I dropped the metal sheet on a pile of supplies on the way there and grinned to myself. But that grin faded as he came to a stop just inside the container and he paused.
"What now?" he asked, pulling his goggles over his brows so that I could see his expression clearly.
"It's nothing," I grumbled, shifting on my feet and looking away from him.
"Tell me, Alex," he rumbled, leaning on an old work bench while he waited for me to get to talking.
"Well, I got to thinking up there on the skiff. You've shown just as much interest in Fry as you have with me-" I started, but he cut me off with a hand raised.
"I'm going to stop you right there, Alex. I only showed interest in Fry for her personality, for her will to survive. My interest in you goes much deeper than that. You are a complete mystery to me. You're personality is hidden, only bits and pieces come out at a time. Fry's is out in the open. Yours is hidden, and the digging for what makes you tick is what is taking so long," Riddick said, frowning at me.
"So you just want to know what makes me tick, then you'll kill me? Toss me to the things that got Zeeke? I should have known it was going to end this way. IF you are going to kill me, at least make it quick," I snapped, folding my arms across my chest, making his eyes lock on my breasts.
"Why would I kill you? You haven't given me a reason to," Riddick snapped back, straightening to his full height.
"Because what if you don't like what you find? What if I'm as boring as I make myself out to be? Ever thought of that? What if you don't want anything to do with me after you find out my personality? You'll have just used me for sex and personal entertainment. Ever thought of what that does to a person?" I said quietly, my voice holding no inflation or change in tone, but it was clear that I was not happy at all.
Riddick was silent, confirming most of what I said. I shook my head and pushed past him, back out into the light. I knew he was just going to use me, but I never expected to actually want him. I could handle a quick fuck and then never see the person again, but a man like Riddick wasn't so easily forgotten. I had gotten maybe twenty feet before I heard his footsteps and when he slammed me against a building I snapped my teeth at him.
"First, don't ever think that you have me figured out. You don't know anything about me. Second, if I said that I didn't want you, I would have said it to your face. Third, where in the fuck are you coming up with all of this? I told you that I liked you. Do I look like a man who isn't a man of his word?" Riddick snapped at me, his voice angry.
But I couldn't look at him.
"No," I grumbled my answer, shoving at his chest.
"Look at me, Alex," Riddick growled, his grip on my shoulders becoming painful.
I looked up at his face and glared as hard as I could. He was just so confusing and threatening, and aggressive. It was hard to not mix all the signals he was shooting out into the world. I shoved him hard, surprising him with my strength, strength I usually kept hidden. He stumbled back a few feet and I felt my sight begin to shift. Everything was turning more purple and heat signatures were becoming like rays of sunlight. Everything was getting brighter and I hissed and covered my eyes with my hands from the pain. I felt big hands pulling me off to the side, and oh so slowly the pain in my eyes started to fade. I blinked rapidly and tried to see where I was now, and who I was with, and when my gaze returned to normal I spotted Riddick giving me a death glare with his goggles pushed up over his brows.
"What the hell was that?" he growled, arms folding across his wide chest.
"What was what?" I countered, hoping I wouldn't have to talk about it.
But of course I was dealing with Riddick, so I didn't get so lucky.
"Your eyes, Alex. Why did they change into eyes like mine?" he asked, taking a threatening step towards me.
"Do you have any idea as to what you are exactly?" I asked, folding my arms across my stomach in an effort to give me some semblance of calm.
"Not really," he rumbled, giving me a once over.
"I am an Alpha Furyan. You are also an Alpha Furyan. You've had more experience with killing than I have, so your eyes have changed before mine. We were given these predatory eyes by our ancestors. As to why I have no idea. All I do know is that there are so few Furyans left, let alone Alphas. And to find an Alpha like you is somewhat of a miracle. We aren't like the other Furyans. We are more primal and animalistic," I said quietly, shifting on my feet.
"Is that why I have more endurance, enhanced senses, and strength than everyone else?" he growled, eyes cast to the side as he spoke.
"Yes," I answered simply.
