Chapter 11

The woods were thick and green around them, the air alive with the chirping of unseen creatures. Rael led the way, his senses on high alert.

It was a beautiful world, Vasz. Rael had fought for it, bled for it, and kept his territory safe. This was his home. But to truly know it, he had to know its dangers — and Vasz had plenty of those.

Elian followed at Rael”s back, his steps light. He seemed to enjoy the journey, his gaze constantly flicking from one sight to the next. Today, he stared at a pair of enormous birds, their wingspan nearly as wide as the path they walked. The birds ignored the travelers, focused instead on tearing apart a morsel between them.

Rael didn”t have the heart to tell the human what kind of birds those were, and what kind of carcass they were sharing.

It was a grueling journey. They were taking paths that Rael was certain no human had ever walked. The main path between the outpost and the city of Yattara was easier — safe, well-traveled — but too easy.

Too open.

Rael kept scanning their surroundings, his sharp eyes missing nothing. The smug look on Korvax”s face was seared into his mind. That slippery bounty hunter wouldn”t give up so easily, not with the size of the bounty on Elian”s head.

Korvax was ruthless, sadistic even. Rael had seen the aftermath of some of his ”hunts.” Leaving Elian”s fate to that monster wasn”t an option.

They needed to stay off the beaten path, find some obscure trails to slip through. Rael assessed their location, calculating the distance they”d covered, the terrain they”d passed through. A few miles ahead, there was a cave system, well-hidden and easily defensible.

”We”ll make camp early,” he announced, not breaking stride. ”Find shelter in a cave. Then we”ll move again under cover of night. We”ll be harder to track that way.”

Elian simply nodded, his stride faltering only slightly as he adjusted to the new plan. The human was resilient, Rael had to give him that. Most wouldn”t have fared half as well on a journey like this.

As they neared the cave entrance, Rael took the lead, his ears pricked for any signs of danger. The musty scent of minerals and dampness reached his nostrils, but nothing alarming. He signaled for Elian to enter, following him deeper into the cool darkness.

The darkness swallowed them both as they entered the cave. Rael”s senses strained in the near-absence of light, the air thick with the scents of earth and damp. He could just barely see the cave walls and ground, his night vision working hard, but it was enough to navigate by.

Elian paused, hesitant. ”I… I can”t see.”

”You can”t?” That took Rael by surprise. Humans couldn”t see in the near-dark? They really were such delicate things.

Rael placed a hand on Elian”s shoulder. ”Here. Walk with me. The way is clear.”

It must have been a leap of faith to step blindly into the dark on nothing but the word of your captor, but Elian did it. He walked hesitantly, reaching out with each foot first, sweeping for obstacles, but he kept up with Rael.

Elian was no ordinary human. Rael had seen the depths of the man”s courage, his resilience. There was something about him, something that set him apart from the rest of his kind.

And he was undeniably attractive. In the golden light of the sun, his hair was a mess of curls. His eyes were a clear, bright blue, the color of the sky. Despite the worry on his face, his youthful features were a sight to behold.

And then there had been that morning, the drops of water clinging to his skin, the way his lean muscles moved under his bare skin as he bathed in the river...

Rael”s instincts were primal, impossible to ignore. The urge to claim, to mark, to mate — it thrummed through him, a call as old as the universe.

He”d never had a problem with his instincts before. When he wanted something, he took it. He fought threats, he cared for his people, he defended his territory.

But this was different.

This was a human in the middle of a war. A human that he”d taken for a bounty.

A human that he”d convinced himself was nothing more than a job, a task to be completed.

This was a human that he couldn”t stop thinking about, no matter how hard he tried.

And worse — or better — the human seemed to feel the same way.

Rael had seen the desire in Elian”s eyes, felt the heat of his gaze on him as they looked at each other at the river. Despite the dangers and the trials of their journey, there was a spark between them, growing hotter and hotter with each passing day.

It was madness. Rael was an alpha. He could have his pick of any mate he desired. He”d never felt the urge to settle down and begin his own family, though. Keeping his people safe in times of war was demanding enough, thrust into leadership suddenly with the loss of his father.

He had no room for distractions, especially not distractions in the form of soft, tempting humans with eyes that shone with unquenchable curiosity.

But that morning, he”d been tempted down to the bone.

As Elian bathed in the river, it had been impossible to ignore him. Rael had wanted to claim the human, to press him down into the sands, to cover that gasping mouth with his own and drink in the sound of his surprised moans as the cool river water ran over them both...

Rael”s thoughts drifted back to that morning, to the feel of Elian”s slender, wet body pressed against his own. The memory was intoxicating, a potent mix of desire and frustration that had lingered with him all day. He could still feel the way Elian”s back had molded to his chest, pliant with trust and arousal, the smooth warmth of the human”s skin beneath his fingers.

His arm had been a band of iron around Elian”s waist, holding him tight, possessive. The other hand had moved with a will of its own, stroking, teasing, until Elian had been writhing in his grasp, moaning and gasping. The sound had been like a spark to tinder, igniting a furious arousal within him.

He remembered the feel of his own hardness, the rough fabric of his trousers rubbing against Elian”s ass, the friction both torture and pleasure. The urge to take the human as a mate had been overwhelming, a primal instinct that had taken every ounce of Rael”s self-control to resist.

In the end, he had been forced to release Elian, to step back and turn away. But the memory of Elian”s body, of the way he had felt, the way he had sounded… It stayed with him.

As Elian had bathed, dipping unaware underneath the river”s surface, Rael had sought a quick and furious release. His hand had moved urgently, imagining that his grip was instead Elian”s hand, his mouth, his body…

The fantasy was a torment, a sweet, tantalizing taste of something he could not have. He was an alpha, a leader, and Elian was a human, a captive. The line between them was clear, unyielding.

