Date: 2022-11-11 06:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Romance; Science Fiction; Aliens; Holiday; Christmas; Science Fiction Romance; Fantasy; Adult; Contemporary
Description: Sinta is coming to town - but this time he’s the one receiving a gift. An unexpected inheritance comes at the perfect time for Holly. Her on-again, off-again relationship is off for good, her Christmas plans have been canceled, and her parents have decided to spend the holiday traveling. But the remote mountain cabin she inherited is not the idyllic paradise she remembers from her childhood. There’s no power, no cell service, and she's quite sure someone - or something - is watching her from the woods… Sinta’s observation trip to this primitive planet has gone disastrously wrong. His ship's sy

SINTA

STRANDED WITH AN ALIEN (A SCIFI HOLIDAY TAIL)

HONEY PHILLIPS

Copyright © 2022 by Honey Phillips

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author.

Disclaimer

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or people, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Cover Design by Natasha Snow

Edited by Lindsay York at LY Publishing Services

Created with Vellum

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Epilogue

Author’s Note

Other Titles

About the Author

CHAPTER ONE

“I’m so sorry, darling,” Holly’s mother said. “When you told us you weren’t going to be home for Christmas, we decided to use the time for a second honeymoon. We’re going to Paris! We already have our flights and a hotel and everything. But I suppose we could see about rescheduling,” she added doubtfully.

“Don’t be silly,” Holly said firmly. “You had no way of knowing this was going to happen. Go ahead and enjoy your second honeymoon. The two of you deserve it.”

“I must admit, I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve never been to Europe before, and I’ve always wanted to go.” Her mother giggled. “I even bought some sexy little nightgowns for the trip.”

Holly winced. “Too much information, Mom.”

Her mother laughed. “You’re so straitlaced. Do you think that’s why Grant chose someone else?”

“Gee, thanks, Mom. Trust me when I say that Grant was not the adventurous type.”

“I’m sorry, darling. I wasn’t trying to suggest it was your fault, but you two were together for such a long time.”

“Maybe that was the problem.”

Holly sighed. She had been dating Grant for almost seven years. During that time, they’d occasionally dated other people, but they always seemed to end up back together. But unlike her parents, whose relationship had only grown stronger with time, the years had not brought them closer together. She suspected that neither of them had been particularly happy with their relationship, but they were both busy and it was easier to just keep seeing each other. It had taken something—or rather someone—new to shake up their routine.

“It’s funny, but I’m not really that upset,” she said. “I think we would have drifted along for a few more years if he hadn’t met Heather, but I’m not sure that would have been good for either of us.”

“I suppose you’re right, but really he picked a terrible time of year to decide he was in love with someone else. A week before Christmas!”

She laughed at her mother’s outburst.

“At least it means I won’t have to try and find a Christmas present for him.” Which he would undoubtedly have returned.

“That’s the spirit. And now that I think about it, your father never liked him anyway.”

That was true enough. The first time the two of them met, Grant had been sitting in her car waiting as Holly tried to change a tire. It didn’t matter that Grant was a city boy who had never changed a tire before—her father was outraged that he didn’t even try. Their relationship had not improved over the years.

“But what are you going to do for the holidays?” her mother continued. “Especially if Grant is still going on the trip the two of you had planned.”

“I’ll think of something,” she said vaguely. She didn’t want her mother to know she hadn’t been able to come up with an alternative so far. Most of her friends had already made other plans.

“Maybe Susie would like to go up to Uncle Ted’s cabin with you,” her mother suggested cheerfully. “You could spend Christmas in the mountains and have a nice, peaceful white Christmas.”

Holly rolled her eyes. Her best friend Susie was not a fan of country life—not to mention the fact that she already had plans for Christmas in St. Barts. Susie had also offered to cancel her trip but Holly had refused to let her. Still, if it would ease her mother’s mind to think she had plans, she couldn’t see any harm in it.

“That sounds like a good idea,” she agreed. “Now don’t worry about me. Just have a wonderful time in Paris and I’ll see you in the New Year.”

She hung up and looked around her small studio apartment. She usually loved her cozy little apartment, choosing to remain there even though she could have afforded a larger place several years ago. But today it didn’t seem quite so pleasant. Because of her plans—her former plans—she hadn’t done anything to decorate for Christmas and it looked very bare all of a sudden. A cold rain trickled down the windows, and the people outside rushed by in their dark winter clothes. She really didn’t want to spend Christmas alone in the city.

Maybe her mother’s suggestion was worth considering. Her Uncle Ted—actually her great-uncle—had passed away several months ago and left the cabin to her. She’d visited regularly when she was younger, but it had been a number of years since she’d been back.

A lump filled her throat as she remembered those idyllic summers running free in the mountains. She remembered her uncle, quiet and a little gruff but always kind, and the cozy cabin with the big stone fireplace. She’d never been there in the winter, but she could easily picture a big fire roaring in the hearth while pretty white flakes floated past the windows.

The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea. It wouldn’t take much to make the cabin feel festive. She could cut down a small tree and drape some evergreen branches across the mantel, then curl up by the fire with a good book and some mulled wine. Maybe she could finally do a little sketching. She was already scheduled to take the next few weeks off, so she had plenty of time.

The cabin was very remote—her uncle only had an old-fashioned landline—but maybe that wasn’t a bad thing. If she kept her phone off, she wouldn’t have to see Grant’s posts about the wonderful time he and Heather were having on what should have been her vacation.

Grant had been a perfect gentleman about the trip. He’d even offered to let her carry on with it—although he must have known she wouldn’t go by herself. When she’d refused, he’d happily reimbursed her for her share. But no matter how nice he’d been or how amicable their parting, she didn’t particularly want to watch the two of them enjoying themselves.

Mind made up, she went to pull her suitcase down from the top shelf of her closet. She was going to have a wonderful Christmas on her own.

Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea after all, she thought the next day as her car started to fishtail across the road. It had obviously been plowed at some point, but the rapidly falling snow had already covered the surface again. Between holiday traffic and the snowy weather, the drive had taken much longer than she’d anticipated and it was already late afternoon. She breathed a sigh of relief as she regained control. For a moment she considered turning around, but it had taken her more than an hour to fight her way this far up the mountain and she knew she was getting close. Sure enough, a few minutes later the long driveway that led to the cabin appeared on the right.

Almost there. Breathing a sigh of relief, she turned on to the narrow track—and quickly realized the difference between the roughly plowed road which she’d been on and the completely undisturbed snow on this one. Fortunately, the track ran around the side of the mountain rather than up it, so it was relatively level. She wasn’t sure that her car would have the power to tackle an unplowed slope. She crept slowly along the track, peering through the gloom beneath the trees.

Five minutes passed. Ten. Had it always been this far from the road?

Then a small animal darted across the road in front of her, and she instinctively hit the brakes. The rear end of the car lost traction and slid slowly but inevitably towards the side of the track. She did her best to turn into the skid, but this time she couldn’t regain control and the car slammed into the trees lining the narrow track. The engine died.

Damn, damn, damn.

She took a deep breath to calm her trembling hands, then turned the key. No response.

She swore again and climbed out of the car. The deep snow immediately started working its way into the cute ankle boots which were designed for city streets, not mountain roads. A quick inspection of the crumpled hood of the car made it pretty clear that she wasn’t going anywhere without repairs.

Did AAA even come this far? She pulled her phone out of her pocket, only to find the complete absence of bars. So much for her optimistic idea that as long as she had her phone she would still be in contact with the rest of the world. The snow had stopped for the moment and a deep silence hung over the woods, only the faint clicks of cooling metal audible in the stillness, and she shivered.

How much farther was it to the cabin? The way the drive curved around the side of the mountain made it impossible to see very far ahead. Unfortunately, she also didn’t remember the way well enough to know how far she had to go, especially now that everything was covered with snow. But the main road was a good distance behind her now, and even if she made it back there, she hadn’t seen any other traffic for the last part of her journey.

I don’t have a choice, she decided, picking up her purse and reaching into the back seat for her suitcase. She also had several bags of groceries, a few bottles of wine, and a box of Christmas decorations. She couldn’t carry everything and if it was dark by the time she reached the cabin, she wouldn’t want to come back tonight. Just in case, she grabbed one of the grocery bags, then added a bottle of wine. Slamming the door, she set off down the road.

CHAPTER TWO

A delicious scent floated past Sinta, distracting him from his prey. The animal disappeared out of reach, and he swore. His survival form had many benefits—he was alive and unharmed despite the freezing temperatures and primitive conditions—but it also meant that his instincts tended to override his more logical side.

He briefly considered resuming the hunt, but now that his first pursuit had ended, he was far more interested in the source of that delightful, enticing scent. He lifted his head to draw more of it into his lungs, then set off through the woods, his survival form blending easily with the snow-covered trees.

According to his ship’s monitors he was alone on this mountain—but then again nothing about his ship was particularly reliable at the moment. If one of the primitive inhabitants of this wretched planet were nearby, he would have to take steps. To his horror, he heard himself growling as his claws emerged.

Not those kinds of steps, he told himself sternly. This form was also quick to respond to any perceived danger. How ironic that he had been sent here to evaluate the primitive inhabitants of this planet and yet he was in an equally primitive state. At least his form was only temporary. Once the ELVs—the Encoded Learning Variable nanites currently working on his ship—were finished with repairs, he could return to his more civilized self.

The scent trail led him to the narrow track through the woods that he had observed previously. He growled again as he realized the formerly pristine surface had been disturbed. An unmistakable trail led off to one side, although the markings were not clear. It almost looked as if something had been dragged through the snow.

The delicious fragrance was strongest to the right and he took two steps in that direction before he wrestled himself under control. He could detect the faint odor of hydrocarbons and metal from the other direction. He hesitated, his instincts still urging him to follow the first scent, but it was more important to find out if any danger lurked farther down the track. Or if there was any threat of discovery.

The thought of a possible threat was enough to get him moving. He only traveled a short distance before discovering one of the human’s primitive vehicles wedged against a tree, and he sighed. The small vehicle would have been impractical at the best of times—it certainly wasn’t suited for these conditions. The more important question was who had been driving it.

He pulled the door open, barely managing to keep from yanking the fragile metal frame free. The intoxicating fragrance washed over him, rich and sweet and… female. To his utter horror, his body responded, a deep throbbing beginning low in his groin. No! The last thing he needed was for his survival form to go into a mating frenzy.

Forcing himself to take a step away from the vehicle, he went through the calming meditations, as familiar to him as his own name. Deep breathing would have helped, but he wasn’t about to breathe in any more of the female’s enticing scent if he could help it. To his relief, his mind cleared—and his unwanted lust was replaced by suspicion. Had the female been sent to trap him?

It seemed unlikely since he was here on a special mission from the Emperor’s senior advisor, and Tanaca kept his secrets close. Determined to investigate, he returned to the vehicle, doing his best to keep his breathing shallow. A box in the back seat was filled with a variety of colorful, sparkling objects, but he could find no use for them. She also had what passed for food on this planet—boxes and cans of processed ingredients—and several alcoholic beverages.

He shook his head. His people preferred not to cloud their senses with such foolishness. Their lives were dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. His own scholarly achievements had led to his selection for this mission. Unfortunately, those achievements had not been enough to prevent the damage to his ship or to speed up its repairs. He sighed and inadvertently breathed in more of the female’s scent.

Find her.

His survival form was concentrated on the female again. This was not good. He had to get her away from here as soon as possible. Ignoring his instinctive protest, he considered his options. The primitive dwelling at the end of this road seemed an undesirable habitation for a delicate female, but did she have an alternative? Her vehicle was obviously damaged…

An idea occurred to him, and he went to inspect the damage. Utilizing the strength of his survival form, he pulled the vehicle away from the trees and onto the main track, then bent to inspect the damage. A rudimentary engine but that was in his favor. He took a handful of ELVs from the pouch at his waist and scattered them over the engine. They sparkled briefly before setting to work.

Excellent. As soon as her engine was repaired, he would find a way to persuade her to leave. He couldn’t risk showing himself, but based on his studies humans were a superstitious race. It shouldn’t be difficult to frighten her into leaving. Once again his instincts protested, and once again he ignored them. He had no intention of ending up on some human’s dissection table.

Now that the repairs were in place, it was time to examine his intruder in greater detail. His survival form growled his approval and set off, his tail lashing eagerly. He barely managed to wrest back enough control to move into the deep shadows under the trees.

He was moving so quickly that it took almost no time to catch up with the intruder—a small figure in a bright red coat that made a startling contrast to the snow. His instincts immediately protested. Did she have no survival instincts? Had she never heard of camouflage?

She was not surrounded by enemies, he reminded himself, and if one did appear, he was here to protect her. His survival form almost purred with satisfaction at the thought, and he winced. He was not here to protect a lone female, no matter how appealing. And as he kept pace with her hidden in the woods, he had to admit that she was appealing.

The ridiculously bright coat was fastened around a small but delightfully curvy figure. She had a soft, round face with pink cheeks, big dark eyes, and an utterly tempting mouth. He had done enough research to know the kind of thing that humans did with those mouths, and the throbbing ache began again.

No. His people, the Kringlar, no longer participated in such unhygienic practices. Their sexual interactions were carefully orchestrated to provide a satisfactory experience without unpleasant consequences to either party. Of course his more primitive side had absolutely no problem with the idea.

She stopped suddenly, and slowly turned to scan the area. He barely managed to conceal himself in time and he cursed his carelessness. But when she sighed and started trudging through the snow again, he had a difficult time remaining in hiding. The container she was hauling behind her was obviously far too large and heavy for her.

Help her.

Absolutely not. His goal was to hasten her departure, even though he was rapidly growing convinced that he had nothing to fear from her. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye on her. She was obviously tired and struggling and it grew harder and harder to remain in hiding. Even when she tried to speed up her pace, she made very little progress. He could have traveled to the cabin and back three times in the amount of time it took for her to reach it.

As soon as it came into sight, she did her best to hurry again, but the snow was far too deep for her short legs. She stumbled when she reached the steps, and he couldn’t prevent a growl of frustration. He should have been there to carry her so that she would not be in danger of harming herself.

It wasn’t until she flung her belongings to one side and raced for the door, her hands trembling as she tried to open it, that he realized she must have heard him. Shame filled him. He had no intention of harming her, and he certainly did not want her to be afraid.

Fix it.

There was little he could do now that she was inside—unless she still needed help. He drew closer, then nodded when a light appeared. One necessity resolved. Excellent.

He picked up her suitcase and placed it carefully on the porch so that she wouldn’t have to go back down the treacherous steps. He considered brushing them off as well, but perhaps it would be best for her to remain inside. He caught the scent of wood smoke and looked up to see a small plume of smoke from the chimney mingling with the snow.

Now that she had light and heat, he doubted she would venture outside again during the night. He should leave, but instead he remained outside watching. Watching as she removed her hat and shook out a quantity of dark, lustrous hair. Watching as she stood and stretched, shedding the bright coat to reveal an equally bright garment that clung to her upper body in a disturbingly appealing way. He couldn’t see her lower half and started to move closer just as she approached the window and put her face to the glass.

He stumbled back so quickly that the catch on his utility pouch came loose and a few of the ELVs slipped free. He swore and used the snow to camouflage his presence. He was still hiding when the door opened. She held the lamp high, the golden light illuminating her body and revealing the tight garment that clung temptingly to her lower half. She seemed surprised by the location of her suitcase, but he nodded with satisfaction as she pulled it inside. It had definitely been the safer option.

Once inside she disappeared from view, then returned a few minutes later in far less revealing garments. It made no difference. He already knew the delights hidden beneath that soft-looking fabric. He watched as she settled down next to the fire and fell asleep.

Stay. Protect.

Despite what his instincts urged, he forced himself to slip back into the woods. He had work to do.

CHAPTER THREE

As Holly trudged down the road, the skin between her shoulder blades suddenly prickled as if someone was watching her. Great. The last thing she needed was for her imagination to start running away from her. No one else was stupid enough to be out in the woods during a snowstorm.

The snow started falling again before she’d even made it around the first bend. The pretty white flakes were nowhere near as appealing when they were falling on her head and slipping down her collar, somehow finding to manage the way between her scarf and her coat. Her pretty red winter coat was just as unsuitable as her boots, but it was all she had.

