Page 12 of Tempted By the Alien Warrior

The human is so much smaller than me and so breakable. Even now, crouched before me, she radiates nervous energy, but there’s no fear in her scent. Just the sweet enticing scent of a female. There’s no hesitation in the way she sets herself to the task, which makes me wonder if she even knows how fragile she is. Especially on Laedirissae.

Her head tilts as she works, and for a brief moment, the moonslight illuminates her eyes. They’re gray. It’s a color I know well. Laediriians only have two eye colors—silver and gray. Yet on her, it’s different. The deep gray is similar to the heavy storm clouds. This little female is a strange contradiction with her sunshine hair and storm-filled gaze.

Her brow furrows as she struggles with the lock, and the sight is unexpectedly distracting. Her small, pink tongue peeks out between full lips, wetting them as she concentrates on the movements of her fingers.

I should be focused on getting out of here, on the danger of being caught escaping. But instead, my gaze drifts lower to the soft curves hidden beneath the fabric of her dress, and the way the mesmerizing mounds shift with her movements.

Heat curls low in my gut. I have the sudden urge to reach out and feel the warmth of her skin. To see if her skin is as soft as it looks. I clench my fists instead, forcing myself to remain still, to push back against the hunger pulsing through my veins.

This is not the time, but my body doesn’t seem to care.

“If you keep jabbing at it like that, you’ll break the tip before you open the lock,” I mutter.

She freezes and glares up at me, her stormy eyes flashing with irritation. “Do you want me to get you out of these or not?”

“Just trying to help,” I say dryly, leaning back against the wall. It’s not like I’m going anywhere until she figures it out.

She huffs, adjusting her grip before attacking the lock again. The chains rattle with her every movement and the metal is cold against my skin. But my attention keeps drifting back to the way she bites her lip in concentration. She’s so different from me in every way. Too soft, too expressive, too open with her emotions. Too… human.

And yet, she’s here. She’s doing this.

The lock finally gives with a sharpclick, and the chain slides free from my wrists. I flex my hands, rolling my shoulders as I stand to my full height.

The little female steps back on instinct, and for the first time, I see it—a flicker of awareness in her gaze as she takes in the sheer size of me. The top of her head barely reaches my chest, and for all her earlier bravado, she’s realizing just how vulnerable she is standing so close to me.

But she doesn’t back down.

Instead, she drops to her knees and reaches for my ankles, and in just a heartbeat or two, she has the second lock undone.

She rises swiftly and tilts her chin up. “What now?”

I drag my gaze over her, watching the way her breath catches. My mouth thins in a grim line.

“What now?” I echo, narrowing my eyes. “Now, you follow my lead. You said it yourself… you need me to survive. So, unless you’ve suddenly developed a death wish, you’ll do exactly as I say.”

Her lips press together, but she nods. “Fine, but we’re not wasting time. Every second we spend here is a second Lily might not have.”

Her words sting, even though they’re not directed at me. I know what it’s like to feel the crushing weight of helplessness. Maybe that’s why I agreed to this madness. Because I know what it’s like to hope, even when hope feels like an errand for a fool.

“We leave now, before anyone comes to check on me,” I say gruffly. “There’s a hut near the edge of the village where we can gather supplies. Stay close. If anyone spots us, let me do the talking.”

I pause at the door, my ears twitching and straining for any sign that someone might be awake, but the village is still. The little female follows without a word as I step outside. Cool night air brushes past us, carrying the distant rustle of leaves and the faint chirp of night insectoids. The moons cast a soft glow over the huts and stone-paved paths. My eyes scan the area around us for movement, but nothing stirs. So far, our fortune holds. For now.

We move quickly but carefully, keeping to the shadows where the light doesn’t quite reach. My mind races with the possibilities of everything that could go wrong. A warrior returning early, a stray sound that alerts someone to our presence, or worse, the chief himself deciding to check on me.

As we approach the supply hut, I slow my steps and glance back at the human. “Stay here.”

She frowns. “What? Why?”

“Because if someone is in there, I can handle them. You can’t.” I keep my voice low and firm. “Just keep watch.”

Her lips press into a thin line. It’s clear she’s not happy with my answer, but she eventually nods.

I slip inside and work quickly, retrieving a satchel and stuffing it with everything we might need. Dried dicro meat, trail rations, a full waterskin, and a medic kit. It’s not much, but it should keep us alive.

When I step outside, she’s still where I left her, clutching her own satchel in tense silence.

“Next stop, weapons,” I murmur.

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