“But—” she began.
“To answer your question, that’s the reason I took you,” he said, nodding at Zerlix, who had strapped himself in and was glaring at them from across the ship. “And it’s your own damned fault for bringing yourself to his attention. If you had just kept hidden in the back of the hut, he never would have seen you and you’d still be safe on Avria Pentaura.”
“I couldn’t stay hidden!” she exclaimed. “That was my friend’s egg he was trying to take! Her first egg from her very first mating and the fact that it was dark purple makes it sacred to the Orniths! I couldn’t just stand by and let him take it!”
“I wouldn’t have let him take the damn egg,” Dragon growled, losing patience. “But the minute you stepped up and shouted at him, I had no choice but to take you.”
“You did too have a choice,” she snapped. “You could have left me there, on Avria Pentaura! I’m sure he would have forgotten about me once the bunch of you got back to Saurous!”
“You don’t know Zerlix,” Dragon said shortly. “He never forgets. He would have come back for you and you wouldn’t have liked the result.”
“So you kidnapped me in order to protect me?” She didn’t bother to try and hide the sarcasm and doubt in her voice. “I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to do better than that.”
Dragon wasn’t sure how to respond to that—how to convince her that he’d taken her for her own good. But at that moment, the pilot announced over the com-link,
“Getting ready to enter Saurous atmosphere. If anyone’s floating, better strap in quick.”
Reluctantly, Dragon decided it would be better to put the little female back in her own seat.
“Hey, what are you doing?” she demanded, as he shifted her from his lap back to the metal chair beside him and started strapping her in.
“Putting you back before we touch down.” Dragon raised an eyebrow at her. “Besides, I thought you didn’t want me touching you?”
“I don’t.” She crossed her arms over her breasts protectively. “But, well…you are really warm. And it’s so damn cold in this ship!”
“Just wait until you feel the weather on Saurous,” Dragon told her.
Her eyes widened. “It’s colder than this?”
“Considerably.” Dragon leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, trying to ignore the way Zerlix was still glaring at him from his seat across the ship. “Just try to hold still this time, all right? Unless you want to be mashed like a bug by the G-forces.”
She didn’t reply but she didn’t unbuckle herself and try to run again, either, which he considered to be progress. He really was somewhat concerned about how she would handle the climate of Saurous, though. He would have to take her back home to his Clan’s family compound as soon as possible, he decided.
Too bad he didn’t have his vehicle parked at the spaceport—they had gotten there in Zerlix’s flashy red racer and there was no way he was asking his Big Brother for a lift. He didn’t want the Saurian male anywhere near his female.
The possessive thought made him frown. Really, the little feela wasn’t his at all—he had only taken her to protect her. But he couldn’t stop the low growl that rose in his throat when he thought of Zerlix getting anywhere near her.
Well, for all intents and purposes, she was his, Dragon decided. He had Claimed her, after all, so now he was responsible for her safety and well-being. He must clothe her and feed her and keep her safe—that was the Saurian way when a male Claimed a female. Eventually, when Zerlix lost interest, he would release her. But in the meantime, he had to keep her close.
He just hoped he could get her home without her freezing to death.
7
Bobbi huddled in the icy metal seat, wondering miserably if the landing in the Saurian ship would be as bad as the take-off had been. And was Saurous really as cold as the big Kindred called “Dragon” had indicated?
But she had more than the touch-down of the ship and the temperature of the planet they were headed for to worry about. What was going to happen to her once they got to Saurous? Why had the big Kindred really taken her?
She didn’t buy his excuse that he was protecting her for one minute. But then, what did he actually intend to do with her? All the Kindred warriors she knew—the ones who lived on the Mother Ship—were respectful and protective of women. But did they have a genetic disposition to such behavior or was it just the culture they were raised in?
According to Dragon, he had been raised by the Saurians, who clearly didn’t give a crap about women—at least, if the awful Zerlix was any indication. So would he ultimately act like a Kindred or a Saurian? Which part of him would decide her fate—his DNA or his cultural conditioning?
I guess I’m about to take part in one of the most intense Nature vs. Nurture experiments ever, Bobbi thought unhappily. It would have been fascinating if she was just observing the situation. But since she was actually living it, she wasn’t nearly so amused.
If only there was some way to contact the Kindred of the Mother Ship! Unfortunately, there wasn’t and they weren’t supposed to come check on her for another month.
A lot can happen in a month, Bobbi thought grimly. I might be dead by the time the Orniths tell them what happened and they come looking for me.
Because she had no doubt that Commander Sylvan would send a rescue team for her once he found out her fate—he was an honorable male and he took the safety of the people under him seriously.
The question was, would anyone he sent be on time to save her?
She just didn’t know. She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. God, it was so cold in this damn ship! After living in a semi-tropical climate and wearing next to nothing for the last six months, she was ill prepared for the chilly Saurian transport.
She cast a glance at Dragon who was sitting to her left. She hadn’t liked him holding her—the way he could pick her up so easily, like she was a doll, made her feel weak and helpless. But there was no denying that the big Kindred really was warm. He smelled good too—especially compared to the Saurians all around her. His dark tan skin had a warm, spicy, masculine scent very different from the dry, sour stench of the Saurians. Their smell reminded Bobbi of the reptile house at the zoo—not at all pleasant.
Just then, the horrible feeling of a giant hand pressing down on her started again. This time Bobbi didn’t try to fight it. Hoping it would help, she leaned her head back against the icy metal wall and closed her eyes, just like the Saurians—and Dragon—were doing.
Hope I don’t puke or faint, she thought dizzily as the pressure grew and grew. Dear God, I don’t think I can take much more of this! It feels like someone huge is trying to smash me like a fly!
Again, she had difficulty breathing. It just seemed like such an effort to make her lungs expand so she could take a deep breath. Bobbi struggled, trying to inhale and get enough oxygen but though she tried with all her might, she began to lose consciousness. Huge black flowers with crimson centers bloomed in the middle of her vision and everything around her seemed to be going gray.
Can’t breathe! she thought weakly. She was so dizzy now that if the giant hand hadn’t been pressing her against the wall, she thought she would have slumped right out of her chair. Can’t breathe…I can’t—