Page 18 of Taming the Alien Outlaw
I hand her the fruit, but unlike last night when I passed her the glass of tavese, I make sure we don’t touch. My control is barely hanging on by a thread, and I don’t know what will happen if my flesh brushes against hers.
She casts a quick glance up at me, but turns her attention to Mak who’s slid to a halt at our feet.
“Sit,” Olivia commands, but her tone is gentle.
Still, Mak complies.
“Good girl.” She holds the sweet out and as usual, Mak takes it from her with great care. “Will she let me pet her?”
“Next to the lulesh berry, affection is her favorite thing.” The phinnek hasn’t received nearly enough attention from me of late, since my focus has been on rebellion planning.
Olivia carefully strokes Mak’s head and behind her ears. With each one, her confidence grows, and soon she’s scratching her with both hands and speaking to her in nonsensical words about being a pretty baby.
“How could I have ever thought you were scary?” Olivia coos. “You’re a big sweetie, aren’t you?”
“She’s your friend for life now.” I’m not at all envious of the phinnek.
“Quinn would love this.”
“Quinn?”
She glances up at me. “My best friend. The one mated to Horek.”
Ah, yes, I vaguely recall the female Olivia had been with that first time in the market when we collided. I’d had eyes for no one but Olivia.
“Do you not have animal companions on Earth?”
“Not those of us from the bottom tier. We can barely afford to survive on our own. No way can we also care for a pet.” She glances at Mak. “I mean animal companion.”
“Is that what made you come to Bohna? To have a better life?”
“Yes, and to become a wife and mother,” Olivia says.
“You could become neither of those on your own planet?” I am barely able to push the words from my mouth with my jaw clenched as tightly as it is. My fangs descend and pierce the skin on the inside of my lip at the mere thought of her with another male. Blood drips from the wounds and spreads across my tongue.
“Of course Icouldhave, but what kind of life would that be? I don’t want my kids just surviving or barely getting by. I want them to thrive. To be kids for as long as they can and not have to work so they can help make sure we have a roof over our heads and protein bars in our bellies like I had to.”
By the time Olivia finishes speaking, her voice has grown slightly hoarse, and tears sparkle in her eyes.
“I’m sorry that is the kind of life you were forced to grow up in.” It’s no wonder she’s a survivor.
Olivia waves off my apology. “It doesn’t matter anymore, because that life is in my past. As soon as Alik and Horek sendin the cavalry and I’m back in Preska, I plan on finding myself a Bohnari husband.”
An image of her beneath some faceless male appears in my mind and a growl erupts from deep inside my chest at the same time a sharp pain rips through my belly. I double over with agony.
“Shit.” Olivia’s hand grips my shoulder and greater agony shoots through me. “What’s happening, Janik?”
I try to breathe through it, to clear the burning sensation that’s eating me from the inside, but I’m struggling. The only thing keeping me from destroying everything around me is Olivia. My one thought is her. The way she smells. The softness of her skin against mine, and the uncontrollable need to discover what her cunt tastes like. I want nothing more than to tear off her clothes and fuck her. Seed her. See her belly swell with my young.
“What did you do to him?” A shrill voice belonging to someone I know I should recognize rings loud in my ear.
“Nothing,” Olivia cries out. “We were just talking, and then whatever this is happened.”
A hand that doesn’t belong to Olivia lands on me, and I snap and bare my teeth at its owner. “Don’t touch me.”
“Janik, it’s your mother. You need to calm down.”
Blindly, but also somehow knowing exactly where she is, I clutch Olivia’s arm and manage to lift my head to meet her gaze. “Take me to my house.”
