Page 34 of Claimed by an Alien Warrior

“Bet you’re glad I got you those clothes and boots now, huh?” she asked, looking at Ren.

He glanced down at himself. Even though she’d bought clothes from a big and tall store, they’d had to tear the sides of his shirt and hoodie to allow his lower arms to fit, and his long overcoat hung in a way that made him look too wide. He was also ridiculously tall.

Zoey cracked up laughing when the image of Ren’s coat opening to reveal he’d been three waist-high aliens standing on each other’s shoulders slipped into her mind.

“Should I be wary of the sudden shift in your demeanor, human?” Ren asked as he took the suitcase from her.

“No wallowing, right?”

“Right,” he agreed. He shifted his attention to their surroundings. “Shall we begin?”

Zoey stared at her car. It wasn’t new, luxurious, or evennice, but it had been the first major purchase of her life, bought with money she’d earned, and it had seen her through a lot over the years. This second cross-country trip had simply proven too much for it.

She closed her eyes and exhaled softly.

One day at a time.

A few cars drove by on either side as they walked — none of which slowed down even slightly — but the road was otherwise deserted. Thanks to the darkness, Ren wasn’t likely to be recognized as anythingother, not that anyone would be encouraged to stop and help when they noticed an obscenely large man walking beside Zoey.

“So, I guess this means you’ll need to find someone else to help you?” she asked after a while, keeping her eyes on the ground.

Anxiety soured her stomach. She didn’t want Ren to leave her. Even though they’d just met the night before, she liked being around him. Her laughter had come naturally and been more genuine than it had in years. He made her feel…good.

There you go being desperate again, Zoey.

Maybe shewasdesperate for companionship, but this felt different. Was it wrong to like the way Rendash made her feel?

“We will simply need to obtain another means of transportation,” he said.

“You say that like it’s an easy thing.”

Well, maybe it was for him. He just needed to gopoof!and slip into someone’s car.

“Whether it is easy or not, Zoey, it is necessary. We must find a way.”

Another car drove by. She watched its taillights vanish around a bend.

“Maybe if you make yourself invisible, I might be able to grab us a ride,” Zoey said. “With all the scary stuff on the news nowadays, people aren’t likely to stop for hitchhikers, but maybe if they just saw me they’d be more willing to take a chance.”

He walked a few more steps, boots crunching over dirt and snow, before responding. “Why are people more willing to assist females on this world?”

“Because we’re basically labeled as the weaker sex.” She raised a hand and jabbed her finger at him. “Don’t youdaresay anything. I didn’t say weareweaker — I mean, physically, we usually are, but that’s not the point. Anyway, you’ve made it clear what you think about humans to begin with.”

“My species has been physically enhanced over many generations,” Rendash said, placing a hand over her jutting finger and gently guiding it back down. “To compare aligarii to humans would be unfair. But I see great strength in you, Zoey.”

“Well, I haven’t broken yet. I guess that’s something.” She held out her hand. “Give that here.”

He handed her the suitcase with his brow knitted in confusion.

“Do your disappearing act,” she said, “and I’ll see if I can get us a ride. If it’s a truck, you can just climb in the back while I distract them. If it’s a car…I don’t know, I can ask to put my suitcase in the back seat, and you can climb in as carefully as you can. We’ll play it by ear.”

“I…am not sure how long I can maintain the cloaking field. I will wait for a vehicle to approach before I activate it,” he replied.

“As long as they don’t see you.”

They continued walking. Zoey’s suitcase bumped over rocks, snow, and uneven ground; it definitely wasn’t an off-road model. The cold nipped at her cheeks and nose. “Was it something your captors did? To make your cloaking not work right?”

“My control of mynyroswas disrupted during the crash due to my injuries. That disruption was exacerbated by my captors. They injected me with chemicals regularly, and repeated experimentation and beatings ensured that my body was in a continual state of healing. It left little energy for anything else.

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