An Alien for Her Heart (A New Home #2)

14. Varek

14

VAREK

“ B y the way,” Eleanor draws Catherine’s attention. “Isn’t Xarion supposed to be here tonight?”

As if she summoned the Saffion, I spot his tall white ears in the crowd.

“He’s there,” I say. Catherine’s gaze, instead of looking out into the crowd, shifts back to me instead. That small smile is still on her lips and there’s still that warmth in her cheeks.

“Xarion!” Eleanor shouts, beckoning the Saffion over. Catherine finally turns to look that way.

“I told you, brother.” Zynar leans in with a low whisper. “With these females, you do not have to hide.”

His words wash over me as I keep Catherine in my sights.

“Greetings.” The Saffion approaches, adjusting his thick outer garment before bowing before us all. Eleanor grips him in an embrace.

“Xarion! So good to see you!”

He nods to us all and does another bow to Catherine. She surprises me by releasing a soft laugh and dipping her body in a strange bow, too, legs crossed as she holds the hem of her garment. “Hello, Xarion.”

“I thought you were bringing another human with you,” Eleanor says. There’s a note of disappointment in her voice and my gaze shifts to Catherine. Is she disappointed as well? There’s no indication. Her eyes are unreadable once more.

Around us, I spot a few Kari. Zynar and I are not the only two of our species on this world. But for Catherine and my kahlesta , they are the only humans they know on this land.

She’s alone. But she doesn’t have to be. I want to be there for her.

I almost miss when the Saffion does a flourish and steps to the side, suddenly revealing another female who’d been hidden at his back. Both Catherine and Eleanor go still. Water swells in Eleanor’s eyes, and she rushes forward, pulling the new female into a tight embrace.

“Oh my Godddd,” the other female’s voice sounds strange, and when I catch a look at her face, I notice her eyes are filled with water too. They’re both leaking.

Alarm goes through me, and I glance at Zynar. He has a human mate. Surely he can shed some light. But he looks just as lost as I am.

“It’s so good to see you,” Eleanor sobs.

I glance at Zynar again. “Do you know this female?”

It’s Catherine who answers me. “No.” She shakes her head, a small smile on her face as she watches the emotional reunion. She takes a step forward, as if to join the embrace, but stops. “It’s just…she’s human.”

She says the words as if that’s all the explanation it needs. And I suppose that is right. Because the depth of her meaning transcends through me.

Catherine gives me a sad sort of smile, and I feel the urge to pull her into my arms again. But I made a promise I wouldn’t touch her unless she asked. A promise I’m regretting and one I’ve already broken. I clench my fists instead, watching as Catherine maintains a slight distance from the other two females, her joy at seeing another human tempered by something that makes me ache inside.

“Hello,” the new female is finally released by Eleanor and she casts her attention at me and Zynar. “I’m Donna.”

“Zynar.” I point at my siblingkin. “Varek.” I point at myself.

This female is undoubtedly human, but her pigment is darker than Eleanor and Catherine’s. Her nose is slightly wider. Her mane a different texture. It’s like proof my female has come from a varied, wonderful planet. A planet she’s dying to return to and one she would head for the moment it became possible.

It’s a lot to give up for someone like me.

“Donna Johnson has accepted the farm provided by the Initiative,” the Saffion says, his voice surprisingly distinct despite the revelry around us. “Like you, Eleanor, she has had less than stellar mates back on your home planet and—”

“Boy, if you don’t stop exposing all my business.” The female called Donna gives the Saffion a stern look, but there’s a grin on her face. “We’ve been through a lot. We can always catch up later.” She waves a dismissive hand. “I love music, so if you’re up for it…” She does a strange thing with her eyes, closing one for a click while the other remains open. “Let’s go dance!”

Eleanor lets out a whoop before reaching for Zynar with one arm and pulling him her way. I take a step back, suddenly unsure of what in the frakk is happening. I’m not the only one, the Saffion ends up at my side, a similar perplexed look causing one of his ears to tilt forward while the other remains straight. He doesn’t get to remain there for long though. The new female arrival grabs his arm.

“Xarion, I’m the only one without a mate, so you’re with me!” She declares. The Saffion stutters, both ears standing straight before he’s tugged into the throng behind Eleanor and Zynar.

That leaves only me and Catherine behind and my stunned expression turns to her. That human…thinks we are mates? A purr starts in my throat that I fight to control. I fail, because Catherine looks up at me with a hesitant smile, but a real smile nonetheless.

