Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

M yk-El watched anxiously as Mee-na wandered aimlessly around their cave. Since their return almost a month ago, they had made a number of improvements, ranging from a fur covered mattress to a table and two stools, many of them the result of her ideas. She might have lacked survival experience, but she had a quick mind and nimble fingers and she constantly surprised him.

He had almost managed to quench his doubts, to believe that she wouldn't leave him, but her restlessness made him uneasy.

"What's wrong, little one?" he asked, as Draco fluttered over and landed on her shoulder.

"I don't know. I think I'm just tired of the cold."

"The spring thaw has begun," he assured her. He had seen the signs of it on his hunting trips.

She wrinkled her nose. "That's what you say. It still seems cold to me."

"Do you think we should move to the lowlands?" He hoped she understood the emphasis. She wasn't going anywhere without him, even though he wasn't thrilled with the idea of moving.

"After everything we've done here?" She shook her head. "Not at all. But it might be nice to visit."

"Not the jungle, I assume?"

She shuddered. "God, no. And I know the desert would be warm, but it doesn't seem very appealing."

"What about the ocean?"

"You mean go to the beach?" Her eyes lit up. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. It's not too far, is it?"

"Not for me. But it would be a long flight for Draco."

"Then I suppose we'd better leave him here," she agreed reluctantly.

Once again, he herded the little avian into the corner. He was less willing to go this time, but he begrudgingly accepted the bone Myk-El offered him in exchange.

The brush barrier would not keep Draco confined if he truly wished to leave, but he pushed it into place and turned to Mee-na.

"Are you ready?"

Her smile lit up her face. "I can't wait."

He lifted her slight weight into his arms and leapt into the air.

As soon as he took flight, he realized how erotic it was to fly with her. When he'd taken her to the white building, he had been too miserable at the thought of losing her to notice, and even on the way back, he had been more conscious of relief than excitement.

But now she was his and he could truly enjoy the soft press of her body against his. Her legs were wrapped around his waist, and her arms hugged his neck. It would be a simple matter to let his zemka spring free and slide her down to meet it. His shaft jerked in approval.

Mating flights had once been common amongst the Letenjans, but now they were regarded as a primitive relic of the past. Of course, this was a primitive planet…

But Mee-na didn't have wings and he didn't want to scare her. He reluctantly pushed the idea aside, but he couldn't push his arousal aside as easily. By the time he found a suitable spot by the ocean—a sheltered cove with a soft, sandy beach—he was on fire with longing.

He placed her on her feet, but before he could kiss her, she skipped away, exclaiming in delight over the sand, the warmth, the sun on the ocean. It wasn't until she bent over to spread out their fur and gave him a provocative look over her shoulder, that he realized she had been teasing him.

"You knew I wanted you," he growled as he stalked towards her.

"Considering that you kept squeezing my ass and rubbing me against your body?" She laughed. "Let's just say I suspected."

"Take off your clothes," he ordered.

She shimmied out of her dress, her enchanting little nipples already taut with excitement, and he expected her to lie down on the rug. Instead, she got down on her hands and knees in front of him and wiggled her ass.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm suggesting a new position." She tried to speak casually, but he saw the pink coloring her cheeks.

"Like that?"

He remembered his illicit thoughts when he had seen her bent over the hot springs, and lust swept over him so quickly that he felt light-headed. His zemka sprang free as soon as he knelt behind her. He stroked her soft curves and saw her quiver with excitement.

"You like this idea."

"Oh, yes."

He pushed her knees further apart, revealing her delicate pink flesh, already glistening with arousal. Despite the urgency of his need, he lingered, delighting in the way this new position exposed so much of her to his eager eyes. He teased her clit until it was pink and swollen, probed teasingly at her tight little channel, then circled the puckered star of her anus.

"Mikel?" she asked, her breath catching.

He stroked her soothingly as he gradually inserted his thumb into the small opening. Her body trembled, but he could see the slickness on her thighs. Leaving his thumb in place, he tightened his grip on her hips, then slid his zemka into her sweet little cunt in one long, hard thrust. She cried out and came, her body clasping him so tightly that he couldn't move. As soon as her grip loosened, his control vanished and he thrust helplessly into the heated haven of her body, plunging deeper and deeper, his thumb moving with each stroke.

Her body convulsed again and pushed him over the edge, his zemka opening and seed erupting in long, hot pulses as she fluttered around him. He collapsed down over her back, pressing kisses to her silken skin, until his body calmed and he reluctantly withdrew.

After cleansing her with a damp cloth, he drew her into his arms.

"You have a wonderfully creative mind," he murmured.

"I don't think it was my mind you were appreciating." Her voice was heavy with satisfaction.

"Let's just say I appreciate every part of you." He feathered his hand across her breast, loving the way her nipples responded to his touch. "Although I'm afraid I have neglected some parts."

"Maybe you should make up for that." she suggested, arching into his hand.

He laughed and obeyed.

