Page 58 of Tempted By the Alien Warrior

“Don’t. Don’t tell me to stay behind,” I interrupt, my voice more confident than I actually feel. “Because that’s not going to happen.”

His jaw tightens, and for a moment, I think he’s going to argue. His mouth opens, then snaps shut.

A muscle jumps in his jaw before he gives a short, firm nod. “Stay close.”

Then, without another word, we follow the tracks into the depths of the jungle.

We track the footprints for hours until the sun sinks lower in the sky, but still the heat of the day presses in thick and unrelenting.

At some point, we cross into the Tussoll tribe’s territory. I don’t know how Vrok knows, but his gaze becomes sharper and he keeps one hand on the hilt of his sword. We weave through thick undergrowth, across streams and narrow ravines, over jagged rocks and thick, tangled roots.

I do my best to keep up, but the muscles in the back of my legs are screaming and sweat slicks my skin, puddling under my breasts and in places there shouldn’t be sweat. But I keep going.

The prints are faded in places, rain-smudged and partially obscured by fallen leaves, but Vrok reads them like a book. A scuffed heel here, a snapped branch there. Each detail guides us forward.

He barely makes a sound as he moves. His silver gaze is sharp, noting every slight change in the terrain around us. Every so often, he stops, crouching low to brush his fingers over a print.

And each time, my heart leaps, hoping he’s found something that means we’re getting closer to them. That maybe, justmaybe, he’s wrong and they’re just ahead of us, just out of sight. But his tight, controlled expression never changes.

And with every step we take, frustration builds inside me. We’re days behind them. They have Lily, and we don’t know what they want with her.

Vrok stops suddenly, crouching beside a trampled patch of vines. “They’re still on foot and still heading south.” He glances around and his gaze seems to sharpen.

“Toward the village?”

He nods tightly. “If they have reached it, it will be more difficult to rescue her.”

The thought of Lily in that place, surrounded by enemies, makes nausea co?il in my gut.

But just as I open my mouth to ask another question, my foot snags on a root hidden beneath the underbrush. I stumble with a sharp gasp as I begin to fall, but my downward trajectory is stopped by the strong arms that catch me.

Vrok.

His arms wrap around me, pulling me against him. And that’s all it takes for every memory from last night to come roaring back into my mind. My breath picks up as I remember every touch, every kiss.

“You’re exhausted,” he says quietly.

I start to shake my head, but he’s already glancing up at the quickly darkening sky through the canopy. “We need to stop for the night.”

“No,” I protest, heat and frustration flaring in my chest. “We can’t stop! She’s still out there?—”

“Emily.” My name said in his low, rough voice wraps around me, steadying me even as it tightens something in my chest. His hands slide gently to my arms and his thumbs brush over my skin in a way that makes me shiver. “I know you don’t want tostop. I don’t, either. But we need to rest. You won’t be able to help her if you’re too weak to stand.”

He’s right. I hate that he’s right. But I also hate how good his hands feel on me, how close he is, how easy it would be to lean into him. To just let go and forget everything.

My voice comes out smaller than I mean it to. “I don’t want to lose her.”

“You won’t,” he says softly. “We won’t.” His grip tightens for a moment, just enough to let me feel his promise. “But we need our strength to take her back.”

I know he’s not really talking about himself. The Laediriians are built different from humans. Vrok could probably follow the trail all night long without resting. He means me.

Reluctantly, I nod.

He points to a large boulder a few yards away. “There’s shelter nearby.”

I follow his gaze and notice a symbol carved into the stone’s face. It’s a triangle, its edges have been worn down by time, but they’re still distinct.

He steps closer, tracing the symbol with his fingers. “This indicates a cave with a cache nearby.”

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