AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I nodded, not sure where to go from here.There were a hundred follow-up questions I could ask, starting with what happened between them that drew her to him.But really, the most pressing question on my mind after my recent interaction with Vitri was, “What was it like?”
“Damn.You don’t mess around, do you?”
I managed a smile, then most of my discomfort evaporated as I looked at Erica.We didn’t know each other very well, not yet anyway, but we were bonded by our trauma, thrown together in this situation.The least I could do was talk openly with her.I didn’t want to come to another planet just to develop another high school click with gossiping and bullshit.Or just to ostracize myself from most social situations as I had done at home.
Erica sighed, still smiling.She seemed unable to keep it from her face when she was talking about Ilk.“He made me feel so safe, you know?Looking after me.I guess after a certain point, I kind of thought,fuck it.Why the hell not?I’m not saying there wasn’t conflict in my mind about it, but in the end, he was just so darn cute that he won me over.”She gazed into the forest, unable to see much farther into the shadows than me.
Cute?The guy was a literal gargoyle but each to their own, I guess.
When Erica turned back to me, she asked, “Did Vitri tell you about the pheromones?”
“Yeah, he did, among sooo many other things about this planet.Yet I feel like I don’t even know a fraction about this place.”
We sank into silence together for a moment before Erica continued, “Well, I learned the pheromones aren’t a drug exactly, so it’s not like they can make you act against your will.But when the Synths are attracted to someone, they can’t help releasing them.And God, they smellamazing.”
So that’s why Vitri smells so fucking good?I simply nodded, getting back to the important part of the conversation—the part that had me resisting the urge to rub my thighs together.“So… the sex?”
“The sex wasincredible.He’s… I mean, he’s fuckinghuge.But then again, look at the size of him.”When I didn’t respond, she looked at me, a cheeky smile playing on her face.“Have you slept with Vitri?”
“What?No!Did he… did he tell you we had?”
“Of course not.I don’t think lying is in their blood.”She glanced at me as I scoffed.
Says her.Vitri didn’t tell me he could understand me and let me mime like an idiot when I could’ve simply asked a question.
“Calm down, Tori,” Erica said, misinterpreting my expression.“You asked me first.”She held her hands up in mock surrender, but she was grinning.
“I mean, I want to, I think.We’ve touched each other.”I ran my hands up and down my face, groaning.“This entire situation is ridiculous.Why am I even attracted to him?He’s a fucking alien.I shouldn’t even beconsideringhaving sex with him.”
“Do you like him?”
I looked into the forest where Vitri had disappeared with Ilk earlier, barely containing my grin, and at this point not even sure why I was still trying to.“The idiot is growing on me.”
“You know,” Erica started, playing with the moss again.“An old friend of mine used to have a saying back home, which could be pertinent in more ways than one here.”
“And what was that?”
She laughed.“Fuck it!”
We were laughing when our alien men came back to camp, and Erica kept tossing me knowing looks and smirks as we set up the fire and cooked their catches.Subtlety was evidently not her strong suit.More than once, Vitri caught the looks between us and would throw a grin at me, which I’d respond to with a glare, only smiling when he looked away, and I’m sure he knew.
We separated to sleep, Ilk insisting that finding a crevice on ground level was safe.Looking at him, the big stone alien, I could understand why he wouldn’t want to climb a tree and balance on a plank of wood.He’d probably fall right through it.
After hugging Erica goodnight, I draped my arms over Vitri’s neck and held onto his back as he climbed the vine to the tree house, his movements not at all hindered by my weight.
I slept with Vitri behind me, his body wrapped around mine, his arm across my stomach.His warmth was comforting and exciting all at once, but I was still plagued with uncertainty.
Yet, as weird as it was, just as I was drifting off to sleep, his vines wrapped around me and pulled me against him.It should have been strange, but all it did was make me feel safer than ever.
Chapter Thirteen
VITRI
The sun was barely over the horizon when we woke, and it didn’t take long for us to get ready.Tori consented to bathing again before we left since I couldn’t be sure how often we would get the chance along the way.Ilk assured me there were streams through the woodland areas we could bathe in, but I enjoyed the heavy rush of cold water that came from the canopy leaves.
Tori was not so thrilled with my method of bathing, and this time, I didn’t bother to keep my laughter subdued when she stood there naked, her short hair plastered to her face and over her eyes, with only her scowl visible.When I didn’t heed her warnings to stop laughing, she tackled me, running headfirst toward me and catching me around my waist.The attack was not enough to knock me from my feet, but it certainly knocked the air from my lungs and silenced my laughter at her expense.We wrestled for a while, and I held back my strength, allowing her to work out her arms as she twisted and turned.At one point, she kicked at the back of my heel, I assumed trying to get me off my feet.It wouldn’t work, but I was impressed with her attempts all the same.
With a deft spin, I turned her until her back was against my chest and held her close to me, ignoring her struggles as I chuckled.
