by A. G. Wilde
She’d found a small stream and had stayed by it on the second night. It’d just been her, the silence of the forest, and the reflection of the moonlight against the flowing water.
It’d been such a serene feeling back then, just her and nature.
She didn’t feel so serene now.
There was discomfort, anxiety, distrust, and a myriad of other feelings circling within her but no serenity.
The alien seemed nice. She wanted to trust him but dropping her guard so soon could lead to her detriment.
Eyeing the water, she tried to stand but all she could manage was a shuffle.
She guessed it would do. She wasn’t going far anyway.
She could shuffle to the pool edge and dip her head in to get a drink.
Luckily, it was moving water, so she didn’t have to worry about it being dirty.
That meant she could even bathe in the rock pool and the water would be clean again not long after she stepped out of it.
Shuffling forward, Cleo cursed underneath her breath.
She was definitely going to rip the few threads still holding her clothing together.
She’d tried to fashion clothes from the leaves in the jungle but she’d yet to find something that didn’t itch to high heaven and which lasted more than a week.
She’d actually found a plant that molded itself like cotton and she’d thought she’d found her solution, only to wake the next morning with a rash over her entire body.
Even in space, she wasn’t safe from allergies.
The rash had only lasted a few days but in that time she’d almost torn her skin off just to stop the itching and resultant burning.
From then, she’d been careful to leave the plants mostly alone.
Who knew what else she was allergic to? She didn’t need to die of poison, an allergic reaction, or stupidity.
Cleo snorted to herself.
One could argue she was going to die of the last one anyway, judging from her actions over the last day.
Finally reaching the water’s edge, Cleo took a moment to catch her breath.
She’d made it.
Dipping her head over the water, her lips touched the cool liquid and she took in a huge gulp.
As she raised her neck to swallow the liquid, she choked.
There was little warning.
All she felt was a huge thump as her heart flipped in her chest when a shadow blocked the light. It moved so quickly, she hardly had time to react.
As strong arms grasped her shoulders, Cleo bucked, her fight or flight response activating immediately as her heart lodged in her throat.
She barely heard a grunt as her feet connected with the attacker and, in a second, she realized it was the blue alien that had come at her.
Grout.
But it was too late to stop what was already happening.
Frickin’ Grout was attacking her.
Her body was off-balance, his weight on hers pushing her over and she was falling.
Wide eyes met green ones as they both crashed into the rock pool. They went under, sinking quicker than her mind could keep up and understand what was happening.
The water she’d been swallowing was stuck in her throat and she hadn’t been able to take a breath before going under. Not to mention that he was still holding on to her.
Was he trying to drown her?
Thrash as she might, she couldn’t release the strong arms around her and terror filled her as the glow of the alien lamp grew dimmer, its glow fading the deeper they went.
The rock pool was deep. She’d only dived in it once, but she knew that there was no way she was reaching the surface if he didn’t let her go.
Who knew, maybe he could frickin’ breathe underwater and knew she couldn’t.
Not her enemy, her ass.
This was why she didn’t trust aliens. Even the ones that seem good and feed you can turn on you in a second.
Using both legs like a mermaid would, Cleo kicked, aiming for his balls and hoping he had two big ones so she could hurt him really good.
But it didn’t help.
She was losing energy and her lungs were bursting.
She needed air.
As a last resort, she did the only thing she could think of doing as they went deeper.
Burying her face against the alien’s shoulder, she opened her mouth and clamped down, sinking her teeth into the bastard’s skin.
There was no response apart from him tensing and it took her a few moments, as her energy left her, for her to realize they were rising again.
As they broke the surface, she inhaled air like a junkie sniffing coke and her lungs thanked her for it.
The alien’s chest was heaving too. She could feel it for she was plastered against him, his strong arms surrounding her as he treaded the water.
“What the phek were you thinking?!”
The tone of his voice caught her off guard.
Blinking away the water from her eyes, she was about to unleash a whole string of colorful words when she focused on him.
Those words died on her lips.
The pure anger mixed with utter concern etched into Grout’s handsome features stopped her instead.
Now, what the fuck did he have to be angry about? He’d almost drowned her!
“I knew you were wild but to try to kill yourself?!”
What?
Cleo’s mouth opened then closed then opened again as she pulled in huge breaths through her nose.
“I wasn’t trying to kill myself, you idiot! I was drinking water!” She tried to push him away, but he was holding her too tightly and she only stopped struggling at the thought that if he did let her go she’d probably sink because her hands were still restrained.
He was staring at her as if she’d gone mad and she surprised herself when a half-chuckle left her lips.
He’d been trying to prevent her from offing herself? What an odd way to go about it.
They both almost died.
Chuckling, she looked up at him and it suddenly occurred to her that they were close. Very close.
That she could feel every cord of muscle underneath his clothing.
