Chapter 7

Rhys"s mind was spinning. Explosives. That stuff the others had made him mine was explosives?! He could barely wrap his head around it.

Why didn"t they tell him? What were they planning? His stomach twisted into knots, alarm and confusion tumbling over each other.

But right now, that wasn"t the only thing he had to face.

Taryn"s eyes blazed with fury. He rounded on Rhys, the human falling back against the cave wall. "How much did you know?!"

Rhys"s heart thundered in his chest, caught between the fear of a predator"s rage and the sheer force of Taryn"s presence. The weight of the Borraq"s strength pinned him in place, the unyielding cave wall behind him stopping any chance of escape. "I — I didn"t know anything about that, I swear!"

Taryn"s snarl was threatening. "Liar. You were with them. You knew what they were planning."

"No, I didn"t!" Rhys protested, the words bursting from him in a mix of desperation and indignance. "They told me they were just miners! I thought we were just here to dig up rocks and get paid for it, that"s all!"

He shoved back against Taryn"s hold, defiance warring with despair. "I was just a worker! A laborer! I was here to dig, to haul, and then get paid for it — that"s all I"m good for, that"s all I wanted to do! I never signed up for any of this bombing crap!"

His voice rose, thick with a mix of anger and despair. "I was never part of your damn war! I"m just a human trying to survive, trying to pay off his debts and make a life for himself, not — not get involved in any of this!"

Rhys"s shout echoed in the cave, the sound of his own voice ringing back at him. He was caught in a mix of emotions, each one tearing through him.

Despair, as he realized that the miners had seen him as nothing more than a tool, to be used for their own ends and then discarded. He was as disposable as the machinery he"d operated.

Anger at being so callously manipulated.

And at the same time, a burning, furious sense of denial. He couldn"t be part of a terrorist plot. He couldn"t be a willing accomplice to a plan that would harm an entire city, alien or not.

He may have been worthless space trash — but he wasn"t that low.

Fury burned hot in his chest, a mix of anger at the miners and a deep, seething rage at the unjust world that had pushed him into their arms. "I"m no damn terrorist!"

Taryn"s eyes had been fierce as he pinned Rhys in place, but now that same gaze was assessing, searching. His stare roved over Rhys"s face, as if looking for any hint of deception.

After a long moment, Taryn"s expression softened. It was only a fraction of a second, gone in the blink of an eye, but Rhys saw it.

Taryn believed him.

Taryn stepped back, releasing Rhys from the cage of his body and the wall. As Taryn stepped back, a tense look crossed his face. He turned on his heel, staring at the young warriors who were gawking at them. "Get ready to move. Now."

The young Borraq jumped at the order, clearly recognizing the tone of their leader"s command.

Taryn eyed the explosive container. His jaw was set, a hard line on his face. He looked like a predator about to chase down its prey. "We need to start the hunt immediately. The humans can"t have gotten far. They need to be found, and they need to be found now. We"re moving out."

Taryn turned back to Rhys, his green eyes blazing. "And you"re coming with us."

"I — what? Why?"

Taryn"s jaw was set. "To stop this, I need any tool at my disposal. You"re coming with me. You"re going to help me hunt down your fellow humans."

Rhys swallowed, then looked Taryn in the eyes. "They"re not my fellow anything. Let"s go."

They ran all day and into the night, a grueling marathon that saw them crossing miles of unforgiving Vasz terrain. Rhys had never breathed air so thick with life, so untainted by the smell of metal and fuel. Despite the hardship, his whole body aching with each step, there was a kind of rapture to it.

He"d grown up on space stations and cramped colony ships, surrounded by recycled air and the hum of machinery. He"d visited more planets than most, but they"d all been polluted by human touch, the wilderness tamed and covered in concrete. To experience a world as wild and untamed as Vasz…

If this was the kind of planet that the Borraq were fighting to protect, Rhys could understand their determination.

When Taryn finally called for a break, none of them were too proud to refuse. They made camp at the edge of a roaring waterfall, its mist cooling the air. As Krye and Jorah set up a temporary shelter, Soren and Worrack gathered firewood, and Taryn scouted the area for any signs of danger.

