Page 34 of Alien God

And yet...

And yet, I was left unsettled, on edge, wings flickering with tension and fangs grinding, all because of the little human sleeping in this bed.

I should leave the chamber now. Leave, and not return until I have Rúnwebbe’s web so I can properly question her.

The door stood open from when I’d come through it as if agreeing with my assessment and beckoning me outwards.

I did not go.

I flung myself into the chair by the fire and waited.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Torrance

My eyes opened, and I lay still for a long time, trying to make sense of the glowing spire of rose gold overhead. A plush mattress cushioned me, and thick, fluffy blankets warmed me. This was way more comfortable than my bed on the ship...

The ship!

I wasn’t on the fucking ship. I was at the top of an alien tower guarded by the male who’d likely killed my friends. I felt as if I were trapped in some dark fairy tale, only there was no window, no ladder of hair I could let down. It was just me.

Except, it wasn’t just me. I realized quickly I was not alone. My eyes landed on the chair near the hearth. My breath shrivelled in my lungs, and every muscle tensed as I fought not to move and draw his notice.

He was here. Asha Wylfrael. In my room while I slept. From here, I could see him seated in profile. He slouched back against the chair, his long, muscled legs stretched in from of him and his wings draping down and to the sides. His fingers were steepled together against his chest – a chest that was now mostly covered with what looked like a black leather vest. His broad jaw was tight, his eyes ahead, staring intently into nothing. He looked like a sullen dark prince, as if he’d moodily tossed himself into his throne.

He didn’t stay that way for long. His wings folded brusquely behind him and his back went ramrod straight. He knows I’m awake. Panic made my throat go tight and dry.

He rose, the movement one of perfectly contained power. He turned towards the bed, no longer a sprawled-out prince but a king, a monarch in his realm.

“How long have you been here?” I whispered, sitting up and drawing the furs against my chest, as if they could somehow protect me.

His only answer was a penetrating stare.

I broke eye contact when I heard a sound at the door. One of the fox aliens, not the woman who’d been in my room last night, entered with a tray.

More room service, I thought dryly. How long could they keep me in here? And where would I even go if I was released?

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