Page 8 of An Alien for Her Heart

We’re at the gate that leads into the main yard and I let her walk in first. Looking behind us, the line of umus bopping happily along and eating sweet cubes stretches to disappear into the grass-feed. But farther off, in the actual field, the oogas are already calming down.

I can sense Catherine’s relief when she looks back and notices the same.

I nod to her before jerking my chin in the direction of the outbuilding. “I’ll lead them in.”

Her eyes are still slightly wide, and she’s still gripping that neck portion of her tunic, but she nods in affirmation.

My eyes narrow slightly, my gaze shifting up to the Raki on the roof as I close the yard gate. He’s looking down at us from where he works ever so slowly. For some reason, that annoys me, too.

“No sweet cubes, Raki?” I can’t help but ask.

“None at the moment. Greetings,” he replies.

Useless frakker.

He could have at least told her what to do. No doubt she has sweet cubes in her supplies. Instead, he let her risk harm by trying to solve a problem she’d have no idea how to solve on her own.

Maybe I’m snarling. Maybe I’m doing it out loud, because the moment I feel a soft touch on my arm, I snap back again like a tether pulled taut. A ripple goes through my scales and I realize Catherinetouchedme. She snatches her hand back immediately, almost as if she’d just been burned, and her gaze shifts away from me.

“I really do appreciate your help.” She presses a smile on her face.

I force myself to turn away from the Raki. I’m meant to calm the human and fix her problem. Not scare her to death.

“It’s the least anyone could do,” I growl those words for the Raki as I lead the little creatures toward the outbuilding.

The fact his presence is adding to my irritation makes little sense. The last thing that made me emotional to the point I lost control happened eons ago. A day I never want to relive again, but one that haunts my every waking moment.

More discontent rises the moment I head around the lodge on the way to the outbuilding. The roof is only halfway done, even though I know for a fact that Catherine arrived here more than a moon phase ago. Is the Raki making her sleep in a lodge with a roof that’s only half-complete? Not only that, but the high grasses choking the walkways have not been trimmed. I can see where she’s been working to clear them, just so she can have a path to walk. Then there is the heavy machinery that clutters the yard, most unusable now. The only thing that seems to be in working order is the shining, new water shaft that must have been recently installed.

By the time I get to the outbuilding, I’m seething. I tell myself it’s because I hate seeing subpar work and that it has nothing to do with the delicate female that owns this place. But when I pull open the outbuilding’s door and see the state of the roof and the animal enclosures, I stop short.

“Is everything alright, mister um, Mister Varek?”

I stiffen. I’ve been seething so much I didn’t realize she’d trailed behind me and the umus all the way to the outbuilding itself. I force myself to hide my fangs. To slide on the mask I usually wear. The one prey species prefer to see.

I turn, glancing over my shoulder at her.

“Everything is fine. Not to worry.”

She gives me a slight smile before nodding. Her focus moves to the umus as I lead them in and when the doors close behind them all, I know she followed us inside, too.

“I’ll put them here.” I gesture to an enclosure that needs the least work.

“Yes, sure. Anywhere you think is best.”

She’s putting her faith in me and that makes me want to do an even better job. Make this work for her even long after I’m gone.

I turn and survey the space. It’s functional, but far from ideal. I spot some discarded crates and decide those could be repurposed to reinforce the enclosure walls while keeping the creatures contained.

Lifting and maneuvering the crates into place is nothing. But they’re large heavy things and I sense Catherine watching, her eyes widening slightly at the casual display of strength. For a fleeting moment, I allow myself to feel a flicker of pride at impressing her before I push the thought aside.

With the makeshift barrier in place, I gently coax the umus into their new temporary home, dropping a few more sweet cubes to entice them. The little creatures hop and bounce into the pen, their fluffy bodies wiggling with happiness at having the sweet treats.

Turning back to Catherine, I notice her biting her lower lip, a small frown creasing her brow as she surveys the outbuilding’s dilapidated state. I fight the urge to reach out and smooth that worry from her face. Frakking Raki. He’s done nothing to helpher out here and she’s not a fool. She knows this is no place to keep the animals. Not long-term. Not like this.

“I’ll get this fixed up properly for you,” I say before I even consider the gravity of my words. And frakk me with the gruffness in my tone. “The umus will be fine in there for now.”

Catherine’s green eyes meet mine, a tentative smile softening her features. “Thank you again, Varek.” She looks away, focusing on the animals moving in their new enclosure. “This was probably all a big waste of time for you. The solution was so…simple. I’ll know what to do next time.”

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