In the moments of downtime, as the fire crackled and the sound of the waterfall filled the air, Rhys had a chance to observe the Borraq in a non-combative setting.

Despite the fact that their faces were alien, their bodies were much the same as humans". When they laughed and jostled each other, their camaraderie was familiar. As they ate a simple meal of roasted meat — best not to think about what kind of alien beast it came from — and rough bread, there was nothing in their interactions that set them apart from any group of soldiers sharing a moment of rest.

Taryn was a harsh leader, demanding nothing but the best from his men — but he also shared in their hardships, eating the same simple meal and enduring the same tiredness at the end of a long day. He jested with his men, his deep voice joining in with their lighter tones. When he thought no one else was looking, a rare smile crossed his face, free of any burdens.

In moments like these, the Borraq weren"t the enemy. Despite their horns and golden skin, they were simply men, far from their homes, enduring the hardships of a long campaign.

As Rhys watched the flames dance and listened to the warriors" tired but contented conversation, a new kind of longing filled him. He found himself wishing that he could call a place like this home, that he could fight for something as pure and untamed as Vasz.

But a man like him could never belong on a world like this. He was as much of a creature of cities and steel as any other human, through and through. This kind of life was meant for other men.

Rhys flinched as Taryn knelt beside him, the Borraq"s piercing green eyes scrutinizing Rhys"s condition. "How is your shoulder?"

"What— oh, yeah." Rhys had completely forgotten it. That little alien pill had done its work. "Um, it"s fine. The rest of me feels like it"s been chewed up and spat out, but my shoulder feels okay. Not bad for alien first aid," Rhys said with a small grin, hoping to lighten the mood. "You"d make a pretty good medic."

Taryn shot a quick look at Rhys, something wary in his expression. Rhys realized that the Borraq wasn"t sure if Rhys was making fun of him or not. "I would not. I am a warrior."

Rhys grinned. "I don"t know, I bet one day all this proud warrior stuff is going to get boring. I could see you tending to coughing infants and listening to old peoples" complaints all day."

Something tugged at the stern set of Taryn"s mouth. "I would prefer not to."

For a moment, there was something light between them. Rhys was about to make another joke — but then a look crossed Taryn"s face, something harsh that snuffed out that slight smile.

Taryn"s expression went back to being stoic. He gave a curt nod of approval before rising to his feet once more. "Keep yourself healthy. We don"t have time to care for you."

There was an abruptness to Taryn"s movements, a tension in the lines of his body that hadn"t been there before. He turned away from Rhys, his eyes scanning the surrounding trees. "I will check the perimeter again."

Without another word, Taryn stalked off into the foliage, leaving Rhys to watch his retreating form with a furrowed brow. Their species were enemies — but it was almost as if Taryn couldn"t bear to be around him for too long.

As the sounds of Taryn"s passage faded into the distance, Rhys became aware of someone watching him. The youngest of Taryn"s warriors, the clever one, was watching him with open curiosity.

Seizing the opportunity, Rhys turned to face the Borraq youth. "Hey, Jorah, right? Can I ask you something?"

Jorah blinked at him, surprise flickering across his features at being directly addressed by their alien captive. "Um…" He straightened his spine and squared his shoulders. "You may proceed, human."

Rhys considered his words carefully. "I"ve noticed that Taryn seems... tense around me. Like he can"t stand to be near me for too long. What"s up with that?"

Understanding dawned in Jorah"s eyes. He leaned in conspiratorially, his urge to gossip clearly stronger than his wariness. "Ah, yes — I can explain that." He glanced around furtively before continuing in a low voice. "You see, to us Borraq, humans have a very... enticing scent."

Rhys frowned. "A scent?"

Jorah nodded solemnly. "Your pheromones, your natural scent — it"s incredibly distracting to our heightened senses." He grimaced apologetically. "It"s a struggle for us to be around humans for extended periods without becoming... distracted."

