Page 82 of Xefe
He refocused on his injured mate. The worry almost immobilized him now that they were safe in his domicile. He stripped off her uniform and set it in self-cleaning mode. Afterward, he retrieved one of his shirts, a scratchy material but better than a sack.
He tore it into long strips, drenched it in his waterfall, and cleaned her up, every beautiful inch. Her eyes never opened,and his stomach knotted. Had she fallen into a healing sleep or was it worse? He notched the vial ofGlrtsstlllloroggginto the dispenser, wary of what amount to use. Not because she wanted to save it for her teammates, but because if he gave her too much, she would become dependent, needing a constant amount. He decided to administer it, drop by drop, until she improved.
He pierced her eye, refusing to become squeamish now. He’d administered it to himself, and his warriors, countless times. Why did this feel so different?
One drop. Nothing. Two, the same. Three, four, five…and she sucked in a breath. Her eyes went wide, and the small black circles swelled and swallowed the brown of her eyes, leaving a ring behind. She gasped and fought, screaming as it devoured her system.
He’d seen the process several times, but nothing felt as terrifying as this. He wanted her looking at him, using her smart mouth. Tricking and cajoling—teasing him. He wanted everything from her, and he swore he would tell her that if she would only get better.
CHAPTER 36
Puta madre!Thatstung like a mother. I clutched my throat, desperate to suck in air. Beast. Alien-dragon.I can’t get out!
“Breathe, beauty. Breathe for me.” The deep rumble of Sunny’s voice floated through the fear, penetrating my frozen lungs. Eventually, I relaxed and was able to take a breath. When I felt safe, I opened my eyes. I’d never been so excited to see an alien in my entire life.
Sunny loomed large, bending over me as I lay in his bed. Two of his thumbs tapped a beat on my palm as I sucked in air. I ran my eyes over his long hair and bare chest. He was completely covered in the intricate black tattoo that had started on his bicep. It even travelled over the shaved sides of his head. It looked gorgeous against his golden skin. His rugged scent wafted off the glittering steam that floated from his body. He was just so…ethereal in that moment.
But what really caught my attention was his gaze. Clear, sharp, and so full of emotion. His brows were snapped down over his eyes, though I didn’t get the sense he was angry. Just that he felt strongly about something.
“Tell me you’re well. Does anything hurt?” His hands trailed down my naked body, over my arms, and my breasts, clutching my waist and paying special attention to my ribs.
That’s right.They’d been broken. “I’m going to kill her.” Right after I took care of Freckles. The plan! I sat straight up, which proved to be a huge mistake. I immediately got dizzy and slowly lay back down.
“Hermosa. I asked you a question. Are you well? Do you need moreGlrtsstlllloroggg?”
“How much did you give me?”
“Five drops.”
I settled back down.I can work with that.“Thank God, you grabbed it.” I ran my hands over his. “Thank you for saving me.”
“I don’t want to ever do it again. I want you safe and with me. Always.”
“You can tell me all about how you can’t live without me another day. I have to tell you about what happened.” I smiled to take the sting out of the words. Sunny would be shocked, absolutely devastated by the news. I had to tread carefully.
“Don’t worry. You don’t have to relive it. Nieve told me it was the Verder who hurt you.”
“Good. But there’s so much more. I went to, uh…” I remembered I wasn’t supposed to say anything about the facility. “What I meant to say was, I met up with Veras. He was one of the Aavvee scientists who was nice to me.”
“I know him well.”
“He told me a lot about the origins of this planet and about your warriors.”
His gaze slowly lowered, studying my breasts, my hips, my bare body. “How can you ask me to talk when I have this feast in front of me?” He kissed my temples, my cheeks.
“Because it’s important.” I felt my nipples pucker at his attention. Naked, I felt deliciously exposed. “Veras gave me the vial of Oro. To help us…” Once again, I stopped myself. How could I tell Sunny about returning to Earth? Not that he’d promised forever, but I didn’t want to hurt him. Or think about abandoning him.
“Your skin is the softest thing I’ve ever felt. And your scent.” He pressed his nose into my neck. “It makes mewant. So much.”
“Sunny, please.” I was trying so hard to be good. I really was. But he sounded so sincere. And he was saying everything I wanted to hear. “He told me… Your supreme lied to you. There is no planet. Nowhere to go but here.”
He sighed. “I don’t care about home, about anything right now, other than being with you. You almost died! In front of me. Let me touch you. Revel in you. Let us take this time together.”
“But all you talked about was youralmaxand your mother.”
“I don’t think of her. But I do think of myalmax. Every day. She vexes me, drives me to distraction. Uses her magical mouth to torture me.” He kissed his way down my collarbone and swirled his long tongue around my nipple. “Why would I ever want to leave here, if you are here? I will never go home.”
“There is no home.”
