Chapter 10

Elian had run. He was free, his legs whipping through the thick wild grasses of Vasz. He was free—

Then there was a growl, low and dark. Before Elian could react, Rael pinned him down, rolling on top of him. The warrior”s thick, hard thighs trapped Elian”s slender ones, and there was no mistaking the thick length that pressed against Elian”s body, hard and hot through the fabric of both of their clothes.

Rael”s big hands closed over Elian”s wrists, pinning them to the ground. His mouth came down on Elian”s neck, hot and hungry. He nipped at the sensitive skin there, making Elian moan.

Desire warred with the instinct to run. Elian was at Rael”s mercy, and the heady thrill of it sent arousal crashing through him. He arched up for more—

—and then Elian was sitting up in bed, gasping for breath.

It was just a dream.

Elian looked down at himself. His thin sleeping clothes clung to his body, revealing the hard evidence of his desire.

It was just a dream… but the desires it had awakened were all too real.

Elian swallowed, his mouth dry. He wanted to learn more about this strange, savage world that Rael knew so well. He wanted to see more of those moments when Rael”s hard exterior cracked, and the man underneath showed through.

He wanted to understand those moments when Rael looked at him with hunger in his eyes — and then put distance between them, frustrated and yearning.

He wanted more.

Elian”s gaze drifted over to the edge of the camp, his heart still pounding from the intensity of the dream. Rael, ever alert, was already watching him, eyes hooded and intense in the pale dawn light. ”Bad dream?”

”Something like that.” Elian felt the heat rising in his cheeks as their eyes met. His chest heaved with rapid breaths, the thin fabric of his sleeping shirt clinging to his sweat-dampened skin.

There was no way Rael couldn”t tell what he”d been dreaming about – the evidence was written all over Elian”s flushed face and body. Not for the first time, Elian wanted nothing more than to disappear.

Rael stood. ”If you”re already awake, we should get a head-start on the day.”

It was just barely dawn, but that was enough. The wilds of Vasz didn”t get any safer as the day went on. Elian swallowed. ”Yeah, I”m awake. Just give me a moment to get dressed.”

He reached for his clothes, but Rael stopped him. The Borraq”s hand was warm on his shoulder. It was all Elian could do not to shiver. ”If Korvax is on our trail, then he will try to track you by your scent.”

Elian”s heart sank. ”Is that possible?”

Rael”s eyes were intense. ”Yes. You humans might have dull senses, but trust me — to us, it”s still enough to track by.”

Elian”s heart was pounding. ”So what does that mean for me?”

”It means that you need to wash.” Rael”s hand slid off of his shoulder. ”Thoroughly. We”re near a freshwater stream. Go there and cleanse yourself.”

Elian got up to head to the river, and Rael followed him, rummaging in one of his ever-present packs. ”Here,” the Borraq said, handing him a bar of something — a Borraq soap, Elian guessed. It was a deep, earthy green, and it smelled like pine and fresh-cut grass. ”This will help you cleanse yourself.”

”Thanks,” Elian said, trying to ignore the heat in his cheeks. He”d spent months being trained to put together vegetable plots and build living quarters, but no training had prepared him for being told to wash by an alien king.

Elian bit his lip and followed the babble of the river. As he walked towards the sound of running water, though, he risked a glance back at Rael.

Yesterday, Rael had been willing to fight tooth and nail to keep Elian out of Korvax”s clutches. He”d come out on top in their fight, but it had been a violent one, with no space for hesitation.

And then there was that moment when Rael had caught him in his arms. For a heartbeat, Rael”s hold had been something more than just a way to reassure Elian. It had been warm, and strong, and…

Elian shook his head. He was losing it. There was no way that a big alpha alien like Rael had any interest in a scrawny lost human like him. Elian was just a job to Rael, that was all. Some kind of weird, pathetic job.

In the distance, he could hear the call of some alien birdsong, a haunting sound that echoed through the canyon. He focused on that, and not on the little voice in the back of his head, the one that whispered that Rael”s attention to him was different, that the Borraq”s respect for Elian as a survivor was something more than just a job, that the heat in Rael”s gaze was something more than just alien curiosity...

