Page 75 of Tempted By the Alien Warrior

Then the darkness claims me, and I feel nothing at all.

22

Emily

Vrok lies crumpledon the ground, blood spreading in a dark pool beneath him. His skin has turned a sickly, ashen gray, and the sight of it sends a spike of panic straight through me.

“No,” I whisper, dropping to my knees beside him. “No, no, no.”

I rip a strip of material from the hem of my shirt and press it against his wound, trying to stem the flow of blood, but it gushes out around my fingers. It soaks through the fabric in seconds, but I keep pressing, harder and harder, refusing to give up.

“Please,” I choke out as tears blur my vision. “Don’t leave me.”

His silver eyes flutter open to stare up at me, and his breath comes in short, ragged gasps. I can feel him slipping away, and it’s tearing me apart.

A low groan escapes his lips as he lifts a trembling hand and cups my cheek. His touch is featherlight and cold. So cold. I’m so used to the heat his large body radiates that the icy press of his fingers against my skin steals my breath.

I lean into his palm, desperate to share even a fraction of my warmth. “I’m here. I’m right here,” I whisper, my voice cracking.

Then I bend down and press my lips to his. It’s a brief kiss, but I pour everything into it. All my fear, my hope, my love. When I pull back, his eyes find mine, and there’s a flicker of clarity there that gives me hope.

His lips part, and in a raspy whisper, he says, “Amoris.”

With that one word, everything shifts.

Recognition hits me like a bolt of lightning, and it lands somewhere deep in my chest. That strange heat that’s followed me around for days suddenly roars to life. It surges through me, burning bright and fierce, filling every hollow place inside me I thought I’d made peace with. And I know what he’s just said is true.

He’s my amoris. My spirit mate.

A ball of warm energy blooms in the center of my chest, and it’s pulsing with a slow, steady beat. And I know without a doubt that it’s him. It’s Vrok. Even as his body weakens, his spirit lives inside me.

“Yes,” I breathe out. Tears run down my face and spill onto his face. “Yes, I’m yours. I’m your amoris.”

A faint smile curves his lips. It’s so small I nearly miss it, but it’s there and it makes my breath catch in my throat. Then his eyes drift shut, and his body goes still. His hand slips from my face, hitting the blood-soaked ground with a thud.

“No!” I cry, panic crashing over me. “Don’t you dare leave me!”

I press harder against his wound. Blood is everywhere, on his skin, covering my hands, staining my clothes, soaking into the ground beneath us. I can’t lose him. Iwon’t.

I jerk my head up, and glance around wildly. We’re completely alone. The scarred warrior who fought beside Vrok is gone. I don’t know where he went or if he’s even coming back.

A rustling sound at the edge of the jungle draws my attention toward the trees, and I whip my head around to see Lily stumble into the clearing. Her face is pale and drawn tight with exhaustion, but she’s alive and she’s here.

“Lily!” I shout. “Help me!”

She drops the satchels she’s carrying and rushes to my side, her eyes widening as she takes in Vrok’s blood-soaked body.

“Oh my God…” she whispers.

“We have to stop the bleeding.” My voice is wild with panic. “Please, help me!”

Lily doesn’t hesitate. Her hands shake, but she presses down on the wound, trying to slow the flow.

I scramble to the satchels and dig through them with blood-slick fingers until I find the tin of salixa gel. My hands are too slippery, and at first, the lid won’t budge. But I finally wrench it off and scoop out a thick glob of the green goo and smear it on the wound.

I don’t know if it will help, but it’s the only thing I have. Lily helps me press the fabric over it, both of us trembling as we try to keep pressure on the injury. Vrok doesn’t move. Not even a twitch.

Fear claws at me, threatening to pull me down into a cold pit of despair, but the warm ball of energy that’s lodged itself in my chest keeps me from panicking. His spirit is still there, and as long as it is, he’s alive.

---