Sophie Redding is one of the few humans to have dodged the evacuation of the shapeshifting Sethen. She is on a journey to the Northlands, in a ridiculous outfit and on foot, leaving a trail a mile wide.

Commander T’bir is in charge of cleaning out the towns and villages to let his people’s city rise from the ground. When a detachment of trackers is unable to capture the human in the red dress, his interest is piqued and he goes on the hunt. Capturing this human may be the tipping point for his people, and her own.

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Red Run

Copyright © 2011 Viola Grace

Cover art by Martine Jardin

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Red Run

A Trapezium Exclusive

By

Viola Grace

Sophie Redding carefully darted through the open space between ruined buildings. The Sethen had returned and the planet’s lease was up. The colonists were being evicted by a race that only existed in legend.

Despite the reports that everyone had been rounded up in the north country, there was still a chance that her grandmother was safe. Sophie was on her way to find out.

She took a deep breath and cursed the fates that had her in a risqué red party dress that her roommate had nagged her into just before the attacks started. Her body must stand out like a flare in the darkness to anyone who saw it. Hopefully, there wasn’t anyone looking.

* * * *

“Oy, T’bir. We have a loose human in sector six.” N’lien chuckled. “Based on these scan results, she is female, fairly young and moving very fast for a woman on foot. Shall I send out a hunting party?”

“For a woman alone? Send out two men.” Commander T’bir frowned at the screen. It read heat and scent, nothing more. “Have them report to me when they have her.”

“Jos and M’dal will be happy to track her. Do you want her back here alive?”

T’bir sighed. “Of course. We are evicting these humans from our prime hunting grounds, not killing them outright. They are to take all precautions.”

N’lien nodded and relayed the order to the trackers. “And bring her back alive. We don’t want any more accidents.”

The trackers confirmed the orders and set out. T’bir watched the monitors when he could, in between filing reports and making arrangements for the colonists to either leave Harosh or be confined to a large island in the western hemisphere.

The Sethen had returned to their hunting world only to find that the humans had ignored the warnings and beacons and colonized anyway. It was a good thing they had only been here a hundred years or so. They had barely had time to make an impact on the eco system.

The trackers were nearing the runner now. She would be caught and that would be one less human in their territory.

T’birsighed, he was getting a premonition that it would not be that simple.

* * * *

Sophie gasped and tried to still her breathing as much as she could. She was being followed, hunted. The howls that were following her were unnerving to say the least, chilling at best. The only bonus to her constant movement was the heat her body was generating against the cool of the night.

The streets were silent, but she knew them. Each nook and cranny, each alleyway and tributary. Only three more blocks and she would be to the river. If it wasn’t too deadly, she just might make it across without disaster striking or getting caught.

The wolves had a reputation, even after a few days. There were as many who liked to play with their food as there were creatures who simply made humans disappear.

Out of the nine hidden survivors she had found the day after the landing, only three were left.

The howls got closer and she shivered. She was going to have to break cover and make a beeline for the river. The time for finesse was gone, if she wanted to reach the north lands, she had to go now.

Sophie crossed her fingers and ran like the hounds of hell were on her trail. She sprinted down the street and onto the bridge. Their howls turned to growls as they got closer. With her last ounce of speed, she propelled herself off the bridge before she could change her mind.

The icy water closed over her head and when she surfaced meters downstream, she gave a tired grin at the yipping and barking that her pursuers were engaged in. Apparently, these dogs were not fond of water. With grim determination, she began to pull herself through the water until she was on the north bank. The current had done two hours of walking for her.

* * * *

“They lost her.” N’lien announced it with surprise. “She jumped off a bridge and swam away.”

T’bir couldn’t help a grin from creeping over his features. “Did she now? Do they know which way she was headed?”

“She seemed to be heading due north. Possibly to one of the settlements there.”

T’bir nodded. “We cleaned out all of those settlements, didn’t we?”

“Yes. It was done on the third day, after we cut off communications. She might not know that there is no one in the settlement.” N’lien paused to take a call from one of the security patrols.

“I would guarantee that she doesn’t. We have done a fairly thorough job of blocking their communications.” T’bir ran his hands through his hair. “I am going after her.”

“Really, T’bir? She shouldn’t be too hard to catch. From the visual that the trackers got, she is wearing bright red and an open skirt. She doesn’t exactly sound like she is prepared for a long overland hike while dodging patrols.”

