Freeing Luka: The Clecanian Series Book 2 by Victoria Aveline (readict books TXT) 📕

away. He gently traced the lines of her palm and the soft padding of her fingers. His other hand circled her wrist firmly. The combination of the soft, gentle caresses and the possessive, tight grip was driving her crazy.

She knew he could smell her arousal. He’d been able to identify it through the thick underwear she’d worn before; now that she was without, she could only imagine how easily he understood what he was doing to her. It felt like manipulation, and having been manipulated so often in the past, Alice loathed it.

When he brought her hand up to his mouth for yet another torturous kiss, she pulled away. His hold on her wrist tightened and he studied her. “You said I could touch your hand.”

Tugging again, she snapped, “Yes, but I didn’t say you could attach yourself permanently to it. You’re rubbing it too much. The skin is getting raw.”

Releasing her, he chuckled. “Why do you lie when you know I can scent how you’re really feeling?”

Heat bloomed on her cheeks, and she petulantly crossed her arms, angling away from him. “Why do you keep trying to turn me on when you know I don’t want you to?”

“I’m assuming you aren’t presenting your back because you’d like me to rub your shoulders, but I think it’d help you relax.”

A backrub sounded wonderful. Just a small one wouldn’t hu— No. Bad Alice! She crossed to the cruiser bench opposite and sat facing Luka, out of reach.

He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees, and studied her again as though calculating what his next move should be. Finally, he said, “Come back, Alice. I won’t touch you anymore.”

A small smile tugged at her lips and washed away her annoyance. She felt a familiar warmth spread through her, making her chest tighten. “You used to say that to me, you know. At the outpost.” She imitated his deep baritone and repeated, “Come back, Alice.”

Luka raised his brows. “Did you listen then?” he asked with a teasing smile.

Despite herself, she chuckled, but then her smile faded and she tried to really look at him, past the charm he was trying to wear like a mask. “Do you honestly not remember anything?”

He glanced away and hiked his shoulders. “I remember a little. More and more every day.”

“I’m sorry for what he did to you,” she whispered.

“I’m not,” Luka said seriously. His eyes rose to meet hers again. “If he hadn’t, you would’ve been put in a cell like the others and may have never escaped. Because you did, we have a lead on finding the other outposts, and I found you.” He peered at her with brows drawn. “I don’t know if you can understand the lengths a Clecanian would go to, to recognize their mate. I’d do it again if I had to.”

Alice didn’t know what to say, so she just held his stare, seeing the truth of his words reflected in his eyes.

The intense silence was broken when the cruiser gently lurched, alerting them they’d arrived. Luka hunched and retrieved a large bag from the ground. While his back was turned, Alice took a few calming breaths and tried to slow her hammering heart.

He’d do it again? For me?

The hiss of the vehicle door sliding open preceded a rush of warm air. Inhaling, she picked up a familiar scent. Not quite pine, but…it smelled like Luka. How often does he come here?

When she emerged from the cruiser, a sprawling forest greeted her. As she looked closer, she found that “forest” wasn’t quite right. Luka hefted his large bag, wrapped his hand around hers, and guided her into the tree line.

The foliage here was a verdant green. Not as cool and deep as a typical forest. More vibrant and rich, like she imagined a jungle would be. The ground was covered in large fallen leaves and neon-green moss. Her eyes wide, she tried to take in every detail as Luka pulled her along.

The setting was familiar yet eerily different. The texture of the tree trunks was similar to the trees on Earth, but the color varied from trunk to trunk. While many were the typical hues of brown found on most trees, others were assorted shades of teal swirled with light brown. She also spotted a few farther into the forest that had shades of pink, yellow, and blue.

Animals and insects remained hidden in the dense foliage, but their calls echoed around her in an otherworldly chorus. Calls she would’ve normally associated with an amphibian were loud. Much too loud. Birdsong rang out from all around her, and when she raised her eyes, she could see bright flashes of color racing across the treetops.

The damp, heavy scent of the forest lessened slightly, and she lowered her gaze to find they were approaching a wide, glittering stream.

Releasing her hand, Luka crossed to an enormous ancient tree at least a hundred feet tall. Its gnarled roots weaved in and out of the ground, creating dark holes for all manner of creatures to hide.

Without warning, he reached into one of those black pits. Alice covered her mouth, her skin crawling to think what might be lurking in there. He shot her a lopsided grin over his shoulder. “Scared for me?”

Alice pursed her lips and lowered her hands. “The fear you’re smelling is from possibly witnessing a grown man get his hand bitten off because he was dumb enough to reach into a random hole in the woods.”

He gave a chuckle and continued rooting around in the depths of the tree. A small squeak sounded before he withdrew his hand, now holding a small furry animal.

“What are you doing! Put it back,” she cried, running over. What was he thinking, tearing an animal out of its home like that?

He sat on the ground, placing the small creature