Catching Alicka Page 6

  Fifty years ago? “How old are you?”

  “One hundred and five. I’m the youngest of my siblings.” Slanon stopped and looked closely at her. “Did you read about the changes that will take place in your body when you get pregnant?”

  “Yes. I realize I’ll live longer, but I can’t remember how many years is a natural lifetime here.”

  “Three hundred years. That means we have plenty of time to enjoy each other and our children.”

  Whoa! In her stressed state when she’d been taken, Alicka had been told too many things to remember them all. That one should have stuck in her brain, but it hadn’t. Looks like my clock isn’t ticking as loudly as I thought. The vision of Keneese so round in her pregnancy had Alicka hoping she would get pregnant sooner rather than later. Their babies getting to play and grow up together was something she longed to see.

  “What are you thinking so hard about?”

  “Us having babies. You wouldn’t mind if it happened soon, would you? I know the pact with Earth is for population growth. I’m just not sure when you’ll be ready for that. I’m not on birth control.” She wondered if they had any kind of birth control.

  A glow brightened his eyes for a moment. “I’d love to have a baby as soon as possible. Seeing Princess Keneese heavy with child is a beautiful sight. I look forward to watching your body change as it nurtures our baby. You are sure to be breathtaking.” He kissed her hand and then started leading them onward. “Before I decide to take you back home and breed you all day long, we best get to the verstos. I’ve got some baby trees we need to mix food for and then feed some adult trees as well. Does that sound good to you?”

  “Yes, I’m excited about learning the grove business. I was an office assistant on Earth. I always longed to be doing something outside, though.”

  They rounded a corner and the path veered to the right. Slanon headed right and a few minutes later, a clear building came into view. So this is what a verstos looks like. Verstos was the equivalent of a greenhouse on Earth.

  Once they were closer, she asked, “Is it made of glass?” She’d been too busy learning normal household things from him to wonder if the windows in his home were made of glass or not. The brief question of how they got clean flitted through her mind. If it wasn’t easy, she wasn’t going to do it often.

  “No, this is a material we make. It’s similar to glass on Earth, except it’s heartier. We use it as often as we can because the two materials it’s made from regenerate, giving us plenty of it.” He slid the clear door open and entered the huge building. Trees in various sizes lined the sides of the space. Workbenches were in several locations, as well as barrels of something.

  “What’s in the barrels?”

  “Plant foods. I mix diverse ingredients for different-aged trees. Come, I’ll show you.” He led her to a workbench and started pulling out different jugs and mixing bowls.

  “Why are you making a small batch?” There had to be hundreds of trees in the building.

  “Because I only have a few babies that need the food. Later, I’ll have you help me mix a big batch and we’ll go feed some of the outdoor trees.”

  She watched him open several of the barrels and scoop out varying amounts of powders and dried herb-looking stuff. With methodical movements, he blended the ingredients with water and then poured it into a jug.

  “We’re ready. The trees are this way.”

  She followed him down the center of the building and then to the right, where another wing was lined with small trees.

  Looking up, Alicka noted that the ceiling was open. It looked like it was closeable. “Why is the ceiling open?”

  “So the night rain can water the plants. I have these young plants inside to keep the wind off of them.” Tilting the jug over the planter of each tree, he fed them with ease. “These little guys are part of a new experiment I’m trying. I want to see if the seeds from my most successful trees are going to produce the same sweetness level as their parents. The parents were fed the same food I just put on them.”

  “Have you put it on some of your older trees to see if it can sweeten your established trees?” This is so exciting. Producing food to keep people alive and healthy was a noble cause and she was ready to get her hands dirty.

  Slanon grinned at her. “I love the excitement in your lovely eyes. You’re going to be a great mate for me. To answer your question, I have tried it and it does help some, but so far, I haven’t been able to get the same level of sweetness out of the older trees.”

  “I’ll help in any way I can.” Her heart stuttered when admiration lit his pretty eyes. Oh yeah, he is going to be a great mate for me as well.