T’bir almost growled at his friend of twenty years. “I will hunt her and bring her in.”

N’lien finally caught on. “Yes, Commander. Hunt the human female, bring her back. It will do you good to be active.”

He stifled another snarl and stalked from the control room. His ship was laid out in a wheel and spoke pattern with the central hub being the control area. The spoke he took led him to the ramp which led to the ground below.

T’bir nodded to the men on duty, shifted into his wolf form and took a northerly path through the blasted city.

He admired the efficiency of their attack even while he inwardly cringed at the smell of death that dotted some of the rubble. His senses were more acute than that of his subordinates, so he would have to tell them of the living humans hiding beneath the street when he returned. Now was for hunting.

A scent caught him, light and sweet with an odour of fear and sweat in it. It was blatantly feminine and stood out amongst the rubble like an orchid on a sand dune.

A low growl started in his throat as his blood heated. This was no ordinary chase. He was on a mate hunt and nothing and no one would get in his way.

* * * *

Sophie dodged two patrols by hiding in tall grasses along a stream bed. The damned scarlet clothing she was wearing was going to drive her nuts if she survived this. At this very moment, it did seem doubtful.

Crouched in the reeds, she saw one of the Sethen up close for the first time. He had been upstream about twenty feet and had shifted from wolf to human looking male in a second of rippling skin. His clothing appeared when he did which caused her mind to scramble around, trying to figure out the how.

He leaned down, splashed water on his arms and face, then stood and returned to his companions. They were joined by another wolf and as the man stood, Sophie’s limbs locked in place.

He wasn’t pretty, but he was riveting. A solid jaw was framed by a slithering silk of black and silver hair. It wasn’t silvered with age, it just seemed part of his colouring somehow. His shoulders were massive, waist narrow and there was enough muscle tone on him to cause her to shrug at the manner in which her people had been defeated. If all the men were like him, she didn’t wonder that the humans had just given up.

The males laughed together and wandered off to share a meal. She crouched at the edge of the stream and very slowly made her way as far away from their little gathering as possible.

* * * *

“Does she honestly think we don’t see and smell her there?” one of the patrol members asked casually.

T’bir nodded. “The humans have very little of their tracking abilities left. They depend almost entirely on their sight.”

The head of the patrol looked to his companions and then back to T’bir. “Will you capture her, Commander?”

“I feel I had better. She hasn’t eaten in at least a day so she will no doubt be bad tempered, but she is my target and I must make sure she stays in good health.” T’bir shifted into his wolf form and disappeared into the woods next to the stream. He cut his quarry off and when she was inching toward him, he shifted back into his other form and caught her in his arms. Her scream was ear shattering, making him wonder—with a grin—if she did everything at that decibel level.

“Quiet. You will not be hurt. I am here to feed you, help you to your destination so you can confirm that the city is empty and then I will escort you to the ship where we will discuss your future.” T’bir was having a hard time concentrating. Her warm weight and her scent of female, his female, was driving him to distraction. The clothing she was wearing was in place due to its construction because the gilded outfit barely covered her essentials. With the flimsy fabric clinging to her every curve, he gritted his teeth at the self-control he suddenly needed. His cock jerked in his trousers as he shifted her and carried her out of the reeds to the small camp made by the patrol.

They nodded as she was seated in their midst, facing the small fire. “That is quite the outfit you have on, Miss.”

T’bir scowled at the younger tracker. The young woman was wearing enough to cover breasts and crotch and not a lot else. Her laced boots were the only practical thing she had on.

Her cheeks turned a blotchy pink and her bluish lips stopped further questions. Her body started to quiver and T’bir nodded to the others. “She is cold, we need to warm her as quickly as we can.”

Without a word, half of the men shifted into their wolf forms and wound around her, rubbing her flesh with their fur.

T’bir laid her down on the ground and shifted so that he was in front of her, wrapping her in his bulky fur, nestling his head between her neck and shoulder. Her fingers wound in his fur and burrowed deep.

The younger trackers covered her back and legs, radiating heat as close to her as they could.

It seemed like hours until she started stirring on her own, trying to fight her way free of the pile of fur and fangs.

* * * *

Sophie was shocked when the man cornered her in the reeds and simply lifted her to the shore without a fight. She was exhausted, cold and disoriented by the shifting between man and wolf that seemed so easy to them.

