Catching Alicka Read online

  Slanon dropped a kiss on her head. “I’ll be right back, sweetling.”

  The marvelous view held her captivated. Not far away, she could see Slanon’s grove of blue trees. They were a sight to behold. The varying shades of blue against the soft light of the two suns made her heart sing. The purple tree they were in and the ones nearby that held another deck were taller than the blue ones. It made them perfect for a tree house. She could see the rolling landscape of colorful flowers, trees, and a large body of pearl-colored water.

  Mr. Tickles struggled to get down and she almost set him on his feet. Then she remembered how high up they were. “It’s not safe for you, little guy.” The rail was a mixture of dark-red wood and silver metal. It was masculine yet sleek. The metal bars were wide enough apart for her pet to easily step through. A child would be safe here, but not Mr. Tickles.

  “I’ll fix the rail so he doesn’t fall through. Let’s take him inside for now.” Slanon placed his hand on her lower back and guided her to the door.

  Tor smiled down at her, making his ice-colored eyes warmer. “You’ll be a good mother.” His gaze cut over to his brother. “I need to go make plans. I’ll call you later with the details. Congratulations to the both of you. I hope you have many babies.”

  Heat bloomed across her chest and crept up her neck. VisOrrentians were so blunt and formal at times it hurt.

  “Thanks, Tor, I appreciate your help and words.” Slanon watched his brother turn and leave. He then looked at her and smiled. “Let’s go in, sweetling.” He pushed the solid door open and held it wide for her.

  Stepping into the house was like slipping into a wonderland of masculine beauty. Large windows dominated every wall, bringing the outside in. The suns’ rays kissed dark wood and leather furniture that would swallow her whole. She felt like an ant once again. On the bright side, ants were strong and easily lived with giants surrounding them all of the time.

  Through the living room was a set of glass doors that led to the deck. From here, she could see where the deck turned into a bridge that guided a person to another deck that had a gazebo at its center.

  Strong arms wrapped around her waist. Slanon kissed her shoulder. “That’s where the claiming will take place. Do you like it?”

  “It’s amazing. I can’t wait to see it up close. You want to show me the rest of the house and then go out to the gazebo?” Pink fur caught her attention as it rounded the kitchen counter.

  “Yes. Don’t hesitate to tell me if something is ugly to you.” Sincere blue-and-gold eyes peered down at her.

  At the look in his eyes, a piece of her heart broke free. She pictured that piece flying to him and being absorbed into his body. It would be nice and safe there. Alicka didn’t know how she knew it. She just did, and she accepted it.

  Wanting to reassure him, she smiled and said, “I’m sure everything will be fine. From what I’ve seen so far, you have a beautiful home.”

  He cupped her face with his large hands and kissed her lips softly. “It’s our home now. I want you to be happy here.”

  Heat flooded her heart at his gently spoken words. He took her hand and led her to four bedrooms, an office, a second living room, and then to one more bedroom. Slanon pushed the door open and she gasped at the sight.

  Light from above flooded the room from every angle, and although the other rooms had one to two windows in the wooden ceiling, this room’s ceiling was all glass and wooden beams. Since the temperature never reached higher than seventy-five degrees, the room would never overheat.

  The massive bed was enormous. It made a king-sized bed on Earth look small. Then again, VisOrrentians were a lot larger than humans. Everything here was massive to her. She loved the rustic wood frame of the bed. The wood was knotted, but smooth, and had a polished look.

  A picture of her and Slanon making love on the bed and looking up into the branches of the tree, with moonbeams raining down on them, caused her core to dampen.

  A loudly inhaled breath had her looking up at her mate. A sexy grin curved his full bottom lip. “Look around. I’ll be back with your fruit in just a minute.”

  At first, she forgot what fruit, then it hit her. He’d smelled her arousal and was getting her the fruit he’d told her would ease the ache from her muscles so he could breed her again. Getting used to his heightened sense of smell was going to take some time.

