Page 16 of Zar

“You can fly, but what else about you is different from a human?” she looked down his body and was brought up short by the top of the table that kept her from seeing anything below the waist.

His lips twitched. “Physically we are similar to your male earth-born. Same sex organs.”

Her face heated to about a hundred and ten degrees. “That’s not what I meant,” she lied.

He chuckled. “We also have a similar digestive system, lungs and heart. We have the same five senses as earth-born, but our eyesight is superior. We can see about ten times better, allowing us to see great distances. At night our pupils change shape to allow more light, giving us excellent night vision. Also, we can see heat signatures.”

“Heat signatures,” she repeated, unsure what that meant exactly. “Earlier you mentioned that my temperature had risen.”

He nodded. “Yes, we can allow our eyes to switch over, colors disappear and in their place is different levels of light, in a way. A glow if you will. All living beings emit heat. When the level of heat changes, the object becomes brighter. Each heat signature is unique.”

She swallowed, terrified all of a sudden and unsure why. “You’re saying that you’d be able to find me if I was lost in the woods at night.”

“You would not be able to hide,” he confirmed. His voice low and edged with steel. “I know your heat signature now. I would know it anywhere, Callie.”

Her mouth went dry when she digested his words. “That’s not very comforting for a woman who has been kidnapped, Zar.”

He reached out and touched her hand with his, stroking his thumb back and forth over her knuckles. “When will you understand that as my ofelia you would never be harmed. I will hold you above all others. No one would dare hurt you, Callie. I will never allow it.”

“Zar, you’re talking about a connection between us that I don’t feel.” It was only partly a lie. She did feel connected to him. She was certainly drawn to him. In an I-want-you-in-bed-now kind of way. But that didn’t mean she was going to jump in the sack with the guy.

“Only because you haven’t gotten a chance to know me. To connect with me. It takes longer for earth-born to find their other, correct? You have something called courtship, yes?”

Courtship? God, she couldn’t even imagine where he’d heard that term. She refused to discuss any of it with him. “Look, you’re walking us down the aisle here and I’m still just trying to figure out which way is up.”

His gaze softened. “I’m overwhelming you with so much information. Finish your meal and I will show you something that I think may take your mind off your worries for a brief time.”

Callie couldn’t imagine anything taking her mind off the fact that she was sitting across the table from an alien with wings. But, sure, she’d play along. They finished their steak dinner in silence. She didn’t want to think about the fact that it was a comfortable silence. Something about Zar set her to ease. That should be enough to make her get up from the table and run far and fast.

When Zar ate the last bite on his plate and stood. Callie wiped a napkin over her mouth and watched him, curious what came next. As he held out a hand to her, she hesitated at first. “Are you going to get turned on if I take that?” It was a legitimate question, considering his reaction whenever she stroked his wings.

He laughed. “No, Callie, that only happens if you touch my wings. I promise, you won’t send me into a state of uncontrollable desire if you place your hand in mine.”

Uncontrollable desire. Damn, if that didn’t send a delicious shiver down her spine. Ignore it, you hussy. She took the plunge and placed her hand in Zar’s. He tugged her out of the chair. He led her across the room to a set of double doors. When he opened them, the cool night air hit her instantly. He released her hand, then placed his palm at the base of her spine and nudged her towards the open doors. She stepped out onto a balcony that overlooked a large wooded area. He flipped a switch next to the door and lights flickered on. She sucked in a breath at the beauty of it. They were at least fifty feet off the ground, probably higher. There were huge oak trees and pine trees both. Ferns grew along the forest floor. She could see the occasional wildflower that gave it just a hint of color. Tangles of vines created a maze that connected everything together. It was breathtaking. Movement caught her eye and two large animals came into view. They weren’t like anything Callie had ever seen before. They were the size of a large wolf. The front half of their body was black and thickly skinned like an alligator, while the back half resembled a snow leopard. They had the muzzle and ears similar to a wolf though. “What in God’s name are those?” she asked, pointing to the large, scary animals running off into the woods.

“That’s Bar and Kera. They are called lhargerre. A lhargerre has enhanced hearing and sense of smell. They were mostly extinct on Zenaria, but my brother found Bar and Kera nearly dead. He nursed them back to health. They are a mated pair and the only two left of their kind. Kade brought them with him when we fled our planet.”

“They look scary as hell,” she said, hoping they wouldn’t try to eat her.

“They will leave you alone because you’re with me. You need not fear them.”

The breeze blew across her face and she closed her eyes to soak it in. When was the last time she’d let herself unwind away from the city and enjoy nature for the beauty that it was? Never, of course, she’d been too engrossed in being Daddy’s number one. The golden child that he’d always wanted.

She sighed. So much time spent trying to be something she wasn’t. At the time it’d seemed so important, but here, in the middle of this paradise it seemed shallow. She turned towards Zar only to find him watching her. She couldn’t read his expression and that made her nervous. “It’s beautiful, Zar,” she murmured.

He pointed above her and said, “Look up.”

Her eyes followed where he indicated. The structure they were in had another three floors above them. It curved around, in and out of trees. The entire building had to be two thousand square feet and it was entirely built off the ground.

“The floor above is mine, but the top floor is where my brother Kade lives.”

The man lived in a treehouse. An actual, honest to god treehouse. One thing did not escape her notice. There were no stairs. No way to get down. Why would he have them. He could fly after all. Where did that leave her? If she planned to escape it just got a lot harder. If?

She ignored her inner voice and turned her attention back to Zar. “I can honestly admit that when I woke up yesterday I never imagined I’d be standing on the balcony of a treehouse in the woods with an alien with wings. Color me impressed.”

His wings fluttered outward and one of them brushed up against her back. He groaned. “Sorry, I cannot always control it.”

That confused her. “Control what exactly?”

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