“Guess we should follow them.” Her tongue appears, barely visible as she licks her lips. “I think I agree with Donna. I need a drink.”

I let her walk ahead of me in the direction the others went, my eyes on her back and an insistent surge of want growing within me. We find the others just as they stop a Zalgonite with trays of brew. Reaching for two, I offer one to Catherine. Electricity shoots up my arms at the briefest touch of her digits on my claw as she takes the drink.

A sip and her eyes light up again. “Mm, this tastes like really expensive wine.” I am not sure how the drink will make her complain, but she looks surprised by her realization. She takes another sip before turning to the other humans. Their conversation is almost too fast to keep track of as they comment on whining, all swirling the brew in the metallic bulbs before taking more sips.

Catherine smiles, and the mask fades away. She sips the brew, and she speaks to the other humans while I forget I have a drink in my own claw. I am content simply watching her and when they all finish their bulbs and stop another Zalgonite for more, I realize Catherine needed this. She needed to come to the festival. She needed to be around her kind.

As the clicks pass, the straight line of her shoulders sinks as if the tension in her bones drains away. A soft breeze sends tendrils of her hair flying around her soft face, an elegant arm rising to brush them away as she continues speaking to the other two females. I glance at Zynar to find his focus on his kahl in the same way my focus is on Catherine. We stand around them like guards, preventing the sway of the crowd from disturbing their conversation. Protecting them from rowdy revelers. Even the Saffion, a bored expression on his face, is standing guard, too.

These females are ours to protect.

Except whatever’s growing inside me is telling me to do other things. The longer I watch Catherine, the more I need her. We are standing close enough that should she step back, she will bump into me and the hard thing at the center of my trouse. Gulping back the entire bulb of the drink, I try to calm my nerves. I fail. The brew simply sets my lifeblood on fire.

The Saffion beside us suddenly does another bow, bidding the females goodbye. “I will return Donna to her farm once this revelry is over.” He brushes invisible dust from his coat. “Until then.” He dips his head in dismissal before his focus suddenly slides to Catherine. “I must say, your integration with Varek is also quite commendable, Catherine Rose Richmond. If you should find companionship with him, the Initiative would be doubly pleased.”

Even with the noise around us, it feels like all goes silent. Catherine’s eyes have widened and so have Eleanor’s. The female called Donna has a strange look on her face, brows lifted as her gaze shifts among us. “I’m no expert on alien customs, but I’m pretty sure that’s not how you wingman, buddy.”

“I’m…not an avian.” The Saffion casts a confused look to her.

“That’s not what I meant, Xar.” Donna shakes her head, a laugh in her throat. “Ladies.” Her eyes widen even more. “Shall we dance?”

“Dance?” Eleanor speaks too loudly, as if trying to distract from what the Saffion said. “Cheese on a string, yes!” She reaches for Zynar again, tugging him along after the new female as they head toward the Raki who have changed their ensemble to a more upbeat melody. The revelers all around us move faster to the beat and Zynar shoots a glance back at me with a grin and a shrug.

The female named Donna has stopped in front of the Raki. She moves her body in a way that is so natural and fluid with the beat it’s like she’s heard these melodies before. Laughter peels from Eleanor as she grips Zynar and tugs him against her back as she sways her body, too. She leans back against him as his arms wrap around her and he tugs her tighter against him, her eyes filled with an emotion I’ve only dreamt of seeing from my own female. My kahl .

The hardness that had been growing in my shaft dies as something twists deep inside me—that long-felt loss and loneliness rearing its head. My throat tightens, the shadows chasing me when my gaze finally falls back to Catherine. She’s watching me, gaze unreadable again, and I quickly shield her from mine, sliding on that mask that I usually wear. Because I don’t want her to see my pain. I don’t want her to feel it.

“Would you like to dance?” My voice sounds gruff, as gruff as those other times, and I groan inwardly. I have made little progress. Maybe this is my chance to get closer to her. But my chances are shot when Catherine shakes her head.

“I think I need to sit for a moment,” she whispers. “But you can go dance, if you like. Please, don’t let me stop you. I just…need a moment.”

