Kyro: A Sci-fi Alien Abduction Romance (Captured by Aliens Book 5) by A.G. Wilde (best summer books .txt) 📕

“Continue?” he asked, a note of hesitation still there.

She realized then that he was doing it slowly for her benefit. He was scared of frightening her. But watching the change happen slowly like this was attracting her to him even more.

Swallowing hard, her wide eyes scoured his face looking for more changes as she nodded and answered a soft “yes.”

Kyro’s throat moved again.

As she stared at him, she saw the bridge of his nose begin to move. Instead of his bone straight nose, his bridge grew wider than it was before and by the sides of his head, his ears became pointier.

When that didn’t have her running through the door, he rose to kneel over her, just as his jawline became sharper and more pronounced. His skin now was also taking on a green tint, like the color of seaweed and there was a faint pattern all over him too. A pattern of swirls like an intricate tattoo underneath his skin.

Gray, slanted eyes now looked back at her as he paused, wariness in his gaze.

“Go on,” she whispered.

Down his chest, ridges formed around his muscles, only making them more pronounced.

Holding up one of his hands, he looked at it and drew her attention as his fingers morphed from five to three, a thumb and two large forefingers.

He stopped then, his hand falling to his side as he looked at her, his skin still shimmering.

“Is this you?” she whispered, raising herself on her elbows to look at him.

He was more handsome than she’d expected him to be. Even more handsome than his gray form. She wanted to touch him, feel him, but it was obvious he was still battling with his own emotions. “Is this the real you?”

Kyro nodded. “All that’s left of me,” he said. Turning the back of his hand, he ran a finger from his wrist down to his elbow. “My chets used to be here.”

“Chets? What are those?” She couldn’t believe she was speaking so normally because in her head it was like a bomb had just gone off. Even though her voice was so calm, she knew she was gaping at him, her mouth open, her eyes wide.

It’s that feeling when you become so shocked, it is too much for your mind to comprehend and you are stunned to calmness.

He seemed to be thinking of a way to describe what he’d referred to because his eyes grew distant for a minute. “Like blades, sharpened bone. For protection. Defense.”

“Ah.” She nodded. “Why are they not there anymore?”

He didn’t answer immediately, and it seemed as if he wasn’t going to. “Vorti remove their chets when hiding, to not give ourselves away. Chets tend to rise on their own when we are provoked. It is a distinct characteristic that would make anyone know we are not whatever we assimilate to be.”

“You had to mutilate yourself?” She couldn’t help the horror that reflected in her eyes. It was like pulling one’s own fingernails out. She couldn’t imagine how painful that must have been. “Do they grow back?”

“For some.” A sad smile moved briefly over his lips. “Mine just haven’t had a reason to.”

Evren took his words in stride before turning her attention back to him. It was strange looking at him. The only thing that told her she was looking at Kyro was his eyes. He had the same gray eyes.

The same eyes that were in the skunkat and the same eyes in the gray body he’d projected. Those same eyes were looking at her now from a completely different body.

“How do you do this? I still… I’m looking at you but it still seems impossible,” she murmured.

She watched his throat move. He still seemed hesitant…guarded.

“My skin,” he started, “has light-sensitive cells that can change pigment.” He paused. “I can copy. Camouflage.” As if to demonstrate, he changed his skin to match her complexion. The change was so sudden, her eyes bugged out.

When he changed back, she blinked at him. My God.

“Go on,” she whispered.

But he paused once more, searching her face as if he believed she’d shrink away with each word he said.

“Go on, I want to know.”

Kyro’s throat moved again.

“My bones, my cells…I can make myself smaller. Bigger,” he said.

“Just by thought?”

He nodded. “Just by thought.”

It should be nerve-wracking but, instead, she couldn’t help but stare at him in awe.

He let her look at him, allowing her to take in her eyeful before she noticed he began changing back, the gray slowly creeping in.

“Wh-why are you changing back?”

“Do you not prefer the Kyro you know? I have not seen myself, my true self, in decades. I do not expect you to accept me.”

“Oh, Kyro.” She rose and wrapped her arms around his neck. Planting her lips against his, she sucked his bottom lip into her mouth, closing her eyes as she did so. “Don’t change back unless you want to. I would love for you to remain like this, your true self. But I won’t force you to. It’s ultimately your decision. I’ll be here either way.” She smiled, burying her face into his neck. His unique pine scent was even stronger now that he was in his original form.

A growl rumbled through his body and then they were falling back into the bedding.

“Evren,” he groaned, her name coming out as if he was experiencing some deep emotional ache.

“Kyro?”

Her arms were untangled from his neck in an instant they were pinned above her head. With one movement, his lips were on hers again, ravishing her and making a moan tumble from her lips unto his.

When she finally got the chance to look at him, she realized he hadn’t changed back. He’d remained in his true form.

His message was clear.

For this moment they had together, he was going to be with her wholly.

It was a gift she hadn’t expected to get but one that told her that after tonight, leaving him would be