Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

V a'rik led the way up towards the ridgeline, even though he still felt unsure about choosing this path. But his female wished to go this way, and therefore, they would travel along the ridge.

His female? No matter how much she denied it, he was sure that she was his. But despite that certainty, the thought of the child both worried him and filled him with a deep, aching sadness. To be blessed with both a mate and a child—could any male ask for more?

He pushed aside the longing and focused on the path instead. As he had expected, traveling along the ridgeline was easier than the climb through the hills. Fewer of the boulders that cluttered the hillside blocked their route, and they had a clear view of their surroundings. He could look back down over the hills and out across the desert to the distant line of the mountains. The thick vegetation on the other side of the ridge obscured the view in that direction, but he caught an occasional glimpse of the ocean through the trees.

As the sun began to descend over the ocean, those same trees sent dark shadows creeping across their path. An uneasy feeling trickled down his spine, even though there was no logical reason behind it. Amanda's companion seemed equally unhappy, hovering closer and closer to her heels until she finally sighed and picked him up. Va'rik felt an unexpected pang of envy as she snuggled the small creature to her chest.

"Would you like me to carry him?"

"No, it's fine. He's not very heavy."

But despite her protest, her steps slowed even more and she looked tired. Perhaps they should make camp for the night.

He started looking for a suitable resting place and finally located a small clearing formed by a half circle of boulders on the forested side of the ridge. Prompted by the knowledge he still didn't understand, he came to a halt and gestured at the area.

"We should rest here tonight."

Despite her obvious weariness, she hesitated, looking at the sky. "The sun is still up."

He tried not to let her anxiety to reach their destination bother him—not entirely successfully.

"It is, but I will need daylight to gather wood and hunt for food." Or did he? Something about the need for light seemed incorrect, but he did not retract his statement. She needed to rest. "This is a good place. The ground is level, and the rocks will provide protection from the wind. It should be easy to find food and water in the woods."

She still looked torn, so he added a final argument. "We will travel more quickly tomorrow if we are adequately rested tonight."

"I suppose you're right." Despite her seeming reluctance, she breathed a sigh of relief as she sat down on one of the rocks, then gave him a rueful grin. "I guess my hiking skills could use some work. And my camping skills, for that matter." She looked uncertainly around the clearing. "How are you going to make a fire?"

The memory tugged at him and he tilted his head, trying to bring it into focus.

"Those rocks—the small dark ones—will create a spark when struck together." As soon as he spoke, he knew it was true. But how did he know these things? He had no recollection of ever performing such a task.

No matter. His first priority was to care for his female.

"I will gather wood."

"I can help." She started to struggle to her feet.

"No. You will remain here."

He removed the bag he had been carrying and handed it to her. "Drink some of the water we collected."

Her small brows drew together in an attempt to look fierce. It was entirely adorable.

"You're awfully bossy for a naked alien."

Bossy? The translation took a moment to occur, and then he smiled.

"You recognize that I am in charge of your wellbeing? This pleases me."

"That wasn't exactly what I meant." She sighed and waved a hand. "Never mind. Go gather your wood."

A short time later, Va'rik looked around their small campsite, satisfaction and unease battling for dominance, even though he could find no reason for concern. The fire he had built—after considerable trial and error—burned merrily. Amanda's pot hung over the flames, full of the karapa he had caught. Edible tubers baked in the coals at the edge. His female would not go hungry tonight.

After he had returned from gathering wood, she had borrowed his knife and proceeded to cut some of the smaller branches from the trees at one edge of the clearing.

"They'll be more comfortable to sleep on than the ground," she assured him. "Or at least I think they will be. I was never a Girl Scout."

"A Girl Scout?"

"It's an organization that teaches outdoor skills."

"Ah." He realized that she was making two neat piles with the branches. "But we do not require these branches."

"You might not, but I do. Especially after that walk today. Every bone in my body hurts."

Panic washed over him. "You are injured?"

"Not except for my pride." She grinned at him, and he relaxed. "I thought I was in a little bit better shape."

"I do not see how your shape could be any better," he told her truthfully, admiring the sway of her breasts and the soft curves of her hips beneath the thin strips of cloth as she moved around the clearing.

The deep rose tinted her golden skin. "You do say the sweetest things."

"I speak only the truth. As I did when I said we would not need the branches. You will sleep on me, and I will protect you from the hard ground."

"You always seem pretty hard yourself," she muttered, and he saw her flash a quick glance at his cock which was, in fact, once again erect after watching her move.

"I believe the presence of one's mate always has that effect."

