Page 40 of Rok's Captive
He’s suddenly there, moving with that soundless grace that still catches me off guard. His hand—so much larger than mine—cups the air between us before his fingertip barely grazes my cheek. The sensation is a whisper, a breath against my skin, cool and unfamiliar. My breath hitches, a jolt going through me that has nothing to do with fear.
“I’m fine,” I stammer. Clearing my throat, I take a step back. “Just, uh, human stuff. You know, embarrassment? About being practically naked in the arms of a strange alien all night? Normal Tuesday for some people, I guess, but kind of a first for me.”
His brow furrows, and for all his alienness, I can read concern in the expression as clearly as if he were human.
“Really, I’m okay,” I say, softer now. “Just…a little weirded out by all this.” And breathless, apparently. I gesture vaguely between us again. A flicker of something I don’t recognize goes through me and I look away quickly, suddenly very interested in a random spot on the cave wall. It’s as if something, some energy, has shifted in the air between us. Like static electricity before a storm. I don’t like it. And then I remember the burning ache that had made me want to grind my hips on something during my delirium.
I don’t know what the fuck is happening.
He makes a sound—a low rumble that I feel more than hear—and steps back, giving me space. It’s such a considerate gesture that I find myself smiling despite everything.
“Thanks.”
I turn back to my clothes, determined to get dressed and get moving. But first, maybe one more attempt at communication wouldn’t hurt. He seems…more receptive today.
“Justine,” I say, pointing to myself. “Jus-tine. That’s my name.”
He watches intently, and for a moment, I think he might try to repeat it. Instead, he just stares, his golden eyes fixed on my face with such focus it’s like he’s trying to memorize every detail.
“Right. Well, ditto, buddy,” I mutter. “Can’t wait to tell Jacqui about you. She’s never going to believe any of this.”
I turn my attention back to my clothes, pulling my blouse over my head. When I reach for my pants, though, they’re suddenly gone.
I look up to find the alien holding them, examining the fabric with an expression of what I can only describe as distaste.
“Hey!” I lunge for them, but he steps back, holding them easily out of reach. “Give those back!”
He makes another one of those rumbling sounds, but this one seems almost…playful?
“I need those,” I say, trying to sound stern, but I’m failing miserably. “I can’t go walking around like a voyeur the way you do.”
I make another grab for them, and he sidesteps me with insulting ease. His skin pulses brighter, and I swear there’s a hint of amusement in those alien eyes.
“Oh my god, are you seriously playing keep-away with my pants right now? What are you, five?”
I chase him around the small cave, acutely aware of how ridiculous this must look—me in my blouse and underwear, hopping after a seven-foot alien who’s holding my pants like they’re some kind of prize.
“Give them back, you overgrown glow-stick!”
He dodges again, but this time I anticipate his movement and change direction, almost colliding with his chest. I reach up, stretching as far as I can, fingertips just brushing the fabric.
“Ha!” I jump, snatching them from his grasp. “Victory!”
The alien makes that rumbling sound again, and this time I’m almost certain it’s laughter—or whatever passes for it among his kind. The thought makes something flutter in my chest, a strange warmth that has nothing to do with fever.
I shake it off, focusing on pulling my pants on as quickly as possible. “Very funny. Hilarious. You should take that act on the road.”
Once dressed, I feel marginally more in control of the situation. I smooth my hands over my clothes, trying to look somewhat presentable despite having spent the night in a cave.
Meanwhile, the alien has moved away, crouching by the stones he’d arranged. He picks up a larger rock and begins crushing something—the leaf he’d used to bring me water, I realize. Why he’s destroying it, I have no idea, but alien customs aren’t exactly my area of expertise.
I shrug and finish getting ready, pushing my hair back from my face and tucking it behind my ears. That’s when I feel it—or rather,don’tfeel it.
My hand freezes, fingers brushing against my bare earlobe.
“No. No, no, no,” I whisper, my voice rising with panic as I drop to my knees and scan the cave floor. “It has to be here. It has to be.”
The alien looks up from his work with the stones, watching as I desperately crawl around the cave, running my hands over every inch of stone.
