on his face. She blushed.

“I’m sorry. I was just so hungry. I didn’t eat too much, did I?”

He shook his head, and she wondered again whether he was really beginning to understand her words or if he was simply responding to the question in her voice. Before she could explore that thought further, he went to gather the rest of the meat laden branches. These he hung higher over the fire, then covered everything with damp leaves to trap the smoke inside. She realized that he was attempting to preserve the meat, and admiration filled her.

“It’s just amazing that you can do all of these things. If we had more time, I’d ask you to teach me… Although actually, I guess I really don’t know how much time we have left together.” The thought was curiously disheartening, and she went to retrieve her map.

“How long?” she asked, pointing to the small blue circle that she hoped indicated her path home, then waving her hand over what she thought was her arrival point. “Where are we now?”

He studied her face, then indicated a point on the map between her original location and the river. They had covered perhaps two thirds of the distance.

“So another day, perhaps, until we reach the river?”

Assuming that the map was to scale, it looked as if her destination was an equal distance on the other side of the river. That meant perhaps four more days with Tarax. Her heart suddenly ached. It didn’t seem like enough time—she wasn’t ready to let him go so quickly.

Tarax growled a question at her, pointing to the map and then to the far side of the clearing. She decided he was asking her if she wanted to resume their journey.

“I’m fine with waiting until tomorrow,” she said. “This seems like a good spot to spend the night. You can smoke your meat, and I can take another swim in the pool before we set out again.” To reinforce her meaning, she pointed to the edge of the clearing, shook her head, then patted the ground.

He flashed his fierce smile at her before turning to check on the smoking meat, and she knew she was smiling too as she went to put the map away.

Chapter Eight

Satisfaction filled Taraxan as he attended to his food preparation. Between what he could decipher of her words and her attempt at sign language, he was quite sure that Jayn was in no more of a hurry to reach her destination than he was. Once again he spared a fleeting thought for his official duties, but they still seemed far away and much less important than taking care of his female.

And in the interest of taking care of her, although he had no desire to see her luscious body covered, he turned his attention to the fur. Perhaps it would not be too bad—it had not been a large animal and the skin wouldn’t conceal much of her enticing body.

She had done an admirable job cleaning the pelt, and it only took a few scrapes of his knife to remove the few remaining scraps of flesh. Jayn looked on in appalled fascination as he mixed the creature’s brains with water, then rubbed the mixture into the skin to soften and prepare it.

“Now we’ll let it dry,” he told her as he hung the pelt in the trees at the edge of the clearing.

By the time the sun began to set, he was satisfied that he had done all that he could to make sure they were prepared for the rest of their journey. They shared the remnants of the meat he had roasted earlier, then sat watching the banked fire send gentle trails of smoke up into the darkening sky. Mr. Tiddles yawned and disappeared into the shelter, curling up in the leaves with his tail over his face.

Jayn was oddly quiet and he found he missed the sound of her voice. He shot a glance at her from under his brows and caught her stealing a look at him. A delightful tide of pink washed over her cheeks as she ducked her head. He reached out and cupped a burning cheek, gently turning her face to look at him.

Her eyes were wide and dark in the fading light. He had only prepared one resting place—was she afraid that he would press his attentions on her? He bit back a growl at the thought. No honorable male would ever take advantage of a female.

“Do not fear,” he said softly, gesturing at the shelter. “I can sleep outside if you prefer.”

The color on her cheeks deepened as she followed his movement, and he realized that she had misunderstood. But then her hand came up to cover his, and he caught the sweet scent of her arousal. No, she was not afraid. Her lips parted, pink and tempting, and he lowered his head, tentatively brushing his own lips against hers.

She sighed, and then her small tongue stroked his. By the Swords! Arousal streaked through him so quickly that he felt light-headed. His hand flexed against her cheek, holding her in place as he returned the gesture, delving into the heady pleasures of her mouth. Hot and delicious and impossibly soft. She gasped, opening herself to him, and he thrust deeper, devouring her hungrily. When he finally, reluctantly, lifted his head, she was trembling against him and the heady scent of her desire filled the clearing.

“Yourtonguehasridges,” she whispered.

The words didn’t translate and he hesitated, afraid that he had done something wrong despite her enthusiastic response. She pressed a small finger against his mouth until he opened it, then stroked it along his tongue.

Her eyes heated and she swayed towards him. “Oh yes.”

That he understood. He growled and tugged her onto his lap, bending her back against his arm as he kissed her until she was writhing in his arms. Her breasts rubbed against him, and he impatiently ripped her leaf covering away. Full and white in the flickering light, their rosy tips tempted him, and he brought her higher in his arms so he could draw one into his mouth.

“Ohgod,” she cried, her hands tangling in his hair, the slight sting increasing his desire.

When he lifted his head, her nipple gleamed dark and swollen, and he hummed approvingly as he moved to the other breast. As he pulled it deep into his mouth, his hand dipped between her legs and found her slick and ready. He brushed a finger across her pearl of pleasure, and she cried out again. He circled it slowly, delighting in the soft mews escaping her lips, then moved lower, probing her tiny entrance, even hotter and slicker than her tempting mouth, but impossibly tight.

Her channel gripped his finger like a vise as he slowly worked his way inside, and his cock jerked in eager anticipation. He could only imagine that tight, hot clasp surrounding him.

Stroking his lucky digit in and out, he applied his thumb to her pearl even as he sucked more fiercely at her nipple. Her body tensed, her hands tightened even harder in his hair, and then she cried out his name. A rush of liquid heat bathed him as her channel milked his finger in long, pulsating waves.

Unable to wait any longer, he lifted her into his arms, then lowered her until the head of his cock was poised at her tight, wet entrance. He tried to lower her further but despite the slick heat surrounding him her body resisted, just as it had in the pool. Her hands gripped his shoulders and he forced himself to stop.

“Yehss?” he asked.

“Yes!” Small white teeth closed on her swollen lower lip as she tried to take more of him.

Despite her enthusiasm and his own desperate need, he had to fight for every inch. His body gleamed with effort by the time he had sheathed himself inside her. The silken fist of her tight cunt gripped him so closely that he could barely move. Tremors of heat washed down his spine, but he was determined not to disgrace himself this time.

He had been watching the erotic sight of her body stretching open around him, and now he looked back up at her face. Her eyes were screwed shut, a tear glistening on her soft check. Horror filled him.

“Jayn! What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”

Her eyes flew open, then her hand came up to touch his cheek.

“Imfine. Youreso big butyoufeelso good.”

The words he understood and the soft touch of her hand filled him with relief, immediately followed by an overwhelming rush of desire. His hips thrust upwards involuntarily, and they both groaned.

“Hold on,” he told her, bringing her hands to his shoulders.

Gripping the lush roundness of her ass, he slowly lifted her, her channel clinging to every inch of his cock as if she couldn’t stand to let him go. When he paused with only the head of his cock still inside her body, her breath was coming in rapid pants, but she wiggled impatiently. He started to lower her just as slowly, but she leaned forwards and nipped his neck with her small, blunt teeth. He roared and his hips slamming upwards. He heard her cry out, felt her channel convulsing around him, but he was too consumed with need to wait. His body plunged wildly up into hers, his hands bringing her down to meet each frantic thrust. Her mouth moved urgently against his neck, kissing and sucking at the sensitive skin, and then she bit him again. The sharp sting went straight to his cock and he exploded, his hips jerking helplessly as torrents of hot seed flooded her body.

His body went limp and he collapsed backwards, bringing her with him, still impaled on his cock as he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

He had never felt the need to hold a female after sex. Now he wondered how he could ever let Jayn go.

Jane snuggled closer to Tarax, enjoying the tight clasp of his arms. She felt exhausted and overwhelmed and the tiniest bit sore but she couldn’t stop smiling. That had been… amazing. Tarax couldn’t possibly have been with a human woman before, and yet he played her body like a violin. The ridges lining his tongue and his cock certainly didn’t hurt. It felt as if he had been designed just for her.

The thought made her giggle softly. How ironic if her perfect male had only been a galaxy away this whole time.

