Other alien men were gathering around us now, staring and calling out as I fought my captor.

“Fuck you, and fuck your fucking stupid sword,” I screamed, wriggling and kicking, trying to do anything to get out of this embrace. The alien holding me said something, gripping me tighter, and the others watching moved closer.

I didn’t like the look of this. At all. Buroudei was nowhere to be seen, and I didn’t trust any of these new guys as far as I couldn’t throw them. Which, considering their impressive weight to my paltry upper body strength, was saying something.

Did I really survive getting abducted on Earth, space travel, and an insane crab attack, only to get snuffed out here, now? It couldn’t be true. Although, I was somewhat heartened to notice that the guy holding me didn’t seem like he was exactly itching to use his weapon on me. He was swinging his head around above me, as if looking for someone. Waiting for instructions?

And then I heard it. An alien howl, primal and furious and powerful beyond measure. Goosebumps exploded over my skin, my hair standing on end at the sound. Suddenly the men standing around watching were practically falling over themselves to get out of the way of something.

Or someone.

Buroudei.

I never thought I’d be so fucking happy to see my alien tyrant. The one who’d kidnapped me. Who’d saved me. Who’d made me come so hard I’d seen stars. Clearly, I wasn’t the only one who thought he was a tyrant – Buroudei was hauling ass, and the other men were basically jumping out of his way. The guy holding me had frozen totally still in submissive fear. To be honest, I was a little scared, too. Buroudei was almost unrecognizable as he hurtled towards us, his face viciously dark, his blade high in the air, about to strike.

Before he could reach us, another alien stepped in, so quick and smooth it was like water. I had no idea where he came from, but suddenly there he was, with his own impressive weapon and a deeply scarred face, knocking Buroudei’s blade to the side. I felt my chest lurch in sick fear, not for myself, but for Buroudei. I didn’t know who this other guy was, but he seemed dangerous. I was pretty certain Buroudei could hold his own, but the thought of him getting hurt, or maybe even dying, was absolutely heart-rending. Which was absurd, considering I’d basically just met the guy. But there it was.

Rapid conversations were happening all around me, words I longed to understand. An impressively tall, older-looking alien spoke, his gruff voice authoritative, and the scarred alien responded. Buroudei looked like he was about to tear the scarred guy’s head off. I need to defuse this. I need to get to him. I couldn’t help but feel that I had somehow caused all this by leaving the tent, even though it had felt like my only option.

In the confusion, my captor’s grip had slackened, and it gave me the chance I needed to slip out from his arms. I raced to Buroudei, clamping onto him with the ferocity of an angry toddler. I had no clue what that would accomplish – I wasn’t exactly keen on the idea of being used as a human shield, but I just knew I had to be with him now. His arm immediately pulled me in, and once again I was struck by how different Buroudei felt to the other alien who had held me. There was a familiarity with him, a warmth beneath the hardness, a seductive sort of safety. I burrowed in closer.

The scarred alien was staring at us intensely. Then he put his weapon away, and I let out a tiny squeak of relief. He said something to Buroudei, and Buroudei responded, his voice a deep rumble that I felt in his chest.

Whatever Buroudei said, it must have been a bombshell. Gasps and tongue clicks of surprise ran through the group, and the scarred warrior’s eye glimmers exploded outward, pulsing. The tall, older alien approached us, speaking rapidly, and I felt Buroudei’s tail thrashing behind us in the sand. They were all looking at me.

Guess it’s time to introduce myself.

I cleared my throat.

“Um. Hello. I’m Cece. From Earth.”

The older alien reared back, and the scarred one’s jaw worked furiously, his expression hard and twisting. Buroudei said something else, gesturing at a large tent, and after a long moment, the scarred alien and the older one, along with a few others, headed towards it as the rest of the men dispersed. Buroudei seemed like he would follow, but then his hands were on me – my hips, my waist, my neck, my jaw. He lowered his forehead to mine, saying something dark and quiet and sweet-sounding, and without thinking I raised my hands to his shoulders. God, his shoulders were huge, the muscles hard as stone. Barbarous male energy radiated off of every inch of him, and it was kind of... doing something to me. I couldn’t lie – seeing him barrelling towards us, weapon raised, ready to defend me at all costs, had been weirdly enticing. I knew I was strong and didn’t need rescuing. That I could take care of myself. At least, that was how it had been on Earth. That’s what Grammy had always told me. But since I’d been abducted, all bets were off in that department. And, frankly, it felt good to have someone on my side, someone who, for some reason, seemed hellbent on protecting me. Even if that someone was now sporting a raging erection.

Heat slammed through me. Something about repeatedly almost dying on this God-forsaken planet was leaving me feeling weird, almost drunk. My inhibitions were fading fast.

“I’m glad you’re OK,” I whispered, my face still turned up to Buroudei’s. He was bent to me, our faces so close the I could count each coppery spark in his alien eyes. My gaze fell to his mouth, then, and I realized I wanted to kiss him. Do aliens even kiss? Whatever. We’d make it work.

Slowly, so slowly, I raised myself on tiptoe and moved my mouth to his.

OceanofPDF.com

OceanofPDF.com

CHAPTER TWELVE Buroudei

My mate was certainly prone to surprising me. Including now, by pressing her mouth to mine. It caught me off guard, and I remained still, waiting to see what else she would do, every muscle thrumming. My hands were like stone against her jaw, and I had to fight to remain gentle, reminding myself that I could crush her if I was not careful.

She made a small sound, her lips softening and parting against mine, her soft wet tongue poking out against my mouth, trying to work its way in. I let her have her way, opening my mouth slightly. She sighed against me – steady, Buroudei, steady – and her single tongue met my three. I felt a shiver run through her body, and my cock pulsed with insistent need against her abdomen.

The people of the Sea Sands used their mouths in all sorts of ways to create pleasure. But this, this pressing of one mouth to another, was usually reserved for mates. It was the first time I had done such a thing with a female. It felt even more intimate than my tongues at her cunt. But it was just as sweet. I felt her make little gasps as the three tips of my tongue brushed hers, working their way into her welcoming mouth, running along her blunt teeth. My tongue in her mouth reminded me of a cock in a cunt, and the image inflamed me. I had to pull myself away, then, my thumb brushing her wet lower lip.

“If I did not have another Gahn and his men waiting for me at my tent, I would have to take you right here on the sands.”

She muttered a long string of her lilting words. And for a moment, I was totally bereft at not understanding her. An ache opened up in my chest, and without thinking I grasped one of her small hands, placing it on my skin, right above that ache.