He smelled warm, there was no doubt of it, heat was radiating from him in waves. She wanted nothing more at that moment than to snuggle in and absorb every inch of his warmth. His voice was soothing to her ears, a welcome note in the bizarre events of the week.

When he promised to take her north, she jerked in surprise, and that small motion started a chain reaction of shivers that worked its way out from her core until she was quivering in place. One of the men spoke to her, but she didn’t hear him as her body’s shaking became more violent.

Her captor spoke and soon men were in wolf form all around her. She was tugged to the ground and they surrounded her on all sides, waves of heat coming to her from all angles.

When her shivers ceased her sense of self-preservation came roaring forward, she tried to get away from the living fur covering that was all around her.

“Hold still, Miss. Take in the heat that they offer you.” One of the patrol was standing nearby, he had a cup in his hand. “Drink this, Miss.”

The hot beverage was tempting and after she worked an arm free, she guided the hand that held the cup to her lips. It was a tea, strange and floral, it rippled through her body with enticing heat. The shivers slowed to a dull chill that evaporated under the ministrations of the wolves and patrol.

A low growl came from the wolf lying against her torso and she looked down into dark gold eyes.

As she met his animal gaze his body lengthened and shifted against hers. It was disconcerting to be facing a man lying on his side against her where a wolf had been a moment before. She couldn’t decide which one was more dangerous, the man or the beast. She really didn’t want to find out.

Despite his origins on a planet far from this one, his body seemed to align itself with hers quite naturally. The body was familiarly male and if his species reacted like hers did, their proximity was causing some interest on his part. Sophie froze as a heated bar of flesh was pressed to her thigh.

He smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. “Let’s sit up and get some food into you, Miss. Perhaps you would be willing to tell us why you defied the order to evacuate.”

Her body warmer stood up, hauling her with him and catching her when her spinning head caused her knees to weaken.

The other wolves shifted into their other forms and began a number of domestic tasks around the camp. It seemed the male holding her was the one in control.

He sat on a tree stump near the fire and hauled her onto his lap. “Now, you will tell me who you are and what you are doing here and then you will have some lunch.”

A tugging at her boots made her jump. One of the patrol members was unlacing her boots. “You need to dry your feet, Miss. Only then will you be able to maintain your body temperature.”

Her living chair nodded. “He’s right. It is a miracle that you managed to make it this far. Now, your name?”

She looked up into those hypnotic gold eyes and swallowed. “Sophie. Sophie Redding. I am trying to make it to Northton to see if my grandmother survived.”

A bowl of something hot was pressed into her hands and she started to eat with unladylike speed. “Why isn’t anyone else eating?”

The man under her laughed. “We eat on the run. These are emergency rations we keep for people in distress.”

One of the other patrolmen grinned. “Women’s food.”

If Sophie hadn’t been finished her bowl by then, that description would have stopped her. She looked into the bowl as if she could determine the contents by sight. “What does that mean?”

Her living chair chuckled. “It means that it is much more of an omnivorous food than the males eat.” His warm breath on her neck made her horribly aware of the hard thighs under her own and the broad chest against her side.

“So, your women aren’t…like you?” She looked up and was caught in those golden eyes.

“No, they are similar to human females based on what we have observed. I am Commander T’bir by the way.”

She swallowed heavily. “Commander of what?”

“Of the ground clearing force. These men report to me.”

The men of the patrol grinned and nodded, then broke down the small camp, washed the dishes and packed up the implements they had used to feed her.

“Why are you here?” Her voice was plaintive.

“Why, my dear Sophie, I followed you.” His grin was her only warning as he leaned down and kissed her, holding her head with fingers threaded through her hair and pulling her into him with his free hand.

Her eyes widened as his mouth came down on hers, his scent enveloped her and the woodsy aroma was mixed with musk and male. He teased her mouth with his and when his fingers tightened against her skull, she parted her lips on a gasp. He teased her open lips with his tongue until she flicked her tongue against his in response.

He groaned and the hand at her waist flexed as he explored her mouth with quick forays of his tongue. Heat pooled in her belly and it was long moments into the kiss when she remembered that his species was kicking hers off their home. She jerked back hard and he let her go.

T’bir’s face had a feral look, the skin tight across his cheekbones and his eyes glittering. She remained in his grasp, panting for air. “We are not friends, we are not lovers, we are not even the same species. We shouldn’t do that.”

