Alien Warrior’s Treasure by Sue Mercury
Chapter 3
Sweet human?
Molly’s head spun as Gavvin led her toward the large white stone structure that was his home. He lived deep in the forest. It hadn’t escaped her that to reach his home, they’d traveled farther from Starrzia than she had during her initial walk.
Yet instead of escorting her home when the lights of the main settlement were in sight, he’d taken her in the complete opposite direction.
He’s not mated.
Maybe she should put up more of a fight or demand he allow her to return to Starrzia. Walking into an unmated Vaxxlian warrior’s home was probably as dangerous as facing down a bear, even if he had promised not to claim her against her will. Was he lying?
Was he trying to trap her and have his way with her, thus forcing her to become his mate? She’d heard of similar things happening to other human females on New Vaxx.
I almost died, I almost died, I almost died…
This thought kept repeating in her mind.
Nerves churned in her stomach and her legs felt weakened. It was all she could do to keep walking at Gavvin’s side. Being chased by a bear was the most frightening thing that had ever happened to her, and the realization that she’d almost died was starting to sink in, leaving her feeling jittery and weak. No doubt it was clouding her ability to think rationally, too, otherwise she wouldn’t be walking into this unmated Vaxxlian warrior’s house so willingly. At least that was what she kept telling herself.
Her heart leapt in her throat when the door zipped shut behind them. She jumped in place. Gavvin finally released her hand and turned to face her, a look of concern marring his handsome features.
Oh yeah, it didn’t help that he was completely gorgeous.
Tall and hugely muscled, it looked as though his clothing had been painted onto his massive, powerful body. His dark hair was longer than most Vaxxlian males’ and her fingers itched to reach out and touch the errant strands that fell across his forehead.
Stunned by her reaction to his appearance, she took two steps back.
“I already promised not to claim you against your will, sweet human, but I also vow not to hurt you.” His green gaze softened. “Please follow me and we’ll take care of your wounds.”
She glanced down at herself, noticing her injuries for the first time, even though he’d mentioned them more than once. Her dress was bloodied in the front and suddenly she was cognizant of her knees stinging. Her arms were covered in scratches and her palms stung too. She turned her hands over and nearly gasped at the cuts.
He started heading down the wide hallway, beckoning her to follow. Though her legs remained weak, she somehow found the strength to trail him into a large bathroom. He gestured at a chair and she took a seat, feeling awkward and out of place in this handsome stranger’s home.
Unmated. He’s unmated and so am I.
She gulped past the dryness in her throat and watched as he searched through the cabinets, pulling out several items and tucking them into the crook of a muscular arm.
Her stomach flipped as she looked out the window. She’d been gone longer than she’d intended. What if Khann or one of his brothers noticed her missing? Would they send out a search party? Would her guardian be angry she’d run off on her own? Khann had shown her much kindness and she hated the thought of disappointing him or being a burden. And what about Belle? Molly gave an internal sigh. Belle was the sensible sort and would likely scold Molly for her foolishness but then give her a hug and proclaim her happiness that she was unharmed.
Tears burned in her eyes. Khann and Belle really were like family to her. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe she wasn’t an orphan after all. Logically, she knew she had people who cared about her—people she cared about in return—but there was a broken part of her that would always feel like a loner. She’d been so alone in Baltimore, pretty much stranded because she couldn’t afford safe passage out of the city. Not that she’d had another place to go…
And before Baltimore? When she’d lived in Western Maryland with her father? She’d been a loner there, too, thanks to the stigma attached to the illness that had taken her mother, an alien illness others in her small town worried might be catching, even years after her mother’s passing.
Don’t play with Molly. You’ll catch the Ghorulluan flu.
Memories of children and even adults running away when they saw her walking down the street replayed in her mind. She’d hoped to make friends while attending college in Baltimore, where her fellow classmates wouldn’t know about her mother’s illness. But not long after starting school, tragedy had struck. Her father’s accident, then paying off his creditors, followed by trying to support herself after being forced to drop out of college when she could no longer afford tuition. She’d taken a job as an on-call babysitter at a posh hotel, and though the job had paid decently, with the high cost of living, she’d struggled to afford the bare essentials, including groceries.
