Page 33 of Tempted By the Alien Warrior

The warriors still don’t look convinced, but I can see the idea taking root. They might not understand all of ourstrange humanish sayings, as they call them, but they understand leverage.

Daggir watches Morgan closely. “And you propose we send a party to these tribes with you among them?”

Morgan nods. “Yes.”

Immediate protests rise from the warriors and elders.

“She is human?—”

“Too dangerous?—”

Morgan rolls her eyes. “I appreciate the concern, but I can take care of myself.”

Daggir silences them all with a withering look before he clears his throat. “They could take you captive.”

“Then we make sure they don’t,” I cut in. “Morgan’s right. The presence of women could make the tribes more inclined to listen. Besides, we wouldn’t send them alone. We’d send warriors with them.”

The chief exhales deeply as he rubs a large hand over his weathered jaw. Then, finally, after a long moment of silence, he nods. “Very well. We will send a party.” His sharp gaze sweeps over everyone. “Who will volunteer?”

Morgan lifts her hand. “I’m in.”

Isabella sighs. “What the hell. I’m in, too. I may as well earn as many Laedirissae travel miles as I can.”

The confused looks on the Laediriians’ faces only make her grin widen.

10

Vrok

The rain is relentless,soaking us through as we press forward through the jungle. Cold water slides down my back, mud clings to my boots, and my side…

It burns with every movement, but I shove the pain aside. I can’t afford to focus on it. Not with Emily beside me, her smaller frame trembling from the cold, and her breaths coming in short gasps.

She’s exhausted. I see it in the way she stumbles over twisted roots, in the way her steps drag, and in her shoulders curled inward. My own body moves with practiced endurance. The wound in my side aches with every step I take, but I keep my pace steady and my expression impassive. I can’t let her see my weakness. I can’tbeweak. Not now. Not ever.

Up ahead, I spot the dark mouth of a cave peeking out from behind a curtain of vines. It’s small, barely more than a hollow carved in the rock, but it will have to do.

Stopping this soon isn’t wise, but Emily looks like she can’t take another step. And the fast-moving river should have put enough distance between us and our pursuers. At least, for now.

“There,” I say, pointing. “We can wait out the storm in that cave.”

Emily doesn’t speak, instead, she just nods and quietly follows me inside.

The cave is cool and damp, but it’s a reprieve from the rain and the tangled, dripping jungle. I drop the satchels I managed to save onto the stone floor and lean against the wall, letting the cold stone press into my shoulders. My side throbs, but I lock my jaw and breathe through it. Just for a moment. Just long enough to get the pain under control, before she turns around and sees more than I want her to.

Beside me, Emily sinks to the floor, pulling her knees to her chest. “Do you think they’re still following us?” she asks. Her dull, rounded teeth chatter together from the cold.

“Not now,” I say, though I keep my eyes on the cave entrance. The Pugj don’t give up easily, but the river might have bought us some time. Time we desperately need.

She nods, but her eyes stay fixed on the ground, her hands trembling as she rubs her arms in a futile attempt to warm herself. She’s shivering so hard, the clacking of her teeth is loud in the silence of the cave. The sight of her like this, so small and so fragile, sends a surge of protectiveness through me, tightening my chest like a fist I can’t unclench, and making me forget my pain.

“You’re freezing,” I say, kneeling beside her. Her arms are wrapped tightly around her knees, her whole frame trembling.

I hesitate as my hands flex uselessly at my sides. There’s only one real option, but I sense she’s not going to like it.

Without pausing to think it through, I slide closer and wrap an arm around her shoulders, pulling her against my side. “Stay still,” I say when she stiffens. “You’ll warm up faster this way.”

Even though Emily doesn’t protest, I can feel the tension in her every muscle. After a long moment, she exhales roughly and melts into me. Her head rests lightly on my shoulder. Her wet hair brushes against my skin, and I catch that familiar scent I’ve come to crave without fully understanding why. Soft and sweet, like a flower-filled meadow on a warm day.

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