"I want to take a closer look at those ruins," he murmured a long time later.

He had appreciated Mee-na so thoroughly that she didn't even open an eye. Instead, she waved a limp hand. "Go ahead."

"I don't want to leave you."

"Is there anything dangerous here on the beach?"

"No," he admitted. "But don't go in the water."

"I won't. You go explore. I'm going to soak in the sun and take a nice little nap."

"You will remain here?"

"Right here." Sleepy blue eyes opened and she smiled up at him. "I need to restore my energy for next time."

His zemka immediately responded to the teasing look in her eyes.

"You don't need energy. I will do everything."

"Later, my angel. Now go explore."

He brushed a too brief kiss across her lips and took off.

The ruins had obviously been built with advanced technology, but they had been very simple dwellings. Whoever had lived here did not seem to have been interested in adorning their buildings. But then his aerie on Letenja was the same way, plain and functional.

As he flew back in the direction of the beach, one of the buildings caught his eye. It took him a moment to realize that this one had a roof and flowers planted around the walls. Someone was living there.

Mee-na!

He raced back to the beach, his wings cutting through the air, and arrived in time to see her extend her hand to a golden-scaled male. Rage and jealousy and hurt exploded in a thunderous torrent of emotion as he slammed to the ground between them, knocking the male away.

"Never lay a finger on her," he roared.

He wanted to cut off the male's offending hand, but it was more important to remove Mee-na from his presence. He snatched her up in his arms and winged back into the air.

"Stop it! What are you doing?" she yelled, struggling in his arms.

He tightened his grip to make sure that she wouldn't fall, even though agony speared through his chest. How could he have been foolish enough to think that she wouldn't betray him? As soon as another male appeared, she had turned to him.

"Mikel, listen to me. Sabrost speaks English too. He has a human mate."

"And now he wants another?" he asked bitterly.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I saw you touch him."

"We were shaking hands. It's an Earth custom."

A distant, rational part of him knew he should listen to her, but all he could see was her small hand on another male's skin. Just as Lil-et had taken Mef-Ts's hand, choosing his brother over Myk-El.

"You touched him," he repeated.

Her body went still, her voice quiet. "You don't trust me, do you?"

I do trust you . But he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud, to make himself vulnerable.

Mina didn't even try to talk to Mikel as they flew home. Her own feelings were in turmoil. She had been terrified when she looked up and saw the strange golden-scaled alien at the edge of the cove. But he had politely averted his eyes as she grabbed for her dress, and then he had spoken to her—in English!

But they had only exchanged a few words, just enough for him to introduce himself and to let her know that he had a human mate. He had been inviting her—them—to meet his mate when Mikel came swooping in and snatched her away. She knew that he was fiercely protective, but this had been much more than that.

And now he had all but accused her of cheating on him. She wasn't completely oblivious—she knew a female had betrayed him in the past, even though he hadn't discussed the details. But she would never do that. Didn't he know how much she loved him?

How could he ? a small nagging voice prompted. You've never told him .

The words had hovered on her lips a thousand times, but she had never had the courage to speak them aloud. Not only because of her old fear of rejection, but because he hadn't said them either.

But it wasn't just the lack of words. As much attention as he paid to her, as much as he did everything he could to make her happy, she always had the uneasy feeling that he was still holding back. And he'd just proven it.

The heavy silence still lay between them when they landed in front of their cave. Draco flew out, squawking reproachfully, and landed on her shoulder. She reached up and absently stroked his back as she watched Mikel pace back and forth, his wings fluttering. She had never seen him lose his control so completely, and it made her unexpectedly hopeful. He must have cared to be so agitated.

"Do you want to talk now?" she asked finally.

"No!" he yelled, then his wings sagged. "Yes." He sighed. "I don't know."

"Did you hear me say he has a human mate? Her name is Janet and I'd like to meet her."

"No!" he roared, then visibly tried to calm himself. "Why?"

"Because she is human. Because I suspect that she—that both of them—were brought here the same way we were. Maybe together we could come up with some answers."

"I don't need answers. I had everything I wanted."

Her heart sank at his use of the past tense. "And now you don't?"

"I…" His wings flared out again. "If only you knew what I felt when I saw you touch him."

"It was an innocent gesture. It didn't mean anything." She took a deep breath. "I would never betray you, Mikel. I love you."

His body turned to stone, even his wings stilled, frozen in midair. She couldn't read his expression at all, and her heart started to pound.

Didn't he believe her? Or didn't he feel the same?

Unable to face him, she turned and paced to the edge of the cliff. Her eyes went to the distant ocean and the promise of meeting another woman, but it faded into insignificance next to the fact that Mikel still hadn't spoken.

She turned to face him and saw him open his mouth just as a loud roar shook the air. For a moment, she thought it had come from him, but then she looked up and saw the side of the mountain racing towards her. She grabbed Draco and tried to scramble back towards the cave, saw Mikel start towards her, and then the edge of the cliff dropped out from under her and she was falling.