as it had appeared. He turned, sniffing the air. It was gone. There was no trace of it.
He frowned. Had he imagined that decadent aroma?
It could have been a figment of his imagination, a result of his extreme loneliness, of his appalling desperation to have a purpose, to have someone.
His gaze returned to the Humanoid Alliance males. Once he hunted, killed, burned off the os khonzon, he would think rationally, would stop imagining scents that didn’t exist.
He took another step toward the males. His claws rose to the surface of his skin.
A shadow fell over him.
He tilted his head back.
A creature circled high above him. Its wings were spread wide. The sunlight reflected off its green scales.
It had the appearance of a predator. Talons decorated its four feet. Its mouth was slightly open, and its sharp teeth were visible.
Yet it was amusingly small. It was unlikely to cause harm to a full-grown Chamele warrior.
Ariq looked at the great green gatekeeper guarding the entrance to the Refuge.
Balvan was watching the tiny predator also, his expression riveted. The modified humanoid was known for his affection for creatures, often tended to them when they were hurt.
His gaze lowered, met Ariq’s. The big male nodded.
Ariq nodded back. He assumed Balvan was confirming the creature was his. That—
“We’re headed to Hulagu’s domicile.” Yesun punched Ariq’s arm. “His gerel has prepared nourishment for all of us. He claims it’s quite the offering.” The youth rubbed his flat stomach. “Orol, his mate, the triplets, Dare and his mate, some of the others will be there too.”
That sounded very…domesticated.
A wildness, a rebellion, gripped Ariq. The sharing of nourishment was expected, but he couldn’t summon up the willingness to participate in it. Not at the moment. “I’ll join you later.” He would battle the Humanoid Alliance males first, release his savage nature. “You go ahead.”
“Okay.” Yesun, unaware of his struggles, grinned at him. “But I can’t promise there will be nourishment left when you get there.” The young warrior sauntered in the direction of the others.
They beckoned to Ariq.
Ariq shook his head and pointed to the sand-covered ground. He waited until they were inside the Refuge, then he glanced back at the Humanoid Alliance males.
They had moved closer to him. And there were more of them.
A genuine smile curled Ariq’s lips. They would give him the fight he was seeking.
“What are you looking at, Chamele?” The largest of the human males swaggered toward him. His nose appeared as though it had been broken multiple times.
The other males followed him.
Ariq extended his claws. “I’m looking at a piece of—”
The wind whistled above his head. He gazed upward.
The flying scaled creature dove toward him. Its talons were extended. It opened its mouth.
The little thing was attacking him.
Ariq lifted his natural weapons, preparing to defend himself.
“No.” A force hit his side.
He toppled to the ground, rolled with his attacker. Operating on instinct, heeding the call of the os khonzon, he stabbed his adversary with his claws, pinning the being to the sand.
The being gasped, bucked upward with his…with her hips.
His assailant was a female.
And she wasn’t merely any female. Ariq breathed in and his cock twitched. She was his female, the one being destined to be his.
He gazed down at her, looking into the most intriguing face he’d ever seen.
A deep scar carved through her left cheek, over her nose, through her right cheek. There were two more horizontal slashes on her countenance—one across her forehead and one across her chin. Ruthlessly short blonde hair accentuated the severity of the markings.
That she had survived those wounds, that hurt, was a testament to her inner strength. And the scars didn’t detract from her beauty. They accentuated it, serving as a frame highlighting the rest of her.
She was stunning. Her lips were full and lush. Her chin was pointed.
Her eyes captivated him. They were as blue as the sky above them, were framed with golden lashes. Pain, fury, anger lit their depths.
He had caused some of that agony.
“Get off me, barbarian.” She struggled under him, her movements rubbing more of her flesh against his claws, deepening her shoulder wounds.
He had harmed his fragile human female. Dismay struck Ariq as he retracted his claws. “You need a medic.”
“You need a medic also.” She drew a dagger, jabbed it into his side.
Agony coursed through him. He inhaled sharply. “Don’t do that.” He knocked the blade from her leather-covered hand.
“Fuck you.” She extracted another dagger, seemed intent on finishing him off.
Ariq adored her already.
He caught her wrists,