Which meant that definitely wasn’t a dream.

  Crap.

  "What do you want?" she asked, trying to sound calm and failing. She blushed at the fear in her voice, but he just smiled and nodded.

  "Harash ukre vho," he answered, or something like that. Whatever he was saying the words weren't in any language she recognized. "Pero Zovak."

  Great, I'm stuck somewhere with an alien guy who doesn't speak English. I thought my life couldn't get much worse. The illusion of calm settled over her: there was too much strangeness to deal with it all at once. She took a deep breath, tried to swallow her fear, and started again. I have to find my way back, and I need his help.

  "I'm Emily," she said, slowly and clearly, pointing to herself. "Emily."

  "Zovak," he replied, pressing a hand to his chest. "Zovak vo Koth."

  "Zovak?" She pointed to his chest, and he nodded. Okay, at least we know each other’s names now.

  That was a start, though she didn't know where to go from there. His voice was a distraction, deep and rough and powerful. Hearing it made her shiver, thinking thoughts about him she really shouldn't have about a stranger. Especially a naked stranger.

  She looked at him again, her eyes adjusting to the dim light in the tent. He was broad shouldered and muscular, his body perfectly contoured. Impossibly so; no human she'd ever seen had been so well developed and strong. His deep blue skin was marked with silver patterns, and the way he looked at her with his strange intense eyes made her pulse race.

  Emily couldn't help looking between his legs, biting her lip at the sight of his cock. Even soft it was bigger than anything she'd imagined, and she couldn't help think about what he'd look like hard. What he'd feel like... stop that, Emily! I'm getting out of here, I'm going home, I'm not getting it on with an alien sex fiend.

  "Harash ukre voh," he said again, whatever that meant. She was sure it was the same words he'd spoken when she first awoke, but beyond that she had no idea what he was saying. Shaking her head, and hoping he'd understand that gesture, she slowly reached into her pocket for her phone. She didn't want to startle the man with this artifact of technology — not when he lived naked in a hide tent.

  He watched her, eyes disconcertingly intelligent, as she switched on the screen. If that surprised him he didn't give any sign of it. There was still no signal, of course. She hadn't expected one, though she had hoped. But the clock told her how long she'd been unconscious. It was after 2pm. So much for my day off, she thought, stifling a hysterical giggle. The thought grounded her a little bit. Being trapped on with an alien on some other planet was too strange a problem to think about. Getting back home before she missed a shift and lost her job, that felt like a real problem. Something she could hold onto and focus on.

  The phone's low charge made her frown as she looked at it. Soon she wouldn't even have a clock that worked. Though that was pretty far down her list of worries.

  Zovak moved closer to her, slowly, as though she were a frightened animal he needed to reassure. Already backed up against the hide wall of the tent, Emily didn't have anywhere to retreat to, at least he didn't seem hostile. There was a part of her, a strong part, that wanted to know what his touch felt like. Biting her lip, she looked up at him as his hand brushed her cheek.

  His touch made her gasp. It felt as though the surprisingly tender touch of his rough fingers closed a connection and sent an electric shock shooting through her. Pausing, he looked at her, his eyes widening as he felt it too. Smiling his sexy, sharp-toothed smile again he stroked down Emily's neck. The touch lit a fire of arousal in her, making her heart race and cheeks heat, her body responding instantly and powerfully to the connection.

  He tugged at the collar of her blouse, and Emily felt her cheeks heat. His intention was obvious, and Emily groaned at the thought of him undressing her. It was frightening but so damned appealing, leaving Emily caught between her desire for him and the rules she'd been brought up with. She didn't know anything about him, wasn't even sure she knew his name.

  Cautiously, she reached up to touch his chest, marveling at the strange feel of his skin. It wasn't quite like a human's, though she couldn't say exactly what was different. Where she touched his tattoos, he felt cooler, and she traced the pattern for a moment before straightening her arm and pushing him back. She could feel his strength and knew that there was no way she could move him unless he let her, but he didn't press her. As she pushed, he stepped away.

