Ajos: The Restitution - A Sci-fi Alien Romance, Book 1, стр. 38

“Micro-organisms though…surely…” She let out a huff of a breath. “It just doesn’t make sense. I’d suppose there are bacteria, single-celled organisms, and the like living here. Have to be.”

She was talking to herself like an insane ratgull. Ajos’ shoulders shook in a silent chuckle.

“So many vines along the forest floor as well,” she mused, poking her stick at the vegetation as she walked.

She did this for the next few minutes, mumbling some things he could not hear, and when he caught a glimpse of her face, there was such concentration there, he was positive he’d been right about her forgetting he was even there.

“So many vines…” she murmured again, “The density is amazing.”

She frowned at the ground as she walked. “I’ve never seen so many vines in one place in my entire life.”

For a few more minutes, she walked in silence, but Ajos could tell from the frown on her brow that she was still caught up in her own mind.

She paused at a few husks of a plant on the ground and used her stick to poke it.

“Seeds,” she murmured, before she looked above at the tree towering over them. “The seeds are good. They germinate, replacing the dead underbrush to make the forest healthy.”

She continued walking.

“This ecosystem is so rich.” She suddenly turned to look at him, and Ajos hid his smile behind a mask of neutrality. So she did remember he was there. “I’ve counted at least one hundred different species and that’s from sight alone.”

Her awe was captivating.

Watching her in her element was captivating.

It wasn’t hard to imagine what she’d been like on her home planet, before she’d been taken away.

“It’s so…wonderful…and strange.” She looked around again. “So many plant species have died out on Earth, most of them over the last twenty or so years. It’s heartbreaking.” She touched a leaf. “When you study them as much as I do, you get to know them, you know. They become your friends.”

At that, her cheeks changed to a rosy hue.

“I sound like a proper lone soul, don’t I? Here I am with a handsome alien, on an expedition in an alien jungle, and all I’m talking about is that plants are friends.”

Wait, she thought he was handsome?

Ajos opened his mouth to ask her to clarify that bit when the comms crackled.

“Ajos, do you read?” V’Alen’s voice reached their ears.

Ajos activated the receiver, his eyes still on the female before him. “I am here.”

“Damage to the hyperdrive is more extensive than I thought. We might have to spend the night here.”

Ajos’ gaze moved to the heavens. They would have to make it back to the ship before nightfall, anyway. He didn’t want to keep Keh-reh-nah out here in this wilderness.

“Received,” he answered.

“I assume you have not located the source of the signal yet.”

Ajos continued looking around the undergrowth.

They’d been making good time, but he had yet to see any sign of a fallen ship. He’d been setting markers every few meters though, and regardless that the signal seemed to be growing stronger, he had no way to pinpoint it directly.

The coordinates of the source kept shifting.

“No,” he answered. “I will update you in a few hours. We might have to head back and restart our search tomorrow.”

As V’Alen clicked off, Ajos noticed Keh-reh-nah was also eyeing the undergrowth.

“We should press on.” She checked her comm device. “Maybe we can find the wreckage before nightfall?”

“We could try.”

At his reply, she nodded and continued walking.

With her still in front, he once again found himself staring at the sway of her hips.

There was a curve at the junction of her upper and lower body, and he itched to put his hands at that spot.

His nefre pulsed against the back of his neck and his genital pouch bulged so hard, it was painful.

Heat surged through his body—not only the literal heat, but need.

Ajos grimaced, forcing the urges back.

Pulling out another vial of the metcer cells, he stabbed it into his leg, squeezing his eyes shut as the bio-organisms flooded into his system.

This wasn’t right.

Aker had promised him that one vial would last him at least three days.

He was already on the second one within one hour.

When he opened his eyes, Keh-reh-nah was frowning at him, a look of concern on her face.

She’d moved close while he’d been distracted, and he’d opened his eyes just as she was about to touch his cheek.

Her hand paused as their gazes locked and Ajos felt his throat move.

His life organ sped up and he wanted to tell her to get away from him.

If she touched him now…while he was weak…before the cells spread through his system…

As her hand settled on his skin, a deep groan rumbled through him.

He didn’t know when his hand had let go of the vial still buried in his leg or when he’d gripped her, pulling her against him.

All he knew was that her softness was now pressed against him exactly like he’d imagined. He could feel those round orbs on her chest pressing into him, and he wanted her…

Ajos growled, grimacing as he fought the feelings within himself.

He couldn’t lose control. She wouldn’t want him to, and the gods of Tonvuhiri knew the last thing he wanted to do was to hurt her.

“Ajos?”

Her voice was breathless, and it only made him wild.

He buried his face against her neck, pulling her tighter against him as he fought to control his need. His chest heaved with the exertion.

A few more seconds, he told himself.

A few more seconds till the metcer cells worked.

As he held her to him, Keh-reh-nah did not protest, even though she had all the right to.

Instead, she nestled against him, allowing him time to fight with the demon that wanted to have her there and then.

“Keh-reh-nah…” he groaned.

“Ajos…”

And that was when he knew—he knew it with a clarity that he’d never had before—he wasn’t going to be able to let her go.

Ever.