Page 1 of Tempted By the Alien Warrior

PROLOGUE

Sixteen years earlier

“Come on,Em, don’t be such a baby.” Lily’s voice is barely a whisper, but to me, it might as well be a shout.

The thick summer air clings to my skin, heavy and damp, making it even harder to breathe past the knot of nerves tightening in my chest. All around us, the night hums with the rhythmic croaks of frogs. Their voices rise and fall like a chorus echoing from the reeds. The scent of fish and algae drifts up from the water, mixing with the lingering aroma of hay from the nearby fields.

I grip the wooden railing, my fingers tightening as I stare down at the dark, muddy water below. The pond stretches out like a gaping mouth, deep and endless in front of me. Anything could be in there. Snapping turtles, water moccasins, alligators, things I can’t see until it’s too late.

“We’re gonna get in trouble,” I hiss, glancing back at our grandparents’ house. The porch light casts a dim glow that barely reaches the dock. They could catch us at any minute.

The windows are dark and the curtains drawn tight, but that doesn’t mean they’re asleep. And even if they are, Grandpa’s a light sleeper. If he hears us, we’re done for.

My pulse quickens as I strain to listen, half-expecting to hear the creak of the screen door or the shuffle of Grandpa’s slippers on the porch steps. It’s well past our bedtime. We should be inside, tucked under scratchy cotton sheets. Not sneaking out to swim in the murky water below.

Lily just grins at me, her brown eyes gleaming with excitement. She’s perched on the edge with her toes curled over the worn wood, completely fearless. Moonlight glints off the golden locket around her neck—the one that belonged to her mom and is now her most cherished possession.

I don’t understand how she does it. How she looks at something unknown and charges forward without hesitation. No fear, no second-guessing. Just this unshakable belief that everything will be fine. Thatshewill be fine. I wish I had even half of that courage.

“Not if we’re quick,” she says, shrugging. “Besides, who’s gonna tell on us? You?” She flings an arm wide, a playful smirk on her face as she gestures to the glowing moon above us. “The aliens?”

I press my lips together, refusing to take the bait.

Lily shakes her head, sending strands of black hair flying around her face. “You always overthink things, Em.”

“And you never think enough,” I snap as I hug my arms around myself.

“That’s the fun part,” she shoots back, then scowls over her shoulder. “Besides, I’m not fixin’ to let Dwight Rhoades run his mouth all over school saying I chickened out on his stupid dare. You’re my witness that I did it.”

“That boy’s already too big for his britches as it is,” she mutters. Then, she flashes me a wide grin. “Last one in’s a rotten egg!” And before I can stop her, she leaps off the dock.

I gasp as she vanishes beneath the water with a splash. My stomach lurches as I scramble to the edge, my fingers gripping the railing so tightly they ache.What if she doesn’t come back up? What if she hit her head? What if?—

A second later, Lily breaks the surface, laughing.

“See?” she calls out as she slicks wet hair back from her face. “It’s fine! You worry too much.”

I shake my head and plant my feet firmly on the wooden boards beneath me. “I’ll stay right here, thanks.”

Lily groans. “Em. You have to stop being such a scaredy-cat. Life isn’t meant to be spent standing on the dock. It’s meant to be lived.”

I hesitate. She’s right. She always is. But the water is dark, and my heart is pounding, and?—

She tilts her head. “I’ll tell you what. If you jump in, I’ll let you wear my locket for a whole day.”

I freeze. Lily never takes off that locket.

“You mean it?”

“Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.”

I take a shaky breath and nod before scrambling up to perch on the edge of the railing.Just do it. Just jump.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I push off the dock and let go.

1

Emily

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