Page 7

His expression darkens, and for a moment, I think he’s going to laugh or cuss me out.

But he doesn’t. Instead, he leans forward, the dim light spilling through the small window casting jagged shadows across his face, accentuating the harsh angles of his sharp cheekbones and the hard set of his jaw.

His piercing silver eyes lock onto mine, pinning me in place.

I want to look away, but I don’t.

“And why would I help you?” he drawls, suspicion thick in his voice.

I swallow past the sudden dryness in my throat. “Because I’m offering you a way out of here. And because, right now, I’m the only person in this entire village willing to trust you,” I say, forcing a thread of confidence into my voice. Confidence I don’t actually feel.

In reality, it feels like my knees are going to give way at any moment, but I lock them into place, refusing to let him see how nervous I am and how badly I want to run.

The chains clink again as he tilts his head, considering me. “You’d better explain yourself quickly, little female.” His voice is a deep growl that sends a shiver down my spine. “Before I decide you’re more trouble than I want to deal with.”

“My name is Emily, not little female. Lily…” I pause and clear the lump that has formed in my throat. “The missing human—the one that was taken by the anuroi—is my cousin, Lily.”

His expression doesn’t change, but there’s a noticeable shift in the air between us. “And you think I care about your cousin?” he asks, unimpressed.

I clench my fists and force myself to hold his gaze. “No. I don’t think you care about her, but I think you care about yourself. If you agree to help me find her, I’ll let you out of here. No more chains. You’ll be free.”

Vrok leans back against the wall and watches me in silence. “I might have freedom, but I’d be an outcast, exiled from the tribe. No home, no tribe. What kind of life is that?”

I hesitate, then say quietly, “Back on Earth, we’ve fought entire wars for freedom. A lot of people have died for it. We think it’s worth something.”

Vrok exhales roughly. He shakes his head, like he’s not sure whether to scoff or agree with me. Then, he tilts his head. “And what’s to stop me from leaving you behind the moment you release me?”

I swallow hard. My pulse is hammering in my ears. If I can’t convince him, then I’ll have to go into the jungle alone. And the chances of me surviving the jungle on this planet by myself are not good.

I take a steadying breath and meet his gaze head-on. “Because you’re not like your father.”

The words drop between us like a stone into still water. His jaw tightens. Something flickers across his face too fast for me to figure out what it is.

“I know what the rest of the village thinks about you,” I continue, my voice softer now. Vrok’s detainment and the accusations were a hot topic around the fire tonight. “They think you’re just like him. That you betrayed your people to the Pugj, but I don’t think you would.”

Vrok snorts. It’s a sharp, bitter sound that makes me flinch. “You don’t even know me.”

“You’re right,” I admit, taking a step closer to him despite every warning in my head telling me not to. “I don’t know you, but I know what it’s like to be underestimated. To have people assume the worst about you without even giving you a chance to prove them wrong.”

His gaze snaps to mine, and the intensity of it makes my chest tighten.

He looks at me like he’s trying to see through every layer of me at once, like he’s searching for the catch.

The lie. But I hold his stare, even though my knees want to buckle under the weight of it.

I won’t look away. I want him to know I mean it.

Finally, Vrok exhales and shakes his head. “So, what’s your plan, then?” he asks, voice dripping with skepticism. “You’re just a fragile little human. What makes you think you’ll survive out there?”

“I don’t know if I will,” I reply before taking a deep breath and plunging ahead, “But I have a better chance with you. I’m depending on you. You know this planet and you know how to survive it.”

Vrok drops his silver eyes to his bound wrists. His voice is low, almost reluctant. “You’re safer if you face reality. Your cousin is gone.”

His words hit like a blow to the chest, stealing the air from my lungs. For a moment, I can’t speak, can’t think. Gone. That word echoes in my mind like a death knell.

I shake my head and force the words past my lips. “She’s not. You don’t know that.”

His silver eyes lift back to mine, shadowed with something that looks like pity. I want to scream at him. I want to stomp my feet. I don’t need his pity. I just need his help.

Vrok releases a breath through his nose. “I’ve seen what the anuroi leave behind.” His voice is barely above a whisper, almost like he doesn’t want me to hear. “It’s not survivable.”

I shake my head, the lump in my throat threatening to choke me. “Then she’s the exception. Lily is strong. She’s smart. If anyone can survive this damn planet, it’s her.”

Taking another deep breath to push down on the pressure that suddenly seems to be sitting on my chest, I continue, “I can’t live with myself if I don’t try,” I say, the words tumbling out before I can stop them.

“I don’t care what the odds are. She’s out there, Vrok, and she’s waiting for me.

I can feel it. If you won’t help me, I’ll go alone.

But I’m not going to sit here and do nothing. ”

The silence between us is suffocating. My pulse pounds in my ears, ticking down the seconds as I wait for his answer. I can see the battle waging behind his cold silver eyes as he studies me. The weight of it settles on my chest, squeezing tightly and making it hard to take a breath.

He’s going to say no.

Of course, he is. Why would he agree? He’s made it clear how he feels about us humans. His sharp tongue and scathing glares have said as much from the start. So, why would he help me?

Still, I can’t stop myself from hoping.

But as the seconds drag into something unbearable, that flicker of hope starts to die. He hasn’t moved. He hasn’t spoken. He hasn’t even blinked. This is it. This is his way of dismissing me.

I’ll have to go alone. Sneak out of the village, disappear into the jungle, and?—

He exhales, long and slow, shaking his head. “Chief Daggir already sent warriors to search the area where she was taken.”

I blink, his words colliding with my racing thoughts. He’s not outright refusing me, but he’s not agreeing either. My stomach twists with frustration.

My hands clench at my sides. “They won’t find her.”

Vrok snorts, shaking his head. “Of course they won’t. She wouldn’t be there any longer.” His voice is laced with disdain, as if the very idea is laughable. “An anuroi wouldn’t waste a meal that large. If it took her, it carried her back to the nesting grounds.”

A chill races down my spine, but I refuse to let his words shake me. “Then that’s where I need to go.”

“You’re reckless,” he mutters. His voice is tinged with exasperation. “Reckless, and stubborn, and completely out of your depth.”

“Maybe.” I lift my chin and grip the straps of my satchel tighter. “But I’m still going.”

For the first time, his expression softens—just a fraction. Then, with a slow, measured exhale, he lifts his hands and presents his wrists to me.

“Release me, little female,” he murmurs. “And let’s see if you’re as brave as you pretend to be.”