Page 13

Trex

BEFORE I COULD TALK myself into waiting, I was standing in front of the doors to the human females quarters.

The door opened, and I found myself staring at the fiery-haired being who had caught my eye.

I released a breath at the sight of her. She was more beautiful than I had remembered.

My marks burned with intensity, causing me to reach out to touch my chest, only to retract my hand at the last moment.

When she spoke, the air seemed to freeze in my lungs for a moment.

“Captain, What are you doing here?” Her eyes lit up as she looked at me with rosy cheeks.

My heart was pounding and my mouth felt parched.

I swallowed to moisten my throat before speaking.

“Call me Trex.” My voice ended up sounding rougher than I intended.

Her brows knitted together, and she hesitated, then offered her hand to me. “I’m Grace.”

She cleared her throat and repeated it, adding another name. “Grace Evans,” she said before running her small pink tongue over her lower lip.

“Grace.” I repeated her name, enjoying the melodic and sweet cadence it carried.

Her expectant gaze lingered on me, and I glanced down at her outstretched hand, unfamiliar with this human gesture.

In the end, I trusted my instincts and gently clasped her delicate hand, savoring the tingling warmth that radiated between our palms.

Leaning in, I planted a gentle kiss on the top, and an overwhelming feeling of warmth washed over me, making my heart race.

My mating marks crackled with electricity the moment our skin connected. I knew they would become brighter and more noticeable.

Surely the edges would become visible to everyone in the room even with my chest being partly covered.

I pushed my shoulders back, waiting for her to notice.

Despite her surprise, Grace’s eyes remained fixed on mine. She hesitated before releasing my hand, taking a deep breath and biting her lip. The flush on her cheeks intensified.

The weight of disappointment caused my shoulders to droop.

Grace seemed unaware of my mating marks and made no mention of them.

Did she not feel the same strong connection between us as I did?

Despite Grace failing to see she was my mate, I dedicated a moment to studying her face, memorizing her features.

Her nose had small brown spots that extended onto her cheeks. With ample hips and voluptuous breasts, she appeared delicate and soft.

Freshly showered, she no longer wore the clothes we had found her in during the rescue. Her attire comprised a tunic, a garment provided to guests for comfort.

Her natural scent, amidst the fragrance of the ship’s cleansers, was captivating and alluring. The scent of Alaran Sola flowers mingled with the aroma of ripe varkin berries.

Taking a deep breath, I savored her intoxicating fragrance.

My eyes grazed over her once more, taking in her curves and the way her skin glowed in the artificial light. Then they skimmed the front of her tunic where her pert nipples poked against the fabric.

I immediately regretted it and let my eyes drop to her bare legs. Swallowing hard, I made eye contact again.

She pouted, after following my gaze down to her legs. “The pants didn’t fit. I might be curvy, but I am not as big as the rest of you.” She chuckled nervously, looking self-conscious under my intense gaze.

“You are perfect,” I said, my voice low and husky. “But I will find you more appropriate clothing, so you will be more comfortable.”

She cleared her throat, but I caught her pupils flare before her eyes dropped, and she looked at me through thick lashes. “Why are you here?”

Angling my head, I said, “I am here to see you.”

Her breath caught, and she murmured. “Why?”

My original intent was to find out her name.

However, now that I was here, I couldn’t bear the thought of parting ways with her just yet.

With little deliberation, I voiced the first thought that entered my head. “Would you care to join me on a tour of the ship?” I grinned at her . Please say yes .

In that moment of silence, a sense of unease settled in, as I braced myself for the possibility of her refusal.

My hands twitched, alternating between clenching and unclenching at my sides.

While assessing me, she bit her bottom lip.

“Just me? Wouldn’t you like to give us all a tour?” She pointed with her thumb to the females behind her.

I tilted my head to one side. “Should they be interested, one of my warriors can take them around the ship. Right now, I hope to spend time with you .”

Her hand rested on her chest. “Me? Why me?”

Did she have no idea that I was drawn to her?

“It’s safe to say that you have me captivated.” I smirked as I noticed her breath catch once more.

“Oh.” She flushed and licked her lips again before biting down on the bottom one, then turned to glance at the females who were watching with interest.

Two of them nodded a silent encouragement. The female who’d called herself a pilot glared at me, but I ignored her and moved my eyes back to Grace.

She half shrugged and then answered. “Okay.”

I stepped into the corridor and watched as she turned to wave to the other females then stepped out next to me, letting the door close behind her.