Page 12 of An Alien for the Future

My eyebrows rise. “You have?”

His gaze shifts from mine. “The Korruk brothers. They have human mates.”

Ah, so he knows Eleanor and Catherine’s husbands. “Friend of theirs?”

He grunts and I wonder if it’s because of the pain or if it’s a laugh he’s holding back. “We’re not allies.”

My brows twist again and, as if he can tell that I will definitely distance myself if he’s an enemy of my friends, he continues. “We are acquaintances. Neither ally nor foe. We arrived on Hudo a long time ago on the same ship. But I did not know the brothers before then. Since living here, we have merely passed by each other and exchanged greetings within the settlement.”

I turn his words over in my mind and as I look up, I catch him watching me now. Those strange eyes skip over my face. As if to soothe my fears, he continues. “We Kari, we’re a bit solitary.”

My eyes narrow slightly. “Mmhmmm. Well, this is my place.” I jerk my chin at the cottage before us. We’re down in the yard, just by the porch now and I use one hand to brace on the wooden column. “Let’s get you settled, and then I’ll take a look at that foot. Think you can step up here?”

It’s just one step, but if he can’t put any weight on his bad leg then—

With a grunt, the alien hops up onto the porch and we do an awkward kind of stagger as I lead him to the single chair I have sitting there. It looks like a toy and he settles into it.

As I release him and his heat disappears from my skin, I take a deep breath and step back.

Tovan’s eyes shift from me to skip around, taking in the blue walls with their orange trim, the flowers I hung in baskets on either side of the door, and even the little paper origami rooster I have perched inside on my windowsill.

“It’s…quaint.”

“Thank you. It’s growing on me.” If he were a human, I’d probably take offense to his “quaint” remark. But there’s nothingmalicious in his gaze. He seems in awe, drinking in every detail of the cottage.

Or maybe he’s just scoping you out.

I can’t stop my spine from stiffening. “Right,” I say, clapping my hands together. “Let’s see about getting you patched up, shall we? I’ll go get the first aid kit.”

I step inside and close the door behind me with a soft click. The familiar surroundings of my cottage do little to calm my racing thoughts.

Okay, Donna. You’ve got a giant alien on your porch. No big deal. Just your average Tuesday in Tennessee, right? Except even those tornado sirens never brought anything this strange to my doorstep. And this ain’t Tennessee.

I shake my head, trying to clear it as I head for the bathroom where I keep the first aid kit. My eyes dart to the kitchen, where my trusty butcher knives gleam right where I left them.

Maybe I should grab one. You know, just in case he decides human flesh is the perfect dessert after bluebread.

I snort at my own ridiculous thought. Still, I can’t shake the unease entirely. As I rummage through the storage boxes for the first aid kit, my mind conjures increasingly absurd scenarios.

What if he’s engineered all this just so he could scope my farm out? A wave of weariness washes over me. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve fallen for a sob story, a charming smile hiding a less than honorable agenda. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…well, shame on me. It’s not like I’ve got a track record of attracting the most…trustworthy…of men.

Brows still furrowed, I give the first-aid kit a yank the moment my fingers close around it. With the kit now clutched to my chest, I turn, worry still etched in my brow as I head out of the bathroom before I pause. Reaching into my pocket, I get my comm device. Better safe than sorry.

I quickly punch in Catherine’s contact and wait, drumming my fingers nervously against the first-aid kit.

“Donna?” Catherine’s voice comes through, sounding surprised. “Everything okay?” In the background, I hear a deep rumble and just know it’s her mate, Varek. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re in bed,in the middle of the day.

No, I’m not jealous. I’m—I’m just…ok, fuck it. Maybe I’m just a little bit jealous.

I release a sigh, shaking my head again to clear my thoughts.

“Hey, Cath.” It’s an effort to keep my voice casual with my thoughts getting increasingly troubled by the second. “So, funny story. I’ve got a, uh, visitor. Big guy. Scales. Says he knows the Korruk brothers?”

There’s a pause. “Wait, are you saying there’s a Kari at your farm?”

“Yep. He’s hurt his foot. I’m about to put on my scrubs again and play nurse. Just thought you should know, you know, in case I don’t check in later and you need to come rescue me.”

Catherine’s laugh is both relieved and exasperated. But she’s laughing. So very different from the first time I met her. She’d been more reserved then. A lingering sort of sadness I knew too well etched in her features. Now, it’s like she’s been given the gift of a second life. “Oh, Donna. I’m sure you’re fine. They may look big and scary, but the Kari are generally peaceful.” She lets out a yelp and a giggle and I hear the distinct growl of her mate. “S-sorry about that. It’s Varek. He’s—” She clears her throat, sobering. “I appreciate you letting me know. Want me to come over?”

---