Savage Seed by Ivy Sparks

19

Leslie

If there wasone thing that bugged me about this tribe, it was the lack of indoor plumbing. One would think alien tech would be advanced, but these guys had a lot to learn. The ocean water felt cool and refreshing… But that didn’t mean running water wouldn’t make things a heck of a lot easier.

Everyone, especially Kade, was preoccupied tonight. Preoccupied with that damn sand tiger. The one thing he seemed more interested in than me.

But I’d had it with waiting around for an attack I no longer thought was coming. I knew the sand tiger was real, and that Kade had encountered her more than once before. But the way they were all acting because one scout thought he might have seen her skulking around out there? It was a little much.

I had sat around the tent long enough, and I was tired and felt gross. I finally decided: the hell with it, I need a bath.

As I swayed around in the moonlit water, far from the prying eyes of the tribe, I relaxed and dipped completely underneath. The sounds of the desert, the sparring tribesmen, and the nearby livestock fell away as the subtle waves cradled me in their embrace. I floated calmly on the surface for a while, hoping the serenity would help clear my thoughts.

Kade was handsome, caring, and thoughtful. Powerful, strong, and huge—in more ways than one. But all of this time we spent getting closer and closer… What was the point when ultimately my intention was just to return home? Why was I pining for him like a love-struck teenager?

I stood up in the waist-deep water and took a couple of deep breaths. Water dripped down my chest and back, and I squeezed the excess from my hair. I was grateful to be alone and away from the tent, but my eyes kept wandering back toward the village. Back toward Kade.

Grumbling under my breath, I scrubbed my body raw. This was ridiculous. Everything about this situation was ridiculous. I needed to get home. Preferably before I did something foolish because of this man.

I was still muttering under my breath when a low, guttural growl floated toward me. I froze, my eyes growing wide as I turned my head toward the sound.

Just off to one side, where the sea met the sand and away from the food tent I’d been in earlier, was a large fenced-in area where the village’s livestock roamed. The fence was high and thick and, thus, undefended, even when there was the threat of a sand tiger.

But now the livestock started fidgeting. Some bleated, some moved and crowded toward the edges of the fence. The growling I had heard had stopped, but she was there. I didn’t have the training or experience Kade did, but I didn’t need it. The hair on my arm stood straight up as I waited… waited… for the attack I somehow knew was coming.

When it did, it happened so fast. The fence splintered into toothpicks as an enormous creature broke through and dove at a large goat-like animal. The goat made a single sad, pathetic cry before it fell, the creature dragging it back out through the fence.

As the sand tiger backed away, her golden eyes turned toward me. “Oh shit,” I whispered to myself, feeling very little relief as it disappeared again into the desert.

I knew that a creature that large—a tiger that large—wouldn’t be sated with one goat alone. The rest of the livestock hadn’t seemed to figure that out, though. They mulled about, sniffing at the air where their comrade had been just a moment ago.

No way was I going to be livestock, though, just standing around, waiting to be eaten. With that thought, I ran out of the water and turned to head back toward the village.

I’d barely moved ten feet from the sea when movement, swift and sure, caught my eye. It was the sand tiger, back already… and moving right toward me.

She was fast, amazingly fast, and I knew there was no way I was going to make it back to the village before she caught up to me. Should I run? Scream? Would she strike me down before I could even move?

“Kade,” I whispered, willing him to find me. “Kade, please…”

A moment later, she was there before me, slowing as she approached. Her eyes were locked on mine, her huge paws touching the ground soundlessly. I wondered if she killed as silently too. She let out a low snarl, and the livestock finally seemed to feel cause for alarm, bleating and crying out as they began scurrying every which way.

My mouth dried, and I tried to swallow. Turning so my back was to the village, I began taking careful steps back. She moved with me, keeping a short distance, the continued growl coming from deep within her.

I moved faster and stumbled over a rock. I somehow kept my footing and kept moving as fast as I dared.

But I was still so slow by comparison. What was she waiting for? She could pounce on me at any moment, and I’d stand no chance. I knew there was no way I could outrun her, but what choice did I have but to try?