A sinking feeling settled in Rhys"s gut as he began to understand. Those rumors about Borraq eating humans had something to them after all. "That"s why Taryn can"t stay near me for long? I smell too good?"

It was ridiculous, but it apparently wasn"t a joke. "Exactly." Jorah reached into a pouch at his waist, withdrawing a small jar filled with a thick, greenish paste. "That"s why he made us all wear this salve. It blocks out your scent, and stops us from having to resist… um, you."

He held it out for Rhys to inspect. Rhys leaned in, catching the sharp, earthy aroma. Yeah, anyone wearing that wasn"t going to be able to smell anything else, that was for sure.

Incredulous, Rhys snorted. "Resist… how? What, like we smell edible to you?"

Jorah hesitated, looking away. "It"s not that you smell tasty. It"s more... Um… Your scent is distracting. It affects us."

"Affects you how?"

Jorah"s eyes flicked back to Rhys"s, and there was something in his expression that sent a chill down Rhys"s spine. "It"s just that... Well, when humans are around, it"s hard to think about anything else."

Rhys"s heart pounded. He"d been joking, but the look in Jorah"s eyes was dead serious. "Like what?"

Jorah looked away again, his cheeks coloring slightly. "Like anything else."

A hot, uncomfortable flush spread across Rhys"s skin. He"d been expecting some kind of scientific explanation. But the way Jorah was talking...

It was ridiculous. It had to be. Rhys was a nobody, a human from the dregs of the galaxy. He was too skinny, too worn down from a lifetime of work and stress, too poor. No one had ever found him attractive before, and the idea that an alien warrior could be affected by his presence was laughable.

The idea that he was affecting someone — let alone an alien, let alone a strong, powerful warrior like Taryn — was shocking. It sent a strange, dizzying thrill through him, a heady feeling that was equal parts disbelief and something else. It couldn"t be true.

And yet, the embarrassment in Jorah"s eyes was undeniable. The young Borraq might be polite and well-mannered, but he wasn"t a good enough actor to fake the flush that colored his cheeks, or the way his gaze flicked down to Rhys"s mouth before he caught himself and looked away.

"And all of you are wearing that salve to block it out?"

A rueful smile tugged at Jorah"s lips. "All of us... except Taryn."

Rhys"s brow furrowed as realization set in. "He"s not using it? Why?"

"He needs his senses at their peak to track the remaining humans." Jorah"s expression grew serious once more. "He said he doesn"t want to miss a single thing. But that means..." He trailed off, leaving the implication hanging heavily in the air.

Taryn was struggling against his own instincts, fighting the allure of Rhys"s scent every moment they were together. No wonder the Borraq seemed so tense, so eager to put distance between them — he was battling his most primal urges with every encounter.

When Rhys had signed up for this mission, he"d expected that his troubles would be the ordinary type. Bad coworkers. Back-breaking work. Scant pay.

Not "making alien warriors too horny to function."

As the day ended and Rhys huddled down to sleep, staring up at the stars, a new kind of thought wormed its way into his mind.

There was more to the Borraq than the war. There was more to Taryn, and his men, and their culture, than just the desire to hunt down and kill humans.

And there was more to their interactions with humans, too. The way they looked at him, the way they treated him, the way that his presence affected them...

It was all too dizzying to think about. Rhys was a nobody, a human caught up in a dangerous game that was far beyond his station. He was just a worker, a laborer, trying to survive and pay off his debts in a galaxy that didn"t care about him.

But for just a moment, as he stared up at the unfamiliar constellations of Vasz, a thrilling possibility teased at the edges of his thoughts.

Here, he was also something else.

And for the first time in his life, that something else had nothing to do with debts, or work, or survival.

It had to do with desire, and the heady, dizzying feeling of being wanted.

As the day ended and exhaustion pulled him under, that something else filled his mind, crowding out thoughts of debts and dangers and the vast gulf of space that separated him from the Borraq.

For the first time in his life, Rhys allowed himself to entertain the possibility that, at least for now, he was something other than a forgettable nobody.

And the idea was intoxicating.