That every breath he took, his body moved against hers and that, for some insane reason, he felt…good.
Brilliant green eyes stared down at her with a look that had none of the anger and concern she’d seen etched on his face earlier.
Now, he was looking at her like a man stunned and for a reason she couldn’t determine, warmth flooded her cheeks slowly.
“What is it?”
She searched his face tentatively. It felt wrong, inappropriate, to let her eyes travel over his features as she was doing and she swallowed back the lump that began to grow in her throat.
He was frickin’ handsome.
Why did he have to be handsome?
And he was looking at her like…like she was something to be awed at.
“What is it?!” Minor irritation was present in her voice now as she blinked, trying to make sense of his sudden lack of response. “Oh, I forgot you can’t understand me.” She paused. “You’re looking at me like…”
Like I’m beautiful.
But she didn’t finish.
For a few long seconds, the alien did nothing…and then she felt it.
As he blinked, as if coming out of a stupor, she frickin’ felt it.
Against her legs. Something that hadn’t been there before was there now.
Growing. Hardening. Pressing against her.
The green-eyed alien blinked again as Cleo looked down at the water, before turning her wide eyes back to him.
“You’re…”
Fucking turned on.
Why did that make her…not grossed out?
Because, Cleo, her mind helpfully answered, your vagina has had a year-long no-dickfest.
Now it wanted backstage tickets to meet the lead and his two drummers.
She was sure of it.
His hard cock was pr
essing into her and they both knew she could feel it because his expression suddenly turned sheepish.
Even in the cool water, it felt warm against her and something deep inside her ached.
She opened her mouth to say something. Words along the appropriate lines communicating disgust at the literal alien dick pressing into her and of how wrong it was for him to have it against her…but no words came.
She could only open her mouth and close it again.
Without a word, Sohut…Grout treaded to the edge of the pool, lifted her, and set her down on the ground.
Water sluiced off him as he exited the rock pool to stand beside her and Cleo kept her gaze averted, refusing to look at what she knew was there.
When strong hands surrounded her and lifted her once more, a yelp left her lips.
“What are you do—” But he only set her back against the rock wall where she’d been sitting before.
Fuck.
She should be annoyed. Angry. Livid.
Yet, none of those emotions were there.
All she could feel was a tingling in her lady parts and an excitement building in her chest that she hadn’t felt in a long, long time.
He was male.
So male.
And now, because of the ache building in her core, she was painfully aware of it.
She watched as he stretched and took off his wet shirt, hanging it over a bunch of vines in the corner, and a shiver went down her body.
His attention turned to her and she averted her gaze again, her eyes falling to her legs and that made her inhale a sharp gasp.
The mud…
Her camouflage.
It was gone.
Thin streaks of dirt were now on her skin, which had just been fully hidden by a healthy covering of mud.
Raising her arms, her eyes widened.
It was all gone.
When her wide gaze fell on the alien, she found he was still looking at her in that strange way he had been in the water.
Fuck.
He could see her.
Like see her.
Her camouflage had washed away in the water and now she felt…open.
The funny thing was, the only thought in her head at that moment was the fact that she must look hideous.
Hiding behind the dirt and mud had been easy but now he could see exactly what she looked like…and, well, no one had seen her in over a year—especially not a hot male that her lady parts were, admittedly, too excited to see.
He was probably thinking she was a strange-looking creature now with all the mud washed off…
But when her gaze met his, she didn’t see any of that.
The look in his eyes was the exact opposite.
And it shouldn’t…but it made an electric thrill shoot straight into her stomach and erupt like a firework in her belly.
12
She was the most beautiful creature that had ever walked on Hudo III.
Larn, female of her species who had turned up at the Sanctuary had been beautiful too…but Cluu…Clee-yo was…
Sohut turned from her and stuck his hand in his satchel, focusing on it instead as he searched for nothing in particular.
He’d first noticed that the mud she’d plastered over herself had washed away while they were still in the water and even now he couldn’t stop himself from staring.
She was pale, as the Goris had described, and that paleness contrasted against her eyes and hair.
Her hair was the color of zimsu flowers and her lips…delicate arches like the flower’s petals turned into a thin line when she’d realized he was staring.
Swallowing hard, he took a deep breath.
Mistake, for the scent of her filled his nose.
For a long time, he hadn’t had such a strong urge to indulge in his carnal desires.
Now, however…
Through the corner of his eye, he noticed Clee-yo shivered.
The water had been cool and with Hudo III’s star on the other side of the horizon, the warmth in the air wasn’t as strong as it usually was.
And her skin looked thin…
Without the mud covering it, he could see her life-blood in the vessels underneath—a concerning matter seeing that she’d been in the jungle alone.
“What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?” Her voice reached his ear and he realized he’d been staring at her exposed arm, frowning.
Blinking, he met her gaze.
