WARNING! This chapter contains extremely graphic predator-on-human sex.

Many thanks to all who have taken the time to read any/all parts of this story, and especially to all the kind reviewers and favoriters.

Scar purred and hooked his free arm around Lex's waist. She squeaked in surprise as he hauled her onto his lap without a trace of effort. It was startling to be this close to him; his body was hard and solid, utterly unyielding. It made her very aware of the size and strength difference between them. The only other humans who'd been this close to him had been butchered. But Lex had always loved an adrenaline rush. In the past she'd found them dangling from cliffs hundreds of feet in the air- now she was about to surrender completely to a being who could easily rip her in two. It added a sharpened edge to her excitement. Scar wrapped his massive hands around her waist and roughly pulled her chest flush against his. Her hands wound their way back into the tendrils on his head, exploring the almost-familiar skin-like smoothness of them. She toyed with the little metal rings adorning them before grabbing them near the base and pulling. The reaction was immediate. Scar growled, his breath quickening. Encouraged by his responsiveness, Lex leaned forward and brushed her lips along the side of his lower mandible. He tensed at the foreign sensation of her soft human mouth. Undeterred, she pressed open-mouthed kisses up the side of his head, nearing the roots of the tendrils. His claws plucked beneath the hem of her shirt before he slowly, teasingly, eased his hands beneath it. They didn't wander further. He simply held her in place with a firm grasp. His hot, rough hands on her bare skin stoked something long-dormant inside her, like embers flaring to life.

It was clear he was letting her take the lead; sitting docilely while she touched, permitting her to explore however she saw fit, his own body a picture of iron discipline and self-control. She suspected that this was not a typical custom among his own people and was humbled that he was willing to deny his own impulses for the sake of her comfort. But she found herself craving exactly what he was holding back. She'd seen him fighting, the raw power in his movements, muscles bunching and rippling with exertion. The single-minded focus with which he pursued his prey. The intense passion that motivated him and that he wielded as expertly as a weapon. Lex could feel it just below the surface in the tense lines of his body as he restrained himself. She smirked; she'd see how long he could keep that up. She ran her tongue along the base of the tendrils, up the side of his head to the crown. He trembled beneath her, his exhalations laced with soft snarls. Lex curled her tongue around a tendril and sucked before sinking her teeth into it. Scar growled again, much louder, and his hips rocked up. His claws raked over the soft flesh of her belly, not hard enough to break skin but plenty hard enough to leave her squirming from the sting. Lex moaned and arched against him, her fingers digging in the back of his skull, grabbing bunches of tendrils and yanking. Sparks raced down Lex's spine at this sudden intensity from him. His claws hurt, but she found that she didn't particularly mind. It was the natural action for him, what desire compelled him to do. It was a sensual reminder of what he was capable of. That he was dangerous.

The last shreds of Lex's reservation were falling away. She moved greedily against him, working her mouth along the ridge of his skull, then down the side of his face, and along his flaring mandibles. His skin was smooth and dry, thick and textured like a reptile's. Scar was equally fascinated as he rubbed his hands back and forth across her abdomen, quickly growing bolder and sliding upward toward her breasts. He huffed in frustration when he encountered the fabric of her underwear. He hooked his claws into it, scratching her in the process, and began to twist. Realizing what he was about to do, Lex hastily drew back and pulled off her t-shirt and sports bra. Her nervousness returned now that she was exposed in front of him. Her clothes offered no real protection whatsoever, but they allowed her an illusion of detachment and propriety over her body. Now, as Scar hungrily eyed her bare chest, she knew there was no turning back. A part of her was still afraid of how much she wanted this.

Scar scattered her thoughts when he grabbed her upper arm and pulled her close again. He positioned her on his lap and ran his hands over her breasts. Lex's eyelids fluttered and her jaw fell slack. The unique texture of his skin was electrifying. He repeated the touch, this time lingering on her hard nipples. He pinched them between his claws until she cried out, then slowly pulled forward, relishing the way her entire body followed the movement and the control he had over her. His thigh had worked its way up between hers and ground against him without conscious thought, her body already primed and aching for more. Not wanting to rush, however, she lifted herself away from his thigh and onto her knees. She kissed the mark etched onto his forehead and wrapped her arms around him. He reciprocated the gesture and she was content for the moment to simply hold and be held. To feel, for once since her return from Antarctica, something other than a bleak surrender to isolation. There was no dispelling the trauma of their shared experience in the pyramid, but in Scar's presence Lex could finally lay down her burden of secrets. She let herself fall completely relaxed and slack in his arms. He bore her weight easily.

