Page 10 of Soren

And that's when the fire reaches down there as well. I clench my thighs together even as a rush of wetness seeps between them. This wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't in the handbook!

I grimace and clench at the armrests as the pulsing, throbbing heat spreads its way down. I knew that the shot would change our bodies, but I didn't realize just how much.

"Please fasten your seatbelts and prepare for landing. We will be docking on Aesirheim in approximately ten minutes."

The pilot's words barely register. The heat takes over and I don't even notice our descent until the doors open and a cool breeze washes over me. I should feel relieved to be back on solid ground, but all I can focus on is the way my body aches.

I take in another gasp of the cool, fresh air. It soothes the burn, but only barely. All right. One step at a time.

Something tugs at my arm and I look up. The guard's there, his normally stoic expression morphed into concern. "We have arrived."

"I know," I pant, reaching down to grab my bag from under the seat. "Just got a little...airsick, is all."

"Hmm." That's not much of a response. He continues to stand there, glowering down at me. I gather myself enough to stand and step out into the aisle. He follows me like a shadow until I reach the main front cabin and it's only then I see the other women that traveled with us.

Having our own private cabins during the trip provided comfort and luxury, but it also meant I didn't get a chance to meet any other surrogates. I can't help but wonder if that's intentional. Maybe it's a scheme to make sure we don't get too attached.

Two women walk off the ramp in front of me. One's pale and freckled with auburn hair, while the other sports a curly mop of raven-black locks. A third woman stands at the foot of the ramp, talking to one of the guards.

They're all beautiful in their own ways. Unlike me. I can't help but feel like a giant, clumsy oaf next to them. They're impossibly tall and slender. I'm...not.

I make my way down the ramp on shaky legs, scanning the crowds and taking in the new landscape. It's like nothing I've ever seen before -- alien in every way. Large stones, black with golden veins, jut up from the ground like talons.

The ground is a strange combination of rock and moss that leaves a dark blue imprint wherever I step. It's like the ground is one giant mood ring.

I wonder what color "scared out of my wits" would be.

I take another breath and smell kelp and brine. It's the unmistakable smell of an ocean. It reminds me of visiting the beach when I was a little girl, and that thought gives me a moment's peace.

"Come on, this way." A firm voice jolts me out of my thoughts and I watch as they herd the surrogates toward a waiting transport. "We'll be taking you to the resort so that you can get settled."

Resort. I almost snort at the word. Like this is some kind of fun vacation.

I fall into line and move across the hangar. Everywhere I look, there's something more to see. For a split second, I see the glint of gold out of the corner of my eye, but just like that, it's gone.

And the heat? The all-consuming, unquenchable heat? It stays at a manageable level now that I'm off the ship. The fresh air helps keep it at bay, as does so many other things to focus on.

But the moment I see that flash of gold, all bets are off.

It slams back into me at full force, but I will myself to stay on my feet. I just have to make it a little bit further to the shuttle and then I can sit down and hopefully ride this thing out.

Just a little further...just a little...

I'm at the shuttle ramp, grabbing for the handrail when I slip, and one of the officers lunges forward to catch my fall...

Everything happens so fast after that.

A blur of a man barrels through the crowd, pushing people aside in his haste. Onlookers call out and stumble, but he pays them no mind. His sights are set on only one thing: me.

He yanks the officer away from me and he falls to the ground before I can blink. Another second later, and a huge golden alien stands before me. I barely come up to his chest, and when I look up I catch the most arresting eyes I've ever seen in my life.

Something happens, then. Something I can't explain and can't describe. It's like everything fades away into the background, those eyes drawing me in like a black hole that I'm powerless to resist.

And though terror and confusion racks through me, there's something else there. Something stronger.

My body reacts before my brain can catch up. The scent of him surrounds me, fresh rain and dark wood. I draw it in and it mixes with the heat inside me, setting off a chain reaction.

It's like fireworks going off between my legs, turning the discomfort into something much more pleasurable. It's no longer a burn, but a delicious, yearning ache. I want him. More than I've ever wanted anything.

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