Page 13 of Selected By the Dragon Alien
“Dendian. It is the most commonly spoken language of the quadrant,” he said. “Weare speaking it right now. I suspect it will be easy for you once you put the symbols together with the sounds.”
They sat and Ellion tapped the cover of the book he’d handed her. “It’s a simple, whimsical volume of poems, mostly about the stars. Some are of love. The words are easy and you should find it entertaining.”
She didn’t know what poems were, exactly, but she settled beside him, close enough to feel the heat of his body beside hers. To breathe in the scent of him. Shelikedsitting next to him. She no longer felt such fear in his presence. Turi was more comfortable around him. Just the fact that she’d called him by his name, rather than “Overseer,” was a big step. She saw the effect it had on him.
“Open the book,” he said. “Let us begin with the first poem.”
She nodded and did as he said. Her fingers moved the pages with great care, as if they were fragile, delicate things. Her mouth was tense, because this thing she was doing was strictly forbidden in the place where she’d spent most of her life. The Axis might disapprove of this, but if Ellion wasn’t worried, neither was she. Her gaze moved eagerly to the symbols on the pages. Her heart beat hard with excitement. Soon, everything in this incredible library would be open for her. Tolearn.
Perhaps the years ahead of living in this fortress would not pass as slowly and dully as she’d feared at first. Her skin tingled at the sound of Ellion’s deep, gravelly voice as he patiently began reading the symbols, pointing out each and sounding them out. She resisted the urge to lean closer. Perhaps the years ahead would not be as lonely as she feared, either.
EIGHT
Ellion found himself looking forward to the mornings with an eagerness he hadn’t felt in years. Teaching Turi to read had become the highlight of his day. They would meet in the library after breakfast, and for a few hours, he would guide her through the intricacies of the Dendian language. She was a fast learner. Her mind was sharp and curious, and her progress was astonishing.
One morning, as they sat side by side on the bench, their shoulders touching, Ellion pointed to a word on the page. “This is the symbol for ‘journey.’ I would say you have been on one of those yourself.”
Turi studied the word and repeated it, her voice soft but confident. She looked up at him with bright eyes and skin flushed with excitement. “I think I’m starting to understand. The symbols are like a map, and each one leads to a sound, and the sounds come together to make the words we speak.”
Ellion smiled. He agreed with her analogy. “Exactly. You’re doing incredibly well, Turi.”
Her face glowed with pride. “Thank you, Ellion.”
His heart skipped a beat at the sound of his name on her lips. He never grew tired of it. It was such a simple thing, but it meantso much to him. He knew he was starting to care for Turi. She was not just a responsibility, but a friend.No. He would not lie to himself. He saw her as much more than a friend.
As the days had turned into weeks, Ellion found himself even more drawn to Turi’s intelligence, her kindness, and her resilience. He found himself wanting to spend more time with her. When he was pulled away from the fortress to attend to business at the settlements or to negotiate yet again with the Hecrons to the west, he just yearned to return to the fortress whereshewas. He looked forward to their meals together, their conversations, and their laughter. He found himself sharing his scant stories about his past, something he’d never done with anyone else.
One evening, after a particularly lively discussion about the history of the galaxy, Turi looked at him with a soft, thoughtful expression. “You know, Ellion,” she said, “you’re not at all like I thought you would be.”
He raised an eyebrow, curious. “Oh? And what did you think I would be like?”
She shrugged, a small smile playing on her lips. “Cold. Distant. Cruel, even.”
“I see,” he replied, his voice low. “And now?”
Turi’s smile widened, and her eyes sparkled with warmth. “Now, I think you’re kind. And patient. And…surprisingly funny.”
Ellion laughed, a deep, genuine sound that filled the room. “I’m glad I could surprise you, Turi.”
She chuckled, her shoulders shaking with amusement. “You certainly did. I never would have imagined that the overseer could be so…Terian.”
His laughter faded and he looked at her, his expression serious. “I’m not Terian, Turi. I’m a Zaruxian. And I am still the overseer of your former settlement.”
She tilted her head and a shadow crossed her features. “But you’re more than that.”
Ellion hesitated, unsure of how to respond. He had never talked about his true role with anyone, not even Ara. But there was something about Turi that made him want to open up, to share the truth with her.
“It’s complicated,” he finally admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “There are things you don’t know about the Terian settlements. Things the Axis have forbidden me from telling anyone.”
“I understand.” Turi’s eyes tightened, but she didn’t press him for more information. Instead, she reached out and gently touched his arm, her fingers warm and comforting. “Will you tell me one day?”
He covered her hand with his own, his thumb tracing small circles on her skin. “I don’t know, Turi. It would change…everything.”
How did one tell the female he cared for above all else that she and her people were—technically—inmates in a penal colony? That an invading species pillaged their home world and defeated them centuries ago, and the survivors were put here to suffer? He was more than an overseer—he was their warden.
He cared for Turi. He was glad she was here and selfishly pleased that circumstances had thrust her into his life. She was not a responsibility, but, one day, she could be his mate, if she so wished it.Thatwas against the rules. Utterly forbidden by the Axis. Even though Turi lived with him at the fortress, shewasstill a prisoner. She would always be a prisoner, despite the change in her status. But just then, none of that mattered.
He leaned in. His eyes locked on hers. Everything stood still in a single charged moment. Then, slowly, he leaned closer. His lips barely touched hers as he breathed in the unmistakable scent of arousal. Shewantedthis. The knowledge of it rammedthrough him like a shock of raw power. Need curled in his gut as she leaned toward him, eyes fluttering closed.