A flash of anger ran across his visage and he stood, dumping her to the ground. “Get up and put your boots on. We will go and see your north country and then return you to the holding areas with the rest of your race.”

She froze at the chill in his tone, but scrambled to get her boots on. The patrols were simply gone. There was no trace of them anywhere. Even the fire they had started for her comfort was gone. If her belly wasn’t full, she would think she had imagined the whole thing.

The leather had stiffened next to the fire, but it was still damp as she laced the clammy boots back onto her legs.

When she stood up, T’bir grabbed her by one arm and began to unceremoniously haul her through the woods.

Sophie stumbled along next to T’bir as they strode through the woods at a frightening speed. She never imagined that the straight line was fastest when there was a forest in the way, but he proved her wrong.

“Why? Why are you making us leave?” Her breath was coming in gasps, the pace he set was far beyond her ability to maintain.

“This is not your home.” He scowled at her and slowed slightly.

“It isn’t your home either. When the colony ship landed here, they didn’t do it because they wanted to, they were out of fuel and this was the only suitable planet within reach.” Her throat was raw and burning with thirst. “Is there anywhere I can find a drink of water?”

T’bir looked down at her in surprise. “There is a stream to your right, can’t you smell it?”

She scowled and tugged on his grip. “No, but it would explain why I feel more humidity coming from that direction. Will you let me go?”

He looked at her hand and let go, as if unaware he had been hauling her along.

She took a few careful steps to her right and when the small trickle of water splashed over her boot, she dropped to the ground and lifted a handful of the liquid to her lips. It soothed her and she sighed happily, ignoring the cool breeze that was ruffling her skirt and chilling her thighs.

* * * *

He fought the urge to howl in frustration. The pose she was in was far too close to the Sethen prime mating posture for his peace of mind. The wrapping of her dress narrowed her waist, causing the flare of her hips to be exaggerated. Just the kind of target his hands had in mind.

As she drank, he closed his eyes, trying to expunge the image of her hips in his hands and his cock deep inside her. With a desperate growl, he shifted to his four footed form.

He crept up next to her and lapped at the water, inhaling her scent and imprinting it on his memories. Her trail had not done her justice, the vibrancy of her health and vitality came through in the sweet perfume of her flesh.

His wolf form allowed him to examine and be with her without wanting to flip her to her back or thrust into her from behind. T’bir had never imagined that he would feel this strongly about a woman he had not been formally introduced to, but something about Sophie Redding called to him.

He nudged her with his head and herded her back to the path. Her thigh was even with his shoulder so it was easy for him to keep her moving.

The patrols flanked them on either side so his prisoner was forced to move along with him. He didn’t know if she was aware of the men a few hundred metres to either side, but they were as interested in sniffing out hidden humans as he was.

Their species was becoming more fascinating to him by the second.

* * * *

Sophie struggled along for what seemed like hours and as they broke free of the forest, Northton opened in front of her. It was an empty wasteland. No humans were visible anywhere.

Her escort reformed into his speaking form. “Where would your grandmother be?”

With her lower lip trembling, she pointed to a ruin of a home on the outskirts of the town. “Her home should be there.”

She started to walk, then run to the disaster site, her companion hung back as if loathe to disturb her in her grief.

The smell of open air was inside the threshold. Windows were broken and rubble was strewn across the floor. Glass crunched under her boots as she moved from room to room. Her Gran was nowhere to be seen.

In a last desperate attempt to find the woman who raised her, Sophie entered the bedroom and came to a halt at the image that seared itself into her mind.

A huge black wolf was on the bed, licking his fur clean of blood. He looked up and growled as she approached, so Sophie took a step back, and then another. Her heel turned on a chunk of rubble and she ended up on the floor with the wolf coming toward her with his fangs bared.

The eyes of the wolf gleamed with intent as he gathered himself for an attack. She whimpered softly as she tried to push herself back to her feet, but she had only managed to kneel on the skirt that tangled her legs before he was in the air and his fangs were bared for her neck.

A low growl behind her caused tears to prick her eyes. Two wolves were going to rip her to pieces, she was doomed.

The smoke grey wolf tackled the black in a whirl of fur and fang.

T’bir may have been irritated with her, but he was coming to her defence. She would know that furry tail anywhere.

Sophie got back on her feet and ran. She left her Gran’s house and bolted back into the forest. If T’bir was busy with the other Sethen, she had a chance to make a break for it.

