Savage Read online

  Xane grabs my collar and forces me to look at his ugly mug as he slowly pulls the knife from my ankle. “I will make an example out of you,” he says, the pain so great I can barely hear him. “I prefer my women obedient, and I don’t think the world’s strongest man could break you, Joan. No, you’re feral. I will cut your throat and rid myself of you once and for all.”

  The cold blade rests against my neck. I try to crawl away, but he’s got me pinned down.

  Only a miracle could save me now.

  * * *

  SURLOK

  I pull the prototype from my pocket. It’s a round disc, barely bigger than my palm, but it just might save us all.

  It could just as easily open up a black hole and pull Kysus apart. That’s why I haven’t tried it yet. But these are desperate, desperate times…

  “What is it?” Drarsan asks.

  “An experiment,” I answer. “A hole in space-time.”

  “What now?”

  “A teleporter,” I say. “Or, a prototype of one.”

  “You’re kidding me.”

  “I do not kid, brother. But I have not tested it. If I’m wrong, then it could end us all.”

  Wranar shakes his head. “You are unique, Surlok. A true genius.”

  “Yeah, well, my genius just got Febakur killed.”

  “He is not dead,” Drarsan growls. “He is alive, I feel it in my horns. And you shouldn’t blame yourself for one second — the blame rests squarely on the shoulders of Ibalen De’Riv. Now, let’s see this device of yours in action.”

  I run my fingers across the cold metal edges. “Be aware what you’re asking of me. This little device could open a black hole, and tear our entire planet apart. Or it could splinter our bodies across time and space in microscopic parts. All it takes is one little mistake on my part.”

  And I have made too many mistakes already.

  “Surlok, I trust you,” Wranar says. “I know you’ve always done your best. I am proud to call you my brother.”

  “As am I,” Drarsan says.

  “I know you haven’t made a mistake. No, you have found the answer, Surlok! You have found our salvation! All you need to do is activate the device.” Wranar says, his voice filled with excitement.

  “I volunteer!” Drarsan says.

  “No,” I answer. “If anyone ought to take this risk, it should be me.”

  I stand up, and it feels like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Yes, it will be me. I will try it. If it works, then I will have redeemed myself.

  And if it fails… then death will come quickly.

  I set the coordinates for Earth, as close to the source of Vukaror’s signal as possible, and press the button before I have another chance to doubt myself.

  The metallic disc hums with power, and instantly a blue circle appears in the throne room, shimmering ominously.

  “You did it!” Wranar says. “You did it!”

  I stalk forward and peer into the dark blue expanse, but I cannot see what is on the other side. There’s only one way to find out.

  “Not so fast, I still have to travel through the portal and come back in one piece,” I say. “Wish me luck, brothers.”

  My two brothers pound their chests and salute me, and their grins give me courage.

  I take a deep breath and step through the portal.

  Chapter 4

  JOAN

  A blue disk hangs still in the sky, right above Xane’s head.

  Is this my brain playing tricks on me, or am I seeing the portal to the afterlife?

  Boots appear from the hole. Giant boots, which lead up to thick, muscled legs, an impressively broad chest, and a chiseled face, topped off with a set of gorgeous, curling horns.

  I blink.

  Am I seeing that right?

  Is there really an impossibly tall, broad-shouldered, horned figure, with skin as dark as steel and eyes as red as fire dropping out of a fucking hole in the sky?!

  The dark, mysterious stranger drops down right on top of Xane, knocking him straight into the dirt and knocking the knife out of his hand. I stumble back, flabbergasted by the dominant figure in front of me.

  A horned demon.

  I didn’t believe the rumors. I didn’t think they were true.

  But now I see that, if anything, they were understating just how massive, how dangerous, how fierce these beings are. This man towers over me. His massive chest rises and falls with every deep, rattling breath, and everywhere I look I see horns, I see claws, I see muscles upon muscles.

  If he wanted to, he could rip me right in half.

