Chapter 3

Rael followed the tracks, moving silently across the sand. The human had been moving quickly at first, as if fleeing from the crash. But as Rael had suspected, the tracks soon showed that the survivor had been moving more and more slowly, the staggering footprints growing closer and closer together.

The tracks led away from the crash site, across the plain and to where the forest began. Rael followed the tracks, his senses on high alert.

The human might be a survivor, but he was also a prey animal, wounded and alone in the wilderness. He might be desperate enough to attack anyone that he came across, or he might be crafty enough to set a trap. Rael would have to be on his guard.

The woods were empty and silent. The crash had sent the beasts of the woods scattering, and for now, the normally fierce fauna of Vasz were subdued. There was no sign of movement, no other tracks besides the human”s.

Rael followed the human”s trail, his instincts shining. He was a hunter, and this was his quarry.

Finally, he found what he was looking for. There was a particular scent on the wind, something that he could just barely sense underneath the lingering stench of a burning ship.

And there, when he followed it to its souce, it was. Between two rocks, was a flash of white clothing and a small, huddled creature..

The human was squeezed into a rocky outcrop, silhouetted against the setting suns of Vasz.

But there was something wrong with the scene. The figure seemed too slender, too delicate to be one of the brutish soldiers that Rael associated with the enemy species.

He crept closer.

The human was indeed slight of frame. Despite the thickening gloom, he could see that for certain. Unruly curls framed a face that could only be described as pretty, with high cheekbones, full lips, and large eyes that were currently shut, lashes splayed across its cheekbones. Its hands were white-knuckled as it hugged its knees to its chest, tense.

Something jolted in Rael”s gut — a purely physical reaction that both surprised and disgusted him.

This was a human, one of the pestilent vermin that had brought war and suffering to his kind…

And yet, some primal part of him couldn”t help but be captivated by the exquisite fragility of this particular specimen.

Rael pushed down the unwelcome stirrings with a mental snarl. He was Borraq, a proud warrior bred for strength and honor. To feel attraction to such a weak, insignificant creature was an insult to everything he stood for. This human was nothing but a bounty to be claimed, a means to an end. Rael would not sully himself by even acknowledging the fleeting stirring of his instincts.

Refocusing on his mission, the seasoned hunter evaluated the situation with cold calculation. The human seemed to be alone, with no signs of weaponry or backup. It would be almost insultingly easy to overpower and subdue him.

As Rael drew nearer, he could make out more details of this strange, delicate creature. The human — male, Rael could now see — was painfully slender in comparison to a Borraq frame, almost fragile. He shivered violently, his slim arms wrapped tightly around his body as if trying to contain what little warmth he could. He was wearing only thin clothing, nothing that would protect him from the harsh wilds of Vasz and its unpredictable storms.

What kind of soldier was this, to be so unprepared?

Rael”s lips curled in a silent snarl of disgust as he watched the pathetic display. This was what passed for an warrior among the humans? This frail, shivering thing that couldn”t even withstand the mild chill of a Vasz evening? The very idea that such a weak, insignificant creature could pose any threat to the mighty Borraq race was almost insulting.

It didn”t matter. This human was nothing but a means to an end, a bounty to be collected. The hefty sum attached to his capture would secure Worrak”s future, would provide for the clan in a way that Rael”s duty demanded.

That was all that mattered.

And yet… a small voice in the back of Rael”s mind whispered of honor, of the core values that had been drilled into him since birth. The humans were the aggressors in this conflict, true, but this one seemed utterly helpless. Capturing him in such a weakened state, when he posed no real threat… was that not a violation of the warrior”s code?

Rael shook his head minutely, shoving aside the traitorous thoughts. Survival was what mattered here, the survival and prosperity of his clan. If capturing this human was what it took to achieve that, then so be it. He would not be swayed by misplaced sentimentality.

Rael moved with the fluid grace of a predator, his powerful muscles rippling beneath sleek golden skin as he closed in on his unsuspecting prey. The human remained oblivious, huddled in misery — until it was too late.

The human looked up, blue eyes wide.

In one fluid motion, Rael pounced.

”Shit—!” The human”s startled shout was cut off as the Borraq warrior”s weight slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. They tumbled together, Rael”s superior strength and mass easily pinning the human beneath him.

”Get off me!” The human thrashed wildly, eyes wide with terror as he stared up at his attacker. ”Let me go, you monster!”

