4. Xax

Chapter 4

Xax

Z uldrux females did not possess perky nubs in the middle of their breasts. The skin of their globes wasn't creamy or speckled with tiny brown spots like this female. And their breasts weren't a luscious pink in the center.

I could picture my mouth on that area. Sucking.

My cock loved the image as well and lifted some more, pressing against her thigh.

She muttered something I was grateful I didn't understand.

I dragged my mind away from the sight of my mate's glorious breast and focused on her face.

"You lost your stone," I said.

She snarled again.

Huffing at her vehemence, I grinned. My mate would give me brave sons. Strong daughters. I couldn't wait to start producing them.

After gently laying the sign from my god on the ground, I ignored my throbbing cock and tugged another crystal out of the pouch in my loincloth and pressed it into her hand.

"Take care, lovely one," I said. "If you keep losing your stones, you won't understand my commands beneath the bed covers."

The bands of hair above her eyes wedged together. "Hold on. This thing lets me understand you?" She carefully laid the crystal on my chest.

I spoke, and her pretty brown eyes widened. I'd never seen eyes or hair or even skin like hers.

Zuldruxians universally had silver hair and teal eyes that went nicely with our medium-blue skin. The Veerenad lizard clans had light tan skin and dark eyes.

Her skin was pale and speckled with dots. Did the speckles wash off or were they permanent? I liked how they sprinkled her cheeks and marched across her nose.

She plucked the crystal between her finger and thumb and slashed it back and forth in front of my face. "Why do I only understand you when I'm holding this?"

"It's a gift from our gods just like you are, my lovely mate."

"I'm cute, but I'm not lovely."

"To me, you are. As for the stones, I retrieved them from the lake a year ago and now we always carry them with us, because they allow us to understand whoever we encounter."

She held up the stone and blue lights arced off it in the sunlight. "Is it some kind of computerized communication device? "

"I don't understand what computerized means, though yes, it aids in communication."

"Never mind." Clutching the front of her clothing to keep it from gaping again, she scrambled off me and backed away, tripping and nearly falling on her ripe ass.

I leaped up and took her arm to hold her steady.

With a huff, she wrenched away. "Let's get one thing straight. I'm not your bride. You're cute and sexy in your own blue-skinned alien way. And tall, at least seven feet, with muscles bulging in all the right places. Your thighs are bigger than tree trunks back home, and your teal eyes . . ."

"What about my eyes?"

"Some could say they could get lost staring into them."

"What do you say?"

"Not that. I'm not going to jump into your bed and let you claim me as your mate."

"The gods say you're my chosen one." So did my heart. It beat only for this female. I knew this as well as I knew the shape of the wind, the scent in the air when it predicted rain, and the feel of this woman who'd soon lie beneath me.

"What gods are you talking about?" She crooked her neck to peer around. "There's no one here but us."

"They live in the ground, inside some of the crystal structures, in large stones, and within the trees."

"Yeah, okay." Her lips scrunched together. "Gods are everywhere. I get it." She kept a tight grip on the stone, but her fists smacked into her hips. "You can't go around grabbing women and declaring them your bride."

"You're the first and the last. This I swear." I couldn't stop smiling. If my clan traedor saw me, he'd scoff. Maybe even make fun of me. But this was my mate. If I couldn't smile with her, who could I grin with? "I promise I won't claim anyone else. Only you will warm my bedding for the rest of our days."

"Put a rice sack in the microwave if you want heat in your bedding." Her eyes spiraled. "That's not the point I'm trying to make. I have final say in this, and I say no."

"The gods—"

"Your supposed gods have no control over my life. I was kidnapped from Earth." She noticed my frown. "That's the name of my home planet. I was brought here against my will."

Lifting the half-crushed godly offering off the ground, I waved the purple blossom in her face. "This proves you're mine."

The thin bands of hair above her eyes lifted. "If you're trying to impress me with a limp flower, it's not working."

"The gods sent this as a sign. I had nothing to do with taking you from your planet or bringing you here, but they said they'd tell us when they were gifting us with a bride." I waved the stalk some more. "This proves it's you. Us. We're fated mates."

"I'm not buying this."

"A mating is not for sale."

