Page 30 of An Alien for Her Heart

“Okay,” I nod.

Relief washes over his features, and he nods. With that, he turns and walks back to his hover truck. Putting the first-aid kit in, he settles against the side of the vehicle, his gaze fixed on the house. On me.

I watch him for a moment, that warmth rising within me, before I head inside and shut the door. This is all so unexpected. The warmth—and the sense of security knowing he’s out there, watching over me.

There’s a tingle in my palm where I had touched him, and I find my thoughts drifting to the sensation of his scales as I make my way to the bathroom to run a bath. Even as I sink into the warm water, my mind is filled with images of iridescent scales, strong claws, and piercing eyes.

Hours pass, and every so often, I find myself peeking out the window to see if he’s still there. Even long after the Raki left. Each time, I spot him, a steadfast guardian in the fading light. As the night grows darker and the stars begin to shine, I realize just how long he’s been out there, ensuring my safety.

Finally, as the moon rises high in the sky, guilt sets in. It’s only a bruise. I didn’t expect him to wait this long.

“I’m alright, Varek. I really am.”

As if he actually heard me, I see him push off from his truck. He tilts his head, a nod to me at the window as he takes one last long look at the house, before getting into the vehicle.

My breath stutters as he drives away, a pang of something I can’t quite name going right through me. A mixture of gratitude, longing, and a strange sense of loss.

For the first time in a long while, I find myself looking forward to the new dawn and the possibility of seeing him again.

10

VAREK

The dark cycle was torture. It took everything within me not to hop into my transport and head off to the plains. I’d park just outside Catherine’s farm and wait there till dawn came. And I almost did it. If not for the fact that Zynar’s words of advice rang in my ears.

Human females are skittish and need convincing.

I don’t even know what I want to convince Catherine of.

That I want her? A dangerous game to play when I can’t even offer her the joy of having my rhythm sing for her. What am I offering her, exactly? Companionship? She could get that from anyone she chooses. Why would she choose me?

And why do I want it so badly? Why does the thought of her choosing someone else make me feel crippled inside?

Again, I search deep within, closing my eyes as I search for it. My core-rhythm. But it’s nowhere to be felt or heard. It doesn’t exist. I haven’t yet found my mate, even though it feels like Catherine is…

Even though it feels like Catherine is something more than just a potential companion.

By the time dawn lights, I’m already on my way, zooming toward the plains. I’ll finish the outbuilding’s roof today and Ihave plans. Plans based on Zynar’s advice. The tee meal was almost a disaster, but against everything, it worked. Now for phase two.

I arrive at Catherine’s, gaze shifting to the quiet lodge where she must still be asleep. Just like the day before, there’s no indication she’s awake and I get to work, trying my hardest to keep the noise low. By the time the star pushes itself over the horizon, I’ve lined up all the beams and have started hammering them in. Below, the little umus huddle together in their makeshift enclosure, disturbed by the rhythmic bangs.

“Not for long, little ones.” One bleats at me as if telling me to hurry up and I grin.

“Who are you talking to?” The sound of her voice makes me freeze, a shiver going through my scales, culminating in the tight sac beneath my shaft.

Catherine.

I turn, looking over my shoulder to find her standing at the edge of her porch. Gods, she really is captivating. She’s pulled the strands of her mane back, giving me a full view of her face. The soft lines of her brows, her nose, her lips…

I pause, the float tile I’m balancing on moving closer to the edge of the roof I’m working on. I crouch on it, peering down at her.

“What is wrong with your lips?”

Her eyes widen, her lips pressing into a line as her cheeks grow to match the color her lips now are. They’re a warm red that they weren’t the sol before or the one before that.

“Is something wrong?” I direct the tile to float down to ground level before hopping off. “Is this because of the injury you received last sol?” My thoughts turn murderous immediately. The image of that Raki in my mind as I growl, leaning closer to the female before me. Before I can stop myself,my claw ventures close to her lips before I pause, a breath away from touching her.

Catherine stops pressing her lips together and a breath huffs from her nose. I’m not sure if it’s mirth because she shifts her gaze away from me.

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