"I'm glad you came here, Scar," Lex murmured. He squeezed her tightly and purred deep in his chest. He rubbed his face against her in an affectionate and vaguely feline gesture, and she gasped when his fangs skimmed over a nipple. He mouthed across her breasts, biting just hard enough that she could feel her flesh yielding under those razor-like points. The short tusks on his mandibles trailed burning lines over her skin. Altogether the sensation was exhilaratingly strange, unlike anything she had experienced before. One of his claws wandered slowly down her spine, applying increasing force as it moved lower. His other hand worked down the curve of her waist and hip in a series of rough squeezes. When he encountered the fabric of her jeans instead of more soft skin, he gave an outright snarl of frustration and yanked hard enough to throw her off balance.

Lex yelped in surprise and caught herself on Scar's shoulders. With trembling hands she tugged at the laces of her hiking boots. She kicked them off and impatiently shimmied out of her jeans and panties. This time she was back on Scar's lap before he could grab her, legs winding around his waist. Her hands skimmed over his well-defined pectorals only to encounter the thin mesh of his camouflage. In a mirror of his earlier demand, she plucked impatiently at the thin wires, attempting to thread her fingers through them. He jabbed at the controls on his gauntlet and, to Lex's surprise, the mesh parted along an invisible central seam and melted away from his skin, retracting back into his armor. She slid her hands over his bared chest at an unhurried pace, drinking in the chiseled lines of his frame, mapping out the varying textures of his skin. She stroked up over his broad shoulders and traced along a prominent green vein in his bicep. Moving to his sides, she dragged her nails over the ridges of his obliques.

"God, you have an incredible body," she panted. Pleased with her adoration, Scar grabbed her rear with both hands and gave it a hard squeeze before dipping his claws lower between her thighs. He groaned at how wet she was, his finger slipping easily along her swollen labia. Lex arched her back and murmured some incoherent encouragement. She pressed a hand firmly against his sculpted abdominal muscles. They tensed as she slid her hand lower. When her fingertips brushed the prominent bulge in his loincloth, Scar grabbed her wrist and held her there. Lex began to rub him through the small covering. A fresh jolt of adrenaline raced through her as she gauged how big he was. He fumbled with a fastening on the waistband; a moment later the leather slipped to one side and his rock hard erection throbbed against Lex's hand. She gasped at the sight of it, intimidated in spite of herself, and wrapped a tentative hand around it. Scar watched her reaction through slitted eyes, growling softly in pleasure. He rocked his hips up, encouraging her. Lex watched raptly as her small brown fist slid slowly up and down the length. She could feel his pulse racing through the greenish veins that stood out clearly on the shaft. The differentiation in his skin texture continued even here, as the underside was smooth and the top pebbled. Lex bit her lip and moaned, unable to think of anything except how good that would feel inside her. Without warning Scar pushed two fingers inside Lex, shuddering in anticipation at how tight she was. He moved them slowly in and out, setting a steady, languid rhythm that gave her ample time to adjust. Lex moved with him, adjusting her grip so the tip of his cock brushed over her clitoris. She moaned at every smooth glide of his fingers. They seemed to fill her so completely, and other parts of him were thicker yet. Her body tensed in nervous anticipation and she wondered for a brief moment if he would fit at all.

As if he could sense the shift in her mood, Scar abruptly withdrew his fingers. Lex whimpered at the loss, then gasped at the sudden pressure against her entrance. She felt like she was teetering on the edge of a precipice with the ground under her feet rapidly crumbling. This was her last chance to back out, to say no. Even after all they'd done together, this final step felt more like a leap of faith. Then again, so had been everything with him. She'd already made the leap one year ago, when she'd called out to him in the Antarctic tunnels. Lex closed her eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly out her mouth. When she looked up, she met Scar's gaze. His eyes glowed a deeper gold hue like twin fires in the depths of a cavern. His mouth hung open and he breathed heavily; offhandedly, Lex realized that this was the first time she'd ever seen him show signs of physical exertion. He was waiting for her, letting her make the final choice.

And made her choice she had. Willing her muscles to relax, Lex pressed her hips down. She clenched her teeth against the stinging stretch as her body struggled to accommodate him. She reached between her legs and spread herself, then gave a long, breathy moan as the head of his cock finally slipped inside. Slowly, she eased herself further down his shaft. Scar's head lolled back and his mandibles flared widely. Lex felt more than heard the seismic, rumbling purr building within him. He grabbed her hips painfully tight and guided her down until he was fully seated inside her. Lex's mouth gaped in a silent scream. Once he was inside the pain had faded, but she still felt over-stuffed, completely skewered, filled in ways she didn't even know she could be. Scar saved her the trouble of having to move, at least, as he lifted her up until he nearly slipped out of her, then slowly lowered her back down. They groaned in unison at the delicious friction. Lex was relieved that he'd taken the lead; she wasn't sure she'd even be able to hold herself upright. The roughness of his skin, the heat radiating from him, his strong, rapid pulse all seemed amplified inside her. He moved her again, faster this time, snapping his hips up to meet her. Lex cried out at the sudden forcefulness, her arms wrapping around his neck, hands fisting in the tendrils at the base of his skull. Her sensitive nipples brushed against the roughness of his chest as she moved.

