Page 36 of Hunted By the Dragon Alien

“No matter what happened at your settlement, if the Axis are looking for you, I won’t let them take you,” he murmured into her neck, feeling her pulse beat beneath his lips. The very thought of anything happening to her ignited a fierce protectiveness within him he couldn’t ignore. The way she had faced the arena and stood by him had made him feel alive. Truly alive.

Sevas tilted her head back, catching his gaze with those deep, dark red eyes that swirled with emotion. She wrapped her arms around him, fingers digging lightly into the hard muscles of his back. “I don’t want to lose you either, Takkian. We have too much at stake.”

He leaned in closer. Their lips nearly brushed as he whispered, “We’ll make it. Together.” There was an intensity to his words that burned between them, thickening the space with unspoken desires.

Then, in one fluid movement, Takkian closed the distance, capturing her mouth with his. It was an embrace that had been hanging in the air between them for too long. Her warmth radiated through his scales, to his bones. Their kiss deepened and Takkian groaned, sinking into the sensations ofher.

Sevas responded with a teasing tilt of her head, leaning into the kiss, her lips molding against his as if to seal a bond. His heart raced as heat unfurled between them. All worry, every nagging doubt he had melted away, leaving behind nothing but the intoxicating taste of her.

The world outside the ship faded into nothingness. All that existed was this moment—their connection, their defiance against the harsh reality waiting beyond the metal hull. He pressed closer, his hands exploring the contours of her back, fingers tracing the soft fabric of her shirt as he pulled her deeper into him.

Sevas let out a soft gasp. Her hands tangled in his hair as she returned the kiss with fervor. But this wasn’t enough. He wanted more. So much more. His instincts surged, primal and raw. The need to claim her—to bury himself in that warmth and live in the moment—overwhelmed him. She was strong, fierce, the perfect counterbalance to all the darkness they faced. The taste of urgency filled his senses and mingled with emotions he hadn’t dared to embrace before her.

“Sevas,” he breathed against her lips, pulling back just enough to look into her eyes. They sparkled like stars caught in the veil of night. Takkian’s breath caught as he gazed at her. The weight of anticipation in the charged silence made his chest ache. The moment felt like a sanctuary amidst the turmoil in their lives.

“We’ve waited long enough,” he murmured, his voice low and throaty and filled with a promise of what lay ahead. He grasped her hand and gently unclipped them both from their seats, then tugged her toward the short corridor in the upper deck that led to the stateroom.

Sevas didn’t hesitate as she went with him. Her fingers intertwined with his as if they were two flames drawn together. As they entered the room, Takkian pushed the door shut behindthem, sealing out the rest of the world. The air felt thick with possibility as he turned to face Sevas. His heart raced against a steady beat of desire. They were alone now. And both of them knew what was going to happen in that room.

Sevas shifted closer. The distance between them shrank to nothing as she pressed against him. “Takkian,” she breathed. The way his name sounded on her lips made him want to bellow in triumph. This incredible, beautiful, powerful female wanted him.Him. A scarred warrior with no past.

He reached for her, pulling her into him, their bodies colliding in a rush of warmth and need. The kiss they’d shared before turned into something deeper now, hungry and fervent. The world outside dimmed. It was just the two of them, bound by the fire they had stoked within. Takkian’s hands slipped to her waist, fingers splayed possessively against her, drawing her closer as their mouths moved against each other.

Sevas let out a soft sigh, hands weaving into his hair, pulling him closer still. Her warmth pressed against him with a yearning that threatened to consume them both. The longing that had been building since the moment they met now exploded.

In one swift motion, Takkian pulled Sevas to the mattress. He held her against his body as he maneuvered the gravity blanket over them. It pressed them together and to the mattress with its grounding weight. Takkian’s silver eyes burned into Sevas’. His chest heaved. There was no arena, no mechs, no confined cell—only her, and the fire blazing between them.

His rough palm cupped her cheek and his thumb moved in slow, deliberate circles over her cheekbone. “Sevas. You’re mine,” he rasped. “And now, I want all of you.”

Sevas’ lips parted. Her breath hitched, but she didn’t look away. “Yes, Takkian.” There was no fear in her voice, only a punch of urgency laced with the same hunger that mirrored his own. Her fingers brushed over his jaw, tracing the hard planes ofhis face. The pulse in her neck beat wildly against his touch, as if daring him to claim her fully.

“We’ve faced death,” he continued. “We’ve fought, bled, and survived together. I know I don’t deserve you, but…I can’t hold this back. Not anymore.”

Her lips curved, and her arms tangled around his neck to pull him closer. “Then don’t,” she murmured against his lips. “I’m not asking for perfection, Takkian. I’m asking foryou.”

Like a match to dry wood, her words consumed him. One arm looped firmly under her back, holding her where she belonged—pressed against him. He kissed her deeply, fervently, as if sealing both of their unspoken promises. There was nothing hurried in his movements; instead, there was a purposeful, magnetic energy that surged between them.

As their lips parted, Takkian’s voice found her ear. “I’ll be gentle,” he vowed. “But Sevas…” His claws traced a deliberate path down the gold spots on her spine. It sent a shiver through her trembling frame. “I will make you mine completely. No one else will touch you. Not in this lifetime.”

Sevas’ breath trembled against his neck, her arms wrapping tighter around him. Their gazes locked with a trust that made his chest ache. “I already am yours, Takkian.” Her voice was sure and steady. “You’re all I want. All I need.”

His lips brushed against hers again, softer this time, reverent, as if sealing a bond forged in fire and blood. She arched into him, a silent, unspoken surrender that resonated deep within him. Every wall he’d built, every defense, crumbled like sand under the force of her acceptance.

Under the grounding weight of the gravity blanket, the ship’s soft hum faded into the background. There was only her. Only them. Takkian’s large, scaled hands slid over her sides, exploring the curves of her body with a mix of awe and restraint.

His fingers curled into the fabric of her shirt and yanked it open, baring her breasts to him.

Sevas let out a soft gasp that sent vibrations rippling through him. “I thought you said you’d be gentle,” she teased, her fingers running over the ridges of his chest. Her touch was light, but claiming him all the same.

Takkian’s lips quirked into a rare smile, his wolfish grin full of adoration and heat. “Gentle,” he murmured, cupping her breasts in his hands and squeezing gently. “But thorough.”

With that, he dipped his head. His mouth trailed kisses down the smooth column of her neck toward the stiff peaks that beckoned him. Her soft sighs and whispered words spurred him on. His large frame shifted over her, enveloping her entirely as if shielding her from the galaxy beyond.

Takkian explored her body as his gaze tracked every curve, every plane of her skin, as if memorizing her by touch alone. The gaping shirt clung loosely to her arms. The way her nipples hardened under his gaze sent fire roaring through his blood.

“You’re beautiful,” he murmured, his voice thick with awe and possessiveness. His fingertips carefully skimmed along her ribs, afraid to press too hard, to leave marks on skin that deserved only softness. But beneath his restraint was a surging hunger he could barely contain.

Sevas’ hands were far less tentative. She braced against his muscled chest and slid them downward, following the hard ridges of his abdomen before reaching the fastenings of his leather pants. Her fingers were deft and impatient, seeking the laces and tugging them loose.

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