Savage Seed by Ivy Sparks

7

Leslie

Kade’s fingertipsteased the band of my panties, his eyes never leaving mine. I gasped and clenched my eyes shut when his fingers dipped beneath the band, waiting to feel his palm against my drenched folds, his fingers sliding inside one by one…

But that feeling never came. It took me a moment to realize he had not only removed his hand, but had sat back, creating a distance between us that made my head want to explode.

Why did he stop?

I wanted him. I wanted him so much that it hurt. Unwanted tears welled in my eyes and I tried my best to stop them. I tried to stifle all of my rising emotions because they were irrational and crazy. It made me ask myself which came first: the irrational emotions, or the out-of-control sensations my body was feeling?

It doesn’t matter, Leslie! Get a grip!

With him no longer touching me, my body relaxed. I shivered, fully realizing just how tense I had been in anticipation of him going further. A sense of clarity washed over me, clarity I was immensely grateful for.

Yes, I wanted this man. But despite that overpowering desire, I wasn’t ready. And somehow, he had sensed that.

Maybe he wasn’t as barbaric as I had originally thought.

As my body relaxed and my muscles loosened, I breathed freely and deeply. Had I been holding my breath? It certainly felt that way.

His eyes remained on me, but I couldn’t bear to look back. I stared down at my hands and tried to reassure myself that there was no need for embarrassment or doubt. Yes, he’d sensed I wasn’t ready. But did that mean he would no longer want me? He could simply take me any time he wanted. I had no doubt about that. But he hadn’t, and even when I was offering myself—as awkwardly as I had—he had backed away.

My rambling thoughts were interrupted when Kade rose and offered me his hand. Again, a small gesture that seemed to show he only wanted to help.

I sighed. The moment had passed, and we’d both allowed it to. I felt immensely grateful, more than I could put into words. Being with Kade could have been wonderful… but it also could have been a disaster. And at least for now, we had done the right thing.

So I said nothing, and instead simply took his hand and allowed him to hoist me off the ground. I took a quick look at the gash on my hip and was happy to see that whatever magic powder he’d sprinkled on it was working quickly. The green tint on my skin had receded, leaving a light redness that was far from the deep red that might indicate an infection. The gash itself remained open slightly and would need a bandage soon, but it was remarkable how quickly the healing had progressed.

I turned my attention back to Kade. This man… This alien… was being kind to a stranger he owed no allegiance toward. I felt myself trusting him more and more. But was that wise? Was there some ulterior motive behind his helpfulness? Perhaps something more sinister than just claiming me for sex, something he easily could have done many times by now?

Or was that just paranoia? The fact was, he was alluring in a way others were not. Strong. Protective. Exciting.

I pictured my dad, overworked but more or less content. He was a good man, but there was nothing exciting or wild about him. He was like me: plain. A simple mine owner with a penchant for safety and procedure. I loved my father fiercely, but the contrast between Kade and him was like night and day.

My thoughts shifted toward my mother. She had loved my father once, but she had thrown that love away for something new. Something wild and exciting. Something alien.

Her “fated mate,” she had called him. What nonsense. Just a sad excuse to throw away years of marriage—and destroy our family—just so she could run off with someone a little flashier than my dad.

And yet… here I was. Swooning over some alien, just because he was wild, breathtaking, alluring. Hot. Sexy. Exciting.

No! That kind of thinking was ridiculous! I was not my mother, and I wasn’t going to fall for some alien that easily. They must have had some kind of weird alien allure to attract humans. Pheromones that they used to capture their prey. For all I knew, his kindness and restraint were part of his process. Part of the show.

I knew nothing about him. Nothing at all. So I couldn’t—wouldn’t—fall for him.

I wouldn’t become my mother.

I just wouldn’t.

I needed to focus. Kade made me so… unfocused. I needed to get to the star port to rally my father and save my crew. That was what mattered.

Kade was a distraction, a means to an end. My guide across the desert. I’d repay him once I was back home, maybe give him some Vyrec crystals he could trade, but then that’d be the end of it.

Kade tried to help me put my pants back on, but I brushed him gently away. He furrowed his brow at me, momentarily confused by my rejection. But if he was bothered, he didn’t show it for long, instead moving away and packing up his camp. I watched him, the gears in my mind turning as he did so.

Okay. Kade was my guide. I couldn’t upset him or get in his way without jeopardizing my own mission. So I needed to cooperate and let what had almost happened between us go. If I didn’t, I’d be both loving and hating him the entire trip. And that was a messy way of doing business.

Besides, Kade probably wasn’t expecting to find me out here, either. He had other plans and goals, which was clear by his camp set up. He was a hunter, possibly finding food for his tribe. And I had gotten in the way of that.

In fact, his own mission had probably been completely derailed by mine. Despite my mixed emotions and doubts about his intentions, it wouldn’t be fair of me to not do my part. Sure, I might have needed rescuing when the sand beast was attacking me. But in the real world, I wasn’t just some helpless damsel in distress. I was an independent woman, one who was in line to one day run her family’s company. It was time I acted like it.

I began to think of this as some sort of partnership, and somehow, that felt right. Following Kade’s lead, I began helping him pack up the campsite, starting by rolling up his bedroll.

But before I could get the roll tied up, Kade froze, sniffing the air.

“Kade?” I asked. His hand shot up, commanding me into silence.

