Page 9 of Venomous Heart
The thought sobered her some, because she wasn’t usually this foolish.
She looked at him, then, really looked, without the fog of anger that had blinded her the first time around.
His was a face made of determination and purpose, totally devoid of softness or humor. He had a large, slightly curved nose, marred by the three ridges of his species, and pale, ice-blue eyes. His cheekbones looked sharp enough to draw blood, and his bald skull was covered in tiny bumps.
Not bumps, she reminded herself with a shiver that ran soul deep. Scars. Those were scars, and he’d put them on his skin himself.
His jaw was square and his chin prominent, denying his full lips any appearance of indulgence or mercy.
Commander Arlen was not like any Eok she’d ever met, and Ava had seen many of the large aliens since they’d landed on Aveyn. None of them had ever made her feel quite so small, quite so defenseless as this one.
This one seemed to have a heart like a dagger carved from bone; merciless and arctic. There was no warmth in him, not a shadow of forgiveness to be expected. The shiver that had started in her soul spread to her skin as goosebumps covered her arms and shoulders.
Arlen was tall, maybe a hair under seven feet, but that wasn’t what made him so impressive. After all, these blue aliens were all giants compared to most humans. No, what made Arlen different wasn’t as simple as size, or that rippling musculature that made him look like he had swallowed boulders and rolled them under his skin. What made him imposing, intimidating, was that aura of stern, pure authority that radiated from him like a thick shield. It made Ava want to bristle and rebel, to show him that he wasn’t in charge ofher.
The problem was, Arlen was in charge. And what he offered her was a great improvement to her current situation. She simply couldn’t afford to let her temper get in the way of her patients’ welfare.
“Edmila will compile a list of what we need, the most important things first, then the little stuff.” Ava caught herself staring openly at the rich sapphire blue of his skin, at the myriad of small bumps covering every available inch. At those large biceps, exposed to her gaze in the sleeveless vest of his uniform. As Commander Arlen lifted a brow, a fast burn spread over her cheeks and she shook her head slightly. She wasn’t the girly, blushing type—far from it.
She was the tough one, the girl who went through years of medical training alone, with teachers who saw her as a science experiment more than a person.
She wasn’t about to become a drooling fool because of some alien warrior, no matter how handsome or sexy he was.
“You should have it all by tomorrow,” Ava went on and forced herself to give Edmila a nod, then made a face at the girl as she stood there, still apparently stricken. Finally, Edmila regained her senses, then quickly turned around and walked away.
“But I can already tell you the items we need the most. Painkillers are a priority. We have none, and with a broken leg needing surgery as soon as the infection is gone, I’ll need them. I’ll also need infection nanites, as well as diabetes nanobots treatments. Some asthma ventilators would be of use as well.” As she spoke, the weight of the human population’s needs settled over her, wiping away any remaining impulse to argue with the Eok. All those people were counting on her. She couldn’t let them down.
“I personally guarantee that you will have everything you need as fast as possible.”
“Thank you, Commander Arlen.” Ava inclined her head slightly to show she meant it. When he pursed his full lips just a bit, barely noticeably, she added, “Arlen. Thank you, Arlen.”
He just stood there, his unreadable eyes on her, as though there was something more he wanted to tell her, but didn’t know how to. Ava tilted her head and crossed her arms over her chest. “Does this mean you found proof of my qualifications? Or do you still plan on replacing me?”
Arlen lifted his chin slightly at her words and growled with obvious annoyance. Ava knew, she justknewthat he wasn’t one to be caught in the wrong often. And not one who liked it.
“Multiple humans came forward to testify of your competence.”
“But that wouldn’t have been enough for you to go back on your actions.” Ava studied him, those hard, unforgiving cold eyes. No, a male like this wouldn’t just take the word of a few uneducated humans on a medical doctor’s competence. “You needed more than that, especially after my little performance in your command center.”
She knew she was pushing it, knew her boldness might alienate the powerful commander of the Eok forces, but she had a feeling Arlen had come to see her because, somehow, he felt bad about confiscating her medical equipment under the false assumption that she was unqualified. If true, this made him grim and abrasive, but also honorable.
Ava could work with honorable. In fact, she was in dire need of it.
Arlen seemed to hesitate, then inclined his head in agreement although his expression was still reluctant. “I tasked Officer Shetak with investigating your credentials. It took him longer than I would have liked, but he traced the payments Trade Minister Knut made to four eminent Avonie doctors. All I needed to do after that was mention Prime Councilor Aav’s strict laws on medical formation records to them and they couldn’t send me your qualifications fast enough. Turns out you aced all your classes.”
“So, you have my medical license?”
The thought was like a punch to the gut. That license had been an invisible leash tying Ava to Knut, to this planet, for a decade. Knut had always told her there was no record of her existence in the outside world. That she didn’t exist beyond the sky of this planet.
Ava took a step back, intent on bracing her weight on the surgical table, but she misjudged the distance. She cried out as her body became airborne and she fell.
Then she was enclosed in a multi-dimensional wall of hard, male flesh.
Arlen held her close and as she stared directly into his eyes, she saw that they weren’t as cold as she’d thought they were. They were pale, the color of the sky just before sunrise. Fascinating and gorgeous. Her belly fluttered with something she didn’t recognize, something new and deep, moving through her body, lighting tiny sparks inside her.
Seconds passed and still he held her close, then even closer. His fingers splayed over her back and his face took on a fierce, almost angry expression. His gaze slid down to her mouth. Anger turned to hunger in his eyes as he stared at her lips.
He’s going to kiss me.
