Page 28 of Devin
“Maybe Kavendish is going to get punched in the face again. I smell another one of his ridiculous ruses.”
“You shouldn’t punch him. Apparently, you came out of the last fight the loser.”
“It is the Mahdfel way. If I had won, I would have had to take command. I do not wish to be a warlord, although from what I’ve seen, he’s a poor excuse for one.”
“So you lost on purpose?” Val asked.
“Yes,” he said matter of factly, as if it was obvious.
“Then why did you start the fight?”
“Because it felt good.”
Val stared at Devin in amazement. The green alien was actually cracking a smile. It was the first time she’d ever seen him do so. Val opened her mouth and laughed loudly. She tried to smother it with her hand when she realized how loud it sounded.
“I’m going hunting,” Devin said abruptly. “If not to find you something to eat, then to find something for Nivy and me. I know our stomachs can tolerate most of the meat around here. Yours I’m not sure about. Wait inside. Remember, Nivy’s mother is on the small side for creatures around here.”
Val climbed back into the shuttle and Devin shut the door behind her.
Chapter 15
Devin
It was only through sheer stupid luck that Val hadn’t sustained any damage yet. Devin could not keep his mind away from that terrible thought. He would not kill Kave. In honesty, he knew that he could not kill Kave. Yes, he had intentionally lost the fight, but he knew the better warrior when he fought one. Kave had not become warlord for nothing.
If this was one of Kave’s ruses and he artfully ‘sabotaged’ the ship, they wouldn’t have to wait long for a rescue. Even he wouldn’t put a female in danger for much time. Devin supposed that meant Kave either trusted his piloting and survival skills, or he was just plain stupid enough to not realize the harm that could have come to such a fragile Terran.
If it was not Kave, they could be in trouble. Without power, it might be some time before someone noticed they were missing. Kave and Athen did not always communicate well and with their luck, Athen might not even be expecting them at the main camp.
Nivy chirped on his shoulder. Devin froze. He could feel the little thing tensing up. What kind of silly name was ‘Nivy’ anyway? The fur devil was nearly trembling with anticipation. Devin followed the gaze of Nivy’s three eyes. On the tree was a small lizard of sorts. It sported two tails and spiny horns onthe back of his head. Nivy flew off Devin’s shoulder and rolled himself onto the tree then up and around the lizard before biting the back of its neck. It twitched once, twice, then lost its grip on the tree.
Nivy turned toward Devin to show off his catch. Devin gave him the praise he deserved.
“Good little lizard killer. I bet you could down a Suhlik devil at full size.”
Nivy hopped onto a log and began to tear the lizard to shreds, getting past the tough skin to the meat inside. The lizard was too small a prey for Devin, however, and he continued deeper into the jungle for something he could eat.
Nivy made quick work of the lizard, and Devin was soon grateful, because the smell of the fresh kill brought something bigger. A hundred-pound predator approached them and began to stalk the little fuzzball with very little care for Devin who stood still and silent nearby. Just as it was about to pounce, Devin sprung into action, deftly slitting its throat with a clean, quick cut. It thudded down to the ground next to Nivy, who once over his startlement, was delighted in the second meal provided by his new buddy.
Devin just shook his head and slung the creature over his shoulder. Nivy took a few more laps of the blood and then clamored on top of the kill like a triumphant warrior. Devin quickly picked his way through the jungle back to the craft.
After ensuring the area around was still clear, he cracked the hatch open slightly to allow some air circulation and take pressure off emergency filters. Once done, he began to gather bits and pieces of brush for a fire. He could probably eat the meat raw, but it would be much more to his liking roasted and bubbling. There was no telling how Val’s system could handle it raw. There wasn’t a huge amount of fuel available, considering everything had a bit of the damp, but a little bit of the kindlingfrom the emergency kit would do nicely to dry things out enough to catch. If that failed, he could always dig a hole, set a torch in it and put the meat on top.
Once the fire caught, he began to dress the meat.
“Looks tasty,” Val said from inside the ship. “Can I come out now?”
Devin had only lowered the door slightly and Val could not actually climb out on her own without serious effort. He sighed. Devin much preferred that she remained safely inside, but he understood how claustrophobic those machines could seem after a while.
He lowered the hatch completely, and Val climbed out and sat on the edge. She watched silently as he went about the business of cooking them something to eat. His body craved protein, but he would wait until his mate ate her fill. He could survive for- Damn it. He shook his head. The unrelated female. Not his mate. No, she was not his until he sunk his teeth into her neck and buried his cock deep in her wet heat.
His hard-on was back with a vengeance. Of course it was. And in this proximity, she clearly noticed.
“You really are hungry, aren’t you?” She covered her mouth with her hand. Devin realized she was laughing at him. That did not sit well with him. He crossed over to her and leaned in. That was a mistake. Without having showered, her scent was heady, delicious and intoxicating.
“It is a biological imperative,” he growled, more to himself than to her.
“Imperative.” Val actually snorted. He stood up straight, another mistake. He could feel her breath on his cock, straining against its confines. She leaned even closer, put her hands on his shorts, waited for him to object. He didn’t have the strength. Val pulled on his waistband and he sprang free, surprising her withhis length which brushed against the tip of her nose. Even that brief contact sealed his fate.
