Meg still dreamed of him, and knowing he was only a room away seemed to make her dreams worse.

At first, she wasn't even sure she was dreaming at all. She'd woken up with some insistent feeling gnawing at the pit of her stomach, like she'd gone to bed without eating anything. Which was technically true, but it wasn't hunger that she felt. At least... not that kind of hunger.

She crept out into the living room, trying her best not to wake Ash. Verkiir was sprawled on her couch, so large his limbs were hanging off it. He seemed to be asleep, at first. His eyes were closed and his muscular chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. Drann, too, was asleep, and that was what had emboldened her to come closer.

Without the back of the couch in the way, she could take in the entirety of Verkiir's very large, very naked body. Including his beautiful cock.

Meg licked her lips, her mouth suddenly dry, and just stared at him while he was unable to stop her. The shape of him was unlike anything she had ever seen; like some strange, exotic sculpture. He was curved more than most humans. Long and thick, with several ridges running over the underside of his cock. She closed her eyes and shuddered as she imagined what those would feel like rubbing against her clit when he took her from behind. God.

He was fascinating. So much so that she reached out to touch him. His skin was smooth and so hot underneath her fingers, and she gasped as he twitched in response. That wasn't the only thing he did, though. His hand shot out to grab her arm, and for a moment she thought he meant to stop her.

But all he did was lean up toward her, reaching out to grab her hip. He pulled her atop him with no effort at all, and she could feel that flared tip of his cock pressing against her slick folds.

That was when she'd woken up. Actually woken up. Meg groaned and rolled over, hiding away from the sunlight that had nothing to do with the heat pulsing through her body. She had half a mind to do something about it, but she was a little afraid that would somehow draw Verkiir's attention.

As if it wouldn't be drawn already. He'd said he shared her dreams. She had no doubt he'd share that one.

She lay in bed for a time, but there was no good way to approach what she needed to do. She just had to get up, take a shower, throw her "guests" out, make sure Ash got to school, and then go to work.

Easy peasy.

Except for the fact that he was waiting for her. She could feel it. She'd gone to pull out some fresh clothes, and she knew as soon as she turned around, he would be there. And so he was.

"Oh, you're up," she said lamely.

"How am I to sleep when you invade my mind with such delicious thoughts?" His voice was low and deep, his tone half-agonized.

She could see why. That massive cock she'd seen was straining against his pants.

"I can't control what I dream about," she said, her blush only deepening.

"Mei'gahn," he rumbled, coming toward her.

Her breath caught in her throat. She didn't stop him. She was sure she could. If she said no, he would back off. Somehow, she knew that. But she didn't say no, and so his large body pinned hers against the wall. He growled like a starved beast, nuzzling her neck as his hips ground against hers.

God, that felt so good. She hadn't enjoyed this since she was a teenager, but she was so wet, so ready for him, that even the feeling of his cock through fabric was enough to send bolts of pleasure crashing through her body. She reached around him and grabbed a firm handful of his ass, pulling him into her, her own hips bucking against his.

"I need you," he said on a growl. "Do not deny me, my mate."

"Yes," she found herself whimpering.

Some shrill, incessant sound rang through her mind. It was distant and hazy, like she was hearing it underwater. But after a moment, it cut through her fog, and she finally realized what it was: Ash's timer.

"My sister," she pleaded, her hands moving to his chest.

The last thing she needed was for Ash to walk in on this.

"She has not risen," he assured her.

Such wonderful words. Only... they weren't. Meg's eyes widened, and her brain delivered a sharp dose of reality to her lustful body. She shoved at Verkiir, who gave way easily, freeing her from the wall.

"She sure as hell better have risen. She's supposed to be catching the bus to school."

It was a petty thing to worry about right now, but Meg had to cling to it. She'd been seconds away from being the first human woman to ride an alien dick. As far as she knew. And that just... it was such a bad idea.

"Ash!" she yelled, her voice wavering, still flustered.

No answer. She banged on her sister's door, knowing she was about to deliver an unfair fury just because of how fucked up she was. But there was no answer to that, either. Finally, Meg violated about ten different family privacy laws and yanked open Ash's door.

But she wasn't there.

"...Ash?"

Panic crept in slowly, her mind taking time to switch gears. "Ashley?"

She was probably just somewhere else in the house. The very small house with very few rooms. Maybe she was outside. Maybe she'd gone to school early.

Meg rushed past Verkiir in the hall, not even hearing him as she looked for her sister. She wasn't in the kitchen. Or the bathroom. Or the living room. She wasn't outside in the yard. Fear gripped Meg's heart as she tore back inside.

"Stop!" Verkiir said firmly, grabbing her arms and blocking her with his body.

"Let me go!" It was Meg's turn to growl, thrashing uselessly against his strength.

She didn't want to cripple that beautiful equipment of his, but she would knee him right in the dick if he didn't let go of her in 3...2...1.

"Drann is also gone."

Meg stilled, looking up at him with wide eyes. "...What?"

"He is gone."

Verkiir's voice was calm and even, but his eyes and his ears worked in tandem to tell a different story. He was worried. Maybe even afraid.

And that made Meg even more panicked.

He seemed to sense this, and he squeezed her arms, turning her about to face the closed door.

"There is a note," he said.

Meg stared at the piece of paper taped to the door. Ash's handwriting was easy to identify, and she snatched the sheet without thinking about it, scanning the words her sister had written.

Meg,

I'm taking Drann to see the ruins. We'll be careful, and I'll make it to school in time for the second half of the day. Everything they teach before noon is bullshit, anyway.

Please don't be too mad.

Ash

Mad? Oh, she wasn't mad. She was fucking furious. So furious her hand was shaking, something she only realized when Verkiir reached to steady her.

She looked up at him, torn between laughing and crying. She settled for a choked sound somewhere in between the two that probably made him think she was insane.

"What is wrong?" he asked.

"They went to the ruins," she managed. "My sister took the Pathfinder's son to the ruins."

This she did laugh at, and she felt half-crazed while she was doing it. What was her life? Honestly?

"What are these ruins? Where are they?"

Meg took a gasping breath, finally managing to pull herself together. "It's an old human city, collapsed in on itself. It's near where you found me yesterday. She likes to go there to scavenge."

And she would never go there again, if Meg had her way. What the hell was she thinking, going there on a school day? And with a boy?!

Oh, God. She hadn't had the talk with Ash yet. She'd been putting it off, hoping she'd just... decide to join a convent or something. What if it was suddenly relevant?

"I will find them," Verkiir said, releasing her.

He strode toward the door, and for a second, Meg just stared at his back. He would find them. He would go and pull her sister out of God knew where while she was doing God knew what with Drann?

No. That wasn't going to work for her. Ash was her sister. Her responsibility.

"I'm coming with you," she said.

Verkiir turned to her, disapproval written all over his face. "No. It is dangerous. I will find them, you will stay here."

Uh, no. That definitely wasn't happening.

"The hell I will."

And with that, she grabbed her shoes and her bag and brushed past him, just daring him to tell her "no" again.