"Va'rik, I told you. We are not mates."

He was sure she was incorrect, but he did not want to cause her distress. "As you wish."

She stared at him, and then her lips curved even as she shook her head. "Someone has certainly taught you all the right lines."

"I do not believe that anyone has taught me," he said as he went to tend to their meal, but the thought troubled him.

Why did his memories enable him to assist her? How could he even understand her, for that matter? He tried to force himself to remember, but it only sent a blinding streak of pain through his head.

"Is something wrong?" she asked softly, and he looked up to find her giving him a worried look.

"My head aches when I try and remember some things."

"Then stop trying. Maybe it will come back to you naturally."

"But they are the areas that may give you the answers you seek. You asked me to remember."

He was really so sweet, Amanda thought, smiling at him across the fire. He smiled back—a sweet smile, despite the fangs. How quickly she had adjusted to his features. Human men were going to have a lot to live up to—and why did that make her unexpectedly sad? She had survived just fine on her own all this time, and that wasn't going to change now.

She would focus on taking care of Billy, just as her mother had focused on her.

Va'rik announced that their food was ready and she joined him eagerly. The baked tubers turned out to have a deep green flesh that tasted nothing like potato, but still had a pleasant starchy consistency. The small water creatures he had gathered from the nearby stream and boiled over the fire were a little more of a stretch. They had way too many legs for her liking, even though she tried to convince herself they were just an alien form of shrimp. She did her best not to look at them too closely, but the little salty-sweet morsels were tasty enough. Hammy certainly didn't have any objection to their appearance, gulping them down, shell and all.

"That was delicious," she told Va'rik when she finished.

He flashed her a smile as he went to wash and refill their container with water.

"I am glad. But you helped to gather the tubers—although I would have been happy to provide for you."

She caught the faint reproach in his voice and smiled.

"I like knowing how to take care of myself. My mother raised me to be independent." Her lips curved in a reminiscent smile. "She was a very strong woman—she had to be. My father left when I was very young, and she brought me up by herself."

"You left her back on Earth?"

For some reason he seemed distressed. As if she'd had any say in her abduction.

"I didn't," she said shortly. "She was in a car accident three years ago."

That was when she had decided to move to Bakersville and make a new start. The city had held too many memories.

"I am sorry."

"Do you remember if you have a family?"

He tilted his head, then winced. "I do not know—but I do not think so."

"So I guess we're both alone."

He gazed at her solemnly. "I am not alone. I am with you."

An unexpected lump appeared in her throat. She appreciated his companionship also, even though it couldn't last.

Hammy had been dozing at her side, but he suddenly squeaked and jumped into her lap. His whole body trembled.

"What's wrong with you?" She looked anxiously at Va'rik. "I don't know what happened, but he seems terrified."

Va'rik tensed, his eyes searching the skies. She couldn't see anything in the darkness, but he suddenly grabbed his knife and leapt to his feet.

"Get down!" he yelled, just as something huge and nightmarish dove down from the skies.

The flickering firelight made it difficult to see clearly, but she caught glimpses of a long, pointed beak and huge bat-like wings as Va'rik fought the flying creature. Terrified, she crouched by the fire as they battled. She saw a long, wet gash appear on Va'rik's shoulder, then heard the creature squawk as his knife caught it. He moved with uncanny grace, his big body whirling and leaping to meet the attack.

She knew she should help him, but she was too frightened to move. Some independent woman I turned out to be , she thought bitterly, but then there was another squawk and a second creature appeared. It dove at Va'rik's unprotected back, and despite her fear, she knew she had to help him.

Tucking a shivering Hammy under the closest boulder, she searched desperately for some kind of weapon. She spotted the end of a branch sticking out of the fire and grabbed it with a shaking hand. Brandishing the flaming end, she swung it at the second creature with a hoarse cry.

An eye turned in her direction, cold and yellow, and the long beak opened to reveal serrated teeth lining both sides. Time slowed to a crawl as it circled in her direction, and she tightened her grip on her makeshift weapon. With a sudden rush, it dove for her, and she swung the branch. She felt it connect with a solid thud, her arms shaking with the impact, but somehow she managed to retain her grip on the makeshift weapon as the creature squawked and veered away. The sickening smell of burnt flesh filled the clearing as it circled again. She braced herself as it began its descent, and then Va'rik was there.

Avoiding the outstretched claws, he grabbed the flying creature's long, thin neck, then whipped it around with a hard jerk. She heard the crack as its neck broke, and then the clearing was silent.