Tarax brushed a gentle hand through her hair and she looked up to find him looking at her inquisitively.

“Just thinking,” she said with a smile, then carefully began to lift herself off his cock.

Even flaccid, he filled her completely, and they both groaned as their bodies parted, the ridges on his cock scraping against her oversensitive flesh and sending shudders of pleasure through her system. She felt him begin to harden again as she slipped free, wincing a little.

“I think we’re going to have to wait a while,” she told him with a rueful grin.

He tilted his head as he always did when he listened to her. “Wayt?”

“Yes,” she said firmly, although the tempting sight of his naked body made her want to reconsider.

He nodded, then rose to his feet, carrying her with him. She gave a disgruntled huff. She still felt like a limp noodle but he seemed completely recovered, even energetic. She huffed again when he carried her into the pool, but the cool water soothed her tender parts, and it was nice to feel clean. Once they were back on dry land, he set her down long enough to dry her off with one of the soft leaves, then picked her up and carried her into the shelter.

“I can walk,” she assured him. “I’m a little tender, not incapacitated.”

He ignored her, leaning over to move Mr. Tiddles to one side before settling down with her in their leafy bed. A girl could get used to this, she decided, snuggling closer as he tucked her against his broad chest.

No, she couldn’t. Their time together was limited. Unexpected tears threatened at the thought, but she resolutely pushed them away. They were together now, and she would think about the future when the time came.

The pale light of dawn glowed through the shelter when Jane felt lips on her breast. She knew she wasn’t dreaming this time. There was no mistaking that rough, tantalizing tongue teasing her nipples into tight peaks.

“Tarax,” she sighed.

He lifted his head and grinned at her, then returned to his task. She arched against his mouth, but he kept his touch frustratingly light until she tangled her fingers in his hair and tugged. Then he growled and clamped down, scraping the edges of his fangs over the taut flesh. The sensation sent streaks of fire straight to her aching clit. She began to wonder if she could come just from his mouth on her breasts, but before she could find out, he kissed his way down her stomach and swiped his tongue firmly across her needy bud. Her body bowed up as her climax swept over her with sudden shocking intensity. He held her in place, his tongue gently circling her sensitive flesh and sending wave after wave of pleasure through her system until she finally pushed weakly at his head.

He looked up and smiled at her again, but his face was taut with desire. He stroked a finger through her folds, stopping as soon as she winced. He pressed a quick, apologetic kiss against her pussy, then rose to his feet. His cock was fully, impressively, erect, and her clit pulsed again.

“We could try,” she suggested, licking her lips.

His eyes gleamed a hungry gold, but he shook his head.

“Rehst,” he insisted, before he left the shelter.

Mr. Tiddles climbed up from the end of the bed and buried his nose in her neck. She stroked his fur as her eyes closed and she gave into exhaustion.

Chapter Nine

Despite his aching cock, Taraxan left the shelter filled with contentment. Bringing Jayn to pleasure was the most satisfying experience he had ever known. He had slept little the previous night, relishing the knowledge that she was safe in his arms. When the sky lightened and he could see the signs of his possession on her skin, he had been filled with a complicated mixture of guilt and gratification. His marks clearly identified her as his female.

And he was identified as her male, he thought with satisfaction, his hand going to the place on his neck where she had marked him with her small teeth.

Content for now to let her sleep, he retrieved the pelt from where it was hanging and began applying a second coat of the brain slurry. He smiled as he envisioned the soft fur cradling her luscious body. It was not perhaps the most common bonding gift, but he was sure she would appreciate it more than jewels or precious metal.

Bonding gift?

The thought stopped him in mid stroke. He hadn’t bonded to her—he couldn’t bond to her. He wouldn’t allow anyone to hold that much power over him.

I am leaving this planet. She is leaving this planet, he reminded himself. This is not about bonding, but about caring for a helpless—and very desirable—female.

But when she finally emerged from the shelter with a shy smile on her face, his argument rang hollow.

This is just temporary, he told himself again as he went to greet her.

She came willingly into his arms, raising her face for one of those delightful kisses. Her response was everything that he could have wished. Only the knowledge that she was still sore from the previous night prevented him from carrying her back into the shelter and reminding her yet again that she belonged to him. For now.

She nestled happily against him as she looked around the clearing, then frowned.

“Arentweleavingtoday?” she asked, pointing to the direction in which they would travel.

“You need to rehst,” he said firmly. “I will pri-pair.”

He gestured at the fur and the rack of smoked meat and she nodded. She didn’t seem bothered by the delay, scooping up Misstuh Tiduhlz and talking to him softly as she fed him one of the strips of meat.

“You spoil him,” he muttered, but he smiled as he returned to his task.

The day passed quietly as he gathered more fruit and she made herself another leaf dress. He gathered more fruit, and they both took advantage of the pool—to Misstuh Tiduhlz’s disgust. Jayn slept again during the heat of the day, but he refused to give in to temptation and join her.

Once the pelt dried, he began stretching and softening it on one of the large rocks surrounding the pool. Jayn watched in fascination, then insisted on taking over. When she refused to give it back, he laughed and decided to try another hunt. He returned with an avian—not large enough to preserve, but enough for a satisfying dinner.

After they ate, he worked with her on the now softened fur. She had him cut several strips from the pelt, then used lengths of vine to create fastenings. To his disappointment, she took it into the shelter with her to try it on.

“I don’t understand this modesty,” he complained to Misstuh Tiduhlz.

The small creature chittered in what seemed like amusement before returning to the bone he was stripping. Taraxan turned his attention back to the cooking pouch he was creating from another section of fur.

“Whatdoyouthink?”

He looked up to find Jayn posing at the entrance to the shelter. All of the blood in his body raced straight to his cock. Soft blue fur cupped her breasts, as if presenting them for his mouth. More fur veiled her tempting folds, but when she gave a slow sensuous turn, he could see that it did little to conceal the lush curves of her delightful ass. She was adorable in her leaf outfit and delicious in her nakedness, but this outfit was a tantalizing combination of both, and hunger raced through his veins.

He had avoided touching her for most of the day, afraid that his desire would overwhelm his caution, but he had been constantly aware of her presence. He had seen her watching him as well and she had been far bolder, leaning over him so that he could feel the press of her breast against his back or sliding a teasing finger down his stomach. He could wait no longer.

He rose and stalked towards her, a low growl rumbling in his throat. Her eyes widened, but she stood her ground. He could see the hard points of her nipples beneath the fur, and the scent of her desire made his head swim as he pulled her into his arms.

“You are wehl?” he growled, his voice so guttural that he could barely decipher his own words.

But Jayn didn’t seem to have any problem understanding him. She nodded, and very deliberately rubbed her soft, fur-covered breasts against his chest, then leaned forward and bit down gently on his nipple with her small teeth. He roared and grabbed her, impatiently snapping the strings that held her outfit together as he carried her into the shelter.

The next morning, Taraxan reluctantly decided that they should resume their journey. He brought Jayn some more vines to replace the ones he had destroyed the previous night. While she repaired her outfit, he gathered up their supplies. After a last regretful look around the clearing, he took her hand and they started walking once more.

It took them another three days to reach the river, and he was actually surprised that they reached it that quickly. Most days they only walked in the morning, then stopped whenever he found a convenient place to set up camp—or when their need for each other grew too strong to ignore. He couldn’t get enough of her. He would spend hours worshipping her, making love to every inch of her body, before finally drifting off to sleep, only to awaken a few hours later, ravenous for her once again. And she was just as enthusiastic, frequently pulling him to a halt and dropping to her knees in front of him to take him into her mouth.

The first time she had done it he had been shocked—it was another act in which the Doturans did not engage—but as soon as her hot little mouth closed over the head of his cock, he was lost. She licked him, sucked him, and when she finally took him deep into the narrow confines of her throat and swallowed, he came with a roar that echoed through the jungle. His knees actually weakened and he had to brace himself against a tree as she gently pulled away, smiling up at him with an inordinately pleased expression.

“I take it you liked that?”

He didn’t need the smug smile on her face to decipher her meaning.

