Chapter 14

Chapter

Fourteen

Allie

P anic surged through me as I stared at the dog with his hackles raised and a resonant growl emanating from his chest. "Maxxon," I hissed, scrambling to pull on my still-damp clothes. "We need to move. Now."

Maxxon did not hesitate, dressing quickly as the dog continued to watch the opening and the cat had slunk deeper into the hidden cave.

The faint but unmistakable sound of heavy footsteps was a drumbeat that drove sharp talons of fear into my heart. I fumbled with my clothes, yanking the leggings on and ignoring the fact that my bra was still damp from being sucked on and my thong was wet from Maxxon's cum. I managed to fasten my shirt with the few remaining buttons that hadn't been scattered around the rock floor, and I tied the bottom in a knot at my waist.

Fuck fuck fuck. What had seemed like a fine idea at the time now seemed foolish and impulsive. We hadn't even used protection, which I was usually a stickler about, but I'd gotten so caught up in the end of the world thinking that I'd ignored all good sense. Then again, the footsteps coming toward us might be the end of everything, so maybe it wasn't such a crap idea.

Maxxon finished dressing and raised his blaster, stepping up to stand beside the dog and aiming at the darkness beyond our little alcove.

I positioned myself behind him, trying to draw comfort from his solid presence. He's a tough Drexian warrior, I told myself. He can fight off a giant lizard man. Even as I thought it, I realized I really, really didn't want to see a huge lizard-like alien up close and personal.

Despite how warm I'd just been, the sweat on my skin cooled and tremors wracked my body as the footsteps grew louder. My teeth chattered so hard that I gritted my teeth to keep them from rattling, and I found myself taking shallow breaths in a futile attempt to stay calm. The dog's growl had deepened, a continuous low buzz that seemed to vibrate through the stone beneath our feet.

I glanced back at the other exit to the deeper parts of the caverns, but I knew that as far as we ran, the pursuers would eventually catch up to us. And I despised the idea of running anymore. If we were going to go down, I wanted it to be a fight.

The echoing thuds drew closer, and I cut a look to Dinah, glad she was hiding in the shadows. Maybe they wouldn't see her. The Kronock couldn't care about a cat, could they? My heart twisted painfully at the thought that they would probably take out the dog, and I blinked away hot tears.

"Stay behind me," Maxxon rasped. Maybe he sensed that I was on the verge of throwing myself over the dog.

When the figure finally emerged from the darkness, Maxxon sucked in a breath and the dog stopped growling and started to wag his tail. It wasn't the nightmarish lizard creature I'd been expecting. He appeared to be…human? But as he stepped into the dim light of our alcove, I realized he wasn't.

The hulking creature wore a dark uniform that was clearly military, but not any I'd ever seen. His brown hair was shaggy, falling over his forehead in a way that definitely wasn't regulation, and scruff dusted his cheeks. And was a pendant peeking out from his open collar?

Maxxon exhaled loudly and lowered his blaster, then he thumped his fist across his chest in some kind of salute.

I looked more closely, realizing that I was staring at another Drexian.

"Maxxon of House Kapor?" The warrior retuned the salute. "I am Torven." Another Drexian strode in behind him. "And this is Dakar."

Dakar appeared even less militaristic, with long hair pulled up into a topknot and a roguish grin.

Maxxon nodded, smiling at both Drexians. "I am glad to see you and not the Kronock."

"The Kronock are on the run," Torven said. "Earth forces joined the fight and turned the tide. We were sent to find you after your signal went dark."

Maxxon's brow furrowed. "How long was I off comms? I didn't think I would be detectable so far underground."

"You would not be detectable to the Kronock but your tracking device it detectable to us no. matter how deep beneath rock you go."

I was speechless as the Drexians talked. It was one thing to know that Maxxon was an alien but seeing him with others of his kind was a stark reminder that he was not from Earth.

"Over one human day," Dakar said, his gaze sweeping the cavern and landing on me. He flashed me a charming smile that probably would have made me weak in the knees under normal circumstances. "And who's this?"

Maxxon seemed to stiffen slightly, turning to me and managing a tight smile. "This is Allie. She saved my life and led us to hide in these caverns."

"Good thinking." Torven gave me a curt nod. Clearly, he didn't worry about charm as much as his friend.

"Is she the tribute you came to retrieve?" Dakar asked.

Maxxon's lips became a tight line as he shook his head. "She is not."

My cheeks heated at his words. Why did I care that I wasn't a tribute? Being abducted to an alien space station was the last thing I wanted. Still, it smarted that I was not considered worthy of being kidnapped.

"Too bad," Dakar muttered with a sly wink at me.

Maxxon seemed to grow larger, as if puffing up his chest like an animal going into battle.

"I jest." Dakar slapped a hand on Maxxon's shoulder. " I am happily mated to my own human. I promise not to steal yours."

Maxxon's shoulders relaxed but he started sputtering. "It is not…she is not…"

I understood why he needed to deny anything between us. He'd been sent to retrieve a human, not screw another one. Even so, a pang of disappointment and regret arrowed through me.

"We helped each other survive," I said, trying to keep my voice even. "That's all."

Maxxon fell silent, and I thought some emotion flickered behind his eyes. But it was gone before I could be sure. Besides, he was an alien on a mission., and we'd both been clear about what we were to each other and what it had all meant. Nothing.

Torven cleared his throat. "We're here to take you back. The mission's over, but there is a lot of rebuilding to do."

Maxxon's face was a mask of discipline. "I am ready."

His words were like a body blow. Of course he was ready to leave. This was what he'd been waiting for—rescue—so he could return to his own people.

I glanced down to where the dog had come to sit at my feet, looking up at me with soulful brown eyes, as if he understood exactly how I was feeling. I reached down and ruffled the fur on his head to keep myself from losing it.

"What about the human?" Torven asked, jerking his chin in my direction. "Protocol states we should return her to the nearest safe zone. The Earth authorities are setting up refugee camps."

"No." I startled myself with the firmness in my voice. "I'm not going to any refugee camp. If Earth is free again, I want to go home."

Maxxon stepped forward, his eyes meeting mine. "Allie, it might not be safe. Your neighborhood was hit hard."

"Then I'll deal with it," I said, holding his gaze and willing myself not to cry. "I'm tougher than I look."

Dakar looked between us grinning "Perhaps we could escort her home ourselves? It's not far out of our way, and it would ensure her safety."

Torven looked like he wanted to argue, but after a moment, he sighed. "Fine. But we move fast. I want to be off this rock before nightfall."

I picked up Dinah and tucked her into my bag then fell into step beside Maxxon as we trudged back through the caverns the way we'd entered. As the Drexians discussed the battle, I found myself fighting back a storm of emotions. Relief that the invasion was over. Fear of what I might find when I returned home. And a deep, aching sadness at the thought of saying goodbye to Maxxon.

I glanced at him, only to find him already looking at me. For a moment, I thought I saw a reflection of my own turmoil in his eyes. But then he blinked, and his expression was once again unreadable.

The dog nudged my hand with his wet nose, as if offering comfort. I bent and scratched behind his ears, grateful for the unconditional affection.

When we reached the formerly caved-in section of the caverns, the rock was cleared. Torven and Dakar went through first and then Maxxon stepped through, reaching back a hand to help me.

Even though I could step over the rubble just fine on my own, I took his hand, letting the warmth of his skin tingle up my arm. When he released my hand, my fingers stayed outstretched, as if something was slipping away from me. Something I hadn't realized I wanted until it was too late.