Page 23 of Alien Warlord's Fury
I studied his face, trying to read what lay beneath his controlled expression. "So in different circumstances..."
He met my gaze steadily. "In different circumstances, many things might be possible."
It wasn't much of an admission, but it was enough to ease some of the ache in my chest. At least he wasn't dismissing what had happened between us entirely.
"We should continue," he said, getting to his feet. "We've lingered too long already."
I nodded, gathering my pack. As I stood, a wave of dizziness washed over me, accompanied by a flash of silver light from my markings. Images flooded my mind—children strapped to machines, Hammond's face contorted with excitement, a massive energy surge building.
"Claire!" Nirako's voice seemed to come from very far away.
I felt his hands on my shoulders, steadying me as the vision receded. When my sight cleared, I found him staring at me with concern, his face inches from mine.
"What did you see?" he asked.
"Hammond," I gasped, the horror of the vision still fresh. "He's accelerating his experiments. We need to hurry."
Nirako's expression hardened. "Then we move now." He released my shoulders but stayed close, his eyes searching my face.
"Are you able to continue?"
I nodded, pushing aside the lingering effects of the vision. "I'm fine. Let's go."
He hesitated for a moment longer, then nodded. "Stay close. The terrain grows more treacherous from here."
As we set off again, I couldn't help but notice that he kept closer to me than before, his hand occasionally brushing mineas if to reassure himself that I was still steady on my feet. The gesture was small, but it spoke volumes.
Whatever had happened in that cave—whatever was happening between us—wasn't forgotten, merely set aside for a more appropriate time. If we survived this mission, if we managed to save the children and escape Hammond's compound...
But that was a big if. For now, I needed to focus on the task ahead. The children needed us.
Everything else—including the memory of Nirako's lips on mine and the way our energies had merged—would have to wait.
NIRAKO
The quiet after the storm left a charged space between us. Claire sat cross-legged on a flat stone, her face turned toward the weak morning sun. The kiss lingered in the air like the scent of ozone after lightning—unacknowledged but impossible to ignore.
I watched her markings pulse erratically beneath her skin. Unpredictable. Dangerous. Just like the woman herself.
"Your energy patterns are unstable," I said, breaking the silence. "I can teach you techniques to manage them."
Claire's eyes snapped to mine. "I'm managing fine."
"Are you?" I nodded toward her arm where silver light flickered chaotically. "The Aerie have methods. Grounding techniques that might help stabilize your connection."
"And you're offering this now because...?"
Because I needed distance from what happened in the cave. Because professional instruction created boundaries. Because touching her with purpose might drive away the memory of touching her with passion.
"Because we're approaching Hammond's compound," I stated. "Your uncontrolled energy signatures will alert his security systems before we get within a hundred paces."
Her jaw tightened, but she nodded. "Fine. Show me."
I knelt before her, our knees almost touching. "Give me your hands."
She hesitated, then extended them. I took them in mine, palms up. Her skin was warm, softer than it should be for someone who'd spent days trekking through wilderness.
The contact sent a ripple through my lifelines, gold light brightening where we touched.
