Page 40 of An Alien for Her Heart

My breath catches, my heart stuttering in my chest at the raw sincerity in his words. The way he looks at me, like I’m the only thing in the universe that matters. The little footing I had feels torn right from under me.

“You…”

“Ah, but you don’t know. That’s why I promised to show you.”

I blink at him, my eyelids fluttering. It’s too much. Too intense. Too real. I’m not ready for this, not ready to face the depth of emotion in his eyes.

So I do the only thing I can.

I run.

I give him a slight nod. Waving a hand in the direction of the barn, I mutter something about having things to do, even though my mind goes blank as to what I had planned for this morning. It certainly wasn’t this.

Backing away, I catch that same delicious little grin on Varek’s lips before he engages the machine again and turns it.

I stop walking when the threat of his gaze is no longer sending alarm bells all across my being. Watching the machine move down the line, I release a slow breath.

Darn him. He’s turning out to be a real problem. But what’s worse, what’s truly terrifying, is the confidence that bleeds from him. As if he knows his attempts will be fruitful.

A shiver runs down my spine as I realize the truth: I’m scared he will actually succeed. His unwavering confidence, the way he looks at me like he’s already won, it all makes me doubt my own resolve. I’m not sure I’m strong enough to keep him away, not sure I have the willpower to resist the definite pull that’s growing towards him.

As he makes his way down the line, I watch him go, my thoughts a convoluted mess. As he turns the machine and heads back my way, it’s the sound of an ooga baying over the sound of the machine that finally pulls my focus. My gaze flicks to the animals hiding in the tall grass a split second before about seven of them dash out from their hiding spot.

Varek slows down, but the animals keep going, heading straight to the perimeter fence. My eyes are wide as I watch them, expecting them to stop when they get to the other side of the field, but they don’t.

As Varek rises from his seat, a shout on his lips that echoes across the plains, I realize just what’s happening. The animals are like balls of muscle and hooves as they fight to get away from the machine. And one does. I don’t know how it gets out, probably because the creatures targeted the exact spot that ooga had gotten stuck in that first day Varek came to my assistance, but an ooga squeezes through, rushing across the grass on the other side, it’s loud squeals piercing over the commotion of the others.

My heart seizes. It’s a baby. That’s the only reason it managed to squeeze through and the terror of the others has only made it more frightened.

I’m moving without a second thought, even as I hear Varek cut the engine of the machine. I have to stop the little animal. It’s heading this way but I don’t think it will stop. That means it will go straight toward a nest of trees a way off. There, a set of animals that have never come close to my farm in the month I’ve been here are resting.

They’re tall, with long necks. Like diplodocus dinosaurs mixed with giraffes. I don’t know if they’re even friendly. They’re wild and the little baby is so panicked, it’s heading the wrong way.

Somehow, I hoist myself over the fence. I fall on my ass, hip, and arm all at once, pain shooting through my bum and the wind knocked out of me. All my muscles protest, that little spot of adrenaline fading fast. For a moment, I don’t know where is up or down, but I’m on the other side of the fence, at least. That’s when something runs straight past me. The baby ooga. Its screams ring in my ears, louder than ever as I crawl to my knees, intent on chasing after it even though my heart is pounding in my chest.

The tall, giraffe-like creatures are only a few meters away now, their eyes wide and alert as they watch the commotion. I have no idea how they’ll react to the baby ooga barreling towards them, and I don’t want to find out.

“Stop! Please, stop!” I scream, my voice hoarse and desperate. The baby ooga doesn’t seem to hear me, or if it does, it’s too frightened to stop. It’s almost at the trees now, and I push myself to run. I’m not fast by any means. At this rate, I might as well do a power walk, but I push through the tall grass anyway.

I don’t think I’ll make it. Don’t think I’ll save the little thing. But then a miracle happens. The little creature changes direction, heading off back toward my right.

My lungs burning with the effort, I dive after it, just a moment before I see one of the dinosaur animals rise from where it was resting.

“Catherine, watch out!” Varek is somewhere behind me, his voice carrying a note of warning that sends a chill down my spine.

I glance over my shoulder and see him running my way, his powerful legs eating up the distance between us, just as I fall into the grass with a thud. Ouch! My shoulders hurt but there’s something underneath my palm. I’m gripping thick hide and I realize it’s the little creature’s thigh. I’ve caught the child! But it’s wriggling, squealing, intent on rejecting my assistance. I’m going to lose my hold and those dinosaur things are coming. I have to do more. I have to try.

With a burst of strength I didn’t know I had in me, I lunge forward, my fingers stretching out, grasping for the ooga’s little tail. For a heart-stopping moment, I think I’ve missed, that my hand will close on empty air.

But then, miraculously, I feel the thrashing appendage beneath my palm. I clench my fist, holding on for dear life as the ooga squeals and kicks up dirt, trying to break free.

I’m dragged on the ground, even as I try to get more of a grip on little thing’s midsection. My injured shoulder screams and I bite back the pain as I gain some purchase to wrap my arms around the struggling thing. It’s strong for a baby, so much stronger than I anticipated, and for a moment, I’m afraid it will escape my grasp.

But then Varek is there.

“Frakk,” he curses. “Catherine, I have to touch you.” It’s the only warning I get before his large claws join my hands,his muscular arms encircling us both. He holds the ooga tight, pulling the animal against my belly as he pulls me against him.

Staggered breaths leave me as my entire back is enclosed by his thick frame. His grip is firm but gentle, and slowly, gradually, the little creature begins to calm. It begins to calm, but I do not.

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