I took a deep breath and readied myself. Letting out a little squeal that I had meant to sound scary, I turned and ran as fast as my legs could take me. The salt air rushed past me and for a moment I thought I was free. I thought Kade was about to swoop in and take down the tiger right before she leaped at me.

But I was very wrong.

Something solid crashed into my back and I reeled forward, slamming into the ground as I wheezed and clutched at my ribs. I moaned, a low, pitiful sound of an animal knowing it was about to die. I had tried to fight off those sand beasts before, but this was entirely different. I had no weapons, no clothes… nothing at all.

And I was alone.

“Kade!” I screamed, turning so that I was on my back and could see the sand tiger once more. She had stopped, perhaps tasting my fear and relishing the flavor. “Tiger! Sand tiger!” I yelled.

She sniffed at the air in front of me, that deep growl more noticeable than ever now that she was so close. She approached. Softly. Slowly.

Her eyes… Those shining, glowing, golden things… They looked deeply into mine and I found myself suddenly transfixed. I furrowed my brow, and for the first time in who knows how long, I took a breath. Was she not going to pounce? Why was she looking at me like that?

There was something about her eyes… something within them. A softness, maybe. As if she wasn’t stalking me at all, but instead wanted something else entirely.

I felt something deep within me at that moment, something impossible to describe. I’d simply never experienced anything like it. It was a sense, a feeling. A connection.

This creature meant me no harm. Maybe she meant no harm at all.

And then it hit me. That deep growl she’d been making. My God… was she purring?

I heard the quick pounding footsteps of warriors running before I saw them. Within moments, I was surrounded by four Xeki warriors, each one holding their weapons out in front of them.

They pushed their spears in the direction of the sand tiger, who barely hesitated. Snarling once at the warriors, she turned and bounded away, yet again disappearing beyond the darkness of the broken fence. I felt the warmth of someone else’s skin at my back, and turned my naked body around, ready to wrap my arms around Kade. But to my horror, it wasn’t Kade at all, but Trag.

Recoiling, I tripped over my feet. Trag reached out his hand and grabbed my wrist, holding me up. I tried to tug free, but he gripped tighter, his nostrils flaring as he eyed my naked chest. He grinned that now familiar, disgusting grin of his as his eyes took in the full totality of my nakedness. It was dark, but I could have sworn I spotted a string of drool fall over his bottom lip.

I let out a mortified groan and again tried to tug my wrist free. He saw my disgust and finally raised his gaze from my private parts to lock onto my eyes. “Female,” he spoke, his voice harder than iron and heavy in the air. “Where’s your Omos now?”

“Behind you, you fool.”

I craned my neck to see Kade standing behind Trag, his hands gripped tightly around his scimitars. His chest heaved with each breath he took.

Gorgeous.

My heart hammered inside my chest as Kade narrowed his eyes at Trag, raising his scimitar so it was inches away from Trag’s chin.

“Let her go,” he growled.

God, even his voice was deeper than usual. Rough around the edges. Protective. Angry.

Trag released my wrist with a smirk, raising his hands in mock surrender. He dipped his head slightly toward Kade, a gesture also dripping with mockery. Then he backed away, joining the three other warriors who had come to my aid.

“Are you hurt?” Kade asked me, shielding me from Trag with his body. He didn’t touch me and merely gripped his weapons tighter, like he was too wound up to let go.

“I’m fine,” I lied, wanting to bury myself in his chest, but not willing to appear weak. “The tiger was here.”

Kade shut his eyes tightly and sucked in a breath. “What were you doing outside?”

“I was bathing,” I told him, instinct finally forcing me to cover my chest with my arms.

“Leslie,” Kade sighed. I could see his shoulders shaking. “You must bathe with the others, for your own safety. No more sneaking off.”

“I wasn’t sneaking!” I cried. “I just wanted some time alone. I’m always too… exposed here.”

He tilted his head slightly and leaned close, curving his back to brush his lips against the rim of my ear. I could feel his hot breath on my neck, and his voice, suddenly soft, whispered directly into my ear, “Do you still want to be alone?”