Her rolling suitcase was of no use in snow, but she tugged it behind her anyway, the bag of groceries over her shoulder growing heavier with every step. She was tempted to leave them both behind and come back for them later, but the last thing she wanted to do was stumble around in the dark looking for them. And the way the snow is falling they could be concealed under a foot of snow by morning, she thought gloomily as she forced herself to keep going.

The increasing snowfall only hastened the end of the early winter afternoon and the shadows beneath the trees grew steadily deeper. It was difficult to believe she had once known every foot of this land. It all looked alien to her now.

Still, as far as she remembered, there wasn’t anything dangerous in these woods. Well, her uncle had hunted wild boar but they didn’t attack humans. I hope. And maybe there was an occasional bear sighting, but any self-respecting bear would be snug in his den by now.

But no matter how much she tried to talk herself out of it, the feeling of being watched persisted. Her pace increased as she urged her tired legs to move faster, but they were no match for the knee-deep snow and she stumbled to a stop, gasping. This is ridiculous. She took a deep breath, then turned around in a slow circle.

Nothing. Just her overactive imagination.

She grabbed the handle of her suitcase and tried to hike the grocery bag farther up her shoulder as she set off again. But despite her unproductive survey of her surroundings, she still couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her. The shadows under the trees were too dense and dark for her to be a hundred percent sure that nothing lurked there. Waiting for her…

Oh, good Lord, she needed to stop reading spooky books. She was still trying to convince herself that it was just her imagination when she looked up again and spotted the cabin. A sob of relief escaped her lips.

Under other circumstances, the darkened cabin nestled amongst the trees to one side of the clearing might have seemed intimidating, the rough-cut logs blending with the surrounding trees. Right now, it represented safety—and a nice sturdy door between her and the outside world. She hurried towards it as quickly as she could, half-stumbling as she missed the bottom step hidden under the snow. Was that a growl?

Her heart was beating so loudly she couldn’t be sure, and she abandoned her suitcase as she threw herself up the steps, fumbling in her purse for the keys. With a relieved gasp she unlocked the door, flung herself inside, and slammed the door shut behind her. She leaned back against the door, her hand pressed against her pounding heart as she tried to calm her breathing. When it finally slowed, she remembered there was a light switch next to the door. She flipped it on, but nothing happened.

Damn. She knew she’d been paying the utility bill—the ever-efficient Susie had set it up to be withdrawn automatically from Holly’s checking account. The storm must have knocked out the power. It could even have been a previous storm, and no one had bothered to investigate.

The last threads of daylight were creeping through the uncovered windows, and she forced herself to think. Her uncle had always kept lanterns around, preferring them to electric lights. Where had he kept them?

A distant memory of eating supper by lamplight flitted through her mind, and she carefully made her way across the dim room to the table in front of the kitchen area. There. A lamp still stood in the center of the table. Crossing her fingers, she gave it a cautious shake and heard the reassuring slosh of lamp oil. She had picked up a butane lighter at the grocery store, intending to use it for the fireplace, and she prayed that it was in the bag she’d brought with her. Fortunately it was, and after a few nervous minutes, she managed to light the lamp.

A soft golden glow filled the room, and she breathed a sigh of relief, immediately feeling safer. Nostalgia filled her as she looked around. The cabin hadn’t changed at all. The table and old-fashioned kitchen area, complete with woodstove, were at one end of the large room. The big fireplace was at the other end, surrounded by a comfortable couch and chairs, the faded upholstery layered with blankets and quilts. The loft where she’d slept as a child overlooked the main room, with a bedroom and bathroom beneath the loft.

The old green rotary dial phone was still on the wall next to the refrigerator, and she rushed over to it. The telephone bill was also set up for automatic payment, but when she lifted the receiver there was no dial tone.

Damn. Damn. Damn. No power and no phone.

She checked her cell phone again but there were still no bars and she finally decided to turn it off. Without a way to charge it, and without a signal, it didn’t make sense to leave it on. What am I going to do now? Without a phone she couldn’t call for help. Hopefully, the telephone company would send someone to restore the line. If that didn’t happen, she’d just have to live in the cabin for two weeks. Her parents knew where she was, and so did Susie. If she didn’t show up after the holidays, they would come looking for her.

At least she had light and food. The next thing was heat. She looked around hopefully for a thermostat but didn’t see anything. Were the fireplace and the woodstove the only source of heat? She’d never thought about it on her summer visits but her uncle always spent a lot of time during the summer restocking his wood supply.

She swore again, watching her breath appear in the frosty air. Her uncle had shown her how to light a fire—even during the summer they had cold nights and grey rainy days—but did she remember how? She carried the lamp over to the fireplace, then had to swallow hard. The wood was already laid for a fire. Her uncle must have done it before leaving for the hospital.

The stubborn old man had driven himself to the hospital. He even made it there, but he’d left it far too late to seek help. One of the nurses told her they’d opened his shirt to administer CPR and discovered that he’d pinned his do not resuscitate order directly over his heart. By the time she and her parents had arrived, it was too late.

But how like him to have left everything ready for his return. Or my arrival, she thought sadly, dashing away the tears. Crying wasn’t going to keep her warm. She bent over the logs with her lighter. A flame went up immediately, then flickered and died back. Her heart skipped a beat, but then the rest of the wood started to catch. A welcome wave of heat washed over her as the dry wood caught fire, and she breathed a sigh of relief. It would take a while for the cabin to warm up, but at least now she knew she wasn’t going to freeze to death.

It would certainly help if I could get out of these wet clothes, she thought, shrugging off her coat. Her boots and pants were both soaked and she thought wistfully of the comfortable pajamas in her suitcase.

Had she really heard a growl, or had it just been her imagination? She walked over to the window and peered through the glass into the darkness, cupping her hands around her face to try and block the lamplight. It was now fully dark outside, but she scanned the snowy night, looking for any sign of life.

There was nothing. The clearing in front of the cabin was empty. In better weather she would have been able to see past the clearing and out over the valley below, but now all she could see was the falling snow. The bank of trees at the edge of the clearing and leading back down the track were an impenetrable dark mass.

Just as she was about to pull away from the cold glass, she saw a small cluster of golden sparks hovering over the clearing like the fireflies she had chased in the summer. It was the wrong season for fireflies, but the sight of them was somehow reassuring. She took a deep breath, then pulled back the bolt and cautiously opened the door. The porch was empty except… Her suitcase was sitting neatly upright at the top of the steps. How the hell had that happened? Everything else looked exactly the same—the drifts of snow on the porch were undisturbed, and there were no footprints on the steps except for her own.

I must have thrown it up the steps, she decided, in that last frantic scramble to enter the cabin. It just happened to land upright. She wasn’t entirely convinced, but what other explanation could there be? Keeping the lamp high enough that the glow spread out across the snow, she very cautiously reached for her suitcase, her wary imagination half-expecting something to grab her when she did. But her fingers closed over the cold rubber without incident, and she quickly hauled it back inside, locking the door behind her.

I’ve obviously been working much too hard.

She lifted the suitcase onto the end table and searched through it for her red flannel pajamas and fuzzy slippers. Once she found them, she sat down and pulled off her soaked boots. Her jeans were equally soaked, and she was about to pull them off as well when she glanced at the uncovered windows. Uncle Ted had never bothered to put curtains over them.

“Ain’t got no neighbors,” he’d said matter-of-factly when she asked him.

He still didn’t have any neighbors, but the events of the afternoon had set her nerves on edge. She grabbed the change of clothes and the lamp and hurried into the unheated back bedroom. It shared a wall with the fireplace and would warm up eventually, but now it was still cold enough to take her breath away as she hurried out of her clothes and into her pajamas. As she rushed back into the front room, she could tell it was already noticeably warmer.

She curled up in the big chair closest to the fire, wrapping one of the quilts around her. It was a little dusty—everything in the cabin was dusty—but right now she was just thankful for the warmth. She stared into the flickering flames as warmth began to seep into her body and yawned.

She should probably have something to eat and Lord knows she deserved a glass of wine, but they could wait. She snuggled deeper into the chair and her eyes drifted closed.

CHAPTER FOUR

Fortunately, the place where Sinta had managed to hide his ship was only a short distance from the primitive cabin. His survival form fought him every step of the way, wanting to return and watch over the human female. He had to keep reminding himself that she was not his mission. He had been sent here to study the primitive species by observing them and reviewing their transmissions, not by direct interaction. Unfortunately, whatever had caused his ship’s controls to go haywire had also affected his ability to receive or transmit any type of communication.

It must have been the ion storm I passed through on the journey, he thought again, and yet he wondered why no other ship had reported the storm. The planet was under a protective blockade, but that had not prevented ships getting through in the past—ships with illegal intentions. Human females had become a desirable commodity, and it was difficult to protect them without admitting Earth to the Empire. His task was to see if there was any indication of when they might be ready for admission—an impossible task without access to his systems.

He ducked through a crevice in the rock to the ravine where his ship was stowed. Without a working cloaking system, he’d had to find a place to conceal the ship physically. The wide ledge carved out of the side of the mountain had been the best alternative, and he had managed to land his ship as close as possible to the inside wall. An observation device would have to be almost directly parallel to the opening to spot the ship but he had still taken the precaution of using snow-covered brush to obscure the opening. The brilliant red of the ship—an indication of its Imperial status—did not lend well to concealment.

The ELVs were still hard at work, their presence like a glittering dust over the outside of the ship. The ship itself was the basic Science Laboratory Exploration and Discovery model, specifically designed for this type of mission. The bridge was at the front, followed by a small combined living and sleeping space. The majority of the ship was devoted to the laboratory at the back.

He paused long enough to rehydrate one of the dried rations—much to his survival form’s disgust—then went to check on the status of the ship’s systems. The heating equipment was still inoperable, but the temperatures were well within acceptable parameters for his form.

The lab was usually his favorite place—he had spent most of his life in one. His people favored scientific study, and when he’d shown promise at an early age he had been set on this path. He’d never thought to question it. Until now.

His instincts were still urging him to return to the cabin. He did his best to convince himself it was merely a primitive impulse, but he could feel the urgency pulling at him as he began his checks. He noted with approval that some of the systems were beginning to come back online. He had not prioritized life-support, since his survival form was well equipped for the current conditions, but it was an automatic priority for the ELVs. They were also working on the communication system, and he was able to pick up intermittent traces of Earth’s data transmissions.

Right now they were too minimal to be of any use, but he stored them in the massive databanks anyway. Once the learning program was active, he would be able to start extrapolating from even those small snippets of data. He looked around the lab, at the sparks indicating the ELVs were hard at work, and sighed. This was not what he had in mind when he accepted the assignment.

He had been participating in a study regarding the effects of advanced civilizations on primitive planetary systems, trying to identify the markers which indicated a successful transition, when he’d been approached by an Imperial representative.

The thought of being able to perform a direct study on one of those planets represented a fascinating intellectual challenge, and the opportunity for some groundbreaking work. Not to mention the kind of scholarly paper that could make his reputation. He had no close family, no relationships that would tie him to Kringlar, and he had agreed to take the job.

The preparation had taken almost a year—including learning a number of Earth languages without the aid of a translator and studying all of the currently available information. Once he had been deemed ready, he was sent on his way. The plan was to set up his monitors and begin recording data before withdrawing from the surface of the planet to a concealed location on the far side of the moon.

If it were not for that damnable storm, he would have been well on his way to creating those initial surveys. Unfortunately, he hadn’t realized that anything was really wrong until he entered Earth’s atmosphere and the system that should have been monitoring any kind of communication only produced a variety of static. The problems continued to escalate as the ship became less and less responsive to his commands. He had been flying almost blind, but somehow he’d managed to both locate a potential hiding spot and land the ship safely before the rest of the systems died.

Giddy with relief, he had stumbled out of the ship, only to be almost knocked off his feet by a blast of icy air. As he looked out at the barren rocks and snow-covered trees surrounding him, he realized it was the first time in his life that he had been confronted with an uncontrolled environment. The scientific advances made by his people enabled them to maintain their climate at a temperate level year-round, keeping at bay the storms that had once buffeted the planet. Before those advances, their survival forms had been all that protected them from the harsh weather.

His claws were the first to emerge—long, black, and sharp. Horrified, he had managed to retract them, but the other changes were already underway and a protective pelt began to cover his body. He’d quickly returned to the ship, but although the protection from the wind helped, the temperature drop was inevitable—and so was his change. By the next day, the transition to his survival form had been complete.

The next few days had been a revelation. The power of this form, not to mention his enhanced senses, was almost overwhelming, but he did not allow it to rule his more logical nature. The two parts had worked together in relative harmony. Until the female appeared.

Return. Protect.

It did no good to remind himself that there was no evidence of danger in the surrounding woods. In the end, he reached a compromise with himself. He would finish reviewing the few snippets of information he had managed to collect, and then return to the cabin at daybreak. It meant a sleepless night, but that did not concern him. He often worked overnight on his scientific projects, and his survival form was more than strong enough not to be affected by missed sleep. He settled down in front of the computer screen, the chair designed for his original form squeaking a protest, and set to work on the data.

CHAPTER FIVE

The brightening of the predawn sky woke Holly, and she realized she’d spent the entire night in the chair by the fire. She yawned, stretched, and shivered. Damn, the fire was almost out. She bent over it anxiously as she added more logs from the rapidly diminishing supply. To her relief they caught quickly. She thought that she could build another one from scratch, but she suspected it would not be a fast process. It would be much better if she could keep this one going.

I should start a fire in the wood stove. If she remembered correctly, it was both a more efficient source of heat and easier to keep going for an extended period of time.

She yawned again and, with the quilt still wrapped around her shoulders, stepped out onto the front porch. Now that the skies had cleared, she could see across the clearing to the valley beyond and the faint hint of pink edging the mountain ranges that stretched out into the distance. The pink intensified, streaks of gold mingling with the rose until at last the sun burst over the horizon. The early rays glittered on the fresh snow covering the ground and cloaking the trees. She had forgotten just how beautiful it was here.

Now that the sun was shining, her fears of the night before disappeared. Of course, she was realistic enough to know that the situation was far from ideal. But she had shelter and she had heat—as long as she could keep the fireplace and potentially the stove going. She had the groceries she brought with her, and hopefully her uncle had left some supplies as well. That was first on the list, she decided, as her stomach rumbled after checking the wood supply. She walked to the end of the porch to take a look at the woodshed, then sighed. It was full all right, but with logs rather than the neatly split pieces she needed. She was going to have to chop wood.

Coffee first.

As she turned back towards the front door, she thought she saw something move out of the corner of her eye. Her heart skipped a beat as she remembered that feeling of being watched the previous day. Standing perfectly still, she scanned the trees. Despite the daylight, the undergrowth was too thick and snowy to allow her to see very far. As hard as she looked, she couldn’t see any sign of life.

Maybe it was just a squirrel, she thought, and returned to the cabin.

An hour later she came back out, feeling triumphant. She had managed to get the wood stove to light, she’d wrangled her uncle’s stovetop percolator into making coffee, and she had eaten two protein bars. Her clothes weren’t really appropriate for the weather, but her uncle’s clothes still hung in the bedroom closet and she’d layered one of his oversized flannel shirts beneath her coat. She’d even found an old pair of hiking boots that she must have left the last summer she was here. Now to tackle the wood.

Her uncle’s ax was easy enough to find, the edge still sharp. She chose the smallest log she could find and carried it over to the stump he used to chop wood. She had watched him do this often enough—how hard could it be?

Much, much harder than she anticipated. Within half an hour her arms were aching, she was developing a blister on her palm, and she was sweating enough that she had to take off her coat. All she had to show for her efforts was a small armful of split wood. No more blazing fires, she told herself. Maybe no more fires in the fireplace at all. The wood stove was a more efficient source of heat, and instead of trying to keep the entire cabin warm, she could push the chair down next to the stove.

She took her pitiful armful of wood inside, then started inventorying the contents of her uncle’s larder. Fortunately, it was as well stocked as she remembered. Between that and her groceries, she could definitely survive for two weeks. But she did need to get the rest of her belongings from the car. She sighed, wrapped up again, and set off down the track. The sun was still shining, the sky overhead a brilliant blue, but the woods were eerily silent, only the occasional soft plop of snow falling from a branch to disturb the quiet. Once again, she felt as if she were being watched, but it was easier to be brave during the daylight.

