With every step they took, Damon’s grip tightened around her hand.
He took Alex farther into the darkness of foliage around them. She was running blind, and as much as she hated the situation, she had no choice but to trust this stranger. The pressure of his grasp made the bandaged cut sting and itch, but she knew they had no other option but to keep going, and she certainly didn’t want to face these surroundings without a guide.
Whether she was ready or not, it looked like they were headed for his village. Wherever the hell that was.
She had no trouble keeping up with his fast pace. She’d done a lot of running during her life and was conditioned to it. The terrain, like everything she’d experienced so far on this planet, was harsh and dangerous. Twigs and leaves were getting caught in her hair, branches were swiping at her face, and the tangle beneath her feet made her feel as if she was about to fall with every step. She pushed on, determined not to become some creature’s lunch. She had things to do, places to go, a lover who was waiting for her on Anteris.
Why hadn’t she stayed with Ulric? Things would have been less complicated. Sackor wouldn’t have scratched her. She wouldn’t have made a new enemy and certainly wouldn’t have crashed on this shitty planet. Whenever she stayed with Ulric, things were mostly straightforward. Maybe thatwas part of the problem. It was all too simple with him. So, since she enjoyed a challenge and adventure, she should feel right at home here, right?
A shiver raced down her spine. Why did I have to go and think about him, again?
If she really couldn’t get off this rock, what would Ulric do…forget about her and move onto some other chick? What about her? What would shedo? She couldn’t take her eyes off Damon’s broad shoulders and the way his dreadlocks bounced around him as he ran.
The ongoing screeching overhead was suddenly replaced by a roar. Every thought slid from her mind. Her gut clenched with fear. What the hell kind of wildlife did they have on this damned planet, anyway?
Damon suddenly stopped in front of her, not giving her enough time to slow down before smacking into him. He didn’t seem to notice as he turned around, holding a finger in front of his mouth to keep her quiet. He looked over her shoulder. She followed his gaze, yet couldn’t see anything but the jungle engulfing them from every angle. She hated to think about the amount of insects creeping and crawling around her right now.
A shiver roused goosebumps when she remembered the worms.
“What type of animal made that noise?” she whispered, trying to catch her breath.
Damon looked at her for a second. “Come on. We need to keep moving.” He continued forward, dragging her behind him.
She groaned when a branch slapped her forehead, but she didn’t stop. Instead, she tried to stay as close to Damon as she could. The backpack was slapping her lower back with every move, and it was starting to grate on her nerves.
A small nip at the back of her leg made her stumble. She lost her balance, her hand slid from Damon’s, and she fell forward. “Son of a bitch!”
Damon raced back and helped her to her feet. “Don’t worry. We’re almost home, now.”
Alex spat out some dirt and wiped the rest from her front. “Something bit me.”
“It was one of the birds. The younglings like to toy with their prey. They’re small enough to hide in the bushes and take small bites until they immobilize you.”
“That’s comforting.” She took his hand, but instead of moving on, Damon pulled her closer. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pressing their bodies close together, until she could feel his heartbeat. Her frantic pace echoed against him, but his seemed calm compared to hers. “What the hell are you doing? Just let me blast it.”
“Shhh,” he whispered near her ear.
Alex opened her mouth to ask how standing around hugging was going to stop an attack, when movement on her left caught her eye. She turned her head very slowly, until her right cheek was pressed up against his firm chest.
Damon hugged her tighter and leaned over enough to rest his chin on the top of her head. What the hell was going on here?
The creature-stepping so close, she was sure they’d soon become an easy meal-hardly resembled a bird. Its body moved awkwardly. The fleshy wings were held tightly against its crooked spine as it used spindly legs to walk. Its eyes were beady as it inspected the area and used the long beak to feel around. She couldn’t believe it when the tip touched Damon’s arm but the creature turned away.
She didn’t say a word and held her breath until she was sure the bird had left. She tried to move, but Damon kept her pinned in his embrace. Assuming it meant that the threat was still close, she relaxed against him, maybe enjoying their closeness a little too much. He smelled really nice, like herbs.
When he loosened his grip, she pulled back a little, giving her enough room to look up into his face. “Okay, you have to tell me what the hell that was.”
“It was my way of protecting you.” He kept his gaze up, surveying the area.
“The bird touched you but didn’t even register you were here…why?”
“For some reason, the birds can’t sense me. It’s why I’m the only one who ventures out of our village.”
“Right, so when you mentioned before that the birds would notice me, you weren’t talking in general? You meant they’d eat me and ignore you?”
“Yes,” Damon said, finally meeting her eyes. “Are you all right to keep moving?”
As good as it felt in the circle of his arms, she managed a nod. Freaked out or not, she didn’t hesitate to run beside him this time.
So far, she didn’t like this planet very much, what with the crash-landing, the liquid spill, and now these killer birds. Although, Damon was a different story. He intrigued her. How could his body have been enough of a shield to keep the bird from snatching her?
