The Alien’s Seduction by Zoey Draven

Chapter Twenty-Three

Crystal’s sleep was restless that night and she didn’t dream good dreams.

But she was awakened abruptly, a strong hand on her shoulder. For a brief, confused, groggy moment, she felt a jolt of panic when she saw a large body looming over her…but then she blew out a slow breath when she realized it was Cruxan.

“What…what is it?” she asked when she saw urgency on his handsome features.

“I hear a hovercraft approaching,” he said, his eyes darting towards the sky, though the canopy of the jungle obscured most of it. “We need to get to a clearing so I can try to get the pilot’s attention.”

It was early morning, the sky just beginning to lighten, a frosty chill in the air.

It took a moment for his words to penetrate and then she was gasping, scrambling to her feet, half-asleep but realizing that they could potentially catch a ride the rest of the way to Kroratax.

“You go ahead,” she said, knowing he could run much, much faster than she could. “I’ll catch up.”

He didn’t like that idea but she knew that he would be able to hear anything if she was in danger. He knew that too, so he jerked his head in a nod and they both sprinted into the darkness of the jungle, leaving behind their camp, searching for a space where it opened to the sky.

Cruxan was fast. Really, really fast for someone so large and muscular. Crystal was running as fast as she could, but even she lost sight of him sometimes. She was panting and heaving by the time she spotted him in a clearing, craning his head up towards the open sky. He cocked his head, listening for the hovercraft.

When she came to a stop at his side, he murmured quietly, “It’s almost here. It should pass there.” He pointed towards the end of the clearing. “It sounds like it’s flying low.”

Adrenaline was pulsing through her veins given the abrupt start to the morning. But the possibility of reaching Kroratax, of tracking Erin days ahead of schedule, was almost too good to be true. She had hope though.

Crystal heard the hovercraft then when she’d only been able to hear silence before. It was mind-blowing how good his senses were, but sure enough, a moment later, it sounded like it was right on top of them.

When it came into sight, Cruxan cupped his hands over his mouth and bellowed out something in Luxirian. And just like Cruxan said, it was flying low. Low enough to see the pilot, a Luxirian male, whip his head in their direction and spot them in the clearing.

Yes!

Relief went through Crystal when she heard the male yell back something to Cruxan, who waved his arm down.

The hovercraft circled overhead, looping back around.

Crystal looked over at Cruxan, a relieved smile on her face. “That was lucky.”

“Very,” he grumbled. The way he was looking at her made her remember the night before and her mood dampened a little. She still couldn’t help but feel a little hurt by his reaction last night, but she told herself it didn’t matter.

“Now we can find Erin,” she said, swallowing, looking back up to the hovercraft, which was slowly lowering into the clearing, avoiding the overhang of the agave trees.

“Tev,” he said quietly before turning to watch the Luxirian male land. Cruxan strode forward and the male seemed surprised to see him. Crystal watched as the male inclined his head in a respectful greeting and said something in Luxirian.

Crystal understood nothing of their brief conversation, but she watched the exchange with interest. It was obvious to her that the Luxirian male knew who Cruxan was and, frankly, he seemed a little intimidated by the larger male. She only heard Kroratax and the male jerked his head, looking at her with curiosity.

Cruxan looked back at her and motioned her forward. “He will take us to Kroratax, female. Let us go.”

“Knock, knock,”came a voice from outside the bedroom Crystal was sitting in.

She smiled when Beks appeared, carrying a heaping tray of food.

“Thanks, you didn’t have to do that,” Crystal said, rising from the plush bed.

“Nonsense,” Beks said, waving away her words. She set it down in the fire pit area—which seemed to be in every room of every Luxirian dwelling—and motioned for her to come. “Plus, some of this is for me. I’m starving. This baby consumes everything I eat and leaves nothing for me.”

Crystal’s gaze dropped down to Beks’ stomach. The news that she was pregnant hadn’t surprised her. She was over six weeks along now and considering how crazy in love Beks was with the baby’s father, Ambassador Lihvan, the brunette was absolutely glowing with her happiness.

Her chest jolted a little, Crystal’s mind flitting to Cruxan, which it seemed to do every moment now that he wasn’t in her immediate line of sight.

“Thanks for letting me stay here,” Crystal said.

“Of course,” Beks said, reaching out to squeeze her hands, leading her down in the fire pit. “You must’ve had a terrible time out there. It’s been freezing. Lihvan said the cold season starts early here in Kroratax.”

“Honestly, I’m just happy to finally have had a bath,” Crystal joked, settling down among the cushions. “It was undoubtedly the best bath I’ve ever had.”

Beks laughed and started plucking some food off the tray, popping pieces of braised meat into her mouth. Crystal wasn’t all that hungry. She hadn’t been since last night, but she mirrored the brunette’s actions, knowing that she needed to eat.