The distance to the car seemed much shorter this morning, and she sighed with relief when it came into view, then came to an abrupt halt. She had slid into the trees on the right side of the track, and now the car was sitting in the middle of the road instead. How had it gotten there? The snow must have shifted, she finally decided. She didn’t remember putting on the parking brake. Maybe it had just drifted back across the road.

She wasn’t entirely satisfied with that explanation, but she couldn’t think of any other reason for it to have ended up where it was. And really it would be better this way. If she had to get it towed out, it would be much easier for the tow truck to maneuver.

Running her hand over the hood, sparkling merrily in the sunlight, she decided it didn’t look quite as bad this morning. She climbed into the driver’s seat and optimistically turned the key.

Click. Click. Click.

Damn. She’d really been hoping that it had magically repaired itself overnight. She sighed and got back out, making sure to put the brakes on this time, then retrieved the rest of the groceries from the backseat. She tried to pick up the Christmas box as well, but it was too unwieldy to carry along with the groceries. She would have to make another trip.

Returning to the cabin, she unloaded everything and decided to try cooking something. The easiest thing she could find was a can of soup, but even that didn’t turn out quite right. She’d never been much of a cook, and she wasn’t looking forward to eating her own cooking for the next two weeks.

The rest of the day was spent chopping wood, or rather trying to chop wood. She found some gloves that helped to protect her hands even though they were far too large. Her technique did improve a little with practice, but it was still a long, tedious process with not much to show for it at the end. As she carried the last load back to the cabin, once again hot and sweaty, she remembered that her uncle used to say that chopping wood would warm you twice—once when you chopped it and again when you burned it. She hadn’t realized until today just how literally he’d meant that.

She finally decided she had enough now to make it through the night. The thought of repeating the process the next day and the next, horrified her, but it wasn’t as if she had a choice. The woodstove managed to keep the cabin at a reasonable temperature, and she knew she should count her blessings. If only a bath was one of those blessings. By some miracle the pipes hadn’t frozen and she had running water. But without the power, the hot water heater didn’t work.

While she could heat water on the stove and carry it back to the tub, the bathroom was much colder than the front of the cabin. By the time she managed to get enough water into the tub to bathe, she suspected that it would be lukewarm at best.

She decided to wash down in front of the stove where she could mix simmering water with a bucket full of cold water from the tap. After placing a towel on the floor, she stripped off her clothes. The plan worked better than she’d hoped, the warm washcloth washing away the effort of the past two days. She even managed to wash her hair using a combination of the bowl and another pitcher of water for rinsing.

Once she was clean, she pulled on her comfy sweats and curled up in the chair she’d dragged next to the wood stove. She picked up a book, but she barely made it through a chapter before falling asleep.

She didn’t sleep as well as she’d slept the previous night. Her body was stiff from the unfamiliar exercise, and the cramped position in the chair. She had strange dreams of her car flying away from her as she chased after it, alternating with her upstairs neighbor banging on the floor.

Once again, she woke at dawn, cold and stiff, and this time the rosy glow of sunrise above the mountains didn’t lift her spirits. She had a hard day of drudgery ahead of her—and it would continue for the foreseeable future.

She made coffee and nibbled unenthusiastically on a protein bar before sighing and changing back into her working clothes. She stepped out onto the front porch—and the entire end of the porch was stacked with neatly split firewood. There was enough there to last her for days, even if she started using the fireplace again.

How was that possible? Did her uncle have a neighbor after all—someone who was nice enough to help her without asking? But why wouldn’t they have come up to the cabin? And how could they have done it so quickly and quietly without her knowing?

She put her hands on the railing, scanning the woods again for any hint of movement. She had that feeling again—that there was someone watching—but she still couldn’t see anything except the sparkle of sunlight under the trees. It was odd that someone would have done this, but it was such a nice gesture that she felt more relieved than alarmed.

“Thank you,” she called out to the silent woods. “I really appreciate the wood.”

She felt like an idiot speaking to the emptiness, and yet she was still convinced that someone was out there. She waited, hoping for a response, but the woods remained silent and finally she grabbed up an armful of wood and headed back inside.

With enough wood to keep a fire in the fireplace as well, the cabin felt significantly more comfortable. And without having to worry about chopping wood, she had more time on her hands. Maybe I can make some bread, she thought optimistically. She found a cookbook tucked away on a shelf in the larder—an old one with a red and white checkered cover and bits of paper covered with scrawled notes tucked into it.

She immediately recognized her uncle’s handwriting and a lump filled her throat. Sitting down at the table, she pored over his notes. The brief, sometimes cryptic instructions reminded her of him. Then she ran across one that said Holly’s favorites, and she realized it was for the cookies he made her every summer. Just those two words, nothing else, and yet she felt as if he were in the room with her.

“Thank you for those summers,” she whispered into the quiet cabin.

She found a recipe that promised to be the easiest bread recipe ever and did her best to follow it. After setting the lumpy white mass aside to—hopefully—rise, she decided it was time to embark on her decorating project. She wasn’t really looking forward to the trek back to the car, nor carrying the bulky box back, but a little holiday spirit wouldn’t go amiss. She put on her outdoor clothes and opened the front door—and found the box of Christmas decorations sitting on the front porch.

CHAPTER SIX

Sinta waited expectantly as the female saw his latest offering. He still wasn’t sure as to the purpose of the brightly colored objects, but he had seen her try and pick it up on her earlier trip to the vehicle so it was obviously important to her. His survival form had been appalled at the idea that she would have to struggle to carry it herself. Since it would be a simple matter for him to carry, he decided it was logical to save her the trip. He had soothed his conscience by convincing himself that keeping her at the cabin would be the best way to prevent any chance of her discovering him.

A chance that was growing ever more likely, he sighed, as he took a half-step towards the cabin before he brought himself under control. The previous day had been an exercise in frustration. His survival form had been outraged at the site of the small female struggling to secure fuel. He had been equally upset, but far more conscious of his need to remain hidden. The struggle had led to a long and exhausting day, and his willpower had eventually weakened. Weakened enough to give into his instincts and draw closer to the cabin after nightfall. Close enough to watch as she removed her clothing and bathed in front of the stove.

He had never seen a more delightful female. Female Kringlar tended to be tall and lean, their bodies a reminder of their ancient struggle to survive, just as his body retained the strength of his ancestors. This female was not tall, and she was not lean. Every part of her was curved, from round hips to the gentle swell of her stomach to the lush mounds of her breasts. Even her arms and legs were softly curved. He had drawn even closer—too close—watching in awe.

Her skin was pale, almost as pale as his own, but it was accented by contrasting colors—the rosy red of her lips and those tempting nipples, and the darkness of the hair that curled around her shoulders and shielded her feminine parts. The combination was undeniably attractive, and he found himself watching as eagerly as he had watched his first scientific debate. His prak throbbed and stiffened, and he barely managed to remain silent. His survival form wanted to break the glass separating them, lift her into his arms, and carry her away to his den.

His den? He didn’t have a den. All he had was a broken spaceship—which she must never be allowed to see.

The thought did not trouble him, since this place was far better for her than the ship. But of course that didn’t mean he couldn’t make improvements. His survival form had agreed, and once she had regretfully covered her delightful body and fallen asleep in her chair, he had set to work. The sheer physical effort of preparing the wood was most satisfactory, and he enjoyed both the process and the result, knowing that he was providing his female with warmth. His female?

Mine.

No. Absolutely not. But as much as he tried to deny it, he could feel the pull just as strongly. His people had once been subject to intense mating frenzies, but he thought they had long since been suppressed. Apparently, the length of time he was spending in his survival form was reawakening that urge. I should stay away, he told himself, but he didn’t leave.

The risk of remaining proved worthwhile when he saw the delight on her face at the wood and heard the gratitude in her voice when she called her thanks. He hadn’t intended to reveal himself, but he’d had to fight the instinct to step forward. It was just as hard this time as he waited expectantly for her gratitude at the box from her vehicle.

Instead, she frowned down at it for a long period of time. Was she offended that he thought her weak, that he had doubted her strength? Did she take pride in her independence the same way as a Kringlar female? His survival form had no doubt that they had done the right thing, but his logical side was still trying to decide, trying to analyze her reaction, when she finally sighed and looked out into the woods. He felt as if her eyes were looking directly at him.

“Thank you again,” she called. “But please don’t go into my car without asking.”

Ah. She saw his offering as an invasion of her privacy and he was immediately beset with shame. She was quite correct. A Kringlar would never intrude on another Kringlar’s personal space without an invitation. He should have realized that her vehicle was an extension of that.

Explain.

He couldn’t explain without revealing himself, and that he could not do.

“If you’re still out there, why don’t you come and say hi? I promise I don’t bite.”

As if those blunt teeth would present a threat… The thought of that rosy mouth against his skin caused an entirely different reaction, but he forced himself to remain still even as she sighed, then struggled to bring the large box inside her cabin.

Help her.

If she had considered entering her car to be an infringement on her personal space, he suspected she would be even more protective of her dwelling. He would not pursue her into the building. But despite her caution, she seemed pleased with his gift. Her response fulfilled something inside him that he hadn’t even been aware of prior to this trip. He began thinking about other ways in which he might please her. She had heat, and she had her odd collection of materials. She even had food.

His survival form gave a muffled grunt, and he had to acknowledge that he had not been impressed by her supplies either.

Hunt for her.

He found he did not dislike the idea. It would give him a chance to run and work out some of the energy thrumming through his system. The option seemed far more preferable than returning to his ship and watching the ELVs work on the repairs. Instead, he set off into the woods.

This time, he was successful in obtaining a small, porcine animal that the humans called a boar. He started to leave the entire kill for her, then decided that based on her obvious inexperience she might not know how to butcher it. He skinned and gutted the carcass, then placed it on the porch before retreating, already anticipating her delight.

Once again, her reaction was not what he expected. The next time she stepped out of the cabin, she didn’t even look down at first, scanning the woods instead. His survival form purred, knowing she was looking for him. But then she saw his gift.

Her mouth opened, and she screamed, a piercing noise that echoed through the clearing. She scrambled away from the carcass but tripped over her feet and fell. He watched in horror as her arms flailed, seeking balance, and then she was falling. He raced towards her, both sides intent on protecting her from harm, but he was too late. Her head cracked against one of the porch posts, and she fell to the ground, her small body limp and still in the thick blanket of snow.

He snatched her up in his arms, praying that she still lived. Growling impatiently, he ripped her clothing out of the way until he could press his hand against her heart. To his relief, it still beat with a slow, steady rhythm. Thank Napisten.

As relief washed over him, he became aware of the soft skin beneath his hand, the generous curve of her breast filling his palm. His survival form purred approvingly, but he quickly pulled his hand away and tried—not very successfully—to rearrange her torn clothing. She needed to be in a more protected environment, but if she didn’t even want him in her vehicle without permission, she certainly wouldn’t want him in her dwelling. He was still debating the ethics of the situation when he realized that he was carrying her up the steps.

Needs warmth.

Apparently, his survival form wasn’t troubled by the same consideration, and it was somewhat of a relief to just accept the decision and carry her inside. He laid her carefully on the couch next to the fireplace, then tried to decide what to do. He had a medical scanner on the ship—if it was working—but he didn’t want to leave her alone while he retrieved it. Her breathing was still regular, and when he checked her pulse, remembering to use her wrist this time, it remained steady as well.

Heal wound.

He moved her hair aside to reveal the small gash and was about to start licking the wound when his scientific side reasserted itself. Water and soap would be more sanitary. His survival form grumbled, but he went to retrieve water from the primitive sink. The water temperature was icy enough that even he noticed the temperature and frowned. He remembered that she had heated water on the stove the previous night, but it had only been a small quantity. This planet did have access to more advanced technology, and he wondered why she wasn’t using it.

After he bathed the wound, he went to find the supply of heated water. Ah. It was powered, or in this case not powered, by the same energy source as the other technology. But heating water was a relatively simple technology. He hesitated for a second, then shrugged and sprinkled some nanites across the device. He wasn’t sure if it would work, but it wouldn’t hurt to try.

He returned to his female to find her tossing restlessly on the couch, her eyes still closed. Afraid she would fall, he picked her up in his arms. To his relief she stilled, snuggling against his chest. His survival form purred.

Safe.

Yes, she was safe in his arms. He knew he should leave, but how could he leave her alone and unprotected when she was injured? Deciding to worry about the consequences of his actions later, he settled down on the couch with her in his arms. He could hardly wait to see her reaction when she opened her eyes and found him looking after her.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Holly woke to find herself wrapped in a warm, furry blanket that smelled like gingerbread. Mmm. She started to snuggle deeper into it, but as soon as she moved her head began to pound. She started to lift her hand to the throbbing ache, and her blanket tightened around her. Her eyes flew open and she screamed. She had a brief glimpse of long white fur and intense black eyes. The abominable snowman was holding her!

“Let me go!”

She started to struggle wildly and the grip immediately loosened, but as she tried to get away, her foot hit the floor and pain radiated up from her ankle. She cried out, and those massive arms closed around her again, placing her on the couch and then quickly stepping back. She scrambled back into the corner of the couch, searching desperately for some kind of weapon.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?”

“You were injured.”

She jumped at his response—she hadn’t actually expected him to talk—but the deep voice was oddly soothing as he responded calmly to her question.

“I was only injured because someone left a dead thing on my porch and—oh my God. It was you, wasn’t it? You’re the one who’s been watching me?”

He hesitated, and for the first time he looked down, studying his hands. And they were hands, she realized. Huge and covered with white fur, but definitely hands rather than paws. The rest of his body was human-shaped as well—a very large human shape—beneath the long white fur that cloaked most of his body.

“I was trying to assist you.” His voice was even deeper now.

“By putting something dead on my porch? That’s like serial killer weirdness.”

But despite her retort, her panic had begun to subside. True, he was enormous and covered in fur—and was that a tail—but he was carrying on an intelligent conversation and showed no inclination to harm her.

“I wished to provide you with food,” he said stiffly.

“I have food.”

He finally looked up, his eyes meeting hers. They were blue now, an intense, inhuman blue, but she was sure they had been black a moment ago.

“What happened to your eyes?”

“My survival form responds to danger.”

“Your survival form? Danger? Wait a minute—you don’t mean that you thought that I was dangerous?”

“Your voice was very loud,” he said solemnly.

The heat started to rise to her cheeks, and she scowled at him.

“You’d scream too if you woke up in the arms of a… What are you, anyway?” He couldn’t really be the abominable snowman, could he? Maybe he was a white version of Bigfoot? She’d always thought the rumors were ridiculous, but she had to admit the story had been around for a long time. “Are you Bigfoot? Or a Bigfoot?”

He looked down at his feet.

“My feet are quite large, but they are in proportion with the rest of my body.”

Susie loved to joke about how the size of a man’s feet indicated the size of his cock, and she couldn’t help it. Her eyes dropped to his hips, but he had fur there as well and she couldn’t see anything.

Get your mind out of the gutter, she scolded herself. You have more important things to worry about.

“I wasn’t talking about the actual size of your feet. We just have legends about creatures who live in the woods. We call them Bigfoot.”

He tilted his head to one side and she had the oddest impression that he was making note of that information.

“I see.” He hesitated. “Perhaps that is the simplest answer.”

“You do realize that doesn’t sound the least bit convincing.”

He didn’t respond, but it didn’t seem like he was going to eat her so she put her feet on the ground and tried to stand up. The pain radiated up her leg again, and she winced.

“Stop doing that,” he growled. “You will injure yourself.”

“I’m already injured. No thanks to you.”

He ducked his head again. “Perhaps it was not an appropriate gift.”

“You think?”

“But humans require protein,” he continued. “The processed items that you brought with you are not optimal for health.”

“I don’t care. It’s the holidays and I like them.”

“Holidays?”

“To celebrate the end of the year. You mean there aren’t any holidays for Bigfoot? Or would it be Bigfeet?”

“You may call me Sinta. Many species celebrate the turning of the year, but we do not.”

Species? It seemed like an odd turn of phrase, but she let it go.

“My name is Holly—my mom loves the holidays as well. We celebrate Christmas and New Year’s and sometimes the winter solstice. That’s what those decorations are for.” She pointed at the box next to the door and gave him a curious look. “Didn’t you wonder what they were?”

