THIRTY-ONE

AURORA

The Mistress Alien stared down at me, her silver eyes unblinking.

“The twins skipped lunch,” she said, her voice sharp as a blade. “You will take food to Kaidos and return with an empty plate. Or you will be punished.”

I bit my lip to keep from sighing too loudly. Of course. Of course, it had to be me.

There were a lot of maids here but I had to be picked. It’s almost like the more I try to avoid the overlords the more the universe throws me in their path.

Thane was nowhere to be found, and the Mistress clearly didn’t care. That left Kaidos. The one person I had been actively avoiding since… that night.

The mere thought of that night had my mind racing and I tried to clear my thoughts and not think of what would have happened if Thane hadn't interrupted us.

My hands trembled slightly as I took the tray of food. We hadn’t spoken since that heated moment between us, and after witnessing his violent outburst in the hallway, I hoped I wouldn’t have to. But luck had never been on my side.

I stopped in front of his door and knocked softly.

“Go away.” His voice was firm, laced with exhaustion.

I hesitated. If I returned with the food untouched, the Mistress wouldn’t hesitate to punish me. With a deep breath, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Kaidos sat at his work table, his broad shoulders tense, silver hair falling slightly over his forehead. His gaze flicked toward me, irritation flashing in his golden eyes—until he realized who I was. His expression softened, but only slightly.

“Rory,” he murmured, his voice lower now. His gaze dropped to the tray in my hands. “I’m not hungry.”

I stepped closer. “I don’t have a choice.” My voice was quiet but firm. “If I go back with this tray full, I’ll be punished.”

Kaidos frowned. “No one is allowed to punish you.” His voice carried the weight of a command, but I shook my head.

“It’ll just stir up more trouble.”

I didn’t tell him about the aliens who had threatened me. The ones who whispered in my ear, reminding me that I didn’t belong here. That I was nothing but an outsider. If I wanted to survive, I needed to protect myself. I needed to play this game wisely.

Kaidos exhaled through his nose and leaned back in his chair. “Fine. I’ll eat.”

I let out a small breath of relief.

“But,” he added, his lips curving into a smirk, “I have conditions.”

I tensed. “What conditions?”

He tilted his head slightly, watching me like a predator sizing up its prey. “You will feed me.”

My fingers tightened around the tray. “What?”

“And you’ll stay the night.” His smirk deepened.

I blinked. Stay the night? My stomach twisted, and my heart pounded wildly in my chest.

I should have refused. I should have turned around and walked out. But a thought crept into my mind, one I couldn’t shake. What better way to ensure my safety than to secure a place in Kaidos’ heart?

I licked my lips and nodded slowly. “Fine.”

Kaidos leaned his elbow on the table, resting his chin on his hand, amusement flickering in his eyes. “Good girl.”

I moved closer, picking up a piece of fruit from the tray. I hesitated before lifting it to his lips. Kaidos didn’t break eye contact as he parted them slightly, allowing me to place the fruit in his mouth.

He chewed slowly, watching me.

I tried to keep my breathing steady, but it was difficult under the weight of his gaze. He was too close. Too intense. Too much.

I needed to distract myself so I started talking about what I've wanted to ask him since I entered the room. 

“Why did your hair color change from brown to silver?” I asked. 

He chuckled, a deep sound that made my toes curl up. 

“I’m an Alien, Rory, I can change my hair color whenever I want and right now I'm loving this silver,” he answered.

I nodded as I picked up another piece, this time placing it in his mouth with my fingers. Before I could pull away, Kaidos caught my hand, his lips brushing against my fingertips as he sucked the juice from them.

A sharp breath escaped me. Oh.

A shiver ran down my spine, heat pooling low in my stomach. His tongue flicked lightly against my fingers before he released them, his gaze dark with something unreadable.

“You’re shaking,” he murmured.

“I’m not,” I whispered, but we both knew I was lying.

Kaidos smirked. “You’re cute when you lie.”

I quickly grabbed another piece of food and pushed it against his lips, trying to distract him, but he didn’t move. Instead, he let the food drop back onto the plate and stood up.

My breath caught. He was too close now.

His hands came up, brushing against my waist, and I knew—I knew—he was going to kiss me.

Panic and anticipation warred inside me.

I should have stopped this.

But did I want to?

“Kaidos…” I called as a soft moan escaped my lips. 

“Do you want me to stop?” Kaidos asked in a husky voice.

His fingers trailed lightly along my arm, sending tingles across my skin. He leaned in, his lips inches from mine, his warm breath fanning over my face.

My heart pounded so hard I swore he could hear it.

Then—

I snapped back to reality and abruptly stepped away. “The food is finished.” My voice was unsteady, my body trembling.

Kaidos watched me, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, he smiled. A knowing, almost teasing smile.

“Run while you can, Rory.” His voice was dark, laced with amusement. “Next time, I won’t let you escape.”

My breath hitched. I grabbed the empty tray and turned on my heel, walking out of the room as fast as my legs could carry me.

But even as I left, I could still feel his gaze burning into my back.

And worse?

I wanted to turn around.