The branches clawed at her body and clothing, but she kept going, hoping that T’bir was all right, but that he would be too wounded to follow her.

* * * *

The younger male was pinned to the floor and T’bir growled for the youngling to hold still. When the dark wolf slumped under him, he relaxed and backed off. He shifted to his feet and grabbed the young man by the scruff of his neck. “What are you doing here?”

The male whined, “We didn’t want the patrols having all the fun so we have been hunting some of the humans who refused to be evacuated.”

The blond hair and innocent blue eyes were somewhat marred by the blood smeared across his face and chest.

T’bir cursed. “How many of you?”

“A dozen or more. We slipped out in a few small shuttles and have been harrying the populace.”

T’bir kept his grip on the young man and shoved him outside. A raised arm brought one of the patrols to his side. “We have one of the rogues. Take him into custody. Where is Sophie?”

The patrol leader grinned. “She’s running through the woods. Two of my men are watching her.”

T’bir exposed his teeth in a smile that expressed more clearly than anything what he was feeling. Hunting one’s mate was part of Sethen courtship and whether she knew it or not, Sophie was waving her tail in his face.

“Collect all humans and rogues in the area. Make a body count for charges. When you send the signal, a skimmer will be dispatched to collect your findings.”

The patrol leader nodded. “You are going after her?”

“Like it or not, Sethen or not, she’s mine.” He shrugged and the leader nodded solemnly, it happened. Sethen occasionally were spurred to find mates outside their species and when it happened, it was generally considered a good thing. Fresh genes kept their species moving forward.

“Then, before she lets the forest bludgeon her to death, you had best go collect your mate, Commander.”

T’bir shoved the rogue into the arms of the patrol leader and shifted to his wolf form, howling as the mate hunt truly began.

* * * *

Sophie stopped in place as the howl sounded in the distance. It didn’t chill her, it had the opposite effect, heating her blood and giving her the feeling of arousal that eclipsed her experience. It was like having the air in her vicinity stroke and warm every inch of her body.

Trembling, she stumbled forward, deeper into the darkness of the woods.

* * * *

He could smell blood and aroused female as he chased her. She was close and he was reducing the distance between them with every stride. There was nowhere she could hide that he wouldn’t find her. Her essence was burned into his mind and he would follow her through time itself if he had to.

She was crashing through the brush just ahead of her and he slowed his pace while he stalked her. She was almost to a small clearing and that is where he would make his move.

Sophie would have a choice to make, she could either be his, or be sent off with her own people. He was really hoping she followed her instincts because his told him all he needed to know.

* * * *

Sophie stopped short as she entered a clearing with a small stream running through it. She stumbled to the edge of the water and drank her fill. As she raised her head, the sight of T’bir sitting casually across from her froze her and warmed her at the same time.

“Hello, Sophie.”

She swallowed. “Hello, T’bir. Glad to see you made it out of the fight with the other wolf intact.”

“You could have just run to safety. You didn’t need to keep going, or did you forget that you were supposed to accompany me back to the holding area?”

She cleared her throat as he frowned at her with a mocking expression. “It did escape my thoughts. I merely wanted to get as far away from that place of death as I could.”

“It wasn’t all death. That boy had the blood of a farm animal on him. They may have hunted your people, but they weren’t killing them.” He nodded and stood, stepping over the stream and lifting her to her feet.

“Are you sure?”

“There was no human death in that town. It is most likely that your grandparent was simply rounded up and is at the holding centre.” His hand threaded into her hair. “Now we have another matter to discuss.”

She licked her lips nervously, her body humming at his proximity. “What would that matter be?”

“Why you are never going to run from me again.” His mouth took hers in a heated possession and she wove her hands into his clothing, pulling him tightly to her.

His hands pried her dress from her body and swept her panties off her thighs. She was wearing nothing but her boots when he placed her on the grass on her hands and knees.

A fever of lust was running through her, his scent surrounded her and she bit her lip as his hands caressed every inch of her, never quite sliding between her thighs. The moisture her body was generating was causing her to blush as he inhaled while he nipped his way down her spine. When his lips trailed over her tailbone, instinct took over and she lifted her hips and widened her stance in invitation.

His laugh wasn’t unkind, but his fingers sliding to test the heat and wetness that signalled her readiness made her moan and flush with embarrassment. She tried to move away, but his hands on her hips and the low growl from his throat froze her in place.

