Page 59 of An Alien for Her Heart

I fight back tears.

No one’s out there. No one can hear me. It’s a waste of breath. A waste of energy. There’s no one out there for miles, and still, I strain my ears for any sign of a response. All I hear is the sound of my own ragged breathing and the gentle lapping of the water against the walls because of my movement.

I’m not…I’m not ready. Not ready to die.

Closing my eyes, my tears mingle with the cold well water as I whisper a silent prayer for rescue. I’ve always prayed. This is nothing new, but it’s different this time.

This time, the prayer feels more desperate, more urgent. It’s not just a plea for help, but a bargain with the universe itself.

“God…it…it’s me again.” I release a deep breath. “I promise to be kinder, to be more open, to embrace the second chance at life that I’ve been given, if only I can survive this. Please…I…You’ve given me so much. It seems wrong to ask for more. But please…please…save me from this.”

I realize now, in this moment of crisis, just how much I’ve been holding back, how much I’ve been denying myself out of fear and self-preservation.

I’ve been so focused on protecting myself from further hurt that I’ve forgotten how to live. How to take risks, how to open my heart to the possibility of something new and wonderful. Now there’s the very real possibility of my own demise, and there’s nothing…nothing but regret.

I’ve been such a fool.

I remember everyone I’ve loved, and a pang of sorrow grips my heart. Their loss is a wound that will never fully heal. But as I try to stay afloat, I remind myself that they would want me to live, not just exist. They would want me to find moments of peace and purpose, even amid chaos.

“P-please,” I whisper, my voice barely audible over the sound of the water. “Please, give me another chance. I promise I’ll do better. I promise I’ll be better.”

But as the minutes tick by and the cold seeps deeper into my bones, I begin to lose hope. My limbs feel heavy, my movements sluggish and uncoordinated. I know I can’t hold on much longer.

This…

This is it.

Just as I’m about to give in to the darkness, to let myself slip beneath the surface and into oblivion, I hear a sound from above. At first, I think it’s just my imagination, a cruel trick of my oxygen-deprived brain. But then I hear it again, louder and clearer this time.

“Catherine?!”

My vision is sluggish as I look up through the well shaft up at the dark sky above. Tears well in my eyes. I remember his voice just like he’s here now.

Varek. The male I wanted but was too much of a coward to go for. The patient male who was waiting for me but I was too stubborn to just let myself give in.

“CATHERINE?!!!” The panic in that voice somehow clears some of the fog away and I realize I’m not imagining it. My heart thuds hard.

Varek? But it can’t be. He’s not supposed to be here.

“CATHERINE?!! Oh Gods. CATHERINE?!”

No, this is real. This isn’t my imagination. ItisVarek. Varek is here!

“V-Varek! I-I’m here!” There’s no way he’s going to hear me. My voice is so weak it’s barely audible. Panic shoots through me, chilling my already frozen bones. He’s so close and he might not find me. “Here. In the w-well.” My teeth chatter. “I f-fell in.”

There’s a moment when all above is quiet. As if the world no longer exists. My heart clenches, a deep ache inside me as I lift my eyes to look up at the dark sky above. The stars barely twinkle. Or maybe I just can’t see them anymore. Hope fades when something suddenly casts a shadow over the hole.

My breath stills in my throat. All I can see are slitted yellow eyes that widen on mine.

There’s no hesitation. No moment where he thinks of the potential danger to himself. One moment, our eyes meet, and the next the water around me is churning and splashing as Varek’s large form plunges into the well. For a moment, I’m disoriented, the sudden movement and the ripples obscuring my vision. I choke on water, losing my grasp on things as I go under, but then I feel strong arms wrap around me, pulling me close to a solid, warm chest.

“I have you,” Varek murmurs, his deep voice rumbling through me. “Gods, I have you, Catherine.”

I cling to him, my numb fingers scrabbling for purchase on his scales. The relief is so overwhelming that a sob escapes mythroat, my body shaking not just from the cold but from the sheer force of my emotions.

Varek holds me tighter, one arm securely around my waist while the other strokes my hair. He hums something low in his throat that’s like a deep purr. “It’s alright now, sura. You’re safe. I’m here.”

I bury my face in the crook of his neck, breathing in his scent. He smells like home, like comfort, like everything I’ve been yearning for without even realizing it.