Page 29 of His to Claim
"Wow…that was intense," I mumble sleepily.
We lie together for quite a while before falling asleep. In the morning, I wake up with my head resting on his chest. His hand strokes lazily through my hair.
"Good morning, Emma." He says quietly.
My eyes flutter open and I sit up immediately. I look at his face and realize what happened last night.
I gasp and cover my mouth with both hands.
"Are you okay?" He asks concernedly.
"Yes, I am fine. But I shouldn't have done that." I reply hurriedly.
He looks confused and hurt. "Why not? You wanted it too."
"No, I didn't mean-"
"You did want it though." He interrupts.
A blush creeps across my cheeks and I shake my head.
"Look, let us forget about that for today. Let's focus on getting back to Bellaria." He suggests gently.
It makes sense so I nod and smile weakly. We get dressed quickly and head down the tunnel of the cave, following the stream. It takes some effort but eventually, we reach the opening of the cave. The sun shines brightly outside. As soon as I step out, I feel like crying. This place feels strange to me now. I do not recognize the place.
"Is this Bellaria?" I ask Dhakar.
He shakes his head. "No, it isn't Bellaria. That is another planet as far as I can tell."
I sigh deeply and slump against him. "So how will we ever find your home planet again?"
"I have no idea, my human," he replies.
* * *
After two daysof walking aimlessly around the forest, we decide to stop. My stomach growls with hunger. There is nothing edible growing in the forest except some kind of mushrooms which I don't know if I should eat or not. After much debate, we settle for eating them anyway. They taste delicious.
The trees are tall and green, giving way occasionally to wide patches of grassy plains.
"This planet is beautiful," I tell him. "Not as gorgeous as Bellaria but still amazing."
"Bellaria is indeed very pretty." He agrees.
As we walk further into the jungle, the terrain becomes more uneven and difficult to traverse. Suddenly, I hear loud noises coming from ahead. It sounds like a creature's roar.
"What is that noise?" I whisper.
Dhakar stops and listens intently for a moment. Then he turns to me. "Don't worry Emma, it is just one of the creatures living in these parts."
"Do you think it is dangerous?" I ask worriedly.
"Oh yes, it could be. Let us go closer and take a look." He instructs.
I follow him cautiously towards the source of the sound. Soon, we come upon a clearing surrounded by thick foliage. A large beast stands there, roaring. Its fur is brownish red and its claws are sharp. On top of its head sits a horn made entirely of bone. It stares at us menacingly.
We freeze in fear.
"Stay close to me," Dhakar whispers urgently.
