Page 44 of Alien God

“Yes, I am staying here all night,” I informed her coolly, stretching my legs out in front of me. I leaned back, lacing my fingers together on my abdomen and resting my elbows on the arms of the chair. “Stay awake or sleep. It does not matter to me.”

She appeared to choose the former. She scooted herself until she’d reached the far side of the bed, then wiggled up against the headboard until she was in a pose that mirrored mine. Her eyes never left me.

“Suit yourself,” I muttered. I let my own eyes drift closed, a show of callous indifference.

But a show was all it was. My ears strained to catch her every breath. And though my eyes were closed, I knew I would not let sleep come.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Torrance

Well doesn’t he just look the picture of fucking repose over there.

I glared daggers at Asha Wylfrael, stretched out and relaxed in his chair like a smug cat. What the hell is he even doing here?

I couldn’t understand why I’d graduated from being stuck in here alone to suddenly having a bedside guard. Especially after I’d been so nice and obedient today while he’d been gone. I hadn’t given Aiko or Shoshen any trouble. I’d eaten all my meals and been a good, quiet human.

So why, then?

And why the weird inspection of my open mouth?

The memory of his touch on my jaw and neck burned almost as his bright blue eyes had as he’d wrenched open my mouth like some kind of violent alien dentist.

Fuck him. I’ve never even had a cavity.

But that only reminded me I had no goddamn toothbrush here. If my teeth start falling out because they didn’t give me a toothbrush, I swear to God...

I sighed tightly, reminding myself to keep my priorities in check. Dental hygiene was lower on the list than staying the fuck alive in captivity here.

I remained upright, back against the headboard, my arms crossed over my chest. My neck started getting stiff after a while – Asha Wylfrael was at the side of the bed, so my head was turned to keep him in view. But I didn’t care about how sore I got. My head could feel like it was going to pop right off my shoulders and I still wouldn’t turn away.

I wouldn’t sleep, either. No way. Not now. Not with that silver-haired sentinel at my bedside. I doubted I could sleep even if I wanted to – the cortisol thumping through my veins would no doubt keep me alert.

At least, that’s what I’d thought. But as the minutes ticked by and turned to hours, my eyelids grew hotter and heavier. Each blink lasted longer than the one before. I pinched my forearm, the one that wasn’t bruised, until my skin was red and splotchy.

Stay awake. Stay... awake...

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