No, he couldn”t think about that. There was no way that a man like Rael could ever have real feelings for someone like Elian. That was just a fantasy.

He was nothing to Rael, and Rael was nothing to him. That was the deal, plain and simple. A human and an alien, nothing more than captor and captive.

Definitely nothing more.

Elian began to head towards the stream, but Rael followed him. Elian”s cheeks burned. ”I, uh, think I can handle a bath by myself.”

”Alone in the wilderness, with nobody to protect you?” Rael”s eyes narrowed. ”What if Korvax were to find you when you were vulnerable?”

”Vulnerable?” Elian”s voice cracked. ”I”ve survived a spaceship crash, I think I can handle a bath. So a little privacy would be nice.”

”Privacy is for people without a bounty on their heads.”

Damn. Elian swallowed. He looked away from Rael”s intense gaze. He wasn”t wrong, but…

Oh well. Here went nothing.

Trying to ignore the big alien on the river bank behind him, Elian stripped off his clothes and headed into the cold, crisp water. Shivering, he began to wash himself as thoroughly as he could with the strange Borraq soap, his gaze fixed firmly ahead at the scenery— and definitely not back at his audience.

It wasn”t hard to do. The scene was so beautiful that even a space colony kid like Elian couldn”t help but appreciate it: the clear water, the sunlight dappling through the leaves, the sound of birds in the distance. He closed his eyes and breathed in the clean air, feeling a strange sense of peace.

He”d never experienced anything like this. By the time that he”d been born, Earth had been too polluted for moments like this. His entire world had been big cities, the interiors of ships, and the recycled air of stations.

Opening his eyes, Elian looked out at the wild scenery, feeling a strange sense of longing. Despite the alien world around him, this was something that all humans could understand: the call of the wild, the desire for open spaces, the need for contact with the natural world.

He washed himself, feeling the clean water against his skin, the scent of the forest in the air. For a moment, he could almost pretend that he was back on an Earth that he”d never been lucky enough to know, that he”d grown up in a world of open skies and untamed landscapes, that he”d known what it was to be a part of something more than just steel and recycled air.

The cool embrace of the river, the scent of pine and the unknown fragrance of the alien world, the dappled sunlight through his closed eyelids…

For this moment, the alien world of Vasz felt more like a home to him than his actual home ever had.

It was a strange feeling. Elian turned suddenly, water splashing around him, wanting to tell Rael about this feeling.

He froze.

He had clearly caught Rael by surprise. The Borraq hadn”t been keeping an eye on their surroundings, but was intently focused on Elian.

And when Elian faced him, Rael”s eyes roved over his body.

Elian flushed. There was no mistaking the intensity and desire in Rael”s eyes.

Last night, Elian had gotten the impression that Rael might kiss him. The Borraq had caught him in his arms, holding him close, his gaze burning into Elian”s. In that moment, it had felt like Rael was going to lean in, that his head was going to lower, that his lips were going to…

Elian shivered, drops of clear water tumbling from his hair. No, he had to be imagining things.

But if the circumstances between them were different… If Rael was a human, if Elian wasn”t a captive with a bounty on his head, if there was no war between their species…

Then Rael would be the ideal man. Kind, brave, protective of his people, strong. Someone who had taken care of Elian and treated him well, even when Elian was supposed to be the enemy of his people.

Elian ran his hands through his wet curls, washing away the last of the soap. He and Rael locked eyes as he stood in the river, desire burning in the alien”s gaze.

The Borraq”s body was a work of art, all sleek, rippling muscle. His golden skin seemed to glow in the dappled sunlight, the color a perfect contrast to the deep greens and browns of the surrounding forest. Despite the coolness of the day, sweat glistened on his skin, drawing Elian”s gaze to the broad expanse of his chest, the chiseled ridges of his abs. A single trail of golden hair led down from his navel, disappearing into the loose fabric of his pants.

Elian”s mouth went dry.

