Fate Unexpected (Earth Defender Book 1) (5 page)

Kylah sighed and turned the music up. Even though Rune couldn’t
communicate with her, at least he was company. She hadn’t realized how much
she’d missed being around someone else until now.

* * * *

Rune’s hands were numb by the time Kylah finally brought the vehicle
she drove to a stop and then turned off the engine. As she’d told him, they’d
driven for many hours to reach the Cascades. He looked out the window. The
place was very remote, and thick forests were abundant.

They’d driven through something that would have been a checkpoint,
which Kylah had said was the border. According to her, they were now in Canada.
They’d been in the United States before that. To him, it made no difference. It
was all Earth, the countries ceased to be after the Xphens had released their
chemicals into the atmosphere and the humans mostly either died or changed.

Kylah got out of the vehicle, then came around to his side before
she opened the door. She held on to his arm as she helped him get out as well.
Rune’s feet were numb so he lost his balance as soon as he stood. She wrapped her
arms around him and steadied him. Her strength still surprised him.

Since she was so close, he had to look down at her. Some of his
anger for her had eased during the hours it’d taken to get where they were.
Kylah had done a lot of talking when she wasn’t singing to the music she’d
played. He now knew she was twenty-three, and that she used to work in the
local drugstore. She didn’t talk about her family, which made Rune assume she
no longer had any.

If he was honest with himself, he’d admit that if under different
circumstances, he would have liked to get to know her better. He may have even
thought of her as a potential mate. He found her attractive, and she had the
kind of personality he liked in a female, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try
to escape the first chance he got. He was paid to be on the opposite side of
the Earthlings.

Kylah met his gaze and smiled. “I have you.”

She certainly did, and the feel of her curvy body pressed against
him made his body react. He was hard within seconds. He did his best to ignore
his wayward cock. Nothing was going to happen between them. She considered him
the enemy, and he thought of her as a human he was hired to capture. That was
the way things were.

The silence stretched between them as they stood there, staring into
each other’s eyes. Kylah was the first to break it. She slowly pulled her arms
away after she pushed him back to lean against her vehicle.

“We’d better head out. We have to find a good spot to bed down for
the night. In the morning I’ll get our camp set up. Stay there.”

After Kylah turned away and headed to the back of her car, Rune
shook his head. She continued to talk to him as if he understood English. He
had no idea how long he’d be able to keep up the charade. The longer they were
together, the more likely it was he’d slip up and answer her. And there would
go one advantage he had.

She’d opened the trunk and then took something out. Rune dropped his
gaze to what she held as she returned to him. She had a coil of rope. Kylah
took one end and tied it around his waist. As she gripped the other end, she
unsheathed her sword and used the tip to cut his bonds at his ankles.

She sheathed her weapon and met his gaze. “I’m going to trust you to
walk since there’s a lot of gear and supplies we’re going to take with us. I’m
going to load you down. Don’t bother trying to get away. I can guarantee I run
faster than you.”

Rune gave each of his legs a shake and grimaced as the blood rushed
to his feet. Kylah tugged on the rope to get him into motion and towed him to
the trunk of her vehicle. There were quite a few material sacks inside it. She
didn’t waste any time weighing him down with some of them. She looped the
straps over his head so they crossed his chest with the sacks at his sides. The
rest she carried, including a bow and quiver of arrows. Another ancient Earth
weapon.

After the trunk was empty, Kylah once more tugged on the rope to get
him walking as she led him away from the vehicle. She headed toward the nearest
line of trees. Rune looked up at the sky. He figured they had a few hours of
daylight left. His stomach rumbled, reminding him he hadn’t eaten anything that
day. It’d been just before dawn when he’d rushed out of his shelter pod,
awakened from a deep sleep by the howls of what he thought was a changed.

Kylah must have heard his stomach. She looked over her shoulder at
him and smiled. “Don’t worry. I plan to make us something to eat once we find a
spot to bed down. I’m hungry too.”

At least she wasn’t going to make him starve. Though he had to wonder
what Earth food would be like. On board the Xphen ship, he ate what they’d
brought from his known worlds. And the supplies he and Gada were given for
their month-long stay on the planet’s surface was made up of the same.

Rune stumbled and quickly caught himself before he fell. He’d have
to pay more attention to where he stepped if he didn’t want to injure himself.
He needed to remain fit if he were to try to escape.

They walked for at least an hour before Kylah finally called a halt
inside an area where the trees where thinner and a small stream gurgled nearby.
The sun had started to sink in the horizon.

