Even the circular lumps I believed were gourds are instead fleshy mounds rising from his chest.

Every muscle in my being tenses. Every instinct roars to life. My skin flashes bright, probably alerting every shadowmaw in our vicinity, then dims, then flashes bright again—responding to a surge of…something I have no name for.

Slow steps carry me forward, the leaf clutched tight in my claw, water forgotten for one breathless moment as I struggle to comprehend what my eyes tell me.

My nostrils flare as I inhale, and⁠—

Something inside me cracks.

The scent hits me like a strike to the chest. Something rich, something designed to be consumed, to be taken. My vision darkens at the edges, my fangs lengthening, an unfamiliar snarl twisting in my throat.

My body moves before my mind can stop it.

I pin the creature down.

His skin is hot beneath my claws, moisture-slicked and trembling. A weak protest dies on his lips.

My breath ghosts over his throat, then lower, drinking in his scent like it’s precious water in the dry season. I don’t understand it. Don’t know why my body reacts this way, why my gut clenches with a need so sudden, so absolute, it makes my muscles seize.

But then I reach his lower gut.

And the scent there—gods, the scent there.

A deep, primal growl tears from my chest, the sound surprising even me.

Something wakes inside me. Something old. Something lethals.

This is no male.

This is something else.

Something meant for me.

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Chapter 9

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FIRST AID ACROSS GALAXIES: RESULTS MAY VARY

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JUSTINE

Everything hurts. Out of seemingly nowhere, my skin goes on fire, and the heat has somehow seeped into my bones. Every movement sends fresh waves of agony rolling through me, and my limbs feel like they’ve been replaced with lead.

My skin is burning, but not just from fever. It’s as if something deeper pulses beneath the surface. A restless, gnawing heat. I twist, trying to rid myself of the sensation, my thighs pressing together as a familiar ache throbs between them. What the hell? I haven’t been touched in months, years, but my body is reacting like I’m being teased by invisible hands. A whimper escapes my lips, and I bite down hard.

This isn’t normal. This isn’t me.

When I open my eyes, the cave is empty.

The alien? Gone.

He left.

A strange hollowness settles in my chest. Something I’d rather not think about too closely. I should be glad he’s gone.

This is my chance. I can get out now. Head back to the bus.

But when I try to stand, my legs buckle. The world tilts, nausea clawing up my throat. It takes all my strength just to crawl to the cooler stone in the corner of the cave.

“Get up,” I whisper to myself. “Come on, Justine. Get up. You’ve got this. You’re not dying in a cave in the center of this fucking amped-up Sahara.”

The rational part of my brain whispers about heat exhaustion, dehydration, and the dangers of overheating. But rational thought is becoming harder to hold on to because of this rising fever.

God, my clothes. They’re sticking to my skin, making everything feel worse. With fumbling fingers, I tear off my top, then my shoes, then my pants—anything to cool down. The stone feels blissfully cool against my burning skin, but the relief is short-lived.

“Water,” I croak, but there is no one to hear me. My last water packet is still in my bag, but I can’t bring myself to touch it. If I use it now, I’ll have nothing left for the trip back.

Oh fuck. Is this how I die? Curled in a ball in an alien cave, slow-cooked from the inside out while Jacqui waits for me to come back? She’ll never know what happened to me. None of them will.

A sound at the cave entrance jerks me back to awareness.

At first, I think it’s one of those creatures from earlier. But no.

Through fever-blurred vision, I see him—the alien. He’s standing there, something clutched in his hand, his entire body gone rigid as he stares at me.

He came back.

I can’t believe it. He came back for me.

I try to speak, to ask for help, but all that comes out is a weak moan. My eyes flutter shut, but I force them open again just in time to see the soft glow that had emanated from his skin before suddenly flare bright. I swear I see stars…and they’re under his skin. His light flickers and dims, then flares again, like a heartbeat gone haywire. His eyes seem to change too—the pupils contracting to pinpoints before expanding to consume nearly the entire iris.

I should be afraid. Definitely afraid.

Instead, I’m transfixed.

The alien makes a sound—a low rumble that’s somewhere between a growl and a purr. It vibrates deep in his chest, sending a strange shiver down my spine. He moves toward me slowly. Stalking rather than walking.

I should run.

Instead, I whisper, “Please.”

I’m not even sure what I’m asking for. Help? Mercy? Water? All the above?

Before I can process what’s happening, he’s on me. One moment, he’s across the cave, and the next, his much larger body is looming over mine, pinning me to the ground.

Panic flares through me, but I’m too weak to fight him off.

“W-what…” All the panic and my voice comes out as a whisper.

He’s so close. Too close. His massive body cages mine, his weight pressing down on me, one of his hands pinning both of my wrists above my head. Through my delirium, I register the solid heat of him, the overwhelming presence of him, and the way his glowing skin seems to pulse with every ragged breath.

His face is so close to mine that I can feel his breath on my skin. Then he dips lower, his nose featherlight along my neck as he inhales, pulling air into his lungs so deeply that it sends a shiver through me.

Oh my god. He’s scenting me.

Great. I survived an alien abduction only to die because I forgot deodorant!

“Okay,” I mutter, but my voice shakes. “This…is fine. Totally normal alien behavior.” But the words don’t sound convincing, even to me.

He growls again, the sound vibrating through my chest. His nose continues its slow path down my collarbone, his breath warm against my fevered skin. Each place he touches sends conflicting signals through my body—part alarm, part something else I really don’t want to focus on.

“Seriously,” I croak, squirming weakly beneath him. “What are you doing?”

He freezes. His golden eyes meet mine, and for a moment, there’s something almost…human in his expression. Confusion.

But then his gaze drops and I remember I’m only in my bra and panties. His growl returns, louder this time. The light beneath his skin concentrates along his chest and throat, forming intricate patterns that seem to flicker with his quickening heartbeat.

Oh no.

Oh no, no, no.

His pupils blow wide, swallowing the gold of his irises until only a thin ring remains.

“Wait,” I try, my voice cracking. “Don’t⁠—”

But I don’t get the chance to finish. His head dips lower, and I feel his nose trail down my stomach, leaving a burning path in its wake.

“You really don’t want to,” I whisper, but the words are weak, swallowed by the fever and the weight of him pressing me into the stone.

Then his face is there—between my thighs.

My entire body jerks in shock, every nerve firing at once.

“What the hell are you—” All the words disappear from my lips as he inhales deeply. The sound that comes from him is like an animal catching the scent of prey.