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I focused on chewing the meat, pretending my face wasn’t still burning with embarrassment. The taste was surprisingly good—gamey and rich—but I barely registered it through the chaos in my head.

How was I supposed to act normal when less than an hour ago, Zehn’s fingers had been inside me, bringing me to a shuddering climax while Khaaz watched from the treeline? And before that, the dream.

God, that dream. The memory of it clung to me like a second skin, making my body hum with an awareness I couldn’t shake.

I glanced between the two massive aliens who sat eating as casually as if we were having a picnic in the park rather than hiding from killer drones in an alien jungle after the most mortifying sexual encounter of my life.

Zehn caught my eye and had the audacity to wink. I nearly choked on my food.

“The meat is good,” I said stupidly, desperate to fill the silence with anything that wasn’t about what had happened. “Thank you for hunting, Khaaz.”

Khaaz’s luminous eyes flicked to mine briefly before returning to his task of methodically packing equipment. “It was necessary,” he said simply, his voice that rough, underused sound that somehow sent shivers down my spine.

I’d woken that morning from the most intense dream I’d ever experienced—Zehn’s massive body over mine, his mouth everywhere, my legs wrapped around his waist as he…

I shifted uncomfortably on the rock where I sat.

And then to open my eyes and find Zehn watching me with that knowing look, to have him whisper “You’re not nearly done” before sliding his hand beneath my torn clothing, right there in the open, his fingers finding me already wet from the dream. ..

And I’d been so lost in the sensation that I hadn’t even noticed Khaaz’s return until it was too late, until I’d opened my eyes mid-climax to find him staring at us from across the clearing, his too-bright eyes unreadable, his scarred body tense.

My face heated again at the memory. The rational part of me knew I should be horrified, should be furious at Zehn for putting me in that position. But another part—a part I was trying desperately to ignore—had been thrilled by it. By being caught. By knowing that Khaaz had seen me come apart.

“We should move soon,” Zehn announced, interrupting my thoughts. “Eat your fill, Everly. The journey ahead will require your strength.”

I nodded, focusing on the food again. I needed to get my head straight. We were in danger. Running for our lives. This was not the time to be distracted by...whatever this was.

“The drones that attacked,” I said, grasping for a safer topic, “will there be more?”

“Yes,” Khaaz answered. “But they will send different patterns. Different technologies.”

“They may adapt quickly,” Zehn added. “But so do we.”

They moved with practiced efficiency as they began breaking camp, their massive bodies graceful despite their size.

Zehn disassembled the makeshift shelter while Khaaz extinguished the fire, ensuring no trace of it remained.

I sat uselessly on my rock, watching them work, feeling increasingly out of place.

What did I have to offer in this situation?

I couldn’t hunt. Couldn’t fight. Couldn’t even find my way through this alien jungle without them.

“Here,” Zehn tossed me a small pack. “For water and provisions.”

I caught it awkwardly. “Thanks.”

“You’re quiet,” he observed, his amber eyes studying me. “Are you in pain?”

I almost laughed. “No. I’m just...feeling pretty useless, to be honest.”

Khaaz paused in his work, his luminous gaze flicking toward me.

“My job was data entry,” I explained, absently running my fingers over the strange material of the pack.

“Sitting at a desk for eight hours a day, entering numbers into spreadsheets. The most adventurous thing I did was occasionally eat lunch outside when the weather was nice. This?” I gestured around at the jungle.

“This is literally the opposite of everything I’ve ever prepared for. ”

Zehn’s expression softened slightly. “What else were you prepared for, then?”

I thought about it, trying to find anything in my mundane Earth existence that might be useful in this situation.

“I can make a pretty decent omelet? Though that’s not much help without eggs.

I know how to navigate public transportation.

I’m pretty good at Excel.” I sighed. “Not seeing a lot of transferable skills here.”

Zehn seemed amused. “What about self-defense? Surely Earth females must protect themselves?”

“I mean, I took a self-defense class once. And I carry pepper spray.” I shrugged. “But I’m guessing that won’t do much against whatever’s hunting us.”

Zehn and Khaaz exchanged a look I couldn’t interpret.

“What about weapons?” Zehn asked. “Have you handled them before?”