She looked around and nodded. “I think this is good as any place to
stop for the night. I want to get deeper into the forest tomorrow before I
decide to set up a permanent camp. Tonight we’ll be sleeping under the stars.”
Kylah stepped closer. “I’m going to tie you to a tree. I guess I should see if
you need to relive yourself before I do. How the hell am I going to make you
understand that? And that I’ll have to…help…you since I’m not going to unbind
your hands.”

Rune stared at her. He did have to relive himself, but having Kylah
help him was degrading. He wouldn’t make this easy on her.

She took off the sacks she’d loaded him down with, then asked, “Do
you have to go?” She gestured toward his crotch. “I’m pretty sure you have to
pee. I know I do. If it’s any consolation, I’ll be going where you’ll be able
to watch. I’m won’t let you out of my sight yet.”

He gave her what he hoped was a blank look. She was going to have to
do better than that.

Kylah huffed out a breath. “Fine. I’ll get the idea across another
way.”

She set him into motion and then led him a short distance away from
their resting place. She walked as far from him as the length of rope would
allow her, undid her pants, squatted and relieved herself. Rune caught a flash
of her pussy as she tugged up her undergarment before her pants. She’d been
hairless down there.

Once she’d fixed her clothes, she returned to stand in front of him.
“Okay, you’re turn.” She pointed to where she’d gone, then at him.

Rune didn’t in any way acknowledge that he’d understood her.

“Oh, the hell with this,” she said.

He grunted in surprise as Kylah reached for the top of his pants.
She fumbled with the fastener, but managed to get it open. She shoved her hand
inside and took out his cock. The feel of her fingers wrapped around him had
Rune biting back a groan. It didn’t stop his dick from growing hard, though.

Kylah audibly swallowed. “Yup, you are a big boy. And it definitely
looks the same as the ones I’ve held before. Only it’s larger. God, it would
feel… Nope, I’m not going there. Get a grip on yourself, Kylah, and stop
thinking about the alien’s dick.”

She was killing him. Rune ground his teeth as he forced himself not
to react to her words. It didn’t help that he could smell her arousal perfuming
the air around them. A great sense of smell was one of his race’s traits.

Kylah let him go, then went to stand behind him. She reached around
to his front before she took hold of his cock again. Rune couldn’t take much
more of that so he decided to do what she wanted him to. It took a few seconds,
but he managed to relieve himself while she held him. After he finished, she
came back to his front, tucked him inside his pants and did them up.

Kylah lifted her gaze to his and licked her lips. A surge of arousal
shot through him. He wanted her, and that was no damn good. He had to distance
himself from her. There was no way he could have sex with her, even if she did
make him ache.

Chapter Four

Kylah led Rune back to the stream as she did her best to ignore the
way her pussy throbbed. Helping him pee hadn’t been the brightest idea she’d
ever had, but she hadn’t seen any other way. She wasn’t ready to untie him yet.
And she wasn’t about to make it so he pissed his pants, either. That’d be
unnecessarily cruel.

In the small clearing near the water, she pushed Rune to sit in
front of the nearest tree, then proceeded to use the rope to tie him to it. She
wrapped it around his chest, pinning him. It wouldn’t be very comfortable for
him to sleep, but it’d do for one night.

She felt his gaze following her every move as she set about
gathering some wood to make a fire. She’d have to keep it lit all night. It
would keep the turned away. Like any wild creature, they disliked fire, and avoided
going near one. Kylah had found that out this past winter. Some of them had
tried their best to get into her house. She’d scared them back by brandishing a
lit log she’d just stuck into the fireplace. It’d been easy to take them out
after that.

Once Kylah had the fire going, she sorted through some of the
supplies to make something for her and Rune to eat. She chose a large can of
mini raviolis. They’d have to share. She didn’t want to use up too much of the
canned goods she’d brought until she saw what the hunting would be like. She’d have
to feed him. She was sure he’d love that.

Kylah heated the food in the can, then used a spoon from her gear to
stir it. Satisfied that it was hot enough, she went to Rune. She sat at his
side, picked out a ravioli and held it close to his mouth. He sniffed it, but
didn’t open for it.

“Come on,” she said. “You have to eat. There is nothing wrong with
raviolis. It’s just ground beef inside some pasta and covered in tomato sauce.
It’s good. I’ll show you.” Kylah brought the spoon to her mouth and ate it.
“Mmm. Delicious.” She rubbed her tummy to help him understand.

She spooned up another ravioli and offered it to Rune. He
reluctantly opened his mouth for the food. She pulled the spoon away as he
chewed. He scowled a bit, then nodded.

“I told you it was good. We’ll share. I get one and then you do.”

As they ate, Kylah found her gaze drawn to Rune’s mouth more than it
should. She couldn’t help remembering how big his cock had been, and how hard
it’d felt when she’d taken it out of his pants. The hard-on didn’t necessarily
mean he was attracted to her. She figured most guys would get an erection when
having a woman handle them there.

