Page 22 of Tempted By the Alien Warrior

So, I keep my chin up and try to keep my eyes straight on the path ahead. I’m going to keep moving, even if it kills me. Because as scary as this place is, I’m just stubborn and petty enough to enjoy proving him wrong.

Vrok walks ahead of me with Dania ambling beside him, her long tail swishing lazily behind her, swatting away any bugs that dare to come too close. They’re both nearly silent as they move through the jungle, and I watch as Vrok’s ears twitch and swivel, picking up sounds I can’t hear. A couple of times, he stills. His hand brushes the hilt of his sword, and his eyes scan the trees like he’s expecting something to leap out at us. Then, he shakes his head and moves on.

He doesn’t say anything about the magnis blood that’s still streaked across his skin, but I can’t stop staring at it.

It's one thing to know this planet is dangerous, but it’s entirely different to see that violence play out in front of me.

The trail widens up ahead, revealing a small clearing beside a slow-moving stream. The sudden openness makes my shoulders tense. It’s a relief not to feel like the edges of the jungle are pushing in on me, but it makes me nervous. There’s nothing to hide behind if a dinosaur comes charging out of the jungle.

Vrok lifts a hand, and I freeze. “We’ll rest here for the night.”

I nod, because what else can I do? I’m nearly vibrating inside from exhaustion and nerves, and the thought of finally being able to rest is almost too good to be true.

Easing myself down onto a flat rock, I bite back a groan as my legs finally get a break. I yank off my boots and rub my achingfeet, wincing at how swollen they’ve gotten. I do my best to ignore how much I want to stretch out right here and not move again for a week.

Vrok crouches beside the stream, inspecting the water. The muscles in his back ripple as he leans forward, and I catch myself staring for a moment too long.

His whole body looks like it was made of stone, like one of those statues you see in museums. There’s not an ounce of softness on him, and not a hint of weakness. I can’t even imagine him resting or laughing or taking a nap on a rainy afternoon.

“Don’t wander off,” he says without looking back at me. The words are clipped, like nearly everything else he says, and the hint of vulnerability I thought I saw in him after the magnis attack is gone. Wiped away like it never existed.

I want to snap at him, to tell him I’m not an idiot, but I’m too tired to say anything. So, I stay silent and focus on rubbing my toes.

The sound of water splashing draws my attention, and I glance up.

Vrok is knee-deep in the stream and bent over, splashing water on his arms. My heart skips a beat as I realize what I’m seeing. The sharp line of his shoulder, the broad, ridged expanse of his back leading down to…oh, my God.

“Are you naked?” I yelp, my voice shooting up an entire octave.

He glances over his shoulder, giving me a blank, confused look. “I’m washing the blood off,” he replies matter-of-factly, utterly unfazed by the fact that he’snaked.

And my poor human brain is still trying and failing to look away from a behind that could win blue ribbons at the county fair. If they gave prizes for that sort of thing. Then, he straightens and turns, giving me a full-frontal shot. My mouth drops open and my brain stutters to a stop.

Holy mother of…If that’s what all Laediriians are packing, then no wonder Haley and Mara are so happy.

I slap a hand over my eyes. “You could’ve warned me!” My cheeks feel like they’re on fire with mortification. And something else that settles low in the pit of my belly.

“Warned you?” he repeats, genuinely confused. “Why?”

I peek through my fingers despite myself. Because apparently, I have no self-control. His body is ripped and scarred and so blatantly, breathtakingly male that it’s almost offensive.

“I don’t know, maybe because you’re standing there with everything hanging out, and some of us weren’t mentally prepared to get hit with the full Laediriian experience?”

His brow furrows. “Nudity is natural. It’s not something we hide. Especially when bathing. That would be foolish.”

Of course not. Because of course he doesn’t care. He’s just casually existing in the water while I’m over here trying not to stare and failing miserably.

I quickly avert my gaze to a very safe, very boring patch of moss. “Where I come from, we usually ask permission before letting our junk hang out.”

There’s a pause, and then… “Your customs are strange.”

I let out a strangled laugh. “Yeah, well, so is getting a surprise anatomy lesson.”

“I didn’t realize humans were so easily scandalized,” he says. For the first time, I swear I hear a hint of amusement in his voice.

“You’re just… just walking around like—” I sputter, still not daring to look at him.

“Like I’m cleaning myself?” he interrupts, his tone dry. “I’d prefer not to sleep with dried blood crusted to my skin, or would you rather I left it?”

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