He let out a low moan, purely for my ear and pleasure, and I gasped as he started nibbling at it.

Then he pulled away and chuckled, a smug smile on his face.

Glaring at him, I barely resisted the urge to stomp on his foot. “Don’t be an asshole, Kade. I almost got killed tonight.”

“Ass… hole?” he asked. He smiled broadly, like a child who just put together what a cuss word actually meant.

It was infuriating. He must have seen how upset he was making me—or maybe was just satisfied he’d made his point—because the smile faded and his tone became serious again.

“Yes,” he breathed. “Yes, you did almost get killed. I will have to be more careful with you.”

Shouts increased from his tribesmen in the direction of the livestock pen and the broken section of fence. Kade turned toward them, his body tensing in anticipation of returning to his hunt. He looked at one of the warriors that still surrounded us and made a gesture toward me. “Take her back to my tent.”

“Wait!” I turned, grabbing Kade by the arm. He paused and looked down at me, and I had never been more aware of how easily he could have just shrugged my hand away. “The tiger… She didn’t hurt me. She had every chance to, and she didn’t. Just let her be.”

I could hear Trag behind me scoffing. “The tiger needs slaying. After all, the Omos must keep his female safe.” The sarcasm was practically dripping off of him.

I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, just knowing Trag was looking at me again. I somehow managed not to look at him or cover up, keeping my focus on Kade. “The tiger’s just trying to find food,” I insisted. “She’s hungry and could have easily killed me. But she didn’t.”

Kade finally pulled away from me, his movements becoming jerky and sharp, like an animal about to snap. “She didn’t kill you because we chased her off, Leslie.” There was a tone in his voice I didn’t care for.

“She’s just trying to survive the harsh desert. Like the rest of us.”

“She needs to be killed,” Kade said. “Now.” There was no questioning left in his voice, only insistence. And his ire was clearly only rising.

“No,” I said again. “She doesn’t.”

Kade took a quick step toward me, towering over me. His mouth twisted into a snarl. “No one disobeys the Omos,” he hissed.

For the first time since meeting Kade, he intimidated me. Scared me, even. But I believed no matter his anger, he wouldn’t hurt me. I had to trust that feeling, or else I would never make it out of this place alive. I would never see my father again.

“Well, I’m not just anybody,” I said, stepping closer to him. “Am I?” I looked up at him defiantly, and I could see him fighting some sort of internal battle. I let the question hang in the air a moment longer before continuing.

“Look,” I started, trying to take a conciliatory tone. “All I’m saying is the sand tiger could have killed me, and didn’t. She’s hungry, and she’s searching for food… but that’s it. I don’t think she has any interest in killing anybody.” I took a short breath, but realized I had nothing else to say. Quietly, I finished. “So please… Let her go.”

Kade grunted and threw his scimitars to the ground, grabbing both of my shoulders. I could feel the conflict in his grip as he oscillated between firm and gentle. I held his gaze, softening my expression.

After a moment, he sighed and shook his head. He leaned down and pressed a kiss on my scalp before turning to Trag and the others.

“There is no need to chase after the sand tiger in the dark,” he told them. “Fix the fence. Fortify the perimeter.“

“We’re not going after it?” Trag sneered incredulously.

“Not tonight,” Kade said to him. “Go—”

“You can’t be serious!” Trag said.

Kade’s eyes widened, then he stood at full height. He gritted his teeth at Trag, his fists clenched as if ready to beat the man down.

“Do you forget your place?” he bellowed at Trag, so loudly I could see heads turning from as far away as the fence. “Do as I say, or I’ll have you punished for your insubordination!”

Trag, for his part, seemed to recognize he’d gone too far. He let out a small sound before turning and disappeared back toward the village perimeter.

Once we were alone, Kade’s shoulders dropped. He came to me, touching me gently as he scanned up and down my body. For the moment, at least, I felt completely at ease. Being naked in front of him felt much different from being naked in front of the tribe. Or Trag.

“Are you injured?” he asked.

I shook my head.

He exhaled slowly and smiled. “Good. Because tomorrow, you learn to fight.”