Because the truth was that that dream—and the many more that had come before it—had shaken her.Freaked her out beyond belief.Except the dream she’d had that night had been the most vivid of all.She could remember every detail about it, the smell of sex, the cozy darkness of the room, his heat hovering over her, that feeling of happiness and belonging she’d never felt before that bloomed in her chest.
As she eyed Vikan’s turned back, she wondered why the alien male she’d been dreaming about had stolen her away in the middle of the night like a common thief.
But most importantly, she wondered what it all meant.
FIVE
VIKAN KEPT HIS gaze resolutely forward on the open, darkened horizon of Luxiria.They were facing the western lands, where the outpost he oversaw,Lopixa, jutted high over the shimmering silver sea ofLopitax.
His home.
Vaxa’an had made him Ambassador toLopixashortly after Nitav’s death.In hindsight, Vikan had been in no position to oversee an outpost, not in the emotional and mental state he’d been in during that time.But Vaxa’an had known it would be a much needed distraction and in many ways,Lopixahad saved Vikan.Lopixahad given him purpose.
Just behind him, however, curled up against the side of the hovercraft was his new purpose in life.And she could hardly bear to look at him.
Taylor.
She’d been silent ever since she’d told him her name and Vikan waited, just on the edge of his patience, until she was ready to speak.It was not in his nature to wait for others to act first, but he would learn for her.
It was for the best, he reasoned, considering he was still trying to process what she’d revealed to him, unknowingly or not.
She’d been dreaming of him and of their potential future.
Somehow, the Fates had shown her visions through their connection, a connection she didn’t yet know existed.
She’d known his name.When he’d come for her at the command center, silently so as not to alarm the other human females that shared the quarters with her, he’d scented her arousal and it had almost been his undoing.He knew what happened as she slept, because he’d been plagued with the same erotic dreams.But when she’d woken and his name had fallen from her lips so sweetly, he’d felt…strong.He’d felt…not empty, so opposite from what he’d felt for a long while.
Determination had fueled him in that moment.And when she’d reached for him, touching his forearm…her touch had sparked what he had always feared.
An inextinguishable need.And potent, dizzying desire.
Not only lust, but desire for the look in her eyes at that moment when she’d woken from a deep sleep.The look in her eyes had been soft, familiar, welcoming, knowing.It was one of coveted intimacy and it had been meant for him.All for him.
That look had almost brought him to his knees.
If Vikan gave up Taylor, if he let her return to Earth like any honorable male would, he now knew just how much he’d be losing.And he didn’t know if he should be relieved about that, knowing he made the right choice in exploring this, or whether he should feel shame and guilt, for betraying Nitav so easily.
It was a constant war within him, even then.Torn between old duty and new desire.
Just as they were flying over the plains of theVirax, he perceived movement behind him.A subtle shifting as the human female rose to her feet and then slowly approached him, as if he was an untamed beast.
He heard her make an odd sound in her throat and then she said, “I think…I’m ready to talk now.”
Vikan immediately turned to her, tapping on the automatic flight control blindly.The hovercraft slowed in reaction, but it allowed less wind to whip away their words.
He neared her, unable to resist the pull—and honestly, not even certain he wanted to resist—but she held out a hand, pressing her palm into his chest.Her fingers were warm, soft, and Vikan barely held back a pleased growl.She touched him easily, but then she seemed to realize shewastouching him and immediately snatched her hand back.
“No,” she said, lifting her eyes.She ran that soft hand through her silky, dark hair that fell just past her slim shoulders.“You…you stay there.”
Vikan’s lips downturned, but he grunted in agreement, crossing his arms over his chest.For a moment, her eyes ran over the cords of muscle that lined his forearms, built and strengthened by rotations and rotations of warrior training and battle.Her pink lips parted as she stared and a purr kicked up in his chest, his Instinct’s automatic reaction to his mate’s blatant perusal.
Vikan stifled the purr when he remember Nitav had also liked to look at his body, had often admired it and his scars after matings.
He looked down to the floor of the hovercraft, his jaw clenching, before returning his gaze to Taylor, waiting for her to speak.
“First,” she started, “why am I here?Why did you take me away from the others?”
A complicated question, but Vikan would be honest with her.He sensed that she needed honesty.And lying to her would accomplish nothing, especially since they had such little time before Vaxa’an would pursue them.Even then, Vikan wondered if Vaxa’an had already been alerted to Taylor’s absence, if one of the other human females had woken only to find one of their own gone.