  The loss of contact between them left an aching void in Emily, and she turned away to get herself under control. The alien man spoke something she couldn't understand or remember, but his tone was frustrated hunger.

  I can sympathize, she thought before she could stop herself. His amazingly hot body drew her like a moth to a flame, but she wasn't going to give in to temptation. Pulling herself up to her feet, she cautiously skirted around the edge of the tent towards the flap through which the light came. She had to get out of here, away from him, get some space to think and to breathe.

  He watched her, crouching in the middle of the tent, smiling that damnably sexy smile. There was a hint of frustration in his expression but beyond that he was a closed book. Still, he didn't try and stop her, and Emily took that as a good sign. Her fingers found the edge of the tent flap, and in a sudden burst of movement, she pulled it open and flung herself through the gap.

  The heat struck her like the blast from an oven. Everything was so bright, the light of two suns high in the sky was too much for her eyes to take all at once. She could barely see the encampment of tents that surrounded her, let alone make out any detail. There was something else, some ruined tower, that stood in the center of the camp, but she couldn't make it out against the glare.

  Squeezing her eyes shut she took a step forward, and then another, fighting against the heat that washed over her. I have to keep going, find a way home, she told herself as she made for the shadow of a wall. It looked like a deep black inviting emptiness surrounded by the baking sunlight, and she needed that shade.

  But it was further away than she thought, or she was moving slower. Each step seemed to take more effort than she had to offer and she found herself sinking to her knees before she was half way there. Refusing to give up, she crawled forward on hands and knees across the hot ground. The shadow didn't seem to get any closer and she could feel her strength ebbing in the ungodly heat.

  Strong hands grabbed her from behind, lifting her as though she weighed nothing. She knew without looking who they belonged to — Zovak's touch was unmistakable. He said something harsh in his own language before hurrying forward into the cool darkness of the ruin's shadow.

  Emily expected him to put her down then, but he kept going, carrying her at a gentle run into a tunnel beneath the ruin. She struggled in his grip, but it was useless. Even if she'd been at her best she'd have had no chance against the casual strength that lifted her like a feather. In her weakened condition, there wasn't anything she could do at all. She felt weak as a kitten, her heart pounding and head aching.

  The darkness around them gave way to a dim light, cool and blue rather than the harsh light of the suns above them, and she heard running water. A moment later the tunnel opened out into a cave filled with a pool of clear water, lit from beneath somehow. Zovak lowered her to the ground beside the pool and fetched a stone cup, dipping it into the water and offering it to her.

  Her hand trembled as she gripped the heavy cool stone and brought it to her lips. The water tasted better than anything that she'd ever drunk. She gulped down the water thirstily, but Zovak held it steady, refusing to let her drink too fast. By the time the cup was empty she already felt better, though she was still too hot.

  "Zanash kro," he told her sternly, taking the empty cup and refilling it from the pool. Bringing it back to her lips he let her drink in slow, gentle sips. "Zanash, Emily."

  It didn't sound like a compliment, but then she didn't suppose she deserved one. Running out into the heat like that had probably been the dumbest thing she'd done so far in her life. She was lucky he'd been there or it might have been the last. Of course, if he hadn't been there she wouldn't have been running from his tent like that, so maybe it evened out.

  "Thank you," she whispered, knowing he wouldn't understand her but needing to say it anyway. She wanted to apologize, too, but that was a step too far after he'd kidnapped her. Unless he'd rescued her. It was so hard to know which, and she wished that she could ask him. There were so many things that he could help her with if only they could talk.

  Well, there's only one way I can do anything about that, she told herself.

  "Water," she said, pointing to the pool.

  "Tro," he replied, dipping the cup again. There was a strange rolling sound to the word, and she couldn't quite make it work when she tried to repeat it, but he smiled and nodded, offering her the cup. She took it and made sure to drink slowly, like he'd shown her. Zovak smiled and nodded again, and she blushed as she realized how much that approval meant to her.

