Page 34 of Alien Warlord's Fury
The sudden loss of his warmth left me cold. I nodded, not trusting my voice, and began to edge forward through the narrow passage. The silver glow of my markings lit our way, reflecting off the stone walls.
Emerging from the crevice felt like breaking a spell. The forest stretched around us, vast and dangerous after the intimate confines of our hiding place. Nirako scanned our surroundings, all business now, the vulnerability of moments before locked away behind his warrior's mask.
"We need to move," he said, not meeting my eyes. "They'll have other patrols searching the area."
I nodded, pushing away the confusion and longing that tangled in my chest. "Which way?"
He pointed southeast, away from the patrol's last position. "There's a ravine half a kilometer that way. We can follow it back toward the compound, stay below their scanner range."
"Lead on," I said, falling into step behind him.
As we moved through the forest, I couldn't help but notice how he kept a careful distance between us now—no accidental touches, no guiding hand at my back. The connection that had hummed between us in the darkness of the crevice remained, an invisible thread pulling taut with every step that separated us.
My markings had dimmed to their usual dormant state, but they tingled beneath my skin, as if remembering the resonance with his lifelines. As if missing it.
I pushed the feeling aside. We had a task. Children to save.
Hammond to stop. Whatever was happening between Nirako and me—whatever this bond was—it would have to wait.
But as we made our way through the alien forest, my body remembered the feel of him pressed against me in the dark, and the words he'd spoken when he thought we might be discovered at any moment. Words that felt like truth.
Because the thought of you in danger tears at something inside me I didn’t know existed.
The forest shadows deepened around us as we moved silently toward Hammond's compound and the children waiting to be saved. Toward danger that would test whatever this thing was between us. Toward a confrontation that might change everything—if we survived it.
NIRAKO
Ifollowed Claire through the dense underbrush, the ground still soft from the acid rain. The relay station explosion had worked—perhaps too well. Hammond's security forces had swarmed the area, forcing us to flee through difficult terrain after our narrow escape from the patrol.
Night had fallen by the time we found suitable shelter—a shallow cave tucked into the side of a rocky outcropping, invisible unless you stood directly before it. Perfect for hiding, terrible for comfort.
"We should be safe here," I said, ducking to enter the low opening. "The patrol patterns suggest they'll focus on the eastern quadrant tonight."
Claire followed me inside, her breathing still ragged. The cave extended back about fifteen feet. I gathered a few dry branches that had blown inside and arranged them for a small fire.
"Are you sure that's wise?" Claire asked, eyeing the kindling.
"The rock formation will disperse the smoke." I struck my firestarter against the driest branch. "Besides, the temperature's dropping. Hammond's men won't look for heat signatures here—too many natural thermal vents."
The fire caught, casting flickering shadows. Claire sank down opposite me, her face half-illuminated, eyes distant.
"We did good work today," I said, breaking the silence. "The relay station will be offline for days. Hammond's eastern surveillance is blind."
"If we'd planted the charges on the main power coupling like I suggested, it would be down for a week." Her voice carried an edge.
I stiffened. "And the explosion would have been visible from the settlement, potentially compromising our position."
"The council." Claire's laugh held no humor. "They'd still be debating while Hammond moved those younglings."
I pulled our remaining rations from my pack, dividing them. "Eat. You need strength."
Claire took her portion but didn't immediately eat. Her silver markings flickered dimly, reflecting agitation. The bond hummed with tension—frustration, lingering fear, and something else neither of us seemed willing to acknowledge.
"Tomorrow we circle around to approach from the north," I said, focusing on the task ahead. "The terrain is more exposed, but?—"
"But you've already decided." Claire tore off a piece of dried meat. "No point discussing alternatives."
I frowned. "I've scouted these lands for years. The northern approach?—"
