Page 33 of Captured By The Alien Barbarian
“Yep,” Ariana says as she struggles to pull up a larger plant. I quickly move to help her. The smile she flashes me, teeth bared even, fills my hearts with joy. I know now that this means she is happy with me.
“These plants don’t provide food. We want to replace them with ones that will. If we leave these, they will fight the seedlings for nutrients, and ours won’t grow.”
I struggle to grasp the idea of plants fighting, but I keep my thoughts to myself. The concept of plants wielding weapons, even tiny ones, is too ludicrous. Yet, my Nika firmly believes in what she is saying, so I do not laugh.
I watch Ariana as she bends over a small hole. Her backside rises enticingly in the air, providing a perfect view. I am so close that I could easily reach out and touch her. In my mind, I imagine us tumbling to the ground, limbs entwined... My body yearns for her, and my blood pulses faster when I hear her voice.
“Taccit! Focus!” she says.
My eyes lock onto Ariana’s, as she raises an eyebrow at me, not making any comments.
“I was focusing,” I say, “Very hard.”
Ariana lightly hits my bicep with her hand, laughter escaping her lips. I want to lean in for a kiss, but I am afraid she will back away. I don’t want to ruin this moment—it has taken so long for my mate to become this comfortable around me.
“Go ahead,” I say, swallowing the lump in my throat. I try to concentrate on what she is teaching me: planting, or “farming” as her tribe calls it.
She dips her hands into the bag and sprinkles a few tiny objects into the hole. “We need just a couple seeds, usually just two or three at most. Once the seedlings sprout, we can thin out the weaker ones.”
I capture her hand in mine, inspecting it closely.
“I am supposed to separate that few? From all that?” I ask.
Ariana laughs. “Yeah, these seeds are smaller than some others. In this case, we just use a pinch. It’s always a good idea to have extra in case something happens to your first crop. Then we can always plant more.”
I nod, thinking about how I might store additional supplies over the bitter season.
“And how many do we store? Must we count them all? What if there are more than that?” I keep asking questions, each new piece of information leading to more inquiries.
“It depends on the species of seed, but I often just eat them,” Ariana says, her smile contagious.
“Eat them?” I ask, my eyes moving from her face to her fingertip. Deliberately, I lean forward and suck her fingertip into my mouth.
Her eyes widen, and her mouth falls open in a surprised expression I recognize all too well. Then, suddenly, she pushes me away.
I stare at her, dumbfounded, as Ariana bursts into laughter.
“Did you just suck my finger?” she says, looking up at me and dissolving into more giggles. “My hands are covered in dirt!”
“But you said we could eat the seeds,” I retort. I would be embarrassed, except Ariana’s wide smile and her delighted laughter are completely worth it. To see my delicate mate go from being beaten down to showing her strength and happiness to the world... I would willingly face all my enemies if it means seeing her smile again the way she just did. I would face death and whatever comes after if it meant I could have her show me affection once more.
Eventually, her amusement fades, leaving her with a soft glow.
As we work, Ariana begins to hum under her breath. Every time I glance over at her, she has a soft smile on her lips. Her body is relaxed, with no sign of tension in her shoulders. A warmth rushes through me; my mate is happy. This activity makes her happy.
“I understand the desire for food,” I say to her. “And I can always provide you with what I hunt. But you really like this farming, don’t you?”
Ariana hesitates. She watches me from under hooded eyes, biting her lip. “When I was young, there wasn’t much food on Earth,” she says. “A lot of people died. Like a lot. I kept thinking about how it wasn’t fair that I got food and they didn’t. So I decided then and there that I wanted to find a way to feed everyone.”
Ariana ducks her head, her hair falling across her face. “I know it’s a stupid dream. I was really little and didn’t understand the complexities of the world... but that feeling never left me.”
I reach out and gently squeeze her arm. “This isn’t a stupid dream. It’s noble. Not many will aim so high, and the fact that you are still determined to fulfill it shows your strength. Your determination. I am proud to call you my mate.”
Ariana blinks at me, her eyes filling with tears. I fear that I have said the wrong thing again. Then she bares her teeth at me. Is she happy, or is she truly baring her teeth at me? Human expressions are so confusing.
“Thank you, Taccit,” she says. “Today has meant a lot to me.”
“You are welcome, my mate,” I reply, relieved that she isn’t angry.