“It’s beautiful here,” Crystal commented, looking out the wide, floor-to-ceiling window in the bedroom. “It reminds me of Washington.”

“Doesn’t it?” Beks said, sighing a little. “That’s what I told Lihvan. That it’s the alien version of the Pacific Northwest.”

Crystal grinned. It was true. Flying into Kroratax on the hovercraft had given her a great view of the land and of the outpost. It was situated in a forest, among tall, towering teal blue trees with feathery leaves. It was drizzling slightly, a silvery mist winding its way through the forest. Crystal just wanted to curl up with a sketchbook right there, with the fire going. That sounded like heaven to her.

I want to do that with Cruxan, came the sudden thought. Her cheeks flushed a little and she quickly plucked a pickled root from the tray, munching on it to mask the emotion rising in her chest.

“Do you think they’ve managed to track Erin yet?” Crystal wondered out loud.

After Lihvan had been alerted to their impending arrival, Cruxan had immediately brought her to Beks’ and Lihvan’s dwelling, while he went ahead to the command center of Kroratax. She’d wanted to go with him, but he told her to rest and eat, that he would alert her with any news regarding Erin.

When he’d dropped her off on the terrace of Beks’ dwelling, before the human female had come outside to greet them, they hadn’t even spoken much. They hadn’t spoken much since last night. Hell, even last night, they hadn’t spoken much.

But Cruxan had looked at her and Crystal had looked back at him…and something passed between them. Crystal had felt longing and disappointment. A part of her—a crazy part of her—had honestly been a little sad that their time in the wild lands had been cut short. They were back in civilization, now, and Cruxan would undoubtedly be busy. Would she even see him that much?

He still hadn’t said anything of last night. He hadn’t tried to touch her, he hadn’t called her luxiva once—which, surprisingly, made her sad.

More and more, she was beginning to suspect he had changed his mind about her. How could she not?

He’d left her on the terrace and she hadn’t seen him since. That had been hours ago.

“I’m sure they’re doing everything they can,” Beks assured her. “But Erin’s a tough cookie. I wouldn’t worry about her, especially since Cruxan says that Jaxor’an’s Instinct awakened for her. Do you honestly believe she’s in danger when she’s his mate?”

Crystal’s heartbeat thudded and she bit her lip. She hadn’t told Beks about her and Cruxan yet. She didn’t know what she would even say.

“Did you know?” Crystal asked quietly, looking down at her lap. “When you saw Lihvan?”

“That he was my mate?” Beks asked, frowning a bit. “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean?”

“I first saw him when he was one of our rescuers, you know?” Beks said. Crystal barely remembered that day. It had been a dull blur. “I do remember feeling like…you know that moment when you anticipate something exciting? You get a little tingly?”

“Yeah,” Crystal whispered, knowing exactly what she was talking about.

“I remember feeling that exact emotion when I first saw him. I felt…aware of him. Although I don’t think our reactions are nearly as powerful as theirs. Lihvan told me that when he first saw me, it was like getting hit by a hovercraft right in the chest,” she joked.

Crystal blew out a small breath and took another piece of meat from the platter because she didn’t know what else to do.

“Why do you ask? Because of Erin?” Beks questioned.

Crystal could lie. Beks had given her a perfect excuse to lie. She could just say that yes, it was because of Erin.

But Crystal remembered what she’d told Cruxan last night. She remembered telling him that she didn’t like the person she’d become with Leo because she’d lied all the time to keep the truth hidden.

She didn’t want to do that anymore.

So, instead of lying, she told the truth for once.

“No, because Cruxan’s Instinct awakened for me,” she said softly, looking over at Beks, whose eyes widened in shock. “I’m his mate and I don’t know what to do.”

“Oh, honey,” Beks said, pushing the tray away, turning her body to face Crystal more fully. “Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “I just wanted to find Erin, I guess. Plus, I’m just really, really confused about it all.”

“Did…did anything happen between you two?”

Her mind flashed to the night when she’d been drugged with the tevvax.

“No,” she said. “I mean…it’s complicated.”

That was the understatement of the year.

“Does he know?” Beks asked next softly, reaching out to touch her shoulder. “About your ex?”

Crystal’s lips pressed together. Even though Beks had never been living with them back in the Golden City, she had come to visit often, considering Kate, the Prime Leader’s mate, was her best friend. They had all grown close over time. How could they not?

So, naturally, all of the women knew about Crystal’s ex, though she hadn’t told them as much as she’d told Cruxan last night. She’d told them snippets, whereas Cruxan knew the whole ugly truth.

“I told him last night,” she said, rubbing her hands down her arms, locking eyes with Beks.

“How did he react?”

“He didn’t say anything,” Crystal said.

“What? Nothing?”