  Finishing the cup, she set it down and looked up at her savior. Captor. Whichever he was. Their eyes met and she could feel his attention on her, his need for her. It was the same as her own, awoken unbidden by their touch, and it embarrassed her again. She wanted to pull away, but that was silly. He wasn't touching her or threatening her, and he'd saved her twice now.

  "Emily tro?" His words were clearly a question, but she couldn't guess what he meant. Emily water? Is he asking if I want more water, if I'm made of water, or what?

  "Zovak tro," she tried. Maybe if he did whatever he was asking her, she'd understand. For a moment he frowned in confusion. Then his eyes lit up and he nodded, turning and diving into the cool waters of the pool in a clean smooth motion that barely left a ripple on the surface of the water.

  A second later he surfaced again, his hair plastered to his face and his eyes on her. "Zovak tro," he called to her, beckoning. "Emily tro?"

  Emily looked at him, biting her lip again. The water did look inviting, refreshing, appealing. And so did he, much as she wanted to deny that. She shook her head, trying to keep herself from staring at him as he watched her.

  Fine. I need to wash anyway. I'm not doing this just to go skinny-dipping with him. She pulled herself to her feet, still weak, and stepped toward the pool.

  Zovak raised a hand, palm toward her. His meaning was clear, and she stopped in confusion. Why is he asking me into the water and then telling me no?

  Looking at him, Emily tried to mime her confusion. Zovak frowned and then mimed something, pointing to his chest and making some gesture. Emily shook her head, trying to work out what he meant and he made an exasperated noise. Pointing at her, then at himself, he mimed pulling something over his head.

  She looked down at herself and then blushed with double embarrassment. Oh yeah, I'm still dressed. That would be stupid.

  On the one hand, getting her only set of clothes soaked would be an awful idea. On the other, undressing in front of Zovak might give him entirely the wrong idea. And it didn't look as though he'd give her any privacy. His dark eyes were fixed on her, hungry and intense, and she shivered at the thought of being naked under that powerful gaze.

  It wasn't an unpleasant thought, and that was the problem. The idea of that man looking at her was more exciting than she'd ever have expected, and she bit her lip at the thought. From his smile, she thought that he could see how she felt, and that just made her blush brighter.

  "Turn around," she told him. His blank expression told her he didn’t understand, because of course he didn't. That would be too useful.

  Waving her hands in circles, she tried to mime to him instead. If he understood that, he didn't show it, watching her with a hungry smile. Emily gave up with an exasperated huff of breath, turning her back on him instead. That would have to do to preserve her modesty.

  Undoing her blouse, she pulled it off and dropped it to the rock floor beside her. She could feel Zovak's gaze on her as she stripped, and couldn't help looking over her shoulder at him as she reached back to unhook her bra.

  He looked fascinated, almost awestruck. Barely moving in the water, his eyes were locked unblinking on her body, and Emily shivered at the power of his gaze. Feeling herself flush, she turned away again, pulling off her bra and dropping it beside the blouse.

  Am I really that much fun to watch? She couldn't quite believe it, but she also couldn't see how or why he'd fake this. She'd never had a model's figure, but her alien kidnapper didn't seem to care.

  She couldn't bear to see his expression as she undid her jeans and slid them down, kicking off her shoes. Down to just her panties she paused. That's quite enough of a show, she thought. I can wear the jeans without them afterward, while they dry.

  The force of Zovak's gaze was still on her and she couldn't bear to turn around. She knew it was silly, but it was a final trace of modesty that she could cling to. Walking backward she approached the pool, feeling the cool water lap at her feet as she stepped into the shallows. The water was cold but not shockingly so, and she took another step and then another, the waters deepening around her as she went.