But the memory of that morning, of Elian”s body, wet and warm and willing in his arms, blurred that line.

Rael shook his head, as if the action could dislodge the forbidden thoughts. It was madness. He was going to go mad. He already was mad, to be considering anything other than delivering Elian safely into the hands of the military.

But at the same time, his heart disagreed. His instincts disagreed. His body certainly disagreed, his desire for the human burning hotter than any flame.

Finally, they reached the opening that Rael was searching for. ”Here,” Rael said, gently guiding Elian. ”Sit here, by the wall. I”ll start a fire.”

Elian turned to face him, the human”s eyes searching for him in the dark. ”Are we safe here?”

Safe. The word echoed in Rael”s mind, taking on a dozen different meanings.

”Yes,” he managed to growl out, the sound thick with desire and self-loathing. ”We”re safe here.”

Safe from any danger but his own traitorous instincts.

Rael set up their makeshift camp, his movements efficient. He started a small fire, more for the light than anything else, and divided up their rations. Despite the scant provisions they had, Elian seemed determined to make the best of their situation, his chatter light and easy as he worked.

”I never thought I”d be camping out in a cave with an alien,” Elian said, his tone dry. ”Guess life”s full of surprises, huh?”

Rael grunted, not trusting himself to speak. The tension between them was palpable, a living thing that seemed to grow with each passing moment. He could feel Elian”s eyes on him, the weight of the human”s gaze like a physical touch.

”I mean, don”t get me wrong, it”s not the worst thing that”s ever happened to me,” Elian continued with a wry smile, seemingly oblivious to Rael”s inner turmoil. ”At least the company”s good.”

Rael”s eyes snapped to Elian”s, the human”s words hitting him like a physical touch. Did Elian really mean that? Or was he just trying to defuse the tension between them?

”You”re not so bad yourself,” Rael found himself saying, the words slipping out before he could stop them. ”For a human, I mean.”

Elian”s smile was blinding, his eyes sparkling with mirth. ”I”ll take that as a compliment,” he said, his voice warm.

They continued to speak back and forth, the conversation flowing easily despite the unspoken attraction between them. Rael found himself enjoying the human”s quick wit and easy charm, even as he fought to keep his own feelings in check.

But soon, it was time for them to sleep. Rael approached Elian with the bonds he used to tie the human every night.

Elian”s face fell, his eyes dimming with disappointment. ”Do you really need to keep tying me up every night?”

Rael set his jaw, hating the necessity of it. ”It”s for your own safety. The wilderness is too dangerous. If you were to try to escape, beasts would snap you up in an instant.”

He bound Elian”s hands in front of him, the action almost automatic at this point. ”It”s just more sensible this way,” he said, trying to convince himself as much as Elian.

Elian looked up at him, his eyes searching. ”Don”t you trust me?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Rael”s heart clenched at the question, his instincts roaring at him to take the human in his arms and never let go. But he couldn”t. He wouldn”t.

”You shouldn”t trust me,” he said instead, his voice harsh. ”If you were a sensible creature, you”d be trying to get as far away from me as possible.”

Elian shook his head, his expression stubborn. ”Believe me, growing up where I did… You”re the most honorable person I”ve met,” he said, his voice firm. ”I know you won”t hurt me.”

Rael felt a surge of frustration at the human”s words, even as a part of him thrilled at the trust Elian placed in him. Didn”t the human understand the danger he was in? Didn”t he realize what Rael was capable of?

But at the same time, Rael couldn”t help but feel pleased at Elian”s words. The human trusted him, despite everything. Despite the fact that Rael was his captor, despite the fact that Rael was supposed to be his enemy…

Under the dim light of the fire, Rael and Elian looked at each other. The tension between them was a palpable thing, hot and heavy in the air.

Desire warred with caution in Elian”s eyes. He took a step forward, closing the gap between them.

Rael”s heart pounded. He knew what was coming, knew that he should stop it — but he couldn”t bring himself to move, to put any distance between them.

”Stop,” he warned, his voice hoarse.

But Elian didn”t stop. He kept leaning forward, right up to Rael. In the firelight, Rael could see the determination in Elian”s eyes, the way his gaze flicked down to Rael”s lips and back up again.

Elian got closer and closer, until there were just a few inches between them. The heat of his body was a palpable thing, a promise.

Rael”s heart thundered in his chest, a storm within him. He was an alpha, a Borraq warrior, a man who never had trouble asserting himself or getting what he wanted.

But in that moment, he was utterly at the mercy of the human standing in front of him.

Elian smelled so good, a heady mix of desire and something sweet, something that teased at the edges of Rael”s senses. The human wanted him.

And Rael wanted him, too. He wanted him more than he”d ever wanted anything in his life.

With a growl, Rael slid his hand into Elian”s hair, gripping those blond curls. He didn”t pull — not yet. It was a possessive hold, a warning, a promise of what would come if Elian dared to step into the dangerous world that he was playing with.

”You don”t know what you”re asking for,” Rael warned, his voice thick with desire. ”I”m not a gentle lover. I”ll take you and I”ll mark you, and you”ll be mine.”

Elian”s breath came out in a shuddering gasp. ”I survived a spaceship crash. Do your worst.”

It was a heady thing, to be desired so much that a man was willing to play with fire, to step right up to a dangerous predator and invite him to give in to his most primal instincts.

Rael”s heart swelled with something hot and fierce, a protectiveness, a dominance, a desire to give the human in front of him everything he wanted — and to take everything that Rael wanted in return.

He couldn”t hold back any longer.

Leaning down, he captured Elian”s lips with his own.