“Actually, yeah,” I admitted. “I go to the shooting range regularly. My dad was big on gun safety, and after I moved to the city alone...” I trailed off, suddenly self-conscious.

Zehn’s interest was piqued. “What kinds of weapons?”

“Pistols mostly. Some rifles. I’m better with handguns.”

To my surprise, Khaaz approached, reaching into the pack he’d assembled from the lab. He pulled out what looked like a sleek, metallic handgun, though its design was unlike anything I’d seen on Earth.

“This is a pulse pistol,” he said, his rough voice careful as he offered it to me, handle first. “Similar in concept to your Earth weapons, but it fires concentrated energy rather than projectiles. No recoil.”

I took it hesitantly, feeling its weight. It was lighter than it looked, the grip conforming to my hand as if custom-made.

“There is no safety mechanism as you would understand it,” Zehn explained, stepping closer. “It’s keyed to biometrics. Once you’ve fired it, it will recognize only your hand signature.”

“So it won’t work for anyone else?” I asked.

“It will still fire,” Khaaz said, “but with reduced accuracy and power. A failsafe in case the weapon is stolen.”

“Clever,” I murmured, examining the pistol more carefully. There was a small indicator on the side, glowing blue. “What’s this for?”

“Power level,” Zehn said. “Blue is full charge. Yellow is half. Red means you have perhaps three shots remaining before it needs recharging.”

“And how do I recharge it?”

Khaaz stepped closer, his scarred body towering over me. “There are power cells in the pack. I’ll show you later.”

Zehn gestured toward a fallen log about twenty meters away. “Try it. Aim for the notch in the center.”

I hesitated, glancing around. “Won’t the sound attract attention?”

Zehn’s mouth curved slightly. “It’s nearly silent. The energy discharge creates a soft heat wave that dissipates quickly.”

I lifted the weapon, sighting along its barrel. The notch in the log was small, maybe three centimeters wide. I took a breath, steadied my aim, and pulled the trigger.

There was no bang, no kickback—just a soft whoosh of air and a flash of blue light. The log exploded at exactly the point I’d aimed, sending splinters flying.

“Holy shit,” I breathed.

Zehn grinned, a predatory expression that shouldn’t have been as attractive as it was. “Again. The tree to the left, the damaged branch.”

I pivoted, sighted, and fired in one fluid motion. The branch disintegrated.

“The stone by the water’s edge,” Khaaz suggested, his voice holding a note I hadn’t heard before—approval?

I hit it dead center, the stone cracking neatly in two.

“Impressive,” Zehn said, and the pride in his voice made something warm unfurl in my chest. “Your aim is exceptional.”

“It’s easier without the recoil,” I admitted. “But thanks.”

“Here,” Khaaz handed me a holster from the pack. “It attaches to your thigh or hip, whichever you prefer.”

I strapped it to my thigh, sliding the pulse pistol into place. It felt right there, a comforting weight against my leg.

“Rodinian females are fierce warriors,” Zehn said, watching me adjust the holster. “It is one of our most valued traits. A strong mate who can defend herself and her young is highly prized.”

I glanced up at him, unsure how to respond to that.

“It is an honor when such a female yields to a warrior,” he continued, his amber eyes holding mine. “Her strength makes her submission a gift, not a weakness.”

My cheeks heated again, but not from embarrassment this time. Something about the way he said it—like he was including me in that category of strong, fierce females—made me stand a little straighter.

“I’m not sure how fierce I am,” I said, “but I can definitely shoot.”

Khaaz approached with another weapon, this one longer, more like a rifle. “This has greater range and power,” he explained. “The principles are the same.”

For the next twenty minutes, they taught me how to use the rifle, adjusting my stance, showing me how to compensate for distance.

To my surprise, I was good at it—really good.

Each shot hit exactly where I aimed, the weapon’s lack of recoil allowing for a precision I’d never achieved with Earth guns.

“Keep them both,” Zehn decided, watching as I disintegrated a fruit hanging from a distant tree. “And these.” He handed me three knives of varying sizes, each with a blade that seemed to shimmer with an inner light.

“Molecular edge,” Khaaz explained, seeing my fascination with the blades. “They’ll cut through most materials with minimal effort.”

