Their women didn’t go into beast mode and didn’t fight in the Coalition, which I refused to have an opinion on. I knew their males were big, protective, dominant—big.
The shiver that raced through my body had nothing to do with the Prillon warriors scooting closer, and everything to do with the play of shadows over the Atlan fighter’s abs. I wanted to lick him there, make my way down…
“Training’s been over for two hours,” Melody was talking. Why was she still talking?
She sat back down and prattled on, oblivious to the Prillon warriors and their obvious interest. “You’re the one who dismissed us all and told us to have some fun for our last night on the planet. Our transport back to the Academy isn’t scheduled until tomorrow. You have all night.” She leaned toward me, bumped her shoulder into mine.
More spectators filled the stands until it was practically overflowing. They all wore the uniform of their position and rank prior to arriving on The Colony. Every warrior was covered in light-weight battle armor, most camouflaged black and grey for deep space battle. Melody and I were the only ones in Academy uniforms, hers gray, mine black, indicating my role as instructor.
“I’m not looking for a mate.” Absolutely not. Men complicated everything. They were selfish. Controlling. Difficult. Assholes. At least the ones I’d tangled with on Earth. Because of that, I’d avoided the ones in space, even the alien hotties that had crossed my path working for the Academy and my side stint in the I.C. The warriors in the I.C. weren’t selfish, but they were definitely controlling, dominant and would be difficult to deal with in an intimate relationship.
I didn’t need a man telling me what I could or could not do. I was not ready to settle down and be a baby machine for an alien when there were people out there who needed me, people I could save.
The way I hadn’t been able to save my parents.
“Who said anything about a mate? I thought we were talking about hot sex here, sister. And he’s practically screaming with hotness.”
“If I wanted a mate, I’d have joined the Interstellar Brides Program,” I added, making it blatantly clear my stance.
“Okay, but you have had a fling back before? Back on Earth? At least one?”
I offered her a shrug in response. Earth was behind me. What I’d done there was irrelevant to my life now. Although I could say I’d never seen such a fine specimen of the XY chromosome on display as in the fighting Atlan.
All at once the crowd cheered, many stood, some put their hands to their mouths and shouted. The two fighters in the pit began to pace back and forth. I didn’t know how this fighting thing worked here, what the rules were. There was no ring, no ropes, no corner stool. There weren’t mouth guards or headgear either. No referee.
“Well?” Melody asked, and I remembered her original question.
“Yes, I had a couple one-night stands,” I replied, as if I was weird if I hadn’t. “Nothing all that wild.”
She laughed and pointed at the Atlan who was moving to the center of the pit. “That’s because there is nothing as wild as him back on Earth.” Her hand came up and she fanned herself.
No, there wasn’t.
The two fighters kept their distance, about five feet between them, as they circled. I could see the play of muscle across the Atlan’s back, the way his shoulders bunched and relaxed as his arms moved in front of him. Even with their size and heft, their feet were quiet on the packed earth. These weren’t newbies at the Academy, fresh faced and eager to prove how brilliant and ruthless they supposedly were. No, these two had met the Hive personally, seen too much and were most likely jaded, dark edged and ruthless.
The Prillon warrior was handsome, in his own way. Big. Muscular. Focused. But I barely noticed him. I couldn’t take my eyes off the Atlan.
Based on my Coalition training, I knew they were sizing each other up, discovering their dominant stance and other tells. They spoke to one another, their low, baritone voices making my pussy clench in heat. His voice. God. I leaned forward, trying to hear their words. The threats. The challenge.
I wasn’t normally one to enjoy violence, but I had to hit my thighs with fists to keep myself from standing, from yelling at the Atlan to end him. I knew my Atlan was going to be impressive. His size. His strength. The intensity in his eyes. I wanted him to be powerful. I needed him to be magnificent. The need was shocking, but pounding through my blood like a low level electrical current. Like a pulse. And I couldn’t look away.
I held my breath and waited for the first strike. This was going to be quite a match.
The Atlan came about so he faced us once again. His eyes were on his opponent, laser sharp. His left leg was forward, his left hand up, open handed, his right lower and guarding his center.
“Yes! Go, go go! Do it!” The words exploded out of me with a violence that was shocking. I wanted to hear the strike of his fist on the Prillon’s flesh. I suspected I was losing my mind a bit, maybe overreacting because of all the stress I’d been under the last few months, but I felt wild. Totally out of control. I needed the satisfaction of watching my Atlan pound his opponent into dust.
My pussy wanted it too, so hot and wet I was throbbing with need, like this was foreplay, not a pit fight on what amounted to an alien prison colony.
For some reason, he glanced away, into the stands. He smiled, said something to the other fighter. I didn’t have to hear the words to know it was a taunt and I wished I could hear what he’d said. Right or wrong, I knew it would turn me on.
Once again, he looked to the audience, this time though, his eyes met mine.
Held.
My heart skipped a beat. It was that weird feeling, like riding in a car and going over a rise, the plummeting sensation that makes one’s skin hot, sweat breaking out on a cool brow.
“Holy shit,” Melody mumbled. I felt her grip my elbow, dig her fingers in, but I didn’t turn my head. I couldn’t.