I stomp a foot and throw my hands up in defeat, dropping the splint on the coffee table next to the hoodie. Then I march out of the room with as much dignity as possible while only being clad in a damp towel and sporting a messy bun. Just before I turn the corner and head into the bathroom, I look back at Ravok. I get the distinct impression that he finds me and my anger amusing. I narrow my eyes at him, letting him know he’s officially gotten on my last nerve.
He watches me intently, his glowing eyes capturing mine once more. “Grroz ferruckt, Leelee.” I’m assuming that he’s saying, ‘Thank you, Lily. You’re always right and I should listen to you more. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. You’re the best.’
I can’t stay annoyed now. Plus, it’s really charming how he says my name. It sounds exotic in that deep, growly voice. His voice is like gravel but somehow still as smooth as silk, with a hint of gratefulness gracing his tone. I can’t help but blush under his gaze. I hope he doesn’t realize I’ve been perving on him while he’s stuck with me and vulnerable.
“I know, Ravok. You’re welcome. Let me get some clothes on and I’ll make us some breakfast.”
CHAPTER 26
Ravok
Leelee lifts her chin, stalking away towards the washroom with the bearing of a Cryzor queen. An annoyed Cryzor queen. Based on my time with human scientists, I know that my accelerated healing is shocking to her people, so I understand she is just trying to help me to the best of her understanding. The splint is unnecessary for my healing. As this morning demonstrated, I don’t want a hindrance if we come into danger. I don’t want anything in my way if I need to defend us. It could prove the difference between life and death. And I will not allow anything to hurt Leelee after she’s gone to such trouble to help me.
As she stomps her foot in irritation, I battle an impromptu bout of laughter. She speaks again, the sounds clipped. Though I don’t understand the words, I recognize the tone. She’s just given me a command. That answers that question –not a slave. Knowing it will only upset her further, I swallow my laughter, keeping my face neutral. Her bravado, her sweet spitfire nature, it’s admirable. Leelee is the most unexpected creature I have ever encountered. It’s impossible to ignore the courage she has shown in dealing with me – a hard-hitting fact that commands my respect and, dare I say, fascination. I find myself falling, tumbling down the deep canyons of Leelee’s intriguing personality – the empathy, kindness, and fire she displays in equal measures.
The memory of this morning’s incident replays as a vivid tableau in my mind – I had watched from the corridor as Leelee’s slight frame barred the doorway, blocking the intruder from entering. She had used her body as a shield – to protect me against one of her own people. Her aura of determination had temporarily frozen me, and I’d stood transfixed, a prisoner of my surprise.
I am at a loss. I cannot understand how to dissect her actions. Nothing about Leelee makes sense.
Despite the insignificant amount of fabric that barely covers her nudity, Leelee displays no fear. Not to the visitor earlier and not to me. On Cryzor, Outriders are feared and respected. Yet here she is – this tiny, soft being – lecturing me. I can’t help but feel a flutter of unfamiliar mirth, and a begrudging respect.
I suppress a grin as Leelee lectures me. I know that she is trying to sound stern and severe, although her sweet voice betrays the softness of her character. Finally, she throws her hands up and stalks off.
“Thank you, Leelee,” I call after her as a peace offering. She turns on her heels and returns my stare. We hold each other’s gaze for a long, silent moment. The weight of unsaid words and thoughts hang heavy between us.
Leelee dips her head in acknowledgment, then heads into the washroom. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. As I listen to her getting dressed, my mind replays the previous few minutes. A vivid vision of Leelee on her knees, clad in nothing more than a scrap of fabric, leaning over my lap, hovering her face mere inches away from my cock fills my mind. I keep replaying the moment when she realized how close to my genitals she was in my mind’s eye. The shocked, and perhaps almost greedy, look on her face, the flush working its way up her throat and settling on her cheeks. The heat of her trembling exhale blowing over my cock. The gentle swell of her breasts peeking over the top of the damp fabric. The way she bit her lip in a way that turned my mind into chaos. The plumpness of her lips had suddenly caught my attention in a way I can’t explain. I had to clench my hands to keep from reaching out to brush a thumb against her plump bottom lip. I’d had to suppress the sudden urge to lift my hips the smallest amount and brush my cloth-covered cock against the underside of her chin.
I roughly rub my fists into my eye sockets, trying to remove the images from my mind.
It was a strange and stirring moment that pulses a peculiar sensation within me. Her embarrassment was evident, but so was something else… an awareness. She may have been avoiding my gaze, but her body’s reactions didn’t lie, and I could see in her fumbled movements, the flush of her skin, the tremble of her limbs, and the rush of her breaths that she recognized the gravity of the moment as well.
It’s all emblazoned on my psyche, permanently etching that moment into my very fiber. I will carry the memory for all my days, I think.
While I am still occupied with my thoughts, Leelee returns to the room, now fully dressed. She speeds into the kitchen and swiftly fills a glass with water. As she hands me the glass, our fingers brush and she quickly snatches her hand away as if burned. I’m not sure how I feel about that.