He might not have been lusting after her, but she could no longer
admit she didn’t want him. Now used to his cat eyes, she noticed more and more
how good looking he was. And then there was his very muscular body. He might
have some cat in him, but she was the one who wanted to rub against him and purr.

Lost in her wayward thoughts, Kylah wasn’t paying too close attention
to what she did when she fed Rune his next mouthful. The spoon hit just under
his bottom lip, smearing sauce.

“Oops. Sorry about that. Let me clean it up for you.”

Kylah went onto her knees to get closer as she reached to wipe the
mess off. She zeroed in with her gaze on his mouth. After she gathered up the
sauce on a finger, she ran the pad of her thumb across his lower lip. A very
quiet moan escaped Rune.

She lifted her gaze to find him intently staring at her. Kylah
couldn’t resist. She leaned in and kissed him. He jerked his head back and gave
her a look that said he had no idea why she’d done that.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have kissed you.” She fed him another mouthful.
“Real smart, taking advantage of a guy who’s tied up,” she mumbled.

She finished feeding him and herself, then cleaned the spoon and can
in the stream before stowing them away with the rest of her gear. Kylah did her
best not to meet Rune’s gaze, embarrassed a bit by stealing a kiss from him.
She shouldn’t be thinking about him in that way. He was an alien, one of the
ones responsible for what had happened to most of the humans on the planet.

Kylah went and gathered some wood before she took out a sleeping bag
and laid it near the fire. She covered Rune with a blanket, then held a bottle
of water to his lips for him to drink. She didn’t say anything to him. Once he
finished she drank down one of her own and then stretched out on top the
sleeping bag.

As sleep came to her, she promised herself she’d try not to forget
what Rune was—an alien invader. She might be starved for company, but that
didn’t mean she should look to him for it.

* * * *

Rune came awake feeling as if he really hadn’t slept at all. Being
bound and tied to a tree sitting upright didn’t make for anyone to be well
rested. His back ached, and his arms and hands were numb. At least Kylah had
covered him with a blanket last night so he hadn’t been cold.

He looked over at the fire. It’d burned down to coals. At any other
time, he would have enjoyed watching one. He hadn’t been near one since he was
a child. Most people in his galaxy preferred portable heat and light sources
that used energy cells to power them, which lasted for days at a time before
needing to be recharged. They were cleaner and easier to set up.

The sound of voices had Rune setting his gaze on Kylah, who still
lay by the fire pit. “Kylah,” he said with the hopes of waking her up. The
humans weren’t too close, but it sounded as if they were headed in their
direction.

Kylah stirred and looked at him. “What?”

“Kylah,” he said again, then nodded his head where the voices came
from.

She quickly sat up and appeared to listen before she stood and
crossed over to him. “Shit. They’re coming this way.” She looked him up and
down. “Crap, I really do wish you knew how to speak English. I can’t have them
finding you like this. I don’t know what kind of people these are. They might
try to kill you for what you are. I’m going to have to untie you and pray like hell
you don’t run.”

Kylah raced over to where she’d left her sacks, dug through one,
then returned to him with something in her hand. She kneeled at his side and
showed it to him.

“They’re sunglasses,” she said. “I’m going to put them on you to
hide your eyes. They don’t need to see them and get some bad ideas.”

She slowly put them on his nose and the two side pieces hooked
behind his ears. He sat perfectly still as Kylah stood and went around to the
back of the tree. The rope around him loosened as she untied it. Once she freed
him of it, she helped him stand. She untied the end around his waist before she
stood at his back and snapped the bonds at his wrists.

Rune let out a groan of pain as the blood rushed to his arms and hands
when he brought them forward. Kylah stood at his side as the voices came
closer. It wouldn’t be long before the other humans came across them.

Four males emerged from the trees on the opposite side of the
stream. They stopped when they spotted Kylah and Rune, then crossed the water
to confront them. They were ragged-looking and on the dirty side. The way they
eyed Kylah made Rune’s back come up.

“I told you someone was around here,” one said. “I saw the smoke
from their fire.”

“Yeah, you were right,” said another.

A third looked at their temporary camp. “And it looks as if they
have some supplies.”

“What do you want?” Kylah asked.

The fourth male smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “We thought
we’d come and see who was out here. We don’t come across other people much.
Since there are so few of us, it’d be nice of you to share some of your
supplies.”

“No,” Kylah said.

The male shook his head. “That’s the wrong answer. This is our
territory. You want to stay here, you’ll give us what we want.” He looked at
Rune. “What do you say, big man? We can do this the easy way or not.”

