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I was not a small woman either. I had more than a few pounds to lose, according to my last tax check-up. According to the scale, I’d crossed the line from overweight to obese. Not only did I have to pay an extra tax for it, but the colony had also limited the types of food I could buy to the most basic.
Since losing my job, I’d only gained more weight from the stress and low-quality food I was able to afford. You’d think that being poor meant I’d be thin. Nope, I just got bigger.
I stepped back involuntarily as Krxare loomed over me, and my back hit the edge of the fountain.
“You are dressed.” He frowned at me. “It is customary to steal the female away and hide her in an aerie, naked, and care for her until she agrees to stay.”
Aerie? Like a nest? The only times I’d heard the word was on nature documentaries. I decided to ask him.
“What is an aerie, and why is it customary?”
“When a male Kadrixan is stricken with the mating bond, it is customary to kidnap the female and keep her alone for days, sometimes weeks, until she agrees to stay with him. The male carries her to his aerie, a nest made high in the cliffs. Female Kadrixans cannot fly. He keeps her there, hunting for her, feeding her, warming her, and learning her body until she agrees to stay with him. If it’s during a rut, he keeps her there for the duration.”
Wait! Did he just say fly? I stared wide-eyed at Krxare. I’d seen the wings on his back, but for some reason, I hadn’t thought they were capable of flight. He was so muscular, so dense. There was no way he could fly, no matter how hard he flapped; forget carrying another person up with him.
“Did you say fly?”
“Did your colony not tell you this?”
“But you’re solid muscle. There’s no way any wings can get you airborne.” Then, realizing I might be coming across as rude, I backtracked. “I mean, that's impressive.” Very impressive.
“Then I will impress you when I take you up to our aerie. I have claimed a nest but have not outfitted it suitably for a mate. I promise you that in a few days’ time, at the start of the rut, it will be ready.” He said it with such conviction it must be something important. “I wish I’d had more time to collect the finest goods this planet has to offer. I wasn’t prepared to meet my mate. I apologize.”
I shook my head, still utterly confused. This wasn’t how I’d imagined my time here.
The awful buzzing came from his belt again, and Krxare made a face so terrifying I shrank away from him.
“I am needed, again. I need to delegate my tasks if I am to complete our nest and spend time with you.” He took me by the hand, and the moment we touched, everything felt right again. He wasn’t so terrifying. “I apologize again.”
I tittered like a schoolgirl. “No, don’t. You have work to do. I don’t need to be babysat. I’ll be fine.” I glanced around the room, wondering what I could do to pass the time.
“This is my quarters in the stronghold. I will program the door to open for you when I’m not around. You only need to approach and wave your hand over the sensor. I regret I must leave you to acquire the bounty for our nest.” He walked us over to the door, took my hand, and held it over a black dot at the center. Moments later, the door opened. “I’ll bring you to the other females so you can join the tour.”
“Wait. You’re leaving me with the other women? What if one of the other ali—er … Kadrixans tries to…” I’d never been particularly shy, but just mentioning sex in front of Krxare had me tongue-tied.
“To maintain order, no males will touch a female until the start of the rut, unless they are destined to be mates or the female asks for the attention. The start of the rut is variable, but we are sure there is still time. No one will touch you.” He turned me to face him. “Except for me. I will touch you because you are mine, and I am yours.”
The last words were no more than growls. The sound, low and enticing, made me tingle everywhere. I inhaled sharply, and he focused on my lips.
“This is a mating ritual our species share,” he said, with a predatory grin that showed off his sharp teeth.
Strong hands tightened on my hips, pulling me into the heat of his body. Then he was on me, his mouth questing for mine. Despite his fangs and teeth, I felt nothing but firm lips and forked tongue. Commanding, demanding, taking every thought I had and turning them into thoughts of him.
A feeling of helplessness had me clinging to his shoulders as he plundered my mouth. He supported me with strong arms as the world around me spun. Giddy with desire, I felt my knees give way as I sagged in his hold. The taste of him was all I could focus on.
A hand threaded through my hair and pulled my head back, exposing my neck to him. He finally released my lips to trail the line of kisses down my jaw and throat. His touch drove me wild, and, despite having my mouth back, it still felt as if I were drowning, unable to breathe. Yet, I wanted more.
Oh god. What was happening to me? What was Krxare doing to me?
He tore his mouth away, panting. “What are you doing to me, female?” The fires in his eyes were bright; they glowed with an otherworldly beauty as if I were the one burning up and not the other way around.
Did I have it all wrong? Was I doing this to him? Was I driving him as wild as I felt even now? Did I hold the power here?
He turned from me and took the few steps to the door, his movements awkward. “Come. I have matters to attend to.”
Chapter 6: Clara
It wasn’t a Kadrixan warrior leading our tour of the fortress. Instead, we were met by a group of human women: volunteers, and voluntolds from previous years. I searched for the women who’d been on the news for choosing to go back to the rut the second year, after returning home to the colony, but couldn’t recognize them.