When the blunt presence of his cock made space in her channel, her body shifted in an effort to escape the pressure. She whimpered when his fingers held her tightly, he worked himself into her with ruthless determination until he was fully seated.

The feeling of a male inside her wasn’t foreign, but the heat pulsing from T’bir was. Her own flesh caught fire when he started to move. They rocked together in a slow harmony that took on notes of high passion. Tension spiralled tightly in her core as the scrape and slide of his body within hers sent her to her elbows as she fought to come.

Her voice drove off all the wildlife in the area as it took on a high and breathy pitch. Each thrust and pounding of his hips brought her closer and closer to release until he lifted her in his arms and in a move that sent her shrieking into orgasm, he bit her.

Her scream of release hadn’t died in the air when he groaned against her neck. His hips shoved against her and she felt him flex within her. A spill of heat coursed inside her and she rocked her hips in response which sent a fluttering reaction through her channel once again.

Sweat coated her torso. When he released her neck, he lapped at the salt and a high pitched whine came from him. “I apologize. I didn’t mean for it to be so…fast.”

Sophie was slowly reassembling her thoughts. “It’s fine, but…why are you still in me?”

He chuckled. “I will be stuck here for a few minutes. A species peculiarity.”

T’bir took her hand and led it to the point of connection between them. He was swollen and tight inside her opening.

“Are you serious?” She was shocked. In her limited experience, this was not something that had ever happened before.

He nuzzled at her neck and shoulder, licking at the wounds he had left. “Very. It is a difficult moment when another male tries to interrupt so we usually mate in as much privacy as we can obtain.”

“Mate?”

“Yes. You sing out to me with your scent, your presence and that obviously red dress. Why are you wearing such a thing?”

She cleared her throat, unable to look him in the eye due to their connection. “I was on my way to a fancy dress party. There was a headset and a sceptre and then the house was shaken by the first strike. We listened to the demands on the com and then ran as far as we could as your people tried to round us up. I never had time to change.”

“It’s a lovely costume, it made it very easy to spot you in the forest.”

“That was not my intent.”

He chuckled and slid his hands up to cup her breasts. “I am sure it wasn’t. If it makes you feel better, aside from a few casualties in the initial attack before we knew you were only colonists, no others have died. We thought you had taken over our breeding world.”

She jerked against him and winced as the movement tugged him sharply. “Your what?”

“Our breeding world. This planet is and has always been a Sethen breeding planet. Men and women of appropriate age come here and create the next generation. In fifteen years, we will have the start of a new population and a ship will come to take them to a training world.”

“Why here, why this world?”

“It is wild, unspoiled. We can plant our prey species here and live lives of quiet reflection, hunting and planting for our future.”

He shifted, testing their connection. She flinched in response. “Your people prefer to live in the wild?”

T’bir chuckled. “No, we have an underground city here, maintained by bots and systems. When the landing craft are ready, we will send the signal and call the city to the surface.”

A feeling of dread came over her. “And your city is under ours.”

He smoothed a hand down her torso from shoulder to hip. “The attack that your people spoke of was not an attack at all. We merely sent the signal to the city and began waking the systems. It shifted under you and caused building collapses.”

She leaned her head back against his shoulder and closed her eyes. It made horrible sense. “What about the wolf that tried to attack me?”

“A rogue teen. They have been hunting and hounding your people into the evacuation sites. It is a test of manhood for them.” He slipped free of her and a rush of their combined fluids ran down her inner thigh.

She gasped, a hot blush ran across her face and upper chest. “Does that always happen?”

He laughed and helped her to her feet. He turned her and gave her a kiss that had her clinging to him again. “You will get used to it.”

Sophie licked her lips, taking the taste of him into her. His body was as naked as hers and aside from some unusual musculature, he seemed very compatible to her own body. “Why me?”

He smiled and cupped her jaw line. “Why not you? You eluded capture, made it cross country in a dress designed for the bedroom and still kept your wits about you when confronted by a creature who threatened your life. I am guessing that you have all the requisites for a Sethen mate or my body would not react this way to yours.”

“Do I get a choice in the matter?” Her plaintive voice sounded whiney even to her own ears.

“You already made your choice. If you were not attracted to me, your body would not have been sending signals to draw me to you. It was most insistent.” He nuzzled her neck, behind her ear and down her torso.

