Page 11 of Balarr
I’m not going to die.
Balarr saved me.
I’m leaving war-torn Earth.
I’m going to mate with a Vaxxlian warrior and live on Planet New Vaxx.
I’m no longer alone.
As tremors racked her body, she tried to take deep breaths to calm herself.
Then Balarr touched her, moving closer to stroke a hand through her hair.With his other hand, he rubbed her back.A low rumbling noise—almost a purr—emitted from his throat.It was strangely calming, and her tears finally began to fade.
She started wiping at her face, only for a clean white cloth to be suddenly pressed to her nose.Balarr’s kindness made her throat burn harder and for a few seconds, she feared she might break down sobbing all over again.But she somehow managed to hold herself together, and she allowed him to clean her nose.He quickly produced a second white cloth to dry her tears.
He stepped back briefly to inspect her face, then he tossed the soiled fabric into a bin.He moved closer to her again and resumed stroking her back and rubbing her hair.He also kept making the soothing purring noise.
Luna leaned into his touch with a soft sigh.Gratitude swelled within her, and she almost chided herself for being afraid of him at first.Yes, he looked like a deadly warrior, but thus far, he’d treated her with nothing but utter gentleness.
“Thank you,” she whispered, meeting his eyes.
Compassion, as well as a hint of wariness, glimmered in his green depths.He finally stopped making the soothing purring noise, though he continued caressing her hair and back.
“What has saddened you, sweet Luna?Please tell me.Perhaps I can fix what’s troubling you.”
She smiled through a fresh wave of tears that she successfully blinked back.“I’m not sad.Well, not really.I’m just very relieved to finally be away from the organ-harvesting facility.Not only am I finally free, but I’m not going to die.I no longer need to worry about the lab-grown replacement organs failing.Thanks to you and the nanobots you so kindly injected me with.”
He stared at her blankly for a long moment, then finally nodded.“When I learned VAMOB had matched me with a human female, I suspected the female would be in distress or perhaps need to be rescued from a precarious situation on Earth.I am happy to help you, Luna.You will become my mate soon, and I am duty-bound to take care of you—that means rescuing you, keeping you safe, and keeping you healthy.”
Luna had to force herself not to flinch at his choice of words.Duty-bound.He made it sound as though the only reason he was helping her was because it was expected of him—anobligationjust because she was his mate.
Or perhaps it was the matter-of-fact tone he’d used, rather than his choice of words, that stung just a little.
She reminded herself that he was a Vaxxlian warrior.They came from different worlds—and cultures.Also, they’d just met.It wasn’t as though he could’ve had time to develop tender feelings for her yet.Would he ever hold her in high regard?She thought of the VAMOB commercials.Would they ever fall in love?
She swallowed hard and pasted a polite expression on her face—the look of mild contentment she used to wear during her job as a barista even when fatigued from working a double shift.
“I appreciate all you’ve done for me,” she eventually said, feeling the need to break the silence, especially since he was still staring at her unblinkingly.
He gave a quick nod.“Are you feeling better?”
“Yes, thank you.”While his words hadn’t filled her with much warmth, his physical reaction to her emotional breakdown had.He hadn’t quite given her a hug, but he’d stood close while rubbing her back, and he’d very gently cleaned the tears from her face.And the snot.She flushed with embarrassment all over again at the memory.
Balarr straightened and stepped back, and she instantly mourned the loss of his closeness.She wished he were still touching her.There was something comforting about the feel of his hands on her, the steady warmth that radiated from his huge, muscular form.Despite herself, her gaze drifted over him, admiring the way his black pants and shirt clung to his body, emphasizing every sculpted line of muscle.
“Now that you are no longer in pain, and the nanobots have repaired the worst of your injuries, would you like to remove your bandage and take a shower?”His lips twitched upward in what might have been an attempt at a smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.A second later, his expression returned to its usual severity.
He's an alien, she reminded herself.Maybe Vaxxlian facial expressions didn’t translate like human ones.Would she ever get used to his rigid demeanor?Every time he looked at her with that deep-set frown, she worried she’d somehow offended him.
Still, he gazed at her with warmth on occasion, so perhaps he just needed time to adjust to her, in the same way she needed time to adjust to him.
“Luna?”he prompted when she took too long to answer.
“Yes,” she forced out.“Yes, I would like to remove the bandage and take a shower.”The idea of scrubbing the hospital smell off her body sounded heavenly.Even better, she would be taking a shower for the first time in two years without being in pain.She would actually get to enjoy herself.
Balarr touched the blanket she’d wrapped around herself.“If you uncover yourself just a little, I can remove it for you.”
She nodded and quickly lifted the blanket just enough to reveal the bandaged area of her abdomen, though she was careful to keep her breasts completely covered.
