Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Jeneva
The beast's attack had ended so abruptly, Jeneva didn’t have time to fully process it.
Her adrenaline response had prepared her for impact, but it didn’t happen, and her brain was still in flight mode and confused.
The Majaki turned and strode toward the animal. She thought about trying to slink into the shadows to hide but there would be no slinking. She was about as graceful as a drunk giraffe.
He pulled his axe free, wiped it on his thigh and spun back to her.
Her heart hammered painfully as his silver eyes burned into her.
She had just gone from one threat to another.
In five strides, he was in front of her again and waved one big hand in a "come with me" motion. Jeneva’s sluggish brain couldn’t formulate a reaction, so she continued to stare at him, her body tense, still waiting for the worst to happen. He could snap her like a twig if he wanted to.
Maybe he wanted to.
Did he want to?
The Majaki was huge, broad and heavily muscled. His bare arms and torso were covered in a pattern of light green and silver that looked a bit like snakeskin in the soft light.
He was humanoid but different. There was more to his pronounced human-like nose, lips, and jaw. Each feature had lines slightly different than a human, reminding her that he was something other.
But even scowling and dangerous, he was achingly handsome in a fierce, untamed way that made her stomach flutter inappropriately given the circumstances.
He had said something about her being his now.
Shock melted away, allowing her brain to function again. He was motioning for her to go with him, like she belonged to him.
No, no.
“Thank you,” she gushed. “I’m going back to the colony now.”
“No.”
No?
Warmth spread through her body, surprising her with how out of place it was in the moment. It was just that, he was so… so…
Striking.
Except for the massive axe in his hand.
Okay, he was still terrifying.
“I really need to leave now.”
“I will not have a human death on my conscience. On your feet.”
His eyes moved to the scattering of papers around her. Bending to retrieve one, he stared at it intently before handing it to her.
“You dared enter the Nexxus to sketch flowers?”
Jeneva folded the sheet and tucked it in her pocket. “That one was a leaf, thanks. Not that it matters. Listen, I’m sorry for trespassing. It’s my fault for not learning all of the rules.”
He suddenly looked over his shoulder. Her senses went into high alert. “What is it? What?”
Jeneva instinctively wanted to move closer to him, to let him shield her with his body, and immediately chastised herself for the thought. She was at the bottom of the food chain here, the weakest link. Why would he continue to expend energy to keep her safe?
Survival of the fittest didn’t just apply to life on Earth.
“Get up.” His hard tone furthered her anxiety.
Realizing she still had the knife in her lap, she considered keeping it close, but her hands were shaking so much she would be worthless to wield it anyway.
She slipped it into the pack and looked for the walking stick.
Driven by the pulse of urgency, she cursed under her breath when she didn’t see it and tried to push herself up.
She managed to stand on her left leg, but the right crumpled and she nearly jerked to the ground. But strong hands caught her first.
"We do not have time to wait for your human fragility."
In one swift motion, he tossed her over his shoulder, picked up her pack and began striding through the forest with infuriating ease.
Too shocked to be insulted, she glanced down at his muscular back, noticing that his skin was indeed comprised of small green and silver scales. They were smooth just like human skin and his body heat was insane.
“Where are we going?”
“Away from predators. To my home.”
His home?
He could have easily left her there to fend for herself. They didn’t know each other, and he had no obligation to help her. It felt strange to have someone extend kindness like this. Unless he had something else in mind.
“What will happen when we get there?” Panic fluttered in her belly again.
“You will sleep. I will sleep. And I will take you to the colony when the suns come up.”
Where Rusik would promptly throw her back into a prison cell.
Jeneva watched the glow of the forest fade as the Majaki took her deep into darkness.
He hadn’t gone much farther when a light popped on ahead of him, and she watched as his boots cleared four steps.
There was a beep and the sound of a lock opening, then they were walking through a doorframe. He set her on her feet.
Jeneva instantly grabbed a hold of him to keep from falling. His arm slid around her waist at the same time, as if he sensed she needed support. He kicked the door closed, watching her intently.
Her skin flushed at the press of his arm against her body. Once again, he had helped her as if knowing exactly what she needed.
He waved his free hand and soft lights turned on from above.
Jeneva steadied herself the best she could and glanced ahead of her where the short hallway opened into a large room.
The floor was recessed with three steps going down.
A tall fireplace reached the ceiling. Warmth from the fire lightly touched her skin and she hadn't even realized she was cold until just then.
Large floor cushions were tucked into the semi-circular recess facing the fire.
It looked like a nest. A perfect, warm, cozy nest.
“Enter,” he moved past her and lowered her bag to the floor.
Unsure of how steady she would be, she took a small step, then another. He held his hand to her and Jeneva took just in case. His long, strong fingers cradled her much smaller hand with so much tenderness, she forgot for a moment how much he intimidated her.
She glanced at him through half-lowered lids.
Or did he?
His features had softened considerably, making him appear more human. Not his eyes, though. They were still bright with a wild light that made her insides flutter.
“How did you walk to the Nexxus when you have such trouble?”
