Page 8 of An Alien for the Future

Frakk. I might need Arnak to come after all. So much for an uneventful sol. And the female—gods, the female!

As I attempt to pull myself up, movement catches my eye and I look up to see deep brown ones locked with mine.

I freeze. It’s the female. And…gods…she’sbeautiful.

The words lodge in my brain, scattering all coherent thought.

What now? Thank the gods Arnak is far away. He would never let me live down the fact that a tactical specialist like me, one who fought and faced the war, is completely out of my depth at the sight of the small female before me. My courage, my bravery, has deserted me, leaving me as awkward as a hatchling trying to fly for the first time.

She’s here. Peering at me through the leaves of the bush between us. And I…what do I do? How do I salvage this?

I am at once startled by the fact we’re facing each other and the fact she actually came to investigate the noise I made. Like a fool, I am frozen, watching as her gaze skips down my framebefore landing on my boot and the offending piece of metal still lodged there, quite obviously piercing through.

“Good sol,” I say. Those brown eyes shift back to my face and my words hang in the air, like a thin veil failing to hide my embarrassment.

I’ve come upon a human—a rare gem to us Kari, and I’ve just revealed myself in the most undignified manner possible. This isn’t just a bad first impression; it’s a spectacularly awful one. As her eyes shift over me, I can feel my scales burning with shame. By the gods, I’ve dreamed of encountering one of these unmated human settlers, dreamed of one making my core-rhythm sing, and this is how it happens? Caught in a bush like a clumsy chit? Arnak will never let me live this down.

“A slight miscalculation.” I try to sound nonchalant, as if my lifeblood isn’t flooding the earth between me. “I assure you, this is not how I usually make an entrance.” The female stiffens at the sound of my voice and I curse myself further.

I think she will run away. Protect herself from this strange situation. But she doesn’t. Instead, something changes in her face and those eyes swallow me whole.

The female lifts one side of her brow before placing a fist against her hip, making her elbow jut away from her. “Miscalculation?”

Ohhh. Oh gods. Her voice is just as rich as when she’d been belting that melody.

“Honey, it looks like you tried to tap-dance on a rusty sawblade and lost the rhythm.”

Honey? My head tilts slightly, pain and embarrassment forgotten as my gaze heightens on her. That word translates to something sweet. Something to be devoured.

I reach up and give my translator a tap, sure it’s gone haywire again. The faint hum that usually signals rebooted and fixed theerror remains stubbornly absent. It’s…working. But that can’t be. That means the female really just said I look edible?

I—how do I respond? She wants to devour me? Usually, the thought of any creature wanting to consume me would bring discomfort. But I can see her blunt teeth. They most certainly can do me no damage, and the thought of them along with those full lips pressing against my scales has the opposite effect. Instead of disgust, a jolt of heat courses through me, going right to the center of my trouse and leaving a tingling trail in its wake.

“You must be in so much pain.” Dried leaves and small twigs crack underneath her boot as she takes a step forward. “That there is a stroke of bad luck if I ever saw one.” She gestures toward my boot with a jut of her small chin.

Bad luck? I almost chuckle. If she only knew… This “bad luck” might be the most fortunate event in my otherwise predictable existence.

“Something like that.” I try to keep my voice neutral and fail. It comes out as a low growl. Thankfully, that doesn’t deter the female.

“Looks like you need some help,” she mutters, pushing the bushes out of the way as she comes closer. At the same time, Arnak’s voice comes through my earpiece.

“Tovan? What’s that sound? Is the female there?” It sounds like he’s running, which means he’s still heading my way. And I don’t want him to. I resort to speaking to him in the old tongue.

“Gameshla friardi.” In other words, “Arnak, if you value your mating prospects, turn around and walk—no, run—in the opposite direction. And take your curiosity with you.” Thankfully, the female doesn’t understand a word I just said. Probably thinks I’m cursing the gods for my misfortune.

“Did you trip over a piece of space junk or somethin’?” She’s close enough now that I catch her scent on the air. Grushi flour and something sweet. I can already tell without going nearerthat the sweet scent is coming from her skin. Her direct essence. Would it be too obvious if I took a deep breath?

“It appears to be a primitive…snare,” I reply.And I managed to get caught on it. “Highly effective, I must admit.”

She raises her brow once more, deep brown eyes flicking to me before a soft, unexpected laugh makes her grunt. “A snare? Those are for catching rabbits, not…whatever you are.”

I’m caught off guard by her laugh, but it’s the fact that she’s pretending not to know what I am that has me curious. I get the sense she knowsexactlywhat I am. This isn’t a demure, shrinking female, that’s fearful in the presence of a large male she knows absolutely nothing about. There’s a sharpness in her gaze, an intelligence that both intrigues and challenges me. And that voice… I wish for her to continue speaking. Would impale my other foot and both my claws if it meant more conversation.

“I’m a Kari,” I venture anyway, more to keep her talking than for any other reason. “Homeworld Karicek minor. They call me Tovan. Tovan of the line Kamesh.”

She’s studying me and I’m not sure how to read those eyes. “Well, Tovan of the line Kamesh. Looks like you need a hand, yeah?” She frowns before looking behind her in the direction she came from.

“A hand?” Is my translator acting up or is she referring to her claws? I glance down at mine. I already have two. I don’t need another one.

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