Free Barbarian's Touch: A SciFi Alien Romance (Ice Planet Barbarians Book 8) by Ruby Dixon Page B

handful of days to return to the edges of the mountains.
    Hassen will still be close to the strange sky-cave. With a human in tow, and one as fragile as Li-lah, he will not go far. That means he is still in metlak territory, and she is in danger of the ever-present sky-claws that have descended upon the land. I want to stomp a boot on his stubborn head for taking her from the protection of the others.
    And I want to do more to him if he’s convinced her khui to resonate. I am a calm, rational male most of the time, but when I picture Hassen with Li-lah, I am filled with anger. I know my friend has taken her because he so desperately wants a mate but it does not mean I will not throttle him when I find him.
    So I hunt for him. I follow each snow covered, twisting trail through the mountain passes, looking for hunter caves. He will take her to one of those, because they are filled with supplies, and he will need to keep her comfortable. I know every rock on this side of the mountains, so it is just a matter of finding them before he moves her. He knows someone will be searching for them, so he will take her to the spot we are least likely to find her. And he will do his best to keep her hidden from us, even if it means moving her from place to place until she finally resonates to him.
    I have to find her before then.
    A day of searching passes. Then another. And another. My body is tired, but I do not give up hope.
    Li-lah is waiting for me, I know it. With every sunrise, I feel my knowing sense grow stronger. I will rescue her soon. It is what keeps me going even when my tail goes limp with exhaustion. But every cave I check? There are no signs of Hassen or Li-lah, so I move forward.
    It is after many days of searching when I see a set of footprints in fresh snow - large footprints.
    Hassen’s footprints.
    My heart pounds at the sight and I race forward, following the trail. They lead around into one of the shallow canyons near the mountains and I follow it in — and nearly collide face to face with a tired-looking Hassen.
    My frustration boils over at the sight of him, and I fling down my pack before he can even greet me. My head lowers and I charge, ramming my horns into his gut and sending him sprawling.
    “Rokan!” he snarls. “Stop!”
    Before he can get to his feet, I am on him again. I slam him back to the ground and my fist crashes into his jaw. The rage and frustration inside me is so great I can practically feel my khui humming with the force of it. I raise my fist again, only to be flung off of Hassen. I skid backward into the snow and pick myself up, ready to charge at him again.
    “Just wait, Rokan,” Hassen growls at me.
    “Take me to her,” I tell him, fists clenched at my side.
    He touches his jaw, and there is blood at the corner of his mouth. He spits into the snow and then glares at me. “Let me speak.”
    “There is nothing to say. You stole Li-lah. You took her. She is not yours to steal away—“
    “She is gone.” He grabs his spear from where it is discarded in the snow. “Which I tried to say, if you had let me speak.”
    I ignore his sullen words and straighten, frowning. “What do you mean, she is gone?”
    “I mean she left. I had her safe and comfortable in a cave, and when I got back, she was gone.” He looks angry. Good. Now he knows what I have felt ever since he stole her.
    But his words do not make sense. Li-lah is soft and fragile, and she does not know this place. “Did metlaks take her? Do—“
    “No. She took a pack and food supplies. She stole some of the furs from the cave. She decided to leave.” He sounds disgruntled. “It seems that wandering in the snow is preferable to letting me care for her.”
    I bark a short, hard laugh. “Good.”
    “Why is that good?” His expression is full of bitterness. “I would care for her. I would make her my mate.” He rubs his chest. “But she hates me.”
    I feel a burst of pleasure at his words. Li-lah may be small and