  A quick kiss was pressed to her lips. “Let’s go mix the larger batch.”

  In short order, he was guiding her through the process of adding ingredients to water and then mixing it with a special device that would heat the mixture to activate and meld several of the ingredients. From there, he showed her how to pump it into a tank that attached to a metal base.

  Once that was done, he wiggled his eyebrows at her. “You ready to get our ride?”

  His enthusiasm stoked her own. “Sure.”

  Following him through a large doorway and beyond kept her busy, since his stride was three times the length of hers. Working here and running after him would help her lose a few pounds.

  He led her into a garage made of the rich purple wood he seemed to prefer. Her jaw fell when she saw the hovercraft. It was designed similar to an Earth truck. The thing was decked out with a hitch, mirrors, and a silver toolbox.

  He opened her door for her and then gestured for her to slide in. A yelp escaped her lips when his hand whipped out and slapped her ass. The sexy gleam in his eyes kept her from getting mad at him. His actions opened the door for her to do the same to him. She looked forward to slapping his tight ass whenever the opportunity presented itself.

  After rounding the vehicle, Slanon got in and started the engine. He backed it out of the garage and into the verstos. If she’d been the one backing into a clear building, there’d be some walls shattering in no time. Watching him expertly maneuver the hovercraft up to the tank filled her with admiration. Her mate was talented in many ways.

  “Wait here. I’m going to hook us up to the hover-trailer and then we’ll head out.”

  Turning in her seat, she watched him work. Knowing what else those big hands were capable of had her blood heating and moisture pooling between her thighs. His presence kept her in a constantly aroused state.

  The second he got in the vehicle, he inhaled sharply and looked at her. “When we finish this task I’ll take you up on your offer.”

  Innocently, she asked, “What offer?”

  Closing his eyes, Slanon took a deep breath and growled. The sound sent a thrill through her veins and heightened her need for him.

  When he opened his eyes, they were softly glowing. “Moons, I love the sweet smell of your arousal. That scent is always going to be an offer in my mind.”

  She loved his honesty. No beating around the bush for her mate. He reached out and ran his fingertips over her cheek and down her neck. When they grazed over her collarbone, she shivered as desire spiked in her groin.

  “You can take it as an offer.” Her tone was breathless. His touch did that to her and she loved it. Knowing she had so many years to enjoy it was like a ray of sunshine piercing her heart with happiness.

  “Whatever you’re thinking, hold that thought. It’s making your face glow and your eyes shine.” With the flip of a switch, the craft rose from the ground. He grinned at her and then pulled out of the clear building.

  “I love these trees. They are so pretty. I also believe picplom fruit helps my stomach when I worry too much.” Breathing deeply, she inhaled the trees’ delicate aroma.

  “I need to let Prince Kalen know that so he can keep in on the menu for incoming females from Earth. I’m glad it’s been helping you out, and I’m happy you’re here with me.” He
reached over and squeezed her hand before pushing a button on the craft.

  A moment later, she heard a spraying noise and turned to look behind them. The plant food was evenly shooting out a stream on both sides of the hovercraft. They went down three more rows before Slanon stopped the vehicle.

  “I need to check on a few of these trees. It won’t take long. You want to come with me?”

  “Sure. I want to learn everything I can.” She got out of the vehicle and followed her mate through several rows of trees.

  Watching intently, she was intrigued when he pulled out a knife and started scraping off some pale-yellow moss-looking stuff from the tree’s trunk.

  “What’s that?”

  “It’s prurros. We sell it to other beings and it has several uses to us. An important one here is when our healer mixes it with a couple of other ingredients and puts them on fruit to check for pregnancy.” He scraped more off into a bag and then moved on to another tree. “One day soon, I hope you’ll be taking the test.” Slanon winked at her and grinned in a sensually wicked way.

  It was a panty-dropping smile that triggered the need she always had from him. “If you weren’t working, I’d jump you right now.” Her husky tone had his eyes widening for a second.

