Page 5 of Protected By the Alien Bodyguard

"Come," Kayla says, tugging my arm. Her touch brushes me to the core as she steps towards a doorway. "They're looking for a person acting suspiciously, right? The fastest way to get noticed is to run or draw attention. Just act normal."

"Normal? And how do you propose that?" I ask, gaze tracking escape routes. Not many left. My claws threaten to break free, the need to fight my way to safety rising.

"They're looking for you alone, right?" She smiles up at me, as if her words solve everything. "Then you aren't alone!"

I don't know what she's implying. Is she planning to turn me in? Assess if I have allies?

Kayla reaches up, cold fingertips grazing my cheeks. A war could be raging around us, but all I’d see are her sparkling green eyes. Time slows as her tiny body presses against mine, soft curves molding to my muscles.

Her hands thread through my hair, rubbing my scalp in a way that has my cokas hardening. My hands instinctively grip her hips, squeezing and kneading. I can’t help but pull her closer. Her breath ghosts over my lips and I breathe her in greedily. Ever since I laid eyes on her, she's occupied my thoughts, laid claim over my soul. I'm not a barbarian. I want all of her, but I won't take more than she's willing to give.

I’m thankful when her lips press against mine. I groan and angle my head, deepening the kiss, yearning for more. When her tongue strokes the seam of my lips, requesting access with such a shy move, I lose all control. I draw her pliant body against mine as I plunder her mouth. My hand grips her slender neck, guiding her exactly where I want her. She whimpers, but the blossoming scent of her arousal fills my nostrils.

I should be focused on escape, on evading the Royal Enforcers. But with Kayla in my arms, all thoughts of danger fade. There's only her, her soft body against mine, her sweet scent surrounding me. I'm utterly captivated.

The Enforcers draw nearer, their armor gleaming. I know I should move, should get us to safety. But Kayla's touch has rendered me helpless, my very being consumed by her. For now, in this frozen moment, nothing else matters but the female in my embrace.

"Lucky bastard's got himself a female," I hear someone say. A familiar voice, though the haze in my mind makes it hard to place.

"Quit lying to yourself. The Goddess Alethara would have you know the only reason you can't find a mate is you haven't got the tools to please one."

Snickers follow the proclamation. The laughter pulls me from my reverie. Once, I would have laughed along, considering such language to be friendly banter among comrades. Now, I see the cruelty.

All it takes is one disastrous moment in time to change your entire life’s perspective.

I gaze into Kayla's eyes, refusing to break our intimate connection, even as the danger of the Royal Enforcers passes. She strokes my cheek, as if savoring this closeness. I've never truly seen myself taking a mate, though there have been plenty of pleasure partners. Looking at Kayla, the idea of returning to the same precious individual every night... I see the appeal.

The sound of clanking armor reminds me we’re not out of the woods yet. Or rather, the heavily regulated and sanitized space station hallway.

“We should keep moving, gorgeous,” I say with a wink. “Unless you’d prefer to get acquainted with our friends in tinfoil over there?”

I take Kayla's hand and saunter through the marketplace, the picture of nonchalance. It's a simple lesson she's taught me. All the while, my mind ponders - how do I convince this female to stay by my side, even once the danger has passed?

Yep, I’m in trouble here... the good kind, for once.

Chapter

Four

KAYLA

The space station is bigger than I could have imagined. Corridors, alleyways, and stalls - I'm completely lost. Not that I really knew where I was to begin with. If I'm left to survive here alone, I'm utterly fudged. So far, Jaraz has been a lifeline, but how long can I cling to it?

"That's the docking bay," Jaraz says, coming to a standstill. I nearly walk into his back.

I glance up, having stopped studying my surroundings. At first everything was new and exciting, then it became overwhelming. Keeping a close eye on Jaraz’s backside and his interesting tail proved safer than having a public breakdown.

The station opens up before us. A series of stairs lead to platforms holding stalls and thousands of aliens. Down, down, and down. My head swirls at the height, the rushing sense I might trip and fall endlessly. Beyond the stairways, huge metal ships hover, and beyond them - space. No metal wall, just a glass window suspending me between that freezing, oxygen-lacking death.

One of the ships hovers closer. A crackling tension fills the air, raising the hairs on my arms, and suddenly a bright light runs across it like a barcode scanner. Great, even alien ships get scanned for coupons.

Jaraz's hand pats mine, and I realize I've clung to his arm, keeping me tethered.

"Pretty standard docking procedure," he says. "The force shield is strong here. I've been in ports where it’s so poorly powered even gravity is affected - you have to be careful not to float off!"

He laughs, like such an experience is novel and exciting. It is not. It sounds positively terrifying.

"A force field? Aren't you scared you'll end up out there and, you know, die?" I ask, refusing to release my white-knuckled hold. The thought of something invisible, intangible, between me and that blackness is not pleasant.

---