Page 45 of The Alien Warlord's Fated Mate

Her grin flashed like lightning through him as she curled her hand around his nape and pressed a fleeting kiss to his mouth.

“More,” he growled.

“Come down here and maybe I’ll—oh!”

He caught the exclamation with his mouth, breathing it in as he settled his lips on hers. She relaxed against him, returning his kiss more eagerly than he could have hoped. Was she perhaps softening toward him, forgiving him for forcing the mark on her?

Though that had not been his intent, not entirely.

She scraped her fingernails lightly down his chest. He gentled their kiss and drew away reluctantly, pressing his forehead to hers so that their breaths might mingle a while longer.

“Zoran?”

“Yes, beloved?”

She sucked in a sharp breath, let it out slowly. “Can we spend more time together? I mean, we’ve both been so busy. You must have so many things on your plate, and I—”

He silenced her with a kiss. “Yes, mate. Anything you desire, you have but to ask.”

“Kiss me,” she whispered. “Like you never want to let me go.”

The request sent a tremor through his body. He groaned helplessly and shifted his head, lightly touching his lips to hers. Happy to oblige her simple, beautiful need.

The next morning, Mia woke in a cocoon of warmth. The day was bright. She could tell even without opening her eyes. A pleased smile touched her mouth, and she snuggled into the curve of Zoran’s body. It was the first time since they’d arrived on Zephyria that he hadn’t been gone when she woke up.

His hand slid over her hip, glancing along her waist and shoulder, igniting the most delicious heat wherever it landed, even through the thin tunic she wore. He’d kissed her senseless last night, thoroughly exploring her mouth while holding her hand in the most tender gesture of affection a man had ever given her. And then they’d gone to bed and cuddled into sleep, and it had been perfectly, incandescently beautiful. No pressure to rut, no snarling or growling.

Well, just a few sexy growls when she opened for him or accepted his touch or ventured to explore him the way he explored her. But she liked those growls. They made her feel special and naughty andhis.

If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was courting her.

He stiffened behind her and whispered, “Be still,pjora-la.”

Her eyes opened reflexively. There, not a foot from her face, crouched a stocky winged animal no longer than her forearm. It shimmered an iridescent, metallic azure. Its wings were translucent black membranes flaring away from its back, but what caught her attention were the needle-like, blue-black teeth it bared at her.

Zoran’s hand snapped out and captured the creature’s head, sealing its jaws shut. The thing writhed in his grasp, slashing wings and a prehensile tail in absolute fury. Zoran rolled across her still holding it, then walked casually through the wall’s open archway onto the balcony, thrust the creature through the invisible field with an audible pop, and let it go. It plunged back at him, attacking swiftly. The field popped again, stinging the tiny creature, and it reared back, hissing angrily at Zoran.

He watched until it wheeled and flew away, and just as casually turned and slipped back into bed with her, pulling her against him with a startling abruptness. “Mia, be calm. You are safe.”

Her gaze was locked on the spot where the creature had squatted. There were holes in the bedding. Not little holes. Holes big enough to poke her pinky through.

Claws, she thought, trembling. It must’ve been standing there for a while, working up the courage to attack, for its claws to have ripped the bedding that much.

A memory popped into her head. One of her mother’s figurative war stories that happened before Mia was born, when her mom was still with the CDC. She’d been in Kenya working an outbreak of the Marburg virus. Somehow, a black mamba had found its way into the relief area. Mom had bent down to retrieve something she’d dropped and come face to face with it. Thankfully, the snake had been taken care of without anyone being struck.

Mia shivered. Mom had relayed the incident more than once, always in a casual, unflappable tone. How could she have spoken so calmly? It was like looking up and finding death watching you, counting the moments until he could claim your soul for his own.

Mia made an inarticulate strangled sound. “What was that?”

Zoran replied with a word that didn’t match what came out of his wrist device.

“That,” she said, popping the final tee hard, “was not a dragon.”

“The name is unimportant. What matters is that I would never have allowed it to hurt you.”

“How did it get in?” She couldn’t quite tear her eyes from those holes. It had been so close, just inches away. Well within striking distance for an animal that size.

“Not-dragons are curious creatures, cunning in their own way. Occasionally, one wanders out of the deep jungle and stalks through the protective fields surrounding our open structures in search of prey.”

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