Page 24 of Fated to the Alien Healer

I tilt my head. These are not names I know. She glances at me and must read the confusion on my face.

“Sorry. Clifton and Priscilla are my parents. A couple of tight-asses. Which, by the way”—she holds up a finger—“is not a good thing. They’re both snobs of the highest order. Thinking they’re better than everyone, including me.”

The memory of her speaking of her baba having many credits returns to me. What else did she say about him? Or her nene? “You did not have a good relationship with your baba and nene, then?”

Zara makes a harsh noise. “They were some of the worst parents a person could have. To be perfectly honest,” she pauses andtakes a deep breath. Her eyes meet mine. “I hated them. Which to some people might make me a terrible daughter, but I don’t care.”

I reach for her hand and hold it gently between mine, caressing it with a finger. “I think you must have a very good reason to feel as you do. If you are in any way worried I am one of those people who believes you to be terrible, then you should not be. I do not think there is anything you could do that would make me think you are terrible.”

Wetness gleams in Zara’s eyes. “You really need to stop being so damn nice.”

There is no harshness in her words so I do not truly believe she means them. I reach up and swipe away a stray tear that glides down her cheek. A smile creeps onto my face. “I will do my best to be less nice.”

“No you won’t,” she says.

No, I will not. A voice tells me that not many people have been kind to my mate, which means I will need to shower Zara with every bit of kindness that I can. She deserves it. “We should get some rest.”

She nods. “You’re probably right. Although I better take care of my personal business first.”

I help her up, and together, we leave for the area where we take care of our needs. In no time, we are back at her tent and cleaned up. I watch as she uses a special paste and cleanses her teeth with a bristled device of some kind.

“I’ve never been so glad to be able to brush my teeth as I am now,” Zara says when finished. “I don’t know how you can standtalking to or kissing me with my breath smelling as awful as it did.”

“Nothing about you smells bad.” Beneath the dirt, there is only the scent of female.

She shudders and carefully lowers herself onto her furs. “Then your nose doesn’t work. As soon as I get up tomorrow, I’m taking a bath in the river. You may not be able to smell my stench, but I can. After that, I’m burning these clothes.”

I hesitate, because although Zara has asked me to stay, I do not want to presume that also means she wants me to sleep beside her as we did out in the forest. Once she has laid down and made herself comfortable, she glances up.

“You’re not going to just stand there all night are you?”

“If you ask me to I will.” There is nothing I would not do for her.

She pats the ground next to her. “I’m not asking you to.”

I slip my sheathed sword over my head and lay it on the ground beside the fire pit. Next, I remove the satchels from around my waist and place them beside the weapon, until I am clad in only my leg coverings. They are not something I normally wear during sleep, but I do not believe Zara is ready for me to remove them. She remains wearing the same leg and chest coverings she had on when she was taken.

At last, I lay down at her side. She moves close, curls up against me, and rests her injured arm over my chest. I have never been more content in all of my life. Emotion swells within my heart. At long last, Deeka has blessed me with a mate. There is no more joyous moment than this one.

“Thank you for staying.” Her breath caresses my flesh and my mating marks tingle where it blows across them. I can sense them darkening in the pale light.

“It is my pleasure.” One of these turns, mykeeshlawill understand there is nothing that I would not do for her. I kiss the top of her head. “Rest, Zara.”

She mumbles and nods. I lie there long after her breathing evens out, listening to the soft sounds and noises she makes, until finally I let myself relax enough that I join her in sleep.

Chapter 13

Zara

The same familiar scent I’ve woken up to for the last three days invades my senses, and I smile against the warm body I’m practically lying on top of. Despite the lingering aches everywhere, I’m not entirely uncomfortable. The ground beneath me is much softer than it’s been now that I’m sleeping in my furs in my own tent, even with the familiar lump I’ve grown used to. Something I can finally admit I wasn’t entirely positive would ever happen.

While I was with the Njeri, I refused to even think about the possibility I wouldn’t make it back to the Tavikhi village, but deep down, where I’d buried every negative outcome, the knowledge that there was a chance I’d die was present. It almost feels like this is just a dream and when I wake up, I’ll be back with those fuck faces.

I breathe in Kyler’s comforting scent and slowly open my eyes so I can ground myself in the here and now. That sense of relief hits at the sight of lavender skin and black mating marks. Lightfilters in through the opening above and shines directly on his face. His eyes remain closed, and I take the time to study his features.

There are a few more noticeable fine lines around his eyes and between his brow bones. He has more white strands of hair than yellow ones and there are a few patches here and there across his shoulders and along his chest where his skin shade is slightly paler than the rest. To the point I’d even consider it gray. Kyler’s still sexy as fuck. I’m not sure how I got this lucky, but I’m not going to question it again.

I shift closer, almost rubbing against him like a cat in heat—completely forgetting about my injury—until pain shoots through me, and I hiss. His eyes open and he’s instantly alert.

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