Page 19 of An Alien for the Farm

“It is a nice place. Peaceful, mostly. Especially all the way out here.”

Eleanor smiles, her gaze distant. “Good. If you’re anything to go by, the residents are quite nice.” Her gaze shifts to me for only a moment before she does a sort of strangled laugh. “I’m sort of banking on this whole new home thing to work out.”

But even though Eleanor is saying positive things, her voice has changed as if she’s holding back much more than she’s letting on. Even a clueless Kari like me can see that and I have the sudden urge to learn each and every one of her secrets. To maybe even tell her some of my own.

I’m caught with that thought when something wet escapes from her eyes. Water. And before I realize what I’m doing, my claw is near her jaw, scooping up the strange expulsion on the tip of one digit. She winces away slightly, surprised, before she pauses, wide, watery eyes on me.

“What’s this?” I peer at the water, moving closer to her.

Her eyes shift to my digit before she squeezes them shut. That only pushes more of the water out.

“God,” she whispers under her breath. “What’s wrong with me today?”

“You’re leaking.”

“Not leaking just…It’s okay. It’s nothing.” She shakes her head.

“It seems like more than nothing.” Something makes my scales ripple. An uneasiness I’ve never felt before. As if this water is particularly offensive to me. I do not like this. Whatever it means, I do not like this water.

“Liora, I might have only known you for a single sol, but…”

But I want to know her more? That I would sit here for the entire dark cycle just listening to her tell me about her life? Her experiences? Her everything? Good and bad?

I can’t say that. Those are words reserved for a mate. One a displaced Kari like me will possibly never have. And yet, there is the urge to say the words, anyway.

Eleanor’s eyes open and they pierce me. “You’re kind,” she whispers. “Very kind.”

I hate that despite these positive phrases, there is pain hidden there.

“It’s tears,” she whispers. “Happens when a human is sad.”

“Human…” I whisper. I’ve never heard of her species before. But most of all, I have made her sad with my prying.

“I apologize,” I rumble, wiping more of the water away. She’s frozen in a strange sort of way as my digit brushes against her cheek, cleaning the liquid away. She’s watching me. Hardly breathing. And there’s a strange look in her eyes. Sadness. Hope. Want?

My movements falter at that last one. Could it be?

Does Eleanor…want me?

I pause, the moment charged, when her gaze falls to my lips. This close, there is little space between us.

Her breathing stutters, hardly there, and I get the sense she’s waiting for me to do something.

But what?

My gaze shifts over her face, the digit moving to wipe away the smudge on her skin as my focus moves to her little plump lips. Her tongue shifts over them then. Slightly parted, they’re moist and enticing this close.

She wants me to do something. My scales shift again, a ripple going across my skin as my core-beat picks up pace. The moment feels frozen, as if I’m walking on tense air itself. Her every breath is mixed with mine and time stands still.

Nothing moves, not until the grass-feed suddenly parts. My claws extend from where they’re retracted as I turn, aware of Eleanor’s sudden gasp at my movement.

But it isn’t an intruder. Just someone who couldn’t have come at the worst possible moment.

“Varek,” I growl at Varek as he steps into the small clearing.

“Oh!” Eleanor sits up too fast. The receptacles and tray tumble in the grass. She scrambles for them as if we’ve been caught doing something inappropriate, and I growl at my brother again, this time flashing fang. He quirks one brow at me, unperturbed but clearly confused as Eleanor’s cheeks grow as red as the color of her blood.

“Hello!” She has the tray balanced on one arm now and is brushing hay from her hair with the other as she makes that funny sound in her throat again. As she adjusts her garment, her gaze shifts to me only briefly before she pushes her lenses higher on her nose. “I guess it’s time for you to go!” She gives me a little bow, moving quickly. “Thanks for keeping me company for dinner. I’ll see you tomorrow for the roof then?”

---