Page 6 of Tempted By the Alien Warrior

Vrok doesn’t lower his hand from his sword. If anything, his grip tightens. His silver eyes narrow on the approaching Laediriians, his stance shifting from wary to defiant. Like he already knows that whatever they’re about to say has something to do with him. Like he’s bracing for it.

“Step away from her,” Daggir, the chief of the tribe, says, his voice harder than I’ve ever heard it.

“What is this about?” Vrok doesn’t budge. His broad frame remains rooted to the spot as his gaze locks with the chief’s.

“You know exactly what this is about,” Sorrin snaps. His gray eyes burn with accusation, and his usually easygoing demeanor seems to have vanished. “Mara and I found proof your father has been working with the Pugj, betraying our people. You’ve been acting suspicious, and now we know why. You’re a traitor.”

Pugj.

That word alone is enough to turn my blood to ice. They aren’t just enemies of the Laediriians—well,mostof the Laediriian tribes—but they’re monsters. They’re hellbent on eliminating any tribe that stops them from controlling the entire planet. And the Anuriix tribe is standing in their way.

The Pugj don’t just kill, they abduct, they torture, they destroy everything in their path. There are even whispers of cannibalism. Of warriors escaping from the Pugj and returning with horror stories. My stomach churns as bile burns the back of my throat.

And the worst part? One of the Laediriian tribes, the Tussoll, has joined forces with them.

Their chief, Haavor, is ruthless and power-hungry. He doesn’t care who gets hurt or what it costs, so long as he ends up on top. If the planet burns down and he’s the one sitting on theashes, he’d call it a victory. And he proved it when he allied with the Pugj.

And now they’re accusing Vrok of being part of that betrayal.

I wait for Vrok to deny the accusation. The Anuriix tribe values honor and loyalty. An accusation like this is the worst thing you could say to one of them.

But Vrok says nothing. The only sign of a reaction is the narrowing of his eyes.

“You have nothing to say?” Sorrin growls, stepping forward. His silver eyes flash in the dim light.

I will Vrok to say something, to tell them it’s not true. But he only stands there, rigid and silent. His broad shoulders sag as if the weight of the accusation has settled across them like a boulder.

Daggir releases a heavy breath. “Very well. Your silence speaks for you.” He motions toward the warriors at his side. “Detain him until we sort this out.”

Sorrin and two other warriors step forward and seize Vrok by the arms. He doesn’t resist them, but I can see the tension in the clenched set of his jaw. Why isn’t he defending himself? Why isn’t he saying something, anything?

Finally, he shakes his head, his fists clenching at his sides. “You’re making a mistake.”

“Maybe,” Draggar replies. “But if we are, it won’t cost the lives of our people.”

As they drag him away, his gaze briefly flickers to me. There’s no plea, no explanation, just a glimmer of something I can’t put a name to. Whatever it is, it roots me in place for a moment before a surge of emotion overtakes me.

“Wait! You can’t do this!” I call out, stepping closer. “He didn’t do what you’re saying!”

The words are out before I can stop them. I don’t know why I’m defending him or why I feel the need to speak up forsomeone who’s barely spoken to me, someone who’s made it clear he considers humans to be inferior.

And yet, something isn’t right. It’s the same gut feeling that tells me Lily is alive. Somehow, I know that Vrok isn’t a traitor.

The rational part of me, though, screams at me to shut up.You don’t know him, Emily. You’ve seen the way he looks at you and your friends like you’re a burden. Why should you defend someone like him?

I step closer, my fists clenched at my sides. “You’re making a mistake. He’s not?—”

“Emily.” Draggar’s voice cuts through my protest. His silver eyes soften with understanding as they meet mine. “Stay here. We’ll handle this.”

The warriors continue to drag Vrok away, and just before they disappear into the shadows, Draggar speaks again. “If you’re innocent, Vrok, you’d better hurry up and prove it.”

And then they’re gone, leaving me standing in the dark, my heart pounding against my ribs. The comfort I’d found in Vrok’s presence evaporates, replaced by a whirlwind of confusion.

I bite my lip, turning away and wrapping my arms around myself. Doubts swirl.What am I doing? Why am I defending him?

Yet the memory of his gaze lingers, that unspoken something I saw in his eyes. It wasn’t guilt. It wasn’t fear.

I don’t know what it was, but I know I’m not ready to believe he’s guilty. Not yet.

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