Page 10 of Secretly Abducted
"What doesn't make sense?"
"You should be angry. Or frightened. Or at minimum, confused. Instead you're..." I gesture helplessly at him.
"Grateful? Attracted to you? Glad to be here?" He grins. "Yeah, I can see how that might be confusing."
"Attracted?" The word comes out as almost a squeak, and my bioluminescence flares again, gold spiraling across my chest before I can control it.
"Vel'aan." His voice is patient, amused even. "I've thought about you for ten years. The alien who kept me safe. And now you're here, and you're gorgeous and kind and so obviously good, and you're surprised I'm attracted to you?"
"I'm a zhik'ra farmer," I say weakly.
"And?"
"I'm not... I haven't... I don't know how to do this."
"Do what?"
"Whatever this is." I gesture between us, sending droplets flying.
Alex is quiet for a moment, studying me. Then: "How about we start with you showing me more of the forest? No pressure, no expectations. Just... show me what you love about this place."
The offer is so simple, so free of demands, that I find myself relaxing slightly. This I can do.
"The deeper sections have bioluminescent variants," I hear myself saying. "They're quite beautiful at depth, though you wouldn't be able to see them properly."
"Show me what I can see."
So I do. I dive down and bring up samples—different types of zhik'ra, the creatures that live among them, shells from the bottom. Each time I surface, Alex examines what I've brought with genuine interest, asking questions that show he's actually listening.
"How do you harvest it?" he asks, running his hand along a mature stalk I've brought up.
"Carefully. If you damage the holdfast, the entire plant dies. But if you cut correctly, it regrows stronger."
"That's fascinating. So it's almost symbiotic? You need it, but cutting it correctly helps it grow?"
"Yes, exactly." I'm surprised he understands so quickly. "The harvest stimulates new growth patterns."
We float there, him standing on the submerged platform while I tread water, explaining more than anyone has ever wanted to know about zhik'ra cultivation. It's easier than addressing the other thing—the way he looks at me, the way my skin responds to his presence, the word "attracted" still echoing in my mind.
A shadow passes overhead. Storm clouds, gathering fast. The weather changes quickly here, one of the challenges of coastal cultivation.
"Storm coming," I observe, watching the darkening sky.
"Bad?"
"Could be. These coastal storms can be severe."
"Should we go?"
I should say yes. Should escort him back to the platform, return him to safety, never see him again. It would be simpler, better for my equilibrium.
Instead: "There's a shelter. For severe weather. We could wait it out."
Alex's smile is brilliant, relieved. "Yeah? That would be good. I'm not ready to leave yet."
Not ready to leave. He wants to stay. With me.
"It's small," I warn. "Designed for one farmer. It will be... close."