I carefully stored the knives in the pack and the holsters they provided. For the first time since being dragged into this mess, I felt something close to confidence. I might not be a seven-foot alien warrior, but I could contribute. I could defend myself.

“We should move,” Khaaz said, scanning the sky. “We’ve been in one place too long.”

We broke camp quickly after that, leaving no trace of our presence.

Zehn took point, leading us through the dense jungle with a silent grace that belied his massive size.

Khaaz brought up the rear, his luminous eyes constantly scanning for threats.

I walked between them, the pulse rifle slung across my back, the pistol secure against my thigh.

The jungle was alive around us, filled with sounds and scents I couldn’t identify.

Strange birds called from the canopy, their cries like nothing I’d heard on Earth.

Small creatures scurried through the undergrowth, some with too many legs, others with none at all.

Under different circumstances, I might have found it fascinating.

Now, each unknown sound made me tense, my hand drifting to the pistol at my thigh.

We moved in silence, the two aliens communicating through gestures and looks I was slowly beginning to decipher.

Every hour or so, they would change positions without a word, Khaaz taking the lead while Zehn fell back to guard our rear.

It was clearly a practiced routine, and I wondered how much of that was due to instincts.

The day wore on, the alien sun tracking across the sky.

Despite my office job and general indoor lifestyle, I kept pace better than I expected.

Maybe it was adrenaline, or maybe something about this planet’s gravity was different from Earth’s.

Either way, I managed to follow Zehn’s punishing pace without complaint, determined not to be dead weight.

As the sun began to set, painting the sky in shades of purple and orange that reminded me how far I was from home, Zehn signaled a halt. He and Khaaz conferred quietly, their deep voices too low for me to catch more than a word or two.

“We’ll make camp here,” Zehn announced, gesturing upward. “The canopy is thick enough to provide cover from aerial surveillance.”

I looked up. The trees here were massive, their trunks wider than cars, their branches creating a dense network overhead. “We’re sleeping in the trees?”

“A hide-high,” Khaaz confirmed. “I’ll secure the perimeter while Zehn constructs it.”

I watched, amazed, as Zehn scaled one of the trees with ease, his claws digging into the bark. He moved through the branches with a grace that seemed impossible for his size, weaving together a platform using materials from his pack and the natural resources around him.

Within half an hour, he had created a sturdy structure nestled among the thickest branches, complete with a small covered area for shelter. He dropped a rope ladder, securing it to a branch.

“Can you climb?” he asked.

I eyed the ladder dubiously. “I think so.”

I grabbed the rope and began to climb, the ladder swaying slightly under my weight. About halfway up, my foot slipped, and I let out a small yelp of surprise.

Instantly, Zehn was there, descending with impossible speed. His strong arm wrapped around my waist, steadying me. “I have you,” he murmured, his breath warm against my ear.

My heart raced, and not just from the near-fall. Being this close to him—feeling the heat of his massive body, breathing in his wild, spicy scent—brought back vivid memories of the dream, of his hands on my body, his mouth...

“I’m okay,” I managed, my voice embarrassingly breathless. “Just slipped.”

He didn’t release me immediately. Instead, he kept his arm around me as we climbed together, supporting most of my weight as if I were no heavier than a child.

When we reached the platform, I was surprised by how spacious it was—large enough for all three of us with room to spare, and surprisingly comfortable.

Khaaz joined us a few minutes later, bringing the rest of our supplies. He handed out portions of the meat he’d preserved from his earlier hunt, now dried and jerky-like. I ate mechanically, suddenly overwhelmed by the day’s events and the bone-deep exhaustion that had been building for hours.

Zehn settled beside me, his massive body radiating heat in the cooling evening air. “Rest,” he said softly. “We have a long journey tomorrow.”

I meant to argue, to insist that I could take a watch shift too, but my eyes were already closing.

The last thing I was aware of was a deep, rumbling sound coming from Zehn’s chest. A soothing, rhythmic vibration that seemed to penetrate my very bones, lulling me into the deepest sleep I’d had since this whole nightmare began.

As consciousness slipped away, I found myself wondering if Khaaz could purr too, and what it would feel like to be held between them both, surrounded by that comforting sound from all sides.