Page 68 of Warrior Rescued

The cruiser sprang to life but there was drag as it lifted off the precarious island of rock. The systems were overheating. Anxiously he looked at the spewing volcano as he increased the thrust. Still it lagged.

“Up, you giant heap of dung!” He smacked the console.

His eyes widened when the cruiser lurched, rising off the crumbling ground, utterly surprised that it worked.

“Yes!” he barked and swiftly swung north, as fiery debris rained down.

“Oh, thank Jesus!” Elena exhaled.

He looked at her and for a moment was lost.

I truly am lucky.

“I love you.” He grinned.

“I love you, too, handsome, but maybe we discuss thiswhileyou do your thing.” She smiled as she pointed to the viewscreen.

“Son of a metcor,” he barked and swiftly returned his attention to maneuvering through the chaos. His mate was a wise female.

The atmosphere was turbulent but he managed to keep the pitch under control, picking up speed.

“Um, Payim,” Elena said when they cleared the raining cinders.

“Aye.” He glanced over at her.

“Why are you naked?” She eyed him up and down with a grin.

Elena

“You fought the reptiles naked?!” she said in disbelief, as Payim flew toward the coast.

She swallowed hard, tears forming in her eyes. Of course, he had to fight them naked, the scaly assholes had ambushed her man. That mental image along with the high of narrowly escaping made her stomach rebel.

“I am fine, unscathed.” He reached over and squeezed her hand.

She looked down at his large hand clasping hers. It was like an anchor or a lifeline, keeping her from getting carried away.

We are fine. We made it.She took several deep breaths, forcing the excess adrenaline and building tears aside as she focused on Payim.

“You arefine.” She cast him an impish grin, then wagged her brows as her gaze raked up his very fine, muscular body. “And that was quite a rescue.” Although, she hadn’t really noticed he was naked at first.

She’d been reeling from the reptile’s gruesome end and was trying to muster the energy for the trek ahead, though with no water and the volcanoes, she doubted she’d make it. Then Payim appeared on the hill, like a beacon of hope, larger than life and the answer to her prayers. She was finally safe even if the whole world exploded. Somehow the fact he was naked and muddy didn’t register.

“Rescue? I think you rescued yourself. Tell me how those bastards met the goddess, because I still don’t feel vindicated," Payim goaded, his voice tinged with a growl.

With the way Payim’s black eyes sparked, she knew if he’d been there the reptile’s death would’ve been worse than what the gryphons did. A thrill worked up her spine at the thought of her man enacting his vengeance and defending her.

“You want all the details of how I lured them to their deaths?” she asked, giving in to his bloodthirsty request.

“Aye,” Payim rasped deeply, as he nodded.

She opened her mouth to tell him how she was ambushed in the swamp, when the ocean appeared in the viewscreen.

“We’re here!” She excitedly pointed, her tale forgotten. “Do you think they waited for us?”

It was well past mid-day when they were supposed to rendezvous with Payim’s people. Her gaze drifted to the headlands. It was high tide and the ocean was flooding into the mouth of the canyon, practically filling the broad ravine.

“They would’ve waited.” He nodded reassuringly.

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