"I'm not your mate!" She lowered her voice. "Are your gods affiliated with the robocops back on Earth?" Her head shook from side to side. "I can't believe I'm even discussing something like this with you. This story is straight out of a sci-fi romance, and I won't have it." Her tiny foot stomped on the ground. "I don't care if your gods offer to massage my back each night, set up a tea shop for me, or keep Tito from following me here to kill me. I still won't be your bride."

" Who wants to kill you?" I growled. I tightened my grip on the plant stalk and glared around. " Who ?"

"Tito's back on Earth. There's no way you can reach him from here."

"I will kill anyone who threatens my mate."

"Too bad you weren't there when the robocops grabbed me."

" Who grabbed you?" I was fuming, determined to rip someone apart, but there was no one here but us and a few drettires chittering in the canopy overhead.

"The robocops are also back on Earth," she said with a sigh. "Forget killing anyone for me for a moment, would you?"

I puffed out my chest. "Know that I will give my life for you."

"Devotion's a wonderful attribute and appealing in some ways, but you don't even know me. Maybe learn more about me before you offer to sacrifice yourself to protect me. I might not be someone you want to spend the rest of your life with. I could fart all night, ignore you when you share your problems, or even be excessively jealous of the ladies in your . . . "

"Clan?"

"Yes, clan."

I pressed my fist against my chest. "If you release them, I will adore your farts. I will speak louder when I share my problems to ensure you hear. And if you're jealous, I will take you to our bed and show you in a thousand ways that you don't need to fear me being with anyone else."

Her brow furrowed. "A thousand ways?"

"At least."

She lifted her hand, exposing her palm my way. "Forget about all that for now. The point is, I'm not your mate. You don't need to do anything for me." Her chin lifted, and I admired how brave and strong she appeared despite her tiny size. "I can take care of myself. I can also defend myself."

"I will always protect you," I said fiercely.

Fists formed at her sides, and her face turned a dark pink. "I'm not your mate!"

"Let me take you back to my clan, where we can discuss it further." Surely once she was inside my home, she would see I was right.

Then we could start creating younglings, perhaps even tomorrow night.

"We have nothing to discuss," she said.

"I won't make you do something you don't agree with." Persuasion was something altogether different. The gods wouldn't have gifted her to me if she wasn't capable of loving me until my dying day. Once she realized this, she'd agree .

She stomped her foot once more. "Chasing me through the woods while waving that purple thing around and shouting that I'm your bride is pretty much trying to make me do something I don't agree with."

One could see it this way.

I wasn't sure I did. "I've waited a lifetime for you." Could she hear the way my voice tightened around the words? Could she feel the way my heart throbbed only for her? For so long, I'd ached for a mate, for someone I could talk to. I pictured us lying in the grass at night, staring at the stars. Preparing meals together. Slumbering beneath the bedding on a chilly morning.

Stark pain sliced through my chest, stealing my breath. Surely, she wouldn't reject me?

"If you come with me," I said, "I promise I'll try to restrain myself."

" Try came through loud and clear in your statement."

"Yes, it did. What do you expect? You're my mate. Naturally, I'm eager to claim you."

Her gaze shot to my loincloth again where my cock stirred, and the lines on her forehead tightened. "I can see that. Keep that thing in check."

"I will try."

She huffed.

"The gods are wise. Trust the gift they've given you."

"I assume you're speaking of yourself."

I shrugged, giving her another grin. She was beautiful. Full of spunk. I adored her already. How could I do anything else but smile?

"I'll go with you for now," she grumbled. "But only because I don't think I'll last more than ten seconds here before something kills me."

It was a start, something I could work with.

"I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to protect you." I held out my hand. "I'm Xax."

"Amanda." She tentatively placed her fingers on my palm.

Heat coiled up my arm from her touch. Could she feel it too? From the way she hissed and snatched her hand away, clutching it against her chest, she did.

"Welcome to the planet Zuldrux," I purred. "It's nice to meet you, Amanda."

"Maybe, Xax. I'm still not sure about any of this. We'll have to wait and see." Her wedged brow persisted.

It was clear she had reservations, and I couldn't blame her. I wasn't sure how I'd feel if I found myself in her situation.

But the gods had not made a mistake.