“Holy crap,” I croaked, scrambling backward on elbows and heels, but I didn’t get far—because, oh right, I was wrapped in vines.
Soft ones, though. Not choking me. They shifted slightly as I moved, like they were…adjusting?
Nope. That was worse.
The alien was still there. Tall. Bronze-skinned. Muscles like he’d been sculpted out of jungle stone and then dipped in sunlight. His dark, loose mane spilled over one shoulder, partially braided with vines. And his face—sharp angles, shadowed eyes, and a mouth I could definitely picture doing very dirty things in my dreams.
Which was troubling, because I “had” dreamed about him.
“You’re real,” I whispered.
He blinked. His head tilted slightly, feline. Curious.
Then he said something.
It sounded like…growls. Deep, rumbling, too smooth to be a real language. Sexy alien gargling? No. It had rhythm. Inflection. It was a language. I just didn’t understand a single syllable.
I froze, holding my hands up. “Whoa, okay. Listen. I come in peace. And confusion. Mostly confusion.”
He said something else. Firmer. Another growl-rumble-vibration combo. His tail twitched behind him, curling like a question mark. He looked frustrated. Which made two of us.
“Still don’t understand you, sexy jungle beast,” I muttered.
Then a vine curled softly against my forearm.
I yelped—just a little—but it wasn’t aggressive. It was…warm. Humming. Like my skin had been plugged into a socket full of whispers. My ears rang, my head spun, and then?—
Understanding.
Not words exactly. Not English. But suddenly, I could feel what he meant.
Safety. Curiosity.Mate.
Wait. What?
I blinked. Looked up at him again.
“You’re...trying to talk to me.”
His eyes widened slightly. He sat straighter.
“Say something again,” I whispered.
He did.
And though I still couldn’t translate the sounds, I felt the meaning behind them: “Do you understand me now?”
“What the hell,” I breathed. “Did the vines just give me a universal translator?”
Another vine gently patted my calf. I wasn’t even mad.
“You know, Phil,” I told the vine, “you and I are gonna be besties.”
The alien’s mouth twitched. His head tilted again. This time I caught the flavor of his reaction—amusement. And something else. Something deeper.Relief.
“Okay,” I exhaled. “We can work with this. Sexy alien jungle catman. Sentient plants. A dream I really hope was just a dream. Sure. I’m still alive. Let’s roll.”
I slowly held out my hand.
