Chapter Twelve
Aphrodite stood in a forest unlike anything she’d seen in textbooks.
They were skinny and tall with bulbous heads of foliage.
Branches and leaves of muted pinks and purples.
The bark was a deep rose with plum veins.
The clovers beneath her feet bloomed with her touch.
Thick bunches of swirling colors, soft as silk, and bouncy.
Bushes of rainbow-colored leaves, flowers that opened and retreated into the bush at any movement.
There was sunlight but it wasn’t direct.
It cast shadows through the trees at a forty-five-degree angle.
Fresh water flowed in creeks through the forest. The ship parked over a massive lake of water.
While others on the ship took the opportunity to rest or swim or climb the mountainous terrain on the other side of the forest, all of Xexis’ men were given one directive- The mating hunt was not to be disturbed.
They were armored and prepared to keep sentient beings from wandering into the forest while Xexis chased his mate.
The rules were simple—there were no rules.
Xexis would not harm her. His intention was to best her and claim her in the forest. Her purpose was to either win or decide when that happened.
Excitement turned her stomach into a churning sea of bubbling soda.
It burned and made her giddy at the same time.
Her stitches had healed fully, and she was able to breathe fine.
She was warned that she should still be careful of puncturing or harming the breathers for the first year they were in, but her flesh and ribs had fused with the devices.
Which is why she was in a pair of leggings and a cropped shirt.
She had her data pad strapped to her arm with Velcro—not sure how they found that—and her drone was back.
He even seemed happy, bouncing above her head, and swaying his metal tentacles as she cracked back into her programs. She was given flares, a small knife, and all her tech they’d found on her suit.
Xexis explained he wanted to have as fair a chance as she had before.
Granted, he said the knife was for small creatures or invasive species and not for his throat.
Aphrodite looked at the pocketknife and smiled to herself.
A week or more ago, she wouldn’t have hesitated to bury it in his throat.
Now? Aphrodite couldn’t imagine trying to actually hurt him.
Out run him? Definitely. Wrestle for freedom, kick and scream and give him her best fight?
Absolutely. But she knew how this ended—and for what it was worth, she was excited for it to end.
Xexis waited as she entered the trees. She turned to face him.
It is tradition to face your hunter, or so he said.
She squared her shoulders. Nerves of steel.
He removed his helmet, offering his face to her one last time.
Then, as he secured it back in place, the hunt was on.
Aphrodite broke away from the entrance of the forest. Sending her drone up into the air, she made him scan the trees as she made a break for it.
Her heart thundered like a drum solo in her chest. Arms pumping at her sides, her boots slapped against the bouncy earth.
The breathers kicked in and she could inhale deeply.
Her data pad lit up with a map of the next few miles of forest around her.
The drone dropped through the trees, floating over her shoulder.
She set it to analysis and sent it back to find Xexis.
Other than her own heavy breathing and the crunch of her boots against sticks, there was no sound.
The hollow reverberation was terrifying and exhilarating.
I can’t hear him…meaning he is taking this seriously.
Grinning from ear to ear, she checked her data pad.
Her drone spotted him seconds before he disappeared into the upper canopy.
“Using the trees, huh?” She slowed to a stop, pulling a rubber band out of the pockets she’d strapped to her thighs with Velcro.
Flare in hand, she hoped it wouldn’t catch the forest on fire.
Fuck it. She struck the flare against a piece of flint from her arsenal, loaded it into the rubber band, and aimed above her head.
As he descended from the branches, she shot the flare into the air.
Xexis had to disengage, snatching the flaming stick.
By the time he’d disarmed the flare and discarded it, Aphrodite was already yards ahead.
Her blood pumped hot and fast. His thunderous steps as he chased after her filled her ears.
It muffled the roar of her own heart. She slammed on the brakes and barreled in a new direction, following a creek away from her original path.
Zigzagging over the creek, she checked her map.
There was a massive collection of boulders and trees ahead.
She could get over them and have the high ground.
I don’t know what I’ll do with it, but I’ll have it.
The boulders came into view, and she leapt for the rock face.
Two massive hands wrapped around her waist and yanked her from the air.
Aphrodite and Xexis tumbled down into the creek.
His hands slammed her wrists into the sopping wet muck.
She thrashed back and forth, trying to find an opening.
This isn’t over just yet. She bucked her hips, shifting his weight over her.
He moved to pin her, and she used his massive thighs as a launch pad.
Planting her boots against them, she shot out of his grip and up the creek.
Her drone buzzed over her head. Kicking her way to her feet, drenched from head to heel, she set her drone to disarm.
Aphrodite had seconds to catch Xexis aiming his grappling device at her back before she set off her drone.
Like a spinning top, her metal octopus sliced through the net and wire as it rushed to grab her.
Her body was heavy already; she’d exerted herself too much since healing.
Yet, the excitement and giddiness over a good chase, one she wanted, one she craved, was too much to stop now.
Aphrodite dove for cover behind a thicker collection of trees, her drone whirling to catch up.
She sent it up above her, using its live feed to tell her Xexis’ location.
Her mate lumbered out of the creek. He took cautious steps, scanning the forest with a beam of red light off his armor.
His armor. If she could disconnect it again, she could win.
That’s how she ‘won’ last time. She pressed her wet back into the bark and held her breath.
Calming her heart to a low, steady beat, she prepped for his advance.
His scanner, if it was heat seeking, would find her instantly.
Aphrodite gazed down at the live feed on her data pad. He was creeping toward her location.
Let him fall for the bait. She wasn’t going to cut it this time, but she knew where the connector lay now.
Just at the base of his skull where his head met his neck, there was a small circular ring.
He’d explained before that all his hunters used something called interface.
Armor that works with the brainwaves. When one is hunting, he said, the brain is far easier for a computer to understand.
She reached into her pack strapped to her thighs and dug for her tool kit.
She wouldn’t be lucky to catch him by surprise this time.
A hand dove into her vision and snatched her by the throat.
Nervous laughter and giggles broke out of her mouth.
No time for the kit, just her and the drone.
Xexis pinned her back to the tree. He rounded it, his sharp attention on her.
She tried to push herself out of his grip.
A second hand grabbed her right leg, and she was hoisted into the air.
He tucked between her legs, seating himself against her.
Aphrodite smiled down at him, hands fighting the firm grip he had over her throat.
He cocked his head. She glanced up. He followed her lead.
Her fingers curled to the data pad on her wrist and set it into disarm.
Disarm him, now! The drone dropped down from the trees.
His grip loosened as he went to grab the drone.
Aphrodite had a split second. She planted her feet and hands against the tree and shoved as hard as she could.
He didn’t fucking budge.
“Fuck!”
He snatched the drone out of the sky and pressed the power button at the center of its head. It whirled, fighting till it was offline. He dropped it like a baseball to the earth and returned his attention to her. She kicked and thrashed in his hands. “Not fair, I can’t overpower you!”
There was a rumbling, deep in his chest, laugh that made her break out in goose bumps.
He spared a free hand to his helmet. It clicked then released from his face with a hiss.
Xexis dropped it over the drone before returning his gaze to her.
It was smoldering and hungry. She’d seen him kind and patient and confused and hurt…
but this…even across millions of light years and billions of species, one language was the same.
Desire. And her hunter was hungry for his prey.
“You win,” she breathed. He lowered her from the tree. “You can claim your mate now.”
“You’ve once again proven,” he exhaled heavily, setting her fully onto her feet. His other hand let go of her leg to snatch her hair. A gasp broke through her lips as he wrenched her head backwards. His body pressed into hers, engulfing her. “That you are meant for me.”