  From her studies of VisOrrentians, she knew that if she got pregnant by him, the baby’s blood would change hers to closer match its own. She’d get a longer life and heightened senses as well as their ability to heal through their saliva. Licking a wound healed seemed strange, but she’d do it to help her child or mate.

  Looking around, she took in the love seat. Or at least she thought it was a love seat. It could be just a chair to them. The deep, dark purple was almost black looking. Only the suns’ rays picked up the purple tones in the wood. The leather cushions looked black, but on this planet you could never be sure. A door to her right caught her attention. Moving over to it, she opened it and peeked in. It was a walk-in closet. Only half of it was in use. Had he saved the other side for his mate?

  She jumped when Slanon put his hand on the doorframe over her head. “You scared me. Your closet is every woman’s dream.”

  “I’m glad you like it. I left your side empty so when I found you, it would be ready for your clothes. We’ll buy you more clothes when the end of the month comes.” At her questioning look, he elaborated. “That’s when more merchants show up to sell their goods at the market. If you don’t see anything you like or that fits, you can look clothing up on our computer and order what you want. I just want to take you to the market so more people will know that you’re taken and not to be messed with.” He handed her a bowl of purple fruit.

  She took it and then asked, “What’s this called?”

  “It’s ricctop fruit. My parents grow it and I want to in the future. Go ahead eat it. I want you to enjoy our next breeding.”

  Holding back a laugh at his bluntness and primitive wording, she picked up a piece of the fruit and took a bite. Sweetness filled her mouth. It was like tasting an orange mixed with berries. These folks literally had good-tasting medicine.

  “This is good. Do people ever eat it just because they like it?” She hoped so, because she’d love to make it a regular part of her diet. With his massive cock and infectiously high sex drive, she may need it regularly anyway.

  “Yes. It’s healthy for your heart and lung, so many VisOrrentians eat it every day.” He took a step back. “Have you looked at the bathing room?”

  “No, but I’d like to see it.” Her brain was stuck on him saying lung instead of lungs. In her studies, she’d learned that VisOrrentians only had one large lung. At least the sweet fruit was good for it. Hopefully it was good for hers, too.

  He gave her a slight nod and led her to another door within the bedroom. After opening it, Slanon stood back and watched her. “Keep eating, sweetling.”

  His gently spoken order stoked the fire in her that so far hadn’t died since she’d met him. He inhaled loudly and then growled softly. Moons, that’s hot. Gladly following his dictate, she plopped another piece of ricctop fruit into her mouth. It almost fell out when her jaw dropped at the sight of the stone-and-wood room.

  The same deep, dark-purple wood from the other room was in here as well. What was interesting was the glass ceiling and massive light-colored stone tub with a showerhead that would rain a large cloud’s worth of water down on a person. The tub was so large there wasn’t a need for a shower door or curtain. Thinking of them in that tub with water showering down on them made desire shoot through her pelvis.

  A soft growl came from Slanon. “Eat the rest of your fruit and then we’ll go to the outdoor living area.”

  As she ate the rest of her fruit, she noticed that the restroom had a double sink made of the same light stone as the tub. At a touch, she found it to be smooth and cool. She briefly wondered if she’d ever be cool
around him. The man lit her fire to molten levels. A steamy look from him had her eating the last of the fruit and handing him the bowl. A light entered his eyes and he smiled down at her. “Good, sweetling. You’ll be ready when the time is right. Let’s go outside.”

  Mr. Tickles found her and ran his fluffy tail over her ankle. She picked him up and petted his soft fur while Slanon put her bowl in the sink. The long, drawn-out tweeting sound her pet made let her know he was enjoying their new home and her touch.

  Slanon came over and she put her pink pet down. He looked up at her with big, sad yellow eyes. Yep, he knew he couldn’t go out. “Soon, you’ll get to go out with us.” She hated leaving her tiny friend, but she needed to see what other places outside might be dangerous for Mr. Tickles. She ran her hand down his tail and smiled when he purred. “I’ll be back, little one.”