She tries to look through the crowd, probably to find a place to sit, but if she thinks I am letting her out of my sight for a single moment, she’s mistaken. As if I didn’t have more of a reason to keep her close, I notice the moment a few other Kari shift closer to the Raki to watch the dancers—or rather, the human, my kahlesta , and my siblingkin. Everyone knows who they are, the Kari who has found a mate, and they are interested. They watch Zynar and Eleanor with a wanting, a hunger, that I feel deep in my soul. And they watch the new female, Donna, too. Even as I become aware of this, I lock eyes with a Kari looking my way. Looking Catherine’s way.

She’s mine .

I block his view of her as I gesture off to the side where the crowd is thin. “There are seats over there.”

Catherine nods, her eyes grateful as she heads in that direction. I follow at her back, grateful when the Kari watching her loses sight of her in the crowd as she sits on a low bench. I collapse beside her and silence envelopes us both. I’m not sure what to say.

“Enjoying the festival?”

She makes a strange sound that makes her entire body jerk. “Hiccups.” She smiles. “But yes, I am enjoying it. I’m glad—” A Kalgonite bearing another tray of brew passes and she gestures at him for one. He obliges, leaning low so she can take her pick. “Thank you.” She does another of those hick-ups, another smile coming to her lips.

Does she know how beautiful she is? Right now? As the lights and the shadows play across her face?

“You’re glad?”

She dips her head. “I’m glad I came.”

I dip my head, chin to chest as I lean back on my arms, my gaze forced on the crowd before us. I can just barely see the top of my siblingkin’s head as he dances with his kahl .

“You dislike dancing?”

“On the contrary,” Catherine chuckles and another shiver goes through my scales at the delicious sound. “I love to dance. I just…don’t know how to dance like Donna and Eleanor. They have a rhythm I don’t have.”

Those words pique my interest and my gaze shifts to hers.

“How do you dance?”

Her cheeks grow even redder in the dim light and she shakes her head. “I haven’t in a long, long time.”

“Show me.” I probably shouldn’t push but the words tumble from my mouth anyway. Catherine’s gaze snags on mine and, for a moment, I think she will reject my request. But then her gaze shifts to a passing Kalgonite and she gestures him over. I’m stunned, somewhat concerned, too, as she takes another bulb of brew.

“Liquid courage,” she whispers to me, smiling again. When she abruptly stands, one arm outstretched to me, I resist the urge to grab hold of it and pull her into me. Instead, I look from her arm to her.

She giggles. “Come on.”

Standing, I’m not sure what I must do. I’m as stiff as a tree, both my bones and that thing at the center of my groin as Catherine holds my claw and steps into me. I don’t move. I don’t even breathe.

Catherine begins to guide me, her movements graceful and fluid. She places one of my claws on her waist, and with her other hand, she takes hold of my other claw, positioning it just so. Her touch is gentle but firm, and I can feel the warmth of her skin through the thin fabric of her garment.

“Follow my lead,” she whispers, her breath tickling my ear as I lean in. Her voice is a melody, and I am utterly entranced.

She takes a step back, and instinctively, I follow. Her movements are smooth and elegant, and despite my initial stiffness, I find myself moving with her. She glides across the ground, and I am amazed at how effortlessly she moves, like a river flowing over stones. Her grace is mesmerizing, and I am falling harder for her with each step.

Catherine’s eyes sparkle with joy as she dances, and I can’t take my eyes off her. Her beauty is captivating, her every movement a testament to her elegance and poise. The way she moves, the way she looks at me—it’s as if she’s casting a spell, and I am powerless to resist.

But as we continue to dance, I become more aware of the attention we are drawing. Every unmated male in the vicinity has their eyes on her, their gazes filled with admiration and longing. But she is mine. The thought ignites a fierce possessiveness within me, and I tighten my hold on her, pulling her closer.

Catherine doesn’t seem to notice the attention. Her focus is entirely on me, her eyes locked on mine. She smiles, a radiant smile that takes my breath away, and I know that I am lost. I am falling deeper and deeper into her, and there is no escape.

She twirls, and I spin her effortlessly, the skirts of her garment flaring out like a radiant bloom. She laughs, a sound so pure and joyful that it sends another shiver through me. When she comes back to me, I catch her, holding her close, our bodies pressed together.

“Goodness,” she whispers, her eyes shining. “You’re a natural.”

The only thing natural is the way she fits in my arms. The way this feels.

I can’t find the words to respond. I am too caught up in the moment. Too captivated by her. Instead, I pull her even closer, my core-beat pounding in my chest. She rests her head against my shoulder, and we continue to move together, our bodies in perfect harmony.