“Of course.”

“Then why did you bring them to the cabin if you didn’t even know what they were for?”

“Because you appeared to want them and the box would be difficult for you to carry.”

That was both creepy and kind of sweet. She sighed.

“I knew someone was watching me. I guess now I know why I couldn’t see you—you blend in with the scenery.”

Now that her heart wasn’t beating so wildly, she took a good look at him. He had a mane of white hair surrounding a face that was almost but not quite human. He had broad cheekbones, a short nose, and a wide mouth with very obvious fangs, while a heavy brow framed those startlingly blue eyes. Long white fur covered his shoulders and ran down his arms, but it was finer across his chest, short enough to reveal very impressive pectorals and the ripples of his abdominal muscles before thickening again around his hips and legs.

A long tail with a furry tip flicked back and forth behind him. He had a belt around his hips, she realized, almost the same color as his fur, with a knife on one side and some type of pouch hanging from the other. Those indications of civilization fit with his educated way of speaking—but how? Was there some sort of secret Bigfoot school?

“Are there more of you?”

Once again, he hesitated, and she had the impression he was considering his words carefully.

“Yes,” he said at last. “But nowhere nearby.”

She nodded. “I don’t suppose you have a car?”

“I am afraid not.”

She sighed. “Which means you don’t know anything about fixing cars either. So I guess I’m still stuck here until someone comes looking for me.”

“Do you require medical assistance? The wound on your head is no longer bleeding, and I do not believe it will leave a mark.”

She tentatively touched her scalp and winced. It was tender to the touch, but she certainly didn’t think it was life-threatening. Her ankle was throbbing steadily, but since she still had her boots on, she couldn’t see how badly it was hurt. She bent over to reach for the zipper and her head immediately protested. She bit her lip, then looked back up at Sinta. Her fear of him had disappeared with surprising speed, and in any case, beggars couldn’t be choosers.

“Do you think you could help me get my boot off so I can see how badly it’s hurt?”

“Of course.”

He immediately knelt in front of her, crossing the two steps to her side with shocking speed. No wonder no one had been able to get pictures of them on camera. Even kneeling, his head was on a level with hers, his shoulders broad enough to block out the rest of the room, and she shivered, her stomach fluttering. What if she was wrong about him? But then his hands closed around her calf with exquisite gentleness as he lifted her leg onto his knee.

He touched the zipper and she flinched. He shot her a worried look.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes.” She clenched her fist on the arm of the couch. “I know it’s going to hurt. But it has to come off.”

“There is another way. It will be faster and less painful.” His voice had deepened again and his eyes were darkening. “Do not be afraid.”

Supporting her ankle with one hand, he raised his other hand and she watched in horror as long, dark claws appeared at his fingertips. Oh my God.

“What are those for?” Her voice was shaking so much she could barely understand herself.

“Be at ease, little female. I will not hurt you.”

He ran a claw down the side of her boot, slicing through the thick leather with horrifying ease, and she braced herself, expecting to feel those terrible claws against her skin. But they never touched her. Another few quick slashes and the boot fell away from her foot, her ankle immediately beginning to swell, and she groaned.

“Damn, that hurts.”

“If you will permit me…” He gently rotated her ankle and wiggled her toes. “I believe it is only sprained.”

“Now you’re a doctor too?” she snapped, then immediately felt ashamed of herself. “I’m sorry. It’s just been a rough couple of days and it really hurts.”

To her horror, her voice was starting to tremble by the time she got to the last words, and tears began slipping down her cheeks.

He gave that weird growl again, then picked her up and sat back down with her on his lap. He moved her so quickly and gently that he didn’t even jar her ankle.

“What… what are you doing?”

“Comforting you. You are in distress, and I am at least partially responsible.”

I should make him put me down.

But she couldn’t bring herself to say the words. He was big and strong and warm, his fur velvety against her cheek, and it was awfully comforting to be held, even by a Bigfoot, after the events of the past few days. She sighed, and let herself relax against him.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Sinta’s survival form purred with satisfaction as the small female relaxed against him. His scientific side was equally gratified. He had never thought to find himself in the position of comforting a female in this way, but he found it surprisingly fulfilling. Fulfilling and arousing, he realized as the soft flesh nestled against him caused his prak to swell in its sheath. He prayed that she wouldn’t notice, and as soon as her tears stopped flowing, he reluctantly stood and put her back down alone on the couch.

“I will fetch snow to pack around your ankle and help reduce the swelling.”

“You’re acting like a doctor again. What do they teach you in that Bigfoot school?”

“We are called Kringlar, not Bigfoot.”

Revealing the true name of his species was a minor risk, but the name of his people would not mean anything to her. He had reviewed the data while he held her, and he found the idea that she thought of him as an even more primitive species than humans mildly insulting.

“I am not a doctor, but I have studied human anatomy,” he continued.

“Really? Why is that?”

He chose to ignore the question. “Enough to know that a cold compress will help with the swelling.”

“Oh, all right.”

Their first encounter had gone better than he expected, Sinta decided as he took one of her containers and hurried outside to collect some snow. Despite her initial fright, she had accepted him with surprising speed.

Mate, his survival form purred.

No. She couldn’t possibly be his mate. The very term was outmoded, belonging to a distant past that no longer existed. It was just these conditions that had him thinking in such terms. The fact that she thought of him as being from a primitive—and undoubtedly theoretical—species was convenient, if slightly annoying. It was certainly better than the alternative, and when he left, she would have an explanation for his presence.

Not leave her.

Of course he had to leave her, despite his instinctive rejection of the idea. He would have to return and analyze his data, not to mention providing reports back to the Imperial advisor. He forced himself to unclench his fists and concentrate on his task.

He returned to find her in the same place he had left her, staring at him with wide eyes.

“I was already beginning to think I’d imagined you,” she said softly.

“Perhaps it would be best if you treated this encounter that way,” he said despite his instinctive protest, and she gave him a curiously appraising look.

“You mean because no one would believe me?”

“That is correct.”

“I could take pictures of you.”

“Could you?” he asked as he returned to her side with the bowl of snow and one of the kitchen cloths.

“Probably not if you didn’t want to let me.” She winced as he applied the cold compress, and he had to remind himself it was for her wellbeing. “I don’t suppose you want to let me?”

“That would be most inadvisable…” His words trailed off as he realized she was smiling despite her pale face. “You are teasing me.”

“Maybe a little. Did my uncle know about you?”

“No. I have not been in this area for long.”

“Do you usually stay away from humans? Why didn’t you leave when I showed up?”

“I was…” Fascinated, enthralled, captivated. “Interested.”

“Is that why you were playing Secret Santa?”

“I do not understand.”

“Santa is the legendary person who flies around the world giving gifts to children one night each year.”

“I cannot fly. And you are not a child.”

His eyes went to the lush swell of her breasts, a sliver of pale skin visible through her torn garment. The delightful pink color washed over her face and she pulled her shirt together.

“Why is my shirt torn?”

“You were unresponsive. I checked your heart to make sure that you were still alive.”

“I’m pretty sure there were other places you could have checked,” she said dryly.

“It was… expedient.”

He chose not to explain that he’d been too panicked by her collapse to consider alternatives.

“And you ripped my bra as well.”

“Your bra?”

“An undergarment. To support my breasts.”

“They do not need support,” he said firmly, his eyes drawn back to those tempting mounds.

“I disagree, but thank you. I think. Don’t your Kringlar women have breasts?”

“Their physical forms are tall and lean. Their breasts are… smaller.” They had certainly never attracted his attention.

“Of course they are,” she sighed. “Even Bigfoot have supermodels.”

“Kringlar,” he corrected again. “And I find your body delightful.”

“Oh.”

The tempting pink spread from her face to her chest, and he found himself wondering if it now covered those lush breasts. Silence fell, something quivering in the air between them and he had taken two steps towards the couch before he wrested control back from his survival form.

“Umm, what now?” she asked softly. “I suppose you have to get back to the woods.”

She wasn’t looking at him, but down at her lap, dark lashes hiding her eyes.

He should leave. She was safe inside once more, and he should return to his ship. Instead, he heard himself saying, “I will prepare sustenance for you.”

“Sustenance? You mean that dead animal?” She shuddered. “What was it anyway?”

“A member of the Suidae family. I believe you call it a boar. It is quite fresh,” he assured her. “I hunted for it myself and the carcass has been cleaned.”

“My uncle used to hunt those too,” she admitted. “He used to roast them.” She gave him a doubtful look. “Do you cook your meals?”

Sometimes. He hadn’t bothered since his ship crashed because his survival form was quite capable of handling raw meat, but when he had time, he quite enjoyed cooking.

“I am an excellent cook.”

“I guess it might be nice to have a hot meal that didn’t come out of a can. But you don’t have to stay.”

“I will stay.”

Even though he was sure it was a bad idea, the smile she gave him filled him with satisfaction.

“Thank you. And I can help—”

She started to stand up, then sank back onto the couch with a pained moan.

“Ouch. I guess the snow only helps so much.”

“Then you will remain there,” he said firmly.

He carefully placed a pillow beneath her leg, then handed her the blanket and the book she had been using the day before.

“Now how did you know I wanted these? You really have been watching me the whole time, haven’t you?” Her eyes suddenly widened. “Does that mean you were watching when I washed myself?”

He did not want to lie to her, but he suspected she would not appreciate his answer. Before he could decide what to say she scowled at him, apparently interpreting his silence correctly.

“I can’t believe you did that, you peeping Bigfoot, you.”

“You did not cover your windows.”

“Because there aren’t any curtains. And I didn’t think there was anybody out there in the woods. You can’t just go looking through people’s windows.”

“I have never had the desire to look through a window before. Nor have I ever seen such a delightful view.”

“Flattery is not going to get you out of this. If you’re going to be around humans you have to act more like a human.”

“You mean a human male would not have looked?”

“No! Well, yes, maybe.” She sighed, and her anger seemed to diminish. “Just don’t do it again, okay?”

“I understand. It is a private thing. Like your vehicle is private. And this dwelling.”

“Exactly.”

And yet here he was, inside her private dwelling. The thought made him smile as he moved over to the kitchen area.

The short winter afternoon passed quickly, and he found himself purring as he moved around the kitchen. Although he enjoyed cooking, his previous efforts had simply been for his own enjoyment. He hadn’t realized that it would be vastly more satisfying to provide for his female. Not my female, he reminded himself, but he was well aware that his survival form paid no attention.

She remained on the couch. She appeared to be reading, but although the book remained on her lap, he was frequently conscious of her eyes following him as he processed the carcass and put some of the meat aside for future meals. He replaced the snow compress several times, but he could tell that her ankle was still paining her. After considering the matter, he brought her a glass of the wine she had been drinking the previous night.

She looked at it and then up at him, and sighed.

“I guess I don’t need to ask how you know that I like this.”

“It should help ease the pain.”

“Not as much as that spiced rum,” she muttered.

“There is something else you wish?”

She shook her head. “No, this is fine. It’s probably better to keep my wits about me anyway.”

“Where else would they be?”

She laughed, a surprisingly infectious sound. “Firmly with me. Don’t worry, it’s just an expression. Whatever you’re making smells really good.”

“It will be ready shortly. I will bring it to you.”

“I think I’d rather hop over to the table. Can you help me stand up?”

Instead, he reached down and lifted her up into his arms. She nestled against his body as perfectly as she had before and his arms tightened instinctively.

Mine.

She gave him a startled look but didn’t immediately pull away.

“I really just needed you to help me stand.”

“I will carry you to the table.”

“I, uh, wasn’t going straight to the table.”

“Then I will carry you to your other destination.”

She rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to. I just need to go to the bathroom.”

He nodded and headed for the back of the cabin.

“Really, you don’t need to… Oh, fine. Go ahead.”

The first door he opened revealed a small room with a very large bed. Perhaps even large enough for both of them. The thought sprang unbidden into his mind, but once it was there, he couldn’t erase it. Would there be anything more delightful than laying her back against those pillows and exploring every inch of her luscious little body? His prak pushed free of his sheath, and he could actually feel his fangs lengthening as he stared at the bed.

“Uh, this isn’t the bathroom,” Holly whispered.

When he tore his gaze away from the bed and looked down at her face, her cheeks were pink again, but her scent had changed, somehow richer and sweeter.

She is aroused.

His survival form purred with satisfaction again. Were his instincts correct? Did she desire him, even in this form? Forcing himself to put the question aside to consider later, he tried the second door and found the small sanitary facility. Primitive, as he had expected, but adequate.

“Do you wish me to help you remove your clothing?”

“No, I do not. Just put me down.”

“But—”

“I can hang onto the sink. Now put me down. Please.”

He didn’t like it, but he obeyed, doing his best to keep his body turned away so as not to reveal his arousal. She clutched at the sink, her expression pained, but she was steady enough. And when she waved him away, he reluctantly obeyed.

“You will call for me when you’re through,” he ordered.

“All right, all right. Now go on.”

He closed the door behind them, then began the slow and painful process of forcing his prak back into its sheath.

CHAPTER NINE

“Thank you,” Holly whispered as Sinta set her down in the chair by the table.

He didn’t immediately release her, and she wasn’t entirely sure that she wanted him to. Something had changed between them in that frozen moment when they’d both stared at the big bed. She had been quite sure he was envisioning the two of them there together—and she didn’t hate the idea. In fact, the thought of that soft fur rubbing against her naked body created an unexpected pang of arousal.

I must be crazy, she told herself, but she still felt strangely regretful when he released her and stood. He moved one of the other chairs in front of her and carefully lifted her leg onto the cushion. She took in a deep breath of his spicey gingerbread scent and firmly resisted the impulse to stroke her hand through the white mane curling around his head.

Why on earth was she responding to him this way? Admittedly it had been a long time since she and Grant had been intimate. They’d both been busy, and even when they did find the time to spend the occasional night together, one or the other of them was usually too tired to fool around. That should have been a sign right there, she thought. She didn’t know—or want to know—the details of her parents’ sex life, but she’d walked in on them kissing enough times to see the affection between them. She’d been lucky if she received an absentminded kiss on her cheek as Grant left her. And I wasn’t any better. She’d been perfectly happy to curl up with Netflix and a glass of wine.

“Is something wrong?” Sinta asked.

“Just thinking.”

“Of anyone in particular? I mean, anything,” he added hastily, but she saw his hand clench on the back of the chair.

“There’s no one,” she said firmly. “Is there… is there someone who you are missing?”

He tilted his head, as if her question had taken them off guard, then shook it slowly.

“No. Some colleagues, perhaps, but no one that I am close to.”

“Colleagues? Do you have a Bigfoot workgroup?”

“We are Kringlar,” he repeated as he went to the stove and prepared a plate for her. “And yes. We usually work alone, but we do work together for larger projects.”

“What kind of projects?”

With his depth of knowledge and somewhat formal way of speaking, she could easily envision him engaging in some intellectual pursuit, but that certainly didn’t jibe with the usual legends about the elusive Bigfoot living wild in the woods.

“We work to advance our knowledge.”

Once again, she suspected that he was choosing his words carefully, but before she could ask any more questions, he put the plate in front of her and the smell of roast pork wafted over her.

“That smells amazing.”

“I followed a handwritten recipe in the cooking manual.”

“It was probably Uncle Ted’s,” she said absently as she took a bite and moaned with pleasure. “Although this is even better than I remember.”

“Then I am pleased.”

She took two more bites before she thought about what he’d said.

“So you can read and write English?” she asked casually.

“Yes. And several other languages.” He took a thoughtful bite of his own meal and nodded. “This is most pleasant.”

If she could have stood on her own, she would have climbed to her feet, but she settled for slamming her hands down on the table.

“All right. That’s enough of the bullshit. You tell me what’s going on, right now. I don’t for one second believe that you’re Bigfoot.”

He had the nerve to look surprised. “I told you that I was not. My people are called Kringlar.”

“You did tell me that,” she agreed. “But you didn’t tell me where those people live. Or why no one has ever discovered you before. And don’t tell me you live in the mountains, because you didn’t learn to read and write several languages, let alone study human anatomy, hidden away in some cave in the mountains.”

“You are correct,” he said finally. “I do not usually live in a cave in the mountains. Although my ancestors did.”

