Page 33 of Married to the Alien Rogue

The kreecat’s big purple eyes watched me for a moment. Then Lila lowered her head until it rested on her front paws.

“Thank you.”

I slipped inside the tent, settling onto the inflated floor and pulling Zo-Fee to me. She came willingly, fitting against my side with her head pillowed on my biceps. My forehead tingled with the special awareness of her as my fated mate. My tail gave a gentle buzz as I let it rise from my other side to wrap around her clothed back.

I held her close, my lips pressed to her damp hair as I pulled the scent of her skin deep into my lungs. Fatigue dragged at me now that I’d lain down, compounded by the lack of sleep from the night before. Yet I fought it off for as long as I could, because when we woke, she’d leave my arms.

Potentially never to return again.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Sofie

“Food?”The word echoed in my mind, cutting across a lovely dream where someone held me while Abuela Maria’s favorite song played in the background. She used to sing it to me when I was a child, even though it wasn’t traditionally a lullaby. It always meant love and safety.

I refused to open my eyes, muttering, “Go away.” I felt too comfy and warm, my back all snuggled up to firm—

Something small and squirmy fell onto the palm of my hand.

“Wha—!” I bolted upright, blinking rapidly as Lila pounced on the small lizard she’d dropped. It had scurried off my hand and across the tent floor.

Raxnor sat up behind me. He’d been spooning me, his huge body wrapped around mine in a cocoon of strength and safety.

“Me hunt food!”Lila declared proudly as she trotted back over to me, carrying the small animal in her mouth.“Food for friend!”

“Uhh.” I rubbed at my sleep-numbed face. “I’m good, thanks. Why don’t you take it outside and enjoy it for yourself?”

“Friend sure? Very crunchy!”

“Yep!” I chirped, fighting to keep my voice bright even as my stomach roiled. Crunchy yums belonged to things like churros or potato chips, not lizards. “I’m sure.”

“Okay!”Lila trotted out of the tent and, her tail held proudly in the air.

Which left me alone and fully awake with Raxnor for the first time since we’d done it.“Done it,” Sof? Is that the best you can do?I fought down a burst of laughter.That male fucked your brains out.

And I’d been way too out of it afterward last night to think about what this meant for us. Damn that “harsh light of morning” thing.

Girding myself, I spun around.

Raxnor’s deep eyes watched me carefully, his expression guarded. But his tail darted toward me, buzzing madly. His hand snatched it out of the air, and he rolled forward, shoving up and out of the tent with a delightful clench of his ass muscles. Damn, the dude was built!

I crawled after to find him halfway across the glen. A pang of hurt went through me—had he wanted to get away from methatbadly?

But then he turned, my shirt and pants in hand, and strode back to me. “I wrung them and spread them out last night. They are dry.”

Oh! How sweet! “Thank you.” I took the clothes from him.

He turned his back, his tail held close to his body, though the tip vibrated audibly.

I ran my fingers up and down the front seam of my borrowed shirt, which hung to mid-thigh like a dress. But no matter what I tried, I couldn’t get the thing open. “Uhh, sorry. How do I get this off?”

Raxnor spun around, his gaze latching onto my hand, where it held the top of the shirt away from my body. “Let me.” His voice was a deep growl that made me shiver in awareness.

I let the shirt drop as he stepped forward.

His warm fingers brushed against my collarbone, and the heat in his eyes sent an answering zing through my body.

Okay, so he’s definitely still interested. Good. God knows I am.

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