Well, except for love interests, I suppose. With them I'm a train wreck.
I shake off that thought.
"Are you laughing?" I ask him.
"I most certainly am, little human. I'm not sure what fornication has to do with anything at this moment, but I find your phrasing entertaining. And your accent is simply adorable."
There's a gleam in his eye, but no smile.
"If I'm entertaining, does that mean you don't plan to do to me what you did to those slimes?"
"Please have no worries about that. I'm perfectly harmless, at least to you. In fact, those were the first beings I have ever killed. Well, fourth, actually," he says this in such a wide-eyed sort of innocence it's almost hard to believe he just dispatched two slimes in a few brief moments.
Almost.
"From the sounds of it, you are very good at killing."
I realize that could be rude and add a hasty amendment. "No offense meant, of course. They totally deserved it and I really don't like violence, so that's saying a lot."
"I agree, but I propose we vacate the area quickly and find a safer place to talk. I must admit that I have been in a bit of a daze dealing with the aftereffects of using my venom and I'm not making very sound decisions right now."
His ears swivel around and he moves his eyes away from me. "We shouldn't stay here."
I suddenly remember Silver when he mentions leaving.
"There's another woman inside the ship. She was injured, and I had to put her back in one of the cryochambers." His eyes turn back to me as I point. "The access is on the top of the ship."
He glances over to where I gesture.
"I'll need to return for her after I find a good hiding place for you," he replies.
It sounds reasonable, but I'm not sure I can leave her. "Will you be able to find the ship again?"
"Yes, easily," comes his confident reply.
My hands clench and unclench as I chide myself to leave it at that, but of course I don't. "Her safety is more important. I can just hide in a bush or something."
He growls, the sound rumbling through me. "I disagree. It won't take long until I can come back."
My heart pounds and I want to push the issue again, but what if he decides we're too much trouble?
My nails are digging into my palms so hard the nails are sending spikes of pain up my wrists and I focus on relaxing one finger at a time until I'm under control again.
It's hard to force the word out, but I manage. "Alright."
I realize then that I've decided to trust him.
This makes me uneasy, because I just met him, but it also brings a bigger feeling of relief that I won't be alone out among those trees with no actual idea what the hell I'm doing.
I push any analysis of my feelings aside and focus on logistics. "I can walk now, if you like."
He makes a soft rumbling sound and his hands tighten slightly on me before he shifts his body to gently place me on the ground. He gives me a pat on my butt, making my eyes widen, but he does it in such a nonchalant way I doubt he knows it isn't socially acceptable.
"Good. I should check the genali for anything useful."
I nod to him in response, then realize that the gesture may make little sense.
"That sounds like a good plan," I say instead.