What sort of destiny had led him here?
The more he stayed in the jungle, the more she became something that he hadn’t expected to encounter.
Clee-yo shivered again and that knocked him out of his ruminations.
“You need warmth.”
She seemed to stiffen, her neck stretching back a little as she eyed him and she looked so strange doing it that his eyes crinkled at the corners in amusement.
“We’re not sharing body heat…” Then her eyes widened. “Is that why you took your shirt off? … Shit, I forgot you can’t understand me.”
Her eyes widened some more. “Which girl that’s been alone for a whole year wouldn’t want a hot hunk plastered against them? I mean, thanks for the sentiment and all. But I don’t know you.”
Sohut had to look away so she couldn’t see the humor in his eyes.
He hadn’t been suggesting they share “body heat.” He had no idea what she meant by that anyway. There was no way to transfer heat of one’s body to another…at least not in his species. But now he was intrigued.
And she thought he was attractive? He’d return the compliment but that would give away the fact that he could understand her.
Fetching one of the sluu doughs from the satchel, he moved over to her, noticing her eyes were plastered on his chest before her cheeks took on a strange hue and she looked away, instead choosing to focus on the food in his hand.
“Do you want this?” He shook the sluu dough in his hand.
Her eyes narrowed immediately as if she was contemplating saying no. “Yes.” She nodded.
Unpacking the food slowly, she watched every move of his fingers.
“You only have four fingers…” she murmured, as if awed. “Four long, thick fingers…”
Her cheeks took on that funny hue again and she closed her eyes for a second, murmuring something about having no tact.
He had no idea what his fingers had to do with her tact, but something inside him was liking this little exchange between them.
Finally pulling the sluu dough from the packet, he moved close to her and her eyes grew wide, her gaze searching his face in alarm.
“Eat,” he pressed the sluu dough to her lips and for a second, she did nothing.
He knew she wanted to take a bite. Her throat was working.
She reminded him of his brother’s tevsi named Grot. As a pup, Grot had always been suspicious when anyone tried to feed him.
The similarity made him want to laugh.
Instead, he repeated, “Eat.”
Delicate zimsu-hued lips opened as the female bit into the sluu dough, wary eyes on him.
“I don’t like you,” she said as she chewed and his gaze met hers. “I don’t like you and your handsome face.”
A bubble of a chuckle lodged in his throat.
Begrudgingly, she took another bite. “I don’t like your stupidly good tasting food either.”
Holding the laughter back was hard, especially when her small pink tongue darted out to lick her lips as she took another bite of the same food she was saying she hated.
“I don’t like that you’re here.” She took another bite, her eyes rolling back a little as she chewed, the pure taste giving her such pleasure he could see it on her face. “Why did they have to send you, huh? I thought they’d given up trying to catch me.”
She took another bite. “God, this tastes so good.” She chewed. “Like, I was happy on my own, you know. But I guess they knew the weakness I didn’t even know I had. Turns out, it’s you.”
&
nbsp; Her eyes narrowed on him again. “I couldn’t have fucking prepared for you.”
As she took the last bite, her lips brushed against his fingers and Sohut bit inside his cheek at the unexpected pleasure of that touch.
“If you’re poisoning me right now, I’m such an idiot for eating this.” She swallowed her last mouthful and attempted to glare at him. But her glare held no substance. Deep in her eyes, he knew she didn’t really hate him.
She was all talk and no bite.
Smiling at her, his gaze dropped to her hands.
“I’m going to remove the restraints now.”
The female licked her lips slowly as she watched him with suspicion in her eyes.
Reaching for her wrists, he paused.
“I’m going to release you now but if you try to wound me with that crude weapon I know you’re still holding,” he said, “I’ll have to restrain you again.”
He paused, making sure his words sunk in.
“When I release you,” he continued, “you need to take me to your nest.”
She blinked at him, her brows furrowing.
“My what?” She blinked again. Then, realization dawned. “You mean my cave.” Her eyes nictated some more. “My cave,” she murmured, her gaze falling as if she was contemplating something.
“There’s no way I can bring you to my cave.”
Sohut raised an eyebrow but luckily she wasn’t looking at him to see.
“I can’t bring you to my cave…” her voice was almost a whisper now.
When she looked at him again, there was worry hiding behind her eyes.
As he removed the restraints, Sohut’s muscles primed, ready to grab her arms if she decided to try and stab him again.
But she didn’t.
As a matter of fact, she did nothing.
There was a twinkle in her eyes as she watched him now, almost as if she’d come up with some plan, and he wondered exactly what she was thinking.
Something told him he’d find out soon enough.
13
The light-cycle was coming in as he crouched, still staring at the female.
She was rubbing her wrists as if the restraints had irritated them.
He’d taken care not to place them tightly but her skin looked so…delicate. There was still a good chance the restraints had irritated her.