Page 13 of His Human Librarian

Images of her screaming and falling in the transporter room flash through my mind. Part of me is proud of the fact that my species is so ferocious that we frighten others, but this is also tiring. I’ve seen this fright syndrome so many times now, I find I have little patience, especially seeing it from someone who is supposed to be a professional and supposedly used to dealing with a variety of species in the four sectors.

I admit, it causes me to mistrust this female.

And yet my body still heats up for her whenever she is close. Part me is proud of the fact that she also finds me attractive, despite her initial fear. Her scent enters my lungs and I want her in my arms.

It is an irritating conundrum.

The suns have set behind the mountains. I stand and stare out the dark window at the lights of the back garden.

This room used to be my parents’ bedroom. I was born and raised in this large ranch house, as were many of my ancestors. My brothers and I each had our own room on this wing, and then my parents had this room. I inherited this main ranch and nowadays this room is mine and my office is downstairs.

I glance over at the only wall that separates me from the unmated, beautiful human next door.

That room used to be my mother's dressing room and office, but I have since turned it into a guest room. All the other rooms are now guest rooms. I had originally meant to put the team that arrived from Gravian in the cabins nearest the shed where their supplies are stored.

But after Taylor finished at the med lab, I put her luggage in the back of the vehicle and messaged Roda and told her to ready the room next to mine for our guest. I don't even quite understand why I did that. I thought I was going to rid myself of her, or that I needed to distance myself from her.

I pace in the room, my tail flicking behind me.

Isn't she my enemy? Don't I need to protect my ancestry from her?

I am a Sandstone, the latest Sandstone in a long line of Sandstones who are caretakers of this land. My oldest brother, Rake, who should technically have inherited, didn't want it because being a host didn't match his personality, he said. And then my middle brother, Thorn, didn't mind passing this role onto me, leaving him the ability to start a new ranch.

It is true that I must be more like my mother than the others are. My two brothers excel at the actual running of the ranch. My strengths lie in other parts of our business, which are also very important. Someone must be the face of our brand, be that Hyrrokin who goes out and schmoozes with politicians and other business leaders, who talks to the media, who doles out philanthropy. The Hyrrokin who lets beings come and stay here and holds events. It's a big job. An important job.

I found our ancestry in a cave and now I must attend to that too. There are so many things that aren't the actual ranching that have to be done that are equally as important as the actual ranching.

My ranch manager is Tilden. Tilden Cornerstone is also extremely quiet and wants only to do his job, which I respect. He's done an amazing job with this portion of the ranch. He's new. Our previous ranch manager retired, and I really do enjoy working with him and make sure I pay him well so I can be assured of retaining his employ. After a long search, he wasfound, and this takes a lot off my shoulders, knowing that everything is cared for here.

Rake and Thorn, my two brothers, have their portions of land, and they are doing very well, tending huge swaths of our extended Sandstone ranch. Meanwhile, I have an excellent ranch manager, which leaves me free to do the other things that I have to do. It wasn’t until this generation that we added more land and divided it, expanded even further, enough for my brothers to have their own ranches adjoining mine.

My two brothers built brand new homes. My own home, the main Sandstone ranch house, is historic and several hundred years old. But right now, this home feels empty. I often have Hyrrokin coming and staying and there's lots of company. But if they're staying overnight, I do tend to put them in the cabins outside, which they don't seem to mind because they are nice, and they can make their way back inside for meals via lighted pathways.

It’s rare that I place visiting Hyrrokin in the main house and never do I place anyone besides my own parents in the room next door.

Roda lives in staff quarters behind the kitchen. My parents never liked having a big staff, and I find I don't either. The cleaning bots seem to be able to care for the house itself. Maybe I should hire more employees to run this house, but right now, I like having extra staff only come in as needed, for events.

But this house was always full of family, and now, between visits from company, it feels strange living here mainly alone. At first, after my parents and brothers moved out, I was delighted to have the run of the ranch house myself. I remodeled as I saw necessary. But this feeling has changed. I often wish I could find a mate as my brothers have done and start my own family. I am ready for this change in my life. But I haven't found anyone right for me. No one was impressed at university that I was the heirto the Sandstone ranch. They considered it uncivilized and much too wild, too remote. None of my friends wanted to come back with me during breaks, even just to visit.

Roda, who has known me her whole life and feels more like an aunt than an employee, knocks on the door to deliver a tray of food for dinner. She frowns because she doesn’t like that I’ve left our guest on her own instead of using the formal dining room.

I don’t bother to answer and just begin eating my meal, which is excellent as always.

I’m alone again, gazing at the fire in the fireplace. Then I look over at the enormous bed, where I have not once entertained even a pleasure mate.

When I moved in here, I was able to remodel this main room, so it's decorated differently than when my parents lived here. At the same time, I remodeled the room next door.

What would my mother think of the fact that I placed this female next door?

I finish eating the last of my food and chug back my fire ale. I’m about to leave the dishes in the hallway for the bots to retrieve, but then decide to take the tray downstairs myself, because I feel restless.

The quiet hallway is lit softly with the light of wall scones that flicker like real flames. I glance at her closed door. What is she doing? Is Taylor asleep, or is she reading? She is, after all, a Librarian, even though it sounds like she doesn't have an actual library of books to tend to as a regular librarian.

She left her tray of food in front of her door, and the cleaning bot hasn't arrived to pick it up. So I pick up her food tray and carry it along with mine. Might as well. Now I've got two trays in my hands, and I keep going downstairs and make my way into the kitchens and drop them off. The cleaning bot arrives and greets me with a beep and begins work on the dishes I've brought.

“You're welcome,” I tell him.

He beeps in response.

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