Rael didn”t respond, his expression as impassive as carved stone. With cold efficiency, he seized the human”s slender wrists in one massive hand, pinning them above his head. His free hand snaked around the human”s throat, not squeezing but holding him firmly in place.

”Please… ” The human”s voice was little more than a breathless whimper now, his struggles growing weaker as the reality of his situation set in. ”Please don”t hurt me, I”m a human—”

”I know.”

The finality in Rael”s voice cut the human off short. The human stared up at Rael, those big eyes wide in horror. They roamed over Rael, taking in his appearance: his golden skin, his sharp teeth, his horns.

”Oh, god,” the human said, in a raspy whisper. ”You”re a Borraq.”

Rael could smell the fear rolling off his captive in waves, the acrid tang of adrenaline and the sweet, cloying undertone of something else… something that made Rael”s mouth water in a purely physical reaction.

Humans smelled… good. It was something that the warriors at the front had to guard themselves against, lest the human scents get under their skins.

Rael”s jaw clenched. This was the scent tha every Borraq warrior spread rumors and warnings about, the one that made humans so maddeningly, dangerously alluring to his kind.

Everyone knew the stories, the whispers about how a human could make a Borraq lose control.

Rael had always dismissed such tales as mere exaggeration, superstitious ramblings meant to instill fear and mistrust of their sworn enemies. Surely no scent, no matter how pleasant, could override a Borraq”s rigid self-control and discipline. They were warriors, not mindless beasts ruled by base urges.

Rael wasn”t wrong often. Now, though…

Now, Rael truly understood the whispers.

It was the scent of a lover, the scent of rich food and warm hearth, of something primal that went straight down to his bones. There were hints of something crisp and citrusy, like the tart burst of flavor from a ripe zahfruit. But then that bright note would give way to something deeper, richer… almost like the heady aroma of vadlian spirits, capable of intoxicating with even the faintest whiff.

And beneath it all was an undercurrent of musk, one that spoke of something primal. It was the scent of desire, a siren”s call that got under his skin.

Rael”s free hand clenched into a white-knuckled fist as he fought to maintain control, his every muscle tensed against the rising tide of want that threatened to overwhelm him. This was madness – he was Borraq, an alpha who had faced down countless foes without so much as flinching.

And yet here he was, caught by the mere scent of a single, pathetic human.

Humans smelled like something you had to have.

Humans smelled tasty.

Rael had heard of the rumors that the humans shared about his kind. They believed that Borraq were worse than savages — humans believed that Borraq would eat them.

And now that Rael had finally caught a human”s scent for the first time, he couldn”t blame them for the idea.

The human seemed to sense it too, his eyes widening even further as he let out a choked sound of mingled fear and revulsion. ”The rumors… they”re true, aren”t they? You… you savages!”

A sneer twisted Rael”s lips at the insult, but he remained silent, impassive. Let the human believe what he would. It would make no difference. The only thing that mattered now was the substantial bounty this capture would bring, the future it would secure for Rael”s clan.

”F-fight me, you coward!” The human”s words held more bravado than conviction as he resumed his fruitless struggles. ”If you”re gonna eat me… then at least look me in the eye!”

Eat him? This human was worth more alive than he was as a meal. Rael merely tightened his grip in response, his powerful forearm pressing down on the human”s slender throat just enough to make breathing difficult. He could feel the fragile bones, so delicate compared to a Borraq”s dense physiology, and he marveled at how easily he could snap them if he wished.

But no, that would defeat his purpose here. The human was to be captured, not killed – at least, not until the bounty had been collected.

Rael would take this human to the nearest outpost, and he”d collect the bounty that he needed.

What happened after that… Well, the higher-ups would do whatever they did with enemies captured behind enemy lines. Rael tried not to dwell on the dark whispers of the military cells, the stories that made even seasoned warriors shudder.

With one final, efficient motion, the alpha warrior swept the human up into his arms. ”Hey! Put me down!”

He would do no such thing. As the slender body struggled against him, Rael couldn”t resist allowing his gaze to linger for just a moment, tracing the planes and angles that made up this strange, alluring creature.

Then, shaking off the momentary distraction, he tied the human”s wrists and ankles, and hauled his prize over one powerful shoulder. His quarry secured, he set off into the rapidly falling night.

The first phase of his hunt was complete – he had his bounty.

Now, all that remained was to collect on it.