It didn’t look as if she had claws either. Her nails were short and looked uneven, as if she’d used those blunt teeth of hers to grind them off.
No horns, no pattern of ridges along her nose or brow.
The more he looked at her, the stranger she became.
“Waht do yoo thingk abowt dat?”
She was looking at him with an expectant expression, as if she wanted something, and another growl rumbled in his throat.
Blinking at him, her eyes widened just a little but then her mouth spread, her lips twisting upward to show her teeth.
White flat teeth were bared at him in a display of obvious aggression and Riv stood from the hover chair so fast, the thing almost lost buoyancy.
He didn’t know what to make of it.
She had no fangs to challenge with, yet her teeth were bared.
It was so ridiculous, it was almost unbelievable.
He reacted the only way he knew how.
Slamming his palms flat against the table, he leaned in so he was face to face with her, a snarl on his own lips.
Wide eyes blinked back at him and her challenge died as the color drained from her face.
8
Fuck.
This guy, Riv, was intense.
Lauren swallowed hard.
He was so close, she didn’t even dare move.
Don’t grin. Never grin. And don’t let your stomach growl.
Good thing she’d had a year with nothing to do but watch and learn from the many aliens that passed by her terrarium.
But she could have done with Geblit giving her a heads up about this guy. She already had enough disadvantages as it was.
Lauren fought to keep her breathing level as she waited for Riv to back away. She was pretty sure he could rip her throat out with those fangs he was baring so close to her face.
And dammit. She’d just opened her soul to him, giving him the best proposal she could think of concerning why he should let her stay and what had he done? He’d just narrowed his eyes at her and was now snarling in her face.
It was almost as if he didn’t give a shit what she was saying or he didn’t understand what she was saying.
Crap.
She was an idiot.
Of course, he didn’t understand what she was saying.
He didn’t have English downloaded on his translator, she was sure.
That put her at an even greater disadvantage.
Biting her bottom lip, she tried to keep her breathing level.
Green eyes fell to the movement of her lips and she watched in surprise as his snarl died a bit.
His nostrils flared as he suddenly inhaled deeply and his gaze shot back to hers.
Something passed before his eyes before he leaned back, closed his palms into fists, and sat back in the chair, crossing his arms as he did.
He was just staring at her now, and Lauren wasn’t sure what to do.
So they were back to this? Him just looking at her, studying her?
She guessed she should do the same?
Leaning back, she crossed her arms and his gaze followed her movement.
His eyes were so green, they were startling. They stood out from his blue skin.
Looking at him now, she realized he wasn’t much older than she was, either, or if he was, he aged really well.
His nostrils flared again and she noted that the bridge of his nose was a bit wider than a human’s. There was also a column of bumps—ridges?—that ran up his nose and over his brows.
A similar column ran from his bottom lip and down his chin.
With his mouth closed, she’d have never guessed he hid fangs underneath.
His eyes narrowed, a low grumble starting in his chest, when he noticed her gaze lingering on his lips and Lauren looked away quickly.
Maybe that was a challenge too.
Shit.
She was in deep trouble, wasn’t she.
They sat there for many moments, with him just staring at her, until his shoulder heaved in a sigh and he stared at the device he’d used to call Geblit.
For a second, he gripped the device and she wondered if he was going to throw it against a wall like the other one. But he didn’t. Instead, his gaze rose to hers and again she was arrested by his eyes.
He wasn’t snarling now, just looking at her as if wondering what to do with her.
She hadn’t settled enough to realize it before, but…he was handsome. And that was saying something.
Since she’d been taken, she hadn’t noticed any handsome aliens. Attraction hadn’t been on her mind.
It wasn’t on her mind now so she didn’t know where the thought came from, but he was handsome, in a dangerous, forbidden kind of way.
“You kind of remind me of that guy in Avatar,” she said, breaking the silence. “Well, you’re not very similar, you’re just both blue.” She paused. “Was that a bit insensitive? I shouldn’t have said that. I know you can’t understand me either, I don’t even know why I’m talking—”
She was cut off by a growl as Riv stood suddenly.
He looked at her as he passed her. “Follow me,” he motioned with his hands. “And stop nattering.”
The female blinked at him with those large brown eyes of hers.
He couldn’t believe he was about to do this but what choice did he have?
He still had no idea what he was going to do with her, but he couldn’t sit staring at her all day.
And, the more he stared at her, the more her strangeness was beginning to become interesting.
He didn’t need interesting right now.
He had animals to feed and chores to complete.
She stood and followed him without him having to mime what to do and he was happy for that.
Walking down the corridor, he passed his room, as well as the cleansing room, and made his way towards the spare room.
His brother’s bedroom was on the other side of the dwelling and this was the only other room available.
It’d have to do for now.
The light came on as he stepped into the room with
