Page 81 of Tempted By the Alien Warrior

She blinks blearily, then her gaze locks with mine and her eyes widen. “You’re awake,” she breathes out.

“Hello, little female,” I rasp.

Something unfamiliar tugs at the corners of my mouth, and a slow, unsteady smile stretches across my face before I even know it’s there. It’s bigger than any I’ve worn in a long time. Maybe ever.

Her lips part, and she stares at me for a heartbeat before a breathy sound escapes her.

“Is that a smile?” She looks at me as if I’ve just performed some impossible feat. “I was starting to think you didn’t know how.”

The warmth in my chest flares hotter. “It turns out I do. I just needed the right reason.”

For a heartbeat, we just look at each other. The world fades away to nothing but the two of us. Her eyes shine with unshed tears, and her lips curve upward in that smile that slays me.

Then, Emily launches forward and throws her arms around me, burying her face against my neck. The warmth of her and the way she clings to me nearly undoes me. I can barely breathe through the ache in my chest, but it’s not from pain anymore. It’s from the overwhelming relief of having her in my arms again.

I move to pull her into my lap, but a sharp jolt of pain stops me. A groan slips out before I can catch it, and she immediately jerks back.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she scolds while glaring at me like I’m the biggest fool on the planet. “You’re supposed to be resting!”

I huff out a weak laugh. “I will. If you stay in bed with me,” I murmur, reaching for her hand.

She rolls her eyes, but the pink flush spreading across her cheeks betrays her. Her fingers curl around mine without hesitation like they were always meant to be there.

“You’re trouble,” she mutters, but I can hear the affection in her voice. “Big, brooding, impossible trouble.”

I pull her hand to my chest and place it over the steady beat of my hearts. “But I’m yours. If you’ll have me.”

Her breath catches and for a moment, she’s silent. Her eyes shimmer with tears. Then, she squeezes my hand. “I already do. I love you, Vrok,” she says softly.

Her words hit me with a quiet force, sinking straight into the marrow of my bones. They echo in the spaces I thought would stay hollow forever. I can’t speak at first, only nod, because I’m so overcome by the emotion shining in her eyes.

“I love you, too,” I manage. “I didn’t know how much until I thought I’d never see you again.”

She leans in and brushes her lips across mine in a gentle kiss that feels like a promise.

And then, as if to betray me, my stomach chooses that moment to release a low, rumbling growl. Emily startles, then lets out a soft laugh. She glances toward the table beside the bed and her eyes land on the cup of broth.

“Here,” she says, shifting closer. “You need to eat.”

I reach for the cup, but she swats my hand away. “Let me help. You can barely sit up.”

A small smile tugs at my mouth. It feels easier now, more natural. “You just want an excuse to fuss over me,” I murmur.

She lifts the cup to my lips, and I sip gratefully. The warmth slides down my throat, soothing the rawness there.

As I drink, her gaze sweeps slowly around the hut, and a faint frown creases her brow. “It’s weird seeing this place so empty,” she murmurs.

“Where are the other females?” I ask between sips.

“They moved into the empty huts in the village. They wanted to give you space to recover in peace,” she explains. Her lips curve faintly. “They tried to get me to go with them. To rest. But there was no way I was leaving you.”

Warmth swells inside me at her words. I still can’t believe she’s here beside me. I reach for her hand. “You stayed,” I murmur.

Her fingers curl around mine. “Of course, I did. You’re my amoris. You’re stuck with me, now.” She says it with a teasing lilt, but her voice is soft and sure.

Her lips tilt up at the corners, drawing my gaze. Even with weariness lining her face and dark smudges beneath her eyes, she is the most beautiful being I’ve ever seen. A sense of peace settles deep in my chest.

I squeeze her hand. “I can think of worse fates.”

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