Chapter 7

Chapter

Seven

LYRA

" I 'm not afraid," I told him softly.

I heard the truth in my own voice. Because oddly enough, even though I'd heard stories about aliens trafficking human females, even though I carried around a small dagger and mace in my satchel even on Wero, even though I was aware of all the dangers there were as a single female living alone on a busy colony…I still trusted him.

I…wasn't afraid. I might have been at first. But there was something inherently calming about him. And it wasn't just the way he purred.

There was something else. An undercurrent of mutual understanding between us.

It was refreshing.

And yes, I was extremely disappointed that I might miss my appointment at the fertility clinic, an appointment that had been nearly impossible to secure. But there were people out there—who were probably terrified or hurt—who might not have been as lucky as me after the wreck.

I had a domed roof over my head, a belly that was filled with the juiciest steak I think I'd ever had, and a hot Luxirian male to ogle. Life could be worse. Much, much worse. Especially if he hadn't found me in the middle of the jungle in that life pod.

Going forward, I vowed that I would remember that. So maybe I wouldn't be pregnant within the week. Maybe the hefty deposit I'd made for the appointment would go up in smoke.

At least, I was alive .

"Are you hungry?" I asked, pointing down to the steak he'd made me, seasoned in something smoky and spicy. "I can't eat all of this."

"You can't?" he asked, frowning down at the plate. Like he'd expected me to be able to eat a slab of meat the size of my head. Luxirians' appetites were, no doubt, enormous. But that didn't mean that humans' were up to their level.

I huffed out a laugh that had him cocking his head. "No."

He shrugged. "I'll eat what you don't. Don't worry, female."

"So, uh," I started, waving my fork in the air, a strange one with six prongs, though the sixth was cut in half, "how is this going to work?"

His brow furrowed. He leaned back against the opposite counter, crossing his arms over his less-gleamy chest. Still, it made the muscles bulge…and I'm sure my eyes were doing something similar as I stared.

Who could blame me?

"How is what going to work?"

"Well, I'm here for at least a week, right?" I asked. "I don't want to assume that I'll be staying with you, taking up your space, eating your food, you know?" He scowled and I hurriedly said, "I just mean that I don't want to take advantage of your hospitality. I can…I can pay you for the week. Like rent! And um?—"

"Lyra," came the sharp, tight bark.

I bit my lip, my spine going ramrod straight, the word making the words die in my throat. "Yes?"

And why did that authoritative little snap make my belly go all fluttery? Especially when it was my name?

"No payments," he ordered. The words were stern enough that I wouldn't even think about arguing. "You will stay here. You can have my bed. I have plenty of food stored in my cellar. And I have plenty of space, so how much do you think you'll truly take up?"

I blinked.

Well, when he put it like that…

"I can't take your bed," I said quietly. My eyes caught on the living room. "I can sleep there."

" Nix ," he rasped.

"But—"

" Nix ."

"It looks perfectly comfortable!" I argued.

" Nix ."

My lips parted and then closed. His body language was unyielding.

"So, Droxan," I murmured, his name on my lips making him straighten. His eyes zeroed in on me intently, making me feel like I was the only female on the entire planet. Which I supposed, I realized with a little laugh, I was . "You have a stubborn streak, do you?"

" Tev ," he murmured. And then he gave me a slow— panty melting , if I were wearing any—smile that sent a thrilling bolt of heat straight between my legs. Gods, he was ten times hotter when he smiled. That simply wasn't fair. "Will that be a problem?"

Who is this guy? I wondered, my brain short-circuiting for a brief moment as I stared at him.

So many unanswered questions. So many unknowns.

"You're not an axe-murderer right?" I couldn't help but ask.

His brow rose.

"I'm just covering all my bases," I told him.

" Nix ," he said slowly, drawing out the word. "I am not an ‘axe-murderer.'"

I blew out a sharp breath.

"So you're from Luxiria," I said, trying to have some sort of understanding of him in my mind. "And you bought a whole planet so that you could have privacy. And you're not in exile?"

" Nix ," he told me, though the word was growled. He shook his head, making his wild, shortened locks swing. "I knew I would regret cutting my hair."

A surprised laugh fell from my lips but it seemed to make his own tug upwards.

"Female," came his voice, though it was soft and quiet. "I was a builder on Luxiria."

That didn't surprise me.

I gestured around his house. "I can see that."

"I was good at it. Very good. As such, I was able to buy this planet," he explained, though his words were stilted and it seemed like the words were being plucked from his lungs as he told me this. He seemed uncomfortable. "But I came here for more than just privacy. I came here to get away from…from people . From my family. I wasn't...on Luxiria, I wasn't…"

A wiggle of empathy went through my chest. "Happy?" I supplied.

"Not even that," he murmured lowly, crossing to the counter I was eating on and sliding his forearms over the top of it so he was eye-level with me. I caught a whiff of his scent, musky and absolutely delicious. "I wasn't even content , much less happy. Here? I feel a lot of peace. That is why I'm here. That is why I stay. So nix , I am not an exiled axe-murdering Luxirian who escaped from a prison planet to come live here. Tev ?"

I flushed a little at the words. "I didn't mean to make it sound like that."

"I know," he said simply. "You are right to question me about these things. I would find it strange too, if I found a beautiful human female living on this planet alone."

He thought I was beautiful?

I couldn't help but grin at that.

"I would want to know if my safety was compromised too," he told me. "But yours is not. I'll take care of you while you're here, tev ?"

"Thank you," I said quietly.

"And you'll take my bed," came his rough growl. " Tev ?"

Or maybe I'll just join you in it , I couldn't help but think. His eyes went hot. As if he could hear the directions of my thoughts.

I was here for a whole week.

I was safe.

I was trapped with a Luxirian I was crazily attracted to, to the point that I wondered if Luxirians gave off potent pheromones specifically for attracting humans.

"Yes," I finally agreed, giving in.

Droxan was pleased with the answer. I could see that. Briefly, I saw his eyes dip to the very sheer tunic he'd given me. My lips twitched. Was he checking out my breasts?

And why did I like the thought of that so much? Why did my back straighten at his subtle perusal?

"You'll be sore in the morning," he informed me.

My dirty mind immediately went to a plethora of reasons why I would be sore, each more enticing than the last.

"Will I?" I asked, my voice rising, catching on an edge of huskiness.

"From the crash," he continued.

"Right," I said, shifting in my seat. "Of course."

"I have some injections for pain," he told me. "If you'd like them now or in the morning."

"In the morning," I said, thinking it sweet that he'd thought of it. "I'll see how I feel."