Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
The evening following their scalding-hot tryst was benign by comparison.
Ella and Draikis’s attraction was absurdly evident when they were together, and they came to the conclusion that perhaps they should distance themselves a bit, especially given the increasingly critical stares Ella drew every time she was around the other brothers.
It wasn’t her fault. She had been brought in as an injured survivor. A victim. But now that she bore no signs of her previous ordeal, grumblings about this outsider female remaining in their midst were increasing.
No one dared voice them directly to Draikis.
At least, not in a way that would be perceived as a direct attack on the woman he’d taken under his wing.
Her recovery was a testament to his careful attention to her healing process, after all, and that reflected well upon the brotherhood as a whole.
But that didn’t mean they had to like having her there.
Draikis brought her a delightful selection of foods for her dinner, but as others saw him when he arrived with it at her quarters, he reluctantly handed off her meal then bade her a good evening. His eyes said what his full lips could not, and Ella very much felt the same.
“Tomorrow?” she asked as he turned to leave, the ache in her belly growing warmer from his mere presence.
He turned, a slight flush to his cheeks in spite of his best efforts.
“An outing,” he replied. “I thought you would enjoy visiting one of the local villages we trade with. You’ve seen much of Norvalian lands, it is about time you sampled the sights and delicacies of somewhere new.”
If only he knew the reality of her situation.
That she had never seen any other aliens outside the Raxxians who had snatched her up.
Everything was a delightfully novel experience, but even Draikis could not be confided in.
Not yet. Her outsider status would put him at risk as well, given the time he’d spent with her, not only healing but also vouching for her.
Soon. I’ll tell him soon. But not just yet.
“I’d love that,” she replied, a smoldering heat to her happy grin.
“Then it’s settled. I will gather you tomorrow morning. I’ll ensure a hardy breakfast is delivered to you beforehand. We will take one of the small transport craft, but there will still be a good deal of walking involved, and I wouldn’t want you to be lacking in the energy department.”
His words referred to their outing, but the gleam in his eye carried a much more intimate meaning that made her pussy throb.
“Tomorrow it is. See you then.”
Reluctantly, she closed her door, her entire body buzzing with want.
“Get ahold of yourself, El. Tomorrow is soon enough.”
It was a pretty convincing statement, she thought, but her body protested vehemently, reminding her just how much she craved Draikis, thoughts of their stupidly hot encounter earlier that day burning her mind’s eye.
Ella ate in quiet reflection, enjoying the fare as she replayed their encounter over and over.
The little details that mattered. The way he was so powerful and commanding, yet tender and present at the same time.
Yes, he’d used her for his pleasure, just as she’d wanted him to, but in so doing he was also dialed in on her own needs, reading her like a book and ensuring she was satisfied. And then some.
She moved to her bed and lay back, her fingers sliding between her legs, her body already quite primed and ready for release.
Ella rubbed between her folds, her breath ragged in her throat with delight.
She knew she should take it easy, given the meal she’d just enjoyed, but her swelling clit had other things in mind.
“Oh, yeah,” she groaned, enjoying the inside-your-head TV replay of their encounter. So primal. Direct to the point. And hot damn, so satisfying.
Ella came hard and fast, the tingles in her legs and arms leaving her a floppy mess for a few minutes as she basked in the afterglow. It was a wonderful feeling, but nowhere near the real thing.
“Tomorrow,” she murmured, wondering what new delights might be on their sensual menu.
Time would tell.
She woke energized and ready to take on the world, the covered tray of food outside her door a welcome end to her overnight fast. Her meal devoured with gusto, Ella prepared for the day, energized and excited, both for the outing, which would be exciting in its own regard, but even more for her time with Draikis.
The rune on her chest pulsed, glowing faintly at the thought of him, the connected runes across her body tingling slightly as it shifted in her flesh.
It had been an interesting occurrence, the changing of this rune on her chest. It had started small and of an ornate, delicate design, but as she and Draikis spent more time together it had grown into something new, and her attachment to him had only intensified in the process.
“Maybe there really is something to this thing,” she mused, running her fingertips across the design.
Draikis’s Infala, like all in the order, had supposedly been silenced, rendered cold and inert by powerful blocking runes, but she’d seen his Infala up close and personal, and it was dormant no longer.
The black pigment may have still inhibited it, but it was fighting a losing battle.
An opinion that was only reinforced when he picked her up for their outing.
The draw was unmistakable, and it was hard for them to keep their hands off each other on the walk to the landing area where their little transport craft was waiting.
It was self-piloting, like an air taxi that would automatically get them to their destination in the safest and smoothest way possible.
That meant the lovers had ample time to make out like hormonal teens once the door had sealed.
The flight was short, all things considered, and that was probably a good thing. Once they started down the sexytime road, there was no telling how long things might go on.
“That’s our destination,” he noted as a small town full of colorful awnings and tents surrounding a few gleaming spires that looked incredibly high-tech by comparison.
“The core structures are for interstellar business as well as housing for the higher-ranked members of the society. The rest is a more primitive culture where trade and barter are the order of the day.”
Draikis began removing his clothing.
“What are you doing? Not that I mind.”
He chuckled, quickly putting on some plain clothing, though not before she caught sight of his obvious arousal, now tucked firmly against his belly beneath his clothing.
“The priestly garb can draw a bit of attention, and I want you to be able to enjoy the city without any discomfort.”
Ella’s body felt flush at the idea. “You mean we don’t have to be so careful?”
“Exactly. I selected this location not only because I felt you would enjoy it, but also because my sect never visits this region unless there has been unrest requiring our services. And there has not been any of that in quite some time. Here, we’re landing.
