Dzar-Ghan (Alien Barbarians of Vandruk #3)

10. Chapter 10

All day, I had been in a state torn between arousal and exasperation. One moment, I felt connected with the gallis like I never had with another person since Mynarra’s death; the next, I wanted to strangle her. Not literally, of course. Besides the fact that I would never hurt a gallis, she was just so freaking fragile, and I worried I might harm her by accident.

Her voice rang in my ears all day. I didn’t know anybody who had ever talked so much, and she knew I didn’t understand what she was saying. The few times she had been quiet had always caught my attention because she had been sidetracked by something else, most often stepping into danger. She didn’t even seem to learn. Instead, she charged right ahead again as soon as I saved her from one thing right into the next.

She had to realize that she was in an unknown world, and yet, I didn’t find a trace of caution in her. The rotburn could have killed her. The Pit of Daggahr could have killed her. Two almost incidents in one day! How was I supposed to keep her safe when she refused to take the smallest measurements on her own?

Not to forget her trusting nature. She had basically decided to follow a complete stranger, an alien to her at that, through a wilderness she knew nothing about. Surrounded by more aliens. She stepped into the pond when I deemed it safe, more worried about me seeing her naked than the pond itself.

I rubbed my weary forehead. What had I gotten myself into?

I had promised to make her my mate.

Now that thought brought a smile to my face because she had hidden a well-formed body underneath the ridiculous clothing she wore. Some of the clothing had already hinted at that, but assuming and seeing… when I closed my eyes, I could still see her, standing there by the pond, her torso naked, spare for some kind of breast covering. Tits overspilling from it. It had taken more willpower than I had thought myself capable of not to tackle her to the ground right then and there. My cock had risen and swelled, ready to taste her sweet cunt. To distract myself, I jumped into the pond with her.

Watching her wash herself had been another brutal torture. The slick oil covered her long arms and her graceful neck. Just thinking about that made me stiff as hell again.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I entered the tent. Would she know her responsibilities as my mate? Would she want us to mate? It hadn’t seemed like it at the pond when she had forced me to turn my back. Then again, she had touched me, several times. I could still feel the brush of her light fingertips on my rough scares. Flesh that hadn’t felt a touch since it had been burned.

Was I ready to fully commit to making her my mate?

My mind drifted to the one night I had shared with Mynarra, the one night we had been able to show each other our love. I closed my eyes, willing those memories away. They didn’t serve anything right now other than keeping me stuck in a past that had seen a decade go by.

I had only been with one other gallis since, four years ago. Not because there were only so few available but because that one time had been a disaster. Physically, I had been able to perform, but mentally? I brushed my hand through my hair to keep the ghosts at bay. Mentally, I had not been there.

Which was the reason I had stayed away from sex. It had felt not only like a betrayal to Mynarra but a betrayal to the gallis I was with as well because I couldn’t show her the devotion she deserved.

Jenna stood in the center of my tent, clothed in something even more horrendous than what she had been wearing all day, but for some reason, she looked adorable, and I feasted my eyes on her.

She babbled something in her English tongue, making shooing motions for me to leave like she had at the pond. I wondered if she needed more time for her human rituals. She didn’t seem keen on going through with the rest of the mating agreement. Her eyes, however, devoured me. They moved up and down my body and lingered on my cock until it rose, proclaiming its readiness to go through with mating her.

She didn’t seem averse to the idea; her black pupils dilated until only a small halo of blue surrounded it. I took a step forward, confused as to what she wanted.

“No,” she said, raising her arms, palms up. The notion that she could stop me with that feeble gesture was laughable, but her word no—I had learned meant nek—stopped me.

My forehead wrinkled as I drew my brows together. Nek?

Her raised hand said so, but her eyes said something different. Her small, pink tongue slid out of her mouth and licked her lips in an obvious invitation. Did humans have other rituals? Did the female want the male to overpower her? I should have asked Amber more questions, but it was too late now.

“Is this some kind of human mating ritual?” I asked before I remembered she didn’t understand. That’s what happens when all the blood in a male’s body accumulates in one spot, and it isn’t in his brain. Horny stupor was what we called it in Vandruk.

She made the shooing notion again.

“This is my tent,” I explained, emphasizing my and gesticulating with my arms. “My bed.” I pointed.

She shook her head stubbornly.

I grunted.

She pointed for me to leave.

I shook my head and crossed my arms in front of my chest.

She gestured for my pants and mimicked putting them back on.

I mimicked for her to take hers off and pointed at the bed. At the very least, we would sleep on it, together. The thought that humans might not sleep in the nude never crossed my mind.

The way her face turned red fascinated me. I had seen red blotches form on her skin before, but this time, her entire head turned red. My cock hardened more, indicating he was ready if I was. Looking at Jenna, I sensed that I was. And not only in the physical sense. I would be able to worship her without thinking of another.

Wooing ran through my mind in Amber’s voice. I sighed once again. Maybe this was some kind of human mating ritual. Maybe I needed to persuade her more.

“You have beautiful hair,” I said, feeling stupid. “You are very beautiful.” I closed my eyes, feeling even more stupid. I pushed my hand back and massaged my neck.

She cocked her head, listening to the sound of my voice.

“I like you,” I added.

“I like the sound of your voice when you talk to me, and I like how enthusiastic you are about exploring Vandruk.” Fuck, what was happening to me?

“You are very courageous”—or stupid, but I didn’t say that out loud—“for coming with me, and I promise I will keep you safe, always, and protect you.”

For some reason, the more I talked, the more the tension in the tent lessened and the better I was beginning to feel. Of course she didn’t understand a word I said, but somehow, that was the freeing part about it. I didn’t have to watch what I said.

I took another step forward; her arms were still up, and I kept moving until her palms touched my chest. I laid one of my hands over hers. “I won’t ever harm you, gallis.”

With my other hand, I reached forward to take one of her strands in my hand and let it flow through my fingers. “So soft.”

With bated breath, I watched her tense facial muscles slowly relax.

With the strand of her hair still in my hand, I caressed her cheek with my knuckles. “You are so beautiful.”

My voice seemed to soothe her, and I continued talking nonsense while my cock hardened with every passing moment, pointing straight at her. “Will you let me fuck you, sweet gallis? I will make you happy, I promise.”