Crystal reached out without thinking, perhaps a little too comfortable with her surroundings, and plucked the flower from the bush.
Her first realization was that the petals felt slick, like they were oily, and when Crystal pulled back her fingers, she saw clear residue on her flesh.
Before she had time to think about what it was, she heard Cruxan.
With an alarmed tone, he said, “Crystal, do not—vrax!”
Crystal’s gaze flashed up to him just as she felt a strange sensation overcome her body.
“C-Cruxan?” she asked, her fingers suddenly becoming warm. She felt that warmth travel up her arms slowly.
“Vrax,” he cursed quietly, gently squeezing her wrist so she dropped the flower without him touching it.
Oh God, had she touched a poisonous flower? Apoisonous alienflower?
Stupid, stupid, stupid!
“Am…am I going to die?” she whispered, staring wide-eyed up at Cruxan, her heartpounding.
His brow furrowed but he assured her, “Nix,luxiva, it will not hurt you.” Lowering his tone, as if speaking to himself, he said, “It will hurt me more than it will hurt you.”
“W-what?” she asked, realizing that her core was growing warm. Very, very warm.
What the hell?
Her nipples began to tingle and that was when the first sense of dread hit her.
“This is atevvaxbloom,” he said to her, his face scrunched, as though in pain.
His hand was still on her wrist and when he moved it slightly, she almost gasped at the delicious sensation on her flesh.
His voice was dark as he told her, “It is used to make the most powerful pleasure drug on Luxiria.”
Chapter Nineteen
Vrax, vrax, vrax!
Cruxan held his breath when he scented the first inklings of hisluxiva’sarousal. Already, his horns were straightening, his cock growing—harder than its perpetual state—in his leg coverings.
His Instinct knew his female was aroused and it was driving Cruxan to mate with her. Lust and desire fogged his mind and when he had to take a breath, he almost groaned at the strong perfume of her scent.
Tevvaxwas powerful. So powerful that the oil from the bloom had to be diluted when it was taken among pleasure partners or mates.
Crystal had touched the flower directly. The potency of its oil, which covered her fingertips, which had already begun to enter her system, was undiluted.
Luxirians had a strong reaction to the drug. He couldn’t imagine what a human female’s reaction would be.
This was bad. In another circumstance, one where she readily accepted him as her mate, the situation would be quite the opposite. He could help her ride through the pleasure, could help her take the edge off until the drug left her body.
But she didn’t accept him as her fated mate. Not yet and possibly—though he didn’t want to admit it—not ever.
She didn’t want his touch, didn’t want the pleasure he knew he could bring her.
So, this situation was bad. Very, very bad when his control was already limited.
“Crystal,” he murmured, careful not to touch the oil on her fingertips, or else it would doom them both. “We need to make camp.”
“W-why?” she asked, her gaze going a little unfocused, her cheeks flushing an enticing pink color, her lips reddening.