He”d never been attracted to anyone like Rael. In the space stations and colonies he”d been shuttled through, keeping his head down and focusing on survival had been his only priorities.

He”d never allowed himself to act on any desires for men, no matter who caught his eye. There had always been something more urgent to focus on, something more dangerous to dodge.

At least, that was what he”d always told himself.

But now… Despite the vast gulf of difference between them, something about Rael drew him. The sheer size of the alien, the power in his body, the deep rumble of his voice, the way his eyes burned with a fierce heat, fixed on Elian as if he were the only thing in the universe worth looking at…

He was staring. He couldn”t stop himself.

”Come here,” Rael commanded.

The sound of his deep voice sent a shiver down Elian”s spine. His mouth was dry as he slowly stepped out of the water, water droplets trailing down his body, the cool air of the forest raising goosebumps on his skin.

He approached Rael. The Borraq said nothing, but his eyes blazed with unmistakable intent.

Desire and nervousness warred within him, a heady mix that made his head swim. Elian stopped in front of Rael, the alien”s body towering over his own. He looked up at the Borraq, his heart racing, anticipation and need burning in his veins.

It was insane to have feelings for his captor — and for a Borraq especially! But after crash-landing behind enemy lines on an alien planet and kidnapped for the bounty on his head, his whole life was insane right now.

What was one more insane thing, right?

And maybe Elian could have one nice thing before being handed over to the authorities and disappearing forever...

Rael”s intense gaze pierced into him, the tension between them sizzling like a livewire. Elian”s breath caught in his throat as their eyes locked, a thousand unspoken words and desires passing between them in that heated silence.

Rael broke the stillness, his deep rumble cutting through the tension. ”If you”re done, I need to reapply the pheromone-blocking salve.”

A flicker of disappointment sparked within Elian at Rael”s all-business tone, but it was quickly doused by the shiver of anticipation that raced through him at the thought of the Borraq”s hands on his body again.

Elian gave a small nod, unable to find his voice. He turned, putting his back to Rael. The Borraq was behind him, close enough that Elian could feel the heat of his body.

Then Rael”s hands began to rub the salve into Elian”s skin. The touch was firm, confident, as if Rael had rubbed this stuff into a hundred other humans before. The salve was cool at first, but as Rael worked it into Elian”s skin, it began to warm.

Elian drifted on the sensation, the chill of cool water, the dappled sunlight on his bare skin, the clean feeling of the river water and the fresh air…

He wasn”t supposed to be enjoying this. Rael was his captor. But as Rael worked the salve into his skin, massaging his shoulders, tracing down his spine, all thoughts of their roles began to fade away. Pleasure hummed through Elian”s body, lulling him into a warm, hazy fugue state.

He tried to shake off the feeling, to focus on the fact that he was a captive, that he was at the mercy of an alien, that he was naked and being touched by a being who could do whatever he wanted…

No, that was definitely the wrong thing to think! Elian stiffened as desire began to bloom within him, a sweet ache that demanded more.

He bit his lip, trying to fight it. There was no way that he was going to beg for something to happen! No way that he wanted more from a situation that was already insane, no way that he wanted to feel pleasure at the hands of a captor, no way that he wanted to be touched by a hot alien warlord in the middle of a forest with the sun on his bare skin…

There was no way that he wanted all of that.

But he did.

And, naked as he was, there was no way to hide the proof of his desire, jutting out in front of him, throbbing with need. Oh, jesus.

Rael”s hands slowed as they drifted lower, rubbing the salve into Elian”s ribs with firm, purposeful strokes. Elian could feel the tension radiating off the Borraq in waves. Maybe Rael wouldn”t notice…

Yeah, fat chance. A growl rumbled from Rael, the sound vibrating through Elian”s body. The Borraq leaned in, his mouth inches from Elian”s ear. ”I”m trying to hide your scent,” he said, his voice dark and tight. ”And here you are, throwing off even more pheromones and undoing all my hard work.”

Elian swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly dry. He searched for levity, forcing a joking tone. ”Well, you did say that humans are always devious, right?”