“I’m not interested in your ancestors. Unless you’re trying to tell me you’re a time traveling caveman. That’s not it, is it?”

“I did not travel through time.”

Her stomach suddenly dropped as another possibility occurred to her.

“What about space? Are you from another planet?”

His eyes turned black for a brief second before he dropped his gaze to her plate.

“If I tell you, will you resume your meal? You will not recover your health if you do not eat properly.”

“You’re going to tell me you’re an alien and then expect me to eat?”

“My origins do not change the needs of your body,” he said firmly.

She blushed, suddenly reminded of her body’s other needs, but she picked up her fork anyway.

“All right, I’m eating. Talk.”

“I cannot tell you very much.” He gave her a thoughtful look, then lifted a big shoulder. “I should not tell you anything, but I see no real harm. I doubt that anyone would believe you.”

She snorted. “You got that right, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t want to know.”

“I can tell you this much. I am what you would call a scientist, and I was sent here to investigate humans.”

“Why? Oh my God, you’re not about to invade us, are you?”

He shook his head and sighed. “Your popular entertainment is far too fond of that theme. I am merely… documenting the state of your civilization.”

She couldn’t help it—she snorted again.

“How’s that going?”

“I do not know. I have only just arrived.”

“So why have you been hanging around in the woods watching me instead of starting your observations?”

“I am experiencing some… communication difficulties, and while they are being repaired I am free to pursue my own interests.”

The heat in his eyes left no doubt as to that she was the subject of that interest, and she felt suddenly breathless, her nipples tingling beneath her shirt. Was it better to be ridiculously attracted to an alien instead of Bigfoot? The absurdity of the thought made her want to giggle.

“So you’re not here to prepare for an invasion and you don’t mean any harm. Is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“How long will you be here?”

He hesitated again. “I will be leaving the surface as soon as the ship is repaired.”

“How long will that take?”

“I am not entirely sure. A week, perhaps two.”

Why did that give her a weirdly desolate feeling? Refusing to let it show, she forced a smile to her face.

“Then I guess we can be shipwrecked buddies, or in my case, car-wrecked. Unless a tow truck shows up or the telephone line starts working, I’m probably going to be here for two weeks as well. But my parents and my best friend know that I’m here,” she added hastily. “So don’t get any funny ideas.”

“What kind of ideas do you find humorous?”

She laughed. “The kind that has me is the subject of one of your experiments.”

“I do not find that humorous. I find it most appealing,” he murmured as he rose and gathered up their empty plates.

Her nipples tingled again, tightening into firm little peaks. She had removed her damaged bra while she was in the bathroom, and when he picked her up to carry her into the living room, the pressure of his firm chest against the tight buds sent another wave of arousal washing over her. His step faltered for a moment before he continued into the living room and put her back down on the couch. Had he been able to tell? She knew her cheeks were burning as she clutched at the quilt, refusing to look at him.

“Are you leaving now that I have been fed and watered?”

“No.”

The word came out as more of a growl than a denial. Startled, she looked up and saw that his eyes had turned black again.

“You still require assistance. I will stay until you are capable of independent movement.”

He had resumed his more formal way of speaking, but an echo of the growl remained beneath the words.

I should probably tell him to leave. Instead, she shrugged and nodded.

“I’m sure I would be fine on my own, but I guess it’s okay if you stay. You can even sleep in the bedroom if you want. I don’t think I’m going much farther than this couch.”

“Why did you not sleep there before?”

“It’s too cold without a fire going in this fireplace all the time, and I wasn’t sure how fast I would go through the wood.” She smiled at him. “But you helped out a lot with that.”

“You will have plenty of fuel,” he promised her. “Do you wish to retire for the evening?”

“Not really. It’s not very late.”

“Then tell me about yourself.”

“For your studies?”

“Just for myself.”

He seemed both sincere and slightly uncertain, still standing in the center of the room, and she pointed at the other end of the couch.

“Why don’t you sit there? I can use your leg as a pillow to raise my ankle.”

He didn’t hesitate, sitting down and raising her ankle onto his muscular thigh. Despite the exquisite gentleness with which he touched her, she was fully aware of the strength in those big hands. The knowledge didn’t worry her. In fact, it only added to her lingering arousal—as did the firmly muscled thigh beneath her foot.

She smiled at him. “So what do you want to know?”

CHAPTER TEN

Holly raised her eyebrow expectantly at Sinta, anticipating he would start questioning her about human technology. Instead, he only looked thoughtful.

“I am interested in anything you care to tell me. How was your childhood?”

“You really do want to know everything,” she laughed. “But all right. I had a very happy childhood. My dad was in the military when I was younger, and we moved around a lot. I don’t even remember all the places we lived. I just have these little flashes of memory from different places—like seeing the ocean for the first time or the swing set behind one of our houses. Then when I was in second grade, he retired and started his own business. We settled down about four hours away from here, and I would spend several weeks visiting my uncle every summer.”

Looking around the cabin, she sighed.

“But I came less and less frequently as I got older and I never came to stay after I started college. I really regret that now.”

“The past cannot be changed—it is better to focus on the times you did have together rather than the ones you missed.”

“Are there things you missed?”

“Perhaps.” He began gently massaging the calf of her wounded leg, and she almost groaned with pleasure. He didn’t even seem to realize he was doing it, staring off into space. “I began my path of study at a very early age. It was considered a great honor, but I have missed some less… disciplined activities.”

“What about your parents?”

“They are gone.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. What happened to them?”

He looked puzzled, then shook his head. “I do not mean that they are deceased. They left our home world to pursue other interests.”

“They just up and left you?”

“I was a fully functional adult. And we do hold intellectual pursuits in the highest esteem.”

Her chest unexpectedly ached.

“Higher than family? Higher than… love?” she asked softly.

He hesitated, then nodded. “Yes.”

“That sounds very sad.”

“It is our way. And you chose to pursue a field of study, did you not?”

“I did, but I still keep in touch with my parents. We didn’t stop caring about each other because I went off to college.”

“What did you study?”

“Art. Can you believe it? I’m not sure how I thought I would make a living at it.” She gave him a rueful smile. “Fortunately. I got an internship at a marketing company and they offered me a full-time job after graduation.”

“Do you enjoy it? Since it was not your original goal?”

“Sometimes. Less now than I used to. I’ve been lucky enough to have been promoted several times, but now that I’m in management, I spend most of my time in meetings and putting out fires.”

“Fires?” He growled, his hand tightening around her calf. “Your job puts you in danger?”

His eyes had turned black again, she realized, and she leaned over and patted his hand.

“Not that kind of fire. I just meant that there were always emergencies—business emergencies. I spend a lot of time having meetings and talking to people and making arrangements.” She gave him a rueful smile. “And then rearranging them again. It gets tiring.”

“I am glad that you are not in danger.”

Despite his words, there was still the echo of a growl in his voice as he picked up her hand. “Your skin is very soft and smooth.”

He traced his fingers up her arm as if mesmerized. The velvety soft pads felt surprisingly erotic against her skin. She could easily imagine them caressing her once again stiff nipples. His hand suddenly froze as he lifted his head, and she saw his nostrils flare. Could he scent her arousal?

He started to lean towards her, and then his eyes flashed blue again. His hand tightened as black washed across his irises once more. She watched in fascination as his eye color changed twice more before it finally settled into blue, and he released her.

“What’s that about? Your eyes kept changing color.”

“I have different… components of my personality.”

It was another one of his evasive answers, but she decided not to press him and changed the subject.

“What did you study?”

He tilted his head for a moment. “I believe it is closest to what you would call anthropology.”

A choked giggle escaped and she shook her head. “So this trip to Earth is like a field study. Like Margaret Mead going to Samoa.”

“I do not believe I am familiar with that example.”

“She’s someone who explored the way that more primitive cultures live on Earth.”

“I see.” He nodded. “An apt analogy.”

“So I’m just a primitive test subject?”

She poked him playfully with her uninjured foot, and the black flashed in his eyes for just a second before he shook his head.

“You are much more than that. Now tell me more of these metaphorical fires.”

She started telling him about their latest catastrophe when the client had changed their mind about their marketing approach seventy-two hours before the launch of their new product. He did not always understand her terminology, especially when she used a more casual expression, but he grasped the gist of the situation with impressive speed.

They talked for several hours and he did seem truly fascinated with even the smallest details about her life. He was much more reticent about his own background, but he revealed enough to confirm her first impression. While he was successful in his chosen field, there didn’t seem to be anything—or anyone—else in his life other than a few scholarly colleagues. Did he even realize how isolated he was, she wondered as the evening wore on. Maybe not, since his people all seemed to follow the same path.

She was telling him about her brief and ill-advised venture into track and field—which had also resulted in a sprained ankle—when she started yawning. She didn’t even realize that her eyes had closed until she felt him picking her up. Her eyes fluttered open.

“What are you doing?”

“I am carrying you to the bedroom. You will be more comfortable in the bed. We have had a fire burning all day, and it should be sufficiently warm.”

She thought about arguing, she really did, but after two nights in a chair, an actual bed sounded wonderful. Her eyes closed again until he put her down and she felt the cool sheets against her back. She shivered, looking up at him. He started to pull away, and she put her hand on his arm.

“Stay with me. Keep me warm.”

There was that flash of black again, this time accompanied by something that sounded more like a purr, before he nodded.

“Very well.”

He lowered himself down next to her. She immediately turned and snuggled against the warmth of his body, her fingers tangling in his soft fur. His tail wrapped around her waist as he said something, but she was too sleepy to make out the words.

The exhaustion of the past few days caught up with her, and she slept deeply, warm and comfortable all night long. When the pale light of predawn began to creep into the room, she was still nestled against his side. Still half-asleep, she finally noticed that the broad chest beneath her hand felt different, smoother somehow.

“Sinta?” she mumbled sleepily.

The muscles beneath her hand turned to stone, and then he was gone. He moved with that lightning speed she had noticed before, but she caught a brief blurred glimpse of a big white figure with broad shoulders and a perfectly shaped ass. What the hell was going on?

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Sinta awoke to Holly’s hand on his chest, her soft little body snuggled against his side, just as it had been all night long. He felt her stroke his chest—his smooth chest—and realized two things simultaneously. His survival form had retreated, driven away by the warmth and safety of the cabin, and he had an enormous, throbbing erection, no longer even partially concealed by his fur. Panic washed over him and he fled, dashing straight through the cabin and across the meadow to the concealment of the forest.

Even in this form, his people were less susceptible to the cold, but he could feel the icy bite of the snow beneath his feet and the cold wind against his unprotected chest. Fuck. His survival form had emerged for exactly this reason—because he needed it to survive in this climate.

Not if I remain within the cabin.

No. Even if he did not have work to do, he still needed to provide for Holly. She would need firewood and food and other chores more suited to his survival form. He took a deep breath, letting the frosty cold air fill his lungs, then returned to the open expanse of the track and threw his body into the snow. The snow was so cold it burned, but he deliberately rolled back and forth, exposing himself more completely to the cold, until he felt the fur cover his skin as his survival form emerged once more.

Enraged that he had been separated from his mate, his survival form immediately headed for the cabin, but he managed to pull himself to a halt. Since he had come this far, he should check on her vehicle and the progress of the repairs, as well as making sure that nothing remained in the vehicle that she might want.

Find mate.

He soothed the need to return by assuring himself that the trip to the vehicle would be for her benefit. He chose not to think about the fact that she would undoubtedly demand an explanation for his behavior.

To his surprise, very little progress had been made. The ELVs still sparkled on the engine, but it did not respond when he tried to start it. Perhaps they do not work with Earth technology after all. Instead, he would have to procure documentation on the workings of her engine and repair it manually. He could not leave her here alone without any means of transportation.

Ignoring his instinctive growl at the thought of leaving her, he returned to the cabin, only to find her clinging to the sink in the bathroom once more.

“You should have waited for me,” he said sternly, putting his arm and tail around her waist to support her.

“I didn’t know if you were coming back.” She bit her lip, frowning up at him. “It was still you in the bed this morning, wasn’t it?”

She ran her hands down his chest, and he almost groaned with pleasure. Thank Napisten that his arousal was far less obvious in this form, still hidden within the sheath that protected it from the cold.

“I remained with you all night,” he agreed.

“But you were different this morning, weren’t you?”

This was precisely the question he had hoped to avoid. There were many tales of humans shifting form in Earth legends, but it never seemed to be a positive experience.

“It is difficult to explain.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” She sighed and turned on the water tap. “At least let me wash my face before I have to start trying to figure it out. Maybe you can put on some coffee—oh.”

“What is it?”

“The water is warm. Does that mean the power is back on? Try the light switch.”

He did as she requested, then shook his head.

“The power has not been restored.”

“I don’t understand. How can we have hot water if the power doesn’t work?”

Because the ELVs had repaired the hot water heater after all. How interesting. Why had this repair been successful, but the vehicle repair had not? He was considering the question when he realized she was still waiting for an answer.

“I had it repaired,” he said.

“Repaired? By who?” Her eyes widened. “You said you were alone.”

“I am, but I have access to certain… technologies that can be useful. I am using nanites to make repairs to my ship, so I applied some of them to the hot water heater as well.”

“And those nanites of yours made it work? Without any outside power source?”

“It appears so.”

“That’s amazing.” She started to ask another question, then shook her head. “I’m not even going to try and understand the technology involved. I will accept it as an early Christmas miracle. But what made you decide to do it?”

“You did not seem comfortable with the cold water.”

“That’s so sweet. Thank you.”

She put her arms around him and hugged him, just as she had done in the bed as they slept. He suppressed a groan at the soft press of her body against his as he drew her closer. When she looked up at him, her eyes were suspiciously bright but her smile was radiant.

“And now I think I’ll take advantage of your present and have a bath.”

“I will assist you.”

She laughed. “I don’t think two people would fit in that tub.”

He had meant with her clothing, but the image of the two of them naked in the water together created another surge of desire. He growled and tightened his grip.

“I mean I am going to take a bath by myself,” she said breathlessly, even though the sweet scent of her arousal perfumed the air.

“You still require assistance.”

He could hear the growl in his voice, but between his concern for her safety and the perfume of her arousal, there were limits to his control.

“I’ll be fine, I promise.” She gave him a shaky smile and patted his chest. “Go on now.”

He reluctantly forced himself to let her go and left the room, closing the door behind him, but he could not make himself go any farther. What if she fell? What if she needed his help? It didn’t help that he was once more enormously erect, his prak completely free of its sheath.

He put his head against the door, listening to the sound of the water filling the tub, of her body entering it, and the soft splashing as she washed herself. He took a firm grip on his prak, stroking it as he remembered the brief glimpses of her he’d seen the previous night. Would she run a wet thumb over one of those rosy nipples? Would she put her hand between her legs, to wash away her arousal—or perhaps to satisfy it?

His hand moved harder, faster—and then she screamed.

Danger!

He threw open the door, tearing it off one of the hinges in the process as he searched frantically for any sign of an intruder.

“What is it? What threatens you?”

She looked at him, her eyes wide, and then they widened even more.

“You… you have an erection.”

“That is irrelevant. What threatened you? Why did you scream?”

“There was a spider.”

Her eyes were still focused on his erection, which did absolutely nothing to help diminish his arousal, but he did his best to concentrate on her words.

“A spider? Do you mean one of the small arachnids?”

“It was a very big spider,” she said indignantly, finally tearing her eyes away from his prak.

“Was it poisonous?”

“I don’t know!” She shivered. “They just freak me out. There it is!”

He promptly stepped on the arachnid and she breathed a sigh of relief. His alarm had faded as he realized the insignificance of the danger, but adrenaline still hummed through his system. He found himself focusing on a new target: his mate. Her skin flushed and glowing, her luscious breasts glistening with water as they would glisten after he explored them with his tongue.

He stalked towards her.

“I thought you were in danger.”

“Yeah, I kind of figured that out.” She gulped, raising her arm to cover her breasts, but they were large enough that it provided little concealment. “And what were you doing out there anyway?”

“Trying to relieve my arousal—the arousal caused by the thought of my mate, naked and wet and bathing by herself.”

“Mate?” she whispered.

“Mate.”

He bent towards her, and she put her hand on his chest, the feel of her soft fingers making his prak stiffen even more.

“Sinta, wait. Please.”

He stopped, reluctantly, but he stopped.

