Page 55 of Citrine

I run through our conversation again, and the way she looked. Not like she usually does. Like a hunter does when they are trying to make it seem like they are looking at a different prey, all the while planning to kill the one to the side of them.

No, surely that would be something beyond her. She's ridiculous. Now she's climbing up into one of those huge plants now, pulling things from it and putting them in her mouth. Whatever it is, it looks disgusting.

The way she looked as I moved out of the water flashes into my mind. Like it was planned. Such an odd creature, but now I see I have underestimated her. She tricked me, making it seem like she was hunting something else, and I moved right into her trap.

My mating tentacles are writhing in the water as I try to understand just what type of hunter she is.

27

Eli

I can feel Wroahk's intense gaze on me from the water, though I already told him how annoying his staring is, but I suppose I can't do anything about it since he's protecting me. He's just lurking there, watching me.

His lazy floating is kind of impressive, but there's no way I will tell him that.

I swear he's even more interested in me now, which I suppose is a good thing. At least he won't try to eat me now. That doesn't mean he has stopped seeing me as prey. I'm constantly being watched and if I wander too far, he's always right there, reminding me I can't run from him.

All I can do now is coexist with the only other person here I can talk to, so I don't lose either my sanity or my life.

I highly doubt I would last very long if he wasn't here to keep away the Many Teeth. Fine, no chance.

We have a relationship, no matter how tentative. Although, I'm not sure if the whole 'kind hands' concept is a good idea. I mean, I told him it would bring me harm if I don't speak to someone. I knew he was talking about physical harm, but I was just blurting things out impulsively because I didn't want to be left alone.

My irrational decision arose because of my fear. As usual.

Our agreement is also imbalanced, since I get more out of it than he does. Sure, he didn't agree to stop watching me incessantly, but he's doing it all to protect me. He'll fight off the Many Teeth creatures for me and all I'll do is hug him? Kiss his cheek? Hold his hand?

It makes little sense, even to me. Then I remind myself that to him, it's probably like finding water in a desert. I feel for him, even though he's a terrible conversationalist, completely bloodthirsty, and his thinking is as alien as his looks.

I don't even know how I forgot to find a middle ground. Was I that desperate for protection? Is this what I'll do for survival? Screw over an unsuspecting alien because he knows nothing about empathy and sexual arousal via touch.

And if I'm being honest with myself, I'm not sure I won't move on to other 'kind' things because right now, my body feels like one raging pile of unsated lust, and it'll only get worse the longer he remains by my side.

Like right now.

All he's doing is staring at my hands with his creepy shark eyes, and the heat from my lower body is threatening to overcome my senses. I'm turned on by an alien monster with tentacles.

It's insane.

My attention is like food scraps to a dog, only temporarily able to satiate its hunger. However, he's already clarified that to him, I'm just meat.

He must really be that desperate.

Oddly enough, to him, I'm meat… that no one is allowed to hurt, including himself. The octopus shark man seems to have a hard time reconciling it all, but I'm confident that the starved look in his eye will work to my advantage.

As soon as the thought occurs to me, I chide myself for being the type of person I've always hated. No matter the form or to whom, manipulation isn't acceptable. He's a creature that hasn't had the pleasure of experiencing any sort of affection, kindness, or love. There aren't even any words in his language for them.

My self-reflection comes with annoyance. I decide to come clean to him.

"Hey, Wroahk?"

"Yes? he responds in lazy clicks, still staring at me.

"Do you remember when I said it hurts me to be alone?"

His eyes flicker in an instant and he almost leaps out of the pool, suddenly alert.

"Are you still hurting?"