Page 12 of Rebirth

I tilt my head slightly, the only movement I’ve made since I noticed her presence, and her throat moves again as she watches me.

“I…don’t know why I followed you here.”

For the first time in a long while, humor makes me grunt.

It’s such a strange sound, one I haven’t heard in many revolutions, that my senses heighten at her presence.

“You followed me here because your curiosity outweighs your fear.”

There is only a slight widening at the corners of her eyes that tells me I’m right. I remain motionless, claws sunk into the soil, watching her absorb whatever discovery is keeping her here, causing her to disobey even her instincts for survival.

“So…you do understand me,” she says slowly. “Your English…”

I dip my head slowly to my chest. A gesture for the affirmative. One hyu’mans use even when verbally communicating the same. “We learned your language after arriving here.”

Her throat moves again, gaze moving down my form, and like a thin veil moving over my skin, I feel her attention.

“You’re not…going to attack me?”

I watch her, no words of comfort rising to my lips. For…I don’t know if I will attack her. I do not want to. Yet, I also do. I’ve kept myself leashed since arriving on this world. Have not attacked any of the females we’ve rescued. Would never attack a female. But this one…

A plump lip disappears into her mouth as she watches me, turns toward me…and takes a step forward.

My gaze flies to her legs, part of me wondering if some other entity is pushing her in my direction. But no. She is moving herself.

“You approach.”

She nods the affirmative.

“But you are afraid.”

She nods again.

“Why?”

She pauses when she’s about two lengths away from me, throat moving, fear scent still spiking before her gaze falls to my soil-covered claws.

“You said it yourself. My curiosity outweighs my fear.”

CHAPTER FOUR

SOPHIE

I ask myself what the hell I’m doing even as I draw closer to the alien.

He remains motionless, only a few slight movements of the head as if he’s afraid to move normally and scare me away.

And, god knows, after leaving my bunker I must have a death wish, because this should not be on my list of things to do.

Befriending an alien should not be on my list at all.

Yet, here I am.

I don’t know why I followed the tall, pale being away from the camp. Why I trailed him into the trees. Why my feet carried me forward even though all else was saying turn back.

There’s something about this one. Something that’s different from the other Vullan I saw. And it has nothing to do with his pigment, or lack of it.

The way he speaks…

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