Riddick was silent as he stood there, motionless like a statue. I kept glancing at him, then away at a work bench, then back at him. He let out a heavy sigh and shook his head as if having to decide in an important decision. I kept my eyes downcast, looking at my boots kicking up dirt. He was going to leave me. I could feel it. That was what he was thinking, and it nearly broke my heart. I turned to leave, hoping to just slip past him, but he shot a hand out and latched onto my upper arm. He gently pulled me backwards until I was just in front of him. I couldn't look at him, too afraid of what he was going to say.
"You're sure we are Furyans?" he asked quietly, his deep voice so uncharacteristically gentle I couldn't help but look up at him.
"There is no doubt. If my eyes changed around you then you are one. Only another Furyan can make a female's eyes change," I whispered, glancing up at him.
But when I did I hissed in pain as my eyes changed back to the night vision. The pain intensified and I backed away from Riddick when he reached for me. My knees buckled and I bit my lip to keep my cry of pain muffled. I could taste my blood and Riddick suddenly pulled me to my feet. I blinked away the pain, like a refreshing rain falling over my head, and I frowned as my vision stayed in the night vision. Which had never happened before. I looked around the room, shaking in my boots. I never had the shift happen twice in that span of a few minutes, let alone stay shifted, and it terrified me. Riddick forced me to look at him by grabbing my chin and turning my head so that I faced him.
"You got eyes like mine now. How interesting," he purred, letting go of my chin and taking a few steps back.
I went over to a work bench and pulled out a pair of welding goggles like Riddick's and sighed heavily. I only hoped my eyes would go back to normal. But I had a feeling that it wouldn't. Once my eyes were covered and I could see without intense pain, I turned to Riddick and frowned.
"Great, now I can't blend in to get away. Things just got a bit harder for the two of us. Now if you don't mind, I need some space," I grumbled, slipping out of the container and back out into the light.
I flinched even though I had goggles on and Jack came running over.
"Alex? What's wrong?" Jack asked, gently grabbing my arm.
"Just a headache, Jack. How's the skiff coming?" I asked, looking over at her.
"Good. Why are you wearing welding goggles?" Jack asked, frowning at me.
"Cause I have a headache, remember. Dark helps keep my head from exploding," I said, heading for the skiff.
Just as I was reaching the skiff Shazza drove up in the sand cat and pointed to the planet just coming up over the horizon. Darkness was coming and so were the things that got Zeeke. I turned to let Riddick know, but he was already standing outside of the container that we were in and he gave me a nod.
I grabbed Jack by the back of her shirt and dragged her over to the sand cat and hauled her up into the back.
"Stay there. If you move I will break your legs," I growled, gripping the back of the truck hard enough to bend the edge of the metal to prove my point.
Jack nodded her head vigorously and I turned to Riddick.
"We need as much light as possible. I'm gunna grab the cutting torch, you grab any thing we can use as shivs," I whispered as we walked side by side grabbing whatever supplies we could.
"Consider it done," he growled, giving my shoulder a squeeze.
I lept up to the wings and grabbed the cutting torch and several pieces of the scrap metal that I had left up there for Riddick and myself, and shoved them in my boot. I hopped back down when Riddick tapped the side of the skiff. I handed him a couple of shivs and he slipped them into the waist band of his pants at the small of his back. Fry and Imam had gathered at the sand cat. Imam's boys were already in the back of the sandcat and I lept up there with them. Fry called for Johns and as Riddick climbed in he held out a hand for Johns. The pair paused at the edge as the sandcat started to move and I could tell they were mentally challenging each other. I shook my head and stood just behind Shazza, trying to keep my distance from all the male testosterone. But of course Riddick wanted to stay close. He sat right next to me on the edge of the sandcat, one arm stretched out too the bar I was holding on to, making a rail out of his arm so that I couldn't fall off. I gave him a small smile and he leaned towards me more, breathing in my scent deeply and then letting out a pleased growl. He knew I was running on pure adrenaline, which changes a person's scent. Makes them more enticing to animals, or more primitive of humans. Though Riddick was no mere human. I tapped his arm when the boneyard was coming up, which would mean that we would have to duck. I bent at the waist, making me slide onto Riddick's lap and I tugged his head down over mine. He let out a feral growl, probably smelling my arousal, and I couldn't help but smile. When we sat back up he licked his lips and leaned in, only to be interrupted by Johns who cleared his throat loudly. We both looked over at him and he shook his head in distaste.