She had no idea what he was talking about.
“Didn’t you see the bird walk away from us when we stood right in front of it?”
“That wasn’t magic. It was some sort of shield, a repellant.”
He chuckled.
“What’s so funny?”
“I can feel it right now. I’ve felt it since the moment I saw you. Maybe this will help you understand.” Damon touched her cheek with the back of his hand, and her skin warmed. When he leaned over, a rush of ecstasy raced through her body, churning her stomach into a hundred knots she wanted to have undone. It felt as if he were pouring something into her, just with his touch. They’d touched outside, and she hadn’t experienced this reaction. Something was different.
Their lips were so close, she could almost taste him, and suddenly she wanted to feel those full lips on hers. She couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to kiss him.
“Damon, did you find anything?” a male voice asked behind him.
He dropped his hand but didn’t step away. “Tell me you can’t feel something flowing between us?” he whispered.
His warm breath forced her eyes closed for a second. She couldn’t answer, only managing to swallow the ball of desire he was teasing out of her.
“Damon! Did you find anything?”
He sighed, obviously frustrated. “Yes, I did.”
“Well, what was it?” the annoying male voice pushed.
Alex opened her eyes and licked her lips. Damon smiled down at her, as if he’d somehow proven a magical point by teasing her senses. There was nothing magical about it. Hell, she was a sentient being. I’m pretty sure any female with a heartbeat would have felt some sort of buzz from his display.It had absolutely nothing to do with magic and everything to do with attraction.
Damon turned away, and his smile faded. She stared at his broad shoulders and slender waist. This guy’s going to get me into a whole heap of trouble.
Still, he might be just what she needed to get back on track and put a stop to her exclusivity with Ulric.
“I found this.” Damon stepped aside to reveal her.
The other man gasped, his blue eyes widening as if he’d never seen a woman before. “Where did you find her? Is she an alien?” He wasn’t as tall as Damon, had blonde hair, bronze skin, and on closer inspection, looked more like a teenage boy than a man.
“Levi, she’s a space traveler, and her ship crashed on our planet.”
“I need someone to help me fix it,” Alex said, taking a step forward. “Do you know of any mechanic who can help me?”
“A mechanic?” Levi looked confused, staring from her to Damon and back again.
“Yes, a mechanic.”
“I already told you. We don’t have anyone who can repair a spaceship.”
She turned to focus on Damon. “Why did you bring me here, then?”
“Would you have preferred to stay outside with the birds?”
Alex crossed her arms. She had every right to be angry. Since she’d left Anteris, nothing had gone right. Now, she was stuck on a planet with no one who might be able to help her get Promiseback into working order. What would she do if thathappened?
A shiver shook her to the core. She refused to even consider such an option. Sackor’s wrath would eventually be on the cards-because she’d failed to deliver his cargo-and she would deal with it, but she wouldn’tgive up on her ship. No matter how many of those bird things were out in the jungle, she’d somehow get Promisefixed.
“Damon, Levi. Why are you boys keeping this lovely girl away from the rest of us?” A tall, blonde woman swept past them, her white dress trailing behind her. She looked like a goddess, with long straight hair held away from her face as her cerulean eyes shone. Her skin was tanned, and her face beautiful. “I sincerely apologize for their behavior. We don’t get many visitors on our planet, but I can assure you that you are most welcome here.”
The lady wrapped an arm around Alex’s shoulders and encouraged her forward. “Welcome to Eden. We will prepare a feast in your honor, to make you feel at home. Then, you can tell us how you fell from the sky and came here to help us.”
“Help you?” she whispered.
“Why, of course. We’ve been expecting you.” An entourage of people had appeared out of nowhere. One of them-a thin man with a scowl on his face-didn’t look too happy to see Alex.
“You have?”
“We’ve known about the prophecy of the space traveler who would one day become our savior for a while now.”
“I think you’ve got the wrong person.” What the hell was happening?
“You haveto be the right one. You must be the dark-haired beauty who shall fall from the sky and help complete our cycle of utopia,” the lady insisted.
Alex swallowed her response and instead locked eyes with Damon, who had a smirk on his lips. She had no idea what any of this was about but walked alongside the woman as she was led into a gorgeous landscaped garden she hadn’t noticed. She’d been too distracted with Damon and the concrete wall.
Maybe I can get some real answers from this woman.Instead of the hocus pocus Damon had offered her so far.
Chapter Eight
Ulric watched Alex run across the meadow.
If he’d set off right away, he knew he could have reached her before the man threw her over his shoulder and made her disappear, but with the jungle ending so abruptly, he’d hesitated. Afraid the moon would change him, again, and she would see what he had become.
He paused, staring up at the sky. It was filled with birds, but he could still feel the white orb call to his body with a seductive hum.
I might be a prisoner to the moon’s moods and cravings, but I can make it across without turning. I’m sure of it.
The fact that he’d lost sight of Alex was driving him insane.
He lifted his nose and could still smell her sweet tang. She was nearby-somehow, somewhere. Alex was here but unseen. No matter what it took, no matter what hideous thing he’d become, he was determined to get her attention. His humanity might be dangling from a slippery slope, but all the memories worth holding onto revolved around her. Using Alex as an anchor might prove to be his saving grace. He was sure of it.
The leather choker was too small to fit around his neck, so he wrapped it around his hand. He couldn’t wait to give it back to her and was determined to find the bracelet, too. She thought the bracelet was just a piece of jewelry, but it was a lot more. When she’d left his quarters, he’d uploaded a surprise onto the tiny microchip embedded inside it. Something that would ensure she lived a long and prosperous life without having to struggle to raise credits from the pathetic courier job he despised.