She shook her head, feeling that hurt all over again. “After I told him, he just…he got up and made up an excuse and left the camp for a little while.”

Beks frowned, her eyebrows pinching together. “That surprises me. Then again, maybe it doesn’t.”

“What do you mean?”

Beks lifted one of her shoulders. “Luxirian males are…” she blew out a breath, searching for the right word. “They are simple.”

“Simple?” Crystal asked, the word not what she’d expected.

“All they want is peace and safety for the ones they care for, whether that is their mate or their family or their home. That’s it,” Beks said. “Lihvan’s told me many times that my happiness and wellbeing is what is most important to him, that he would give up anything for me.”

Crystal thought back to last night, when Cruxan had easily told her he would leave Luxiria if she asked him to.

She bit her lip, swallowing hard.

“When what they love is threatened,” Beks continued, “all they want to do is eliminate the threat. That’s how they grow up, it’s what they are trained to do, from an early age and especially during warrior training.”

Crystal’s brows furrowed.

Beks turned to her. “But Cruxan can’t do that. Not in your case.”

Realization at what Beks was trying to say jolted through her.

“You think he shut down because he realized he can’t protect me from my ex? But that’s ridiculous. We’re on Luxiria, not Earth. Leo is not a threat to me here.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Beks said. “You were hurt, terribly hurt by someone, and your mate just realized that he can’t change that, that he can’t fix that.”

Crystal’s breath hitched.

“It probably threw him for a loop,” Beks said, squeezing her shoulder in comfort. “Luxirians aren’t used to not solving problems. Especially Cruxan.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Lihvan told me that Vaxa’an relies on Cruxan for a lot of things. Mostly, the messy situations because Cruxan gets it done.”

Crystal could see that. Cruxan was intelligent, driven, determined.

“Cruxan saved Lihvan and I from Jalun when we were stranded on that planet,” Beks said.

“He did?” Crystal asked, bewildered. She hadn’t known that.

“Yes. And you know the Luxirian female who poisoned Cecelia? Cruxan personally saw to her exile. He was the one who discovered the Mevirax have the crystal meant to send you all back home because he was the one who tracked down the warrior who had stolen it. And, it seems, Vaxa’an also sent him after you and Erin,” Beks finished. “So you see, Cruxan gets shit done. But when it comes to you, he can’t fix something in your life that’s brought you a lot of pain. And maybe he shut down last night because he knew that and he simply doesn’t know how to deal with it.”

Crystal inhaled a deep breath. What Beks was saying made sense.

“It probably doesn’t matter,” Crystal finished said softly. “I told him I was leaving, that I can’t give up my home and my sister. Why get involved when I’ll be leaving? It would only hurt the both of us.”

Beks’ smile was hesitant, but knowing. Softly, the brunette said gently, “I’m sure we’ve all said that at some point, Crystal. Believe me, I never thought I would choose to stay. But I did.”

Crystal looked down in her lap. “I think about my sister a lot. And I just know that she’s really worried, wondering what happened to me. It drives me crazy sometimes, thinking about it.”

Though she didn’t see her sister as much as she used to—Lauren was married now, with a husband, and a baby on the way—it didn’t mean that their love for one another, especially after everything, wasn’t as strong.

“I just wish I could send her a message,” Crystal said, “just to let her know I’m alright, that she doesn’t have to worry, that she doesn’t have to think the worst.”

“Luxiva,” came a dark, deep voice from the doorway of the room, making both women jump in surprise.

“Oh my God,” Beks said, startled, turning around. “Lihvan, you scared us!”

Crystal felt sudden disappointment when she didn’t see Cruxan with him, but she swallowed it back. Standing, she asked, “Any news of Erin?”

His careful expression made her shoulders sag. “We managed to track Cruxan’s hovercraft. The signal was not far so we went there just now. But when we got there, we discovered that Jaxor’an had found the tracker and had removed it. That’s what the signal was.”

“What?” Crystal breathed, dismay spreading through her chest.

“I am sorry,” he murmured. “We know they passed close to Kroratax, perhaps heading east. But there is no way of knowing where they are now.”

Beks turned to her and said, “We know that Erin is strong.”

“I know,” Crystal whispered. “I just want to know she’s safe, that he hasn’t…”

She trailed off.

Taking in a deep breath, she looked back to Lihvan and asked, “Where’s Cruxan?”

“He’s trying to track them,” Lihvan said. “He’s the best at it. If anyone can find their trail, it’s him.”

Then again, Crystal already knew that.

“Do you know when he’ll be back?” she asked softly.

Lihvan studied her closely. She wondered if he knew she was his mate, if Cruxan had confided in him like she’d confided in Beks. Something told her that the Ambassador did know.

“Nix,” Lihvan said. “For now, we must wait.”