Rael let out a snort of amusement, the sound stirring the fine hairs on the back of Elian”s neck. ”That I did.”

Elian”s heart raced as Rael”s hand drifted lower, his touch sending electric jolts through Elian”s body. He couldn”t help the way his body reacted to the Borraq”s touch, the way his cock throbbed with need.

”I can”t help it,” Elian breathed, his voice shaking with desire.

Rael let out a low growl. ”Then I”ll just have to deal with it,” he rumbled.

Elian groaned as Rael”s fingers dipped to his cock, tracing his length with a feather-light touch. He leaned back into Rael”s strong chest, his head falling back onto the Borraq”s shoulder.

Rael chuckled, the sound sending vibrations through Elian”s body. ”Humans are so similar to Borraq in some ways,” he murmured, his breath hot against Elian”s ear. ”But so different in others.”

Elian didn”t have time to wonder what that meant. His thoughts scattered like startled birds as Rael”s powerful hand, still slick with salve, enveloped his cock. He gasped, arching his back as he leaned into Rael”s solid chest. The Borraq”s free hand gripped his hip, anchoring him in place, a captive to the alien”s touch. The contrast between the cool morning air and Rael”s burning touch sent shivers down his spine, making him tremble with anticipation.

Rael began to move his hand, stroking Elian with a rhythm that made his heart pound. Each stroke was a blend of rough and tender, a testament to the alien”s strength and the surprising gentleness he held within. Elian”s breath hitched, his body responding to Rael”s touch with a hunger he hadn”t known he possessed. He gasped, his fingers digging into Rael”s muscular arm as he rocked his hips, chasing the pleasure that was building within him.

As he moved, he felt Rael”s hardness press against his ass, the alien”s desire evident even through the fabric of his pants. The realization sent a thrill through him, a heady mix of fear and excitement.

He”d done that? Rael was hard over him? He couldn”t believe he had this effect on Rael, a Borraq alpha, a man who was supposed to be his enemy. It was a thought that sent his head spinning, making his heart race even faster.

He reached back, wanting to touch Rael, to give him the same pleasure he was receiving. But Rael caught his wrist, his grip firm but not painful.

”Focus on your own needs,” Rael growled into his ear, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through Elian”s body.

The command was clear, leaving no room for argument. Elian whimpered, his body shivering with need as he obeyed, focusing on the pleasure that was building within him.

Elian”s body trembled, a raw nerve exposed to the alien air. The anticipation of his impending climax left him vulnerable, as if he were standing naked before a crowd, every secret laid bare.

He was on the verge of coming, his body tense with anticipation. He gasped as he fought to hold on, to savor this moment for as long as he could. ”Rael,” he moaned, his voice trembling with need.

Rael responded with a low growl, his hand tightening around Elian”s cock. He jerked Elian off harder, faster, pushing him towards the edge.

Elian gasped and bucked, his body shaking as the pleasure built to a crescendo. Finally, he couldn”t hold back any longer. Elian came with a cry, his release painting the ground.

The world spun around him as the pleasure washed over him. He felt boneless, as if he could melt into Rael”s arms and never move again. He struggled to catch his breath, his chest heaving as he tried to fill his lungs.

Before he could say anything, Rael spoke, his voice rough and low. ”Now go back into the river. Scrub yourself clean again.”

The words hit Elian like a slap. This was really just about his pheromones?

”Y-yeah. Sure.” Elian nodded, his head still spinning. He turned and walked back into the river, his legs shaking with every step. The water was cold against his overheated skin, sending a shiver down his spine.

As he dunked himself under the water, he risked a glance back at Rael. The Borraq was still watching him, his eyes filled with desire. Elian”s gaze drifted lower, taking in the obvious bulge in Rael”s pants. He swallowed, his body responding to the sight with a renewed hunger.

He wanted to help Rael, to give him the same pleasure he had received. But Rael had been clear.

He had told Elian no.

Elian dunked himself under the water again, closing his eyes. But even in the darkness, he could still see Rael — the need of his body, and the heat in his eyes.