He turned around to face me and walked back to my side, giving me a sad smile. He placed both hands on his chest.
“Xylo.”
“Xylo?”
He nodded his head, his smile brightening. He thumped his chest a few more times, repeating, “Xylo.”
I eyed his vines as they drifted toward me, the teal flower ends almost touching me as they waved.
“Xylo.”
I suddenly realized what he was doing. He was telling me his name and was asking me for my own. The only problem was I didn’t have a name other than the Yaarkin-issued experiment code name 5313-3F. I paused for a minute, mulling over my options.
I decided to start over.
A new beginning. A new life. A new name.
At least, I hoped things would be different. His behavior and treatment of me seemed to indicate it would be. I needed to make sure I said my blessing to the Stars—or Fates? Destiny? Or whoever had decided to rescue me from my troubles.
Not now though—later.
I reached out to grasp one of the vines waving in front of me, hoping a handshake was universal. Well, hand-vine shake? The vine was smooth and felt cool as it moved in my hand. Its flowered tip brushed the palm of my hand. I returned his gentle smile.
“Selena.”
“Sea—leen—nah.” He focused on trying to say my new name correctly. His purple-fuzz-covered blue lips worked over the syllables. “Seen—lah?”
And that’s when it hit me—I wasn’t afraid of him.
He had a peaceful demeanor. I’d had no experience with that. In my experience, males were violent, arrogant, and egotistical—taking what they wanted without regard for others. Whereas, Xylo was gentle when he could’ve easily overpowered me. He was even taking the time to learn to speak my name.
That spoke volumes.
I reminded myself to be wary—it would be foolish to trust blindly—but I could give him the benefit of the doubt. And watch. Of course, that still didn’t explain the sudden attraction I had to him nor why I felt so comfortable around him...
“See-na-lah... See-la-nah?” Xylo’s brow furrowed in concentration as he tried to shape the foreign sounds.
Smiling sweetly, I spoke, enunciating each word, “Selena. Xylo. Selena.”
“Selena. Xylo. Selena.” He repeated, looking deep into my eyes.
I cheered, then with a celebratory giggle, leaned forward to grab another vine, pulling him closer. The sudden movement startled Xylo, and he tripped, catching himself with his hands and knees on the bed.
I let go of the vines to cradle his face with my hands and look into his bright teal eyes—currently scanning mine in bewilderment. His remaining vines extended to the bed on either side of me in an attempt to keep from crushing me.
Giddy with the promise of a new beginning and the pleasure of hearing a gorgeous male calling me by my new name, I pulled his face closer to mine.
Our lips met.
His were as soft as I’d thought they’d be when I first saw that faint downy covering. To my surprise, the tiny hairs made my own lips tingle. Without warning, his vines slid around me, pulling me tight against his body. It didn’t matter. I was lost in the kiss. I nibbled at his bottom lip and felt the tickling of the soft, purple fuzz against my lips. Whatever it was, it made me feel amazing.
I gasped and snapped out of the trance I’d fallen into.
I was sitting on his lap, legs wrapped around his torso, just above his petal-like hip blades. The vines still pressed me tightly to him, and his grass-like hair was threaded between my fingers.
Before I could pull away in embarrassment at virtually attacking him, he cupped my face with his soft hands and leaned his forehead against mine, his eyes closed. The nagging headache I’d been peripherally aware of cleared, and I closed my eyes in relief.
“Selena,” he whispered against my lips.
“Xylo...” I replied breathlessly.
A warm feeling washed over me.
For the second time in my life, I felt truly safe.
“You will be safe with me. I promise, Selena. You have nothing to fear,” a familiar deep voice spoke to me in my mind. “You. Honor. Me.”
Chapter Four Selena
I opened my eyes and stared at him in confusion.
Had I heard his voice in my head just now?
I knew—from him–species existed with psionic abilities, able to accomplish amazing things with their minds. He’d prepared me to encounter them, teaching me to strengthen my mental shields so I’d be able to protect myself.
Was Xylo such a being? Had his lessons been insufficient? Xylo should never have been able to breach my shields—he had said they were strong!
“What was that?” I blurted in English, trying not to freak out.
Xylo’s face cycled through a range of emotions before he steadied his face into a static blankness. He dropped his hands from my face and unwrapped the vines around me. Placing his hands on my hips, he lifted me off his lap before easing me back onto the bed. Xylo wrapped his vines around his torso and moved to the chair, facing me.
Silence fell between us, and I questioned what I’d done to ruin the moment. Had my injuries made me delusional? Was I fabricating voices in my head?
Xylo leaned forward and took my hands in his own, his teal gaze intent on mine.
“You are not delusional. Somehow you bonded yourself to me, allowing me to communicate with you, mind-to-mind,” Xylo spoke gently to me. “The bond allowed me past your natural shields. No one could get past them until now.”
A swarm of questions overwhelmed me, and I couldn’t process how I felt about this new information. Were all my thoughts now known? Did I no longer have any privacy? What exactly had I done? Was this accidental bonding permanent? Could I remove it?
I began to panic as I realized I’d tied myself to another being—even if it had been an accident. Especially since I’d just escaped the masters who’d