“Why?” he demanded, his usual rational thinking overwhelmed by need. “You are aroused as well.”

The scent of her arousal hung in the humid air, even stronger now, and he suspected that his supposition about her pleasuring herself had been correct.

“No! Well, yes, maybe. But that doesn’t mean I’m ready to… mate with you.”

Her words hit him with the same icy burn as the snow.

Convince her.

No, this was her decision. He bowed his head.

“I see.”

“I’m not saying I’m not interested,” she said, her eyes dropping to his prak. “But this is all kind of a shock. I need some time.”

“Of course. I will leave you.”

Despite his survival form’s protest, he turned towards the door. A small hand lightly touched his tail, and he shivered.

“Thank you for coming to my rescue,” she said softly.

“You are welcome.”

“And maybe, when I finish my bath, you could carry me back out to the living room? This was more tiring than I expected.”

“It would be my honor.”

His survival form purred as he dipped his head and left the room. She had asked him to return for her, and she had not denied her interest.

But she had also asked for time and time was in short supply. As soon as the ship was repaired, he would have to leave—and he couldn’t stand the thought of leaving without her.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Holly stared at the bathroom door as it closed behind Sinta, her heart still pounding with a weird mixture of excitement and nerves. She hadn’t expected the simmering undercurrent of attraction between them to explode so quickly. Last night she’d almost been able to convince herself that he was just a big cuddly alien. Today she’d been very clearly reminded that he was also a male. A very well-endowed male.

The image of his cock was imprinted in her brain—the wide purple shaft a striking contrast to his white fur. It had been shaped similarly to a human penis, although longer and wider, but it was not a smooth column of flesh. Instead, wide bulges rippled around the shaft in a tantalizing pattern, and she’d wanted to trace them with her fingers.

No. It was ridiculous, impossible. He’s an alien. But she hadn’t felt this level of arousal in… well, ever. Maybe Sinta was her Secret Santa after all.

But neither of us will be here long. The thought echoed through her head as she carefully climbed out of the bathtub and dried herself off. Her ankle still felt painful, but the swelling was definitely down and she could probably hobble to the living room on her own—but he’d wanted to carry her and she wanted to reassure him that there were no hard feelings. Even if something else had been extremely hard, she thought, and giggled, suddenly giddy with excitement.

She shook her head at her own foolishness as she reached for her clothes. She carefully pulled on red yoga pants with a matching red tank and her favorite oversized red-and-white-striped sweater. The festive colors gave her confidence as she leaned against the sink and called for him.

The door swung open so quickly that she suspected he’d been waiting outside again. He also used enough force that he almost ripped it off the second hinge. The top hinge was already broken from his previous entry.

“Be careful. I’d like to keep that door.”

He gave her an apologetic nod as he reached for her, and she had a sudden idea.

“I don’t suppose those nanites of yours could fix the broken hinge?”

He tilted his head, considering, then nodded.

“If I position it so that the hinges are aligned, I believe that they will be capable of mending it.”

After arranging the door so that the broken parts were touching, he reached into the pouch she’d noticed earlier before sprinkling a few golden sparkles across the hinge. They almost seemed to disappear, but she looked closely, she could see them gleaming on the metal.

“Those are nanites? They’re so pretty.”

“They have been most useful. Is there anything else which needs to be repaired?”

“Like the telephone line?” she asked dryly.

Something flashed across his face, but then he shook his head.

“That would require connecting to an external system. Is there anything else?”

“I don’t really know. I haven’t been taking any kind of inventory.”

“Would you like me to check?”

“Maybe, but not today. Today you’re going to answer more of my questions, and then we’re going to decorate for Christmas.”

“We are?”

There was an odd note in his voice when he repeated her words, but she ignored it.

“Yes, we are.”

He nodded and picked her up. She still felt comfortable in his arms, but she was much more aware of the muscles rippling beneath his skin and the easy way he carried her. She leaned a little closer, breathing in that spicy gingerbread scent. Would she spend the rest of her life remembering him every time she smelled gingerbread?

When he placed her at the kitchen table and bent over to raise her leg, she pressed her lips gently against his cheek. He jumped back as quickly as if she had shocked him.

“What was that?”

“We call it a kiss. Do the Kringlar not kiss?”

He shook his head. “It is an unusual sensation.”

“An unpleasant one?”

“Not at all.”

The black flickered across his eyes again before he turned away, tail lashing, and went to the stove. He brought her a cup of coffee and then some pancakes he made from the flour stored in the larder. She smiled at him as she poured syrup over the pancakes.

“You really are a very good cook.”

“Thank you. I have discovered that it is… enjoyable to cook for another person.”

“You’ve never done it before?”

He shrugged a big shoulder.

“There is no one for whom to cook. I am not mated,” he added.

And there it was, the elephant in the room again.

“What did you mean when you said you wanted to mate with me?” she demanded. “Just the physical act, or something more?”

He stared down at his hands as his claws popped free, then slowly retracted again.

“It cannot be anything more,” he said at last. “We must both return to our respective worlds.”

“Yes. I have a job. An apartment. My friends and family.”

“And I have my studies. But I thought perhaps, while we are together…”

She’d never gone in for short-term relationships. Then again, her long-term relationship with Grant certainly hadn’t been successful. She couldn’t believe she was actually even considering it, but…

“Maybe we can get to know each other better and see how it goes.”

“Of course.” His gaze traveled down over her body, and she could feel herself responding to the heat in his gaze. “How would you suggest we do that?”

“I am not entirely sure, but we’ll figure it out. Maybe we can start with kissing.”

His hand went to his cheek, and then his smile flashed white, revealing a disturbing glimpse of fangs. “I believe that will be most enjoyable.”

He rose to his feet and carried her back into the living room. As he placed her on the couch, he brushed his mouth across her cheek. His full lips were softer than she’d expected, almost velvety and she couldn’t help wondering what they would feel like against other parts of her body.

“What did you do that for?” she whispered.

“You suggested that we get to know each other. I am simply following your lead.”

He was still bent over, their faces only inches apart. Oh, what the hell. She buried her fingers in the silky softness of his mane and pulled him closer as she fitted her mouth to his.

He didn’t respond immediately, but she reminded herself that he was unfamiliar with kissing. She swept her tongue back and forth across his velvety soft lips and they parted. As soon as they did, she slipped inside. His mouth was hot and wet and tasted like gingerbread, and she hummed approvingly. He was still frozen beneath her hands, and she took the opportunity to delve deeper, carefully avoiding the fangs bracketing his mouth. His tongue was thick and long and like his cock, it was undulating rather than smooth. She teased the tantalizing surface, wondering what it would feel like sweeping across her clit, exploring eagerly until she realized he was shaking beneath her hands. She immediately drew back.

“Is something wrong? Did I offend you?”

“No,” he growled. His eyes had turned black again. “I am forcing myself to retain control.”

She looked down at the thick fur covering his hands and remembered the way his claws had come and gone, the smooth chest beneath her hand when she woke.

“Control of how you appear?”

His eyes closed in what looked like resignation, and then he nodded.

“Yes. I am not always as you see me now. But I am not a danger to you,” he added quickly.

The shocks just kept coming, but she was more prepared for this one.

“You mean you’re like some kind of werewolf? Or were-Bigfoot?” She grinned at him. “Sorry, I mean were-Kringlar.”

He tilted his head, studying her face.

“You do not seem alarmed. I am aware that in human stories such things are a source of terror.”

“You obviously haven’t encountered any paranormal romance,” she said dryly. “But if this is your beast—”

“My survival form.”

“Then I’m not worried. I know you won’t hurt me.”

“Never,” he said solemnly. “But it is more than just a difference in our physical forms. My survival form is more… primal, more instinctive, so even in this form I must remain in control.”

“That’s what you meant about retaining control while we were kissing.”

“Yes. That side of me would never harm you, but it would demand everything you were willing to give.”

A ripple of excitement threaded down her spine, but she nodded.

“I understand. We don’t have to do anything—”

“No. I mean yes. I mean, we can do whatever you desire. I am in control.”

It was the first time she had ever seen him so adorably flustered. She smiled and patted his cheek.

“Then we’ll keep exploring.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I am a fool, Sinta decided as he swung the ax, driving it deep into the log he was chopping.

He had promised Holly that he would remain in control, but he had not known just how difficult it would be. She had decided that they needed to make something called Christmas cookies. Their supplies were limited, but the larder contained both flour and sugar and he’d made a simple sugar cookie dough. He hadn’t realized that cooking with her would be such a sensual experience.

When she tested some of the chocolate she’d melted, her perfect red lips closing around her finger, his prak had almost emerged completely from his sheath. But then she’d offered it to him and he found himself sucking greedily at the small digit as she swayed towards him. And then there were the kisses…

She rewarded him with kisses for everything. For making the dough, for cutting a piece of dough into a simple shape that paled in comparison to her much more elaborate forms, for swirling the melted chocolate over the baked cookies. At first he had forced himself to remain passive, but she kept encouraging him, and he finally released his control enough to let his instincts emerge. The first time he had pulled her close and plunged his own tongue into her mouth she had responded eagerly—so eagerly that he’d ended up dashing out the door to chop wood in an ineffective attempt to contain his arousal.

But he could not stay away, nor could he resist whenever she offered him a kiss. His trips to the woodshed were so frequent that he suspected he would have an entire year’s worth of wood chopped by the end of the day. But that thought didn’t stop him. He tossed the split pieces on his pile and returned to the cabin.

“There you are.”

She was clinging to the back of a chair as she poked through her box of decorations, but she gave him a big smile when he entered.

“You should not be standing,” he said firmly, picking her up and carrying her over to the table.

Even though he knew it would challenge his control, he sat down with her on his lap, his tail curving around her waist. She didn’t object, cuddling against his side. The lush curve of her ass massaged his prak as she did and he immediately realized his mistake, but he could not bring himself to remove her.

“What were you doing?” he asked, trying not to growl.

“Just deciding where to put things. If you won’t even let me stand up, you’ll have to do it. Do you mind helping me?”

“Of course not.”

She smiled up at him and licked her lips in clear invitation. He groaned, but obeyed, already anxious for another taste of her sweetness. They had not been in this position during their previous kisses, and he hadn’t realized how much difference it would make to have her so close to him. Her hands grabbed his shoulders as she turned towards him, her luscious breasts rubbing against his chest in tortuous pleasure.

She pressed closer against him, then gave a small growl of her own as she grabbed his hand and brought it up to her breast, closing it around the full mound. His hand tightened instinctively, and she hummed approvingly. The hard bead of her nipple stabbed against his palm but he wanted more. He shoved impatiently at her clothing, pushing it down so that her breasts spilled free—the perfect white flesh already marked by his grip, the rosy bead of her nipple making him long for a taste.

He couldn’t resist. He pushed her back over his arm and lowered his mouth to her breast. Another growl escaped as he worked the delicious little bud, licking and tugging until it was red and swollen when he finally raised his head. His tail was wedged between her legs, rubbing against the damp heat apparent even through her clothing. He reached for her pants, anxious to tear away the offending clothing, and saw his claws were already extended, a shocking contrast to her pale flesh.

Fuck. She had asked for time, and he was seconds away from ripping off her clothing and burying himself inside that tight little cunt. How could he have thought he could control himself? He pulled her shirt back into place, then placed her on the chair alone.

“I… I have to go check on my ship,” he muttered, and fled.

Once more Holly found herself staring at a closed door, her body aching with frustrated desire. Her nipples ached and her clit throbbed with a slow, needy beat.

It’s my fault.

She had told him she needed time, but she’d been the one to initiate the kisses. She’d always loved making Christmas cookies and even without the cookie cutters and the multiple types of icing and glitter, she found this just as satisfying. He’d been so sweet and helpful and it had just been so much fun working on the cookies together that it seemed only natural to celebrate with kisses. It had taken a good deal of encouragement on her part before he became an active participant. However, once he did, he proved to be an extremely fast learner.

Maybe too fast. As soon as he’d buried his hands in her hair and thrust his talented tongue into her mouth, she’d been lost. She’d never thought she wanted a dominant partner, but when he took over like that her insides turned liquid with pleasure. And he was equally aroused. She knew why he kept going off to chop wood, but it hadn’t stopped her from initiating more kisses. And she’d been the one to put his hand on her breast.

I owe him an apology, she decided, then sighed and hobbled over to her box to pick out a garland.

He was gone for a good hour, and she’d never been more relieved when the door finally opened and revealed his big body.

“I’m sorry,” she said quickly, before she lost her courage.

“Why are you apologizing? I was the one who lost control.”

“Because I kept kissing you. It wasn’t fair to tell you I needed time and then keep kissing you.”

“We agreed to explore. I told you that I was in control—although I was wrong.”

“No, you weren’t. You stopped.” She looked down at the tinsel in her hand. “I wouldn’t have stopped you.”

A big hand raised her chin. The chill of the outside air still clung to his fur, and she shivered.

“You asked for time. I will give you time.” He smiled. “Even if it means that I chop a lot of wood.”

“We could kiss less.”

“That would be a shame,” he said solemnly, and she laughed.

“Let’s just see how it goes. Can you help me with the rest of the decorations? I found some popcorn, and I want to try making a garland.”

“Of course. I hope you did not injure yourself in my absence.”

“I was careful. Does it look okay?”

He turned to survey the cabin. Her various decorations were scattered around the cabin, and she’d covered the table with a red cloth and added a sparkly candle, along with her Christmas plates. A red tinsel garland draped across the mantel, and she’d arranged her holiday village on the side table. She’d even tied a couple of her uncle’s red flannel shirts around the pillows on the couch.

“It is very… colorful.”

“That’s the idea. Now you can help me with rest.”

He agreed willingly, even sticking with popcorn garland long after she had given up in frustration. That definitely did deserve a kiss, but once again it quickly escalated out of control. She had a brief glimpse of that intriguing erection as he turned away.

“I need to chop wood,” he growled, heading for the door.

“How about something a little different this time?”

He paused, his back still to her.

“Yes?”

“Can you chop down a Christmas tree? An evergreen, to put in the corner by the fireplace.”

“You wish to bring a tree inside the house?”

“It’s tradition.”

“Very well.”

He returned a little later with an enormous tree and assembled a stand using some extra pieces of wood.

“That’s perfect,” she cried, clapping her hands together. “Now we just need to decorate it.”

The popcorn garland that had seemed so long a short time ago barely covered the bottom half of the tree, and he sighed.

“I will make another.”

“And I’ll keep working on these.” She was cutting scenes out of the stash of Christmas cards at the bottom of the box and stringing them with red ribbon to make ornaments.

By the time they sat down to eat, the cabin was as decorated as she could make it. After another kissing interlude, he’d escaped to the woods a second time, returning with some additional evergreen branches. She’d added them to the mantel and also made a somewhat lopsided wreath. She’d even hauled out two socks and tacked them up on the mantel as well.

“Are you satisfied?” he asked.

“It looks wonderful. I just wish I’d thought to bring a string of lights to put on the tree. I forgot that they stopped working last year and I had to throw them away.” She smiled at him. “Not that I would have had enough anyway. I haven’t had such an enormous tree since I left home.”

“You did not specify the size. I assumed that bigger was better.”

“Sometimes,” she agreed, brushing her hand against his cock as he brought her dinner plate.

He almost dropped the plate, which would have been a shame. Tonight he’d combined more of the pork with some rather withered apples and a few cans of beans from the larder and turned it into some magical confection. She moaned appreciatively, watching the way his eyes darkened, then gave him an innocent smile.

“How are you enjoying your first Earth Christmas?”

“I find the company most enjoyable, although I do not fully understand the customs.”

“I’ll tell you more about them after dinner,” she promised.

After they finished the meal, he went over to the tree with a small strand of twinkle lights that had been at the bottom of her box.

“Those don’t work either. And even if they did, they’d barely go around once.”

He placed them on the tree anyway, giving them a thoughtful look before scattering a few sparkling flecks from his pouch over them.

“I am trying an experiment.”

“Your nanites?”

“Exactly. Now tell me of these holiday traditions.”

After a brief hesitation, he sat in the big chair by the fireplace and pulled her onto his lap. She snuggled against him as she told him all of the holiday tales she could remember. They didn’t kiss, but it didn’t make any difference. Her body still hummed with desire, mixed with a sense of anticipation.

