Page 3 of Aliens Snared My Heart (Awakened Womb #3)

3 / Paz

After hours of walking across the Eukaria wilds, I had two conclusions.

One: finding my alien mate was harder than I expected.

Two: my feet fucking hurt.

Exhaustion swept over me. Unlike the well-trodden paths in the village, the wilderness was—well, it was wild. The grass was long and sharp, threatening to cut my skin if I hadn’t worn a full-length onesie courtesy of Linn’ar. The ground was uneven, making it a difficult hike, and strange plants and critters were everywhere.

None of them actively bothered me, though. Sure, monstrous bugs buzzed over my head once in a while, and I’ll admit I jumped at a few person-shaped trees, but it was just my imagination playing tricks on me. There was no real danger out in the wilds. I guess Tau’run assumed humans were fragile and needed protecting.

As I searched for a place to crash for the night, I felt hungry and thirsty. Part of me regretted not joining the feast before I dipped out on my alien-husband adventure, but there was no turning back now. Those questing Maeleons couldn’t be that far from the village. The way Zat’tor talked about them, it seemed like they’d be back any day now. Surely I’d run into one sooner or later.

I perked up at the sight of a familiar tree. Pink fruits dangled from its branches, juicy and ready to be picked. A couple of those would sustain my needs for food and water until I found my filum and brought him home.

Luck shined on me today. A ripe fruit dropped from the tree and rolled down in front of a little alcove, as if beckoning me. Walking faster, I wiped the sweat off my forehead. I was eager for a snack and a break from trekking.

“Don’t mind if I do,” I said as I reached for the fruit.

The next step I took rocked my world.

My body swung backward, then reversed, dangling me upside-down like a limp doll. The air evacuated my lungs.

Stunned into breathlessness, I gasped for air. I craned my neck, trying to see what caught me. A tight loop strangled my ankle. It was connected to a taut rope tied to a stake in the ground.

Seriously? I got caught in a fucking hunting snare?

Then another thought hit me—the Maeleons in the village didn’t hunt or trap, because they didn’t eat meat.

So, whose trap was I in?

My stomach lurched with actual fear. Were there other sapient creatures on Eukaria? Had I just sealed my own idiotic fate by getting trapped by a meat-eater?

I suddenly wished I’d taken Tau’run’s warning seriously.

After mere seconds of dangling, the blood rushed uncomfortably to my head. This wasn’t good. The longer I stayed in this compromising position, the more trouble I’d be in—especially if nobody was coming to save me.

A cold shiver ran up my spine. Then I promptly ejected that thought from my mind. There had to be someone nearby. I needed to call out and get their attention.

“Hello?” I yelled. “Is anybody there? What’s going on?”

I nearly had a heart attack when a huge shape rose from the grassy ledge overhead. Camouflage I didn’t even know was possible melted away, revealing a hulking, familiar shape.

A Maeleon.

Relief hit me like a truck. I knew there’d be a local around to help. A weak laugh bubbled out of me.

“Wow, you have no idea how happy I am to see you,” I called as the Maeleon stalked closer.

I stopped spinning long enough to get a good look at my savior. Even upside-down, I could tell the Maeleon was freaking massive, easily bigger than Zat’tor. With the ripped muscles and imposing figure, I couldn’t help thinking of him as masculine. His scales were the deep red shade of an autumn leaf, and his horns jutted out like a bull’s. He looked cool as hell.

The Maeleon paused briefly at the sound of my voice, then let out a low chuckle. His deep voice was tinged with a throaty growl. “Is that right?”

“Yeah. I got stuck in this trap, and I’m already starting to get dizzy,” I complained.

The Maeleon watched me dangle helplessly from the rope. Was he frowning or grinning? Being upside-down made it difficult to tell.

Maybe he didn’t know what to do, since Maeleons didn’t use traps. It probably made no sense to him.

“If you cut the rope with your claws, I’ll be free,” I said.

The Maeleon’s mouth widened in a fanged display. He was definitely grinning.

“Why would I want to do that?” he asked.

I blinked, then realized it was just another cultural misunderstanding. I didn’t recognize him from the village, so I figured he’d never met a human.

“Humans can’t dangle upside-down like Maeleons do,” I explained. “It’s, uh, pretty uncomfortable for us.”

His eyes flashed. They were red, like the rest of him.

“Humans?” he said slowly.

I relaxed. Misunderstanding confirmed. “Yeah, I’m a human.”

Another low chuckle rumbled in his throat. “I’ve never eaten a human before.”

Uh.

What?

My jaw fell open as a wave of confusion hit me. What was he talking about? Maeleons didn’t eat meat.

Did they?

