Page 58 of The Alien Warrior's Heart

Zar tugged on her hand, pulling her out of her thoughts. He wanted her to get back on the zapten.

Simone held her ground. “Before I forget, there’s something I need to tell you.” She glanced at Chozo. “Can you interpret this for me?”

He nodded, still looking glum.

“Ask him what ‘intera-won’ means.”

Chozo haltingly delivered the message to Zar.

She watched him intently, noticing when his eyes sharpened on her. He spoke in that guttural alien tongue again and a shiver slid up her spine.

Intera-won.

He’d whispered that roughly in her ear when he’d been buried inside her. It sounded like he was claiming her. Declaring to the world—or at least to all the tiny creatures in the cave—that she was his. She’d held on to him and said the words back and he’d kissed her so hard her head had banged against the wall.

“He said,” Chozo interpreted haltingly, “that when a Plutonian joins with his mate, they become one. He said that it’s a sign that they are both committed to each other. It means mate connection.” Chozo tilted his head. “I’m not sure I understood the rest, but it has to do with a bonding and a lifetime.”

“Oh.” Simone’s eyelashes fluttered.

Bonding? A lifetime?

She gasped. “Did we getmarried?”

“Married?” Chozo scrunched his nose. “I do not know this word.”

Zar took her hand and nodded to the zapten. “Guh, Si-Moon.”

“He wants us to leave now.”

Simone stumbled behind Zar as he led her back to the zapten and helped her to mount it. His words sparked more questions, but it wasn’t like she could ask him for clarification. He seemed annoyed whenever Chozo spoke.

It was clear that their relationship wasn’t getting any better. Simone couldn’t force Zar to accept the kid, even if she wanted them to patch things up, but his stubbornness troubled her.

What if he turns on you, Simone? What if he treats you the way he’s treating Chozo? What if you anger him and he blocks you out too?

Her cheek started to sting as a memory from her childhood unfurled in her mind. She saw herself back in that old trailer, her body on the floor and her knees curving into her chest to protect her ribs.

Zar has a temper. A bad one.

She wasn’t stupid enough to believe that she’d be the one to ‘change him’. Life had taught her that nobody changed. And if they did, it was only to get worse. Fear tightened her heart and she swallowed past the lump in her throat.

Zar got on the zapten and started it up, not bothering to check that Chozo was on safely. Simone had to stretch to help the kid up. When Zar saw what she was doing, he waited for her to settle in before lifting the zapten.

This time, Chozo sat in front of her while she sat in front of Zar. At least that was a small step of victory. Before today, Zar refused to even look at Chozo, but he was now sitting front and center on the zapten.

Zar would get over his anger on his own. He would make that choice. She had to believe that to keep her worries at bay.

The wind buffeted her face and made it impossible to hold a conversation. Simone still had so many questions, but she stuffed them deep inside. The warmth of being sandwiched between Zar and Chozo’s body lulled her to sleep.

A jolt woke her up what felt like minutes later, but she saw that the sky was completely dark. They’d travelled all day. How long had she slept?

Zar slid off the zapten and helped her to the ground. His jaw was clenched, and he held her a little tighter than normal. He was on edge about something.

Simone glanced around, and her eyes landed on a big, blue alien stepping out of a cabin. Like Zar, he had rows of muscles, tattoos and long hair.

Zar stood protectively in front of her.

Were they in danger?

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