“Laik,” he agreed, then dropped down next to her, parted her legs, and proceeded to show her just how much.

He was considering stopping to indulge in that particular pleasure on the afternoon of the third day when he caught the scent of water. A moment later he heard the rush of sound, and they pushed through a final set of bushes to emerge on the bank of the river. Misstuh Tiduhlz chittered uneasily as the three of them came to a halt.

“This isn’t what I expected,” Jayn murmured.

“Neither did I.”

Stretching out in front of them was a broad expanse of water, so wide that he would be unable to throw a stone to the other side. He was a decent swimmer, but he suspected that conveying Jayn and Misstuh Tiduhlz safely to the other side of the swiftly flowing water would exceed his skills.

Jayn was eyeing the water with equal concern. “We have to cross that?”

“Yehss,” he said grimly.

Her doubtful expression increased. “I’m not a very good swimmer.”

He tucked her against his side and gave her a reassuring hug. There was no way he would subject her to the rapid current, let alone whatever other dangers might lurk beneath the surface.

“I will build a…” He searched for the word in her language. “...boht.”

“A boat? You can do that?”

She gave him an admiring look, and he realized that the word he had used might imply a more impressive vessel than he was capable of building without any tools. He would have to investigate and see what materials were available. In the meantime, the sun was beginning to slant low across the water and he decided to set up camp on the riverbank.

The open stretch of ground between the trees and the river looked like a promising campsite, but he could see signs that the waters had risen over it in the past. He decided to err on the side of caution and make their shelter close to the tree line.

Jayn didn’t protest and the two of them set up camp with what had now become their standard routine. But this time as he gathered small branches for their fire, he also inspected the larger dead falls. Some of the fallen logs were massive, and he would only need to join a few of them together in order to create a raft. Unfortunately, their very size would make them difficult to handle. He spared a brief wistful thought for the technology he had left behind. Even a simple saw would have been useful to shorten the logs to a more manageable size, but if he had a choice between technology and being with Jayn, he would choose Jayn every time.

After marking the location of the logs, he began to gather some of the sturdier vines. He would use them to lash the wood together.

He returned to their temporary shelter to find Jane sitting on the bed of leaves she had collected and staring thoughtfully across the water. The sun had almost set, shooting fiery rays of red and gold across the sparkling water, and turning the other bank into a mysterious wonderland.

“Do you think it’s any different on the other side?” she asked.

He shook his head. The jungle appeared to be the same on both sides, although the map indicated that the topography would change as they got further downriver.

“Is the whole planet like this? How much of it have you seen?”

She tilted her head and stared at him and once again he wondered if he should tell her that he was as much a stranger here as she. Unfortunately, while he now understood almost everything that she said, his ability to speak her language was minimal at best. How could he explain to her that he had been brought here too?

In the end, he simply shrugged and shook his head, fighting back his feelings of guilt. The first thing he needed to do once he had access to his own technology was to find her a translator. That thought made him freeze as he bent over his fire pit.

He knew that she assumed the location marked on the map was the way to return to her home. But she thought he was a native of this planet—she must know that if she returned to her own planet, she would be leaving him. And yet, although they had not traveled with any haste, they were still headed for that destination. Did she not care that they would be separated soon? His chest ached beneath the armored ridges and he rubbed it absently.

“Is something wrong?” Jayn’s concerned voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Noh.”

His voice came out harsher than he had intended, and she jumped, giving him a startled look. Guilt immediately washed over him, and he pulled her into his arms with an apologetic murmur. He had no right to feel betrayed at the thought of her leaving him when he intended to return to his own civilization. Although…

What if he didn’t have to leave her? What if he took her with him?

The Doturans tended to be an insular race, but it was certainly not unheard of for someone to mate outside their species. A smile curved his lips as he imagined her delight in the wonders of his civilization. He could hardly wait to take her… His thoughts ground to a halt. Take her where?

After his father had died and abandoned him, Taraxan had sold the family home—a home that no longer provided refuge. He lived aboard his ship or in military quarters when he was stationed on a planet. He couldn’t imagine that Jayn would enjoy either environment. Of course, he could give up his military commission but Doturan society was built around the military hierarchy. Pursuing any other path would mean a downgrade in both privilege and pay. Neither prospect bothered him for himself, but he intensely disliked the idea that he would not be able to provide for her in the way that she deserved.

“Are you sure there’s nothing wrong?” Jayn asked softly.

“Sahr-ee.”

She looked up at him, her eyes wide and trusting, and he couldn’t help kissing her. The thought of losing her gave the kiss an added urgency. Her passion flared to match his own, and he abandoned thoughts of the future as he drew her down onto the bed of soft leaves.

Chapter Ten

Jane watched sleepily as Tarax started a fire. Mr. Tiddles chittered amiably at her side, but she couldn’t drag her eyes away from Tarax.

Night had fallen while they made love, but it didn’t seem to bother him as he coaxed the wood to light. He was amazingly competent—there didn’t seem to be anything he couldn’t do, although she did wonder how he was going to create a boat without any tools. But if anyone could do it, he could.

The thought of crossing the river made her shiver, and it wasn’t simply fear of the journey. Each day they were getting closer and closer to the location on the map, and presumably to the opportunity for her to return home. The possibility no longer seemed quite as desirable as it had originally. After all, what did she have to return to?

She made a decent salary, but she worked long hours and she had little opportunity to spend the money she made. Since her mother died, she had no close relatives. No really close friends either for that matter. One of the reasons she stayed with Amanda, even though she could afford her own place, was because it gave her contact with another person.

But Earth was her home, and even though Tarax did his best to make her comfortable, she didn’t really want to spend the rest of her life in the jungle. Did she?

And what about him? Did he even have a home, she wondered as she watched him. He must have had a family at some point. Where were they now?

As if he felt her watching him, he looked up and their eyes met. There was a question in his eyes, but she didn’t know what it meant. She simply returned his gaze solemnly.

He finally gave her a half smile, then rose to his feet and came to join her. The firelight gleamed on his strong, muscled body, and he looked like some primordial warrior.

My warrior, she thought with a sudden fierce possessiveness. At least for now.

With the wide expanse of the river in front of them, the night sky was clearly visible for the first time. Millions of stars glittered in the heavens and she wondered if one of them represented her own sun. It was both frightening and oddly freeing to be so far away from everything she had ever known.

Tarax laid back on the leaves and pulled her down next to him, but he seemed content simply to hold her and watch the stars. She remembered her earlier questions about his family.

“Do you have parents?” she asked.

He shook his head, and she patted his chest. “I’m sorry.”

He gave a half-shrug that she couldn’t interpret. “Yoo?” he asked.

“Not anymore. My father died when I was young. I barely remember him. After he died, my mother turned into this very… restricted person. She was always worrying about doing the right thing and what people thought of her, and of me.” She sighed, looking up at the stars. “I don’t know. Maybe she was always like that, but in my head it was because of my father dying. I think that’s why I never really wanted a serious relationship.”

She looked up and found him studying her intently. How much of what she said had he recognized, she wondered.

“Ie uhn-duh-stand,” he said softly. “Mie pair-uhnts too klohz.”

“Too close? Is that why they are both gone?”

He nodded, and she shook her head. “Aren’t we a pair? Running away from happiness because we’re afraid.”

He growled and she nudged his ribs with her elbow. “You know what I mean. Brave in… battle, but not in love.”

Not that she actually knew if he had been in battle, but she suspected he had fought before. He looked startled, but then he kissed her and that was the end of questions for the night.

The next morning, Jane woke up alone. At some point during the night Tarax must have carried her into the shelter, but he had already slipped away, leaving her to sleep. Looking at the sun through the gaps in the leaves, she realized that it was much later than usual. Mr. Tiddles poked his head through the opening of the shelter, and she smiled at him. He jumped into her arms, chattering excitedly.

“What’s got you all excited?” she asked. “Have you and Tarax been having fun without me?”

An odd, dragging noise from outside seemed to answer her question. She pulled on her fur outfit and went to investigate.

