The Alien's Equal (Drixonian Warrior #7) - Ella Maven Page 0,2

clavases, so strange males were always roaming the grounds. Not that I thought any would bother me, but Daz had remained protective of us females. As the only unmated female left, I was watched closely. Normally I accepted the protectiveness begrudgingly.

Something thumped the ground behind me, and Nero’s shrewd gaze flicked over my shoulder. Needing to distract him, I placed my hand on his chest and beamed a smile at him. At my touch, his chin jerked down to stare at my palm on his pectoral. Fucking hell, he was warm as a heated blanket.

His scales were smooth, coated in what felt like a fine velvet, and I found my fingers curling in simulation of a scratch. “So, do you have any plans for tonight?” I looked up at him from beneath my lashes. God, I sounded stupid to my own ears. Was Nero falling for this?

He blinked at me. “Why?”

“Oh, I uh—” Think, Justine, think. A lightbulb went off in my head. “I have something I’d like you to fix in my room.” I was proud of myself for thinking of that on the fly. Of course, I didn’t have anything to repair, but I had five minutes until we got there to think of something.

“And Hap didn’t have time to take care of it?”

Hap was always in our rooms delivering furniture and generally making our living spaces as comfortable as possible.

“Uh, no.” That was it. That was my answer. I couldn’t think of a quick excuse.

Nero wasn’t paying attention to anything behind me now. He was solely focused on me. With his sharp teeth, he tugged his labret piercing into his mouth and clicked the ball against his fangs before placing his hand over mine where it still lay on his chest. A warm, excited shiver ran down my spine to pool in my lower stomach with anticipation. My lips parted at the strong reaction.

His strong fingers curled around my palm and he lowered our hands before tugging me along at his side as he walked. He was just so … big. And warm. And his purple eyes bored into the side of my face like he sought to infiltrate my mind. “Well, then let’s take a look.”

Take a look? Oh right. The repair I invented. I needed to ignore the feel of his hand in mine, and the way the setting sun shone off his short black hair. I had to pretend Nero wasn’t the only male—Drixonian or human—who made me wish I wasn’t a mess inside. What would it be like to let myself be carefree like Tabitha or utterly devoted to a mate like Naomi? I wouldn’t know, because that life wasn’t for me, no matter how much Nero’s steady presence sometimes calmed the storm inside my mind.

Nero

I’d heard the mingo eating before I ever turned the corner. I’d expected to find it making off with some of our compost only to find a tidy plate with a selection of dinner leftovers.

While I was curious why Justine was not only feeding the mingo, but also determined to keep it a secret, I was more curious how far she’d take it. I’d been about to tell her I saw the creature so there was no point in pretending she was only out for a stroll.

But then she’d placed her hand on my chest and spouted some stuff about a repair which was clearly only meant as a diversion, and I promptly shut up. Was this what it took for Justine to finally pay attention to me? She never willingly touched me or any males. She rarely even hugged her friends. Justine walked around as if a barrier surrounded her. No one dared penetrate it, not even me, no matter how much I longed to.

Justine was my mate. I’d known it from the time I placed her on my bike as she fought and hissed like a salibri. I’d known it all this time as I saw my brothers find their happiness. But Justine was different. She didn’t lust after the males like Tabitha used to—now she only lusted after Xavy—and she didn’t declare loyalty to one male like Naomi had done with Gar. She rejected all males with a toss of her hair and an upturn of her nose.

I’d often wondered if she was immune to attraction. But I’d felt the shiver in her small body when she touched me. I saw her nipples pebble beneath her shirt, and the dilation of her pupils. She’d felt