Page 36 of Tempted By the Alien Warrior

“Vrok, wake up.” I try to sound calm, but my thoughts are already unraveling into the familiar flood of what-ifs. When he still doesn’t respond, for one horrible second, I worry I’m too late to help him.

Then, his eyes crack open the tiniest amount.

“Emily,” he rasps out on a heavy exhale.

Relief crashes into me so hard my knees nearly give out. I drop down beside him, gripping his arm like it’s a lifeline.

“What’s wrong?” I demand as I lean closer, scanning his face. “You were fine earlier.”

He doesn’t answer right away. His chest continues to rise and fall in a rhythm that doesn’t seem normal.

“I’m alright now.” But I can see the effort it took for him to speak those few words.

“No, you’re not.” I glance down, and that’s when I see it.

Dark, wet stains have bled through the bandage I wrapped around him earlier. Without hesitation, I tug the cloth away, and my breath catches at what I see.

The edges of the wound are angry and red. Green, foul-smelling pus leaks from the center of it. Recognition immediately hits me like a blow.Fuck.

“Bane nectar,” I breathe out.

My hands tremble as I remember hearing Haley recount Draggar’s fight against the same poison. Poison he encountered after being shot with an arrow by the Tussoll.

He survived, but it was touch and go for a while. And now it’s happening again, but this time, it’s Vrok. And this time, I’m the one here. The one who might lose him.

Vrok’s brow creases as if he’s trying to push through the effects of the poison, like his stubborn will can fight it off. “It was just a graze,” he mumbles.

“It was enough.” My voice is trembling. “All it takes is a graze.”

He tries to sit up, but I press my hands against his shoulder.

“Don’t move. I’ll handle this.” The words come with more confidence than I actually feel.

On the inside, I’m screaming. I don’t have any actual first aid training, just stuff I learned how to do from years of living with my asshole father. I’m not a medic, and I don’t have the skills Warrix has or his cool devices and weird-smelling concoctions. Not to mention, we’re in the middle of nowhere. In a freaking cave. And it’s still storming outside.

But none of that matters. Because I can’t let him die.

I grab the satchel and pull out the tin of salixa gel, fumbling to unscrew the lid. My hands shake as I scoop out some of the herbal-smelling green goo onto my fingers.

“This will help,” I say, trying to convince both of us, even though I don’t actually know if it will.Please let it help.

As soon as I smear the green goo over the wound, he flinches and guilt stabs at me.

“I know it hurts, but you have to hang on,” I murmur.

Vrok lets out a low grunt but he doesn’t pull away. I work quickly, applying another layer of gel and tying a fresh bandage over it. When I’m done, I sit back on my heels and study him. His skin is pale and tinged with an ominous gray color. His breathing is still uneven.

“Emily,” Vrok murmurs.

His eyes crack open again, and this time I can see them better. Those cold silvery irises laced with expanding flecks of gold. They’re fevered but focused as his gaze roams over my face.

“I’m here,” I whisper, brushing a damp strand of hair from his forehead. Tears sting my eyes, and I blink them back.

“Don’t cry,” he whispers. “It’s nothing.”

“Liar.” My voice cracks. “You’re not allowed to leave me, do you hear me?”

But he doesn’t answer me. His eyes lose focus and begin to slide closed again. Panic threads through me and I reach out, shaking his arm roughly.

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