  “After this is done, I’d love for you to jump me, sweetling.”

  She couldn’t help but smile when he started moving faster. Soon, she was holding three bags of prurros while he finished filling a fourth one.

  After closing the last bag, he grinned down at her. “Let’s get this back to the verstos and then go home. The aroma you’re putting off is making me so hard for you.”

  They were almost back to the hovercraft when she heard a shriek and Slanon yelled, “Duck!”

  Was a VisOrrentian duck making that sound?

  Air whooshed from her lungs when she was grabbed and dragged to the ground. Her bags of prurros flew from her hands and a warm weight pressed her into the blue-green grass.

  “Don’t move and it’ll go away,” Slanon whispered into her ear.

  After a couple of minutes, he got off of her and helped her stand. They gathered the dropped bags and got into the hovercraft.

  Slanon laughed and then raked his fingers through her wild brunette hair. “That was a greel. It’s a bird that has bright pink wings and a red beak.” He looked out the window and then pointed high in one of the trees.

  Looking up, Alicka saw a beautiful bird. It seemed to be building a nest. “Why did it come after us?”

  His gaze shifted to her hair. “It wanted your hair for its nest. Greels are usually nice. All bets are off though when they are building a nest. Your cute hair was like a magnet to that greel. Their beaks are strong and can draw blood. That’s why I dragged you down.”

  “Why did you tell me to be still?” A vision of that bird calling all of its friends over and trying to snatch her bald played out in her mind.

  “Their vision is sharper when things move. Like the bounce of your hair. In a couple of minutes they lose interest if you’ve dropped down and stopped all movement.”

  “Do you ever scare them off?”

  “I haven’t in the past, because they don’t like picplom fruit.” The blue and gold in his eyes pulsed a few beats. “If they come after you again, I’ll have to look into getting them away from here. Nobody, animals included, is allowed to hurt you, sweetling.”

  The look in his eyes had desire coiling in her nether region. The protective growl in his tone had love filling her heart. Moons, I love my sweet giant.

  He started the engine and, as soon as they were off the ground, he began driving. “Hold the thoughts going through your mind, sweetling. They are making you smell incredible. After we park this craft, we’ll go home and cuddle.”

  “Just cuddle?”

  “Yep, that’s all we’re going to do after we exhaust ourselves breeding.”

  The thought of his cock tunneling in and out of her while he sucked on her ear stoked the eternal fire she carried for him. The scent of her arousal had him hurrying them home.

  Home. Their portal to paradise.

  Chapter Seven

  At the sound of the door chiming, Slanon went to it. Alicka was right on his heels. For a shorty, she could be quick. Guilt speared his chest. He’d forgotten to tell her he was going hunting today. A call from Xander thirty minutes ago was all the warning he’d given her.

  Tor and Xander were at the door, and they entered when he opened it. They were dressed in camo and ready to go. The three of them had been hunting since they’d been kids. When they’d asked him if he wanted to go, he’d jumped at the chance. Alicka hadn’t even crossed his mind.

  Pleading blue eyes looked up at him hopefully. He’d been discussing how dangerous it was for the last twenty-nine minutes. He shook his head and her pretty, full lips pursed into a frown.

  Then her lips curled and she looked over at Xander and Tor. Her gaze settled on Tor. “You don’t mind if I come along, do you?”

  “Have you ever been hunting?” His icy eyes demanded the truth.

  Straightening, she easily held his gaze with her own. “Yes. I used to go with my dad.”

  Crossing his arms over is massive chest, he eyed her. “Have you ever been around a fresh kill or killed an animal?”

  Slanon watched his little mate smirk up at his brother. “Yes, I have. I’ve killed several rabbits and a few hogs. My dad made me help him skin them and cook them.”

  Tor grunted. “Go get dressed.”

  “Yes!” Alicka jumped and whirled around and then spun back around and grabbed Tor’s hands, growling a happy greeting at him. The big guy grunted and touched his head to hers. She quickly greeted Xander and then rushed down the hall. “I’ll be right back. Thank you, Tor,” she called over her shoulder.

