Page 39 of Captured By The Alien Barbarian
As soon as he leaves, it feels like he took all the breathable air with him. A shiver of unease creeps up my spine, and I suddenly become hyper-aware of every sound in my surroundings. My gaze shifts back to my immediate environment and lands on the drolvden. They watch me from a short distance, all three eyes staring intently at me. I realize that this is the first time I am truly alone with them.
“Nice doggy,” I say, trying not to sound terrified. Despite having met them before, I cautiously reposition myself, getting ready for a potential sprint into Taccit’s protective embrace.
One of the wolves raises a paw and whines at me. It dawns on me that its trio of eyes is honing in on my hand, or more specifically, the jerky I’m gripping.
“Do you want some?” I ask, lifting and teasingly waving the snack.
The drolvden proceeds to lick its choppers. I’m guessing that’s a canine “yes, please.” I cautiously divide the jerky into three equal shares, one for each furry monster. I flick the meat towards the drolvden. The wolves move with lightning speed, lunging forward and gulping down the meat instantaneously, devouring the morsels in one bite.
“Yikes!” I say. These guys are fast. Terrifyingly fast. I’d have no chance at outrunning them if they decide they don’t like me.
The drolvden that had whined before turns its snout toward me and sniffs. It lowers its head and gradually approaches. As far as my limited knowledge goes, it doesn’t seem aggressive. Its tail swings casually, and its ears stand tall. I’m not sure if I should be relieved or more worried. If it were angry, I assume there would be some growling or snarling involved. I freeze, holding my breath as it saunters close enough to sniff my trembling legs.
This whole interaction is significantly less nerve-wracking when Taccit is right by my side, lending me his silent strength. Without him, I’m back to feeling exposed and vulnerable.
The drolv flops down heavily in front of me. The other two follow suit and plop down as well, one with an annoyed huff—as if moving closer is an inconvenience it could do without.
I exhale, releasing the tension I was holding, and laugh nervously. They might be more than huge, but they’re a lot like dogs back on Earth. Each interaction chips away at my fear.
I glance up to see Taccit, standing at a distance with his amber eyes observing me tenderly.
He strides over to me, donning his form-fitting leather pants. The clothing material stretches visibly over his muscular thighs. He even has his trusty axe curled up in the tip of his tail.
“Good girl,” he says approvingly, planting a kiss on my temple. He hands me one of his shirts and my old boots, then pivots to extinguish the fire.
His praise stirs something within me. I squeeze my thighs together as I feel a heaviness growing between my legs, a reminder of our passionate encounter and the time we spent together in the water.
More significantly, I bask in a sensation of pride and joy. Taccit doesn’t coddle or smother me. He allows me to confront my fear, all the while providing his silent support if I were to require it.
Where has this man been hiding all my life?
* * *
Taccit leadsus on a brutal march towards the other tribe, his pace relentless.
My excitement from the night before prevents me from getting much sleep, which results in me springing out of bed before Taccit even stirs. It actually takes some effort on his part to persuade me to eat something before bolting out the door.
The environment we stroll through is downright stunning. We follow a dainty little stream with crystal-clear, glittering water, accompanied by reeds and cute shrubs lining the banks on either side. Oh, and to top it off, there are these generous trees acting like parasols, draping their branches over us and providing shade from the two suns above us in this alien sky.
Taccit obviously graciously shortens his steps, but I’m still basically speed walking to keep up.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this alien could run circles around me without breaking a sweat. Speaking of which, cue my panting and general perspiration. I thought of myself as fit and used to a little cardio, given all the work I did in the mines. But strength has nothing on cardio. I feel a tad sheepish for such a perfect male specimen seeing me so flustered.
Ever the gentleman, Taccit pauses every now and then so I can catch up with my jelly legs, while giving me his peculiar version of a grin. Let’s face it, any grin showcasing sharp teeth is bound to be a little disconcerting, but there’s a certain warmth in his gaze that kind of makes me go weak at the knees.
It seems like ages since someone has looked at me that way, and to be honest, I feel totally undeserving. Here I am, clad in a baggy shirt-dress, stomping around in thick boots, and sporting what is likely a bird’s nest of frizzy hair. Yet he looks at me like I am invaluable.
Suddenly, I spot a gorgeous white flower with vibrant pink stamens that beg my attention. As I approach, the air is filled with its enchanting floral perfume. Sure, I’m not generally a “pink” person, but maybe...
Just as my fingers are about to make contact, Taccit slaps my hand away. “Nika! What are you doing?”
“Hey! Why did you do that?” I glare at him as I pull my hand to my chest and rub the sting from it.
Immediately his fierce expression softens. Grasping my hand, he says, “I didn’t mean to hurt you, Nika. Don’t you know you mustn’t touch the lusnar flower? Did it get any of its pollen on you?”
“I... what? No,” I say. “I didn’t even get a chance to touch it.”
His shoulders drop, tension bleeding out of him. Taccit releases his grip. “Good.”
