Page 25 of Claimed By the Alien Barbarian

“Would you stand guard while I wash?” Nevarn asked.

“Of course.”

I remained on the shore with my back facing the water, my skinning knife in hand, and he soon joined me, his hair dripping and his face and chest gleaming with water droplets.

“You can, um . . .” My gaze was swallowed by his chest. His ripcord abs. His narrow hips barely covered by a scrap of material. “You can use this . . .” I handed him my robocop nightie and spun around. “To dry,” I added.

“Thank you.”

Listening to him rub his body made heat flare through me. I wanted to be the one gliding the fabric over his chest. Ducking it between each of the lines on his abs. Moving it lower . . .

“Finished,” he said.

“I just need to hang these,” I croaked, lifting my wet clothing.

Molly rolled back over and sat up, peering from me to him.

He walked up beside me, staring at the mass of wet clothing, and frowned. I wasn’t sure why he slowly nodded.

Returning to the fire, he took my wet things and draped them over bushes a short distance away. While Molly flopped on thetamped down grass near the fire to toast her body with warmth, he strode over to a cluster of trees and laid his palms on them.

“What are you doing?”

His palms still flush against the bark, his low hum rang out. Finally, he turned and strode back over to stand with me.

“All set,” he said.

“Did you commune with the trees?” I was joking. Maybe. His talk about tree gods was slowly sinking in. This was a brand-new world, and just because trees weren’t sentient back on Earth didn’t mean they weren’t a full alien species here on Zuldrux, one capable of speaking and . . . doing things, whatever that might be.

“There’s one god in the area. It will provide new clothing for you by morning.” His tone contained no hint of humor.

A chill shot through me. On Earth, if trees could create clothing, people might call it magic. They wouldn’t believe the person telling them it was possible.

Here? “Gods” kidnapped mates from Earth for Zuldrux warriors. They lived and thrived among those who were indigenous to this planet. They catered to the needs of this species and in return, they seemed to only crave praise.

My perception of the possible and impossible was quickly changing.

Chapter 12

Nevarn

“We should sleep,” I said. Walking over to the tree near our fire, I placed my palms on it and spoke in my mind. While a hum worked well back at my clan, adding touch seemed to solidify the bridge between me and the gods living within and below the forest in this area.

Would this one listen?

Removing my hands, I turned back to Kerry, finding her staring at me with wide eyes and a mouth part way open.

“The trees speak to you,” she said.

“Mostly,” I said. “We don’t talk with words like me and you but in impressions. I asked the tree god if there was a good place to find shelter for the night, and it told me we were welcome to rest on its limbs.”

“Just like that.” She sounded more weary than skeptical, and that concerned me. When I met her, she was fiery and strong, and now . . . This woman would never be weak, even if she was beaten back and exhausted. But I sensed she was sad and that she felt vulnerable.

It was my role as her mate to try to cheer her, but I wasn’t sure how.

“Yes, just like that. I also asked it to watch for my attacker, but it didn’t reply, so I believe we must do this for ourselves.”

“Why won’t it protect you if it’s a god of your clan?”

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