Page 22 of An Alien for the Future

Oh…good Lord.

The way he says my name sends another shiver down my spine. It’s intimate, almost possessive, and it makes me aware of how close we are. Instead of lightening the mood, my joke only served to increase the warmth of the air, making it feel heavy and electric.

Is there anything Ineed? Gosh, that’s a complete other basket of troubles than what Iwant, isn’t it? What I need…what I need is safety. Stability. Someone who sees beyond the facade, who understands the scars carried beneath my smile. I need trust, built slowly and carefully, not rushed in a moment of passion. And this…whatever’s happening here, is exactly what Idon’tneed.

I’m not going crazy. I might want to ignore it, but he’s flirting with me, isn’t he? That makes awareness go through me and I straighten myself, standing taller. I’ve had enough of that to last me a lifetime and the lessons to go with it, too.

“Ok, listen.” My voice is firm and I silently cheer myself on. Better to nip this in the bud right where it is. He’s probably sized me up. Noticed I’m all alone on this ‘ole big farm. Thinks I’m easy pickings, especially since the only other humans on this side of the planet have formed relationships with his kind.

Well, sorry for him, but I’m not that easy.

I meet his gaze. “Mr. Tovan.”

“Just Tovan, Donna.” There it is again. He’s got a voice like whiskey and honey and it takes everything within me to push past that flutter in my chest. Reaching down for the rake, I place one hand akimbo.

“I’m going to scrape that floor for you so you have someplace to hobble without tripping and then you’re going to rest that leg, got it?”

I swear the slits in his eyes narrow. My heart’s in my throat beating so hard I can feel it as he slowly jerks his chin to his chest. He shifts slightly, and I take the moment to slip past him, my throat tightening as my body brushes against his.

I’ve never worked so fast doing any bit of farm work since I was plopped out here by Xarion. In a minute, I’ve scraped the hay into a big pile and I’m heading out the door.

“Just holler if you need anything,” I shout over my shoulder, even though I’m praying to God, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph that he disappears back to wherever he came from before I lose more of the tight control I’ve had over myself all these years.

Pushing out the door, I take a moment to pause and pull in a big swell of fresh air. The sky’s almost completely dark now and a drop of rain hits me in the face.

A shower of blessings. At least, that’s what my old pastor would say. A sign that the Lord is looking out for us.

I start walking towards the house, each step an attempt to put distance between myself and the confusing emotions swirling inside me. Because if this is really one of the Lord’s blessings, Ma wasn’t lying when she used to say he works in mysterious ways.

With every step, I’m aware of the alien’s presence in the barn behind me. Of the possibility that he might call out, might need something.

Part of me, a smart part, wishes he won’t.

But another part of me—the traitorous, lonely part—hopes he will.

7

TOVAN

Awhole sol passes, and then another. The rhythmic patter of the torrent has become my constant companion, a relentless melody that fills the air and drowns out the silence. I lie on the grass-feed, staring up at the beams crisscrossing the roof.

Back in the town, in my nestkan, I rarely listen to the showers like this.

It’s nice. I could live out in these plains if it’s peaceful like this all the time. But despite my appreciation of the peace, the sol has dragged on endlessly. I’ve dozed, woken up, sat here in the silence for many hors. When there’s a sound, I sit up straight, my focus on the large doors right before me. I lie watching them, each click that passes, hoping to see a certain soft female standing there. But the outbuilding remains empty, save for the occasional rustle of small creatures seeking shelter from the torrent.

I want to see her.

And she does come. The first time she visits, her presence surprises me. I did not expect her to seek my presence even though that was the only thing I’d been hoping for. But when I see what she carries in her arms, I understand. I understand,and a warmth spreads through me that’s never graced my lifeblood before. This female braves the downpour, arriving with trays of sustenance, her hair and clothes damp from the short journey between her lodge and the outbuilding. Each time, my heart leaps with hope, anticipating a chance to remain in her presence for even these brief moments.

But Donna’s visits are fleeting. She sets down the tray with a quick, “Here you go,” sometimes adding a perfunctory, “How’s the leg?” before retreating into the torrent. I barely have time to thank her, let alone engage in any meaningful conversation. And on her third visit, it becomes clear that it might be something I have done.

Was I too zealous? I’d cornered her in the back of the outbuilding without intending to. Drawn by the melody in her voice, drawn byher. Frakk. How did the Korruk brothers do it? How did they woo these females? All my instincts are telling me to do is smother her with my presence. I want to follow her around as she talks about nothing and everything. Want to hear her sing. I want to study her, know everything about her, and being in this outbuilding with my thoughts alone has only made that need grow deeper.

My gaze skips across the beams above me. Does this mean this female is—could be mine? I’ve never felt the urge to get to know another female as much as I want to get to know her. The thought of leaving this homestead in the next few hors is actually creating a tangible pain, and not in my foot—that part of me is healing nicely. The pain is deep within.

Again, I close my eyes, searching for about the tenth time this hor. Searching for a rhythm within me. There is none. But there must besomesign. With Kari females, the reaction is immediate. Once you are in your mate’s presence, your core-rhythm sings and you just know.

But Donna is not Kari.

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