the
sauce on a finger, she ran the pad of her thumb across his lower lip. A very
quiet moan escaped Rune.
She lifted her gaze to find him intently staring at her. Kylah
couldn’t resist. She leaned in and kissed him. He jerked his head back and gave
her a look that said he had no idea why she’d done that.
“Sorry. I shouldn’t have kissed you.” She fed him another mouthful.
“Real smart, taking advantage of a guy who’s tied up,” she mumbled.
She finished feeding him and herself, then cleaned the spoon and can
in the stream before stowing them away with the rest of her gear. Kylah did her
best not to meet Rune’s gaze, embarrassed a bit by stealing a kiss from him.
She shouldn’t be thinking about him in that way. He was an alien, one of the
ones responsible for what had happened to most of the humans on the planet.
Kylah went and gathered some wood before she took out a sleeping bag
and laid it near the fire. She covered Rune with a blanket, then held a bottle
of water to his lips for him to drink. She didn’t say anything to him. Once he
finished she drank down one of her own and then stretched out on top the
sleeping bag.
As sleep came to her, she promised herself she’d try not to forget
what Rune was—an alien invader. She might be starved for company, but that
didn’t mean she should look to him for it.
* * * *
Rune came awake feeling as if he really hadn’t slept at all. Being
bound and tied to a tree sitting upright didn’t make for anyone to be well
rested. His back ached, and his arms and hands were numb. At least Kylah had
covered him with a blanket last night so he hadn’t been cold.
He looked over at the fire. It’d burned down to coals. At any other
time, he would have enjoyed watching one. He hadn’t been near one since he was
a child. Most people in his galaxy preferred portable heat and light sources
that used energy cells to power them, which lasted for days at a time before
needing to be recharged. They were cleaner and easier to set up.
The sound of voices had Rune setting his gaze on Kylah, who still
lay by the fire pit. “Kylah,” he said with the hopes of waking her up. The
humans weren’t too close, but it sounded as if they were headed in their
direction.
Kylah stirred and looked at him. “What?”
“Kylah,” he said again, then nodded his head where the voices came
from.
She quickly sat up and appeared to listen before she stood and
crossed over to him. “Shit. They’re coming this way.” She looked him up and
down. “Crap, I really do wish you knew how to speak English. I can’t have them
finding you like this. I don’t know what kind of people these are. They might
try to kill you for what you are. I’m going to have to untie you and pray like hell
you don’t run.”
Kylah raced over to where she’d left her sacks, dug through one,
then returned to him with something in her hand. She kneeled at his side and
showed it to him.
“They’re sunglasses,” she said. “I’m going to put them on you to
hide your eyes. They don’t need to see them and get some bad ideas.”
She slowly put them on his nose and the two side pieces hooked
behind his ears. He sat perfectly still as Kylah stood and went around to the
back of the tree. The rope around him loosened as she untied it. Once she freed
him of it, she helped him stand. She untied the end around his waist before she
stood at his back and snapped the bonds at his wrists.
Rune let out a groan of pain as the blood rushed to his arms and hands
when he brought them forward. Kylah stood at his side as the voices came
closer. It wouldn’t be long before the other humans came across them.
Four males emerged from the trees on the opposite side of the
stream. They stopped when they spotted Kylah and Rune, then crossed the water
to confront them. They were ragged-looking and on the dirty side. The way they
eyed Kylah made Rune’s back come up.
“I told you someone was around here,” one said.
sauce on a finger, she ran the pad of her thumb across his lower lip. A very
quiet moan escaped Rune.
She lifted her gaze to find him intently staring at her. Kylah
couldn’t resist. She leaned in and kissed him. He jerked his head back and gave
her a look that said he had no idea why she’d done that.
“Sorry. I shouldn’t have kissed you.” She fed him another mouthful.
“Real smart, taking advantage of a guy who’s tied up,” she mumbled.
She finished feeding him and herself, then cleaned the spoon and can
in the stream before stowing them away with the rest of her gear. Kylah did her
best not to meet Rune’s gaze, embarrassed a bit by stealing a kiss from him.
She shouldn’t be thinking about him in that way. He was an alien, one of the
ones responsible for what had happened to most of the humans on the planet.
Kylah went and gathered some wood before she took out a sleeping bag
and laid it near the fire. She covered Rune with a blanket, then held a bottle
of water to his lips for him to drink. She didn’t say anything to him. Once he
finished she drank down one of her own and then stretched out on top the
sleeping bag.
As sleep came to her, she promised herself she’d try not to forget
what Rune was—an alien invader. She might be starved for company, but that
didn’t mean she should look to him for it.
* * * *
Rune came awake feeling as if he really hadn’t slept at all. Being
bound and tied to a tree sitting upright didn’t make for anyone to be well
rested. His back ached, and his arms and hands were numb. At least Kylah had
covered him with a blanket last night so he hadn’t been cold.
He looked over at the fire. It’d burned down to coals. At any other
time, he would have enjoyed watching one. He hadn’t been near one since he was
a child. Most people in his galaxy preferred portable heat and light sources
that used energy cells to power them, which lasted for days at a time before
needing to be recharged. They were cleaner and easier to set up.
The sound of voices had Rune setting his gaze on Kylah, who still
lay by the fire pit. “Kylah,” he said with the hopes of waking her up. The
humans weren’t too close, but it sounded as if they were headed in their
direction.
Kylah stirred and looked at him. “What?”
“Kylah,” he said again, then nodded his head where the voices came
from.
She quickly sat up and appeared to listen before she stood and
crossed over to him. “Shit. They’re coming this way.” She looked him up and
down. “Crap, I really do wish you knew how to speak English. I can’t have them
finding you like this. I don’t know what kind of people these are. They might
try to kill you for what you are. I’m going to have to untie you and pray like hell
you don’t run.”
Kylah raced over to where she’d left her sacks, dug through one,
then returned to him with something in her hand. She kneeled at his side and
showed it to him.
“They’re sunglasses,” she said. “I’m going to put them on you to
hide your eyes. They don’t need to see them and get some bad ideas.”
She slowly put them on his nose and the two side pieces hooked
behind his ears. He sat perfectly still as Kylah stood and went around to the
back of the tree. The rope around him loosened as she untied it. Once she freed
him of it, she helped him stand. She untied the end around his waist before she
stood at his back and snapped the bonds at his wrists.
Rune let out a groan of pain as the blood rushed to his arms and hands
when he brought them forward. Kylah stood at his side as the voices came
closer. It wouldn’t be long before the other humans came across them.
Four males emerged from the trees on the opposite side of the
stream. They stopped when they spotted Kylah and Rune, then crossed the water
to confront them. They were ragged-looking and on the dirty side. The way they
eyed Kylah made Rune’s back come up.
“I told you someone was around here,” one said.
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