Once I finish the water, I hold the glass out for Leelee to take back. She seems to startle and return to herself, blinking at me uncertainly. When Leelee points at my lap, heat surges through my body, and I feel every muscle in my body quiver, at the ready. Leelee asks tentatively, “Ungry?”
I realize that she was pointing at my stomach, not my cock. I am an overeager idiot. Why did I react like that? My mind is in turmoil, and I’m having difficulty processing my chaotic feelings.
Realizing that Leelee is waiting for an answer, I dip my head. A wide, happy smile spreads across her face and she rushes back to her cooking area.
As a pan sizzles with the promise of hot food, I find myself in a surreal moment, wondering how I ended up in this absurd yet exhilarating situation.
A burst of orange leaps into my lap causing me to release a snarl. My instincts flare at the sudden movement, and I unthinkingly unsheathe my claws, ready to defend myself.
I huff in annoyance when I realize that it’s just Mango. My jaw tightens as I contemplate shoving the creature off my lap, but a glance towards the kitchen gives me pause. With her soft hair piled atop her head, Leelee is leaning over a sizzling pan. She seems content, happy even, not noticing that I’d almost eviscerated her animal companion.
I watch warily as Mango circles my lap a few times before finally curling into a small, warm ball. Its throaty vibrations tickle against my skin, pulsing in a strange rhythm that I believe indicates contentment. Mango has the same sense of preservation as its owner to be at such ease that it commandeers my lap. The sheer audacity of assuming my thighs are available for bedding defies explanation. I stare at the soft, fluffy creature nestled in my lap, not sure what to do now.
Slowly, I run a hand down Mango’s orange-furred back, imitating the way I’ve previously observed Leelee doing. I’m not sure what I expect. But the moment my fingers meet the silky fur, a feeling of warmth spreads into the palm of my hand. The sensation is unsettling, but the softness of the animal’s coat is pleasant. Mango’s vocal vibrations grow in volume and speed in response to my caressing. He issues a low, comforting rumble that vibrates under my fingertips.
I had planned to initiate the conquering of this planet, of making its people tremble before me and my people. To beg for mercy and receive none. Yet, here I am, a few days later, being conquered in return. But not by armies, not by force, but by the kindness of one human female and the rumbling purr of her orange-furred companion. The thought makes me recoil inwardly, but outwardly, I continue my exploration of Mango’s soft fur, finding within the warmth and softness of the creature a sense of peace I’d never expected to discover on this strange, fascinating planet.
As I caress down along its spine, the creature starts to knead my legs with its small yet sharp claws, nipping through the pants Leelee provided me. Even that sensation is somehow pleasant.
After a few enjoyable minutes of stroking Mango, Leelee approaches me, holding two plates of food. She sets one on the table and offers the other one to me, along with an eating utensil. Leelee spots Mango on my lap and her face lights up.
“Mango ez maykin beezcutz,” Leelee says with a grin.
When I reach for the plate, Mango makes a noise of complaint and jumps off my lap. He gives me an arch look that I return, annoyed that it left the security of my lap. However, I’m unwilling to grovel to get the animal to return. I am not its keeper and am unmoved by its ire. It can go to its mistress if it wants to be coddled. I look away, not willing to let Mango know that I’m bothered to see him go. Thankfully, my growling stomach distracts me from my ridiculous, unacceptable reaction.
My nostrils flare as savory aromas rise from the plate. I take the offered plate from Leelee’s hand, careful not to brush my fingers against hers again. “Thank you, Leelee,” I say slowly. Leelee dips her head at my words and gives me a happy grin, making me think she intuits my meaning.
She picks up the second plate and takes a seat next to me. She points to each item on her plate and names them. Egz, froot, baycun, and tohst.
The food’s aroma tickles my senses, strange yet oddly appealing. At the first bite, I made an involuntary noise of appreciation, and her eyes lit up in delight.
“Ez gud, ya?” Leelee asks.
The froot and tohst are familiar yet different from what I’ve had in the past, and the baycun is some kind of fatty fried meat. The pale yellow egz are strange, a fluffy and soft curd of some sort. It’s almost creamy but not sweet like I’d expected.
Mango hops up on the cushion beside Leelee, making plaintive, hungry sounds. Leelee strokes Mango’s fur before setting him back down on the wooden floor, saying something that sounds like a soft reprimand – ignoring what appears to be the animal’s indignation. Mango responds with a plaintive whine, twining around Leelee’s slender ankles in an attempt to wheedle a treat.
Watching them, I am now confident that this creature is not livestock. The thought seems laughable now, considering the fuss Leelee gives it.
With a final sniff, Mango saunters away, its tail up and waving sinuously, its head held high and regal. I’d almost believe that the creature is Leelee’s owner, not the other way around, because of how the animal behaves. Perhaps she is enslaved after all.