His muscles rippling impressively with the effort, Tarax was pulling logs out of the jungle and lining them up next to each other on the beach. Mr. Tiddles immediately went to investigate the latest arrival, digging into the dead wood searching for his favorite insects. She shuddered. No wonder he had been so excited.

She followed him over to the beach, inspecting Tarax’s work. Once she was close enough, she could see that he was using lengths of vine to lash the logs together. They made a somewhat uneven platform, but it would keep them up and out of the water.

“Oh, I see. You’re making a raft.”

“Raft,” he repeated, nodding. “Laik?”

“Yes, I do like it.” She looked from the unwieldy vessel to the water rushing by. “Do you think you’ll be able to steer it?”

He frowned at her, and she used her hand to mimic a rudder. His face relaxed and he nodded, showing her yet another branch, this one with leaves lashed to it. Instead of the soft leaves they used for bedding, these were dark and stiff. The whole apparatus seemed rather flimsy to her, but she nodded approvingly.

“Do you think you’ll finish it today?”

That odd expression crossed his face again, then he shook his head. Relief swept over her. They had more time together. She smiled at him and went to prepare breakfast.

The day passed peacefully. Tarax continued to work on the raft, several times discarding logs and replacing them with others that were more uniform. By the time the sun began to set, the platform looked surprisingly sturdy.

After dinner, they watched the stars again, but she didn’t ask any more questions about his past. She wanted to think only of the present and enjoy every minute of their time together.

Taraxan woke before the sun came up and thought about the day ahead. His raft was as sturdy as he could make it—it was time to face the river. He usually enjoyed pitting his skills against nature, but he found he was not looking forward to this trial. It wasn’t just the thought of exposing Jayn to danger. Once they reached the other side of the river, they would be that much closer to their destination, and that much closer to being parted.

As he slipped quietly out of bed and began gathering their few supplies, he returned to the possibility of persuading her to accompany him. While he was working the previous day, he had considered and discarded a number of options for his future career. He had finally decided that a homesteading planet might be the most suitable. It would take a great deal of work, of course, but he was not afraid of hard work, and he liked the idea that they could build a new life together.

Or would she prefer a city? He could probably make a decent living teaching martial arts in one of the larger systems. In the worst case scenario, he could become a gladiator. He had the skills and it paid well, but he was no fan of fighting for the sake of fighting. Still, if that was what it took to provide for her, then he would not hesitate.

Misstuh Tiduhlz joined him as Taraxan finished lashing their supplies to the raft. After devouring one of the shiny, pink beetles he favored, he leapt up into Taraxan’s arms and climbed onto his shoulder.

“I hope you’re ready for this,” Taraxan murmured. Misstuh Tiduhlz hadn’t even joined them in the jungle pool. Taraxan suspected he was not going to enjoy the river crossing, but he didn’t even consider leaving the small animal behind. He was part of their… family.

The thought made him smile, and he was still smiling when Jayn emerged from their shelter. Her hair was tousled, her eyes still heavy with sleep, and she looked adorable. How could he ever let her go? Whatever job he had to take in order to provide for her, it would be worth it.

She wandered over and snuggled against his side, yawning sleepily. “I guess today is the big day?”

The words weren’t entirely clear, but he understood her general meaning.

“Tuh-day,” he agreed.

She made a noncommittal noise, then nestled closer. They stood in silence until she finally straightened and smiled up at him.

“Then let’s get going.”

The trust in her eyes made his heart skip a beat. He bent his head and kissed her. As always, the kiss quickly turned passionate, but he reluctantly forced himself to lift his head. This was not the time.

A short while later, they were ready to depart. Misstuh Tiduhlz had settled in Jayn’s arms, and Taraxan used a length of vine to secure him in place. The little creature grumbled but didn’t fight him. Taraxan also used a length of vine to create a harness for Jayn. He didn’t want to take any chance on her being swept overboard.

He had pushed the raft down the beach until it was close to the water’s edge, and now he pushed it the final few feet. As soon as the front end reached the water, he could feel the current pulling at it. He gave a last hard shove, and barely managed to leap aboard before the water swept them away.

He immediately realized that he had underestimated the power of the current. Despite the relatively placid surface, the water raced between the banks of the river. Jayn looked terrified, but she hugged Misstuh Tiduhlz close, murmuring to him in a reassuring voice as he shivered.

Taraxan grabbed his makeshift rudder and did his best to guide the raft to the opposite shore. It was an uphill battle. The rushing water soon tore away most of the leaves from the branch, but he managed to steer them towards the center of the river.

Then disaster struck.

The raft scraped against a rock hidden beneath the surface and two of his logs came loose. The rest held together but the surface area had diminished considerably.

Jayn looked back at him, her face pale and frightened, and he did his best to give her a confident smile.

The current carried them onwards, but he continued to try and guide the raft towards the opposite shore. They hit another rock and lost another log. If they lost many more, Jayn and Misstuh Tiduhlz would be next.

He looked at the diminishing raft and then at the riverbank, closer now but still a long distance away. He had to get them there before the raft disintegrated. His rudder was basically useless and he could only think of one alternative.

Tossing the branch aside, he bent down next to Jayn.

“Haf tuh swim,” he said slowly.

Her eyes widened and she shook her head frantically. “No! I can’t.”

“Naht yoo. Mee. Push.” He cursed his limited vocabulary as he tried to explain.

“You’ve got to be kidding. If you can’t steer from up here, what makes you think you’d be able to direct the raft from the water?”

Even as she spoke, the raft slammed into another rock and a log rolled away, taking half of their supplies with it.

“Noh chois. Fien,” he assured her.

Without waiting for her response, he tied his last section of vine around the log on which she sat and fastened the other end around his waist. As soon as it was secure, he lowered himself into the water.

The surging current tore at his body, trying to pull him away from the raft, but he held on with grim determination. The water was surprisingly cold, and he wondered if it had come directly from the distant mountains.

The raft was traveling parallel to the shore and he didn’t try to turn it. Instead, he allowed the current to carry them along as he started to kick, trying to angle them slowly towards the opposite side. At first it seemed to make little difference, but he refused to give in and slowly, so slowly, they began to move in the right direction.

Time passed with interminable slowness. His arms ached from holding onto the raft, and his legs felt like lead weights, but he would not give up, paddling with dogged determination. He was so focused on kicking that the feel of sand beneath his feet caught him by surprise. They had made it!

He could still feel the current tugging at him, but it was much weaker now as he pushed the remains of the raft towards the shore. Just as the front of the raft touched the beach, a shooting pain went through his calf. He looked down in time to see a long, dark reptile swimming away.

“Dam-uht,” he muttered as pain radiated out from the bite.

“What’s wrong?” Jayn peered back at him anxiously. “Do you want me to get out and help you push?”

“Noh!” he said quickly. He couldn’t stand the thought of the reptile’s sharp teeth penetrating her delicate flesh.

Pushing the raft further up the sand with the last of his strength, he finally decided that it was safe from the current. As he unfastened Jayn and Misstuh Tiduhlz, Misstuh Tiduhlz chittered angrily at him before disappearing towards the trees. Jayn shook her head, and then smiled up at Taraxan.

“Poor Mr. Tiddles. I don’t think he enjoyed his first boat ride one little bit. I can’t say I was a fan myself, but we made it.” She put her arms around his waist, then shivered. “Brr. I had no idea the water was that cold. You must be frozen.”

“Fien,” he managed to say, but his teeth were chattering.

“You’re not fine. We need to get a fire started so you can get dry and warm up.”

Her voice sounded odd, as if it were far away, but her words gradually penetrated and he nodded. As he headed for the jungle to gather firewood, pain streaked up his leg with every step, but he refused to give into it. He had to take care of Jayn.

Chapter Eleven

Jane watched anxiously as Tarax slowly gathered branches for a fire. Once they were assembled, he tried his usual trick with the two rocks, but he couldn’t get the fire to catch.

“Sahr-ee,” he apologized, his voice thick.

“It’s fine. I just thought it would help you dry off. It’s certainly warm enough that we don’t need a fire.”

But despite her confident words, she was worried. She could see his hands trembling as if he had a chill. Perhaps he needed nourishment.