When the warmth of a tear hit her cheek, she hastily wiped it away. To her horror, she saw Gavvin watching her intently. Concern flickered in his glowing green gaze.
“Sweet human?” He rushed forward and knelt in front of her. He peered at her scraped hands and met her eyes. “I am sorry you are in pain. I will heal you as quickly as possible.”
Oh hell. His gentle concern made her want to cry even more. The burning in her eyes increased and she found herself dashing away yet another tear. Shame heated her face. A sense of vulnerability stole through her as the big Vaxxlian continued to watch her intently, not tearing his gaze away even as he started organizing the items in his arms.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, “I’m embarrassed.” She sighed, wishing she could forget the painful memories. If only it were that easy. “I’m not crying because it hurts.”
He gave her a quizzical look. “Then why are you crying?”
She drew in a deep breath. “I-I don’t want to talk about it. Again, sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologize for, Molly.” He set some of the items aside and began wiping a moist cloth over her arms, cleaning the dirt away. He also ran the cloth over her palms. She half expected it to sting like disinfectant, but the cloth left a pleasant cooling sensation in its wake.
She blinked rapidly to prevent any additional tears from falling. The last thing she wanted was to break down crying in front of a stranger. Especially one who had undoubtedly known greater tragedies during his lifetime than she had—after all, his people had lost millions of their females and children during the war against the Irrcons.
As he cleaned her wounds, she took the time to study his features up close. He had a strong square jaw and a large but straight nose. His cheekbones were prominent yet masculine, and his eyes were a deep glowing green. And she still had the ridiculous urge to run her hands through his longer-than-usual hair.
She gave a startled gasp when he moved to wipe off her face. She must’ve looked a complete mess when he’d found her in the forest and her cheeks flamed at the knowledge. Not that she needed to impress him.
A sigh of pleasure escaped her when he ran the cloth over her forehead. She immediately jerked back, embarrassed over having made such a noise.
“Sorry,” she murmured. God, he probably thought she was strange. How many times had she said sorry at this point? Three? Four? She bit the inside of her cheek.
He tossed the cloth aside and grabbed a new, larger one. Then he stared pointedly at her knees. “I’m going to lift up your dress now, sweet human, in order to clean the dirt off your cut knees.” There was a strained note to his voice that made her wonder if maybe he was attracted to her. In the forest, just after he’d saved her from the bear, there had been a split second when she’d thought desire was heating his gaze. Maybe she hadn’t imagined it.
“Okay.” A flush overtook her entire body.
The feel of his fingertips grazing her leg, even through the thin layer of her dress, caused goosebumps to rise on her arms. She sucked in a shaky breath and tried to sit very, very still. Heat was gathering between her thighs and she feared it might get worse if she squirmed even slightly in her chair.
She couldn’t help it.
Not only was Gavvin the most handsome Vaxxlian warrior she’d ever met, but she’d never been this close to a male of his kind before. His nearness had a profound effect on her, causing her breaths to become rapid and shallow as a warm dizziness assailed her.
Floating. She felt as though she were floating.
Gavvin slowly inched her dress above her knees, folding the hem over her thighs, and her heart raced when she realized he’d lifted it a tad higher than necessary. Had he done so on purpose?
He ran the cold cloth over her right knee first, and it occurred to her that not only did the cloth cleanse the dirt from her cuts, but it also numbed the pain. All the scratches on her arms and face had ceased burning the instant he’d touched them.
When the silence stretching between them started to feel uncomfortable, Molly searched for something to say.
“So, you, uh, live out here all by yourself?” she asked, uttering the first thing that came to mind.
Gavvin leaned closer and met her eyes. Raw desire burned in his sexy green gaze. She was certain of it. Flutters rose in her tummy and the warmth pulsing between her thighs increased. He was so close, he could easily lean down and kiss her. Maybe she wouldn’t mind if he did.
