Page 30 of The Alien Warrior's Vow

“How did they build such a lethal force field?” Clavas snarled, his chest puffing out in the wind. The tattoos all over his blue skin made him look fiercer. She could tell he was angry and she didn’t wrong him for it. After all the Heronas had done to him, Clavas was allowed to be pissed.

“They are not that advanced.” Tiegan tilted his head.

Lans spoke up. “Chozo believes the Heronas studied the technology that annihilated his camp.”

“Disgusting.” Zar spit to the side.

Ki-ah patted her mate’s chest. “It doesn’t matter that they made it. All that matters is that it can hurt you. So stay back.”

“My heras,” Zar took her hand and turned her to him, “be careful.”

One by one, the couples broke off to say their goodbyes.

Emma’s eyes moved to Lans, but he had his back to her and was discussing something with Tiegan.

The sun washed his blue skin with gold. His back muscles flexed as he pointed and nodded to whatever Tiegan was saying. Big, rough fingers clutched his narrow waist.

Emma remembered how calloused the tips of Lans’s fingers were. How big his palm had looked next to her head. And yet, how gentle he had been when he cradled her chin and brushed her hair behind her ear.

The thump of her heartbeat increased just thinking about it.

Wetting her lips, she continued to memorize Lans.

The strong legs.

The nimble tail.

The tattoos. Goodness, those dangerous tattoos.

She knew all Lans’s markings by heart. All his scowls. Every one of his grunts.

Her stomach roiled. Was he really going to ignore her? What if she never saw him again?

Footsteps thumped close to her.

Clavas’s voice rang in her ears. “He has never been comfortable with goodbyes.”

“Clavas.” Emma spun, embarrassed at being caught staring. “Hey.”

“Lans prefers to be the one who leaves.”

“Why?”

Clavas grinned. “You will have to return safely to hear that from me.”

“Evil.”

“I believe in offering incentives to get the results that I want.” Clavas turned fully to her. There was no teasing glimmer or mischief in his violet eyes. “I want you to return safely, Eema.”

“Why? You’re going to miss my baking?”

“Neh. If even one of you are injured, it will be on my head.” He smirked a little. “And you don’t want me to live with even more crushing guilt, do you?”

She laughed softly. “Only you would take your trauma and make a joke of it, Clavas.”

“I live to please.”

Her gaze slid over to Lans again.