“I think I still have some fruit in my bag. You should eat some.”

In her haste, she grabbed the wrong end of the bag and everything came tumbling out. She was starting to gather up the contents when he gave a hoarse cry and grabbed the metal cylinder that had been in the bag originally.

Before she could ask what he was doing, he flipped open the top of the cylinder and a small flame appeared. As she watched in shock, he applied it to his pile of branches and a moment later, the fire was crackling merrily.

“Fie-uhr,” he said with satisfaction, then slumped down beside it. She rushed over to check on him and realized he was sleeping, his breathing harsh but steady. He must have been more exhausted than she realized by the battle with the river, but she wished he hadn’t fallen asleep quite so quickly.

Her brain whirled in confusion as she retrieved the cylinder. A firestarter. How had he known what it was? The entire time they had been together, there had been nothing to indicate he had any familiarity with advanced technology. Even his knife appeared to be little more than a basic weapon, although it must have been forged at some point.

But if Taraxan recognized the firestarter, did that mean he was familiar with whoever had brought her here? Was he somehow in league with them?

Even as the thought occurred, she dismissed it. She knew that he would never betray her—but he certainly had some explaining to do once he woke up. And no matter how difficult the language barrier, he was going to do just that before they moved another inch.

Her desire for an explanation vanished as his condition deteriorated, and it soon became obvious that he was extremely ill. He had bouts of shivering so intense that his entire body shook, alternating with periods when his skin gleamed with sweat. He tossed and turned restlessly, muttering away in his own language.

She didn’t want to go far from him, but she did her best to set up camp the way they usually did. During one of his more lucid periods, she managed to get him to move onto the pile of leaves she had gathered, then built a somewhat crooked shelter around him. There was little food left since most of their supplies had been swept away, but she had some smoked meat in her bag and she boiled it with some water in their cooking pouch. The next time he awoke, she scolded him into drinking some.

As if he understood the seriousness of the situation, Mr. Tiddles had been her silent shadow all afternoon, helping when he could. Night fell and she shivered, cuddling him on her lap.

“This is like the first night,” she told him. “I didn’t appreciate how much of a difference it makes to have Tarax around.”

Mr. Tiddles chittered softly and patted her cheek. She gave a watery sniff and hugged him close. They sat in silence, watching the fire, and listening to Tarax moan in his sleep.

He took a little more broth the next time he woke up, and then she finally gave into exhaustion and climbed in next to him. His skin was still fiery hot, but as soon as she laid down, he rolled over and pulled her against him.

“Jayn,” he muttered, his eyes still closed. “Luhv Jayn.”

Her heart skipped a beat. Had he said what she thought he had? And even if he had, how could she know that it wasn’t just the fever talking? Her logic didn’t prevent a warm glow of happiness from filling her.

“I love you too,” she whispered as the knowledge rushed through her.

She didn’t expect the words to penetrate his fever, but he rolled over and began kissing her with frantic urgency, his mouth hungry as he pried her lips apart and plundered her mouth. He suckled and nibbled at her neck before descending to her nipples, drawing them into his mouth with hard, sucking pulls that sent sparks of lightning straight to her clit. Sensations rocketed through her, his mouth and hands almost too rough, but creating so much fiery pleasure that she didn’t even think of protesting.

He abandoned her breasts, leaving them achy and needy, and found her clit, laving the sensitive pearl with rough, urgent strokes of his tongue until a fast, hard climax swept over her, leaving her shaking. He growled and flipped her over, lifting her hips, then plunging into her in one powerful thrust. She was barely ready, but he didn’t even pause, setting a demanding pace that left her gasping helplessly, overwhelmed with pleasure.

He growled again and yanked her hips higher, holding her in place so she could only receive his thrusts. His body dropped down over hers, his heat surrounding her as his mouth found her neck. His hand slid around to her clit, tugging demandingly at the hardened flesh until another climax seized her, her body shaking in endless waves of bliss. He grew impossibly larger inside her, then roared as hot liquid flooded her. His mouth returned to her neck and his teeth clamped down on the tender flesh, the sharp sting sending her into yet another climax.

His body collapsed over hers, although he managed to keep most of his weight off of her.

“Mie luhv,” he whispered, then fell back into a heavy sleep. She laid there, still quivering, her mind dazed, half buried beneath his big, hot body—and then she smiled.

The fiery pain in Taraxan’s leg forced him awake, but his first thought was of Jayn. To his relief, he could feel her tucked against his side, but another memory kept trying to surface. Of her under him, rather than next to him. Most of the events of the previous evening were a hazy blur, but he had a sudden vivid memory of her luscious body beneath him as he plunged into the heated depths of her body, of her sweet blood washing over his tongue as he claimed her…

As he claimed her?

He rolled painfully to his side and brushed her long, dark hair away from her neck. He wanted to roar with triumph at the sight of his mark on her neck, but then reality washed over him. In his fevered state he had known only what he wanted. He couldn’t tell her that he had bonded with her without her knowledge. He wouldn’t force her to stay with him.

As if she felt his gaze, Jayn’s eyes opened and she smiled up at him.

“You’re awake! Are you feeling better?”

No! I love you and I’m afraid you are going to leave me.

But he could not say the words aloud. Instead, he focused on his physical condition. His fever had passed, but the wound in his leg still needed attention. He forced himself into a sitting position so he could examine the damage. Dark green and red streaks radiated out from the bite.

“Mie leg iz in-fek-tuhd.”

For a moment she looked startled, then horrified.

“Oh my God. I thought you were just cold because of the water. What are we going to do? We don’t have any medicine.”

“Fie-uhr,” he said grimly. He would have to cauterize the injury to stop the infection spreading.

Her face turned completely white, but she nodded. ‘What do you need?”

“Fie-uhr,” he repeated. “Nief.”

“Oh God. All right.” She peered out through the entrance of the shelter. “The fire went out, but I think I can start it again. Especially now that I know we have a firestarter.” Her brows drew together in one of her adorable frowns. “And as soon as you’re better, we’re going to have to talk about exactly how you knew what it was. But for right now, I’ll gather some wood.”

He wanted to protest as she slipped away—he hated the idea of her alone in the jungle—but he didn’t have the strength to follow.

“Go with her,” he ordered Misstuh Tiduhlz, and the small creature scampered off.

While they were gone, he dragged himself painfully out of the shelter. He was drenched with sweat by the time he reached the firepit, but as he waited for his body to recover, he replayed her words. Firestarter? Another hazy memory tried to surface and he groaned. It appeared that he wouldn’t be able to avoid the attempt to explain his origin much longer.

Chapter Twelve

Jane returned to find Tarax waiting by the firepit. He looked pale and sick, and her first impulse was to put her arms around him and tell him that she loved him. But he hadn’t repeated his words this morning. What if it had just been a fever dream? What if he hadn’t even known it was her?

No, she decided. He had spoken her name too often for her to believe that.

But there were still too many unanswered questions, including his knowledge of the firestarter. First they would heal him, then they would talk.

She started the fire easily enough, then watched in dismay as he brought out his knife. He touched the flat side of the blade to the jagged looking wound on his leg, but even that slight pressure made him hiss with pain.

“Prez heer,” he ordered, then thrust the knife into the flames.

“Me?” Her voice shook with horror. It had been bad enough to know what he was going to do—she hadn’t realized that she would actually be the one to do it.

He looked away from her. “Miet faynt.”

She could see how much he hated to admit the possibility, and she gathered her courage.

“All right. I’ll do it.”

The blade was beginning to glow red as she took the handle from him.

“Fast. Hahrd,” he reminded her as he carefully stretched out his leg.

Her stomach churned, but she forced down the bile rising in her throat. “Are you ready?”

He nodded, and she laid the flat of the blade firmly against the wound. The smell of burning flesh filled the air and she fought desperately not to be sick. Tarax didn’t make a sound and he didn’t pass out, although his skin paled even further. It would have been better if he had, she thought as she removed the blade.

The burn covered the wound, and he nodded approvingly before he slumped silently to the ground.

