made them attractive to predators.
Yet, as he listened, he couldn’t prevent the slow smile that came over his lips.
He couldn’t sleep, there were too many things on his mind, and this whistle of hers, of all things, was calming.
He sat listening for what could be two Earth hours, just listening to her breathe and whistle, when she made a sound that made his ears prick.
It was like a grunt, one that cut off the peaceful whistling completely.
When another grunt came followed by increased, harsh breathing, Kyro jumped up from his reclining position, his entire being on high alert as he rushed into the room in which she slept.
The security system was on.
There was no way there was an intruder.
Yet, it sounded as if she was locked in combat with someone.
He was in her room in the next second, his fists clenched and ready, eyes wide, but the scene in front of him had him slightly confused.
She was on her sleeping area, legs splayed, the soft covering similar to the one she’d given him thrown off her, and she was turning her head from side to side and muttering incoherently.
What in the name of Polvrak...
Was she possessed by some spirit?
“No,” she breathed, her face forming a frown, but her eyes were still closed. “No!”
Kyro blinked, his fists slowly relaxing as he realized what this was.
He’d read about it.
She was dreaming—or rather, she seemed to be having the opposite of a dream...that thing humans called a nightmare.
Blinking a few times, he wondered what he should do. There had been no instructions on what to do in such a situation.
Should he wake her?
As he moved to her side, Kyro watched her face intently.
“No. Please, don’t take me. Please. I’ll give you anything. You can take anything. Just please, leave me alone.” She flung her head to the other side, gripping the bedding beneath her. “Please! Don’t!”
The whimper that left her throat found its way right into him, making something deep within him clench.
“Evren?”
Instead of waking up or responding, she threw her head the other way.
Reaching out, Kyro placed his hand lightly over her forehead.
“Evren?”
She groaned at the sound of her name but still didn’t open her eyes.
“Evren?” He called more forcefully this time and to his relief, he got a response.
Her eyes fluttered open and focused on him. For a few seconds, she said nothing. It was as if her mind was still foggy.
“You were talking while sleeping.” Kyro frowned. “You were doing many strange things. Whistling. Talking. Thrashing about...”
Evren just stared at him and then without warning, she began to chuckle, her eyes growing soft as she looked at him.
He couldn’t help but stare, mesmerized.
Even like this, right now, in this sleepy state, she was affecting him.
“Bad dream,” she croaked, and he felt one of his eyebrows lift. Her voice had completely changed to much coarser than he’d ever heard it before.
There was something husky and sensual about it that was making his body respond.
He could feel himself throb insistently, even as he tried to keep his gaze from wandering to her long, splayed, legs.
“Sorry if I woke you.” Her eyes were still laden with sleep as she regarded him and the whole situation began tugging at something deep within him once more—that same thing he was trying to push away.
Qrak.
Ready to leave the room, he was removing his hand from her forehead when she suddenly grabbed it.
“Please...can you stay?”
Kyro blinked at her.
He was already staying.
She didn’t think he was going to return to his quarters now, did she? Not after she might need him again if her wild sleeping habits returned.
He told himself that was why he didn’t move from her grasp. Told himself that was the reason he was still standing there.
“Can you stay in here?” She used her other hand to rub at her eyes. “With me?”
What?
Kyro blinked, processing what she’d just asked. He mustn’t be hearing her right.
“You want me to stay in here? With you?”
Evren nodded. “Please. I... I don’t want to be alone tonight.”
He was about to point out that she wasn’t alone. He was in the other room. And he should remain in the other room. Moving so close to her was a bad, bad idea.
“I’ll just scoot over.” As she said this, she gathered her legs and moved over on the bedding, making a space for him to rest.
Kyro swallowed hard.
He should say no.
He should say no and retreat to the other room where he wouldn’t be tempted.
Yet, his tongue forgot how to form