Page 7 of Devil's Night

My breath caught in my throat as Sargon moved to stand over me, his towering figure looming over me, the faint, musky scent of him, the swirls of his markings drawing my eye.

“I must admit,” he murmured in that deep, gruff timbre, “After spending time in your fascinating company, I’m starting to understand the appeal.”

Oh.

The heated undercurrent of his words was unmistakable. Part of me wanted to back away, put some safer distance between us. But another part - a reckless, hungry part - longed to reach out and trace the whorling patterns etched into that alien skin.

I could feel the rapid staccato of my pulse thundering in my ears as Sargon held my gaze. Those eyes blazed even brighter, filled with a heat that bordered on smoldering.

Then the moment shattered as a tremor ripped through the corridor around us. The walls blurred and distorted sickeningly, knocking me off-balance. Sargon’s arm whipped out with blurring speed, his iron grip catching me against that powerful chest before I could fall.

“We need to keep moving,” he growled, steadying me. “This reality grows more unstable by the moment.”

Swallowing hard, I nodded mutely and let him propel me forward once more. My skin still tingled from the lingering heat of his touch, my body hyper-aware of his looming presence at my back.

The word “mate” echoed through my thoughts, its implications dancing like static electricity.

I’d seen sensationalized tabloid stories about alien abductions and bizarre interspecies affairs. But those were pure fantasy, nothing like the compelling reality of the massive alien now guiding me through these shifting corridors.

I snuck a sidelong glance at Sargon. His stark alien features – the sharp cheekbones, the swirling tattoos – had taken on a strange allure.

Imagining this otherworldly creature as a “husband” conjured visions of his nimble fingers tracing patterns across my skin, exploring every curve with a thrilling, terrifying possessiveness. I could almost feel the ghostly warmth of his breath on my neck?—

“Nicole.” Sargon’s voice shattered my reverie, making me jump. “You seem distracted. Is something wrong?”

Heat flooded my cheeks as I struggled to regain composure. “No, nothing’s wrong. Just thinking.”

Sargon’s eyes narrowed slightly with concern or curiosity. “Thinking about what?”

“Just what you said before. About your friend and his human …partner.” I admitted in a whisper. “It’s a lot to take in.”

Understanding dawned in his eyes and he nodded. “Ah yes, I can see how that might be jarring for you.”

“Jarring,” I repeated with a humorless laugh. “That’s one way to put it.”

We walked in silence, the shifting walls humming around us.

“Would you like to know more?” he asked carefully. “About what it means for a Vinduthi to take a mate?”

I took a half-step towards him. This felt right. He felt right.

But then reality crashed back. We were trapped, our lives hanging by a thread as we navigated this surreal labyrinth.

“Maybe later,” I said, tucking my hair behind my ear as I refocused. “But right now, we should keep moving, don’t you think?”

Sargon’s expression subtly shifted, as if suppressing a smirk. “Of course. Your safety is my primary concern.”

Sure it was.

I was about to press Sargon further when I noticed a strange flickering in the corridor walls around us. Little shimmers of light, like heat distortions, rippled and danced across the surfaces.

“Do you see that?” I asked, pointing toward the nearest flicker.

Sargon’s eyes narrowed as he examined it. “Yes, almost like spatial disturbances. But localized, contained.”

He stalked closer, reaching out one long-fingered hand to hover just shy of the flickering patch. I could have sworn I saw his talons extend slightly as he tensed.

With a suddenness that made me jump, Sargon thrust his arm forward - and it disappeared into the wall up to the elbow.

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