She turned away and was suddenly, violently, sick. Mr. Tiddles rushed to her side, patting her arm with his small paw until the spasms passed. She drew a shaky breath, rinsed out her mouth, and returned to Tarax’s side.

He was still unconscious, but his forehead was cool to the touch. She carefully covered the burn with wet leaves, then sat down to wait.

By the time he opened his eyes, the sun was directly overhead and she was a nervous wreck.

“Oh thank God,” she exclaimed. “I was so worried. How do you feel?”

“Bet-uhr.”

He sat up, still moving slowly, while she brought him some broth. By the time he finished it, his skin had returned to its normal shade of green.

“Yoo did wehl,” he said as he inspected the wound. The burn looked painful, but the red streaks had disappeared.

“I hope I never have to do anything like that again.” She shuddered.

His hand covered hers. “Brayv fee-mayl.”

Their eyes met, his glowing warm gold, and she started to sway towards him. But now that he seemed to be out of danger, her questions came rushing back.

“We need to talk,” she said slowly.

He winced, and she couldn’t help wondering if that was a universal male reaction to those words.

“Sahr-ee,” he said quickly.

“Why are you sorry?”

“Naht noh hou…”

“You didn’t know how to tell me, you mean?”

He nodded, looking away from her.

“Tarax, are you even from this planet?”

She held her breath, waiting for his response. When he shook his head, she found she wasn’t really surprised, even though it only added to her questions.

“I don’t understand. Then why are you here?”

He reached for his knife belt, unrolling the woven strands, and showed her the sheet of plastic, so like her own, that had been concealed within.

“Oh my God. You too?”

She jumped to her feet, unable to remain still, and began pacing around the clearing. “I don’t understand,” she muttered again. “Is this some kind of sick game? And why wouldn’t you tell me?”

She was so busy pacing and muttering that she ran into him when he stepped in front of her. He was favoring one leg, but he was standing, and the familiar ridges of his chest as he drew her into his arms were unexpectedly soothing.

“Dohnt noh,” he repeated.

“You don’t know why we’re here either?”

He shook his head, studying her face.

“But we’re heading for the same place?”

“Yehss.”

“You should have told me.”

“Yehss.”

“Oh, Tarax, I’m so confused.”

But despite her confusion, she didn’t pull away from him. Instead she leaned closer. His hand cupped her cheek, then skated down to gently circle the bite mark on her neck. He gave a satisfied hum and her breath caught. Had the events of the previous night been about more than just his fever?

She looked up to find him watching her, eyes glowing again, and she opened her mouth to ask him. But she couldn’t stand the thought that he might regret his words.

Instead, she gave him a bright smile and hoped it looked sincere. “Perhaps we’ll both find the answers once we reach our destination. You should rest for the rest of the day and then, if you’re still improving, we can set out again tomorrow.”

Taraxan’s heart ached as Jayn turned away from him. He longed to reassure her, but he didn’t have the answers she needed. And he suspected that something more than their circumstances was troubling her.

Had something else happened last night? He remembered feeling a rush of happiness, but he didn’t remember what had caused it. His only clear memory was of making love to her with an overwhelming need. Had he been too rough?

He watched her anxiously all afternoon, but although she was unusually silent, she didn’t seem afraid of him. When the time came to go to sleep, her cheeks turned that enchanting shade of pink again, but she accompanied him readily enough.

He longed for her touch, but he didn’t want to cause her distress. By the Swords! He hadn’t been this uncertain since his first solo mission.

To his enormous relief, she sighed and turned towards him.

“Make love to me, Tarax,” she whispered.

He happily obeyed, slowly and thoroughly worshipping her body—trying to convey with his touch what he could not say with his words. His slow pace continued until he brushed his lips across his mark, and her body quivered with excitement. When he repeated the gesture, she arched into him. She was reacting as a bonded mate would and satisfaction filled him as he focused on the mark, using it to drive her into a long, shuddering climax before he allowed himself to follow her.

They set out early the next morning and, although Jayn was still quieter than usual, her hand rested easily in his, and he finally relaxed.

The jungle began to thin as they walked, the trees diminishing in size and growing further apart. The moss under their feet disappeared, replaced by a carpet of leaves. Jayn winced as she walked, and he made her stop, digging through her bag for the last few scraps of fur. He lashed them to her feet with some additional vines to form crude but effective foot coverings, and she gave him a grateful smile.

“Thank you.”

They set out again, but their pace remained slow. He suspected that neither one of them was anxious to reach their destination.

The land continued to change. The trees disappeared altogether, replaced by rolling grassland. The featureless plain made it hard to maintain their direction, but he kept the river to the right and the sun directly ahead. It was beginning to sink towards the horizon when they topped a small hill and came to an abrupt halt.

Directly in front of them was a gleaming white edifice, completely out of place amidst the natural surroundings. If he had encountered it on Dotura, he wouldn’t have given it a second thought, but after all this time in the wilderness, it looked disturbingly foreign.

Jayn’s hand tightened on his.

“Is that it?” she whispered.

There was no one around to hear her speak, and yet he understood her urge to keep her voice low. Even Misstuh Tiduhlz perched on Jayn’s shoulder in subdued silence. The only sound was the wind swishing through the long grass, but he suddenly felt as if someone was listening to their every word.

“Yehss.”

Neither one of them moved. Finally, she looked up at him, her small teeth worrying her bottom lip again.

“I suppose we should go find out what this is all about.”

He nodded his agreement, but his free hand dropped to the hilt of his knife as they walked slowly down the hill. As they drew closer, he realized that the structure was not as large as it had seemed from afar. One long, low building flanked a taller structure that resembled a ship hangar. His heart beat faster. Would there be a ship inside? A way off this planet?

He looked down at Jayn, still clinging to his hand. He would not let them be separated, he vowed silently.

But what if she wanted to return to her own world? Were her feelings for him enough to override her longing for her home? His chest ached so fiercely that he could almost believe he had been struck by a weapon, but this was a far greater agony. There had to be a way for them to be together.

As they approached the smaller building, a door panel slid to one side, and his hand clenched on his knife hilt. It might only have been an automatic mechanism, but he didn’t like the feeling that someone had been waiting for them.

“Do you think there’s someone in there?” Jayn whispered.

“Dohnt noh. Keep yoo sayf.”

Her smile looked a little shaky around the edges, but he could read the sincerity in her eyes when she nodded. “I know you will.”

They stepped through the doorway, and Jayn flinched when it slid shut behind them. A long white corridor stretched out in front of them as the ceiling lights came on. Again, he had the feeling that someone was watching them, and his skin prickled with unease. But they had come all this way looking for answers. It would be foolish to stop now.

Hand in hand, they walked down the corridor, the only sounds those of his bare feet padding against the metal floor and the soft scuff of Jayn’s foot coverings.

A second door panel slid open as they reached the end of the hallway, and they stepped inside to find a large room that could have been taken directly from a Doturan home. At one end, clean-lined furniture with plush, leather covered cushions was arranged around a picture window that looked out across the plains. The other end held a large, raised bed, and through the open door next to it, he could see a fully equipped bathing room.

Jayn’s eyes were huge as she looked around. “I don’t understand. Is this someone’s home?”

As if in response, a mechanical voice came from the hidden speaker.

“Welcome, Commander Bellkandis. You have successfully completed the test.”

“What test?” he growled, before he realized that the voice had addressed him in Doturan.

Jayn looked worried, and he squeezed her hand reassuringly.

“The survival test, of course. You have reached your destination, although somewhat more slowly than we had anticipated.”

The answer was far too vague for his liking, but the circumstances of his arrival seemed far less important than whatever the unseen voice had in store for them. “What happens now?”

“You are free to leave. There is a ship waiting in the hangar, although we assumed you would appreciate a chance to rest and refresh yourself before starting your journey.”

A wall panel slid aside and a table emerged from the wall, heavily laden with choice Doturan delicacies.

“And what of Jayn?” he asked. “She has also completed the survival test.”

“You were the only subject of the test,” the voice said dismissively. “Her purpose was to serve as an additional distraction.”

Distraction? Anger raced through him that whoever was behind this test should have used her so callously.

