"It is our task to keep them. It is yours to take them back."
Of all the males to step forward, I do not expect to see Zyntarr. The huge warrior is a good few seasons older than even me and littered with scars that tell stories of his victories in violence. He does not need to train - why, I think if I were to spar with him one-on-one, he would stand a good chance at besting me. But here he is, with eyes burning into Aloryk who stands in front of the little human, Bea.
Ah. There we have it then. These beautiful little creatures will make fools of even the most seasoned of warriors. Zyntarr crouches, his muscles bunched and ready to pounce. I hold up a hand, staying him.
Swiftly, I twist to lift Ah-Lanah and sling her over my shoulder. She protests of course, but I find I do not care. Let me show her that I can protect her. "Lift your females," I tell the other two, and they do so, although a little more gingerly than I had. Aloryk asks Bea her permission to lift her first, to which she nods her head and I grin to see Chaz-Titi practically leap into Zerryk's arms. Zyntarr lets out a low growl before somewhat managing to control himself. Nodding to three more males, I beckon them over. "You are part of our band of mimyckah," I tell them. "It is your duty to aid us in keeping our bounty." As I say the words, I jostle Ah-Lanah higher up on my shoulder, getting a more secure hold around those beautifully thickened thighs of hers.
"Can you at least hold me like the others,asshole?" she seethes. "You know, with a bit of dignity?!" The other two pairs have their females cradled in their arms, but I find I'm quite fond of Ah-Lanah's soft, warm curves brushing against my ear. The Goddesses know my skin-stars must be going crazy all the way down that side of my body in this moment.
"No," I grunt, giving her rump a quick swat - regretting the move instantly. She makes a quiet squeak, but that's not the source of my regret. That shouldnothave been as enjoyable as it was. It's just... with these humans having no tail, her whole, soft, rounded backside is downright mesmerizing with the way it moves with the contact. I'm more than tempted to do it again and watch her jiggle.
I clear my throat and give the other 'mimyckah' a look before addressing the whole host of trainees. "Choose your methods of rescue wisely," I call out to them, pointing in an arc with my spear. "We hold the females in our arms and one wrong move on your part could endanger them. If any of our females are harmed,Temple save you, you will not outlive the shame."
Finally, all my males are poised and alert. My blood sings for the oncoming challenge. I jerk my chin at the nearest one who has been gradually moving to the side while I'd been talking and now crouches, waiting for the go-ahead. "You," I snarl, hiking Ah-Lanah higher up my shoulder. "Come."
CHAPTER 7: ALANA
Woo-boy!I know Mavyx's deep command of the single word'come'was meant as laying down the challenge he set for his men, but when I tell you -when I tell you- I nearlyobeyed, I don't mean I was about to join the damn fight. And why the big alien idiot is having that kind of effect on me is anyone's guess.
I squirm a little in his hold, which only makes him grasp me tighter. He's jostling me all to hell and I can't see what's going on since I'm thrown over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. From the noises and the sudden, jerky movements, I presume he's fending off a 'rescuer' - as per his training instructions. I dig my fingers into the soft plumage of his wings and yank -hard.
Mav merely grunts and continues with his bullshit 'training'.
So I yank harder. In fact, some of his beautiful feathers come free in my hands like he's a turkey I'm plucking for Thanksgiving. Mavyx sucks in a harsh breath over his teeth and all I can see is that tail of his whipping back and forth wildly before I feel his huge palm thwack my ass again. "What -in the name of the Temple- are you doing, female?!" he hisses, still jostling me this way and that while I hear grunts and growls from...whatever the hellit is he's doing to his men.
I squirm. I've never been one for spanking before butgood lord- team that with the manhandling, and I'm over here desperately trying to think of unsexy things to stop my pussy from purring up something terrible. "Just let me down!" I squeak. "I don't want to be a training exercise anymore!"
Instead of doing as I ask -like a sane person. Mavyx moves me, slipping me down and bringing my body to his front so I'm holding onto him like some sort of deranged spider-monkey. "Mav!" I yelp, clinging on tightly around his neck as he lunges into a training attack with his spear. I press my cheek to his neck, trying not to notice how effortlessly he holds me. "You're insane!" I yell over the hubbub.
