Alien Warrior’s Treasure by Sue Mercury
Chapter 2
I’ve finally got you, you bastard.
Gavvin pushed away from the screens with an air of triumph. He scrubbed a hand over his face and rose from the chair.
Finally, after a full day of painstaking work, he’d finished decoding the encrypted message he’d intercepted, which had been sent from an Irrcon vessel to a nearby outpost. Apparently, the Irrcons had a spy planted at this outpost and they’d been requesting a report on Vaxxlian activity in the area.
But now, thanks to Gavvin, Vaxxlian forces were aware of the spy and would immediately set about eliminating the threat. The spy would be captured and questioned. Killed, most likely, too.
Vaxxlian warriors weren’t in the habit of leaving their enemies alive.
A confirmation message from Vaxxlian forces flashed on the largest screen, as well as a personal thank you message from Commander Vensinn.
Bloodlust hummed in Gavvin’s veins. He wished he could go after the spy himself, but a Vaxxlian cruiser traveling near the outpost would be dispatched on the mission. Besides, his talents were best utilized here, working in the shadows, out of sight from his fellow warriors.
A growl rumbled from his chest. Once, he’d been a valued warrior, a male who commanded respect among his people. But no more. He growled again and tried to push thoughts of the past aside. He glanced out the window, at the shimmering night sky and the full moons. The darkness called to him.
After a day spent inside trying to decipher the encrypted message, he was eager to get out and stretch his legs.
He exited his home and walked into the trees, breathing in the cool sweetness of the night air. The scent of blooming trellina bushes reached him, and he spotted a cluster of the bushes on the edge of a clearing ahead, near the small stream that ran through this section of the forest.
He kept walking, not wanting to return home just yet.
His home was empty. Lonely.
Work kept him busy during the days and even late into the evenings, but when nighttime arrived and Gavvin sought his rest, the feelings of solitude would surround him with a choking force. Sleep never came easy, but when it did come, the past usually haunted his dreams.
He stared in the direction of Starrzia, wondering if his fellow warriors would shun him forever. Sometimes he thought about leaving New Vaxx. He could depart this planet in a Vaxxlian cruiser and set off for an outpost far away, where no one would know his name or his history. With his skillset, finding work wouldn’t be difficult.
But it was honor that kept him here, as well as the need to right the wrongs committed by another warrior once close to him. And though his fellow warriors might continue shunning him, he couldn’t vanquish his desire to protect his people and all Vaxxlian interests.
No one was better at deciphering encrypted Irrcon messages than Gavvin. Even though the Vaxxlians had defeated the Irrcons, killing most and driving the rest from the surrounding sectors, it was always possible they might attempt to strike New Vaxx, just as they’d attacked and destroyed Vaxxlia, the planet of Gavvin’s birth.
He walked faster, as if to outrun the dark memories. His people had lost most of their females and children during the war against the Irrcons. It was the greatest tragedy they had ever known. Not a single warrior had escaped the war without being touched by tragedy, Gavvin included. He said a quiet prayer for his parents and sisters. May the Star God watch over their souls.
Noises in the forest pulled his attention back to the present. The growl of a bear, harsh breathing, rapid footsteps, and feminine screams laced with panic.
Alarm seized him, and he froze and listened to the sounds, trying to determine from which direction the noises were coming.
There. Straight ahead.
He bolted through the trees.
A short while later, he burst into a small clearing, where he spotted a human female with long golden hair facing off with a huge bear. Though her eyes gleamed with fear, a look of determination crossed her features as the bear stalked closer. Just as the bear started charging her, the human female lifted her fist and released a fierce battle-cry that would make any warrior proud.
Fast as he’d ever moved, Gavvin launched himself at the silver beast, slamming the bear to the forest floor with a violent impact. He released a deep, resounding growl of his own. The bear gave a startled cry and scrambled away from Gavvin, then turned to focus confused but furious red eyes upon his attacker.
Gavinn stood tall and released another growl. He hadn’t brought any weapons along, but then he hadn’t expected to run into a forest beast so close to the settlement of Starrzia. As frequently as the white stone walking paths were used, the scent of Vaxxlians and humans had been enough to keep the mountain cats, wild dogs, and bears away. Until now.
“Be gone!” Gavvin shouted in Vaxxlian as he stepped closer to the bear.
The silver beast inched back into the trees, the violence in its red eyes dimming. Finally, it turned and ran off, barreling through the underbrush as it headed back up the mountain.
Relief coursed through Gavvin. He would have hated killing one of the majestic creatures, though if it meant keeping the golden-haired female safe—whoever she was—he would not have hesitated.
As the adrenaline pumping through his system started to fade, he turned to face the human woman. She stood frozen in front of a large tree, panting hard, her eyes wide with surprise, her fist still raised.
“It’s all right,” Gavvin said in Galactic Common, using his most soothing voice. He walked closer to the female, his gaze sweeping up and down her body as he inspected her for injuries. Blood soaked through the front of her dress near her knees, and scratches marred her face and arms, the moonlight accentuating her wounds.
He watched her for a moment, waiting for the scratches to heal, but they didn’t. All human females who were claimed as mates by Vaxxlian warriors received an injection of healing nanobots, which always worked quickly to heal any injuries they might suffer. But still, nothing happened. Her injuries remained.
This meant she wasn’t a claimed female.
An instant later, the scent of her hit him, sweet and fragrant and untarnished by the scent of a Vaxxlian male.
Unclaimed. She’s unclaimed.
And she’s out here all alone.
Unprotected.
