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We walked, encountering several species along the way, many of which were mostly harmless unless engaged, or so Vitri said.I trusted him enough, keeping my distance from the species to avoid accidentally gaining more attention than I was after.
When we finally came to a stream, water trickling down between the mossy rocks and shrubs, I felt a renewed surge of energy.I’d finished my water, and although I knew Vitri would let me have some of his, it was difficult not to feel like I was already too much of a burden on him without taking his water too.The man—or alien, whatever—had left his home to help me search for my friends.Girls I admittedly didn’t really know but were the closest things to friends or family I had here.I needed to know they were safe.It wouldn’t be enough for me to live out here with Vitri or Erica and Ilk, not knowing if Samara and Misha were safe.We could decide what we wanted to do next once we were all together.Although we apparently needed to keep moving for a while, never settling in one place too long, like an extended camping trip, I guess.I understood the idea behind the plan, but it concerned me too.What if our constantly moving about only made the Ghaal more desperate?What if they resorted to some really messed-up measures to get us?
Vitri and I still hadn’t spoken much since his episode earlier today.He’d been informative when I’d asked him questions about plants or wildlife, but his voice remained deadpan as though he was reading from a script.
He was trying not to engage with me too much, and although I now understood the reasons, I can’t say it didn’t hurt.Not after we’d had sex.
Kneeling next to the stream, I held my water bag under the steady trickle as it flowed over a series of rocks and filled it partially, taking a huge mouthful and gulping it down loudly before filling the bag again.I caught Vitri’s gaze out of the corner of my eye, and for a moment, I’m certain he had that smirk I had grown to love plastered on his face.But it disappeared as quickly as it had come, and instead, he offered me a small half-smile, which simply wasn’t the same.
I didn’t want him to recede into himself because he was afraid, but I didn’t know what to do to make it right.Evidently, my sheer presence here was a test to him, and only he could figure out how to control instincts he’d been able to ignore for so long.
Who would’ve thought my biggest concern on an alien planet would be not to hurt a sexy alien man’s feelings?
Water bag full, I stood and brushed the leaves and moss from my knees.I desperately wanted to rest, but I knew if I stopped again today, I wouldn’t want to go again until after some sleep.Glancing up, I couldn’t see the sun’s position in the sky, and the light that dappled through the woodlands cast long shadows on the trees.Not much longer now until we could rest, I guessed.
“We’ll stop for the night soon, Tori.”Vitri’s soothing voice came as if reading my thoughts while he stood behind me, brushing his fingertips down my arm.I shuddered, and his hand jumped from me as though he had been shocked.He muttered something in a language I didn’t understand and took a step back, his absence from me obvious as the cool breeze whipped against my back.
Dammit, I wanted him to stay close.
What were these bullshit feelings?
Looking up when I heard music, I scanned the area, unable to see anything unusual.“Vitri…” He glanced at me, coming a step closer, and I reached out, grabbing his arm.“Where is that music coming from?”
“The asha.”
It was entrancing—soft voices and light whistles intertwined to create a song that called to me and could lull me to sleep if I let it.Every muscle in my body calmed while Vitri seemed to tense further.“Are they dangerous?Can we see them?”
I had no idea exactly whattheywere, but something about the song made me long to see where it emanated from, even to touch or embrace them if I could.Vitri growled, low and quiet, a barely-there sound.“They are quite beautiful.I will take you to see them if you promise to stay by my side.”
I should be moving on with our journey, getting as close as we could before nightfall.But I simplyhadto see the asha.I had to.I wouldn’t be able to rest, eat, or sleep until I did.It struck me for just a moment the desire to see them should concern me like they were somehow drugging me with their voices.But then the music would drift between the trees again, and all I wanted to do was find the source.Vitri took my hand then and held it tightly in his as he walked me upstream.It was the first real physical contact we’d had in hours, but his shoulders and arms were still tense.
“They sing because they smell my pheromones,” he explained, pulling me along behind him, but stepping carefully, I tried to mimic his strides.“Once they see it’s me, a Synth, they will stop.They know we are not compatible as mates.”
“Are they another kidnapped species?”
“Yes, four of them live here, each as beautiful as the last.I can see why the Moeks were drawn to them.”
Something that resembled jealousy bristled inside me at Vitri referring to the asha asbeautiful,but I refused to be jealous over my alien man.
Shit, there it was again.
Myalien man.
Fuck, I was in deep.
“Do the Moeks just kidnap species willy-nilly?”
Vitri frowned at me, and I wished he would grin again—that smirk that made his eyes sparkle with mischief.In trying to keep himself under control, he had become so serious, a wall of stone of nothingness, and I longed for the spark of personality from him that made me feel alive.“Willy-nilly?”
“Randomly.Like, do they just go planet hopping, taking random females of random species, hoping one of them will match?”
He shook his head.“There is a particular method to it, certain shared DNA sequences that they would be looking for or physical traits.We left the Ghaal colony before they began searching, so I don’t know their exact selection criteria.”
“What about the giant beetle thing that exploded into jelly?”
“The lupher?”He chuckled, that grin settling onto his face for longer than it had in hours before he again brought himself into line.“I have no idea.Desperation?Maybe the Moeks had a duty to bring backsomething,and when they couldn’t find anything suitable, they just grabbed whatever they could.”
“Willy-nilly,” I said, grinning.