The motherfucker growls.Growls. And I can feel it vibrate where I shouldn't be feeling vibrations - not in broad daylight, not surrounded by a bunch of people, and not withhim. I squirm again, trying to unclamp my legs from around his waist, trying to stop focussing on the play of his muscles-
Trying to tell myself tocalm the fuck downbefore I end up leaving a wet patch on Mav's stomach or something.
"What-" Mav begins talking but then stumbles. I don't know what he was going to ask but if this guy drops me, I'm going to be so pissed. "Your scent-" he starts again but is interrupted when I feel someone grab hold of my ankle and roughly try to yank me away from my insane alien idiot.
"Ah!" I yelp, scrambling to hold on. Mavyx's growl turns so menacing, I feel it right down to my toes.
"You!" he roars, throwing his spear down with a clatter. I turn in Mavyx's arms in time to see him reach forward and grab his trainee opponent by the throat - lifting him clean into the air. Oh, God, he's going to kill him! The poor guy scrambles to prize open Mavyx's hold around his neck, his wings, and tail flailing. "If you so much as eventhinkabout touching what's mine again, I will rip your hands off your body myself, brother. Is that understood?"
Mavyx's focus is on his poor trainee, but I can't stop looking up at him. The wild light in his eyes. The guy is utterly unhinged right now but it's because of me. Because someone dared to touch me. To take me away from him, even if he ordered for them to try and do that very same thing. I'm loathed to admit that a small part of me had liked it before - back at the gathering when Mav had challenged the other High Spear for daring to shake hands with me. In fact, I hated the thought that this kind of bullshit possessive behaviour got my engine revving even the tiniest amount. I'm a feminist -I swear I am. And I promise, a huge part of me wants to punch Mav in the balls for that'what's mine'line.
And yet...
And yet there is an insane part of me that likes it.
Jesus Christ, maybe I've been on this crazy planet too long and jungle fever is creeping in, because honestly? I could jump his bones right now.
Ignoring the batshit horny part of my brain, I still need to diffuse the situation, because Mav? He looks like he wants toendthis poor Trixikka trainee. "Hey," I murmur softly, cupping the side of his face to move his panting, rage-filled gaze to me now. "Mavyx? Let him go," I say, looking my idiot in the eye. The side of his face I'm touching is lit up with multicolored sparkles from where I lay my hand. "It's just training, remember?"
Mavyx's golden eyes search my face and his expression softens. He hasn't yet released his hold on his trainee when he says, his voice thick and gruff, "whatisthat scent?Whydo you smell so good?"
The questions take me by surprise and Mavyx is still staring at me, demanding an answer. It's like he's completely forgotten he has hold of someone's throat. "Mav," I try again, reaching for his outstretched arm - the one currently ending in a firm grip on his trainee's neck. "Let him go." Mavyx's head turns slowly to look in that direction. Because of his huge size, I can barely reach past his bicep, so that's where I lay my hand, trying to ignore the flex of firm muscle under my touch. His gaze lingers there, watching the play of his skin-stars racing up his arm like pretty blue, green, and purple fireworks. The lights on his chest pulse brighter for a beat or two and then finally -finally- with a grunt, Mavyx drops the other guy who quickly rises and staggers away, gasping, holding onto his throat.
I breathe a sigh of relief but the release of tension is short lived. With a growl, Mavyx wraps his strong arms around me and launches into the air with loud beats of his wings that sound like thunderclaps as we ascend into the sky. "Mav!" I shriek, clinging on for dear life. "What are you doing?!"
He doesn't answer, only continues to soar higher and higher until I turn and see his destination - the top of the mountain. Serena had told us there's a network of caves up there where the tribe's ancestors used to live.
When we land in the mouth of the cave, I struggle in Mav's hold but he still doesn't let me go. My heart is beating a mile-a-minute and maybe it's from the tensions back down there during the training, maybe it's the adrenaline from flying or-
