Page 4 of Theirs to Crave

Something moved.

I woke already in motion, fists raised, crouched over Mariano protectively. Except...he wasn’t there. What the hell?

A slow clap made me look up. I blinked, trying to clear the fog and adrenaline. Mariano was facing me on the platform, sitting awkwardly with his bare legs crossed under the short shift he wore. ¡Ay, chingado! This nightmarewasreal.

“Very fierce, Estrella. I’m touched.” The split in his lip made my brother’s grin crooked, but his eyes were dark and tumultuous as they searched my face. His jaw flexed as he took in the collar around my neck, and by the time he’d cataloged the cuts and bruises covering my body, he was visibly trembling with anger. “What the fuck happened?”

“Don’t yell at me, you ass.” Annoying as he was, the sound of his familiar voice speaking lyrical Spanish rather than the incomprehensible alien buzzing was a balm to my soul. I rubbed my neck and winced. Fucking ow. “I thought they’d killed you.”My voice broke. Some of Mariano’s aggression deflated, and I sat back down, tugging on the hem of my shirt. “Now I kinda wish they had.”

He snorted and slid in next to me, clasping my hand in his.

His grip was tight enough it hurt, but I squeezed back just as hard, needing the reassurance. I leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes. At least we were together.

“Will you please tell me what happened?” Mariano squeezed out, the effort to not yell making his voice tight.

I sighed. “The aliens—” Fuck, that felt bizarre to say out loud. I coughed and tried again. “They shot us with something from that snake gun thing. I don’t know what. Three times each: neck, side, thigh.” I pointed to the perfectly round red mark on his thigh and his jaw clenched. “The first two hurt like hell. The last one was some kind of paralytic. I couldn’t even blink for the longest time after. They put the collars on us...then they left.”

I stopped talking, and he waited for long heartbeats before blowing out a frustrated breath.

“That’s not all of it,” he said flatly. “Tell me the rest. You’re covered in blood and bruises that weren’t there before. Dime.”

I groaned and muttered, “It was stupid. I went after the snake gun thing. I thought it might be a weapon, maybe I could use it against them, no? And like I said, I thought you were dead, so what did I have to lose?”

He grunted angrily.

“Whatever. Obviously, three massive aliens had no problem dealing with my short, round ass. I got a little beat up in the process. But that’s all,” I finished, shrugging before Iremembered how messed up my shoulders were. Fucking ow, again.

“They didn’t...” he hesitated, a flush rising on his cheekbones. “I mean, you weren’t...” He tapered off, his eyes darting from my face to my lap and back again.

“I wasn’t probed,” I replied dryly.

“Jesus, Estrella.” If he’d had pearls, he would have clutched them, but his shoulders relaxed. When he spoke again, his voice was so low I had to strain to hear. “It should have been me.”

“What?” I twisted, but he wouldn’t meet my eyes, staring fixedly at his knees instead. “What are you talking about? You have some secret desire to be probed?”

He grunted and turned his head away.

I bounced my foot impatiently.

“I’m your brother,” he burst out. “I’m supposed to protect you, not the other way around.”

“Oh, don’t you come at me with that machismo bullshit. We look out foreach other. And how the hell do you think you got knocked out in the first place? Huh? Oh, right, protecting me! Pendejo.” I pulled my hand from his and threw it in the air, exasperated.

“Estrella...” he warned, puffing himself up so he loomed beside me.

“Tch.”

“You’re such a bitch,” he complained, collapsing against the wall.

I could tell he’d heard me at least a little, though, and I smiled inwardly. My stomach growled, reminding me we’d never gottenthat burger...last night? Yesterday? “How long do you think they’ll keep us here?” I couldn’t force myself to ask what I really wanted to know; what they were going todowith us. Saying it out loud would unlock the “what if” floodgates for sure.

He turned his head, his expression set. “I don’t know. But when they come back, I’m in charge.”

I focused on my aching, swollen left wrist. I could move the hand, so it wasn’t broken, but it was sprained for sure. And my manicure was a mess. A shame. I’d just gotten it done.

Mariano glared at me. “Estrella! You hear me?I am in charge.”

I sighed dramatically, stretching it out, and spoke in a voice devoid of emotion. “Si, te entiendo. You’re the maaaan.” I’d do what I’d do, and we both knew it, but he settled back, satisfied. Pride was a funny thing.

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