When a yawn interrupted her last story, he smiled down at her.

“I believe it is time for you to retire to bed.”

“Okay,” she agreed. He carried her into the bedroom and settled her into the bed, but he did not join her.

“Aren’t you going to stay with me?”

His body had tensed again, and she could see his muscles straining as his fists clenched and unclenched.

“I cannot.”

He disappeared with his usual speed before she could ask any questions, leaving her alone and frustrated.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

When Holly woke the next morning, she was no longer alone. She was tucked against Sinta’s side—his warm, furry side—with his tail around her waist again.

“You came back,” she whispered when she looked up to find him watching her.

“I did, once I felt more assured of my control.”

“You went and chopped more wood?”

He laughed.

“No. I went for a run through the woods and hunted down a meal for today. Then I came back to join you.”

“Because you knew I was asleep and wouldn’t tempt you?” she teased, but his eyes darkened.

“You always tempt me—waking or sleeping.”

“Then how’s your control this morning? Up to a good morning kiss?”

“I believe so.”

He kissed her, slowly at first, but as that wonderful tongue stroked against hers, she couldn’t help moaning a little and then she was on her back, his big body covering her as he devoured her mouth. She arched against him, seeking more contact as the heavy weight of his cock lodged between her legs, pressing firmly against her clit.

She felt him tense, but she was already on the verge of climax and she grabbed his shoulders with determined fingers.

“Don’t you dare leave me. Just stay right there.”

She rocked against him, seeking more of that elusive pressure, and then he grabbed her ass with a big hand and brought her up hard against his cock. Even through her panties she could feel his thick cock pressing perfectly against her clit, sending her into a sudden shuddering climax as he roared and a flood of hot liquid erupted between them.

His big body shuddered, breathing as if he’d been running a marathon before finally lifting his head. His eyes were blue and regretful.

“I lost control again.”

“No, you didn’t,” she said firmly. “I know you were going to leave until I asked you to stay.”

He tilted his head, and then his expression lightened.

“I believe you actually ordered me to stay.”

“Yes, I did. Aren’t you glad?”

“It was most… gratifying.”

“But not quite as good as the real thing?” She grinned and pushed lightly at his shoulders. “Now let me up. It’s Christmas morning, and I need a bath before we start celebrating.”

“Do you require assistance?”

“No, thank you. And hopefully there won’t be any more spiders. I’d hate for your nanites to have to repair another door.”

He laughed. “Then I will go and prepare breakfast.”

As she waited for the tub to fill, she stripped off her damp tank. A familiar fragrance teased her nose, and she lifted the tank to her face. Oh my God. Even his seed smelled like gingerbread. And tasted like it too, she discovered as she cautiously touched her tongue to the wet fabric. How was a woman supposed to resist that?

The thought continued to haunt her as she hurried through her bath. She took a little more time over her appearance this morning, changing into a long red knit dress. The silky fabric had plenty of stretch but it clung to her curves and the color was perfect. Since Sinta’s eyes turned black when she joined him, she was quite sure he appreciated it as well.

Over breakfast they discussed his plans for dinner and an idea she had about creating paper snowflakes. The warm kitchen, the cheerful decorations, the snow falling gently outside the window—and Sinta. Everything about it felt right. It didn’t seem to matter that he was a huge fur-covered alien; she felt more comfortable with him than she ever had with Grant. Why was she still hesitating?

“I’m going to raid Uncle Ted’s wardrobe again and see if I can find something to put around the base of the tree,” she said when breakfast was over. “Be back in a minute.”

All of her uncle’s other shirts were in muted plaids, but she supposed they would have to do. She was thumbing through them when she noticed a small box on the shelf at the back of a closet. Curious, she carried it back out into the bedroom and opened it. Faded letters, written in a feminine hand. They weren’t dated, but as she scanned them she realized that they had been written long ago, when her uncle would have been in his early twenties.

They had loved each other, and made plans to be together, but something had happened. He never joined her. She didn’t know why—and neither did the woman in the letters, even though she begged for an explanation over and over again. Finally, in the last letter, she told him she had met someone else and she was moving on.

She turned the letters over in her hand, wondering what had happened. It would be easy to think that her uncle hadn’t loved the woman—but then why had he hidden away on the mountain for all those years, with only her letters to keep him company? The folds were soft and worn as if they’d been read over and over. Her heart ached for the two of them.

What if he had been afraid—the same way she was afraid? That was it, she realized. She was afraid because she knew that there was no future for the two of them aside from this short time together. But wouldn’t it be better to at least have that? To have something to look back on? Even a short period of happiness was better than a box of missed opportunities.

Holly returned from the bedroom looking oddly thoughtful.

“Is anything wrong?” he asked.

“No. Just thinking.” She shook her head and smiled at him. “I’ll get started on these snowflakes. Unless you want me to help you cook?”

“No, thank you,” he said firmly. He had already discovered that her many talents did not include cooking.

He couldn’t remember ever enjoying a day more. The savory scents of food filled the air, mingling with the underlying sweetness that was all Holly. Once the food was in the oven and the snowflakes had been placed on the windows, she tried to teach him to sing Christmas carols—which was a talent that he definitely did not have.

And they kissed. It was as arousing as ever but there was something different in her kiss—a promise, a sense of anticipation—and he managed to remain inside with her for the entire day.

After they had eaten, she gave him a mischievous smile and tugged him over to the fireplace.

“I have something for you.”

She handed him one of the socks that had been hung on the mantel. Inside was a scroll neatly tied with red ribbon.

“What is this?”

“It’s a present, silly. I didn’t have any fancy wrapping paper. Just untie the ribbon and unroll it.”

He obeyed and found himself staring at a portrait—of him—rendered in exquisite detail.

“This is astonishing. When did you do it?”

“Every time the kissing got too much for you and you raced out of the cabin,” she said dryly.

“You are very talented.”

“Thank you. I had forgotten how much I enjoy drawing. I was always too busy.”

“You should do more while you are here. I will treasure this.” He handed her the other sock. “And I have something for you as well.”

She gave him a puzzled frown as she pulled out her phone.

“I don’t understand.”

“The nanites are working on it, but with only limited success so far. You can make one call.”

“One call?”

He saw the realization flash across her face, and his heart ached. Would she use it to call for rescue, for a vehicle to come and carry her away from this place? He waited as she started to dial the numbers, his heart pounding.

“Mom? Dad? I just called to wish you Merry Christmas… I don’t have much of a signal so I won’t be able to talk for long… I’m so glad you’re having a good time. Me too… Love you too.”

She smiled down at the phone, then handed it back to him.

“Thank you. It was really nice to be able to talk to them today.”

“You did not call for help.”

“I don’t need help. Everything I need is right here.” She took a deep breath. “I’m ready, Sinta. Make love to me.”

He growled and reached for her, but then he took a breath of his own. He did not want to rush this moment. He stroked the curve of her neck and ran his hand slowly over her luscious curves, feeling her quiver at his touch.

Returning to her neck, he slowly pushed the dress down over her shoulders.

“What are you doing?” she whispered.

“I am unwrapping you. Like a present. My perfect present.”

He kept going, slowly and carefully removing first her dress and then her undergarments, until she was standing naked before him, her beautiful body glowing in the light from the fire. The light suddenly changed, little glittering sparkles dancing across her skin, and she gasped. He followed her gaze to see the Christmas tree aglow with small flecks of light.

“It worked. I can’t believe it worked.”

“The ELVs are very effective,” he agreed.

“The what?”

“The ELVs—the Encoded Learning Variable nanites.”

Her lips parted, and then she started to laugh.

“Elves! We have Christmas tree lights because of elves.” Her laughter died away as she looked back over the tree. “Thank you. It’s beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as you.”

He drew her down onto the pile of blankets he had placed in front of the fire and then, finally he kissed her. He kept expecting need to overtake him, but even his survival form seemed to appreciate the slow thoroughness of his actions.

He lingered over her mouth, even as she arched against him, before descending to her breasts, feasting on her perfect flesh. His tail slid between her legs again, and she clenched around it with a needy whimper. Unable to resist, he parted her thighs, delighting in the sight of her delicate folds flushed and glistening. He ran his tongue along those tempting folds, her delicious taste flooding his mouth and his control began to fade.

He licked her again, and she cried out, her body quivering as she climaxed. Fuck, she was perfect. An approving growl escaped him as he licked faster, harder, testing her small entrance with his finger as she climaxed again. His prak pulsed eagerly, and when she tugged him higher, he could no longer resist. He notched his prak at her entrance, the wet kiss of her flesh pushing him to the very limit of his control as he paused and looked down at her.

“Yes?”

“Oh, God, yes. Please.”

He growled and buried himself in the impossibly hot, slick confines of her body. Holy fuck, she was tight. His balls tightened as fire raced down his spine, but he was determined to prolong this pleasure for as long as possible. He thrust once, slow and steady, and then again. But then her tight little cunt began squeezing him in long milking pulses and he was lost. He thrust harder, faster, burying his face in her neck as the need built and built until he exploded, his mouth clamping down on her neck as he came and came and came before collapsing down over her.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Waves of pleasure crashed over Holly as she tightened her arms around Sinta’s neck. Her entire body felt sensitized, even the soft brush of his fur against her breasts almost too much for her overwhelmed body. Tiny sparks of electricity kept rippling through her clit, still exposed where the thick width of his cock spread her open even now.

He shuddered, and she ran her fingers gently through his mane, suspecting that he felt equally overwhelmed. When he raised his head to look at her, he seemed just as dazed.

“That was…”

“Amazing? Incredible? Overwhelming?”

“All of those,” he agreed, but then his gaze focused on her neck and his eyes flashed black. “I gave you a mating bite.”

“Is that what that was?”

She shivered with reminiscent pleasure. The brief sting had been followed by a rush of sensation so intense that it had wrung yet another climax from her overwhelmed body.

“We don’t do that. Not anymore.”

He still sounded dazed as he ran a cautious finger over the bite. Another zing of excitement raced to her clit and she squirmed against him. He looked down at their still joined bodies, then carefully withdrew.

“I don’t believe that I was as in control as I intended.”

“Good. You’re not supposed to be in control when you’re making love.”

“I did not injure you?” he asked.

“Of course not.”

He looked back up at her, an odd expression on his face.

“I never experienced anything like that before.”

“Neither have I.” She smiled at him. “I’m glad we experienced it together.”

His body finally seemed to relax as he returned her smile.

“Do you want me to carry you to the bedroom?”

“I don’t think so. I’d rather stay here next to the fire and our tree.”

A smile flashed across his face for the first time.

“I agree. But I will cleanse us first.”

She reluctantly let him go, and he returned a moment later with a warm washcloth that he traced gently between her legs.

“You are very pink.”

“I’m fine,” she assured him, quivering at even that gentle touch. Despite the intensity of their encounter, her clit still felt swollen and needy. “In fact…”

“Yes?”

“We should do that again. Soon.”

His eyes turned black. “How soon?”

“Now? That is if you’re not too—”

Her words died away as his cock replaced the washcloth, sliding between her legs with the perfect pressure, the undulating waves caressing her clit.

“I guess you’re not too tired,” she said breathlessly.

A growl was her only answer before he proceeded to prove to her that he was not in the least bit tired.

As soon as she woke the next morning, she knew that Sinta had changed. Afraid to disturb him in case he ran away again, she very slowly rose up on her elbow so she could study him. Wow. The long fur had disappeared, leaving only a faint hint of silvery white hair on his pale skin. His mane remained the same, a wild tangle of white, but the face beneath it was sharper, more refined. If she looked closely, she could still tell that he was not human, but she didn’t think a casual observer would notice.

Based on the size of his chest and the thickness of the arm around her waist, he hadn’t actually gotten any smaller, but his body looked less imposing without the layer of fur. His muscles were just as impressive, she decided as her gaze traveled down over his chest and stomach to his cock.

Oh my. The shape and color were still the same, but without his sheath to disguise it, the size was even more obvious. That thick length had been inside her? His cock twitched under her avid gaze and seemed to grow even larger.

“You look surprised,” Sinta purred, startling her, and she looked up to see him smiling at her.

“You didn’t leave me.”

“After last night, I decided I did not want any more secrets between us. This is my usual form. Does it please you?”

“Definitely.” She gave him a teasing smile. “Although I might miss the growling. And you were very cuddly. Can you bring that side back?”

“Under the right conditions.”

“Such as?”

“Rolling around in the snow until my temperature drops low enough to trigger the change.”

His expression remained neutral, but she remembered the other morning and realized that must have been what he had done.

“Is that what you did? Brrr.” She gave an exaggerated shudder. “But why hide this side of you?”

“A number of reasons. At first I intended to conceal my true identity. Then I was afraid that the transformation would scare you. It was helpful when I needed to work on my ship.” His expression hardened for a brief second. “I needed to protect you. I am stronger in my other form.”

“You still look pretty strong to me,” she murmured, stroking her hand across the muscles of his chest and letting them trail down to his cock.

Her fingers followed one of the rippling bulges, and he growled, his eyes turning black.

“Maybe I won’t have to miss the growling after all.”

The predatory look in his eyes made her voice come out in a breathless rush, but when he slipped his hand between her legs she winced. He stopped immediately.

“You are sore.”

“Perhaps a little. I guess I should have listened when you tried to warn me the third time. I just felt so… needy.”

An expression of guilt crossed his face.

“I believe that may have been the result of the mating bite. As I told you, we no longer engage in such practices, but the stories suggest that it enhances female pleasure.”

“You might have mentioned that.”

“I didn’t even know that I was going to bite you.”

He started to pull away, and she put her hand on his arm, still not used to the feel of smooth skin rather than soft fur.

“I’m not blaming you. I enjoyed every minute. But it might take a little while before I enjoy the next one.”

“I will wait as long as necessary,” he assured her, and then his expression changed.

“What is it?”

He closed his eyes. “The repairs to my ship are almost complete.”

“I see.” Somehow, she managed to keep her voice from shaking.

He turned to his side and looked down at her, that handsome face already familiar to her.

“I do not want to leave you.”

“Then don’t go—stay here.”

“Someone would be sure to see me.”

“You look human enough, especially from a distance. If you were wearing human clothes and had your hair under your hat, they’d just think that you were an albino.”

“Contact with a primitive species is forbidden.”

“Unless you’re studying them, you mean?” she said angrily, and started to rise.

He pulled her back down and rolled over, trapping her beneath him.

“You know that is not what I mean. I have violated every rule I was given because I could not stay away from you.”

“Why?” she whispered.

“Because I knew from the moment I saw you that you were my mate.” He shook his head. “Such an old-fashioned word. I don’t believe that any of my people still believe in that concept. But my instincts knew. I love you, Holly.”

She burst into tears.

“Oh, Sinta, I love you too.”

He kissed her, and she had to stop crying so that she could kiss him back. When he raised his head, he wiped his thumb across her wet cheeks and smiled. His eyes were black again.

“Come with me, my mate.”

“Come with you?”

Images flashed through her mind—her office, her cozy apartment, but most of all the faces of her friends and family. Her family. A lump threatened to block her throat. She had so casually urged him to stay, without thinking about what he would be giving up. Now that he had reversed the offer, she realized just how hard it would be to uproot her entire life.

“Would I ever be able to return?”

He slowly shook his head.

“Not unless Earth becomes part of the Kaisarian Empire and that will be difficult. You are at a dangerous stage of development—not sophisticated enough to travel to the stars, but sophisticated enough that resistance would cause immense loss of life.”

“But my family is here. My parents don’t have any other children.”

“I know.” His expression was resigned. “I did not think you would come, but I… hoped.”

“How much longer can you stay?”

“A week, perhaps. No more. If I do not return questions will be asked. They may even come for me.”

“The New Year starts in a week. Can you stay until then? So we can at least start the year together?”

“I will stay,” he promised.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The week flew by far too quickly, but Sinta did his best to enjoy each moment while it lasted. They were simple moments—sharing a meal together, watching as she bent over her drawing tablet with her face intent, a snowball fight that had ended happily and inevitably with him carrying her off to bed to celebrate his victory—but every one of them was precious.

He spent a few hours on his ship, but he hated being away from her so he set up a feed in order to work from the cabin.

“Do you think the elves could set up an internet connection?” she asked one morning as she watched him studying his screen.

“I see no reason why not. Why do you ask?”

