Page 47 of Cherished By the Alien Outlaw

I dipped my head again, glancing at Talia. Herexpression showed both relief and wariness. Her hand drifted to mine, and as our fingers linked, Davon’s gaze fell on her face again. The longing in his eyes couldn’t be denied, a flash of envy that mirrored how I felt when I first saw Nevarn with his human mate. We were all warriors, strong and resilient, but deep down, each of us longed for something more, someone to love and cherish, a companion to stand beside us.

I studied Davon’s face, searching for bad intentions, but all I found was a warrior, maybe exhausted in a different way than we were, but still burdened with the weight of loneliness. Just as I once was. Among the clans, all warriors spoke of seeking mates, of finally finding that one person who would love them for a lifetime. Davon’s somber expression told me he had yet to find his own, and a pang of empathy for the fellow Zuldruxian shot through me.

Talia surprised me by taking a small step forward, her voice tentative but filled with the joy that never seemed to leave her. “Davon, have you seen a woman like me? Her name’s Maggie. She’s my twin sister, and we were both taken from Earth at the same time.” Her voice wavered, her eyes pleading. “I haven’t seen her since my small ship left the larger one. She was in another ship, and all the tiny ships soared toward this planet. I know she’s here somewhere, and I’m desperate to find her.”

A flicker of something crossed Davon’s eyes. Excitement, maybe. He sighed before shaking his head, his broad shoulders dropping. “I’ve seen a few females of your kind, all with Zuldruxian males, but none shareyour appearance. I will look for her, however, and if she’s here in this desert, I will find her.” The quiet conviction in his words struck me. This male might be gruff, but he felt deeply. Gratitude surged inside me. Beneath his hardened exterior, I suspected Davon was a man who knew what it was like to lose something precious.

Talia nodded, her lips trembling. I could see the effort she was making to hold herself together, to maintain that glimmer of hope despite the uncertainty.

As I squeezed her hand, trying to offer comfort, Davon’s gaze remained on my mate with an intensity that, this time, didn’t make my spine twitch. I suspected he was considering our situation, how far we had come, and how much further we still had left to go.

“I’ll fetch food and water,” he said, his hoarse tone loosening. “The storm should pass by morning, but it would be wise to delay your journey until nightfall. Traveling under the cover of darkness will make you harder to track.”

His offer was kind. They couldn’t have much. Life in the desert sucked everything away from a person. Before I left, I’d urge him to visit the other clans. Perhaps his people would like to stop traveling all the time and settle in the forest or the open grassy hillside, or even with my clan on one of the floating islands.

“Thank you,” I said. “Food and water are welcome.”

He huffed and turned on his heel, slipping back out of the hut and tugged the flap into place behind him. The fabric billowed, the wind trying to force itself and sandinside, but he secured it, blocking the storm from us once more.

For a moment, I stayed where I was, marveling silently as I considered his offer. He was willing to step back out into the storm and into a land my people had always found stark and forbidding, just to make sure we could have what we needed to recover and survive the next part of our journey.

“He’s . . . interesting.” Talia shook her head. “The storm is ferocious, but he casually stepped back out into it as if it’s nothing. Let me go get you some food, he said. From where? Maybe one of the other huts, but still. They can’t have much. You said his clan travels from one oasis to another, probably never staying long at any of them to avoid depleting resources. He doesn’t have to help us, yet he is. That speaks well of him. And he’s going to let us sleep here tonight, in his home.”

“He can see how tired we are, how desperate. He’s a solid male, one I’ll now call my friend. He would be welcome in my clan or any of the others, and I plan to tell him this.”

“Maybe his people love this way of life.” She shook her head. “It seems harsh and lonely to me, but we’re on the run, terrified we’ll be recaptured. If I lived here all the time, I’m sure I’d see it in a different way. The oasis we rested in was gorgeous.”

“I’m sorry he doesn’t have news about your sister, but if she’s in the desert, he’ll find her.”

The flap of the hut rattled as Davon returned, pushing through the wind with an ease that made mequestion whether anything could truly unsettle him. Another male, younger and slighter in build, entered with him, his gaze sweeping from me and remaining on Talia. His teal eyes widened with curiosity. He looked younger than Davon.

“This is Coovik,” Davon said in his gruff tone, nodding toward the other male. “My brother. Coovik, this is Firion of the Dastalon Clan and his mate, Talia. She's . . .”

“Human,” she said. “I come from Earth. I was kidnapped and brought here.”

“A bad thing,” Davon said, and Coovik bobbed his head in agreement. “No one should be forced into something like this.”

“I was forced to come here but not to fall in love with Firion.” The strength in her voice told them she needed to make that clear. “I want to stay here now. I wouldn't return to my home planet even if I was offered the chance. I just want to find my sister and make sure she's okay.”

“Welcome to Zuldrux.” Coovik glanced around the tent. “Davon said you've been on the run from the Veerenad mining operation, that you escaped.” Awe filled his voice. “We've encountered them, and would you believe they tried to capture a few of us?” His chest puffed. “We fought them off. They won't come near anyone in our clan again.”

“I was on my way to the Veerenad city to start treaty negotiations with their king,” I said. “I'll be adding details about my . . . experience and making it clear thatcapturing anyone to use in the mine will not be tolerated. Assuming the original management is still in place.” I explained about Brax and the rebellion.

“I'll send a scout to see if there are changes,” Davon said. “I'd prefer to have a good relationship with them than have to fight them off on a regular basis. I don't like Veerenads in general, but if they leave us alone, we'll do the same with them.”

“I’ve never seen anyone like you,” Coovik told Talia, his voice shy but filled with the creak of a youngling male.

She smiled, and her body loosened. Leaning into my side, she wrapped her arm around my back. “Well, I've never met anyone like you, Firion, and Davon either.”

“Food.” Davon lifted a bag. “Let's eat.” He opened the sack and laid it all out on the low table, everything from dried fruits to strips of meat, long, thin tubers, and lumps of sticky grains. He added flasks of water, one for each of us.

We settled on the rug at the table, Coovik beside Davon, while Talia and I sat across from them, our backs pressed against the fabric walls that hummed from the night wind. The food was far from fancy, but resources were limited in the desert. It tasted like a feast after what we’d been through.

Silence stretched between us as we ate, broken only by the howling storm outside and our grunts of enjoyment.

The fruit was both sweet and tart, a burst of flavor that made me smile. Inside our cell, the stonegod had provided us with hearty meals, but nothing fresh. This tasted amazing, probably because it was freely offered and not shoved beneath a metal door back at the mine.

Mostly, I just felt relieved. Despite everything we’d been through and all we still faced, at least tonight, we were safe. I wasn't sure how long that feeling would last, but I’d hold onto it.

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