Page 25 of Tharn’s Hunt (Barbarians of the Dust #2)

I sit up again, wincing at the soreness in my body. "Figure what out, Justine? Because from where I’m sitting, it sure looks like you’ve got this whole alien telepathic survival thing down. Meanwhile, I can’t even tell if Tharn hates me or if he’s just constipated."

Justine snorts, but there’s no humor in it. She runs a hand through her hair, staring at the fire with a furrowed brow. "Look, I know this is going to sound insane, but... I think the planet is alive."

My lashes flutter as I blink at her. " Alive ?” I laugh, but the serious look on her face wipes the mirth from my lips. “Like... what? A giant brain under the sand or something?"

She shoots me an unimpressed look. "No, smartass. Not like that. But there’s something here—particles or... I don’t know, spores or something—that’s doing things to us. To me. To you."

I stiffen, because I saw those particles. Early on, when I met Tharn and saw his glow. I thought I saw pollen in my mind.

"Doing what to us?" I whisper.

Justine hesitates, and for a moment, I think she won’t answer. But then she sighs and rubs the back of her neck. "When I first got here, I was sick too. Fevers, dreams... vivid ones."

I straighten, my pulse quickening. "Dreams?" I’ve had those too. Vivid as she says.

Her eyes flick to mine, and there’s something guarded in her expression.

She nods slowly. "Yeah. At first, I thought they were just fever dreams. I’d see these.

.. particles floating in the air. They’d sink into my skin, my mouth, my lungs.

It felt... strange, but not bad. Like they were changing me somehow. "

I shiver, suddenly hyperaware of the air we’re breathing in.

"And then," Justine continues, her voice quieter now, "there were other dreams. Dreams where I’d see Rok. Only... it wasn’t just seeing him."

Her cheeks flush pink, and she clears her throat, glancing away.

Oh no .

My stomach drops as I realize where this is going.

"And?" I prompt, even though I’m not sure I want the answer.

"And..." She gestures vaguely, her hand flapping in a way that’s supposed to mean something but just leaves me more confused. When I don’t respond, she groans and tries again. "You know. Dreams. Those kinds of dreams ."

Oh God .

I slap a hand over my face, groaning. "Justine, I swear to God, if you’re about to tell me you had sex dreams about an alien?—"

"It wasn’t just dreams!" she blurts out, her voice rising defensively.

"Okay? It was... more than that. I think he imprinted on me or something when we met.

He was glowing, like Tharn is now, and then.

.." She trails off, her hands gesturing awkwardly toward her lap before she widens her eyes meaningfully.

It takes a second for her implication to sink in.

Oh.

Oh no.

Rok has been wearing a loincloth that hardly hides the massive thing beneath it. But Tharn isn’t wearing a loincloth. I’ve gotten used to his lack of sexual bits, but now Justine is telling me something impossible.

"Are you saying he... changed?" I ask, my voice rising in pitch as my brain tries to process this information.

Justine nods, her face redder than I’ve ever seen it. "Physically. Yes. And it was... noticeable."

Kill me. Just kill me now .

I groan loudly, lying back on the stone and covering my face with both hands. "I didn’t need to know that, Justine. I really didn’t."

"You’re the one who asked!" she snaps, clearly embarrassed.

"Not for that! I didn’t need the visual of your alien boyfriend... you know... upgrading himself for you!"

"Well, get used to it," she says, her voice tart. "Because it’s probably going to happen to you, too."

That makes me sit bolt upright again, my heart pounding. "Excuse me?!"

Justine shrugs, avoiding my gaze. "I mean, I don’t know for sure, but... Tharn’s glowing. None of the other males glowed when they met the other women. I think the glowing is a sign."

"A sign of what?" My throat goes dry.

"That he’s bonding with you," she says flatly, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

I stare at her, my brain short-circuiting. "Bonding with me? What does that even mean? Is he going to start... changing too?"

Justine shrugs again, but there’s a knowing look in her eyes that makes me want to scream. "Probably."

My gaze snaps to Tharn's groin against my will. Nothing. Still just... smooth.

Oh God. Probably.

Bonding. Changing. My brain latches on to the words like a lifeline, but the more I think about them, the less sense they make. Or maybe they make too much sense, and that’s what terrifies me.

Because if Tharn is bonding with me—if his glowing, his pacing, his constant hovering is part of some alien ritual—I’m not sure I’m ready for what comes next.

What does that even look like? Am I supposed to... bond back? Is there some alien mating dance I’m about to completely screw up? And what happens when he starts changing? Will I wake up one day to find him... upgraded, like Rok? Do I get a say in the design specs?

The thought makes my stomach flip.

"Great," I mutter finally, trying to shove the swirling mix of panic, confusion, and... something else down where I don’t have to deal with it. "More cryptic answers. Just what I needed."

Now I find I can’t even look in Tharn’s direction.

I fall back against the stone, exhaustion washing over me again.

Maybe it's just the aftermath of nearly dying. Or maybe it's the frustration of being the only one who can't seem to get on board with the whole telepathic alien communication thing.

I close my eyes, trying to block out the strange tension in the cave.

Through my lashes, I catch glimpses of Tharn still pacing, his focus on me, and another shiver goes from my throat to the pit of my belly.

Suddenly, the stone beneath me is too hard.

Every sensation seems heightened, more intense.

I shift, trying to get comfortable, but it's like my body has forgotten how to relax.

"You should rest," Justine says, misinterpreting my restlessness. "You're still recovering."

"I'm fine," I insist, though I'm not entirely sure that's true. "Just... antsy."

Justine studies me for a moment, her expression unreadable. "Uh-huh," she says finally. "Well, try to get some sleep anyway. Rok and I are going to go hunting soon, and you need to conserve your strength."

"You're leaving?" I ask, a spike of anxiety shooting through me. "Both of you?"

"We need food," she says simply. "Fresh food to eat now, not to carry. Tharn will stay with you."

My gaze flicks to Tharn again, who seems to stiffen at Justine's words. His hand goes back to his chest, pressing hard against the glow there.

Great. Just me and the telepathic alien who may or may not be allergic to my existence. Or changing because of it. What could possibly go wrong?

"Fine," I sigh, squeezing my eyes shut. "Go hunt. Bring back something that doesn't taste like sand, if possible."

Justine laughs, the sound echoing in the cave. "I'll do my best. Sleep well, Jacqui."

I don't plan on sleeping. I'm too wired, too overwhelmed by everything that's happened. But as Justine and Rok prepare to leave, my eyelids grow heavy.

Despite my best efforts to stay awake, sleep pulls me under, dragging me down into dreams laced with gold.