Page 3 of Taming the Alien Outlaw
I bite down hard.
Janik curses and draws back. Blood appears on his lips, and the coppery taste hits my tongue.
He bends, and his shoulder digs into my gut as he throws me over it so I’m face-down and ass-up. I struggle within the confines of the stupid cloak he’s got wrapped around me. When I can’t get loose to fight and punch, I do the thing his stupid kiss prevented before: scream.
Janik takes off with me and my cry ends on a harsh exhale as all the air’s expelled from my lungs by the hard bounce against his broad frame.
“Put…me…down…you…jackass.”
He doesn’t listen. Instead, his pace quickens. Pounding footsteps follow, and I have no idea who’s behind us, since I can’t lift my head without my hair obstructing my view.I knew I should have worn a fancy updo. Even if I can’t see what’s behind me, maybe I can see what’s beside us.
I turn my head to catch a glimpse of what buildings we’re passing to determine what direction we’re going. Except it’s no use. Everything’s a blur. I’m distracted by the nausea and the woozy sensation from all the blood rushing to my head. He’s making so many turns, I’m completely lost. I’m not sure I’d be able to find my way during daylight hours.
“Damn it, Janik.” It comes out on a breathless whisper. If I could draw in more air, I’d scream, but every time I try, the wind is knocked out of me.
He continues ignoring me while the air gets cooler and darker. Like we’re someplace lights don’t reach. Finally, he slows from a rapid clip to a jog to a brisk walk. My head is pounding and stuffy from all the blood pooled in it. Now that I’m not bouncing around, my fighting instincts kick in, and I struggle within his hold.
“Listen to me, asshole. Put me down right now, or I swear I’m going to barf down your back.”
Janik comes to an abrupt halt, and then I’m flying in mid-air, suspended for only a split second before I’m on my feet. My hair is a tangled mess, dangling half in front of my face. The worstcase of head-rush hits me, and black spots dance in my eyes. I meet the gaze of the cocky bastard who just kidnapped me and open my mouth to spit out some insult, but the words don’t escape.
Instead, everything around me goes dark.
Chapter 2
Janik
The female’s—Olivia’s—eyes drift shut, and her entire body goes slack. I catch her before she falls to the ground and hoist her into my arms. Her head lolls against my shoulder, and for a brief moment—with her sweet breath caressing my flesh—the maddening rage that has been rushing through my veins calms. It’s still as though I’m on the brink of incineration, but the voice roaring in my mind to kill and destroy grows quieter.
I slowly breathe, taking in a fresh scent that I recognize as hers, and finally, the voice is gone. In its wake is want. Need. Desire. I scan Olivia’s face. Her eyelids flutter and part, widening further when her gaze meets mine.
“Janik?” she says my name in a hushed, breathy tone that hardens my cock.
Twice now I’ve held Olivia in my arms and this second time is even better than the first. Perhaps because of the way I cradle her and how soft she feels in my embrace. Our initial meeting, when we collided in the market center and I grasped her waist tokeep her from falling, was far too short of contact. The memory of her threatening to knee me in the sac makes me want to laugh.
The softness of her body doesn’t match the hardness in her eyes.
“You son of bitch,” she spits out and flails in my arms requiring me to tighten my hold for fear of dropping her. “What did you do to Lorik?”
Newly subdued anger flares to life again at the mention of another male’s name. “Peace, female. Other than a few bruises, he’s fine.” At least I believe him to be. The minute I took off with Olivia, I sensed Ryvik’s presence directly behind me. He had left Alik’s guard breathing.
I glance back, now that we are within the safety of the rainforest, and spot Ryvik maintaining a clear distance between us with a wary tilt to his head and several bleeding cuts on his face. I’m uncertain if his wariness is because of the female I hold or because of the rage that had taken over when I spotted Olivia walking with the guard.
She stills, and I turn my gaze downward. Her eyes are narrowed, her features hard. “I told you before—it’s not female. We have names. Now, put me down, and get me out of this damn cloak.”
Carefully, I set her on her feet and disentangle the fabric. Olivia attempts to smooth her tangled hair, and straightens the stunning Bohnari clothing I am only just now noticing she wears. She turns in a slow circle and takes in our surroundings, pausing briefly on Ryvik before she continues her circuit and faces me again.
“Where did you bring me? No, scratch that,whydid you take me, and when are you taking me back?”
The answer to Olivia’s where question is a secret. No one outside of the rebels knows where we make our camp. As for the why? I don’t have an answer, other than instinct.
“Perhaps I’m not. Perhaps I’d rather keep you.”
Her mouth falls open. “Excuse me? You can’t just fucking keep me here like a prisoner.”
“Why not?” Baiting Olivia shouldn’t be this much fun, but it is.
She actually growls and punches her fists toward the ground. Then she pivots and stomps toward where Ryvik remains standing, which also happens to be the direction she would need to continue heading to find herself at the city border. He side-steps directly in front of her, and she pauses for only a moment before walking around him. Or at least she tries to.
