Jesse stared at the glass like it was filled with poison. Her eyes moved nervously to his. The only reason she finally accepted it was because the look in his eyes promised if she refused he might just pour it down her throat.
Her hand was shaking so badly she spilled a small amount on the bedcovers. She spilt a little more when she heard him emit a low dark curse in his own language. At least, she suspected it was a curse as his hands covered hers to keep the glass steady.
“I said…,” she began before her voice faded at the dangerous look in his eyes.
“I know,” he bit out. “I am not to touch you. That is not an option. You are weak. You will get weaker if you cannot get nourishment and liquids. Carp said you must be fed. Your body is sick. The medicine he gave you will work better if you eat.”
Jesse opened her mouth as he pressed the glass to her lips. She took several sips before leaning weakly back against the wall. She sighed with relief when he set the glass back down on the table.
“Why are you helping us?” She asked, confused.
Hunter stared at Jesse’s pale face. He had not really noticed the faint dots that covered her nose before. He liked the dots, he decided. He also liked her nose. It was small and stuck out further than the females from his world and did not have the ridges across the top. He wondered what it would be like to touch the smooth skin.
His gaze swept over the tangle of dark brown hair that fell around her shoulders. He liked it, too. His hands itched to tangle in the long strands. Those feelings confused him. It was not like him to want to touch a female’s hair.
Bree had dressed her in one of the long tunics the Trivator females liked to wear over their leggings. It hung on her slender frame. She needed more meat on her. He was afraid he would break her until she had more on her.
His eyes moved up to her lips. They were also fuller than the females of his world. He had never thought about lips as being attractive before but he liked how full hers were and how they curved upward at the corner, as if she smiled a lot. He wondered if they tasted differently from the Trivator females he had bedded.
He frowned as he thought of her words. “Why did you help me escape?” He asked instead. “You risked your life? Why?”
..*
Jesse stared at the alien blocking her way to freedom. She fought to keep her eyes from moving to the door. She didn’t want him to know that she was thinking of the different methods of escape that she was planning. Granted, she was weak but she could already feel her strength and determination returning. She had to find her sisters. He said they were next door.
She lowered her head and raised a shaking hand to push her hair back while she looked at the table near the bed. There was a large metal pitcher on it. If she could grab it and hit him hard enough she could knock him out. There was also a metal lamp. She just needed to distract him long enough to grab one or the other.
She raised her head and looked out the window. It was dark outside. That would work in their favor as well. They would just need to find a way off the compound. She had seen a few of the ‘camps’ the aliens set up. Each had some type of force field around them. Every ten feet there was a device they stuck in the ground. It had the same effect as an electrified barb wire fence. If she could destroy one of the devices, it would take out one section of the barrier.
She looked back at the alien who she had helped. Shrugging her shoulders, she forced herself to relax back against the wall. She needed time to gather her courage.
“I heard a truck coming down the road,” she replied, looking into his eyes. “It isn’t safe to be found. I knew I had to find a place to hide. It just happened to be in the same place they were going. I planned on just waiting until they either left again or it was safe enough to escape back out into the streets but then I heard what they planned to do to you,” she paused and glanced at the water.
Hunter reached over, picked up the glass and handed it to her. She gave a faint smile of thanks and sipped the refreshing liquid. She frowned down into the clear water. It tasted like water but she felt – stronger after drinking a little.
“There are nutrients added to help you heal,” he said, seeing the frown of confusion on her face. “It gives you vitamins and minerals that will help your body heal faster and give you strength.”
“Like a vitamin drink on steroids,” she murmured before drinking a little more.
“You were telling me why you would risk your life for mine,” he encouraged, sitting back again.