The First She ✓

TWENTY SIX

"No," Vrox delivered with finality. "You cannot touch her. She will be afraid."

There was an iceberg under the tip of ice that he was letting on. Another male's hands descending on Kira would not only raise her panic but his anger.

He wasn't sure what to make of the stranger that was fury. He had little experience succumbing to its haze. Whenever his brothers annoyed him, he rarely ventured past irritation. Kira was steering him away from his typical temperament. The alien girl was sparking alien emotions in him.

The mere idea of another male enjoying her delicate skin made his brow split, fingers curl, and gums ache. He hadn't been so emotionally unstable since the Scaling– the few short months in which his body ripened into manhood. Now, it felt like his body was undergoing another round of puberty.

This new Scaling unnerved him. It was as if he was losing ownership of his body. His seven-foot height and two-hundred-pound weight were getting brainwashed by the minuscule female. The scars he had earned, the muscles he developed, and the senses he honed, were more interested in serving Kira than himself.

"Vrox?"

He blinked away his thoughts and faced Rokan's confusion.

"Yes?"

"I asked what happened to her foot."

Vrox looked down at Kira's dainty feet, which were now free of her shoes.

"She stepped on a splinter, and it penetrated her skin."

All of the men frowned, not believing how sensitive she was.

"Our women were not this weak. Mother was much taller than her, and her skin was rougher."

"She's not completely vulnerable," Vrox interjected, determined to stand up for Kira. "She's intelligent. She taught me how to harvest metal with my bare hands."

The men looked unsure, still convinced that Kira was only good for spreading her thighs and birthing.

She was more focused on the weight in her bra than their conversation. Her eyes flicked up to the sky. Soon, the sun would disappear. She needed to charge the locket before the sun ducked its head.

How does it even work? Can I fix it if it's incomplete or damaged? No, I don't have the tools.

She wished she kept tabs on Brandon's project. That way, she would've known how the device was supposed to work.

She looked around the small camp and located the long sword that Ni'ev had been sharpening. With a soft tug to Vrox's hand, she got his attention.

She pointed to the sword, signaling that she wanted it.

Vrox turned to Ni'ev, gauging his reaction. Touching another's weapon was a great offense. A weapon was considered an extension of a person's character. The care a warrior gave their weapon was an unspoken promise of how willing they were to protect their loved ones. Vrox had lost his throwing knives the day he met Kira, but he wasn't upset by the loss. After all, he had picked up something much more valuable– her.

Seeing Vrox's unspoken question, Ni'ev replied, "you can hold it, but I don't know what she could want with it."

Reaching over, Vrox picked up the heavy arm of metal and examined its craftmanship. The broadsword was a beast of a weapon, but too straight for Vrox's tastes. He found that slicing flesh was easier with a slightly curved blade.

When Kira's pure hand reached for the handle, he jerked it away.

"You will hurt yourself," he grunted.