Page 5 of Tempted By the Alien Warrior

Pale, cold silver, they lock onto me with an intensity that cuts right through me. There’s something there, something I can’t name. It’s certainly not the warmth or friendliness I’ve come to expect from the other Laediriians, but it’s also not the open hostility I expected from Vrok, either. It’s as if he’s measuring me. Weighing something.

And for reasons I can’t explain, that unsettles me more than the weapons ever could.

When he takes a step closer, I flinch. I hate myself for it, but old habits die hard.

He notices. Of course, he does.

And he stops immediately, his thick brow lifting in a silent question.

I know what he thinks of us humans. I’ve heard the things he and his father have said about us. That we’re weak. That we don’t belong. That the Anuriix tribe has wasted their resources andkindness on us. And I’ve seen the way the other warriors give them both a wide berth, like they have some contagious disease.

Suspicion follows them around like a shadow. Conversations die when they pass and warriors exchange wary glances around them. No one says it outright, but the message is clear.

Vrok and his father are not trusted.

“Are you alright?” He asks. His voice is a low rumble that I swear I can feel deep inside my chest.

“I’m fine,” I lie, but my voice cracks, betraying me. I look away from his penetrating stare and cross my arms over my chest, as if that alone can hold me together.

Vrok doesn’t move closer, but he doesn’t leave either. He just stands there, silent and impossibly still, like a stone statue.

Finally, I can’t take the silence any longer, and the words spill out of my mouth before I can stop them. “Did you hear what they’re saying? About the woman the anuroi took?”

He doesn’t respond, but I know he’s listening to me. He doesn’t even blink as he watches me.

I take a deep breath. “They said she’s dead.” The words taste bitter on my tongue. “But they’re wrong. My cousin isn’t dead. I would know if she was.” I press my hand flat against my chest, right over the frantic pounding of my heart.

I haven’t told my friends about Lily. So, I don’t know why I’m tellinghimnow, of all people. Maybe it’s because I know he won’t pity me. Vrok doesn’t seem to care about anything. Not us humans. Not the return of the amoris bonds. Not anything except training until he drops and stalking around the village like some brooding storm cloud waiting to break.

For a long moment, he says nothing. Just watches me with that cold, steady silver gaze.

Then, finally, he speaks. “If you believe she’s alive, then perhaps she is.”

I let out a heavy sigh. “I just…” My voice cracks. “I can’t lose her. Not her, too.”

When he speaks, his voice is so low I barely hear him. “You won’t.”

His words shouldn’t mean anything. They should feel empty, the kind of thing people say when there’s nothing else to offer. And maybe they are. Maybe he’s just telling me what he thinks I want to hear.

But there’s something about the way he says it, like it’s a vow whispered in the dark.

And for reasons I don’t understand, it calms me. I can feel my heartbeat returning to normal.

Silence stretches between us, broken only by the faint sounds of laughter and drums drifting to us from the center of the village. The sounds should be a reminder that life continues on even after everything we’ve lost. But out here, in the shadows beyond the firelight, they feel like they come from a completely different world. One I’m not sure I belong to.

“Did you follow me?” I ask finally, breaking the silence.

He shifts his weight as his gaze skitters away from mine. “You looked upset.”

That’s all he says, and I get the distinct impression Vrok is not the kind of man—uh, male—to explain himself to anyone.

Before I can say anything else, a rustling sound cuts through the stillness. Vrok’s shoulders stiffen as his hand instinctively moves to the massive sword strapped to him, his fingers curling around the hilt.

Then, low, tense voices filter through the darkness.

A moment later, figures emerge from the trees, their forms stark against the dim glow of distant firelight. Daggir, Draggar, Sorrin, and a couple of other warriors. Their expressions are grim, their gazes sharp as they sweep the area before settling on Vrok and me.

My stomach clenches with anxiety.Please, not more bad news. I don’t think I can take it.

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