  Slanon properly greeted his brothers, putting in a little more effort into the head-butt he shared with Tor. He glared at his brother. “What’s wrong with you? She can’t come with us. Gorrcans are dangerous. You have to tell her she can’t come.”

  Mr. Tickles chattered and looked at his brothers from a safe distance. Slanon couldn’t tell if the lukpas was on his side or not.

  Xander leaned against the wall, grinning as he closely watched their exchange.

  He turned on Xander. “Why didn’t you say something?”

  “Hey, I wasn’t the one she asked. Don’t blame me.”

  Slanon snorted at Xander and turned his attention back to Tor. “Are you going to tell her?”

  “No, I don’t have a problem with her coming along.”

  Heat suffused his body and he could feel his vision sharpen.

  Alicka walked out with an adorable smile on her face. It turned to a frown when she looked at him. “Why are you flushed?”

  Through gritted teeth, he answered, “Because I don’t want you to get hurt. We are hunting gorrcans. They are fifteen feet tall and dangerous.”

  With eyebrows hiked high, she nodded understandingly. “That’s why you need me there. I can help watch your back.”

  The look in her pretty eyes told him that she really believed she could help on the hunt. Adorable. That’s what his mate was. He hated to disappoint her, but he needed her alive and healthy.

  Slanon was just about to tell her she couldn’t go with them when Tor grunted and gave him a look that said he had it under control. A glance down at Alicka with her hopeful expression, and he caved.

  Xander pushed away from the wall. “Now that that’s been settled, let’s go.”

  Slanon hoped Tor knew what he was doing. He’d die himself if anything happened to her. Alicka petted Mr. Tickles and then followed his brothers out the door.

  Tor and Xander climbed into the front of the vehicle, and after he and Alicka were safely inside, Tor took off. As they drove, he held her hand and watched her smile and point things out as they passed them. She seemed to love every tree, flower, hill…everything here.

  Seeing VisOrrenta through her eyes was humbling. E
arth was in rough shape. He’d been raised in paradise, compared to her. Their children would get to see their world through Alicka’s excited and thankful eyes. She is a true gift. There was no way he would let anything happen to her.

  When they pulled up to their hunting grounds just outside of the city, she bounded out of the hovercraft and looked around.

  Quietly, she leaned into him. “Do you see any gorrcans?”

  Parroting her quiet tone, he answered, “No, but I’ll let you know when I do so I can hide behind you.”

  Xander burst out laughing. Alicka shushed him and rolled her eyes at Slanon.

  “This is serious. How well do gorrcans hear, see, and smell?”

  Those bright blue eyes of hers were so serious, he couldn’t help but love his little warrior mate even more.

  “We’re going to set up in a clear stand so we can watch for them from a safe distance. We’ll tell you about them at the stand,” Tor stated as he pulled his gun from the craft. Xander and Slanon grabbed their own weapons.

  “Do you have one for me?” Alicka asked in a sweet voice.

  “No, you haven’t been trained in how to use our weapons, yet.” At her perturbed look, Slanon held back a smile. “Today, your job is to help us spot them.”

  Tor’s idea of putting her up in a stand was a sound one. He just hoped she stayed there without too much of a fuss.

  “Okay, but promise me you’ll teach me how to shoot your gun.” Big blue eyes looked up at him expectantly.

  “I promise. Have you shot many guns?”

  “Yes, my dad loved them. He has eighteen guns and I’ve shot all of them.” She looked at his gun. “My dad would flip over yours.”

  Tor grunted. “He sounds like a good man.”

  “Yes, he does,” Slanon agreed.

  Xander raised a hand and everyone stopped and silently looked around. He and Tor inhaled the scents around them. There was a faint trace of gorrcans. They traveled on in silence.

  Slanon was proud of Alicka for remaining quiet when she had to be full of questions.