Page 67 of An Alien for the Farm

“You…feel something for my siblingkin?” There it is again. That note of hope. As if it’s something unbelievable. Something unprecedented.

But his words make a tingle go through me at the thought of his brother. I try to breathe through it. All that happens is that the memory of the past day shoots through my mind and everything that I felt with it.

“I do.” I close my eyes, stopping my pacing as those words whisper in the room. I admitted it out loud. I like Zynar. These past few days, I’ve been falling in love with him.

“His scent.” Varek suddenly sounds really close, and when I open my eyes, he’s looming over me with that same look of hope on his face. “It calls you? His touch makes you feel something? You…want my siblingkin?” There’s still that doubt in his voice, all mixed in with the hope.

I blink, looking away from him. I won’t admit to him that I took his brother’s sweaty towel to bed like some creep. That the thought of washing it almost sent me into tears. That I rubbed my clit on his shaft until I climaxed and only his fingers were inside me at the time. That when we finally had sex, it brought me to tears because everything had felt so right and I’ve never had that feeling before.

Instead, I nod. Varek’s shoulders sag.

“Gods,” he whispers, staring at me as if I’m a creature he’s never seen before. “This is more than we ever imagined could happen. Your species is compatible with ours, that is clear. If we’d known of your existence, kahlesta…” He trails off, watching me.

“That’s just the thing.” I meet his gaze, hands fisted at my side. “We aren’t supposed to be here.”

His face goes completely unreadable again.

“But we are here. By some twist of fate, me and the other humans that were taken survived and we’re here. I’d like to think I was taken away from my planet for something other than pure bad luck. I’d like to think that this is really some act of fate. Meeting your brother has…” It’s my turn to trail off and I look toward the door. “Zynar’s reminded me what it feels like to fall in love again.”

My heart swells and I press my hand over my mouth with the surge of emotions going through me. It all comes with a sudden surge of clarity.

“What am I doing?” I whisper. My gaze slides to Varek, and he shifts on his feet. “I have to go to him.”

I move toward the door but Varek steps in my way, blocking my exit yet another time.

“Varek.” My tone is hard. “We’ve already wasted too much time.”

“You cannot go to him like this, kahlesta.”

I frown. “What do you mean?”

“Zynar would have been listening to every word, every occurrence, since I brought you in from that field.”

“He’s in the barn. He can’t possible have heard that…right?” My voice fades by the end of the sentence at the look in Varek’s eyes.

“He is not the same male you had here working on your roof, kahlesta. He is…different now. His senses are primed for the ultimate act of his existence. And he will be enraged.” He drops his tone so low, it’s almost impossible to hear him. “Enraged that he can’t have you. Enraged that I am here with you. Enraged that you’re so far away from him even though he’s the one to put the distance between you.”

I swallow hard.

“If you are sure and we are to do this, kahlesta, we must make a plan.” He watches me. Waits for me to change my mind.

I nod. “I’m sure,” I whisper back, lump in my throat going down. Surer than I’ve ever been. I know that if I do this, I’m accepting Zynar as my mate, and offering myself to him as same. The thought is heady. “So…what’s the plan?”

Varek brightens. “Simple. To ensure you’re not harmed and that this…” his gaze shifts back around the bedroom, “...is a success.”

21

ELEANOR

My heart’s thudding hard in my chest as I pace in front of the bed. I’m dressed in a clean tunic. I’ve brushed my hair. I’m ready. And yet, each breath I take sounds loud in my ears. I close my eyes for a moment to just breathe.

A whole other sol has passed. Varek flat-out refused to enact his plan simply because the medic said I needed at least a day’s rest. Nothing I said could convince him. The only thing that settled my nerves was the fact that after I begged, he at least let me venture outside to check on Zynar.

My heart broke. He was still in the same spot. Hair still hanging over his face, and his body still chained to the pillar. His gaze had snapped toward me even though I hadn’t made a sound. His muscles strained against the chains, rippling with a power that seemed barely contained.

A heavy breath stutters through my nose now as I swallow hard, gaze shifting to the energy brews—as Varek called them—that are sitting in sealed cans on the floor. Apparently, I’ll need them. My heart moves up into my throat as my gaze shifts to the carving knife next. It’s there, tucked under the bed. ‘Only precautionary,’ Varek had said. The fact he insisted on me having it to use against his own kin has my breaths coming harder. I don’t know if I’ll be able to do that. It’s Zynar. I couldn’t…I can’t hurt him.

Varek placed it there anyway.

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