Page 43 of An Alien for the Future

This man, thismale, he’s still trying to respect my boundaries, isn’t he? Even when it’s clearly not safe for him to do so. Oh hell. I bite my lip staring in the direction of his camp before a large sigh lifts my shoulders.

“Damn it.” Because I already know what I’m about to do.

Stupid generosity. Stupid kindness. Ma should have raised me to be a cold-hearted bitch like Aunt Mary. How she managed to snag so many fellas with that icy stare and a tongue sharper than a butcher’s knife, I’ll never know. Course, Aunt Mary could also charm the scales off a snake, so maybe that’s why she never needed kindness.

I grab a large, sturdy piece of cloth from a seat nearby. It’s the same cloth I’ve used for curtains at my window, but this is a makeshift shawl I’d been using to keep warm on cooler evenings. Wrapping it tightly around myself, I take a deep breath and push open the door.

The wind hits me like it’s a person, nearly knocking me back inside. For a moment, I tell myself Tovan Kamesh is a fool for thinking he can wait this out in a house made of sticks while the wind is screaming “Let me in. Let me in.” But then again, he doesn’t know the story of the Big Bad Wolf. I grit my teeth and push forward, my legs straining against the gale. Each step is a battle, the wind tearing at my clothes and even my hair, threatening to sweep me off my feet.

As I struggle across the field, I curse myself. What am I doing? He’s insane, but I’m a fool, too. The journey seems to take an eternity. The wind whips stray pieces of grass and debris across my face, stinging my skin, and each step feels like I’m battling with God himself. I keep my head down, focused on each step, willing myself not to be blown away.

Finally, I reach the edge of Tovan’s camp. The structure is shuddering violently in the wind, looking like it might take flight at any moment.

“Tovan!” I shout, my voice nearly lost in the howling wind. “Tovan, are you in there?” I ask the obvious. Even though I know this alien who is slowly taking over more of my thoughts than I’d like to admit is definitely stuck inside the little thing.

But for a heart-stopping moment, there’s no response. Then, a piece of the structure shifts and Tovan emerges, those yellow eyes wide with shock.

“Donna?” he calls back, disbelief evident in his voice. “Is something wrong? You shouldn’t be out here!”

We’re screaming against the wind.

“You can’t stay out here!” I yell, gesturing wildly at the chaos around us. “It’s not safe!”

He stares at me, seemingly frozen in place. And there is…conflict in his eyes.

“Come on!” I reach out, grabbing his arm across the fence. “We need to get to shelter!”

For a moment, he resists, but then another powerful gust rocks us both. When I tug again, hardly able to even open my eyes wide enough now to see, I feel him relent. He climbs over my fence as if he’s a gymnast and his warmth is suddenly by my side.

We turn back towards the cottage, leaning into the wind and I pray we make it back without being lifted up like a kite. Tovan leans closer, his large frame practically like a shield trying to protect me.

“You shouldn’t have come, lira’an. It’s not safe.”

Lira’an.

“You see this, right?!” I gesture with one hand, the other gripping the shawl for dear life. “Do you really think you could stay in that little camp?! Why didn’t you go to the barn?!”

He leans closer, protecting me some more, but he doesn’t answer. He doesn’t need to. We both know why he didn’t take shelter in the barn.

Pressing on, I have to grip him to keep steady. My fingers dig into his side, into his scales, and I try not to think of how soft they feel against my palm. We’re almost at the edge of the field when a particularly vicious gust catches us off guard.

The world switches orientation. I feel my feet leave the ground, a scream torn from my throat as I’m lifted into the air. But before panic can fully set in, I’m grounded. Thick, strong arms surround me as Tovan pulls me close, shielding me with his body as we both tumble to the ground.

We roll once, twice, before coming to a stop in the tall grass. Breath knocked out of me, I’m only aware that the effect of the wind isn’t as heightened as before. That I can actually open my eyes although I can feel it all around me—just notonme. And that’s when I realize it’s because something else is on me—or someone.Him.

I’m pinned beneath Tovan’s solid form, his body a warm weight above me. The grass around us bends and sways, creating a small cocoon that offers a moment’s respite from the wind’s assault.

I’m stunned, my body lighting up in ways that shouldn’t occur as I stare up at him. In this moment, with his focus on the wind around us, he doesn’t realize I’m staring. That I’m drinking him in.

The strong line of his jaw, the furrowed concentration in his brow, the way his eyes narrow against the wind—I commit every detail to memory. A stray lock of hair falls across his forehead, and I fight the urge to brush it away.

My breath catches as I realize how close we truly are. I can feel the steady rise and fall of his chest, the warmth underneath his scales seeping through the thin fabric of my clothes. The scent of him envelops me—a mixture of earth, sweat, and sweetness.

I tilt my chin up a little, inhaling again. So sweet. He smells good. I’ve never…never wanted to dip my nose into the crook of a man’s neck and just inhale his essence before. Not like this.

For a heartbeat, the howling wind fades away, and all I can hear is the thundering of my own pulse. Every point where our bodies connect threads electricity underneath my skin, each touch sending sparks through my system.

Suddenly, Tovan’s gaze snaps to mine. His eyes widen slightly, as if he too is only now grasping the intimacy of ourposition. For a moment, we’re frozen, caught in a wordless exchange that seems to stretch into eternity.

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