Scar growled and increased his pace. He slammed her down on his cock, relishing her shrill cries and the way her tiny hands clung to him. Lex writhed against him, matching his rhythm with her hips. Despite her active participation, Lex had never felt so wonderfully helpless in her entire life. Scar was overwhelming, surrounding her and within her, like some unstoppable force of nature. She surrendered to him utterly, letting the tidal waves of sensation crash through her. Practically sobbing from the intensity of it, she begged him in incoherent whimpers to do it harder, faster, to please don't stop!

Scar latched his mouth onto the juncture of her neck and shoulder, biting down hard while the sharp tusks on his mandibles scraped down the length of her throat. Lex yelped at the unexpected flare of pain. While Scar still hadn't broken skin, he was dangerously close, and a spike of fear coursed through her. There was no real conscious thought accompanying it though, and it only added to the overwhelming sensory cocktail of pain and pleasure. Lex found the distinction between the two growing hazy; all she knew is that she needed more, she needed him so badly, she was so close...

Lex ground down hard on his next thrust and he held her there, his entire length seated deep inside her. Lex's body twitched around him, hips rocking, and suddenly it was too much, it was perfect, and she came hard, crying out his name as she slumped forward against his chest. Scar had intended to hold out longer, to watch her come over and over again, but the amazing feeling of her hot, soft inner walls clamping down on his cock like a fist caught him off guard. He roared as much with surprise as with ecstasy as his pleasure overtook him. He raked his claws across Lex's back in an intimate marking. She moaned again at the unexpected feeling of almost-painful heat inside her as he came.

Lex couldn't bring herself to move for a long time after. Her back stung where he'd clawed her. She suspected she was bleeding a little, but wasn't bothered by it. Every time she lay down, stood in the shower or dressed herself she'd feel those marks, and think of him. Scar brushed his fingertips over the scratches and purred, smearing the few droplets of warm blood on her skin. He repositioned her as his softening cock slipped out of her, and rumbled something deep and velvety in his own language. The movement caused some of his fluid to drip back down her inner thigh, and Lex's ever-pragmatic mind had a moment of worry as it dawned on her that she'd just had unprotected sex. With an alien, whose genetic structure is entirely different, she reminded herself, and nearly laughed at her own absurdity. Instead she sighed, thoroughly satisfied, and stroked along the lower edge of his mandible.

"You just keep getting better and better, don't you?" she said, smiling, "You repeatedly save my life, you come back for me, you give me the best orgasm I've had in... well, ever..."

He answered with one of his dry rustling trills of amusement and his eyes glinted mischievously. Something in his mien was decidedly smug, if Lex didn't know better. She laughed and shook her head before nestling against his chest. She caught herself drowsing and was tempted to fall asleep, knowing that there was no safer place in the entire universe. She couldn't though, with the painful reality of their situation looming over her head. There was no way Scar could stay on Earth; Lex didn't even bother asking. But if he'd come here once, perhaps he could return.

"So," she ventured cautiously, once again trying very hard to not get her hopes up, " How often do you come to Earth?"

Scar trilled, took hold of her chin and looked directly into her eyes. He spoke again, and Lex contained irritation at herself for not being able to understand him. He activated the computer on his gauntlet; this time it showed a projection of Earth's moon. Cycling through its different phases, he paused when the full moon was displayed and gestured to it.

"When the moon is full," Lex said. She supposed it would be easy for him to come here regularly; Earth was a legitimate hunting ground for his kind and, uncomfortable as the thought made her, Scar seemed to enjoy hunting humans. She wondered what his own world was like and if she would ever get to see it.

"Scar," she said suddenly, struck with an idea, "When you return could you bring me some... books?" -she paused, uncertain, wondering if printed paper seemed comically primitive to him- "Or whatever, you know, you use for learning things?"

He seemed startled by her request, and she added, "I want to understand you. I mean, it's kind of unfair that you can understand everything I say, when I have no clue what you are saying."

Scar laughed and studied her intently, head cocked to the side as he regarded her with open admiration and interest. Of all the things he'd come to Earth prepared for, finding a warrior, an equal, had not been one of them. He knew that the human population numbered in multiple billions and that those multitudes were nothing more than prey. How, then, had chance allowed this one- no doubt the only one- who was something more than that, to cross his path? Though he could understand Lex's words, he remained baffled by the seeming polar opposites that coexisted within her. She was so strong, but so delicate. Courageous, but fragile. Stubborn, but yielding. He nodded his assent to her request and brushed his mandibles lightly over the mark on her cheek.

Lex knew Scar would leave soon, and she would once more be alone with her memories from Antarctica. He couldn't banish them- only time could accomplish that- but his company had given her new strength to face them. And time itself no longer seemed like an endless grey tunnel to nowhere; she had something to look forward to, something with which to mark the passing of time other than her escape from that frozen hell. Lex held him tighter, already counting the days until the next full moon.