He helped her down the steps and guided her to a fat cushion. Without preamble, he gripped her hips and plopped her upon it. Jeneva gasped and grabbed his forearms as he maneuvered her. The cushion cradled her body as she sank into its amazing comfort.
“I have a forearm crutch that I wear but I lost it when that thing tried to eat me.”
He seemed to think about this. “Forearm crutch. A brace to assist ambulation. Used in twenty-first century medicine on Earth.”
Ah, he had tapped into his implanted translator’s information database. She wasn't aware that the Majaki had the same translator research capabilities as most humans did in the colony.
“That is an outdated device.”
“Yes, I’m very aware.”
Hands on his hips, he looked at her like she was a naughty child. “Why do you use such a useless tool when an implanted femoral mobility device is available?”
She wasn’t going to answer that. Spilling her sob story to her host was pointless. He was taking her back to the colony tomorrow and she would soon be gone from Asemsa.
Tucking her shoulder length blonde hair behind her ears, she willed herself to relax and enjoy the heat from the fire. As if realizing she wasn’t going to answer, he tended to the fire by stirring it with a metal stick.
A delicious scent radiated through the room. She had noticed a faint hint when they had walked in but had been too trepidatious to fully comprehend it.
“That smells like cinnamon!”
An immediate smile spread on her lips. She inhaled deeply. How could that be? "And nutmeg? And... wait." She sniffed again, growing increasingly flummoxed. "It smells exactly like pumpkin pie.”
"What are these things you speak of?"
"Earth spices. But there's no way you'd have—did someone bring Earth spices to Asemsa?"
“Were you not inside the human colony? You would know, yes?”
“I wasn’t…I guess I didn’t notice.”
He tipped his head and looked at her strangely.
“What’s your name?” Subject change, again. “I’m Jeneva.”
“Methic.” He grabbed furs from a chest and a thick cloth that looked like a blanket.
Despite his gruff demeanor, there was something magnetic about him. The way the firelight caught the shades of his skin, the controlled power in every movement, the sharp intelligence in those silver eyes.
She shook her head. Absolutely not. She was not developing an attraction to her grumpy, forest-dwelling captor.
Even if he had saved her life.
Even if he was unfairly handsome.
Methic turned to face her, and she realized he had been watching her watch him. Heat crept up her neck.
"Remove your clothing and get into bed," he said flatly.
Jeneva's jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"
"Remove your clothing so you may enter my bed." He gestured toward a doorway that presumably led to a bedroom.
"Absolutely not!" Her cheeks flamed. "I'm not—we're not—no thank you.”
He cocked his head, brow furrowed, genuinely confused. "Humans sleep in their clothing?”
"I mean—some do, but—" She sputtered, trying to find words. "You can't just tell someone to strip and get in your bed!"
"The nights are now cold. Pressing bodies together to share heat is efficient."
She didn’t respond. His eyes widened slightly with what might have been understanding. "Ah. You believe I'm propositioning you for mating."
"Yes!"
"I'm not."
Of course he wasn’t. Why would he? Now she felt ridiculous. "Well. Good."
“You are too weak, too frail for mating. You would never be able to accommodate my…”
His voice trailed off, probably from the look of shock she felt on her face.
With a heavy sigh that conveyed his exhaustion with the entire situation, Methic grabbed more furs and constructed a surprisingly comfortable-looking pallet on the floor near the fire.
"I will add more furs to the bed," he announced. "Then you will be warm while you sleep fully clothed."
He gestured to the room again.
"I can't take your bed."
“It will be easier for you to rise from the bed in the morning than to get up off the floor.”
She wanted to argue, but honestly, he was right. The adrenaline had completely worn off, leaving her shaky and exhausted. Every muscle ached, and her right side throbbed with the familiar pain that never quite went away.
"What else do you require? Food or water? To... relieve yourself?"
The clinical way he asked the last question made her want to laugh and cringe simultaneously. "No, I'm fine."
"Then we will speak in the morning.”
Before she could respond, he simply walked over, scooped her up and carried her to the bedroom. He deposited her on the bed with surprising gentleness, pulled a fur blanket over her, tucked it in around her body and left without another word.
Jeneva lay there in the darkness, listening to him settle by the fire in the other room. The bed was comfortable, the cabin warm, and despite everything, she felt... safe.
Even with a grumpy Majaki warrior sleeping just one room away.
Even though she had nearly died.
Even though she would be shipped back to that awful ice planet as soon as Rusik got a hold of her.
She pulled the blanket up to her chin, breathing in that impossible spiced scent, and allowed herself one small smile.
Methic. It was an interesting name. Could be said with hard syllables, or with gentle softness. Like a contented sigh.
He had been kind to her, helpful, when he certainly didn’t have to be. She had questions but tonight hadn't been the time to ask them.
One question pushed its way to the front. Why did her pulse stutter and her heart race when he touched her? After so long in the asylum, she had given up the idea of finding someone who made her feel that way. That was her life before. When she wasn’t broken.
This was after, when she was too broken to walk without a crutch. So, no, she absolutely would not be thinking about her rescuer’s brilliant silver eyes or the gentleness of his touch.
No.
Definitely not thinking about that.
Absolutely.
Not.