Page 5 of An Alien for Her Heart

But who am I to judge? That madness I scoff at is the same madness writhing within me now. The same hope. The fact there might be a chance. I try to push it away, but the thought lingers still. It lingers…and I think of her. The other female who has arrived on the plains. Human, like Zynar’s mate. Her name is Catherine…and she is enchanting.

Gaze shifting to the dawn sky outside, I swallow hard, forcing myself to think of something else. I only met the human once. Briefly, right after Zynar was mated. She’s a stranger, a newcomer to this world who deserves the chance to find her own way without the burden of any Kari’s foolish hopes anddreams. She has come here seeking peace and a fresh start, not the attention of a broken male hoping to find the one who will soothe his soul.

If she was my mate…

I stop the thought right there. It’s a dangerous one. One that could all too easily consume me if I let it take root. I cannot be like the others who must have lost their minds, approaching females on the off chance that my rhythm will sing.

Shaking my head, as if I can physically dislodge the notion from my mind, I rise. I have to focus. There are jobs to do. Tasks to complete. Life goes on even if my siblingkin no longer walks by my side. Work is all I can do. Anything else is a distraction I cannot afford.

Reaching for my boots and tools, my movements are brisk and purposeful as I head into the town. There are many task requests on my list. The sooner I get started, the better.

The work is quick. Focusing on nothing else, I complete the jobs with a sort of robotic efficiency. Each time my comm pings and I accept another task, it helps push another hor behind me. At one moment of calm, I settle in my truck, claws grasping the yoke tight. The lull makes my mind wander. Makes me remember the fact that when I return to my lodge this dark cycle, it will be me and my thoughts again. That this madness rising inside of me is a form of insanity I must push back against.

I’m successful. My thoughts shift away from self-pity and self-loathing to something else. Her. My thoughts shift to the human instead.

When my comm pings, I retrieve it from my pocket with almost too much anticipation. Another job to keep me focused is exactly what I need. Except, it’s not another job. It’s mykahlesta; my siblingkin Zynar’s mate.

“Good dawn, kahlesta.” The comm lights up and her face fills the screen.

“Varek! So happy I reached you—”

I’m like stone as she explains that she needs my help. That it’s urgent. A life-or-death situation. But what has me not even breathing is the fact it’s not reallyherthat needs the help, but someone else.

With a throat that’s suddenly tight, I tell her I’ll handle it. I can’t say no, even though my core-beat fills with dread tangled up with more anticipation. Engaging the hover truck, I’m shooting across the plains a second later, my entire being thrumming with hope despite efforts to calm myself.

This has nothing to do with fate. This is simply a favor. But as the hover truck comes to a sweet stop, idling as I hop out, my core-beat stutters and beats just a bit harder. There’s a soft wind in the air, carrying with it the distant sounds of baying and stomping. My ears twitch at the commotion as I turn my gaze to the homestead.

So…this is where the other human lives. Catherine.

It’s a homestead much like the one my siblingkin lives in with his mate. A field. Outbuildings. And a main lodge his mate calls a ko’tehj.

There’s a Raki on the roof of this one and as I shut the door of the truck, my gaze slides to him. For an unknown reason, a bristle goes through my scales at seeing him there. And, as if he can sense my focus, he turns, gaze finding me over his shoulder. I dip my head in greeting, even though his presence makes me want to snarl—again, for some unknown reason. I have no problem with the Raki. I see them all the time in the town. They do the same jobs as me and my siblingkin, except they cater to prey species like themselves. And…like the female who owns this farm.

That only reminds me that I shouldn’t be here. Males like me don’t usually get called to help on these plains. That anticipation that swelled in me for the entire journey becomes riddled withuncertainty. Does the human even know I was called? The last thing I want to do is scare her.

As I approach, the Raki’s eyes heighten on me, and even though he dips his head and returns to his work, I can tell he’s still aware of my every move. We Kari are no savages, but his caution is ingrained—and rightly so.

The unnatural behavior of those far-too-hopeful Kari must have spread farther than I thought.

Stepping into the yard, I push the Raki from my mind as my focus shifts. He isn’t the reason I’m here. The human is. Catherine. Except, as I near her lodge, concern tingles along my spine. The door is thrown open wide, a soft breeze blowing the linen she’s hung by the windows. Apart from that, there is no movement within.

She must be hiding, scared out of her wits. I’m about to enter her lodge, find her, and tell her I’ll get her animals settled without trouble when my ears twitch. A sound reaches me through the long grass-feed. Under the commotion from the animals, there’s a soft grunt, an even softer feminine voice muttering words I cannot parse, and then an exasperated huff. I stiffen. The female. She isn’t hiding. She’s in the field, even though she shouldn’t be there. Not when the oogas are scared and mindless. They are big, powerful animals and the human is a small thing compared.

I’m moving without another thought, cutting through the grass-feed in the direction of those soft grunts. The blades are so tall I don’t see her at first. But I can hear her. Hear her grunting and struggling with something, all underneath the cries of a distressed ooga. When I reach the perimeter of her land, I see her.

The human called Catherine. And she’s…she truly is captivating.

She’s sweating and her tunic is ripped. Her black and silver mane is pulled back away from her face. A face that’s currently scrunched in equal frustration and effort combined. For a moment, I can only stare at her. For a moment, I forget my reason for coming out here.

She’s trying to free an ooga trapped in the fence, her hands straining against the massive creature’s weight. The ooga is panicked, its powerful legs kicking up dirt and grass-feed as it struggles, causing itself to bleed against the wires. The human is dangerously close to those thrashing hooves, her brows furrowed, her blunt teeth bared and clenched.

“Hold still, you big lump!” Her voice makes my ears twitch, perking in interest toward her. But her shout doesn’t help her cause. The ooga doubles its efforts to free itself, but it only gets more stuck instead. The wires are now digging into its skin so much that the thing is slowly cutting off its air supply.

I move forward, reaching the human just as the ooga gives another violent kick. She stumbles back, losing her grip, and a flash of fear crosses her face as she realizes she’s falling. Her arms instinctively spread, reaching out to stop her fall or, perhaps, to brace for the impact.

She gasps, her eyes widening the moment it’s not the ground that meets her but the hard ropes of my arms. I expect to simply brace her up, but my breath stills at the moment of contact. The sensation of another being pressed against me completely derails my thoughts. I don’t move.Can’t. I can feel the human’s core-beat racing, pounding like a drum against my chest. Time seems to still as brilliant green eyes find mine, wide and filled with surprise.

“Oh!” She’s startled, and the word is almost like a squeak that passes her lips. She’s so delicate, I can feel every breath she’s taking. “You’re…Varek.”

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