Seconds felt like minutes as Kade remained stone still, his body coiled and ready to spring into action. I smelled nothing. Heard nothing. But Kade did, and by his stance alone, I knew that danger was near.

Then, from over a sand dune, a huge beast roared into view. Though it was alien to me, the resemblance to a tiger was undeniable. Bigger than any creature I’d ever seen, this sand tiger’s fur was leafy green with black stripes running along its frame. It stood there atop the dune, its pose giving it a majestic quality; I’d never seen anything so massive and impressive before.

Or as beautiful.

I stood stark still, my mouth hanging open in shock and wonder.

Kade, on the other hand, was nothing but action. In one fluid motion, he pulled a spear out of the sand and reared back, letting out a mighty howl that seemed a match for any creature in this desert.

I wasn’t sure why—surely Kade was acting to protect me—but I was horrified at the idea of the spear striking and killing the tiger. I cried out, “Kade, no!” just as he released the weapon, and he turned his head ever so slightly in my direction at the sound of my voice. It was a small distraction, but enough for him to narrowly miss the beast, who still hadn’t moved.

It snarled as it watched the spear fly by, then turned its attention toward us. It was impossible to read its thoughts, but I could swear its liquid gold eyes were looking at us not as prey, but as something else. Was it confused by Kade’s attack? Afraid? Whatever I thought was happening in the sand tiger’s mind, Kade apparently had an entirely different idea.

Moving again as fluidly as before, Kade bent out of my view for barely a second before emerging with a scimitar in each hand. He let out another roar, maybe a battle cry, and broke into a sprint toward the beast. The tiger roared back, briefly, before turning and disappearing over the dune it had just come from.

Despite all the danger around me, I remained rooted in place. I replayed the scene in my mind; the suddenness of the beast’s appearance, its mouth full of sharp teeth, the paws as big as my face with claws like giant fish hooks. How could it be both so dangerous and beautiful?

Kade was letting out a deep guttural sound, almost a growl, and I turned my attention back to him. He hadn’t stopped moving, not really. Though it seemed like he wanted to pursue the tiger, he returned to my side, shifting his weight impatiently from foot to foot. With what I guessed was a gargantuan effort, he sheathed the scimitars inside their holsters, choosing to stay by my side.

He looked at me with a mix of resentment and rage, undoubtedly pissed I’d blown his chance to slay the beast.

“Sorry,” I said, unsure he’d understand. “It wasn’t attacking us though, right? I mean… Do you think it was going to?”

He seemed to comprehend at least some of what I was saying and started speaking fast, his words impossible for me to understand. He pointed in the direction of where the tiger had just stood, then back at me. I think I got his point. “You’re saying the tiger is dangerous.”

He stared at me in silence for a long moment before taking a deep, exasperated breath and nodding.

His rage had abated—thankfully—but he was still clearly upset. He started talking again, just as rapidly as before, and it was only when he used a word I recognized that I interrupted him.

“Wait…” I started. “Your father? What about your father?”

Kade’s eyes widened and he grew silent.

“Father,” I said in Xeki, nodding. But that was all I could really say. “Yes, I know that word.”

He nodded and smiled. The possibility that I might understand more of what he was saying seemed to excite him. When he spoke again, he said only a single word, enunciating slowly and clearly.

I listened and frowned, searching my memory banks as best I could. The word felt familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it. Then Kade put his hands over his head and, with a hopeful look that made him seem almost childlike, began lifting them from the top of his head upward.

“Is that… Is that a crown?” I tried. He nodded furiously, and his excitement was infectious. I giggled, then, suddenly, it all clicked. The word, combined with “father,” combined with the pretty good round of charades he was playing…

“King! Your father is the king!”

He grinned, a small laugh—the first time I’d heard one from him—coming out.

“So that makes your mother the queen?”

His smile disappeared, and the sadness that overtook his face hurt my heart. He pointed in the direction of the sand tiger and said a single word I didn’t recognize.

“Tiva.”

“Tiva?” I replied. “Is that the word for sand tiger? Tiva?”

He nodded. “Oh my God,” I said, a connection made. “Did the sand tiger… kill your mother?”

The sad look on his face turned back to rage, though it seemed much more contained than it had been earlier. He turned away from me, and I had to think he had enough of letting me see his pain. I could hear him inhale sharply, as if gathering himself up again, and he soon motioned for us to keep moving. I thought it best to let the conversation die there, and so I simply moved on to helping him pack up the last few things.

Kade had his own problems, possibly even bigger than my own. It seemed obvious Kade was out here to kill the sand tiger. To get revenge.

And I had distracted him when he finally had the opportunity.

But what if there was more to it? What if the tiger had killed more than just his mother? What if it posed a continued threat to his people?

There was no way to know for sure. And so it came back around to trust, the trust we seemed to be slowly building. He was ready to pack the camp up and keep moving, despite his obvious desire to hunt and kill the sand tiger. And he was doing that for me.

Where was he leading us? Was he taking me back to the star port? Or maybe to someone else who could lead me there? Or would it make more sense to take me directly back to his tribe?

If he did bring me back to his tribe… what would that be like? That nagging doubt came back into my mind, along with the rumors and stories of aliens claiming women as their own. But I had every reason to feel safe with Kade.

Didn’t I?

Gah! I was driving myself insane with my back and forth. Trust, doubt. Doubt, trust. Which would it be, Leslie? Pick one!

Kade moved forward, leaving the camp behind. I followed.