  His radiant eyes find me, and my heart leaps into my throat. I suddenly get the feeling that his beast has other, more wanton plans for me. And that thought absolutely terrifies me.

  I crawl away until I can’t crawl no more, my back pinned against a tree. This man defies all that I know about the world. Men with horns don’t exist. They don’t just drop out of the sky.

  They certainly shouldn’t turn me on.

  And yet, despite the danger I’m in, despite the fear tugging at my heartstrings, I can’t help but notice his steely gaze, his broad shoulders and his impeccable jawline. It’s like he’s a magnet, like I’m pulled towards him no matter what I do.

  I’ve dedicated my life to fighting men, and I’m not going to surrender now, I remind myself. And yet, this beast feels… different. And I’m not just talking about his dominating physical presence. It’s in the way he looks at me. It’s a look I’ve never seen before.

  “What are you waiting for?!” Xane shouts angrily, rolling around in the mud. “It’s one of them! Fire!”

  The Black Hounds snap out of their fear induced paralysis and open fire. I cover my face with my hands as the rattling sounds of their rifles make my ears hurt. When the sound dies down, I peek through my eyelids. The smoke clears to reveal… the same man.

  Only this time, he’s even bigger. His horns have grown an inch or two, his skin is darker still, and every muscle in his colossal body seems to throb and pulse with white hot rage. I’ve never seen anything like it.

  This man is raw power personified.

  He launches himself at the raiders, his great big claws flying through the air. He cuts through the men like they’re made of butter, their screams filling the night’s sky.

  I should run towards Eileen, Faith and Belinda, but instead, I’m nailed to the ground, partly horrified and partly fascinated as this absolute brute makes quick work of the marauders.

  The way he moves is hypnotizing. He’s got the agility of a tiger, but the ferocity of a bear. The more they shoot him, the angrier he gets. Their bullets don’t even seem to pierce his skin.

  All the stories, all the rumors I dismissed must be true. One of these demons really did take down Governor Livingston.

  Although, calling them demons implies that they are evil. And while this man has horns and claws, and while he uses them to kill with a brutality, strength and speed I’ve never seen before… he doesn’t strike me as evil.

  In that moment when our eyes met, I didn’t feel threatened. I felt safe.

  “All right you freak, let’s see how you like this!”

  To my horror, Xane has crawled back to his feet, and the cannon he’s got strapped to his chest is whirring to life with a hellish noise. He lets loose a barrage of bullets with a maniacal laugh.

  This time, the bullets don’t bounce off the horned man’s armor. He’s hit square in the chest, and his armor caves in, knocking him back.

  “That’s right! Titanium bullets! Ha, this Old Earth tech actually works!” Xane yells triumphantly. “Fall back everyone, fall back! Take the women!”

  The Black Hounds retreat, and I grab my gun and fire at them. They disappear between the trees, dragging my three friends along with them. I give chase, but the stabbing pain in my ankle where Xane stabbed me forces me to cut that chase short. I drop to my knees in frustration, hot angry tears streaming down my face.

  I failed
again.

  Xane was so close, and I failed. And now Eileen, Faith and Belinda will pay the price for that.

  The pained gurgle of the brutish warrior catches my attention, and despite my brain telling me he’s bad news — his claws are still dripping with fresh blood — I crawl over to him, my curiosity winning from my common sense.

  “You did quite a number on them,” I say. “I suppose I owe you a thank you for saving my life.”

  He looks up at me, his eyes taking on a mesmerizing glow. I’m not sure if he understands me, but I can almost see the gears in his head turning. He growls something alien, his voice low and strong enough to make my ribs rattle.

  He reaches back and unclasps his armor, a curious mixture of metal and leather, and pulls his entire chest piece off.

  I can’t help but suck in a breath through my teeth when his broad, naked chest comes into view. Holy cow.

  He’s got muscles upon muscles, and every last bit of him is perfectly defined. His dark gray skin looks absolutely breathtaking in the pale light of the moon. The spot where Xane’s bullets struck him is red and raw. They haven’t punctured his skin, but they did more damage than the regular bullets that bounced off him. To my surprise, he licks his fingertips and spreads his saliva on his irritated skin.

