Page 87 of Owned By the Hvrok

Standing in the quiet with his broad shoulders rising and falling ever so slightly, he drew in a long breath through his nose, sharp and deep.

His nostrils flared.

His eyes closed.

And a great shudder coursed through him.

It passed through his entire body, a ripple of tension breaking like a wave over stone. For someone who had always carried himself with absolute control—silence, mystery, armor—this sudden, visible vulnerability was staggering.

Sylvia stared, struck by the power of his reaction.

Something shifted between them then—something monumental. They couldn’t communicate with one another in any form of spoken language, but the language of their bodies was undeniable.

His crimson eyes narrowed, glowing faintly as he opened them again. He was still scenting the air, nostrils flaring slightly, a faint tremor rippling through him. It was instinctive, animal. Like a wolf.

A predator.

And suddenly, it struck her. Was this why he wore the mask? To shield himself from her?

Another shiver ran through her. Was it possible that her scent...affectedhim?

Because he seemed different now. Raw. Unmasked. Still powerful, but more volatile. And something about that change—something about the way he looked at her—sent a thrill up her spine.

He knew her name now, and she had his.

Her body reacted as if it remembered something her mind was still too dazed to fully grasp. The way he’d touched her last night—the way it had undone her… it was imprinted in her memory and onto her body like a searing brand.

Was he going to take it further?

The thought should have scared her, but for some reason, it didn’t.

It felt inevitable. Like standing at the edge of a dream.

This creature—this warrior who had just annihilated a squadron of vicious aliens as if it were nothing—was staring at her like she was the only thing in the Universe.

Tension coursed through her, winding tighter and tighter, mingling with the thrill of anticipation.

This was insanity, but she didn’t care anymore.

She was beyond everything she’d ever known, cut off from her past, her safe, familiar life, and she didn’t know if she could ever return.

All she knew was that this male, thisalien… was before her, and right now, he was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.

Hard face, cruel eyes, features so aloof and beautiful he could have been a godlike sculpture, cheekbones so sharp they could cut, skin of pure cerulean blue.

Mythical wings.

Strange, alien armor that both protected him and enhanced his beauty, for the contrast of his vividly-hued skin and striking features against the black, now-damaged surface was otherworldly.

And… he was looking at her with pure, unrestrained hunger, like he wanted to devour her.

He looked like he was on the very edge of control, like he was about to lose it.

Is he going to hurt me?

But even as the question passed through her, she knew the answer.

No.

---