He turned, their eyes meeting over the strapped-down crates, and the barely hidden panic he saw in them had his chest aching. “Hold onto the dragus. The landing will be rough.”
There was a small sound of acknowledgement as Maya clutched the little dragus pup to her chest.
The scent of fear coming from the human female had Ranek’s protective instincts all riled up. He wanted to destroy whatever was making her wary. And failing that, he wanted to hold her in his arms and distract her until he was the only thing she could think about. But currently, he could do neither.
She didn’t trust him, and he didn’t blame her. They were on a planet known to be a pirate’s hideout, and he doubted any of them would have good intentions when it came to her. Stars, he didn’t even have good intentions himself. He wanted to strip her naked, bend her over, and fuck her until she was crying his name. But unlike the pirates, he’d want her to enjoy it.
But even more than that, he wanted to claim her and keep her safe. This must be the universe telling him she would make a good partner of convenience. If Ranek didn’t already know that his mate was long dead, he would’ve thought it was a budding mate bond. Stars, he had thought it was for a few moments before logic had won out.
If she couldn’t be his mate, then he’d have to make sure she’d become the next best thing. Partnerships of convenience weren’t held as highly as true mate bonds, but they were sometimes just as strong. While the name wasn’t particularly romantic, the reasoning behind it was, unless it was for financial or business reasons.
It usually meant two people were so devoted to one another that they chose to stay together as false mates. Many in partnerships actively avoided meeting new people out of fear of finding their mates in someone else.
Ranek would never have to worry about that if he decided to form a partnership of convenience with anyone. He was just very confused why his body kept insisting it be this random human female he’d fished out of a swamp.
Ranek set the shuttle down just outside the mining station, and for a moment, silence filled the cabin. Then the whole shuttle shuddered, vibrations rolling through the floor and walls, rattling the panels.
“What’s going on?” Maya’s voice shook as she looked around the shuttle, her hands reaching for the harness buckle.
“They are attacking the shuttle.” Ranek made his way to the back, suppressing a grin at the frustrated but adorable face she made, clearly not knowing the trick on how to release the harness. He reached for the harness. “Let me help you.”
She threw her hands up, clearly done with it. “If they’re attacking the shuttle, then why are you so calm?”
“The sonar weapon will give us a chance, but only for a short time.” The buckle released, and Ranek snatched his hand away just as the feisty little dragus pup snapped at him with its small but sharp teeth. The human female did not trust him, but the pup trusted him even less.
“They’ve already felt it once, so they won’t scatter as far, but all we have to do is reach the station door. It isn’t far. If we move fast, we’ll make it. When I say run, run.”
Maya clutched the pup squirming against her chest tighter, her chin lifting in determination. “Okay,” she whispered. “Let’s do this.”
Chapter 4
Maya
Maya’s heart pumped so hard in her chest, she thought it would burst. Her lungs burned, and she cursed every lazy afternoon she’d spent curled up with extra cheesy nachos instead of hitting the treadmill. But how the hell could she have known she’d end up on an alien planet running from freaking pterodactyls? The absurdity of it all would’ve made her laugh if she weren’t actually running for her life with a dragus pup in her arms.
The shuttle was only about fifteen feet from the door, which was the closest Ranek could land because of the overhang, but somehow, by the time they’d gotten the ship’s hatch opened, two of the flying creatures stood between them and the door. These were smaller than the beasts that had attacked her pod, but no less terrifying. Their eyes seemed to glow in the shuttle’s light, and their claws made scraping sounds on the hard ground.
The worst part? It was getting dark enough now that she was effectively blind and all they had to work with were the lights from the shuttle. Shadows stretched long, and every flicker of movement made her flinch.
But when Ranek had yelled “Run!” and pointed her in the right direction, run she had. Her legs obeyed before her brain caught up, muscles screaming as she sprinted, clutching Commander Chaos tightly. Fear drove her faster than she’d ever moved in her life.
She and Commander Chaos were now smashed against a set of double doors, as Ranek faced off against one of the winged creatures. All she could see was the occasional flash of claws and teeth, all punctuated with vicious sounds.
Instead of running with her, Ranek followed behind, fighting off the alien pterodactyls.
And ever eager to join in the craziness, Commander Chaos struggled to be let down so he could run in and help! Didn’t he understand that he’d just get gobbled up immediately? He wasn’t big enough to fight. And even if he was, their kind hunted and fought in packs.
With the squirming future menace in her arms, she tugged on the doors. Ranek had said he’d left them unlocked. But the doors barely budged, and she was tiring. Her palms slipped on the metal handle, and frustration bubbled up. She wanted to scream, but all that came out was a desperate grunt as she tugged hard, throwing her weight into it.
There was a deep resonant roar that she felt all the way down to her bones, followed by a loud squeal. Then Ranek was there. He seized the door handle, dragging it with her, and together they shoved their way inside. The portal slammed shut, the weight of it resisting as heavy forms landed against the metal outside, shoving back with enough force to rattle them both.
But the door was heavy, and Ranek was strong, and they were soon safe behind the thick metal. There was the sound of metalagainst metal and something heavy settling into place, locking them inside. She sagged against the door, trembling with relief.
It was dark inside, and she blinked, straining to make out the forms in the shadow.
“Are you hurt?” Ranek’s voice came from directly in front of her.
Rough hands moved over her arms, her shoulders, her waist, searching for wounds. The touch was firm, thorough, and every brush of his fingers sent sparks dancing across her skin. Heat pooled low in her belly, her body betraying her with a rush of lust that had her squeezing her legs together. Her mind screamed at her to focus, but dizzy with desire, her pulse raced, and her body refused to listen.
