Tempest was in trouble, and she knew it.

When he pressed up against her, every last part of her body was telling her to forget her vow. The one that she made when she was nothing more than a child. She was waiting for love. Waiting for Mr. Right.

All Tempest wanted was for Dron to be Mr. Right Now. She’d never felt this level of crazed desire for someone. The only thing stopping her was the knowledge that what they shared was fabricated. He was doing this for a show. He wanted to get under her skin. And now with the deal they’d made in place, he would be getting under her skin in public.

She could deal with it. She had to.

At least, this time she would get something out of being another man’s plaything. Dron promised that he would find someone who would be willing to get her home.

She had to keep that in mind. This would all be worth it in the end. Just six months of this and it would all be over. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

After their talk, the rest of the hike went by without much talking. Dron made sure to tell her about the flowers and the small animals. He’d taken care to let her know which ones were poisonous and which she could touch without worry.

It wasn’t until they were on their way back to the house and she saw it in the distance that he asked her what she continuously looked for.

Tempest turned to look at Dron. "Huh?"

"Every few moments, you scan the area as if you are looking for something in particular. In the beginning I thought you were just looking at your surroundings, but you’ve seen all this already. Are you looking for something in particular?"

Tempest smirked, "Nothing gets over on you, does it?" She sighed and looked around again. "I was hoping to see one of those little animals from before. Not the kraznok, but the other one."

"What other one?" Dron tilted his head to the side, trying to understand.

"There was a small animal, it had long ears. It looked like a mix between two earth animals. A squirrel and a rabbit. It was the cutest thing. I don’t know where it went when the kraznok came for us. I just hope it got away okay." Tempest shrugged, but her eyelids burned with unshed tears. She didn’t know why she was getting so worked up over a wild animal.

Its place was out here in the woods, but it looked so small and helpless.

Dron didn’t say anything. He lifted his device, and she saw him swiping and inputting information. "Are you talking about this?" Dron flipped the image on his device so Tempest could see it.

"Yeah, a squabbit." She giggled and moved in a little closer.

"Squabbit? What in the world is that?" Dron’s face wrinkled up.

"I don’t know what they are called, but they look like a cross between a squirrel and a rabbit from earth. Are they dangerous?" Tempest questioned.

"No, they are simple creatures. They stay with their brood. It’s strange for you to only see one. A mother must have been killed, leaving the babies on their own."

Tempest nodded her head but the fact that they truly were helpless made her all the more sad.

"You’re distressed. Why?" Dron seemed to be genuinely curious.

"I just feel bad. I know what it’s like to be all alone in a big bad world. I just was hoping that they would be able to protect themselves. I don’t know. It’s just sad. I’ll be okay." Tempest nodded her head and took in a deep breath.

She couldn’t get so emotional about these things.

She turned and they made their way to the front door of the house. Dron didn’t say anything more as they walked.

Tempest placed her wristband up to the door and just like before, it popped open, but also just like before, when she tried to open it further to be able to step in, it didn’t budge.

"What the hell is this made from, titanium?" She huffed.

Dron hooked one finger on the edge of the door and pulled it open like it weighed nothing more than a piece of paper.

Tempest gawked at him. "That’s ridiculous. Is there a latch or something? How are you doing that?" She ran her hand up the side of the door, trying to see if there was some trick to it.

"It’s not that heavy, Tempest." Dron smiled softly at her. He was getting better at that.

"You’re lying... you have to be." Tempest squinted her eyes at him. "Here, lift me." She put her hands together and made a little shelf, pushing her palms down and locking her hands together.

Dron looked at her like she had lost her mind for a moment before he used one hand and literally flung her up in the air before catching her again with one hand. Placing her back on the ground as if it were nothing.

"Holy crap!" She squealed and gaped at him.

"How much can you lift?" She asked.

She’d known alphas were abnormally strong. Both Gerax and Mexyn had told her as such. But this was beyond just abnormal; this was superhero levels of strength.

"What do you mean? Like a specific weight?"

"Yeah, pounds...stones?" Tempest sighed when she realized that her typical units of measurement probably didn’t mean anything to Dron.

"I haven’t the slightest idea. We don’t measure that sort of thing here."

"They do on earth. All many guys can talk about to impress a woman is how much they bench. It gets annoying after a while." She chuckled.

"The amount I lift is supposed to be impressive?" Dron questioned as he moved to the side and let Tempest walk into the house.

"Well, to some men, yes, maybe even to some other women. I’ve never been impressed by the muscle dudes. What good was all that muscle when they couldn’t do anything with it."

Dron nodded at that, "That’s common here, I assume. We are not judged on how much muscle we have but on how skilled a fighter we are."

Tempest already knew he was skilled. She saw how he took down that big kraznok. Still she wondered how much Dron had to prove himself in the past. How many fights did Dron have to get in for people to know that he was formidable.

She didn’t want to think too much about it. She was trying desperately to stay focused. She had a goal in mind. She had to get home.

Tempest walked further into the home, but when she turned around, she realized that Dron was not following her in.

"Aren’t you going to come in?" She asked, feeling strange since it was technically his home.

"No, I have some errands to run. You are free to roam around the house." He nodded and then turned on his heels.

"Wait! You’re just going to leave me here again?" Tempest called out to his back.

"Did you require something?"

Tempest didn’t know what to say. She didn’t actively need anything, but she didn’t want to be on her own. She was getting used to her surroundings, but she was still a stranger in these lands.

"I just... No, there’s nothing I need." Tempest lifted her chin, determined not to be a burden.

"Speak freely, Tempest. What do you want?" Dron narrowed his eyes at her.

Tempest was really starting to believe that he truly knew when she was lying.

"Nothing. Honestly. I have everything I need."

"But what do you want?" Dron stepped forward.

"I’d rather not be alone. Your home is great, but it’s large, and I’m not used to being by myself." Tempest chuckled, "Where are all the puppies when you need them, huh?"

"Puppies?" Dron questioned. He didn’t know what she was talking about. Tempest saw that he was still confused. So she continued.

"It’s an animal many earth people have in their homes. They are mostly domesticated. They are good company." She smiled softly at him, hoping that he’d get the hint that she wanted him to stay and keep her company.

"We don’t have any animals like that here." He lifted his shoulders up and down twice. "I must go... there are things I should attend to." Dron turned once again, but this time Tempest didn’t have the heart to stop him.

She thought after what they experienced in the forest that maybe he would want to spend more time with her.

She was starting to fall for this grumpy alien whether she wanted to admit it or not. That would make things more difficult.

Tempest watched the door close, and she turned on her heel to go to her room.

Her chest felt as if it might explode. She couldn’t understand why Dron leaving her made her feel so bad. It was all a ruse. She knew it. He’d explained it to her. He only wanted her to pretend like she was in love with him.

There was no reason for him to act as if he wanted her when they were alone. There was no reason for him to truly care for her. It was a means to an end for both of them.

She opened the door to her massive room, but instead of being relieved at being in her room, she was depressed.

The tears started up again, but this time, no matter how much she fought to hold them back, she couldn’t.

Tempest pressed her back against the door and slid down to the ground.

The loneliness was suffocating, and the one man she wanted to rescue her from it only wanted her in public. She felt like she had with Sam all over again.

It was like a vicious cycle.

Always caring for people who didn’t care for her.

Tempest started to think the worst thoughts, but no matter how much she tried to shove them away, they continued to float in her mind.

She was unlovable.

A broken woman not even the worst man would want.