Page 80 of Tempted By the Alien Warrior

Haley smiles through the tears misting her eyes. “Then hold onto that. As long as you can feel him, he’s fighting to come back to you.”

24

Vrok

Darkness slowly givesway to blurry shapes and dim light as I crack my eyes open. My head throbs like it’s been split open by the claw of a tiniio. Each beat of my heart is a dull thud behind my eyes. My mouth is dry, and every breath sends a sharp ache through my chest.

Where am I?

I blink again, and the world around me gradually sharpens. Wooden beams stretch across the ceiling above, and the air smells faintly of herbs. It’s a comforting scent that tugs at the edges of my memory. I turn my head, and pain lances down my neck, sharp enough to make me grit my fangs.

I’m lying on a bed, covered by soft furs. The room is quiet except for the soft breathing of someone nearby.

My gaze drifts to the side, and my heart stutters when I see her.

Emily is slumped forward in a chair beside the bed with her head resting on the mattress. Her face is half-hidden by thetangled curtain of her hair. Her shoulders rise and fall with each slow, even breath she takes.

I breathe in her sweet scent and my chest tightens with relief. Or maybe disbelief? A rush of warmth blooms inside me, spreading through my veins. She’s safe, and she’s still here.

I close my eyes and let out a shaky breath as the memories come flooding back. The battle. Zahrik fighting beside me. My father’s sword sinking into my abdomen. The pain of his betrayal. The cold darkness that followed. I thought I was dying. Perhaps I did die. Maybe this is the afterlife the ancient Laediriians believed in, and she’s the spirit sent to guide me.

I shift and pain shoots through me. No, this isn’t the afterlife. I’m very much alive. Broken, but alive. The ache in my chest with each breath I take and the wound in my side throbs with each beat of my heart… No, myhearts.

Emily is my amoris. The realization stuns me. She’s my spirit mate, and I’m hers. And she came back for me. She risked everything and fought for me. The weight of that hits me harder than the sword that nearly ended me.

I force my eyes open again and take in the room around me. The familiar shelves are lined with jars and bowls, the neat stacks of bandages, and the rows of beds. I know this place. This is the medic’s hut back in the village.

But it feels empty. The humans were all staying here after the crash, but they’re gone now and so are their belongings. The hut feels strangely hollow without their lyrical voices and unfamiliar laughter.

How long have I been lying here?

The door creaks open, and I tense. My hand instinctively reaches for a weapon that isn’t there. In fact, none of my weapons are on me. A surge of unease courses through me, but I barely shift before pain pins me in place. I bite back a groan.

Warrix steps inside carrying a cup of steaming liquid. His sharp eyes land on me, and they widen when he sees I’m awake.

“You’re conscious.” He crosses the room swiftly before pulling a chair up beside the bed. “I wasn’t sure you’d wake at all.”

I try to speak, but my throat is raw and the words emerge in a muffled rasp. “How… long?”

“Two days,” he says with a heavy exhale. “You were in bad shape, Vrok. That foolhardy stunt nearly killed you.” His voice is firm, but I hear the concern in it. Warrix has always been the one in the tribe who gets along with everyone. The one who takes each injury and sickness personally.

“Taking on that many Tussoll with just one other warrior…” He shakes his head at me, but he doesn’t say any more. His eyes shift to Emily, and his expression turns gentle before he releases a resigned sigh. “She hasn’t left your side. These humans are loyal, even if it costs them.”

My heart gives a painful twist, and I glance at her again. At her small form curled up in that uncomfortable chair, her face pale and lined with weariness even in sleep. She stayed for me.

I close my eyes, letting the warmth of that knowledge settle deep in my bones. My body is broken, my strength drained, but for the first time, I feel whole. And it’s because of my mate. My amoris.

Warrix shifts beside me. “The chief will want to speak with you when you’re stronger.”

I tense as dread curls low in my gut. Is this it? Is this when I’ll be exiled from the tribe and made an outcast? Forced to leave the village… and Emily?

My throat is still raw, but I force the question out. “About what?”

Warrix studies me, then shakes his head. “Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.” There’s a quiet reassurance in his gazethat eases some of the tension coiling inside me. “Focus on recovering.”

He stands and places the cup of broth on the table beside the bed. “Drink this when you can. You need to regain your strength.”

As if on cue, Emily stirs. A soft sigh escapes her as she shifts against the mattress. Her fingers twitch, and then she lifts her head.

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