Page 3 of Grumpy Alien Lumberjack
Warmth spread through her body, surprising her with how out of place it was in the moment. It was just that, he was so… so…
Striking.
Except for the massive axe in his hand.
Okay, he was still terrifying.
“I really need to leave now.”
“I will not have a human death on my conscience. On your feet.”
His eyes moved to the scattering of papers around her. Bending to retrieve one, he stared at it intently before handing it to her.
“You dared enter the Nexxus to sketch flowers?”
Jeneva folded the sheet and tucked it in her pocket. “That one was a leaf, thanks. Not that it matters. Listen, I’m sorry for trespassing. It’s my fault for not learning all of the rules.”
He suddenly looked over his shoulder. Her senses went into high alert. “What is it? What?”
Jeneva instinctively wanted to move closer to him, to let him shield her with his body, and immediately chastised herself for the thought. She was at the bottom of the food chain here, the weakest link. Why would he continue to expend energy to keep her safe?
Survival of the fittest didn’t just apply to life on Earth.
“Get up.” His hard tone furthered her anxiety.
Realizing she still had the knife in her lap, she considered keeping it close, but her hands were shaking so much she would be worthless to wield it anyway. She slipped it into the pack and looked for the walking stick. Driven by the pulse of urgency, she cursed under her breath when she didn’t see it and tried to push herself up. She managed to stand on her left leg, but the right crumpled and she nearly jerked to the ground. But strong hands caught her first.
"We do not have time to wait for your human fragility."
In one swift motion, he tossed her over his shoulder, picked up her pack and began striding through the forest with infuriating ease.
Too shocked to be insulted, she glanced down at his muscular back, noticing that his skin was indeed comprised of small green and silver scales. They were smooth just like human skin and his body heat was insane.
“Where are we going?”
“Away from predators. To my home.”
His home?
He could have easily left her there to fend for herself. They didn’t know each other, and he had no obligation to help her. It felt strange to have someone extend kindness like this. Unless he had something else in mind.
“What will happen when we get there?” Panic fluttered in her belly again.
“You will sleep. I will sleep. And I will take you to the colony when the suns come up.”
Where Rusik would promptly throw her back into a prison cell.
Jeneva watched the glow of the forest fade as the Majaki took her deep into darkness. He hadn’t gone much farther when a light popped on ahead of him, and she watched as his boots cleared four steps. There was a beep and the sound of a lock opening, then they were walking through a doorframe. He set her on her feet.
Jeneva instantly grabbed a hold of him to keep from falling. His arm slid around her waist at the same time, as if he sensed she needed support. He kicked the door closed, watching her intently.
Her skin flushed at the press of his arm against her body. Once again, he had helped her as if knowing exactly what she needed.
He waved his free hand and soft lights turned on from above. Jeneva steadied herself the best she could and glanced ahead of her where the short hallway opened into a large room. The floor was recessed with three steps going down. A tall fireplace reached the ceiling. Warmth from the fire lightly touched her skin and she hadn't even realized she was cold until just then. Large floor cushions were tucked into the semi-circular recess facing the fire. It looked like a nest. A perfect, warm, cozy nest.
“Enter,” he moved past her and lowered her bag to the floor.
Unsure of how steady she would be, she took a small step, then another. He held his hand to her and Jeneva took just in case. His long, strong fingers cradled her much smaller hand with so much tenderness, she forgot for a moment how much he intimidated her.
