He cupped her cheeks. Rubbing his thumb against her soft flesh, he whispered, “No harm will come to you, Sim-pony. Not as long as I am breathing.”

Suddenly, she pressed her mouth against his. Warmth flooded his chest and a faint golden light spread through his mind on impact. Tiegan dug his hand into her shoulder but, before he could move past his surprise to suckle her lips properly, Sim-pony lurched back.

The bedding rustled as she moved as far from him as possible, though she could not put much space between them given the width of the bedding and the fact that he took up most of it.

Her mouth, the very one he wanted to be sucking right now, parted. She pressed her finger there, as if to taunt him or perhaps to act as a barrier.

Eyes widening, she stammered, “I-I don’t know why I did that. I’m so sorry.”

He reached for her. “Sim-pony.”

She shook her head, her eyes darting back and forth. Rolling off the bedding, she stumbled to her feet. “I need some air.”

“Sim-pony, wait.”

“Stay away from me,” she shrieked.

His eyebrow nubs jumped to the top of his forehead. Tiegan watched her in consternation, one hand pressed to the bedding and the other hovering over his lap.

“I’m sorry.” She winced. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to yell. I just…” She shuffled back, her tunic flapping around her thighs. “This is all a little overwhelming. You’re an alien and you’re in my head—”

“You felt the mate connection?” Hope rose in his chest.

She scowled at him. “Don’t grin. This is already complicated enough. I already have a voice in my head. I don’t need…” She waved a hand. “Whatever this is too.” Rubbing her forehead, she whirled around. “I need some air.”

“Sim-pony, stay. I will leave,” he said.

She ignored him and scurried out of sight. Tiegan sighed. He knew he should go after her, but his body was rushing with heat and he needed a moment to catch his breath.

How had one kiss with the human destroyed him so completely? If he hadn’t been intrigued by her before, he was now completely enamored. But Sim-pony was right. This was not the time to pressure her into mating. He had to be careful. Take things slow.

After another deep breath, Tiegan rose from the bed and went in search of Sim-pony.

“Sim-pony?” he whispered, trying not to wake the others. He followed the path of her scent, following her sweet, feminine fragrance in the dark.

He moved quickly and determinedly, but his steps slowed when he realized where this corridor was taking him.

The night loomed through a large door in the cavern. The twin planet in the distance glowed like an omen of misfortune.

His heras clenched when he realized what this meant.

Sim-pony had wandered outside.

Eleven

Symphony

Her first kisswas with an alien.

Even if Sara, Kia, Emma and Simone had found their soulmates on this planet, she shouldn’t get carried away. The last thing she needed was a complicated alien romance in all this chaos.

She kept walking, her thoughts rushing back to the kiss. The moment Tiegan’s mouth connected with hers. The sweep of her fingers on his chest. The heat of his breath. Vivid memories made her snap with electricity.

“Stupid, stupid.” She smacked her forehead. “What made you so bold, Symphony?”

If it was just physical attraction, maybe she wouldn’t be this shaken up. But she felt… connected to the alien. Tiegan’s eyes had been filled with pain when he talked about his father. He seemed like such a big, dangerous warrior and yet, he’d revealed his vulnerability to her.

She’d been touched. Honored, really, that she was someone he could confide in.