Alex allowed Damon to lead her farther into the darkness ahead of them. Everything looked the same to her. She felt as if they were getting deeper into the regions of the jungle, rather than escaping. She had to trust this handsome stranger knew where they were going. She sure as hell didn’t have a clue of which way to turn.
She ran past another bunch of overhanging branches, and all of a sudden, they were in a clearing. Alex looked around as the scenery moved past them. They were moving fast through what looked like a darkened meadow with knee-high grass and a pitch black sky above.
Alex made the mistake of looking up. What she saw made her heart thump so fast, she nearly lost her footing.
The sky was filled with fleshy beings, all much bigger than the one they’d seen. Yet, justlike the one in the jungle, the only feature that made them resemble a bird was the huge beak-like thing in front of their horrid faces.
She pumped her legs faster, harder, until her lungs felt like they were burning. She was pretty sure her legs would give out on her at any moment, but she willed them to keep moving.
“Don’t look at them,” Damon called beside her. He held her tightly and stepped closer, until their arms were touching.
Not looking was easier said than done. She didn’t want to see the ugly creatures, but they were diving lower, like a shroud ready to cover them.
“Jump!” Damon shouted over their screeching.
“What?”
“Alex, you have to jump!”
He didn’t bother explaining himself, instead stopping long enough to grab and throw her over his shoulder. Before she could protest about his cavemen behavior, he was airborne, taking her with him.
Everything changed around them. The air became thick and hot, weighing heavily on her already overused lungs. The blood rushed to her head as he carried her like a sack.
By the time he put her down again, a flush of anger swirled inside her. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Protecting you,” he said, not looking sorry about what he’d pulled.
“Manhandling me is not protecting me!” She took another step away from him, glad the backpack had stayed put. “Besides, I can take care of myself.”
Damon gave her an amused look. “I’m sure you can, but while you’re in Eden, I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure your safety.”
“I don’t need a bodyguard,” she spat. In her experience, people never helped others unless they wanted something in return.
“Listen, I need to tell you something, Alex. I don’t want to be your babysitter or your bodyguard-”
“I don’t want to hear it.” She didn’t want to have this conversation right now. She was too confused and angry, and she didn’t particularly care what he wanted. She’d find out soon enough, anyway.
Damon stared at her, his green eyes intense. “I’m sorry if I offended you. That wasn’t my intention.”
Alex ran a hand through her unruly curls, and her fingertips got stuck in the mess. She pulled out a few leaves and decided to change the subject. “Where are we?”
“We’re home.”
“You live here? ” She looked back over her shoulder. Behind them was a concrete wall, but that wasn’t possible. They’d just been inside a jungle and a meadow. She hadn’t noticed any sort of fortress up ahead as they ran. Where had this wall come from?
Alex took a step toward it. She pressed her bandaged palm to it and felt its solidity. The concrete was smooth beneath her skin, and very much there, even if it didn’t make an ounce of sense. “How is this possible?”
“The walls keep our village safe from attack. It’s a protection barrier laced with magic.” She heard Damon move up behind her.
“Did you say magic?” She couldn’t help but chuckle at the notion. They lived in a galaxy where credits and violence were the only form of power and manipulation. Technology ruled supreme. Magic was make-believe, woven into stories. Tales about mythical places-like the ones her father used to tell her about, every night before she went to sleep. Magic wasn’t real.
Yet, she had to admit there was something very strange about this planet.
Alex craned her neck to follow the length of the wall. It continued up and up, seemingly unending.
“We’re blocked off from all threats of danger. You’ll be safe here.”
He stood so close that Alex felt his breath on her hair. She fought to keep the shiver of pleasure from showing, but it was there. Below the surface lay an undeniable attraction she would eventually have trouble keeping at bay. No matter how much his protective actions angered her, the caring nature of this man was somehow softening her up.
“So this wallcan magically keep those bird things out?” Alex spun around and met his gaze. If she extended a hand, she could touch him. Run her fingertips along his smooth face and down his chest. She couldn’t help but look at his exposed abs. She bit her bottom lip.
“Yes,” he said.
“What about the other animals out there?”
His eyes darkened. “What other animals?”
“Are you kidding me? You didn’t hear the scary roar out there? I’ve never heard anything like it.”
“I don’t know what that was. Only the birds live outside.”
None of this makes any sense.She’d heard the birds go quiet because of it. Still, she didn’t want to argue with him, anymore. The bottom line was she was stranded on this bizarre planet and needed his help. “Magic doesn’t exist, by the way. It’s a fairy tale.”
Damon shook his head. “It does exist.”
“Well, I don’t believe in it.” Alex narrowed her eyes and stared at him. Was he serious? Did he really expect her to believe without proof?
“You should,” Damon said, taking another small step forward.
“Why?” she whispered.
“Don’t you feel it buzzing, right now?”
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.