“Do you intend to return her to her own planet?” he snarled through clenched teeth.

“Of course not. Her kind is not yet ready for the knowledge of other civilizations.”

His heart ached for Jayn, and yet he couldn’t help but feel a degree of relief as well. There was no chance that they would be separated now.

“Then she is coming with me,” he said firmly.

“That is not permitted. We do not know what effect her presence might have on other races. She will remain here,” the voice said calmly.

Taraxan growled again and Jayn squeezed his hand.

“What’s going on? Was that my name? Is something wrong?”

He pulled her against him in a reassuring hug, even as his mind raced. Whoever was running this test – and he would very much like to meet them, he thought grimly – seemed quite sure that he would obey their dictates. He had no intention of doing so.

“Is that food for us?” Jayn asked with a longing glance at the waiting food.

“Yehss, buht naht sayf.”

It might be safe, but he didn’t want to take the chance. And even the always hungry Misstuh Tiduhlz made no attempt to investigate the food.

Her shoulders sagged, but she nodded. “Now what?”

The first order of business was to explore the building and see if he could find any sign of the mysterious testers. He knew Jayn was tired, and he considered leaving her in the comfortable room, but he didn’t want to leave her alone. He had a haunting fear that he would return only to find her absent.

“Nou ik-splor,” he said. The only other alternative was to leave the lab, but he wasn’t quite ready to give up on the chance to get Jayn off the planet with him.

She nodded again and gave him a brave smile. He dropped a brief kiss on her lips, and they returned to the corridor.

Chapter Thirteen

Examining the walls more closely this time, Taraxan found several additional door panels. The first two revealed only small empty rooms, but the third opened into a much larger space, the walls lined with monitors. Several of them showed jungle vistas, and he recognized several places from their journey, including the clearing with the pool. Other screens showed wide expanses of desert, long stretches of shoreline, and even isolated mountaintops.

“Have they been watching us?” Jayn asked.

He nodded grimly. No doubt they had been observing the results of their test.

“Even when we…” Her face turned bright pink.

The thought enraged him—he was the only person who was privileged to witness her pleasure—but right now, he had other things to worry about.

He inspected the room again and realized that other than the array of monitors, there was no equipment in the room. No desks, no seating, no technology hubs. Had anyone ever been in here, or were the feeds being transmitted elsewhere?

Jayn seemed to have reached the same conclusion. “Where is everyone?”

He shook his head. This place was as much a mystery to him as it was to her.

Returning to the corridor, they found one more empty room before reaching a final room filled with supplies. Some of them were clearly identifiable as Doturan, but much of it he didn’t recognize. For the first time it occurred to him that he might not be the only male being tested.

He dismissed the idea. He had seen no signs of other males and right now, he simply wanted an answer to their own situation.

The other side of the hallway held only three doors—the blast doors opening into the hangar, another storage room, and a medical lab. He opened the door to it with a sigh of relief. If it was properly equipped, he would be able to fit Jayn with a translation implant. He needed to tell her how he felt, and he wanted to make quite sure she understood.

She followed him into the lab, looking around curiously as he rifled through the drawers.

“This looks like a doctor’s office.”

“Yehss.”

“What are you looking for? A way to finish healing your leg?”

It hasn’t occurred to him, but it was a good idea. There had been no sign of the testers, but if he needed to confront them physically, he would prefer to be in top shape. It might also help to reassure her if he was the first to use the medical bed, he decided as he finally located a translation implant.

He limped over to the bed and climbed in.

“What are you doing?”

“Wahch.”

He triggered the healing function and the bed began to glow a soft pink. A warm gel oozed up from the base of the bed and enclosed his leg. The warmth increased until it verged on the edge of uncomfortable, then rapidly subsided. The gel parted, then slipped back into the bed.

His leg looked as good as new, only the faintest ring left to indicate the original bite.

“That’s amazing,” Jayn exclaimed, leaning down to stroke her soft little fingers over the newly healed skin. “It doesn’t hurt anymore?”

Not only did it not hurt but the feel of her hands on him was having the inevitable effect on his cock. Her eyes widened as she saw him harden.

“I guess not,” she murmured.

For a moment, he was tempted to forget their problems and lose himself in her sweet body, but there would be time for that later. He hoped.

“Yor tuhrn.”

Jane took a step back as Tarax indicated the medical bed he’d just left. “Me? Why? There’s nothing wrong with me.”

He held up a small, clear device, no larger than a dime. “Trans-layt.”

“Translate? You mean that will help me understand you?”

He nodded, and she took a step towards him. She still wasn’t thrilled about using alien technology, but the thought of being able to understand him completely was a powerful incentive.

“You’re sure it will work on humans?” she asked nervously.

“Ev-ree-wuhn,” he said firmly.

Her pulse fluttered rapidly, but she couldn’t believe that Tarax would ever allow her to come to harm. She gave a reluctant nod and he rewarded her with a white flash of fang.

After helping her up on the bed, he dropped a quick kiss on her lips, then placed the small device on her wrist.

“What’s going to happen now? Oh!”

More gel emerged from the bed, pale green this time, and enveloped her wrist before she could pull away.

It didn’t hurt, but she didn’t like the feeling of being restrained and shot Tarax a panicked look.

“Fien,” he said gently. “Kwik.”

Sure enough, the gel began to withdraw a few seconds later. There was no sign of the device on her wrist and when she ran a finger over the place where it had been, she felt only her own skin.

“Jane,” Tarax said, but she was too busy examining her wrist to respond.

“This is amazing.”

“Jane,” he repeated. “Can you understand me?”

She could, she realized with delight. Although she could still hear the underlying growl of his voice, the meaning of those sounds was quite clear. Even her name sounded different, more like the way she would pronounce it.

“I can! And you can—well, I guess you already understood me, didn’t you?”

“The implant helped me to learn, but it is clearer now.” He hesitated, then spoke in a heated rush. “I love you, Jane. I know you might not feel the same way -”

“Of course I do.” Tears sprang to her eyes. “I already told you once. When you bit me.”

His eyes snapped to the mark on her neck. “When I had the fever?”

“Yes.”

“I’m so sorry I did not remember.”

She smiled through her tears. “It doesn’t matter. Now we both know how we feel and we’re together.”

She took a step towards him, and a clear barrier dropped down from the ceiling, separating them on opposite sides of the room.

Chapter Fourteen

Taraxan pounded on the barrier but it refused to budge. Mr. Tiddles chittered anxiously, also pawing at the clear material.

Jane’s eyes were wide and terrified. “What’s happening?”

“We will not allow you to waste any more time on this foolishness, Commander Bellkandis.” The mechanical voice of his tester echoed in the small room, and this time he could see that Jane understood. “It is time for you to return to your duties. The female will remain here.”

“No,” he growled, and Jane echoed his protest.

“If you do not, you will both be destroyed.”

Jane gave a muffled sob. “You can’t do that.”

“We can and we will.” The voice seemed to soften fractionally. “Once he has departed, you will be released.”

“You cannot expect her to survive on her own,” he protested.

“I… I’ll be fine. And at least I’ll know you’re safe.” Tears still streamed down her cheeks, but she tried to smile at him.

By the Swords, what was he going to do? He had absolutely no intention of leaving her behind. He would rather stay here with her than leave without her. But what if he couldn’t leave…

Would the testers still carry out their threat?

It was a gamble he was willing to take. He would rather die here than exist without her.

He placed his open hand against his side of the barrier, and she mirrored the gesture, her hand impossibly small in comparison.

“Trust me,” he whispered. “I love you, Jane.”

“I love you too. Taraxan.” She carefully pronounced his full name, but he shook his head.

“I will always be Tarax to you.”

He forced himself to draw away. “Stay with her,” he ordered Mr. Tiddles, then took off at a run.

The doors to the hangar were open now, and he paused long enough to examine them. Good. They were standard blast doors, designed to shield the rest of the building from any accidents with a ship in the hangar. A fierce grin crossed his face as he stepped inside and eyed the waiting ship. An Imperial Class fighter—fast, efficient, and deadly. He had trained on one in his academy days, and it would be perfect for his needs.

