then he found her nipple, lapping at it eagerly. The brush of his tongue across the sensitive flesh sent a pulse of desire through her body, and her hands tightened involuntarily on his shoulders. He purred again and drew the aching peak deep into his mouth, each long pull sending a corresponding tingle straight to her clit. She started to tug him closer, but her previous thoughts resurfaced, and the heat of his skin reminded her of his illness. The very fact that she managed to push him away indicated just how much it had affected him.
“Bed,” she reminded him.
He grunted and tried to stand again. This time she managed to wedge herself under his arm. Her knees almost collapsed with his weight, but somehow, they managed to make it across the cabin and into the bedchamber. He collapsed onto the bed, his weight pulling her down with him so she was half under his big body.
She started to wiggle away, but he tugged her closer until his cock rested between her legs, the heavy weight pressing against her needy center. She half expected, half dreaded that he would resume his pursuit, but instead he buried his nose in her hair and purred again. Despite the rigid heat of his erection, he seemed content simply to hold her. As the minutes passed, she relaxed into his touch, and it wasn’t until she heard a soft rumble next to her ear that she realized he was asleep.
This seemed more natural than his previous unconsciousness, and she carefully wiggled free, trying not to wake him. He muttered something unintelligible as she slipped out of bed, but then he settled back down, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
That sense of relief disappeared as the hours wore on. Aidon never regained consciousness. Brief periods of natural-seeming sleep were the only respite from much longer periods of restlessness. During those times, he tossed back and forth as changes flickered across his skin in rapid succession. Even with what she had seen since she had been taken, she was shocked by the variety of aliens that he briefly transformed into. He even turned into a Derian as she was trying to bathe his forehead. She jumped back with a frightened cry, but his eyes flickered open when she cried out to reveal not that heated red glare but a familiar black gaze. A minute later, they closed again, but she was no longer afraid.
During his brief periods of restful sleep, she explored the rest of the ship. She took a lightning-fast shower, leaving the door open so she could hear him if he needed her, and replaced the torn silk dress with an oversize shirt from one of his storage lockers. His wardrobe seemed to consist entirely of black.
At first she was able to call him back when the spasms were the worst, but it finally reached the point where he no longer responded to the touch of her hand. In desperation, she even tried kissing him. For a brief second, he responded, but before she could feel relieved, his mouth went slack and his restless movements resumed.
One of the machines in the main cabin turned out to be some type of food replicator. Unable to read the instructions, she only succeeded in having it produce a sickly green wafer. Hunger drove her to take a cautious bite, but as soon as she swallowed, her stomach rebelled. Concentrating on her breathing, she finally managed to overcome the nausea, but her stomach felt horrible. As she bent over the sink, trying her best to avoid getting sick, she heard a soft clink as her necklace touched the metal. Her necklace! She opened the vial and put a drop on her tongue, giving a thankful sigh at the immediate relief.
As she replaced the stopper, a thought occurred to her. While it was true that Aidon’s problems didn’t seem to be digestive, Zemma had said only that it was an herbal remedy. She hadn’t restricted it to upset stomachs.
When Hanna returned to the bedroom, Aidon was once again thrashing restlessly. This time his skin had turned deep green, and a second set of arms wavered in and out of view. She looked at the bottle in her hand. What if she made the wrong decision? What if it turned out to be harmful?
But then Aidon gave a tortured cry. Gathering her courage, she collected another drop. His head rolled back and forth, but she kept her hand on