Page 50 of Captured By The Alien Barbarian
Panic sets in as I glance around wildly, searching for the smallest sign of her presence. My hands twitch, yearning to pull her close and breathe in her comforting scent. Only she can calm me down, pull me back from the madness of being alone.
Stumbling up the path towards the cave, my feet feel almost numb. Somehow I manage to kick almost every rock on the path, tumbling like a youngling just learning to walk. Fear threatens to overwhelm me. I shouldn’t be this affected, this afraid. Yet all I can think of is discovering that Ariana has left me. I can’t go back to that lonely existence, days passing by merely because the world will keep spinning without me.
With trembling hands, I push open the door to the cave.
She’s not here.
The fire has died down, embers barely smoldering. The bed furs are neatly made, untouched.
“Ariana!” I scream, the sound tearing through my throat.
I need her.
I need her to live. Without my mate, existence is utterly meaningless. More so than the days before I met Ariana. For at least then I had some semblance of hope that I would one day be happy.
On the verge of despair, I cry out my pet name for her, “Nika!”
My mind races while considering where she could be. My only consolation is the absence of any other scents in the area, giving me hope that no one has taken her away from me. Such a small thing, she would be easily dragged off. Even the males of her species would be able to carry her away.
My drolvden hear my pleas, and their answering howls bring a glimmer of sanity back to my frayed nerves. With renewed hope, I rush to the garden—her garden.
“Taccit?” Ariana’s eyes grow wide as I storm into the clearing. She drops the little shovel she is using and springs to her feet, moving towards me.
I gather her into my arms, embracing her tightly against my chest. Burying my nose in her hair, I inhale her calming scent. “Why did you leave the cave?” I demand, pushing her back and holding her at arm’s length. “I told you not to leave without me!”
“I just wanted to do some gardening. My plants need to be—”
“I don’t care!” I roar.
She flinches back from me. Immediately, guilt washes over me. Yet, I can’t help but reiterate, “I told you that you’re not allowed to leave the cave.”
Ariana’s face momentarily goes pale, but soon enough she raises her chin, defiant. “I’ve been coming to my garden for days, and you’ve never had an issue with it before.”
Despite the circumstances, I’m proud of her. There was once a time when she shied away from me. But she doesn’t realize that now is not the time to fight me. She doesn’t realize the danger she’s in or that she could be taken from me. In a panic, I say, “I said no, Ariana. No more! You will stay in the cave and not leave until I give you permission.”
Ariana attempts to extricate herself from my grasp, but I won’t allow it. If she tries to run from my sight, she might run straight into danger. She needs to be protected. My tail reflexively snaps out and wraps around her wrist, dragging her closer.
“I’m allowed to do what I want, Taccit. You can’t control me.” Her anger is evident. “First, you declared us married without even asking me! And now, you want to tell me what I can and can’t do. You can’t do this!”
“I will keep you safe,” I say. “You are my mate.”
“Well, maybe I don’t want to be!”
The clearing is silent. None of us move.
Ariana’s face crumples, and she looks at me with such a desolate expression that it breaks my heart.
If only I could find the right words to help her understand, she might not be so upset. I’m sure she didn’t mean those words... right?
I sigh, knowing a long and overdue conversation is ahead of us. If I have to take precautions to keep my mate safe and unharmed, then I will do so. If she finds faults with my methods, then so be it. As long as she is safe.
“Come, let’s go back to the cave.”
“Can we pick some fruits first?” she asks timidly.
I glance around her small garden, assessing the trees. We harvested most of the ripe fruit the previous day, and whatever is left isn’t ready to be picked yet. It pains me to deny my little mate something she clearly wants, but I have no choice. Eating the fruit before it’s ripe could cause her to sicken.
“No,” I say firmly.
