My eyes blinked open.

Does this mean I’m alive?

I tried to look around, but all I saw was a blurry shape fuzzed above me with a blue tint in color.

I tried to speak, but my mouth was too dry. Instead, I let out a soft whimpering sound.

I moved my hands up to rub my puffy eyes. Kadic’s face came into focus, and he was hovering over me.

“Where am I?” I squeaked.

“Relax, you are safe. You are in my bed now.” Kadic leaned over to plant a kiss on my forehead. His eyes looked tired and worried.

“What happened?” I was trying to wake up and make sense of it all.

“I’m so overjoyed that you woke up. You have a huge knot on the back of your head. You must have fallen and hit a log when you tried to run from the Panthigons.”

I automatically drew a hand back to touch the lump on the back of my head. It stabbed me with pain and I cringed. I didn’t mind the pain, I was just so thankful to have lived through the ordeal in the woods.

In that moment I felt profound and overwhelming gratitude toward Kadic. He’d come to my rescue, just in time. If it weren’t for him, I’d probably be in the belly of a large wild beast right then.

I flung my arms around his neck. “I’m so sorry for running away and for the way I’ve treated you.”

Kadic squeezed me affectionately, but tenderly. “Why did you run?” Hurt grazed his expression.

I shook my head, feeling terrible about it. I looked at the sheets.

“Is Alpazon really so appalling that you can’t wait to leave it? Am I really such a poor excuse for a man that you can’t even give me a chance or picture a great life here together?”

I touched his cheek, yearning for closeness with him all of a sudden. “I guess I never really considered leaving Earth. Everything is just so different than what I’m used to.”

He furrowed his brow. “Is different such a bad thing?”

“No, absolutely not.” I shook my head. “This planet has great qualities. All the plants and animals I’ve seen, even the ones that try to kill me are simply fascinating, almost magical,” I admitted. “The people are friendly and interesting, too,” I added as an afterthought.

“Then what’s the problem?” He shrugged.

“You have to understand, I wasn’t prepared to leave Earth. If I’d been given a choice, then maybe I would have been more accepting from the beginning…” I trailed off. “Remember, I was tricked into coming here and everything changed. The rug was swept out from under me and my choices were taken away.”

“Well, I’m giving you the choice now.” He stood up and gave me a firm look.

“What do you mean?” I eased up in the bed, my muscles protesting in soreness.

“If you want to leave when the spaceship for Earth comes back, you are free to do so.”

“Okay,” I said a little apprehensively.

“But I ask you to have an open mind first.” His eyes were pleading and he held my hands in his. “Just set aside your obsession with going home and replace it momentarily with the idea of making this place your new home.”

“I do want to get to know you better,” I admitted.

His eyes lit up the room with hope. “That’s all I ask,” he said and gave me a heartfelt smile.

Internally, I weighed my options. There were pros and cons for leaving and staying. But was my life really so great back on Earth?

I tried to think of reasons and excuses why I shouldn’t stay here, but I came up empty and I searched the deepest, darkest places of my brain.

“I’m a librarian back home,” I said and looked at him.

“Books?” Kadic asked, trying to understand the professional title.

“Yep.” I nodded. “I work alone a lot.” I looked at the floor and sniffed. “Actually, I work most of the time and don’t really have a social life,” I whispered as the reality of the situation began to sink in.

I didn’t have many friends other than the patrons that came into the library where I worked. I would chat with the regulars on occasion, but I never actually hung out with them outside the library.

There was one void I’d never be able to fill back on Earth, and that was the absence of my parents.

What was left for me to go home to, then?

Kadic had a fascinating library here, right in his house. I could get lost in books every day if I wanted to.

I looked into his handsome face and sat up straight. “Okay, I’m willing to keep an open mind. I’m going to give Alpazon a chance. Maybe I could explore around and get to know the environment a little better?”

Kadic bounced on his heels excitedly. “Thank you so much. I promise, I’ll try to sell Alpazon as the best resort place you could ever even dream of going to, only you would get to live in that dream forever—not just a fantasy.”

He leaned in to give me a kiss and the chemistry sizzled between our bodies as our lips met. He was warm and masculine and very protective.

I could give him a chance; he deserved it after coming to my rescue. I owed him because, if it weren’t for his selfless act and bravery of tromping through the woods, I’d be dead right now. He didn’t have to come and save me, but he had wanted to. His character was built up in my mind now.

I had to think of myself as lucky to even be given the chance to explore another planet in the universe. Why not allow Kadic to pamper me in the process? It wasn’t as bad as I thought, after all, and I now saw the light of compassion in his heart that gave me hope.