Page 65 of An Alien for the Future

A breath shudders through me as I return her embrace. “I guess I’ve been a bit overwhelmed.”

“Tell me about it,” Eleanor murmurs. As she unpacks the basket, revealing an array of carefully prepared meals and snacks, Eleanor turns to me with knowing eyes. “How are you holding up?”

I let out a shaky laugh as Catherine walks with me to the table. “Honestly? I have no idea. It all feels so…surreal.”

Catherine nods. “Xarion pinged us. Updated us about everything. And…” She clears her throat. “A Kari named Tovan pinged Varek.”

I blink at her. “What? Why?”

“He…well…when we first met him, we were thinking of introducing him to you. You know, just in case. Funny how destiny works.” She grins. “It’s nothing. He pinged because he thought you might want us here with you.”

My lips press into a line as I hold back the surge of emotion.

“He’s the one, isn’t he.” Eleanor drops her voice. “The one you like.”

I snort. “It’s way past that now. Way past the “like” stage. It’s just…we don’t know, you know.”

Catherine nods. “I remember that feeling. Like you’re standing on the edge of a cliff, about to leap into the unknown.”

“Precisely,” I whisper. “And I don’t know if I’m terrified or exhilarated. Maybe both?”

Eleanor reaches out, squeezing my hand. “That’s normal. What you’re about to go through…it’s intense. Life-changing. But Donna, it’s also beautiful beyond words.”

“The rut,” Catherine says, her eyes distant with memory, “it’s overwhelming. But in the best possible way. It’s like…like every cell in your body is singing in harmony with his.”

Eleanor nods, a soft smile playing on her lips. “And when the bond forms… Donna, there’s nothing like it in the universe. It’s like finding a piece of yourself you never knew was missing.”

As we settle in, sharing some of the food and talking quietly, I feel some of the tension begin to ease from my shoulders. Their words paint a picture of a future I’m only beginning to imagine—a life intertwined with a Kari mate, filled with challenges but also with a love deeper than anything I’ve ever known.

But everything I’ve always dreamed of.

18

DONNA

Maybe it’s the slight buzzing in my veins that makes me wake. The sense that something phenomenal is about to happen. Or maybe it’s the commotion just outside on the street.

For a moment, I’m disoriented, the unfamiliar surroundings throwing me off balance. Then it all comes rushing back—the test, Tovan, the agonizing wait.

Judging from the dim light streaming in, it’s barely past dawn. The test results should be in by now. So why hasn’t anyone come to tell me?

A low rumble of voices draws me to the next room to find Eleanor and Catherine both standing at the window, looking down into the street below.

“Girls? What’s…” They turn in unison, the look on their faces making me hurry over to the window to see for myself. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, darling.” Catherine releases a long breath, as she gives my shoulder a comforting squeeze.

The street below is filled with Kari. Even from here, I can tell they’re restless, agitated, and the tension in the air is almost palpable.

Something’s wrong.

As if on cue, my comm unit pings. It’s a message from Xarion:

“Donna,we need you at the conference center immediately. There’s been a…complication.”

My stomach drops.Complication? What the hell does that mean?

With trembling hands, I get dressed. Eleanor and Catherine like two comforting columns of support behind me all the way. By the time we get outside, Varek and Zynar, Catherine and Eleanor’s mates are there, waiting. Going through the brief greetings feels like it’s all happening to a version of myself that’s not really there.

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