MINE! [New World Book 8] by C.L. Scholey

device. He was shielded and sitting comfortably on a rounded backed chair made of a strange substance, a cross between metal and hide. He appeared to be sleeping. It was hard to tell with the protruding bulbs where his eyes should sit. The black tattoo on his cheeks pulsated and glowed. The intricate markings appeared to be some type of ancient writing. Two perfectly white fangs nestled next to his lips near his chin and she shuddered.
    The long talons on his hands sparkled when he shifted and she froze. He remained quiet. For all she knew, he could be silently watching her while she watched him. The beating of her heart pounded into her ears. Even when he was not moving, she saw how deadly every inch of him was. No wonder humans on Earth were terrified of these aliens. Humans never stood a chance. The blips of the console attracted her attention and Becky shuffled over, watching Huck as she moved.
    The night before he’d scared her and Becky was stunned. It had been a long time since she felt real fear. After her father’s death, she was certain the emotion was gone. Her worst nightmare had already come true, what was there left to be afraid of? The risk of always being at death’s door conditioned her to expect death. Over time a cavalier attitude developed. So what if she died? Everyone would die eventually. It wasn’t how she wanted to live.
    The monitor above the console was littered with planets. A map she guessed, always rotating. Huck was taking her somewhere. She punched a few buttons but nothing changed. The control panel was locked. Of course it would be. She was trapped. For a moment she wondered how the men fared. Raymond in particular. He was a good man, sweet, kind. He didn’t deserve to die; she hoped Huck was wrong about the shuttle being on its last legs. The time they spent alone on Earth they’d laughed, cried a few wayward tears and stuck together. He was more man than the rest of the bunch.
    “Damn,” she whispered.
    “We need time to get to know one another. At least my shield says so.”
    She spun to see Huck, without his shield watching her a few steps away.
    “Why not simply tell Cobra you want to join with him?”
    “It won’t work. It wouldn’t be deceptive, but a human female adds something to a warrior he needs.”
    “Such as?”
    “I don’t know. I’ve never mated a human female before. I simply know it’s part of the deal. Maybe it has to do with deeper emotion.”
    “Great,” she muttered under her breath.
    Huck moved closer and placed his hands on her bare shoulders. Her skin tingled. The urge to pull away was met with resistance and instead, she moved into him.
    “What the hell is that?” she asked. The sensation was curious, wanting to feel him yet fighting the urge.
    “My shield is getting to know you. It has sensed we are good for each other.”
    “Your shield? You say that like it’s a living entity.”
    “It is.”
    “That’s nuts.”
    “Why? Because you don’t have one so it must be? My shield is from my stepfather. I have images I can call upon from my bio father and my stepfather.”
    “How can your shield be from a stepfather? It comes out of you; at least it looks like it does.”
    “My stepfather was very old, an incredibly powerful warrior. Humans grow infirm with age, a Tonan does not. He loved my mother, and his shield knew the best way to protect her was to give her a piece. The shield is a gift of love, there is no greater. He gave me a piece of him.”
    Huck sounded amazed and humbled. This was a different side to him. “Where are we going?”
    “A quiet place. I need to think. We’ll be safe.”
    “We or you?”
    Huck chuckled. “We. I’m safe because, well, I’m me. You’ll be safe because, well, again I’m me.”
    “More stinky creatures to wow me?”
    “Nope. Nothing to harm you.”
    She peeked around him, but his tail didn’t grow. The scene on the monitor changed, and Becky stared at the planet; it was white and black in