Page 17 of Human Reform
SEVEN
ALORA
I touched my lips,still feeling the echo of Daxon’s kiss.My heart hammered like a wild thing trying to escape.What had just happened?One moment we were talking, and the next his mouth was on mine, and I was… responding with an intensity that shocked me to my core.
My fingers trembled as I traced the path his lips had taken.That kiss had awakened something in me—something primal and hungry that I’d never experienced before.The way his strong hands had pulled me closer, the scent of him filling my lungs, the taste of him on my tongue… It was like finding a missing piece of myself I hadn’t known was lost.
A soft knock at the door startled me from my thoughts, and I quickly stood up from the bed.I smoothed my ponytail and straightened my white T-shirt, trying to look composed rather than thoroughly kissed.
The door slid open to reveal Olivia, balancing a tray of food.“Thought you might be hungry,” she said with a smile that seemed far too knowing for my comfort.
“Thanks,” I managed, hoping my voice didn’t betray me.“That’s really thoughtful.”
She set the tray down on the small table by the window.Through the reinforced glass, I could see the lights of the colony beginning to sparkle against the darkening jungle.The twin moons were rising, casting an ethereal silver glow across the landscape.
“So,” Olivia said casually—too casually—as she turned back to me.“I passed Daxon outside.He seemed… distracted.”
I busied myself with examining the food—some kind of fragrant stew with purple-tinged vegetables and what looked like synthesized protein.“Did he?I wouldn’t know why.”
Olivia’s laugh was light and knowing.“Your lips are swollen, Alora.And you’re flushed from your neck to your hairline.”
My hand flew to my mouth before I could stop it, and heat bloomed across my cheeks.“That obvious, huh?”
“Only to someone who’s been exactly where you are.”She perched on the bed where Daxon and I had been only minutes before.“Aeon kidnapped me, too.Remember?Brought me here against my will like I mentioned earlier.”
“And now you’re married to him and had his baby,” I said, picking up a piece of bread from the tray.“Not exactly a cautionary tale.”
“I hated him at first,” Olivia confessed.“Or at least, I wanted to.But there was this… undeniable connection.From the very beginning.”Her green eyes met mine.“The first time he kissed me, it was like being struck by lightning.Terrifying and exhilarating all at once.”
I sank into the chair by the table, suddenly desperate to hear more.“That’s exactly how it felt with Daxon.Like every nerve ending in my body came alive at once.”
“It’s overwhelming.”Olivia nodded.“Especially for them.They’re not used to these intense emotions.They’ve spent years suppressing their feelings, focusing only on logic and function.”
“He ran out of here like the room was on fire,” I admitted, toying with my brother’s chain bracelet.
“Aeon did the same thing.”Olivia laughed.“They’re so confident in battle, but one real human connection, and they panic completely.”
I couldn’t help but smile at that image—the powerful, imposing Daxon fleeing from a kiss like a startled teenager.The thought was equal parts endearing and amusing.
“I’ve spent three years avoiding any kind of connection,” I confessed, surprising myself with my candor.“And now this… I don’t even know what to call it.”
“Chemistry?Destiny?Cosmic joke?”Olivia suggested with a grin.“Whatever it is, fighting it is exhausting.Trust me, I tried.”
I took a bite of the stew, finding it surprisingly delicious.“I’m not sure I want to fight it,” I admitted quietly.“As terrifying as it is.”
Olivia stood, checking the sleek device on her wrist.“Speaking of connections, I need to get back to Maya.Aeon’s wonderful, but he still looks at diaper changes like they’re complex surgical procedures.”
We both laughed, and I realized how good it felt to talk and connect with another woman.I’d forgotten the simple pleasure of friendship in my self-imposed exile.
“Thank you,” I said, standing to walk her to the door.“For the food and the… perspective.”
“Anytime,” she replied warmly.“We kidnapped humans need to stick together.”
As the door closed behind her, I returned to the window, watching the colony’s lights twinkle beneath the alien stars.For three years, I’d convinced myself I needed no one—that connections only led to pain.But standing here, the ghost of Daxon’s kiss still lingering on my lips, I wondered if I’d been wrong all along.
Perhaps some connections were worth the risk after all.
I woke up the next morning with Daxon’s name on my lips, my heart skipping beats as memories of our kiss replayed in vivid detail.After spending three years avoiding any meaningful contact with others, this sudden craving for his presence felt both alarming and exhilarating.