His heart raced and his blood heated, long-buried primal urges taking over. A growl rumbled in his chest. He became acutely aware of her every small movement, and his muscles tensed as if in preparation to give chase, should she decide to run away.
Regret washed through him a moment later. She was scared and wounded. He shouldn’t be so focused on this unmated female’s beauty or the fact that she smelled so enticing. He should be focused on calming her and tending to her injuries.
Her bottomless blue eyes met with his. Some of the fright left her gaze, to be replaced with wariness. But he was a stranger to her, and he could not fault her for harboring distrust toward him, even if he had saved her from the bear.
“You are safe now, human female.” He paused in front of her and watched as she swallowed hard and took in his appearance, her gaze drifting up and down the length of his body. Heated awareness swept through him, and he found himself standing taller.
Slowly, she lowered her fist, and she cast a quick look into the trees, in the direction of the bear’s retreat. “Thank you,” she said in Galactic Common. Her eyes danced back to his. “You saved my life.”
Warmth rushed through Gavvin. Star God, she was the loveliest female he’d ever laid eyes upon. Who was she? Why was she out here all alone? Didn’t she have a guardian assigned to her?
“You are quite welcome,” he finally replied, his voice coming out husky. His blood remained heated, and a ball of tension coiled tight inside him, an uncomfortable feeling that wouldn’t abate until he claimed her. He forced in a few deep breaths, not wanting to act on instinct.
He’d never planned to take a mate. Many Vaxxlians believed he was without honor. So many of them believed it that sometimes Gavvin thought it of himself. It was one reason he worked so hard to intercept and decode Irrcon messages. He wanted to prove himself to his fellow warriors, wanted to erase the stigma of betrayal that clung to him.
How could he claim a mate when he held such a lowly status among his people? What female would want him? He fought back a growl of frustration and longing.
“What is your name?” he found himself asking, still unable to take his eyes off the pretty female. For as long as he lived, he would never forget the image of this petite but brave human woman standing her ground in front of a charging bear, her fist raised as she released a fierce battle-cry.
“I’m Molly,” she said with a shy smile. “Who-who are you?”
“I am Gavvin.”
“Thanks again, Gavvin, for saving me. I can’t believe you just tackled that bear like that. Weren’t you afraid?” Admiration shone in her eyes, causing Gavvin to flush further. He was starting to feel feverish in her presence.
“I was not afraid,” he replied honestly. “My only thought was to save you. Females are especially precious to my people, as I’m sure you know.” He cleared his throat. “You are injured. Come with me and I will tend your wounds.” His own words surprised him, but he would not take them back.
He should probably walk her home, wherever home was, rather than spend more time in her presence fighting the temptation of claiming her, but he couldn’t stand the thought of another male tending to her injuries.
He’d found her in the forest and saved her life, and now more than anything in the universe he wanted to fix all the scratches and mend her bloodied knees. He wouldn’t be able to rest until he’d personally taken care of her injuries.
She drew in a shaky breath and cast a brief glance over her shoulder. “Um, it’s very kind of you to offer, but I’m not hurt that badly, and I’m not even supposed to be out here in the forest right now and…” Her voice trailed off and she regarded him with increased wariness.
“I insist on healing your wounds, Molly.” Before she could protest again, he stepped forward and grasped her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. A jolt of awareness passed between them, one that caused her eyes to widen. She felt it too, and his heart raced with the knowledge. “Come with me, please.”
“But…” Her protest died in her throat as he started guiding her through the trees. He was careful to avoid low branches, thorny bushes, and muddy patches. As he led her toward his home, he also kept his senses trained on the surrounding forest, listening for any signs of danger.
Earlier in the night, he’d heard a mountain cat screeching in the distance, but thankfully all that could be heard now was the scampering of small nocturnal creatures in the trees and the soothing song of nighttime insects.
When they reached his home in a small clearing in the forest, Molly stopped and tried to yank her hand from his, but he tightened his grip. If he released her hand, she might run, and if that happened, he knew he would chase her down.
A vision of catching her and holding her down on the forest floor, while compelling her to repeat the traditional Vaxxlian mating vows as he prepared to claim her body, flashed in his mind. Fluxx. He gave his head a brief shake, trying to dispel the carnal images. He needed to keep his wits about him.
“Do you have a mate?” A startled look entered her eyes as she peered from him to the house.
Her question hit a nerve, and he hesitated to answer, though he knew she had a perfectly good reason for asking it. Vaxxlian males mated for life and didn’t forsake their mating vows. If he already had a mate, she would be safe from his advances.
He stared at her, trying to decide the best way to answer. He would not, under any circumstances, claim her against her will. But he couldn’t honestly say he wasn’t tempted to woo her, despite all his reservations about taking a mate in the first place.
He’d brought her here because he wasn’t ready to part with her, even if he had taken her home under the pretense of healing her minor wounds. Just as he’d been ruminating about his loneliness, he’d heard her cry of distress and went rushing to her aid. He’d found her in the forest, all alone, like a treasure waiting to be discovered. Like a gift from the Star God.
“Well?” she asked in an unsteady voice. “Are you… mated?”
He pulled her closer. She peered up at him, her full lips parted in surprise as her eyes grew even wider. The sudden urge to kiss her swept over him, but he resisted, even as the tension inside him twisted into something almost painful. Without a doubt, a kiss would release some of that tension. But a kiss would be dangerous. He had a feeling that once he tasted her, he would never be able to let her go.
“I am not mated, sweet human,” he said, warmth filling him at the endearment that rolled off his tongue. “But you need not fear me. I will not claim you against your will. I swear it on the Star God.”