She shivered as he sucked on each nipple in turn. He certainly seemed to know what he was doing. As he drew at her breast, he pulled away and she saw the flash of fangs. He was careful with them, but she touched her shoulder and found the marks he had left behind. They could go through skin as easily as a knife.

She was rocking with his suction, the grazing of his teeth adding to her sensual haze. T’bir stroked his fingers against her opening before sliding them inside and stroking her with two fingers and her clit was rubbed by his thumb.

Her body was still sensitive and she screamed when her clit throbbed and a heated release took her. Her knees gave way and she fell against him.

“Commander!” a voice came through the woods. “Agent N’lien has sent a skimmer for you, they are waiting five hundred metres to the north.”

T’bir groaned and pressed his forehead between her breasts. “Acknowledged. We will be there in a few minutes.”

“Oh God. They know…” Heat ran through her skin, dying her pink.

“You are very vocal and very red.” His smile was pure devilish male. “Get dressed and we will find your grandmother.”

He dressed himself and helped her into her clothing after she had rinsed away the residue of their first coupling.

T’bir wrapped his arm around her waist and led her through the forest to the humming skimmer full of Sethen and humans. The humans were dirty, battered and scared, but a few managed a sneer for Sophie as she entered the skimmer.

One even muttered, “Fuck your way to freedom, why didn’t I think of that?”

Ashamed, Sophie stood against the rails and watched the landscape slide by. There was the spot she had been hauled out of the water, there was the river that had transported her, the bridge that she had jumped from and the buildings that now showed obvious evidence of earthquake.

T’bir kept his arm around her and his hand stroked her hair in a soothing manner. “Soon. You will be safe soon and nothing they say can change the one fact that you are mine and I am yours.”

His low murmur calmed her, buoyed her spirits. He spoke in low tones to an officer who used the com to issue some directives. Soon they were landing in the front yard of the evacuation centre and a beloved and familiar face was walking out of a crowd toward her.

“Gran!” She went from dejection to elation in that moment. As the door to the skimmer opened, she bolted down and flung herself into the arms of the woman who had raised her.

“Sophie! Oh I am so happy to see you.” Agatha Redding hugged her granddaughter tightly and Sophie couldn’t have been happier. “Dear, what are you wearing?”

Sophie blushed and then felt a familiar presence behind her. “Agatha Redding, this is Commander T’bir. He brought me here to find you.”

When T’bir snaked an arm around her waist, she almost crawled into the ground. Gran’s eyes widened and she nodded with understanding, a small smile playing around her lips.

T’bir’s voice rumbled through the enclosure. “I am pleased to meet you, Madam. Sophie has been most worried on your behalf.”

“And what is your interest in my granddaughter?” The older woman raised one eyebrow.

“I wish to take her as my mate.” His blunt honesty won her approval, that much was certain.

“Sophie, what do you think of this?”

She looked from her grandmother to the man who held her as delicately as a flower and soothed her with his touch. “I am still working it out, Gran.”

Agatha grinned. “Good girl. Always figure things out before making a decision.”

She laughed lightly as T’bir squeezed her waist. “Madam, would you please accompany us? I have a meeting with your mayor and colony council.”

“One moment, Commander. I want my granddaughter properly attired before anything else. This costume is not appropriate for matters of state.” Agatha had spoken and Sophie smiled as T’bir inclined his head.

“Of course, Madam. Please come with us.” He gestured for her to accompany them and led Sophie away.

The ship that they approached was huge and well-guarded. It had been blamed for the attacks, but knowing what she now knew, it made sense that their shuttles had been monitoring the activation.

“First we will get a dress from storage, then we will join them in the conference room.” He walked with her and several men saluted him and bowed to her.

When Sophie looked around, Gran was right behind her, eyeing the men with the wistful indulgence of age.

The section marked storage was under guard, but T’bir brought them through without difficulty. He stood at a kiosk and brought up a selection of clothing. “Pick what you like.”

She fiddled around until she got the hang of the screen and then quickly selected a dress. He struck a few buttons and pressed his palm to the plate. Down the endless halls, a robot whirred and came scooting toward them with a flat plastic case in its arms.

“I didn’t select red.” She frowned.

“I did. Until things settle, I want to keep an eye on you. This seemed the most obvious way to do it.” T’bir had a small smile playing around his lips.

Shaking her head, she pulled the dress over it and, as the skirt covered her, she removed the strapless gown underneath, a skill honed in gym class. The red gown was fitted around her rib cage and the neckline gave her delicate cleavage. The skirt fell to just above her ankle and flared and swirled as she walked.

