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A quick glance at Tim and my mother shows they’re silently eating their dinner, oblivious to the terror that’s seized my heart. Oblivious to the monstrous alien that’s gazing straight at me with a look of undiluted fury.
I leave the table and dispose of my tray, then hurriedly depart the mess hall, leaving my mother to find her way back to our quarters without me. I push aside the guilt and tell myself she’ll be okay.
It’s not until I reach our quarters that I finally catch my breath. I sink to the floor in the entryway and puzzle over the weird interaction in the mess hall. What. The. Hell.
I’m curious about the bearded alien.
His name. The reason for his presence on theJansonna.
And I want to know why the heck he’d stared at me for so long. It was terrifying, and yet… and yet I also experienced a strange surge of warmth between my thighs. In fact, I’m still dealing with the warm pulses in my nether area.
Increasingly breathless, agitated, and frightened, I continue to ponder the situation. I gasp when I hear a deep resonating growl that vibrates through my body. I jump up and search every room in my quarters, but I don’t discover anyone.
Did I imagine it?
Perhaps the bearded alien has left me so unsettled, I’m suffering from auditory hallucinations. Awesome. I hope I don’t run into him again. I pray I’ll manage to avoid him in the future.
Mom returns five minutes later, but she doesn’t question my rapid departure from the mess hall. She grabs a book and stations herself on a large plush sofa in front of the viewscreen, settling in for her evening routine of reading until she passes out with her face in a book.
Unable to calm myself, I decide on a visit to Leona’s Speakeasy. I can take the stage, unwind by playing the keyboard and singing a few songs, then kick back with as many free drinks as Leona will pour. After changing into exercise clothes, I tell Mom I’m headed to “the gym” and hurry into the corridor.
But just as I round a corner, I smack into a huge form.
I gasp and step back, an apology on the tip of my tongue, only for the words to die in my throat.
It's him. The scary, bearded alien.
Large hands latch on to my shoulders, and a familiar growl—the same one I heard in my quarters—bounces off the walls of the corridor.
He doesn’t speak. He simply holds me in place as he growls. Then he bends down and drags his nose along my neck. He inhales deeply and his whole body goes rigid.
That strange warmth from earlier pulses in my nether region, and despite my utter fear, I find myself wanting to move deeper into the alien’s arms. I don’t understand what’s happening. I’ve never been so confused and unsettled in my life.
“I’m sorry I ran into you,” I whisper in a shaky voice.
He doesn’t reply. He only stares down at me, his purple eyes flaming with what I think must be fury. His hands tighten on my shoulders.
I’m acutely aware that the corridor is empty. I’m alone with the ill-tempered Darrvason, and I’m not entirely certain he doesn’t plan to kill me. Would he face any repercussions if he did?
He lifts one hand to stroke my hair, and my scalp prickles with a rush of sensation, making me feel lightheaded and somewhat drunk. With gentle strokes, he rubs a lock of my hair between two of his massive fingers. He also allows his thumb to trace a soft line across my cheek, as though he wants to feel the texture of my skin.
“You should not be walking in the corridors alone,” he says in a gruff, rebuking tone, the first words he’s ever spoken to me.
I try to step away, but he crowds me against the wall, looming over me with his huge, muscular form. I remind myself I’m doing nothing wrong, and he has no right to touch or intimidate me. Sure, I was on my way to an illegal bar, but he would have no way of knowing that. Darrvasons can’t read minds. Well, I don’t think they can. My stomach flips at the thought.
Summoning bravery, I lift my chin and glare straight into his glowing purple eyes.
“I walk the corridors alone all the time,” I say. “I’m a busy person with places to go and things to do.” I clear my throat and peer around him, though my nerves increase when I realize we’re still very much alone. “Excuse me.”
When I try to step around him, he halts my movement with his body. My ire rises and douses most of my fear. I lift my chin higher.
“Get out of my way.”
His nostrils flare and his eyes glow brighter. A low growl emanates from his throat, then he inhales a deep breath, keeping his head angled close to my neck.
“You smell like a female in heat,” he says in a deep rumbling voice. “You should take care when you walk in the corridors. A male who’s lacking in control might take you and rut you.”
“I don’t understand what the hell you’re talking about.” My face flames when he trails a finger along my neck.