  As Slanon walked past, Mr. Tickles swatted at his calf. She glared at her wayward pet and then followed her mate out the door. “Sorry about his behavior.”

  “It’s okay. Lukpas are known for attaching themselves to one or two people. He’ll get used to me being around you.”

  She hoped so. They crossed a wooden bridge and entered the outdoor living area. Like everything else on this planet, it was massive. It also had a gazebo in the center, which had a glass top so you could still see the tree’s branches.

  Since it only rained at night, she wondered why he needed the glass. “I love the gazebo, but why do you need it, since it only rains here at night?”

  A grin spread his lips. “Sometimes I come out here at night to think. It also comes in handy when eating out here. No leaves in your food.”

  “Ah, that makes sense. It’s beautiful.”

  “Thanks. I love it out here.” He leaned against the rail and watched her.

  His gaze was comforting. She guessed it was a mating thing. Looking out, she noticed that the view was amazing. This area was higher than the deck around the house, making this view slightly different from the other one. Looking back at the house made her heart stutter at the naturally beautiful sight. These people truly embraced blending with their planet. All of their homes were wonderfully in sync with nature.

  She turned to her mate. “I love it. Can you fix the railing so Mr. Tickles can come out here with me? I’ll be glad to help.”

  “Yes. I’ll fix it. For you, I’ll do almost anything.” He walked over to her and ran his thumb over her cheek. Her heart raced when he leaned down and kissed her sensually. When he straightened, his eyes were brighter than they’d been. “I won’t share you with anyone. That’s a line I can’t cross.” His tone was possessive and had a touch of a growl.

  That growl heated her blood and made it pump faster through her veins. “I only want you.”

  * * * *

  The sexual scent she gave off drove Slanon crazy. Her words had rung true and had calmed his dark side. Now, he needed to get to know her better. Wanting to be close to her as he got information from her, he took her hand and started leading her across the bridge.

  “Where are we going?”

  “To our other outdoor relaxing spot. It is much better for couples, or sleeping when your skin is hot.” At a look from her, he further explained, “It has a bed and I plan on using it as I talk to you.”

  They stepped onto the main deck that surrounded their house and he led her to the other side. Her soft intake of breath when she saw it made him smile.

  “That’s so cool. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Excitement and awe flavored her words.

  He guided her across the bridge and into his other outdoor sanctuary. The large area had a few chairs, but the best thing was the hand-carved bed in the center. The massive wood frame was a mass of twisting branches that had been smoothed and polished. All four posts reached up to the sky.

  The sheets on the bed matched the dark-purple wood. It was like being cradled by a tree’s strong branches, but with the comfort of a mattress. The fresh scents of flowers and other plants perfumed the air. It was truly a small paradise.

  “Let’s get cozy.” He gestured to the bed and then climbed on. When she got on, he pulled her to the center and settled on his side so he could look at her. She was mesmerizing, with her pretty eyes, wild hair, and delicate frame.

  “How’s it been going for you here on VisOrrenta?”

  “Okay.” Her gaze went to the leaves blowing in the light breeze. “I’ll admit, I was sad sometimes because I didn’t think I had a mate here.” Turning her head, she looked into his eyes. “I’m better now that you found me. The fruit from the blue trees seemed to help also. What is that fruit called?”

  Guilt punched him in the gut. If he’d just gone to see her like Tor had asked him to, then she wouldn’t have been sad. From now on, he’d make sure she wasn’t sad anymore.

  “The fruit is called picplom.” Reaching out, he caressed her cheek. “I wish I’d taken the time to meet you right after you came here. I’m sorry I didn’t.”

  “Don’t feel bad. There was no way you could have known.” The kindness in her eyes touched his soul.

  “My family is going to love you.” They’d all meet her tomorrow. His mom would be excited about their future children. He briefly wondered if Alicka was already carrying his child.

  “I hope so.” She looked up through the clear cover and at the tree’s branches. “My family would love it here.”

  He laced his fingers through hers. “Are they going to be okay with you having to come here?” He hoped so, because there was no way he could let her go.

