Page 25 of Sohut's Protection

She’d have to go closer.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled up her invisible big girl pants and crept closer through the bushes.

The blue alien was missing and there was no bird.

Panic flooded her immediately and she wished Wawa was close so she could use his unique senses to tell if anyone was around.

That’s when she heard another groan.

Taking a deep breath, she ventured closer.

Peeking through the leaves, she spotted what she was looking for.

Blue skin contrasted with orange flora and on top of the alien was the huge yellow bird.

The bird seemed to be struggling and flapping its wings, trying to rise. In the process, it was battering the alien beneath it.

For a few moments, she wasn’t sure what she was seeing.

She wasn’t sure if the alien was dead but then he groaned again. The sound only seemed to incite the bird even more as it flapped its wings harder.

She was also pretty sure it’d dug a claw into the alien’s skull.

In the next moment, the bird seemed to shake itself free and took flight, rising into the air and leaving the alien behind.

Cleo’s eyes widened.

The alien lay motionless, his eyes closed and a bloody wound was on his forehead.

Her pulse hammered in her ears.

Was he dead? Dying?

Her question was soon answered when the alien groaned and sat up, his hand going to the wound on his head.

Cleo stiffened, moving behind the leaves even more as she watched him.

She was close. Probably too close.

Close enough for her to notice the alien’s broad shoulders and the fact he was obviously lean.

The simple white shirt he wore was thin. Thin enough for her to see the definition through it and her eyes widened a little bit more.

As her eyes moved up his body, the lump in her throat grew to golf-ball size and she fought to swallow it down.

The alien had a strong, defined jaw and even as she watched him now, she could see the muscles ticking there.

He was agitated?

Well, welcome to the club.

His brows were furrowed and she couldn’t see his eyes but he was scowling at the blood now on his hands.

His nose was a little wider than a human’s, the bridge appearing flatter than normal, and every now and again, it twitched, giving the impression he was sniffing.

His head of dark hair, black like oil, was tied on top of his head and out of the way but that only brought attention to his surprisingly handsome face.

Of all the things she’d anticipated, she hadn’t expected that the hunter would be attractive.

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