"Headache," he mumbled, massaging his temples. "I get them whenever I think about my origins."
I didn't even like the guy, but he looked pitiful enough for me to get up and walk behind him. I swatted his hands to the side and massaged his neck. An ex-boyfriend told me I hadmagic fingers; It could be because my hands and fingers were stronger than normal people's from all the work I did with them. Whatever it was, it allowed me to dig deep. It seemed alien physiology wasn't that different from humans.
"I think I would get headaches, too, if I didn't know where I came from," I sympathized.
He allowed me to minister to him for a few moments before he turned, ending the session. "Anyway, I thought you should know."
"You're not going to kick me out after dropping this bomb on me." I pushed my fists into my hips. "No way."
"What do you want?" He drew his brows together in honest puzzlement.
"Well… it impacts me too, thank you very much. I mean, I'm going to have to tell people about these sooner or later. So what am I going to say? Oh, they're mating marks. My fated mate? He's gallivanting through the universe, terminating the bad guys?"
Before he could reply, I kept going. "I mean, aren't people going to… to expect us to be together or something?"
In obvious frustration, his hand moved through his hair. "It doesn't matter what others say."
"Probably not," I admitted, "but I would rather not start my new life with a scarlet letter on my chest." This is another one of the many reasons why I preferred to be a side character instead of the main heroine. I just wanted to get to Astrionis and live a peaceful life without any drama or big adventures.
"Scarlet letter?" He asked.
I waved my hand. "Never mind that. Do you think the people on Astrionis might know how to get these off us?"
He shrugged, "Perhaps. Maybe. Hopefully."
After thinking it over, his gloominess lifted some. "That might not be a bad idea."
I should have been affronted, but I wasn't, because Xyrek wasn't really the type of person I wanted to be around that much. Yes, he had saved me and the others, but his unpleasant nature left a lot to… be desired. If I wanted to be around poisonous people, I would have stayed with my family or adopted the damn Pitbull myself. I didn't need that kind of toxicity around me.
Then why did my stomach sink and my heart feel so heavy at the thought of not seeing him again after the next two days? Had I somehow come to enjoy our little banter? I worried I might actually miss it.
XYREK
"I need to talk to you."Josie stormed into my quarters as the door ticked open to let Alice out.
"You are not welcome here," I told her, moving my arms to shoo her back out.
"Too bad. We need to talk. Close the door."
Was this female for real? Who did she think she was givingmeorders?
"The only way this door closes is once you leave."
She changed tactics. "Please, Xyrek?" Her full lips turned pouty, and her eyelashes fluttered. I didn't think I could take this for two more days. This female was hunting me. No matter how many times I told her that she wasn't going to share my quarters or bed, she wouldn't stop.
A sudden idea hit me. "Alice! Wait up!"
I rushed by Josie out into the corridor, where I pushed through the throng of people. The same throng of people that had made it hard for Alice to make much progress to the cargo hold. When she heard her name, she stopped and turned.
"What?" She looked confused in such an adorable way that I paused—momentarily struck by how alluring she made confusion look. I liked the way she blinked up at me like I had something worth saying—like she actuallywantedto hear it. No one had ever looked at me like that before. I bent low to whisper in her ear when I reached her, "What would you do to stay in my quarters until we reach Astrionis?"
The crowd pressed around us, and Alice huffed out a long breath. "Anything."
"Good."
I pulled her into my arms, lifted her up because she was so frygging short, and pressed my lips to hers. The idea was to give these humans a show, carry Alice to my quarters, and make them think I made my choice. Hopefully, to give me some peace. However, the moment our lips met, my body developed different ideas. The sensations of bliss that ran through me were beyond anything I had ever experienced before. This wasn't just a kiss. It was like a coat enveloping us, sealing us into a bubble and fusing us together. Her arms slung around my neck, and she pressed herself closer to me; I felt her breasts push against my chest, which caused a fire in my loins that I instantly knew I would never be able to extinguish.
"Whore," Josie hissed as she pressed by us, ripping me out of my bliss. Had she been a male, I would have beaten the life out of her, but she wasn't.
