Savage Seed by Ivy Sparks

10

Leslie

I wokeup to find Kade standing a distance away, with his eyes focused on me even though his body faced the sun. As I stood, I noticed the sand in front of me was still warm. He must have just gotten up.

Maybe he didn’t want me to know that he’d slept beside me all night. The few hours I slept were a godsend, but I couldn’t remember much of the night before. I wondered if I missed anything important, but seeing Kade standing calmly and patiently made me confident all was well.

I rose and stretched out my arms. In doing so, my mother’s Vyrec crystal necklace fell from my pocket. I looked down at it, half buried in the sand, and had an urge to leave it there. Let the winds come and bury it further until it was gone forever. But as I stared down at it, lost in my thoughts, I saw Kade’s bare feet stop right next to it.

He bent down and picked it up, turning it over several times in his hand. I opened my mouth to speak, to tell him the necklace’s sad little story. But what would be the point? He wouldn’t understand, anyway.

Without a word, Kade, expressionless, passed the necklace back. I decided not to waste another moment’s energy on it, burying it as deep into my pocket as I could.

Soon after, Kade offered me some dried meat from his bag. I was pleasantly surprised by how good it tasted, with hints of smoke and salt. Not wanting to delay any further after our small meal, he started off again, ready to lead our party of two home to his tribe.

I rambled a bit when we began the walk, but as the day wore on, we traveled mostly in silence. If he found my silence strange, he made no sign. Even though I’d talked his ear off yesterday, I was too nervous to say much now. Things were getting real. I was about to enter new territory. A real native, alien village.

Forget being nervous. I was terrified.

I’d heard the rumors and stories about his people. So far, Kade had proven them untrue. But I couldn’t count on Kade being a reflection of his tribe and the Xeki people; there could have been any number of Xeki just as barbaric as the stories told.

All I could do was hope for the best, because I knew I had to keep going. I had to do whatever I could to get back to my father. No matter what.

That thought—“no matter what”—sent a chill down my spine. One that I tried to ignore.

The walk was long and hard, but by twilight I could see the first signs of Kade’s village. The first thing I made out was the top of the tents shimmering in the desert heat. As we drew closer, the tents themselves became clearer. Soon we were at the edge of the village, and I could see hints of Kade’s people mulling about.

But then I received the most pleasant surprise of all: the village was on the coast of one of Xersie’s oceans! I knew there was one near our shuttle’s path, but had no idea we’d be heading there.

The smell of the sea air was wonderful and refreshing. Unlike Earth’s seas, on Xersie, the water was a deep shade of purple that became transparent in smaller quantities. When filtered, it was as safe to drink as any other water on the planet. After walking for so long in the dry desert, I imagined how nice it’d be to take a quick swim in the water.

Kade seemed tense as we arrived at the village’s front gate. Kade eyed the two alien men who stood guard, and they quickly nodded and stepped aside. He continued into the village with an air of confidence that was unlike anything I’d seen from him before. Which was impressive, considering just how fearless he had always seemed.

Most of the Xeki people looked delighted to see Kade, nodding and smiling—some even bowing—as we passed. But that delight turned to confusion when they spotted me walking meekly in his shadow. Before entering the village, he had indicated to me that I should stay close to him. This wasn’t a problem for me, considering my nerves. And suddenly, I understood why.

A huge Xeki man, maybe as big as Kade, spotted us and sprinted in our direction. His dark eyes were wild and wide, and his nostrils flared as he approached. He was shouting as he came, a low, powerful sound that made me feel even smaller. When he got close enough, he reached his arms out, and it became terribly clear his intention was to grab hold of me.

Kade slammed his palms against the other man’s shoulders, stopping his charge and forcing him back a step. But the Xeki continued shouting, his eyes never leaving mine. I didn’t like the feeling I got from him, like he was trying to assert his dominance over me, and maybe even Kade.

But Kade held his position firmly between the two of us, and I was surprised by how that made me feel. Why did I feel such a sense of pride at seeing Kade defend me? And not just pride. Somehow I felt our connection deepening by his stance.

Kade began shouting back at the Xeki, angrily and sternly. I’d seen hints of his rage-mode in the desert, and saw it again here. Both men were extraordinarily tall, especially by my standards, but Kade had at least an inch over the Xeki man. He raised himself to his full height in what seemed to be a counter to the other man’s assertion of dominance.

Whispers filled the air around us as the men’s voices began to lower. Those whispers soon turned into some kind of chant, and I looked around in confusion as the men and women of the tribe began closing in on us. It was creepy and claustrophobic, and I felt myself drifting even closer to Kade. That seemed to be what they wanted, as I started to feel their hands all over me.

With a sudden shove, I was forced between Kade and the aggressive Xeki man. Kade quickly wrapped his arms around me and pulled me tightly to his chest.

I inhaled sharply, surprised to feel Kade’s massive rod poking my lower back. Was now really the time for that? I tried to remain calm, but I felt a growing sense of unease. Kade wouldn’t do anything to hurt me, right? He had plenty of chances before now. Why would anything change?

Maybe he had to wait until we got to his village? Maybe this entire thing was a set up, and he had this planned all along? But what, exactly, was “this”? What was happening, not just between these two huge alpha males, but their entire tribe?

The other man smiled, a wicked grin revealing sharpened canines like fangs. My mouth felt like it had dried up just at the sight of them. Kade wrapped his strong arms around my torso and enveloped me in his warmth and scent. The scent, his cock… Was he marking me?

That was the only reason I could fathom for his sudden change in demeanor. He’d avoided touching me at all after that night by the fire, like he wouldn’t force anything on me. But everything about this situation felt forced, like his decision was made for him the moment this other guy stepped up.

I made the mistake of looking into the other Xeki’s eyes and shivered at their depths, dark pools of desire that made my blood run cold. He wasn’t anything like Kade—at least not like the Kade I’d known up until now. Where Kade was warm and alluring, this man was frigid and frightening.

But two things became abundantly clear to me. This stranger wanted me. He wanted to claim me as his own.

And judging by the erection I felt throbbing against my back, Kade did too.