She pushed the long handle down and pulled the heavy door. Her hands shook, and she held her breath. She didn’t know what she would find.
Inside, the room was dim and had a musty smell, like the stale air in a chest closed up for too long. She stepped in slowly. A tiny voice whispered in the back of her mind to slam the door and retreat. She ignored the fear. Yet, when she opened her mouth, no sound would come out.
It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the light. The room was worse than she remembered. The bare stone walls and floor were cold and unwelcoming. There was no place to sit down. But there was a place to be chained up—and that’s where she found him.
The alien was locked against the wall, held in place by rusted manacles. He hung limp, the metal biting into his skin as it held him up. Dark spots had formed on his face and naked chest as if he had been beaten while held in place. There were no cameras in this room, so she’d not been able to see what happened.
She shut the door, closing them in. Keys hung on the wall, and she grabbed them. “Are you awake?”
Ice blue eyes opened to look at her. They froze her in mid-action.
“Can you…?” She forced herself to stand before him. “Can you understand me?”
He continued to stare.
“Of course not. Why would you speak English?” She gave a derisive laugh.
The alien opened his mouth and made a gurgling noise as if he were being strangled.
“Shh, quiet. I’m not here to hurt you.” She dared to touch his arm, and the noise stopped. His skin was cool to the touch. He jerked away from her fingers.
“You smell like fall,” she whispered in awe. “Like spice cake and pinecones.”
He didn’t move, didn’t signify he understood.
“Don’t make me regret this, but…” She lifted the key slowly to the manacle on his arm. “But you don’t understand a damn thing I’m saying, do you? That’s okay. I’m not exactly sure how to start explaining things to you, anyway. I mean, you have no reason to trust me. I wouldn’t if I were you. Though, I am sorry. I wish I could make you understand at least that much.”
She slipped the key in and paused.
“Please don’t hurt me.” She turned the key in the lock. The manacle clicked open, releasing him.
Before she could blink, a hand was on her throat and she was pressed awkwardly against the wall. Cool flesh met her arm where they touched. She resisted the urge to fight.
“I’m trying to help you,” she whispered. She lifted the hand holding the keys. “Please, let me help.”
He moved his gaze to where she jingled the keys…and then slowly released her.
Elle took a shaky breath as she moved to unlatch his ankles, keeping an eye on him for movement. She glanced over her shoulder at the door before reaching to unlatch the last one. Her mouth felt dry, and she licked her lips. She pushed the key inside the lock. The latch opened, and she paused. Seconds ticked by before she lowered her hands.
“I—”
The word barely made it out of her mouth before he had her pinned to the stone wall again. His hands gripped her arms as he lifted her off the ground. His body turned, pinning her legs with the side of his thigh. Hard eyes bore into hers.
“I’m trying to help you,” she said. “We don’t have time for this. Please, this is the only chance I’ll get. When they find out I stole the?—”
The alien shifted his body and leaned his face closer.
She gasped, tensing, but instead of a headbutt—he kissed her.
The cold lips pressed to hers, and she stiffened in shock. His eyes didn’t close, and hers stayed open wide. His lips didn’t move, but they didn’t have to. The intimate contact sent a shiver over her. An odd vibrating started along her body, and she jerked her lips away.
“Earthquake,” she said in shock.
Only, it wasn’t. The vibration was coming from him.
He studied her a moment before releasing her. Her legs were weak from the contact and she fell to the ground. The alien ran for the door before she could stop him. He flung it open.
“Wait!” Elle ordered, she surged to her feet and rushed after him, only to find him going the wrong way down the hall. He’d end up in the mess hall or the dorms where everyone slept. She grabbed his arm, pulling hard to get him to stop. When he looked at her, she gestured that he should follow her.