  Then her foot came down on a loose stone under the water, and it slipped out from under her. Emily squealed as she toppled backward, her arms flailing, visions of hitting her head on a rock flashing before her eyes as she fell.

  Powerful arms caught her before she could hurt herself, and she felt Zovak's muscular chest like a solid wall against her back. Panting, she clung to his arms as he steadied her, feeling his strength as he saved her again.

  "Zanash," he growled into Emily's ear. "Prahg Zanash, Emily vho."

  She didn't know what his words meant, but it didn't sound like he approved of her falling. Well, I don't approve of that either. Maybe if you hadn't stared at me so much, I'd have been paying more attention to where I was stepping.

  Emily's heart raced with the shock of the fall and the fear it had raised, but his arms around her made Emily feel safe. Her back rested on his broad chest as he guided her out into the deeper water, and she felt the slow steady powerful beat of his heart. It was strangely reassuring, comforting even, to feel that so close. The heat of his body made a strange and pleasant contrast to the cool water.

  The last of the suns' heat left her, the waters taking it from her skin, and she could feel her thoughts recovering. The midday sun here was far more powerful than she was used to, which made sense since there were two of them. That still didn't make much sense to her, though.

  No point in thinking about it too much, she decided. If this is a dream, there's no harm in taking it seriously. If it's really happening, treating it like a dream could get me killed.

  Looking around the cave now that she was adjusting to it, she saw that the light was coming from great crystals under the water. The light made patterns on the rock above her, beautiful, shimmering, and changing as ripples spread over the water. For the first time since she'd arrived here, she let herself relax, let the water wash away her worries for a while, sinking back against the man holding her.

  While he was behind her, she could almost forget that he wasn't human. His strong arms held her safe and his solid warmth was comforting, and that was what she needed. Whatever had happened to her, however she had ended up here, she needed time to adjust, and for all the strange forbidding menace that Zovak represented, she felt safe in his arms.

  5

  Zovak

  Holding his mate in his arms, Zovak relaxed into sacred waters. In his arms, Emily — a strange name for a strange woman — rested, and he was content.

  "What foolishness made you run out into the twinsun day, my mate?" he muttered, knowing it was useless. Wherever fate had plucked his mate from, she didn't speak the language of his people. But that would come. The Elders of his clan knew many tricks, and teaching languages was only one of them. For now, he didn't want to think of the future or the past, he just wanted to enjoy this time with her.

  It couldn't last forever, though. As the suns above left the midday sky, the rest of the clan would emerge from their tents and some would come down for a swim. While he didn't understand his strange mate's ways, her insistence that he shouldn't see her naked made him certain that she wouldn't want to be seen by anyone else. Even now she still wore a scrap of cloth, and it couldn't just be to tease him, surely?

  Slowly he drew her to the shallows at the edge of the pool. Unwilling to take the chance that she'd fall again, he lifted her out of the water and placed her by the pile of cloth she had abandoned. Without a word, he turned and walked outside — as much as he'd enjoy watching her dress, to enjoy the sight of her beautiful curvy body before she hid it again, he didn't want to embarrass her and risk her doing something else foolish. His mate had already run into the full heat of the suns and nearly smashed her head open trying to avoid him looking at her. There wasn't going to be a third accident.

  I will have all the time I need, he told himself. Once I have claimed her, I will see her every day for as long as we live. Delaying a little longer only makes that sweeter.

  It wasn't easy to believe that. He'd never had to wait for anything he wanted before: his needs had always been simple, hunting and fighting and fucking. Now this woman had appeared, one he wanted more than he'd ever wanted anything before, changing everything. Zovak had the feeling that his life would never be simple again.

  Strangely he found that he didn't mind that. Not if it was because of Emily's presence in his life.

  He could feel her eyes on him as she stepped out of the cave, the desire in her soul as clear to him as his own, and even more frustrating. Emily wants me as much as I do her, and yet she makes us both wait to be complete. Why would anyone do that?

 

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