Soul of Eon (Eon Warriors #8) - Anna Hackett Page 0,12
of a rejection. He wasn’t sure what would happen to him.
He couldn’t worry about that now. He’d keep Kaira safe, and find a way off this Kantos planet.
He guessed his family really was cursed when it came to mating.
As they continued on, it got hotter, and both of them started sweating.
“The temperature’s rising,” Kaira said. “And the humidity.”
The jungle patch was getting closer. It was far larger than the previous one.
Thane frowned. “Going around this will add substantial time. We’ll need to go through it.”
She straightened. “Let’s do this.”
Cautiously, they entered the jungle, stepping into the dappled shade. The trees were tall and twisted with vines. Neon-green sap leaked down the trunks.
Something moved in the dense vegetation, crashing away from them. They walked deeper, shoving vines out of the way.
He might need to form a sword to slash their way through. He shoved some bushes aside and saw a tiny, grass-covered clearing. He sensed life signs in the vegetation around them, but nothing too large. And the wildlife didn’t seem interested in them, thankfully.
As they moved, he was excruciatingly conscious of Kaira beside him. The smell of her healthy sweat and her own scent teased his senses.
He gritted his teeth and kept moving.
Then he heard Kaira gasp.
He spun and saw her legs get pulled out from under her. She fell flat on her front.
“Kaira!”
“Something’s attached to my leg.”
Thane took two steps and spotted a long vine wrapped around her calf. He formed his sword.
Suddenly, she was yanked across the grass on her stomach. He heard her curse.
He ran after her. Another vine wrapped around her middle.
“Hold on, Kaira!”
Then something hit his back.
Suddenly, a vine wrapped around Thane. He fell and was dragged as well.
“Cren!”
He was yanked across the grass, right next to Kaira. Right in front of his eyes, several flowers bloomed along the length of the vines—small blooms in white and pink.
“I hate gardening.” Kaira kicked, trying to get free. “I hate plants.”
Thane tried to move his sword, but the vine was holding his arm tight.
A puff of pollen came from the flowers, hanging in the air around their heads. It smelled sickly sweet.
“What now?” Kaira muttered.
Thane’s sword dissolved. His pulse spiked. He felt the bond between him and his helian go dull.
Like his helian was sleeping.
His armor started flowing away.
“Thane?” Kaira said. “My armor is disappearing.”
“The pollen…it put my helian to sleep.” He fought back a sharp spike of panic. He hoped to hell this was temporary.
Kaira coughed. “Whoa, my head is spinning.”
“Kaira?”
“I’m all right, just whoozy.”
Thane felt the faint effects of the pollen as well, like a muscle relaxant. “It must be the plant’s defense mechanism. To stop us fighting it.”
More vines wrapped around them, and then they were lifted upright, dangling there, caught in the vine’s hold.
Thane’s body collided with Kaira’s. They were pressed firmly together as more vines wrapped them up tightly.
Her face pressed to his chest, just below his chin. Her breasts mashed against his chest.
Then they were yanked higher off the ground, up into the tree canopy.
“Oh, God,” she said.
“Don’t move.”
“I can’t move.” She wriggled a bit.
He felt every movement she made. His muscles tightened.
The vines stopped. Thane and Kaira swung from the tree.
“Well, shit,” she muttered.
He turned his head to the side. The ground was a long way down, but a fall shouldn’t kill them. He hoped.
“Ideas?” she asked.
He tried again to command his helian. The bond wasn’t broken, just sluggish.
“I can’t connect properly with my helian.” Frustration wound through him.
“Let me see if I can reach the vines. I can move one hand a bit.” She moved her arm around him.
It pressed her harder against him and the feel of her made his cock stir. He ground his teeth together.
Cren. He needed to find some control.
“Almost…” She strained.
Thane felt her fingers brush his lower back.
“The vines are too tight, and they’re damn strong.” She slumped against him.
“We should conserve our strength. I’m hoping the effect of the pollen will wear off soon. Then I can use my helian again.”
“Man, I feel like I had one too many margaritas.”
“Margaritas?”
“Alcoholic drink. Delicious.” She giggled.
He looked her down at her. It was such a sweet, unexpected sound. She tipped her head up and their faces were close.
“Damn, you’re handsome, Thane.”
He let out a breath. “Kaira.”
“A sexy silver fox. How did you end up with hair so gray?”
“My grandfather and father were the same.”
“I’m a blend of my mom and dad. Brown skin and eyes from my dad, and my height, or lack of it,