But then I was lifted. My eyes snapped open, squinting painfully past the rain.
Like a guardian angel, Farr’vye stood in front of me.
He grabbed my body with the ease of somebody picking up a wet rag, then pulled me against his chest. I was pinned in place by his powerful arms.
“Farr’vye?” I cried.
He said nothing. He cradled the back of my head and gently pressed my face into his chest so I couldn’t see anything but him.
If that was his way of telling me to shut up and sit still, I was happy to oblige.
Farr’vye braved the storm. For what felt like hours, he trudged through the overwhelming rain. My heartbeat was tight and strained. I was safe in his arms, but what about him? Washeokay?
“Farr’vye,” I said, barely loud enough to be heard over the rain.
“Shh.”
That was all he said. I meekly obeyed.
Finally, the pouring rain came to an abrupt halt. A door was shut behind us.
I raised my head and blinked the raindrops away. My onesie was soaked and heavy, clinging to my skin like a sopping rag. It was suffocating.
Farr’vye glanced down at me. His gaze was intense, even more so than usual. It sent a shiver along my skin that had nothing to do with the cold.
I wanted to ask if he was okay, but my throat felt constricted. His burning stare reduced me to a silent, wet lump in his arms.
Was he angry? Was he disappointed? Did he stilllikeme after the bullshit I had just pulled?
The final thought wrenched my stomach. I couldn’t live with myself if I’d lost him.
I had never felt this way about anybody before, human or otherwise. The idea of life without him opened a void inside me, an awful and sickening emptiness.
I needed Farr’vye.
Please don’t leave me…
Farr’vye said nothing as he placed me on the ground, then got down on his knees, nearly on top of me. Terrified of saying something stupid, I kept my mouth shut. I didn’t want to lower Farr’vye’s opinion of me any further.
I searched his expression. His eyes looked distant and a bit glassy. I felt a stab of guilt. Did he feel unwell because of the torrential rain? Oh, god, and it was all my fault…
In a swift and sudden motion, Farr’vye raked his claws down the front of my clothes.
I was too stunned to even gasp. I watched, wide-eyed, as the fabric was split open. The two main pieces fell on either side of my body, exposing my pale chest.
I licked my lips and tried to muster the courage to speak. “Um—”
Farr’vye slashed again. I winced as his claws shredded the lower half of my clothing.
My naked body was exposed.
And Farr’vye was leering at me.
His nostrils flared, and his feelers rose behind him like a churning cloud, flashing in bursts of color. They were beautiful.Hewas beautiful.
Thunder boomed outside, so loud and powerful that it rocked the hut. I should’ve been scared, but I was too focused on Farr’vye’s intense stare. It was almost hypnotizing. Good thing Maeleons didn’t have that ability, or I’d be totally screwed. I didnothave the mental capacity to resist suggestion from a hot alien, nor did I want to.
I ejected the inappropriate idea from my head. Farr’vye was about to scold me for running off like a damned fool. This wasnotthe time to get hard from thinking dirty thoughts.