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Any doubts I had about her reasons for being on Laedirissae are long gone. Haley is not a calculating, malicious being. She could have left me in this cave to die, instead she nursed me back to health. The other females might be here for some nefarious plot, but I do not believe Haley is a part of it. Perhaps, that is why she was wandering in the jungle by herself.
I will protect my mate from any threats, even from her own kind.
Haley’s hand gently squeezes my arm, distracting me from my thoughts, before she returns it to her lap. That small touch was enough to ignite my mateblood, and my cock pulses with the need to claim my mate, to lay her back on the ground and pleasure her. But I ignore the urge and take a gulping sip of water.
I have not told her, yet, that I wish to leave tomorrow, but I have a feeling she knows.
As we finish our meal, I decide to broach the subject. It is my plan for us to pack up and leave while it is still dark, before any hunters from the other tribe have set out for the day and before any of the deadliest predators have woken. I just hope that Haley will agree to come with me. If she does not, then I will remain by her side.
I clear my throat drawing her attention to me. “I hope to leave in the morning to travel to my village. Haley, I would be honored if you would accompany me.”
Haley lets loose with a rapid string of words in her otherworldly language, and none of it sounds particularly pleased. Frustration wells up in me as I shake my head in confusion. She huffs out an irritated breath, and I want to soothe her, but I am not sure what to say. Obtaining the translator chip cannot happen soon enough.
I settle for placing my hand on her smaller one. “I will protect you with my life. You will not be harmed with me, and if you will travel with me to my village first, I will take you anywhere you wish after that.” The lines that have formed between her eyes smooth out as she returns my smile, hers a little wobbly at the corners, and nods her. I breathe out a sigh of relief.
Still, uncertainty settles into the depths of my gut. What if Haley does not want me as her mate?
Chapter 16
Haley
It’s still dark when we set out the next day for Draggar’s village, but he insists it will be the safest time for us to travel. He mentioned something last night about an enemy tribe called the Tussoll, but I’m not really sure who they are or what the big deal is about them.
But if Draggar wants to avoid them, then I do, too.
I was a little scared at first of the big teal alien, but that fear quickly abated over the days that I cared for him. Seeing the well over six-feet-tall man unconscious and vulnerable helped with that. Besides, I reasoned that if he was going to hurt me, he would have already. Instead, he’s been nothing but gentle and kind, even vowing to protect me with his life.
I just wish he could understand me. It’s beyond frustrating to have one-sided conversations, and I feel like I’m talking to myself. If only I could communicate with him, I think I could talk him into helping me and my friends. He seems like a good man – er, male – who’d be willing to help out a few humans down on their luck.
Then, there’s the attraction I feel for him. I don’t know what is wrong with me, but I have never felt lust like this. I don’t know if it’s something in the water or the air on this planet, but I have the urge to drag my hands down his chest until I reach that loincloth – I have never loved and hated a piece of clothing more in my life – and unwrap him like a Christmas present. Everything about him turns me into a puddle of desire. My cheeks flush as I think back to earlier this morning.
When I woke up this morning, we were pressed so close together, I was practically on top of him. Again. His muscles were stiff with tension, along with something else that felt a lot bigger than what men back on Earth usually pack. Seriously, a lot bigger and with some extra features if I’m not mistaken.
I softly groan in remembrance and fan my heated face with my hand. Draggar looks over at me, a concerned expression on his broad, angular face and I flutter my fingers in a wave to him before my thoughts return to this morning.
His full lips, that I have been entirely too fascinated with, were so close.
All it would have taken was the slight tilt of my head, the barest amount, for our lips to meet. I have never wanted to kiss someone so much before. The hunger racing through my body grew until I was almost desperate to sate it and I was so near to losing control and pulling him to me.
As we stared at each other, frozen in place, the golden flecks in his silver irises had somehow shifted and grown until his eyes had become liquid gold, searing me with their heat as they sparked. The moment had stretched out until it felt like the tension between us was stretched taut like a rubber band.
Then, ever so slowly as if he feared breaking the spell between us, his hand had moved down my back, soothing and inflaming all at the same time. I had held my breath in the hope that his hands would travel a little further south, but they didn’t.
His hands had simply moved under my pajama shirt and then back and forth over the muscles of my back, kneading and smoothing over my skin as if trying to offer me comfort. I had reacted by sinking deeper against his big body and letting out a sigh of pleasure. I didn’t realize how sore my muscles still were from the crash. His palms left a trail of heat that felt sublime, and I felt more relaxed than I had in a long time. A gentle smile had graced his face the entire time, the lone dimple beside his mouth making it appear endearingly crooked.
Now, hours later, I can still feel the tenderness of his strong, calloused hands against my skin and the warmth and peace I felt in his embrace. This large, brawny alien is surprisingly gentle, and I look at him with a new appreciation. He’s not exactly the primitive musclehead that I thought when I first saw him.
As we make our way through the jungle in the early morning, sunlight shines down through the dense canopy of leaves overhead, dappling our surroundings in a golden glow. Draggar walks next to me, but a slight step ahead so that he can sweep aside any limbs or vines that are in my way. His steps are sure and confident, and if I hadn’t seen his illness with my own eyes, I would never guess he’s been sick. Although, I have a feeling he’s not moving as quickly as what is normal for him.
The deep wound in his side has completely scabbed over now and there is just a dark blue mark on his skin to indicate where it was. Still, he stops frequently so we can rest, and I think he is probably doing so as much for himself as for me.
As for me, contrary to my recent adventures, I’m not used to hiking anywhere, jungle or not, and I’m grateful for as many breaks as I can get. Earlier, he said that we would find a place around midday to take a longer break, and it cannot come soon enough for me.
I nearly refused to travel with him to his village, but the hopeful anticipation on his face had me changing my mind. Besides, what was I going to do. . . .travel back through the jungle on my own trying to find my friends? Yeah, that’s a prospect I’d rather avoid if possible.
Besides, there are advantages to having a travel companion, and he did promise to take me wherever I want after we go on this mystery errand to his village. It may be foolish of me to trust someone I just met, but I believe him.
Now that I have Draggar’s company, I actually feel safe in the jungle. I even feel comfortable enough to look around and enjoy my surroundings. As dangerous as this planet seems to be, it is breathtakingly beautiful.