“Yes, I live here by myself.” His deep voice reverberated through her, as if he were caressing her with his words alone. She found herself scooting closer to him, craving his nearness, and the quaking between her thighs intensified. She wanted to press her face into his shirt and immerse herself in the heady, masculine scent that clung to him.
“Why live here? Why live so far away from Starrzia? Don’t you get lonely?” As soon as these questions escaped her lips, she flushed and offered him an apologetic look. “Sorry, maybe I’m being too nosey. You don’t have to answer that.” But she hoped he would reply, and with honesty. She was curious about his life and couldn’t deny the deep yearning that surged through her whenever their eyes met, even for the briefest second.
“I prefer solitude,” he said, “and I enjoy the forest. It feels like home.”
“Like home,” she repeated, lost in his gaze. “Well, that makes sense. Did you live in the forest on Vaxxlia before the war?”
He nodded. “Yes, my family had a compound deep in the mountains.”
Family. He used to have a family. But not anymore. No doubt because of the war. Her heart ached for him. She knew all too well what it was like to lose those you cared about most. She wondered if he’d been mated or had children but didn’t have the heart to ask. The family he’d spoken of might be his parents, siblings, or other extended family members.
She placed a hand over his as he worked on her left knee. “I’m sorry you lost your family.”
“Thank you,” he said with another nod, and his expression soon became shuttered, all traces of burning desire gone. She regretted asking questions that had reminded him of a painful past, and she retracted her hand.
“Well, you have a lovely home and you’re lucky to be surrounded by so much natural beauty,” she said, hoping to infuse some positivity into their conversation. “The forest is breathtaking during the day, but at night it’s so wonderful I can’t think of the right words to describe it.”
He finished with her knees and set the cloth aside. He lifted an eyebrow at her in what looked like censure. “Do you take walks in the nighttime forest often?”
“Well, no. This was my first time.”
“I hope it will be your last time. It’s not safe for you to walk in the forest alone at night. Didn’t your guardian tell you that?” His tone bordered on scolding and his visage grew sterner.
“I’m not stupid,” she blurted in a defensive tone. “I-I brought a weapon.”
His eyes trailed over her form. “I don’t see a weapon.”
“I brought a stunner, but when I attempted to fire it, nothing happened.” Her cheeks heated with the admission. “I dropped it while running from the bear. I, um, need to find it before I return home. I borrowed it from my guardian.”
Though his expression remained serious, she saw the smallest glint of amusement enter his eyes, but when he blinked, it vanished. “And who is your guardian?”
“Khann,” she replied. “Do you know him?”
His face darkened. “Yes, I know him. After I finish tending to your injuries, I will help you find the stunner and then escort you home.”
Her spirits sank at his curt tone. His mood had changed noticeably when she spoke Khann’s name. Maybe they weren’t on friendly terms. But why? Khann and his brothers were well-respected in Starrzia. She couldn’t imagine why Gavvin might not like any of them, but most especially Khann.
Don’t ask, don’t ask, don’t ask…
“You aren’t friends with my guardian, are you?” she blurted just as he lowered the dermal regenerator to her right knee.
He paused in his movements but soon continued, running the device over her wounds. He seemed overly engrossed by the task, as if he were using it to avoid acknowledging her question.
“You talk too much, human.” His tone came out harsher than before and he radiated agitation.
She reared back as if he’d just slapped her. The sharpness of his words plunged her back into the past, echoing the cruelty of those in her hometown who’d once treated her as though she were a leper.
She tried to push the bad feelings away, but whenever someone treated her without kindness, she suddenly became that lonely, scared, motherless little girl—the outcast who longed for just one friend, just one kind word.
Tears pricked at her eyes and the urge to flee overcame her.
“You know what? I think I’m fine. I want to go home now. My injuries aren’t that bad, and Khann has a dermal regenerator anyway. I’ll just use his. Please, get out of my way.”
