Page 26 of Akur

His words made no sense.

And then they did.

Her eyes widened in the dark. Oh God. Oh God, no. He was conscious when she kissed him?

“Promises of jobs of blows and…and now the hells of mating.” His voice was strained, but carried a hint of dry humor. “You humans are…very confusing.”

She almost dropped him in surprise. “What?”

“I’d rather the hells of mating, with gratitude. If I am to die here, female, I can think of no better way to go.” He tried to push himself up, but his muscles trembled and he failed. “Qrak,” he cursed. “Never thought I’d ever say this, but I haven’t the energy to mate.”

What the—

She got the idea he tilted his head slightly as if to look at her, and she stared open-mouthed at where his head was. “I didn’t say anything about mating.”

He grunted.

“It was just an expression. And the water thing…the kiss wasn’t…I was only trying to…”

God, she was a therapist, but if she survived this, she was pretty sure she was going to need to go in for some therapy herself.

“Explain later,” the alien grunted. “Wall first.”

She nodded, grateful the darkness was hiding her cheeks because she was pretty sure they’d gone red. “Right. Wall first.”

When they finally got him somewhat upright, she had to pause, her arms shaking from the effort. He was pressed against her. Slumped back against her chest from the simple fact she’d been too weak to shift from under his falling weight. At the very least, the position forced her to rest.

Every breath he took, she could feel against her chest. His head fell back, too, to rest against her shoulder. The position brought home just how large he was compared to her. Even sitting, he dwarfed her frame.

“Rest,” she whispered. “Just for a moment.”

He grunted again.

For a moment, there was silence. Silence and darkness. Silence, darkness, and heat.

He was scorching hot.

“You feel…good,” he suddenly rumbled. “Maybe I do have enough energy for the hells of mating after all. Though, with me, it will be no hell at all. Only what you call ‘heaven’.”

Her brows dived as she pushed against his shoulder. “Get off me.”

She only knew he laughed because she felt how the mirth moved through his frame.

“Do not fear, female. I only make light of this situation.”

Constance released a slow breath. “Well, I don’t think you should be making jokes. For a good while there, I thought you were dead.”

“I might as well be.”

His sudden words, said so matter-of-factly, caught her off guard.

“But I won’t,” he continued. “You are still here. You are alive. I must get you home safely.”

Home. A place she didn’t even know anymore. Where was home?

He relaxed more against her, and she hadn’t the energy to push him off or slide from under him. He still needed more energy, but at least he was awake. That was moving in the right direction.

“You found me,” she whispered after a few moments. “You…you found us.”

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