  A small smile tugged at her lips. “Yes. On Earth, it’s an honor to be the parents of a chosen daughter. Knowing I could be taken, they told me they loved me every day. They do the same thing with my sister.”

  “That was smart of them. I’m glad they consider you being chosen an honor. Tell me about them.”

  A sigh escaped her lush lips. “My sister, Evy, is accident-prone. I’m hoping now that I’m here, she’s being more careful. Our parents go ballistic when she gets hurt. She recently turned twenty-five, so I have to believe she’s outgrown that careless side.” A large smile split her face. “Or maybe our parents have started wrapping her in Bubble Wrap.”

  The humor in her eyes warmed his heart. “What’s Bubble Wrap?”

  “It’s a type of plastic wrap that has little pockets of air in it to protect an item being stored or moved.”

  “I see how that would help a falling human.” They wouldn’t need Bubble Wrap for their children, because VisOrrentians had unbreakable bones and could heal a wound with a lick.

  “Tell me about your family.” She rolled to her side and looked at him.

  Tearing his gaze away from her beautiful breasts, he answered, “You’ve met my brother, Tor.”

  “Yes, he’s a little scary.”

  “He won’t hurt you. I also have a brother named Xander. He owns a club. We’ll go to it one day. Did he come to see you?”

  “I’m not sure. I met a lot of guys. You say he owns a club? What kind of club?”

  “Entertainment. VisOrrentians as well as other beings go there to unwind and do business.”

  “Sounds interesting. A touch scary, though. I’m not used to meeting or seeing other beings. On Earth, we didn’t have anything to offer, so other beings don’t go there to hang out.” A dark strand of hair fell into her eyes and she blew out a breath to move it. Her gaze then shifted back to his. “What about your parents?”

  “They own a picplom grove as well as a ricctop grove. The two groves keep them very busy.” She shifted and his gaze darted to her full breasts.

  Her fingers tightened on his briefly, causing his gaze to roam upward. “Didn’t you say you want to have a ricctop grove of your own?”

  “Yes, one day I’ll do it.”

  “That’s exciting. Can I help you with the grove you have now and the ricctop when you get it started? I love plants and I know those two have healing properties.”

  A tug to his heart
told Slanon another part of his heart had just surrendered to her. “I’d love for you to work with me.” He couldn’t wait to have her by his side every day.

  A small pink flower floated over her. She reached out to grab it, but missed. Her laughter surrounded them as he grabbed for it, only to have the wind jerk it out of his reach.

  The laughter died and her eyes widened. “I need to go check on Mr. Tickles, he doesn’t like to be left alone for long.” She jumped up and Slanon followed her over the bridge and into the house.

  Mr. Tickles was near the door and when it opened, he stood on his back leg and placed his front paws on his hips. Slanon burst out laughing and had to fight to stop when Mr. Tickles’s little yellow eyes narrowed and shot daggers through him.

  Knowing he needed to make up with her beloved pet, he said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Tickles.” The tiny pink creature looked funny, staring him down from less than one foot off the floor. Plus, the poor guy was pink. Pink didn’t strike fear in Slanon. Even the white around the lukpas’s eyes was not menacing.

  Alicka rushed over and picked her tiny pet up. She rubbed her nose against his. “I’m sorry, little guy. Slanon’s promised to fix the rail so you can safely go out with us. Isn’t that right, Slanon?” Her bright blue eyes beseeched him to go along with comforting her pet.

  “That’s right, Mr. Tickles. I’ll get on it as soon as I can.” Her grateful smile was worth him sinking to being ruled by a five-pound, pink fur-ball.

  “See? Everything’s going to be fine. We’ll be a close family before you know it.” A fluffy, pink tail rose up and tickled Alicka under the chin. Happy laughter echoed off the walls. That was new, and Slanon enjoyed it. Maybe her pet wouldn’t be so bad to have around after all.

  Alicka put her pet down and then picked up some of her stuff. “Let’s get my things put away.” She turned and started for the bedroom.