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“We’re not on your planet, so who is to say that it would work here?”

“It’d be suicide for any being on this planet to scent me on your skin and still approach you.”

“How do you do it?”

“I would have to run my jaw along your neck.” He tilts his head to the side and runs a finger along a spot with differently textured skin.

My eyes are drawn to the jagged scar spanning the front of his neck. Curiosity swells inside me, but now isn’t the time to ask about it.

“Shouldn’t Altis do that if he’s going to be the one with me?”

“No,” they both say in unison.

“I’m the more powerful of us. My scent is stronger.”

Altis nods in agreement.

“Fine.” I pull the hood back. “Do it.”

He steps toward me, his eyes locked on mine. As he moves into my space and breathes deeply, his pupils flare. I’m glad for the uniform and cloak covering my body as goosebumps race across my flesh.

He’s a predator, and I’m his prey.

At least that’s how it feels in this moment. His cool fingers slide along my neck and into my hair, tugging my head to the side. His chest rumbles as he bends over me.

“Don’t be scared, the rumble is part of the process.” His fingers flex against my scalp. “I’m going to mark you now, last chance to back out.”

His words land like a taunt, and I’ve never been able to resist a dare. I drop my head to the side, offering my neck to him. His rumble increases with the movement. His skin meets mine as he nuzzles against me.

I could swear I feel his lips against my skin when he moves to the other side of my neck, using the hand he has in my hair to tilt my head the opposite way. He makes the rumbling sound again as he begins the process on the other side. His foreign scent floods my senses.

My body melts into his hold. My hands move to his waist, under his cloak. His body is all hard planes and firm muscle against me. I want to surrender to him.

I feel like his.

That thought jars me back to my senses, because if there is one thing in the universe that I am sure of, it’s that I belong to no one.

As soon as he straightens, I take a step back. “Done?” I’m proud of how steady my voice is. Especially considering how much of a mess I am on the inside.

“Yes.” Only narrow slivers of green remain in his eyes, and I swear his fangs look longer. He closes his eyes, and when they reopen, they are back to usual. “Stay with Altis. Remember the rules.”

“Yes, sir.” I respond with a hefty dose of snark.

Altis guides me to the door. “Let’s go,” he says quietly. “I’d suggest not taunting him when he’s just marked you like that. In order to release our scent, we have to surrender to our most base instincts.”

“That explains the teeth and eyes,” I murmur.

“What?” His head snaps to the side, looking at me.

“His teeth, the sharp ones, were longer. And his eyes were nearly black.”

“Were they?” Any of the surprise from a moment ago is erased.

“Is that normal?” I ask as I tuck my hair back inside the hood.

“He’s a powerful male.”

That’s not what I asked, but my questions evaporate when we come to the ramp down to the surface. Red, dusty land stretches as far as the eye can see. Binary stars hang high in the sky, heating the planet to hellish levels. The cloak I wear seems to keep my temperature regulated as much as it blocks the rays from the suns.