He climbed into the cockpit and fired up the engine. It responded immediately with a familiar throaty rumble. But instead of beginning the takeoff procedure, he snapped open a small, concealed panel and initiated the self-destruct sequence.

“What are you doing?” The tester’s voice echoed through the hangar.

“I am destroying the ship.”

“Why?”

“Because I will not leave Jane. I would rather die.”

“You will both die!”

He forced himself to shrug. “It would be foolish to destroy her once I am no longer around. I do not think you are foolish.” Or at least he prayed that they were not.

He thought he detected a muffled argument, but the words were unintelligible. At last, the voice spoke again.

“We still cannot allow the human female to leave this planet. You will agree to remain here with her?”

“Of course.” He didn’t even have to consider the matter. His duties, his honors—they meant nothing without her.

“Very well. Terminate the self-destruct sequence.”

“I cannot. There is no option to terminate it once it is in progress.” That was not strictly true, but he didn’t trust the testers. If the ship was still usable, they might try to force him to leave a second time.

“Then leave the hangar. Immediately.”

Triumph roared through him as he climbed down and raced for the doors, slamming them shut behind him and locking them in place. He heard the muffled sound of an explosion from the hangar, but he ignored it as he hurried back to the lab.

Jane was still pressed against the barrier, her face pale. He started to roar his frustration, but then the barrier lifted into the ceiling and Jane tumbled into his arms. He had just destroyed his only hope of leaving this planet, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. Jane was here, and she was safe, and they were together. Nothing else mattered.

Epilogue

Three months later…

Jane smoothed the fur she had cured across their mattress and smiled happily at the results. Every day their house felt more like a home. She knew Tarax felt guilty about having destroyed their only way off the planet—even if he’d had no other alternative—and he worked tirelessly to make a comfortable life for her.

They had decided to build their house at the edge of the jungle. She preferred the life and variety of the jungle to the more sterile surroundings of the open plains. Neither one of them had wanted to be too close to the test lab, but after a few weeks, Tarax had decided to return and see what he could salvage.

They had both been wary of another trap, but he returned triumphantly with some of the supplies they had seen on their first trip—supplies that made their life much easier, despite his skill at improvising.

Since then he had made several more trips. There had still been no sign of the testers, and they had never spoken to him again.

Mr. Tiddles suddenly burst through the open doorway, chittering excitedly, and dropped an enormous—and still squirming—insect at her feet. Her stomach churned as its legs waved frantically and green goo oozed from its middle, and she had to dash for the bathroom.

When Tarax entered the house a short time later, she was still there, clutching the composting toilet that had been one of his most successful finds.

“Jane! What’s wrong?”

She waved a hand weakly. “Mr. Tiddles brought me a present. It wasn’t quite dead.”

Her pet chittered sorrowfully and she managed to smile at him. “I know you meant well.”

“I don’t like this.” Tarax lifted her carefully to her feet, then helped her brush her teeth and wash her face. “You were ill earlier this week as well.”

“It was the fish.” Even the memory made her feel queasy again. “It just didn’t agree with me.”

“You used to enjoy it.”

“Well, now I don’t,” she said crossly.

“I think we need to take a trip to the lab.”

She wanted to object, but it really wasn’t like her to be sick. As much as she hated returning there, the medical unit was extremely useful.

“Oh, all right,” she muttered.

Tarax laughed and drew her into his arms. “I will make sure you enjoy the journey.”

“How are you going to do that?” She smiled despite herself.

“I will make frequent stops to allow you to feast on my cock,” he said solemnly, golden eyes gleaming.

Her nipples tightened as a pulse of desire flickered through her clit. She did enjoy taking him in her mouth. “And you will return the favor?”

“Of course,” he said immediately. “But perhaps we should begin now—to make sure that I am still in practice.”

“You practiced last night,” she pointed out, but he ignored her, lifting her onto the counter and parting her legs.

His talented fingers stroked through her sensitive folds, already slick with desire. “Perfect. Hot and wet and ready.”

“I’m always ready for you,” she said truthfully, but then his roughened tongue swirled around her clit, and she lost the ability to speak.

Two days later, Jane waited anxiously on the exam table as the machine scanned her body. She still hated being here, afraid that they would be separated once more, but she couldn’t deny the effectiveness of the medical bed.

The machine beeped and flashed up the results. Tarax’s eyes widened as he studied the information, and her heart thudded against her ribs.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong,” he said quickly, then his fierce grin lit up his face. “You are with child.”

“I’m pregnant?” The room seemed to sway around her and he immediately came to her side, holding her in a reassuring grip.

“You are not pleased?” he asked softly.

“Pleased? I just… I never thought… I mean, you’re Doturan and I’m human!” It had never even occurred to her that getting pregnant was a possibility.

His body tensed. “I am sorry that you are unhappy-”

“No! I’m not unhappy, Tarax. I’m thrilled.” Tears sprang to her eyes as the truth finally penetrated, and she curved her hand over her stomach.

Tarax put his arms around her, placing his hand over hers. They stood locked together in a daze of happiness until he suddenly pulled away.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I should try again to retrieve the communication system from the remains of the ship,” he muttered, pacing back and forth.

“Why? Even if you could get it working, do you really want to go back to Dotura?”

He returned to her side at once, lifting her into his arms and kissing her until she was clinging to him helplessly. “You know I don’t. I have everything I want right here.”

Thank goodness. Nothing he had told her about Dotura seemed particularly enticing.

“But they have much more advanced medical care,” he continued. “It would be safer for you and the baby.”

“I’m fine with our own medical machine.” In addition to healing Tarax’s leg, when she had foolishly sprained her ankle, it had healed that as well.

“I suppose.”

He still looked worried and it was her turn to give him a reassuring hug. “It’s going to be fine. I know it is. And you’re going to make a wonderful father.”

“A father,” he repeated, his golden eyes glowing.

Would their child have his eyes, she wondered. It didn’t matter, she knew that he—or she—would be perfect.

“There’s so much to do,” he added. “I need to build an additional room and expand the kitchen. I should hunt for more furs for her bed as well and -”

She laughed and placed a gentle finger over his mouth.

“And there’s time to do all of it. Now let’s go home.”

***

Va’rik’at’char sent a message through his neural network to his fellow scientist, La’tok’at’bron.

It appears that the experiment is a complete success. An emotional bond and breeding capability.

If La’tok’at’bron had been able to communicate verbally, he would have snorted. Instead, he sent a dismissive return message.

In this instance. But you cannot claim success based on such a limited data set.

Va’rik’at’char’s antennae waved gently. Agreed. Did you have another test subject in mind?

Yes. I propose using a Hsslak next time.

But they are a desert species. A human female will have great difficulty surviving in that environment.

Then it will be a more stringent experiment.

Very well. Va’rik’at’char gave his assent, then floated comfortably in his tank as La’tok’at’bron began the preparations. The first experiment had proven most instructive—and enjoyable. He could hardly wait to see what the next encounter would produce…

Author’s Note

Thank you so much for reading The Naked Alien! I’m having so much fun with this new series – I love it when a hero and heroine are placed in a survival situation and must depend on each other! 2021 got off to a rocky start for me, and this story helped pull me through.

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.

I’m also so grateful to my beta team – Janet S, Nancy V, and Kitty S. Your thoughts and comments are incredibly helpful!

Are you curious about Va’rik’at’char and La’tok’at’bron’s plans for their next... subjects? Find out all about it in The Bare Essentials!

Can Janet survive the heat of an alien desert? And the heat of the alien warrior who finds her?

Click here to order The Bare Essentials!

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Other Titles

Exposed to the Elements

The Naked Alien

The Bare Essentials

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

Standalones

Jackie and the Giant - A Cosmic Fairy Tale

Krampus and the Crone - A ScFi Holiday Tale

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

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 5. 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 at any of the following locations…

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoneyPhillipsAuthor

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/honey-phillips

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/HoneyPhillipsAuthor

Website: http://www.honeyphillips.com

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Epilogue

Author’s Note

Other Titles

About the Author