Lauren’s eyes widened a little.
Suddenly, that deep inhale he did when he’d leaned in close took on meaning.
Had he caught her scent too?
Biting her bottom lip, she didn’t move her gaze.
Instead, she watched as he bent and began working on the animals’ enclosure.
She imagined his hands would be calloused with such hard work. She’d always loved a guy who knew how to use his hands.
Shit.
Where’d that thought come from?
Geez.
A whole year in the terrarium and she hadn’t even touched herself. Suddenly, on an alien farm watching a hunk of an alien and she was having thoughts.
Lauren shook her head and frowned at herself.
She was just about to move when she felt his eyes on her.
Riv was looking her way, a frown on his face and she was sure, at that moment, that he could definitely see her.
Even from where she was she knew he was snarling.
Yea, that was her cue to make herself scarce.
Slinking down on the bed, she lay flat against it.
The door to the room was closed and she realized she felt safe now. Safe enough to relax for a bit.
That was saying something.
Despite her first impression of him, when she’d thought he was going to rip out her throat with his claws, she somehow felt safe.
She didn’t know why, but she did, and it was a feeling that was so alien she lay rigid on the bed, staring at the roof and wondering if terror would follow shortly.
Even in the terrarium, she hadn’t felt safe. Even with the barrier to the outside, she’d felt wary all the time.
With a sigh, she swallowed hard and closed her eyes.
Was this going to be the first time she felt safe in a year?
Damn.
Another sigh shuddered through her.
She’d stay inside and wait for Riv to return. He obviously didn’t want her in his space so she’d wait till he got used to the idea she was there before pushing him further.
It was difficult enough the fact he couldn’t understand what she was saying. She had to be careful to not piss him off before she could find a way to communicate with him better.
9
She must have fallen asleep because when she opened her eyes, the room was dark.
Stretching, the light in the room came on because of her movement.
She stood immediately and cast her eyes out the window.
It was night.
It was very unlike her to fall asleep so early in the day. She’d gotten used to staying awake until the zoo closed and faces were no longer peering into her terrarium.
For her to fall asleep without forcing herself to…
Moving lights in the field outside caught her eyes and she moved closer to the window, squinting.
It took her a few moments to realize it was the robots she’d seen when they’d been approaching the Sanctuary.
They were still hard at work.
Apart from those lights, the animals’ enclosures were also well lit and she could see the cow-hippos moving about lazily. Some were laying on the ground and looked like they were sleeping.
Glancing at the watch on her hand, Lauren grimaced.
It was still a habit she had, checking that watch, but the time was still frozen at six.
Funny. The last time she remembered looking at it while on Earth was right before she’d been taken and it had said six o’clock.
That brought back a memory she’d rather forget. Looking at her watch while she’d returned from the mall was the last thing she remembered doing before she woke up on the alien ship.
It wasn’t something she liked thinking about.
As she let her shoulders fall in a sigh, a deep boom that seemed to shake the very room echoed outside her door.
Spinning around, wide-eyed, she almost jumped out of her skin. She expected to see a monster standing there but the door was still closed.
Had she imagined it?
She didn’t really know.
Spending a year all alone was like living in solitary confinement. Her imagination had run wild a few times.
She could be imagining she heard something; she wasn’t really sure.
It’d sounded like a deep bass drum and Lauren blinked now as she stared at the door.
She was just about to settle herself, thinking she’d imagined the sound when it came again.
And this time, it was louder.
It vibrated the air in the room and against her skin, almost like when standing too close to speakers at a rave.
Scrambling backward, she tried to put some distance between her and the door and to her horror, whatever it was began scratching at the door, trying to get in.
Shit.
Glancing around her, there was nothing in the room she could use as a weapon.
The thing was scratching frantically now, its claws digging at the door and Lauren gulped.
As another boom sounded in the air, her gaze fell on the chest on the floor.
Trying to keep her trembling bones upright, she put her weight behind the chest and pushed it toward the door.
It was heavy and it was the only thing that could buy her some time. Maybe it would barricade the door and keep the thing out. If whatever beast lay outside managed to enter, she could at least hope it would trip over the chest, fall flat on its face, and buy her some time.
As if the thing could smell her now that she was closer to the door, another loud boom erupted before renewed scratching.
Shit.
Shit shit shit.
Hands fisted in her hair, Lauren paced.
She had nothing, NOTHING, to use to defend herself.
She was about to go into full panic mode when she heard a low mumble.
That didn’t sound like the monster.
It didn’t sound like the monster at all.
It sounded like Riv.
He was speaking to the monster and soon she heard footsteps padding away.
Had it gone?
She could only assume it was one of his pets. It didn’t sound like he was fighting for his life out there so that meant the beast and him must be on good terms.
Lauren moved closer to the door.
Of course, he’d be friends with a beast. Why
