Page 12 of Alien Charming

Aunt Margaret would be furious if she knew. The whole village would shun her more than they already did. But for the first time in her life, she found herself not caring what they thought. Their judgment seemed small compared to the connection she felt growing between herself and Seren.

Tomorrow, she decided. Tomorrow she would go to the garden early, and perhaps he would be there, watching from the trees as he often did. The thought made her steps lighter, despite knowing the scolding that awaited her at home.

For once, she had something that was entirely her own—something no one, not even Aunt Margaret, could take away.

CHAPTER 6

The next morning Seren stalked through the forest, jaw clenched tight enough to make his teeth ache. The memory of Elli’s treatment in the village had haunted him throughout a sleepless night. Humans could be cruel to their own kind in ways that rivaled even the most territorial Vultor disputes.

He slowed his pace as he approached the garden’s edge, catching her scent on the breeze—that sweet, clean scent that made his chest tighten. She knelt among her plants, gently turning soil with a small trowel, seemingly lost in the work.

His anger softened at the sight of her, but didn’t disappear. The villagers’ contempt for this gentle creature made no sense. Their blindness to her worth was incomprehensible.

“They don’t deserve you,” he said without preamble, stepping into view.

She startled, dropping her trowel, but her face brightened when she recognized him, and his beast growled approvingly at that look.

“Seren. You came back.”

“I said I would.” He moved closer, towering over her garden plot but careful not to trample anything. “I saw how they treated you yesterday.”

Her smile faltered. “Oh. That was nothing unusual.”

“That’s what angers me most.” He crouched down, bringing himself closer to her level. “Why do you endure it?”

Dropping her eyes, she picked up her trowel again, brushing dirt from its handle with careful fingers. “Where would I go? What would I do?”

Live with me. Become my mate.

He had to bite back his immediate response.

“Your aunt spreads lies about you.”

“Yes.” She looked up at him, grey eyes clear and direct. “But she’s the only family I have. And I know the truth about myself. That has to be enough.”

The determination in her voice made his heart clench. He wanted to wrap her in his arms, to protect her from the world that had treated her so unfairly. But instead he simply nodded.

“It’s more than many can claim.”

She turned back to her work, and he watched her in silence, marveling at her skill. The garden was like a living extension of her, thriving under her care despite the hardships she faced.

He hesitated, then gently touched a leaf on one of the plants between them. “What is this one?”

“Lavender.” Her voice softened. “For peace and calm.”

“Does it work?”

A small smile played on her lips. “Sometimes.”

He watched her carefully, searching for signs of the bitterness he’d expect from someone treated so poorly. Yet her expression remained serene as she turned the soil around her plants.

“I’m used to it,” she added with a small shrug. “They don’t know any better.”

Her capacity for forgiveness bewildered him. Among the Vultor, such treatment would have warranted challenge or at minimum, a severing of ties. His people held grudges for generations. Yet this slip of a female dismissed cruelty with understanding.

“You defend them?” The words came out harsher than he intended.

“Not defend, exactly.” She looked up, squinting against the sun behind him. “Most haven’t bothered to know me. They just repeat what they’ve heard.”

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