Lihvan felt a twitch of his strength return to his arms as he was dragged on board.Behind him, he heard Beks struggling, but he told himself to be patient, to not lash out with his growing strength or else his plan might not work.She was tossed down beside him on the biting metal, in nothing but his tunic.His eyes caught and held her own.He wanted to roar at her obvious fear, knowing that he was failing her as a protector.
Failing…just like my sire, he couldn’t help but think, feeling shame that he’d long buried threaten to choke him.
But he rebelled against it.He was not his sire and he would not fail his mate.He’d pushed himself to be the best war general that Luxiria had ever seen and he poured that focus, that ambition, into the plan that had begun to form in his mind.
When the transport vessel doors shut and Gribrak stepped over his body to take command, Lihvan flexed his fingers, testing his control.The electric jolt only seemed to have a temporary effect and every undisturbed moment helped fuel him.
Lying still, his eyes connected with Beks’.Terror made her gaze glassy, but he tilted his head down, trying to convey everything in one single look.Her brows furrowed as she tried to read his expression and then her eyes flickered over to the group of Jetutians and Gribrak, who were congregated at the front of the transport vessel.Only one Jetutian had been left to watch over them and Lihvan knew that he could easily dispatch of him, especially when it meant getting his mate to safety.
Brave female, he thought, pride welling in his chest as Beks made a visible effort to lessen her fear.When she looked at him again, she nodded slightly and Lihvan knew that she would be ready when he made his move.
Next, without moving his head, he looked at the hatch on one of the escape pods closest to them.It looked as if it needed an access code, but he knew from one harrowing experience a few rotations ago that if he destroyed the panel, the hatch doors would open by default as a security measure.
He just needed an opportunity and he needed it before they reached the main Jetutian vessel.
His opportunity came when Vikan fulfilled his promise.Lihvan didn’t see the Luxirian vessel engage all fifty thrusters and speed away towards their home planet and away from Jetutian territory, but he felt the tremendous wave of energy that violently rocked them.
The vessel tilted sideways and Gribrak cursed loudly while the other Jetutians tried to right themselves.Lihvan didn’t waste a moment.With his body straining, his strength not fully returned, he catapulted off the cargo floor and put as much power behind his momentum as he launched himself at the Jetutian guarding them.With a quick pull, he snapped his neck and he slumped to the ground, lifeless.
Before Gribrak could even react, Lihvan slammed his fists into the control panel for one of the escape pods and Beks hurried to meet him, scrambling inside the hatch door when it opened.
Gribrak recovered and roared in Jetu at his crew, “Disable the pods!Disable them now!”
Lihvan jumped in after Beks, the door whooshing closed behind him.The Jetutian escape pod had a different layout than the Luxirian ones.Lihvan shook his head, his body feeling sluggish after his burst of adrenaline.
Any moment Gribrak would cut off their only hope of escape if he didn’t act quickly.Lihvan’s mind raced as he disengaged the escape pod from the transport vessel to the sound of Gribrak’s curses.
Relief flooded him when the pod shot off the vessel and hurtled into the darkness.One problem solved, one to go.Aware that Beks’ body was being crushed by his weight, he quickly charted a course for the nearest planet…the name of which was Jalun.
Vrax, he cursed silently, scowling.But they had no choice.The Jetutians would only be able to follow the escape pod in their main vessel and Gribrak wasn’t even close to it.They needed to get to the planet’s surface and get to safety before the Jetutians pursued them.
Although only a fool would follow them to Jalun.Even though there was plenty of oxygen in the atmosphere, its surface temperatures were mercurial and it was home to some of the most deadly creatures Lihvan had ever encountered.
Still, there would be food and water and shelter.Lihvan could work with that and provide for his mate until they were found…hopefully by his own people.
Only after he sent out a coded distress call in the direction of Luxiria—praying to the Fates that it would find its intended mark—did he attend to his female.Pulling her around his body, he ran a palm down her cheek, checking her for injuries.Her eyes were wide with shock from what had happened and once he made sure she wasn’t harmed, he simply pulled her soft, vulnerable body into him, cradling her.
“I will protect you,luxiva,” he said softly into her hair, his eyes on the horizon.Jalun came into view and only grew larger and larger as they approached.“As a Luxirian warrior, this is my bond to you.”
EIGHT
Beks could officially add ‘Crash land on a freaky alien planet’ to her list of things she’d done since getting abducted.Also on that list was ‘Masturbate in front of a sexy alien,’ ‘Get kidnapped by more aliens,’ and ‘Watch more aliens get killed by aforementioned sexy alien who I have weird, achy feelings for.’
Terrific.
The moment they climbed out of the completely destroyed oval shaped pod they’d escaped in, a wave of heat crashed down on her and she gasped.And hey, Beks had been to Florida in the middle of summer, but that heat had nothing onthisheat.She could hardly breathe it was so suffocating and she immediately broke out into a full-body sweat.
Lihvan was busy scanning their surroundings, but he didn’t look nearly as sweaty as she felt.He seemed a little slower than usual, but she figured it was from getting tasered one too many times.
“Are you okay?” she asked him, remembered the sight of him weakened and frustrated.She wiped her forehead and her palm came away sticky.“I mean…are you injured?”
He looked at her, his expression serious and grim even though he reached out to stroke a hand through her sweat-clumped hair.“Do you think I cannot protect you?”
Uh oh, Beks had a feeling she’d just insulted the big guy.“No, no…I mean, yes, I know that you can, um,” her eyes ran over his generous muscles and bulk, “protect me.I just…that alien really dropped you.”
He grunted, but didn’t respond.
Swallowing, she asked just two of the questions on her mind.“Who were they?Why did they come aboard the ship?”
