Page 24 of An Alien for the Future

“I’ve healed quite well.” I give her the ghost of a grin. “I would show you, so you believe me, but it looks like you’ve got your claws full.”

Donna lets out a short, breathless laugh. “Back to the ‘capable’ act, I see.” She shakes her head, body jostling slightly asthe ooga she’s bracing against bays. “This girl’s got herself stuck, and now she’s too scared to move. I’ve tried everything.”

And I can see she has. Because, unlike me, it’s clear Donnaiscapable. There are large thick branches near the hole, branches she’s no doubt carried here to give the beast some leverage. On one side, there’s some freshly cut grass-feed, probably to use as an incentive for these food-motivated creatures. Neither has worked.

The ooga bays again, not moving even as Donna gives it another push. “I don’t know what to do anymore.”

“I do.”

When she glances at me, turns those deep brown eyes my way, I see the hope in her eyes and suddenly I want her to look at me like that all the time. As if I can solve all her problems.

“Here, take my claw.” I reach toward her and I’m rewarded with her immediately reaching for me. Zero hesitation. I resist the urge to groan with unconcealed pleasure. Pulling her from the hole is easy, and now, by my side, I turn my gaze to the creature even though my complete attention is on the female standing next to me.

Her scent is even sweeter this sol. As if the torrents have washed away every interference. Standing by my side, her chest heaves, the dark tunic she’s wearing today doing nothing to conceal those large mounds on her chest. It takes everything in me not to look at them directly. I’m sure they are her teats…and now I’m wondering what they’d feel like against my tongue. Do humans even do such things with their mates?

Apparently, it doesn’t matter. My shaft hardens anyway. The thought alone is enough.

“We need to calm him down,” I say, the hoarseness in my voice borne from pure depravity. Thank the gods Donna cannot read minds.

“Her.”

I don’t know what she’s referring to. Those thoughts in my head have erased everything else.

Donna grins. “This is my big girl. Her name is Gertrude.”

“Ah.” My gaze slides to her lips and the grin still there. Her teeth may be blunt but they are perfectly aligned, only adding to her beauty. “Gertrude, then. A fine name.”

Donna grunts, placing both fists against her waist and having her elbows jut out in that way she seems to like to stand. “Of course, it is. I named her.”

Her grin widens, and I find myself mirroring it, a foolish, instinctive reaction to her infectious good humor. It’s all I can do as my mind buzzes with the fact that since the showers, this is the most we’ve spoken together these past two sols.

Moving around to the other side of the ooga, I grab a bundle of thick rope Donna dropped there. She reallyiscapable. Thought of everything. “Here, take this rope.”

I hand her one end of the length of rope, trying to keep my gaze low. But I can see how her body moves in just the periphery of my gaze. How her hips sway with a natural grace that sends a jolt of something hot and primal through my veins.

Frakk. This human female…she is a walking distraction, like pure temptation playing out right in front of me. And my senses, honed for battle, for survival, are suddenly attuned to her every movement, her every breath.

This is not a good idea. If she’s not mine, I will truly lose all hope in the fates. But even as the thought forms, I find myself leaning closer, drawn to her warmth like a tilgran to a zimi bush.

She holds on tight to the length of rope, following my lead as I move slowly around to the ooga’s head.

“Easy now, Gertrude, this big strong Kari is here to help. That’s it, nice and calm…” She’s soothing the creature, but does she know she’s soothing me too? Big strong Kari? Pride makes my scales brighten. So she likes my strength? I can show hermore of that. I could put on a show by lifting the bales of grass-feed and helping her tidy up that outbuilding. Would that attract her? And my size… No female has ever outwardly praised my size before. Does she truly like it? Or is she simply saying that for the creature before us?

My gaze shifts to the ooga, meeting its eyes as if it can help me unravel the secrets surrounding this female. If it could talk, it could tell me if Donna often uses such words or if she truly finds me…desirable. If she sees me as a potential mate, or just a helpful stranger.

A low growl rumbles in my chest. I want to know.

Amazingly, the ooga seems to respond to her words. Its thrashing lessens, and its breathing begins to even out. I find myself captivated by the human even more.

“Okay,” her brown eyes dance to me. “What now?”

“We’ll guide her out. Ready?”

She nods, those delicate digits gripping the rope tightly. We begin to move, urging the ooga forward with gentle tugs and encouraging words. For a moment, it seems to be working. The creature makes an effort to heave itself from the mud, and my gaze shifts to the female still urging it with gentle words.

“You are good with this.” I praise. “Younglings must adore you. You speak with such care, such…” I search for the right word. “Such… tenderness.” I mean it, too. From the first moment she pushed through that zimi bush to assist me, she’s been nothing but gentle. Firm, but gentle still. Her presence, it’s soothing, has a calmness about it, a steadiness that I find strangely comforting. It’s like… like the feeling of returning to the den after a long, arduous flight. A sense of safety and belonging that I haven’t experienced in…well, maybe ever. It’s not just the way she cleaned my wound, bandaged my foot. It’s the way she speaks, the way she moves, the way her very presence seems to soothe the raw edges of my soul. Like a balm.

I know now why it’s been so hard to leave these plains. I met her. I met Donna and suddenly there’s a peace I haven’t known in orbits. The loneliness that every displaced Kari lives with, the one I thought nothing about because it’s simply a fact of life, is suddenly a burden. One I’m very aware of.

---