In this moment, she is mine, and I am hers. The world fades away, and it is just the two of us, lost in the dance. We dance for what feels like hors, lost in the rhythm and each other’s arms. And when the music finally fades and we come to a stop, both of us breathless and flushed, I can’t help but pull her closer.

Catherine tilts her head back, looking up at me, a strange thing passing in her eyes. I swallow hard, staring back, not wanting to break the moment. Her lips part slightly, and I can see the rapid rise and fall of her chest as she catches her breath. The air between us is charged, crackling again.

“Catherine,” I whisper, my voice rough with emotion. Her name on my lips feels like a prayer, a plea for something more. But what?

Everything .

I want everything.

She doesn’t respond, but her eyes say it all. They are filled with a longing that mirrors my own, a silent invitation that I can’t ignore. My core-beat goes raging in my chest, each beat echoing the urgency of the moment.

The brushing of lips. It’s now.

Slowly, hesitantly, I lower my head, my gaze never leaving hers. She doesn’t pull away; instead, she leans into me, her digits tightening their grip on my claw as the others tighten on my shoulder. Our breaths mingle, and I can feel the warmth of her skin, the softness of her body pressing against mine.

Our lips are so close now, just a whisper apart. I can feel the heat of her breath on my mouth, and it takes every ounce of my self-control not to close the distance and claim her. But I wait, giving her the chance to pull away if she wants to. Even though each click that passes kills me.

But she doesn’t. Instead, she tilts her head slightly, her eyes fluttering closed, and in that moment, I know. I know that she wants this just as much as I do.

Our lips meet, soft and tentative at first, a whisper of a touch that sends sparks dancing across my scales. But then she sighs, a soft, contented sound that sets my lifeblood on fire.

I’m not sure what to do, this intimate act is foreign to me, but Catherine seems to sense my hesitation. She takes the lead, her lips moving gently against mine, guiding me in this dance of passion.

My whole being lights up. I’m dimly aware of those unmated males around us growing more curious but I couldn’t give a tarsals ass that they’re watching now. I have her and, gods, Zynar was right about this. It isn’t simply brushing mouths together. This…this is so much more.

Catherine’s hand slides from my shoulder to the back of my neck, her digits tangling in the short hairs there, and I can’t suppress the shiver that runs down my spine. She pulls me closer, deepening the movement of our mouths, and I follow her lead, mimicking what she does. Soon, I am lost in the sensation. Her lips are soft and warm, and the way they move against mine is intoxicating. I can taste the sweetness of the brew on her breath, mingling with the unique flavor that is purely her.

When her tongue suddenly brushes lightly against my lips, I jerk, a jolt going through me before I freeze, suddenly aware of my entire being. My breath stills as I expect her to shift away from me now. Because, surely, she can feel it. My shaft is like an unbendable rod poking through my trouse into her belly. I hesitate, unsure of what to do and unable to control the shudder of pleasure that goes through me. But Catherine is patient. She doesn’t pull away. Instead, her touch is gentle and encouraging. I dare to open my mouth slightly, allowing her to explore, and the moment her little tongue ventures in, the sensation is like a star exploding in the void.

A groan escapes me as her digits tangle in my mane. She pulls me closer and I respond, my claws tightening around her waist, anchoring her to me. The intensity of our mouths mating grows more urgent, more passionate, and I lose myself in the feel of her against me, the taste of her, the way she makes me feel like I am flying and grounded all at once.

As the Raki start a melody with a slower tempo, it suddenly breaks the magic between us. Catherine pauses, her lips sliding from mine as her chest heaves. There’s a panicked look on her face, and I fear I may have pushed too far. But then I catch something else. Another look in her eyes that I’ve never seen before.

Her eyes close. She squeezes them shut, and that’s when I realize she’s still holding on to me, because she grips me tight. When her eyes flutter open again, the look she gives me is filled with so much emotion that my lungs seize all over again.

“Varek—”

I stiffen. “No. It was my fault. If you didn’t want to brush mouths—”

But then she shifts her arm and two of her digits brush over my lips, quieting me.

“Varek, I…I wanted to.”

Her words hold me silent. Gods, I’m imagining things.

“I wanted to,” she whispers again. She stares up at me, her chest heaving still.

And then I ask something I’d have been terrified to ask just a few hors ago.

“My lodge is close by here. Would you…would you like to go there with me? Now?”