Rune wasn’t going to be able to keep up his act, not with these
males around. Each one either had a rifle slung over their shoulders or
handguns holstered at their hips. One had both. There was no question they’d shoot
him if they discovered he wasn’t human. They all had a cruel look about them.

He put his arm around Kylah’s shoulders and pulled her up against
his side. “My woman and I don’t want any trouble,” he said in perfect English.
“We’re only passing through. We can’t spare any of our supplies.”

Kylah stiffened as he’d spoken, but a quick glance at her face
showed that was her only reaction.

“Really now,” the man said. “If you won’t share them, then how about
your woman? Everyone who crosses our territory has to pay a toll. Isn’t that
right, boys?” He glanced at the three other males, who grinned and nodded.

Rune squeezed Kylah’s shoulder as she opened her mouth to speak. He
spoke before she could. “She’s mine. I don’t share. As for paying a toll, we
aren’t doing that either.”

“You talk big for a man with no firearm.” The male patted his
handgun.

“And you talk big for one who wouldn’t be so tough if his were taken
away.”

The male’s phony smile disappeared. “You really should watch what
you say to me.”

“Why?”

He pulled his gun and aimed it at Rune’s head. “I’ll shoot you, rape
your woman before I slit her throat, then we’ll take your supplies, anyway.”

Kylah pushed away and drew her sword. “That won’t be happening.”

As the male changed his aimed to Kylah, the others drew their
firearms as well. The man who’d been talking fired in her direction. The bullet
never reached her because she no longer was where she’d stood. The male found
out how sharp her sword was as she ran to him so fast Rune had a hard time
tracking her and stabbed him through the heart.

Rune watched Kylah quickly take out two more before they could fire
a shot. Same with the changed humans they’d encountered, she moved as if the
sword was just an extension of her body.

As she went to take out the fourth and final male, Rune bolted. This
could very well be his only chance at escape while Kylah was preoccupied. That
didn’t last very long, though. He was hit from behind and knocked to the
ground. She grabbed him and literally lifted him one handed into the air to
flip him onto his back.

Kylah straddled him and then held him down with a hand on the center
of his chest. She was so strong he couldn’t budge an inch. He looked up and
sucked in a sharp breath. Her eyes glowed.

“I told you not to run,” she shouted. “I told you I’d be able to
catch you!”

“I had to try.”

“Shut up. You pushed them to make them go on the attack. You did it
on purpose. You made me kill them. Before your kind ever came here, I never
would have hurt anyone. You made me kill. You made me kill
him
.”

Tears formed in her glowing eyes. Rune had a feeling she wasn’t
talking about one of the males back there, but someone closer to her. A mate?
“Kylah—”

“I told you to shut the fuck up. All this time you knew English and
you played as if you didn’t.” She leaned closer until they were almost nose to
nose. “You might think you’ll be able to capture me as you’ve done to other
people, but not me. I’m faster and stronger.”

As if to show him, Kylah raised her fist and slammed it onto the ground
right next to his head. She literally made the earth shake. Her eyes continued
to glow. He noticed there was a fresh cut on her forehead. It healed as he
stared.

Rune forced himself to stay calm. Could Kylah be the human the
Xphens searched for? It would make sense. She was unlike any Earthling he’d
encountered or been told about. The eyes, the strength, the speed and the
incredible healing, all of them were unheard of. Now he had a decision to
make—did he still look for an opportunity to escape or did he stay with her and
hope to somehow contact his employers to tell them he’d found what they wanted.
The latter didn’t sit well with him. He knew what they’d do to her. She’d be
experimented on. At the very least, caged and used by the Xphens in any way
they wished. They were known for their cruelties to the inhabitants of the
planets they conquered.

And then there was the fact he couldn’t deny he was attracted to
Kylah. He couldn’t deny that in an ideal situation he’d like to get to know her
better. Maybe see where this attraction would lead them. She’d felt something
toward him, but that was before what had just happened.

Rune decided he needed to defuse the situation first. He took off
the sunglasses, reached up and captured Kylah’s face in his hands and met her
gaze with his. “Kylah, calm down. We can talk. I promise I won’t run again.”
She punched the ground again, which had the same result as the first time.
“Kylah, your eyes are glowing.”

That brought her up short. Kylah jerked away and then slid off him.
She fisted his shirt, dragged him to his feet and ran with him to the stream.
She kneeled at the water’s edge and looked at her reflection.

She gasped. “What’s happening to me?” she asked softly. As she
seemed to calm down, the glowing faded away. She stood, turned to face him and
drew her sword. Kylah rested the tip of the blade at the hollow of his throat.
“We’re leaving. If you think to run or try that stunt with the men again, I
will hurt you.”