Stay close, and enjoy yourself. The populace tends to be rather outgoing. ”
The ship touched down without so much as a shudder, the door opening to a clean landing field dotted with other small transports. Larger ships were visible in the distance at a proper spaceport, but this was more for local hoppers, and as such, scrutiny was minimal.
“Shall we?” Draikis asked, stepping outside, then turning and holding out his hand.
Ella took his hand in hers and allowed him to help her out, though she did not really need his assistance. Notably, he did not release his grasp. Rather, he turned and began walking, leading her into the nearby marketplace hand-in-hand, close by her side, just like any other couple might do.
But this was certainly no ordinary couple.
“This is incredible. The smells, the cool stuff everywhere.”
“I’d hoped you’d enjoy the Korvakian marketplace. It’s a favorite of mine for precisely those reasons. And once we walk the city for a bit, we’ll stop by for lunch on the way back to the transport. A little sampling of the local fare, if you’re up for it.”
“Up for it? You know I am.”
“I figured as much. Come on, there is a lot to show you.”
They veered through the marketplace stalls, weaving this way and that.
Draikis had spent a fair bit of time here and knew his way around.
And while the uniform look of the Norvalians had been a thing back at the compound, here there were others of his race dressed normally, just as he was.
Unless he bumped into someone he actually knew, they would be totally anonymous.
Hours passed in a flash, Ella’s mind filled with so many new sights and information.
She was the first human to ever see all of this, she marveled, though she couldn’t admit that part out loud.
And to see it with this beautiful man at her side, his arm casually draped over her shoulder or around her waist as they walked?
It was as close to perfect as she could have asked for, given the circumstances.
True to his word, Draikis stopped at nearly a dozen small kiosks and food carts, the alien tech used to prepare the dishes almost going unnoticed as Ella simply treated it like any other outdoor marketplace.
And once she got past the colors and morphology of the vast assortment of alien races, it really was.
Appetites sated, Draikis paid the last vendor and led Ella back to their craft, but taking the long way so she could see more of the city on the way.
It wasn’t until they turned down a small alleyway to cross back to a main avenue that the four husky men following them made their presence known.
“Hey, you!” the muscular, orange-skinned leader said, stepping out from the wall he’d been leaning against and blocking their path. His three associates moved in from behind, blocking the couple in.
“I do not wish for any trouble,” Draikis said calmly, his arm around Ella, relaxed in appearance, but she could feel the tension in his muscles.
“Give me your credits and you won’t have any.”
“Of course. Please, we will do as you ask.”
Draikis pulled the currency he’d been using from his pocket and tossed it to the man. He counted it then stuffed it in his pocket. “What else do you have?”
“I assure you, that is the only currency I am carrying.”
The man’s gaze flicked to the woman at Draikis’s side. “Hmm. I think we’ll take her too.”
Ella felt her man’s arm drop from around her shoulder, a dangerous energy suddenly flowing from his Infala to hers. This wasn’t the sort of power they’d shared in their intimate moments. This was something else. Something a bit scary.
“Please, you don’t want to do this. Take the money and leave us be.”
“You think you can tell me what to do? There are four of us, in case you hadn’t noticed. And we’re going to take turns on your little—”
It was over so fast Ella had to replay what had just happened in her mind to make sense of what she’d just seen.
Draikis had moved like a blur, not waiting for their assailants to make the first move.
Not where his woman was in jeopardy. His fist flew out hard and fast right into the leader’s throat, dropping him in an instant, gasping for air.
A quick knee to the face silenced his frantic gasps.
Before the other three could even react, deadly blows rained down upon them, the priest not focusing on just one of them, but rather attacking all three at once, ensuring none were able to retaliate while he was dealing with their comrades.
Brutal kicks and powerful elbows slammed into the men, each crumpling in a heap from the sheer force of his violent flurry. And then, as quickly as it had begun, it ended.
Draikis spun, his hands clutching Ella by the shoulders. “Are you okay?”
“I-uh,” she gasped in shock.
He grabbed her hand and pulled. “Come. We must leave immediately.”
She rushed after him, leaving the four attackers out cold on the ground in their wake.
Their course altered, no longer taking the scenic route.
Draikis bee-lined back to their transport, the little craft in the air before anyone on the ground could sound any sort of alarm, not that a few downed ruffians would be any cause for serious concern.
Once they were aloft, Draikis cleaned the blood from his knuckles, stripped his soiled clothing, and slipped back into his priestly attire, then sat quietly beside Ella, his hand on her leg, his eyes full of concern and love.
“I am so sorry you had to experience that.”
“You…”
“Yes, I know. I apologize for your having to witness that side of me. It has been a very, very long time.”
“But there were four of them. Four, Draikis. And they were bigger than you.”
“Size does not matter nearly as much as some might think.”
She shook her head, still more than a little shocked by the turn of events. By his unlikely skills. “How did you even do that?”
He sighed. “As I said, I wasn’t always a priest. I had a past—”
“Yeah, you said. But I had no idea you were capable of that.”
Draikis’s shoulders sagged slightly. “I’ve done far more in my past. A past I had distanced myself from. But I would do it all again to keep you safe. I hope you realize that.”
“I do,” she said, feeling it in her heart that this man would stop at nothing to keep her safe.
And while it had been shocking as hell to see him unleash such efficient violence on her behalf, it also turned her on more than a little.
He was so damn virile and manly, more than just muscles and bravado.
He backed it up, but only when he absolutely had to.
That level of competence, of power and control, it made her pussy pulse with want. Want of this incredible man.
Unfortunately, the transport was already beginning its descent. But Ella, crazy as it might be, had an idea.
“You have a minute?” she asked when they set down and the door opened.
“For you, of course.”
“Good. Follow me.”