“You look lovely, Sophie.” Gran was smiling. “Red is your colour, but I can’t imagine you sprinting through the woods in that other thing. You must have been determined to get to me.”

“There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Gran. You know that.” She took her grandmother’s hand and kissed the weathered cheek.

“Time to meet your people, Sophie.”T’bir took her hand and they walked as a group to the conference room.

“Commander. Glad to see you in good health. Who is the lovely lady at your side?” A male with dark brown hair and darker eyes greeted them while the rest of the room fell silent.

“My mate, Sophie Redding. Sophie, this is my oldest friend, Agent N’lien.”

“N’lien, please. Sophie, you will have your hands full with this one.”

She smiled shyly and took the seat that T’bir held out for her, next to her grandmother and on his right hand.

The meeting started roughly, but as both sides explained their points, an agreement was achieved. The humans would be allowed to stay, provided that they engaged in zero population growth. Two children or less per couple would be allowed and no unusual tech was to be employed.

The Sethen would not hunt or harass the humans and would allow them space in the city until they could rebuild their own towns and villages, after the cities were raised. The rebuild was their penance for the landing of their forefathers.

The explanation of the emergency settlement was accepted and the treaties were written. Cross breeding was a sensitive topic. Speculative gazes immediately darted to the two human women at the table.

Agatha smiled. “Don’t look at me, I would be willing but it ain’t likely.”

The table burst into laughter and that moment of tension was broken. Sophie smiled, her Gran was always willing to draw fire.

T’bir straightened. “I am in the process of courting Sophie. If she will have me, we will test our compatibility. At that time, if there are any other mixed couples who wish to try, they will be allowed to make the attempt to woo and win.”

One of the colony council members scowled. “What if we don’t want our kind mixing with yours?”

T’bir snarled and his fangs lengthened in response. “Then get off my world.”

N’lien took over quickly, smoothing over the gaff. “Our males are very serious about courtship, as you can imagine. We mate once, for life, and never stray. Once committed, a male will happily die or kill to protect his female. Can your species say the same?”

The humans looked uneasy and Agatha pressed the advantage. “Termor, aren’t you on your fourth wife after your third divorce? I am pretty sure that your first wife would have preferred a Sethen courtship.”

One of the councillors turned fuchsia and spluttered while a few of the others looked embarrassed.

Agatha sat back and grinned. “Now that we understand what is on offer, why don’t you put the matter of mating to the population and try to keep an open mind when they don’t react the way you would expect.”

* * * *

T’bir’s quarters were huge, he had a wardrobe of Sethen style gowns ordered for her and they would be delivered in the morning.

“I can’t really believe the vote was that much in favour of the Sethen courtship option.” Sophie was dazed and sitting on the edge of the bed while T’bir unlaced her boots.

“Why not? We are a very handsome people.” He looked up for a moment and grinned.

In that moment, her heart fell the rest of the way. She stroked his hair out of his eyes and traced the curve of his lips. “Yes, you are.”

“And you are my beautiful mate. Every inch soft and silky, and I intend to memorize you.” He pressed a kiss to her inner thigh and she shivered. “You are turning red again.”

She groaned and closed her eyes as she flopped back on the bed. “Red will be a permanent state with you around.”

“If you ever want to escape, feel free to run. I would love to chase you down and make every inch of you red.” He was nibbling at her inner thigh, working his way to her core.

Her blush turned to squirms, then gasps, and finally screams.

She finally figured it out, the man and the beast were one, and they were both hers.

About the Author

Viola Grace was born in Manitoba, Canada where she still resides today. She really likes it there. She has no pets and can barely keep sea monkeys alive for a reasonable amount of time. Her line of day job tends to be analytical which leaves her mind hopping to weave stories. No co-worker is safe from her character analysis. In keeping with busy hands are happy hands, her hobbies have included cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, costuming, cake decorating, baking, cooking, metal work, beading, sculpting, painting, doll making, henna tattoos, chain mail, and a few others that have been forgotten. It is quite often that these hobbies make their way into her tales.

Viola’s fetishes include boots and corsetry, and her greatest weakness is her uncontrollable blush. Her writing actively pursues the Happily Ever After that so rarely occurs in nature. It is an admirable thing and something that we should all strive for. To find one that we truly like, as well as love.