  “What on Earth are you doing?”

  His ears perk up, and his eyes snap to mine. “Earth?” he asks in a thick accent. “Here?”

  “Yes,” I answer. “Where else would we be? Are you… are you an alien?”

  He reaches down and rummages around in his pocket. My breath stops for a moment, until he pulls out a round, shiny metal disc. For a second I thought he was going to pull out something else entirely.

  The disc is smoking, a bullet encased in the center. His face takes on a deep, dark scowl, and he looks angry enough to make me shrink.

  I turn and gaze into the distance. Xane is making good time I reckon, taking my friends along with him. There’s no doubt in my mind where he’s going: That Old Earth shelter he was bragging about.

  Every second I spend sitting here and feeling sorry about myself is one wasted. My friends count on me, and as long as I draw breath, I’m going to fight for them.

  I stand up, fighting through the pain, and take one step. And then another. And then I drop down again with a high-pitched cry, the pain so great I’m seeing stars. My ankle throbs and pulses, and for a second I can do nothing but writhe in pain on the forest floor.

  When I open my eyes again, I’m surprised to see the warrior looming over me. His horns are blotting out the moon, his brilliant eyes studying me intensely.

  “Healing,” he says, and his hand moves to the top of my jeans. With one flick of his thumb he pops the buttons open.

  “Hey, what are you doing?!” I say as I try to slap his hand away.

  I might as well be slapping a granite boulder. He’s as hard as a rock, completely impossible to defy. Now his strong claws find their way around my waist, and his fingers grab the waistband of my jeans. Without uttering a word, he slowly edges them down past my hips.

  I can’t believe this alien is taking my pants off.

  Chapter 5

  SURLOK

  It worked.

  EARTH!

  I have traveled across time and space in an instant and reached Earth. Everything about this world is totally alien. There are trees as far as the eye can see, the sky is so dark you can see stars, and the inhabitants are… interesting.

  Vukaror wasn’t lying when he said humans are suitable for mating. The brown-haired one that is quivering underneath of me is beyond perfect. Never have I seen a shape like hers, so alluring, so curvy, so right.

  My teleporter is damaged, but I can’t worry about that now. The human is injured, and she needs my help.

  That’s my top priority.

  Her scent leaves no doubt in my mind that she’s female. She hides her body underneath her camouflaged clothes, which I find curious. A body as great as hers should never be hidden. It should be praised, appreciated, worshiped.

  I shake my head and force myself to focus on the task at hand. The female’s strong scent is disorienting, clouding my judgment.

  Earth. That’s where I am. The device worked.

  It. Fucking. Worked.

  I find it hard to believe myself, but the female writhing on the forest floor is proof of my success. It seems I arrived in the middle of a conflict between her and some males.

  My translator, embedded in my left ear, is working overtime to make sense of it all. It requires input to work, so if I am to communicate effectively with the female, she needs to talk to me so it can learn her language properly.

  And right now, all that she’s doing is staring open-mouthed at me as I pull her jeans past her wide hips. Her naked skin comes into view, so milky and pale, and my body responds, blood rushing down to my cock, my tongue subconsciously wetting my lips.

  I am trying to heal her wound — not sink my cock into her cunt. And yet, her smell draws me closer and closer. I bite down on my bottom lip with my fangs, hard enough to draw blood. I’m not an animal. I will not mate with this female here, in the dirt. Even if that is exactly what my body craves.

  I pull her pants all the way down and expose her bleeding ankle. She has a deep wound there, and copious amounts of blood still gush out. That she is still alive and breathing is a testament to her strength, but without aid she will soon bleed out.

  Thankfully, my saliva contains a healing agent. A small modification I made to myself, when I had some downtime in my lab. I mostly use it to speed up my own healing, when I injure myself in one of my reckless experiments again. I never could have imagined it would save my mate’s life one day.

  My mate.