He had to be joking. Maeleons were the chillest bunch of folks I’d ever met. I couldn’t imagine a Maeleon eating someone. Maybe this guy had a dark sense of humor. He was still grinning, after all.

“Very funny,” I said with a forced laugh. “But seriously, if you could just—”

He shoved a clawed finger against my lips, silencing me instantly. “You don’t tell me what to do, human. You will obey me.”

My nerves frayed. Was I hallucinating from all the blood rushing to my brain?

I shut my eyes and tried to calm my racing heart. I couldn’t panic. Years of training prepared me for a desperate occasion like this. I had to be diplomatic. Mutual respect was the best route to bridge the gap between us.

The red Maeleon removed his finger from my mouth as he deconstructed the snare. I took the opportunity to speak as calmly as possible.

“I believe this is a misunderstanding,” I said. “Why don’t we start with introductions? I’m Paz. What’s your name?”

He snorted, then ripped the thick wooden stake from the ground as easily as a toothpick. “My name?” He barked out a rowdy laugh. “Never before has my prey asked my name. You have guts, Paz.”

I shuddered at the way he growled my name. It managed to be both hot and terrifying at the same time. Mostly because he referred to me as his “prey.”

I breathed deeply to ease my frayed nerves. Freaking out wouldn’t solve anything. Staying present in the moment was the only way forward. The Maeleon was still talking to me. That was a good sign.

“You respect grit and guts, don’t you?” I asked.

The Maeleon paused, eyeing my face, then snorted a hot breath from his nostrils. “As much as I can respect my next meal.”

He was not going to eat me. There was no fucking way. But maybe if I played along, I’d get results.

Swallowing the nervous lump in my throat, I asked, “Since I’m your prey, can I at least know the name of my predator?”

The Maeleon grunted as he undid the last of the snare. My ankle was still caught, but he firmly grabbed my midsection with his tentacles and flipped me right-side up. I felt dazed as the blood rushed back into my body where it was supposed to be.

And as I saw the Maeleon’s face properly for the first time, my blood also rushed into places where it definitely should not have been.

Just like the other Maeleons, his snout was long and reptilian with rows of pointy teeth. But despite the imminent danger, I couldn’t stop myself from noticing how handsome he was. His jawline was rugged, his cheekbones high and sharp. His long, elfin ears were nicked in several places, adding to his scrappy vibe. His bull horns loomed above my head like thick twin skewers, and he glared at me with piercing scarlet eyes.

I had to admit, my captor was sexy.

“You want my name, prey?” he demanded.

I flashed an inviting smile. “Yes, please.”

“Hmph. My name is Kur’tok.”

I was pleased that I’d made progress. But seriously, Kur’tok? Even the guy’s name sounded menacing. It didn’t inspire the cool, calm feeling of Zat’tor, or the whimsical gentleness of Linn’ar. It was hard, rough, and intimidating.

And I was stuck in his tentacled clutches.

“What are you doing with your face?” Kur’tok snapped.

“Pardon me?”

He jabbed a claw towards my mouth. “This... curved thing.”

I realized he meant my smile. It made sense he didn’t understand since he’d apparently never met a human before. Maeleon smiles looked different than ours, given the stark variation in our mouths.

“I was smiling,” I explained.

“Why?” he demanded.

“Because we’re having a polite conversation.”

Kur’tok screwed up his expression. “You are a strange little morsel,” he grumbled. “I will eat you quickly so you don’t play tricks on me.”

Again with the eating , I thought. He can’t be serious... can he?

“It’s no trick,” I said. “We’re just chatting.”

“Silence,” Kur’tok roared. I braced myself against the wave of his hot breath. “Shut your mouth now.”

His tone startled me. I’d never heard a Maeleon speak so rudely. What the hell was wrong with this guy?

“You know, there’s nicer ways of asking me to be quiet,” I pointed out.

Kur’tok snarled. His tentacles tightened around my waist, making me wheeze. The pressure wasn’t painful, but just enough to be uncomfortable.

“Hey, can you ease up?” I asked.

“Why?” Kur’tok barked.

Okay, niceties didn’t work on him. I had to think like he did.

“You don’t want to turn your prey into mush before you... eat it,” I said.

Kur’tok pouted angrily, then relaxed his tentacles. I breathed out in relief. At least he was willing to listen. Sort of. That meant I still had a chance to get out of this mess. Geez, was this how Levi felt when his stupidity crashed our ship?

Grasping me with his tentacles, Kur’tok lifted me in the air, then dropped to all fours and ran. I dangled in his grip, helpless. My arms and legs were trapped. I couldn’t do anything to escape. My voice and diplomacy skills were my only weapons. My only chance at freedom.

Reality drenched me like a bucket of cold water. I was the captive of a carnivorous Maeleon—and I had to win him over before he ate me alive.