Mate Abduction (Alien Abduction #9) - Eve Langlais Page 0,16

a green gaze on him. She sneered. “Don’t tempt me to slit your throat.”

“Go ahead and try,” he taunted. Would she?

“Yes, go ahead,” Ishtara exclaimed, clacking her beak in agitation. “Let’s kill all the males we encounter. Picky chit.”

“Don’t blame me for having criteria.”

“I will blame you for reducing our options. We are running out of places to look,” the Zonian warrior grumbled.

“Which is why you need my help,” he reminded.

“I don’t—”

Ishtara slapped the palm of her clawed hand over Clarabelle’s mouth. “We accept.”

Clarabelle glared.

“Most excellent. If you would follow me back to my world, I can make inquiries.”

The human ducked out of her companion’s reach. “Follow you? Ha. As if that’s not a trap.” Her sarcasm dripped thickly.

It was not entirely misplaced. She was astute. He did have a trap of sort planned. “How else will you pay me when I succeed?”

“Are you saying I’d renege on the deal?” She prickled.

“You seem to think I would,” he countered.

Ishtara slapped them both on the backs. “Children, keep in mind that only weaklings and cowards use traps.”

The insult was so nicely given it took a moment. The Zonian had effectively boxed him in. Subterfuge in his actions would be seen as cowardly.

Which was why he stood straight and said, quite seriously, “The real reason I want you to join me on my home planet is so we might conduct the mating rites.” At Belle’s blank look, he kept talking. “There is no fiancée, no other woman. When I said I found my mate, I meant you, Belle. You’re my sykyrah.”

He waited for the anger. Kept an eye for a knife.

He got laughter.

Loud, throaty laughter as the human fell against her companion and gasped, “You are funny.”

“I am simply stating the truth. You are my mate. Karma has decreed it. There is no escaping our fate.”

Wiping at the moisture in her eyes, she straightened. “Dude, first off, I am not getting hitched to you. I don’t care how many tea leaves you read or what your horoscope claims. Two, if I ever do decide to get hitched, the guy is gonna be human. Sorry. It’s just something I feel is necessary. And three…” She eyed him. “You are way too big.”

The two insults followed by a large compliment brought a smirk to his lips. “Your wants won’t matter. A sykyrah bond isn’t something that can be broken.”

“The sic what?” She shook her head. “Listen, crazy dude, I am not getting married to you. Or sleeping with you.”

He had to wonder if a resting period together had some meaning to an Earthling. Would it make the bond happen faster for her? Where was the nearest bed?

“Maybe you should give him a try,” Ishtara suddenly said.

“Try what? Marrying the Grim Reaper? I don’t even know if he has a face.”

He lowered his hood finally and let her see him. His skin held a metallic bronze hint, his hair was dark, and his gaze strange, his eyes reptilian in many respects with their vertical slits. They also possessed a faint yellow glow.

She stared, but it was the Zonian who spoke. “He is not hideous.”

Clarabelle glanced at him before shaking her head. “He’s got freaky eyes.”

“Do you think my eyes freaky as well?” Ishtara asked softly, startling the woman.

“Of course not. You’re my sister.” And he could see Belle meant it, though she still did not see how her words hurt.

“You’re not exactly my type either,” Thyos remarked and it wasn’t just that her frame presented smaller than the women of his world. Her skin lacked the glint of bronze and gold and even iridescent green common among his kind. Not to mention her less-than-impressive posterior.

“You wish you could get someone as hot as me,” she pertly retorted, thrusting out her chin and chest.

“Are you feverish?” Her temperature seemed normal, but what did he know of her kind?

“No, but I am sick of this conversation and you. Mate? Ha!”

Thyos found his patience waning. His pride was taking a beating, too. He’d done as told. He’d come looking for his mate. Just his luck, she wanted nothing to do with him.

Worse luck, he was more and more intrigued by her.

What to do?

On the one hand, he could probably arrange an abduction, knock her out via the use of narcotics and bring her to his planet. Given she’d probably wake annoyed, he’d have to hold her prisoner until she finally came to her senses and performed the ritual of bonding with him—sex on a seriously spiritual level.

For some