  The words echo in my mind, like a bell that’s been rung. The pull that I feel at my two hearts is so strong, so absolutely overpowering… could she truly be my nera? My fated mate?

  Perhaps the teleportation has disoriented me. It very well could have thrown my chemicals off balance. That could be the reason why my heart rate is up, why my palms feel sweatier than usual, why my nose is so attuned to her scent, why my quad won’t stop throbbing.

  It is too soon to make sweeping statements about destiny, but I must monitor my own feelings closely. In the meantime, I will have to keep this female close…

  I grab her ankle and lower my mouth towards it, my fangs exposed, my forked tongue wetting my lips.

  The white female grows even paler, and a string of obscenities leave her plump lips. My translator struggles to relay her message to me, but it is something along the lines of ‘What in mating’s name do you think you’re doing?!’

  “Healing,” I answer. I hope the word translates properly, but I don’t have the time to wait for her response. I lower my mouth onto her cut, and spread my saliva around. My tongue coats the injured tissue with a protective layer, my enzymes expediting the healing process.

  The female is startled and quivering, first yelping from pure fear, but as my healing glands do their job her frightened screams turn to approving hums.

  “Better?” I ask as I look up, blood dripping from the corners of my mouth.

  She shakes her head in disbelief. “Are you some kind of reverse vampire or something? Because all my pain is gone.”

  I pause to think. She must mean a local animal of sorts. Now, if these creatures are known for forcing their tongue between a human female’s legs… then yes. Yes, I am a reverse vampire.

  For her scent is too powerful to resist, even for me. I am a mere foot away from the origin of that heavenly musk, and my eyes do not mistake me: Her underwear is clearly damp.

  If a Kaizon female spread her pheromones in such a lewd fashion, it would be an open invitation to enjoy her! With the Sickness ravaging Kysus, it has been a long, long time since that heavenly scent filled the atmosphere… and never before has a scent mesmerized me this completely.

  I lean forward and plant my nose right in the middle of her
soft panties and inhale deeply. Her scent makes my two hearts race and cock thicken, and all my problems are temporarily forgotten. She is all that exists for me.

  The female moves her hands to my horns, but even if she exerted all of her strength, she would not be able to move me a single inch. “Stop that,” she says. “That’s my…”

  “Cunt?” I growl. “Your cunt is wet.”

  “Erhh, is not!” she argues until her face is red. “You can’t do this! I don’t even know your name, for stars‘s sakes.”

  “Surlok,” I growl as I drag my tongue up the fabric of her panties. “Now, I will taste you.”

  The female shivers, her legs trembling as I inhale her scent deeply. “I’m Joan,” she stammers. “And no, you will not!”

  Joan. A strange but beautiful name. I let it roll of my tongue. Yes, it’s a good name for a mate.

  I don’t have the patience to play games anymore. I have spent my years toiling away, and finally I am rewarded. I have two juicy thighs in front of me, leading me straight towards the most adorable Venus hill that I have ever had the good fortune of witnessing. Her words may defy me, but her body speaks an entirely different language.

  Her body craves my touch.

  I yank her panties off, tearing the fabric, exposing her delicate, beautiful flower to me. Her lips are plump and swollen, sweet nectar leaking from her hole. My mouth waters at the sight. Never before have I seen such pure, natural beauty. Not even the twin suns of Kysus hidden in an eclipse can compare to this majesty. Not even seeing the view from the top of Mount Cernd is as breathtaking as Joan’s perfect curves.

  I commit every fold, every little detail to memory… before I lower my mouth down and drag my forked tongue up her wet folds.

  Her sweet nectar fills my mouth, and my tastebuds explode in pleasure. She is so juicy and tasty; I cannot get enough. My tongue enters her deeply as I explore every single inch of her.

  “Oh, fuck,” Joan curses, but she no longer fights me. Instead, she guides my horns, her hips bucking up to meet my tongue. I cannot help but smirk contently. My nera no longer pushes me away. She submits to me, as she should. I dig my claws into her soft thighs and push her knees up to her chest, making her body completely available to me.