Viper's Hope (Anguis Defenders Book 1)(12)

"Oh god!"

Sexy alien or not, she had to get the hell out of Dodge.

Drogo grabbed the platter of food from the table then sat back down beside Hope on the bed. It dipped under his immense weight.

Drogo looked at her and rather than a scowl his expression again seemed concerned. He spoke in that deep gravelly voice.

Hope couldn't move as his long tan fingers came towards her face, the same fingers that just attempted to strangle a man. Thankfully his claws had disappeared, but she still cringed.

Drogo hesitated, his hands hovering over her face, then pulled back with a sigh.

She wondered why he hesitated if he wanted to touch her. That was why he brought her here wasn't it? He had the perfect opportunity while she couldn't fight back. Not that she was complaining.

Drogo spoke again, the words sounding similar to before. They weren't snarled though his language was growly in nature.

Drogo's moods changed so dramatically Hope's head spun. But the relaxed way he sat and spoke now, again had her fears easing. Something about him made it easy to relax when he was relaxed. Maybe it was the pleasant almost piney scent that emanated from him as he sat so close. Or maybe it was because he didn't paw at her even though he could.

Drogo nodded as Hope calmed then turned back to the platter of food.

The plate held some type of meat and vegetables Hope couldn't recognize, but she was hungry enough she really didn't care. She'd only had a latte today and that had been this morning.

Drogo speared a small piece with a two prong fork and placed it at her lips. Thankfully Hope was able to chew. The meat was juicy and delicious as she swallowed.

Hope wished she knew why he took her. Surely his plans weren't nefarious if he acted so concerned and was carefully feeding her. Right? She had so many questions, demands and a few colorful words for her abductor but couldn't voice a single one.



Viper

The second Ophidian approached Lepus, thinking he'd solve this problem by taking her to the hibernation dorm, her eyes widened and her scent turned from mild fear to terror. Viper snapped and nearly tore out Ophidian's throat for the transgression.

Viper apologized as he spoke calmly to Lepus. Eventually she relaxed again. It filled him with great pride as her acrid scent lessened, again turning sweet telling him she was no longer acutely afraid. Viper nearly stroked the tension from her brow till he remembered himself.

He had to resist the pull to touch her. She didn't she understand him, let alone even move yet. It would be unforgivable to take advantage of that fact. Until he could truly communicate with her nothing could be resolved. Then again communicating with her might not help much either. If Lepus she was an Anguis female, she'd understand what he was feeling, but she wasn't. She was human and in her eyes he'd stolen her from her planet. The reason he was compelled to do it probably would come as a shock to her. This was a wholly unexpected complication Viper never expected to contend with. He had to proceed cautiously with the little human.

It was silly how much it pleased Viper that Lepus ate without any cajoling. Many of their past refugees had resisted eating because they were so stressed. He worried she wouldn't trust him, particularly after he'd lost his temper with Ophidian, but Lepus quickly recovered, though she still seemed wary. He couldn't blame her.

Viper intently watched her pink lips wrap around each bite as he fed her and nearly groaned. Her mouth making him imagine what other parts of her anatomy might look like?

Viper grabbed the glass of water and carefully lifted Lepus' back up off the pillows so she could take a sip. A drop ran down the side of her mouth and he wanted to lick it.

That was one poor idea, in a long line of bad ideas. One touch of his tongue to her skin and the spicy pheromones he was secreting would sink into her flesh. It would only compound the craziness of this situation.

Despite the severity of all this, Viper still couldn't believe Ophidian thought to remove Lepus. Did he really think taking her away to join the others would solve anything? Had his friend even been listening?

"To think, just because we're practically brothers, he could approach my female!"

The thought instantly made Viper angry again. It had taken every ounce of restraint not to rip into his friend. Viper was careful not to let his anger surface. It frightened Lepus. She was calm now, and he intended her to stay that way.

Viper finished eating what Lepus refused when she was full. It was surprising how very little she ate. But when she pursed her lips as he brought another bite to her mouth he figured it out.

It was time to get some rest. It really had been an exhausting day.

Viper positioned Lepus, so that she was hopefully comfortable then laid down on the opposite side of his bed before dimming the lights. Even though it was dark, he could clearly see her blink and then yawn. Viper watched enthralled as eventually Lepus' eyes closed and her breathing steadied.