“It might be nice to have a way to get in touch with the world. After you’re gone,” she added, her voice shaking.

It was the first time either of them had mentioned the upcoming deadline, and his chest ached.

“I will see what I can do.” he promised.

“Thank you.”

They were lying in bed, and she stroked her hand down his chest, her brows drawing together.

“What is it?”

“I kind of miss your other form,” she admitted.

He had not been in his survival form since Christmas. Instead, he had adopted human ways, even wearing some of her uncle’s clothing. Fortunately, her uncle had been a big man and they were only a little too small.

“You really miss that side of me?”

“Of course. He’s the one I met first.”

A purr of satisfaction rumbled in his chest, startling both of them, and she grinned and stroked his chest again.

“Do you want that side of me instead?” he asked cautiously.

“Not instead—as well. You know some girls like the Beast as well as the handsome prince.”

A quiver skated across his skin, shocking him. He had never considered the possibility that he could call his other form forth without physical stress. Or that his mate could call him forth.

“Your eyes have turned black,” she whispered.

“This is what you want?”

She gave a firm nod, and his skin quivered again before his fur burst forth as his body transformed beneath her. Her eyes widened, and then she smiled happily and nestled closer.

“There you are. I’ve missed you.”

“Missed you too.” His voice was low and guttural, almost unrecognizable.

“We should get reacquainted.”

“How?”

He had several excellent ideas in mind, but he forced himself to wait for her response.

“Hmm.” She gave him a teasing look and tapped her finger against her luscious mouth. “Do you remember when I first arrived and you watched me from the woods?”

“Of course.”

“What if you didn’t just watch? What if you chased me?”

His prak emerged so fast that he felt dizzy. Her smile turned wicked as she wiggled against his erection.

“And once you caught me, you could do anything you wanted,” she whispered.

“But your ankle…”

“Is just fine. And I don’t expect to be running for long.” She ran her hand along his shaft as she jumped up. “You seem to be up for it.”

“Run,” he growled.

Holly squeaked and dashed for the door. She knew he could easily have caught her before she reached it, but he let her go. Let her make it across the meadow to the edge of the woods before his growl echoed through the trees.

She squeaked again and headed deeper into the woods, trying to choose the narrowest path with the most bushes, hoping it would slow him down. She heard him growl again, heard the branches shake as he entered the woods.

Even though she knew it was a game and was absolutely sure that he would never hurt her, her heart pounded against her ribs as she slipped through the trees as quietly as she could. Excitement skated across her skin as she ducked this way and that, trying to prolong the game. Her nipples were so hard she could feel them rubbing against her shirt and feel the throbbing ache of her clit.

She could hardly wait until he caught her, but she was determined to give him a good chase. She ducked beneath a bush and peered cautiously back the way she had come. Nothing. Had he given up?

Scowling, she turned back—and ran straight into a huge white-furred body. His eyes blazed with black fire, and his fangs gleamed as he backed her against a tree trunk.

“My prize.”

His voice was still harsh, and she suspected that his rational side was buried deep inside. Another shiver of excitement skated across her skin. He lowered his head but instead of kissing her as she expected, he buried his head in her neck, seeking the place where he given her the mating bite He growled and swiped it with his tongue, sending a streak of excitement straight to her clit, before ripping her shirt open with one swipe of his claws and pulling it apart.

Cold air rushed across her breasts, making her nipples impossibly harder, but she barely had time to register the cold before a big hand covered one breast as his mouth closed over the other. He was not gentle or patient. He attacked her like a starving male, growling against her skin as he licked and tugged at her nipples, making her clit swell and throb.

She tried to grind against him, to relieve the growing ache, and he thrust his hand down the front of her leggings, his palm hard against her clit as he drove a thick finger into her channel. Her body exploded, her climax sweeping over her with unexpected force.

She was still quivering when he tossed her down on a mound of snow. She just had time to notice that there was a blanket beneath her before he ripped away her pants, lifted her hips, and plunged inside her with one long hard thrust. Her body went up in flames a second time, her climax rolling over her in a never-ending wave as he gripped her hips, thrusting into her with the same frantic urgency. He buried himself completely, growling her name as a rush of liquid heat filled her.

She clung to those wide furry shoulders, too drained to even move, as his purr vibrated against her. Then he lifted her into his arms, tucking the blanket around her, and carried her back to the cabin. He went straight to the big chair by the fireplace, keeping her curled in his lap as the heat from the fire and the warmth of his body seeped into her bones.

“Was that what you wanted?” he asked at last.

He was still in the survival form but his voice sounded normal again, and when she looked up his eyes were blue.

“Mmm. That was wonderful.” She hesitated, stroking the short, soft fur on his chest. “Did both sides of you enjoy that?”

“Very much.” It was his turn to hesitate. “It is all me, you know. My survival form is more… direct, but I feel the same way in either form.”

“Maybe sometimes direct is easier?”

“Perhaps.”

He remained in that form for the rest of the day. They spent a lot of time touching and cuddling, and she wondered if he needed the reassurance as much as she did. He was still in that form when they went to bed, but when she woke up the next morning, her smooth-skinned prince was back.

It was New Year’s Day.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Sinta stared up at the ceiling of the bedroom as the sky lightened outside the window. He had been awake since long before daylight. In truth he’d hardly slept, reluctant to miss even a second of his remaining time with Holly.

His survival form had slipped away during the night and he hadn’t fought it. That version of himself had no place in his normal existence. The other Kringlar would consider it horribly flawed—a reminder of the past they had long since chosen to put behind them. But it had not only saved his life, it had brought him to Holly. How could he regret it?

He also knew that his primal side would find their parting even more agonizing than he would—and he was not entirely sure that he would be able to control his reaction. He kept envisioning carrying her into his ship and taking her with him, but how could he do that to her? She had ties to this world that she did not want to break, and he loved her too much to force her.

A small hand stroked down across his chest, and he looked down to find her watching him, eyes wide and dark.

“Your survival form is gone.”

“He is safely back inside me.”

“I am glad that I got to say goodbye.”

Her voice quivered on the last word, and he pulled her close, his own chest aching.

“When?” she whispered.

“Soon, I think. It will not be easier if we postpone it.”

“No,” she agreed, but neither one of them moved.

“Oh, God, I can’t stand it. Make love to me, Sinta. One last time.”

He obeyed, trying to show her with every touch of his hands, his mouth, his prak, how much he loved her and how much he would miss her. Then he carried her to the bathroom and washed her, memorizing every precious inch once again.

They dressed silently, and then he offered to make breakfast but she refused.

“I couldn’t eat.”

“Very well. I have to do something. I will be back in a few minutes.”

She clutched his arm.

“You’re not leaving, are you? You wouldn’t do something like leave without telling me because you thought it would be easier, would you?”

“No, love. I’ll be back soon.”

But as he walked down the long drive it did feel as if he were already leaving. The car engine started as easily as it had when he’d checked it the day before, and he drove it back to the cabin. She came flying out when she heard the engine.

“My car—it’s working!”

“The ELVs have repaired the engine.” He hesitated. “They may have repaired it a little too well. Please do not take it to a human mechanic, although it should not be necessary. It should not require additional fuel either,” he added.

“That will be convenient,” she said, trying to smile. “I can drive up whenever—”

Her words ended in a sob.

“Please don’t cry, love.”

“I’m doing my best. I’m just not sure which will be worse—coming up here alone, or never coming here to remember our time together.”

“Even when you are alone, my thoughts will always be with you.”

“And mine will be with you, wherever you are.”

He looked at her and the cabin, and he knew that if he stepped back inside he would never leave. It was time.

“I have to go.”

“I… I know.”

Her hands were curled into tight little fists, but she remained standing on the porch steps and he didn’t move towards her.

“Goodbye, Holly. I will never regret this time together.”

“I won’t either. Goodbye, Sinta. I love you.”

The last words were barely a whisper, but they followed him as he turned and strode off into the woods. His chest ached so badly that he almost expected to see a gaping wound in his chest when he looked down. But there was nothing, just a deep, burning pain.

He was almost at his ship before the pain grew too much to bear. He howled—the same cry of anguish his survival form might have made—but this was purely his. How could he leave her behind?

But how could he stay? If he did not report back, Tanaca would send someone to investigate. Report back…

The advisor’s main concern was receiving information about the humans. Would he really care if Sinta’s ship was… forced to remain on Earth as long as it was not discovered and the information continued to flow? A wild burst of hope filled his heart as he hurried into the ship.

All of the systems were working now, the lights on and the ship at a comfortable temperature, but he paid no attention as he headed for the lab. The communication system was also in perfect working order, but he deliberately disabled the link to the ship’s monitors, then dimmed the lights in the lab to a flickering glow. It reminded him of the firelight dancing across Holly’s body, but he forced the memory aside.

The Emperor’s senior advisor was both perceptive and frighteningly intelligent. He couldn’t afford to make a mistake. He punched in the codes and sat back to wait, doing his best to appear his normal reserved self.

Tanaca appeared on the view screen almost immediately. He was Elginar, his pale blue skin and white hair a striking contrast to the severe black robes of a scholar.

“Yes? Why have you not made any reports?”

“My ship was damaged.”

The spymaster’s gaze sharpened, surveying the dimmed lab behind him. “How? Was it sabotaged?”

“I do not believe so. I passed through an ion cloud that affected my systems. I have been working on repairs, but given the limited technology available on this planet, the damage may be irreparable.”

Tanaca sighed. “I will have to locate a suitable rescue vessel.”

He clenched his fists beneath the desk as he did his best to keep his voice calm.

“Perhaps not.”

“Why not? I have no intention of condemning you to life in such a primitive environment.”

“I do not find it… unpleasant.” The spymaster frowned, and he hurried on, “I have managed to repair the drones and the communication system. I can still send reports. They may be even more valuable if I can observe closely for a longer period.”

“Perhaps,” Tanaca acknowledged, studying his face. “What if you are discovered?”

“I won’t be. The cloaking device is operational, and I’m in an isolated location. Even if I am spotted, I can pass for human, at least from a distance.”

Tanaca tapped his fingers thoughtfully on his desk, then sighed again. “There is a female involved, isn’t there? One of those accursed human females.”

“Accursed?” His survival form wanted to growl at the insult, but he managed to keep his voice restrained.

“Undoubtedly. Time and time again, they have proven to hold sway over even the most disciplined male.”

Since he wasn’t in a position to argue, he remained silent.

“Very well,” Tanaca said at last. “I will allow it on two conditions. One, you will continue regular reports.”

“Of course. And the second?”

“If you are discovered, you will follow the termination protocol. No matter how human you may appear from a distance, a medical examination would reveal the differences.”

He agreed at once, willing to take the risk if it meant he could stay with Holly.

“And perhaps their technology will advance to the point where you can make repairs,” Tanaca added dryly.

“Perhaps.”

Tanaca shook his head, but signed off without any further comment. Jubilation filled him. Now all he had to do was return to his mate—and pray that she was still at the cabin.

Holly drove down the track, the car’s engine humming gently, and dashed another tear from her eyes. Dammit. How was she going to drive back to the city crying the entire time?

After she watched Sinta disappear into the woods, she’d returned to the cabin. As soon as she walked through the door, she’d known she couldn’t stay. Not now, not while the pain was still so fresh. She’d pulled out her suitcase and thrown things into it with careless haste, barely bothering to look around before she hurried out the door, leaving all the Christmas decorations in place. She suspected she would regret that later, but for now, her only thought was to get away.

I should have gone with him. Even if it meant leaving everything behind. Even if she never saw her parents again. Surely those magic elves of his could come up with a way to get a message to them, to let them know that she was safe and happy.

She was so busy crying and arguing with herself that the flash of white in front of the car took her by surprise. She screamed and slammed on the brakes as the car once again spun out of control. It was even about to hit what looked like the same clump of trees when it came to a sudden halt a few feet away. How…

Her heart started to pound wildly as she fumbled with her seatbelt. Then the door opened and he was there, slicing through the straps with a flash of his claws before hauling her out of the car and lifting her into his arms. She was so busy kissing him that it took a moment to realize that he was back in his survival form.

She finally drew back enough to see his face, smiling at her.

“Where did you come from? Why are you here? Is something wrong with the ship?”

“There’s nothing wrong with the ship. I came back for you, of course.”

Her mouth trembled, but she nodded.

“I’ll go. But please, can we tell my parents? I can’t leave them wondering what happened to me and—”

He placed a gentle finger over her mouth.

“I know you have ties here. I’m not asking you to leave. I’m going to stay.”

Hope fluttered in her stomach.

“Really?”

“Yes, but there will be limitations. I can’t join you in the city. I will need to remain here in the cabin and avoid people as much as possible.”

“Then I’ll stay here too,” she said quickly.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’ll sell my apartment and quit my job and—”

“You don’t have to do any of those things.”

“Yes, I do. None of them matter to me as much as you do.”

He roared his approval and swung her around in a triumphant circle.

“Then we will live together in these woods. I promise you will never regret it, love.”

“I know I won’t.”

She threw her arms around him, happier than she had ever dreamed of being.

EPILOGUE

Three months later…

“Are you sure about this?” Sinta asked for the third time, and his mate rolled her eyes.

“Of course I’m sure. Well, mostly sure. But I can’t keep avoiding them—they’re my parents and I love them.”

She must have read his expression because she nudged him playfully with her elbow.

“Stop worrying. Susie came to visit and that worked out, didn’t it?”

Truthfully, it had gone better than he expected. Holly and Susie talked frequently so Holly’s best friend wasn’t surprised by his pale skin and hair. She had given him a curious look, but she was far too busy bemoaning Holly’s departure from the city to worry much about him.

“What are you going to do out here in the wilderness?” Susie cried dramatically.

“I told you—I’m going to work on my art.”

The drama disappeared, replaced by a skeptical look.

“And that’s going to support you?”

Holly shrugged.

“We don’t need much. I own the cabin, and the sale of my apartment has provided us with a nice little nest egg. Plus I have a more commercial sideline.”

Susie frowned at her. “You didn’t tell me about that.”

“I wasn’t sure if it was going to work out, but it’s been quite successful.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve been designing covers for science fiction romance books. Sinta has been giving me ideas,” she added with a teasing look at him.

He had been reluctant at first, but finally decided that it might ease the way if Earth eventually became a member of the Empire. And frankly, they were just fun.

“I can see how he would make a good cover model,” Susie said, then shrugged. “At least you’re more prepared than my latest client. Do you remember me talking about Jim Easton?”

The two females quickly became involved in a conversation about difficult clients that moved on to the activities of mutual friends and Susie’s travels. He happily faded into the background, cooking dinner for them, then leaving them laughing over a bottle of wine when he went to bed.

Susie had rushed off again the next morning, after lots of hugs and promises to visit, and they had waved her off. Silence descended over the clearing as the black Lexus disappeared down the mountain track.

“Well, that was fun,” Holly said, smiling up at him.

“You do not regret leaving the city and being farther away from your friends?”

“I really don’t. I wondered if I might, but I love it here. I love the woods and the view. I love the cabin and all the little improvements the ELVs are making.”

He waited expectantly, but she didn’t continue.

“And?” he growled, and she gave him a teasing look.

“Was there something else?”

He growled again and tapped her ass. She laughed.

“And I love you. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

“Always.”

“I love you, Sinta, and I’m perfectly happy here in our cabin in the woods.”

“Perhaps you should get better acquainted with them,” he suggested, stripping off his shirt. “Now run.”

Her arousal perfumed the air, and then she was running as he chased her into the woods.

But as satisfactorily as that visit had ended, he was far more concerned about this visit. Her mother had insisted on staying for two nights, despite Holly’s attempt to dissuade her. He wouldn’t have minded so much if Holly’s father weren’t coming as well.

His fears didn’t ease when her parents arrived. Holly’s mother Linda tumbled out of the car, laughing and crying as she hugged her daughter over and over again. She was an attractive older woman with a definite resemblance to her daughter.

She finally released Holly, and immediately turned to him. She flung her arms around him as well and he awkwardly patted her back, only too aware of the large grey-haired male now hugging Holly. He smiled down at his daughter, but when he looked over at Sinta his gaze was distinctly frosty. He had the upright bearing of a warrior, and even though Sinta knew that his physical prowess was superior, he was not about to make the mistake of underestimating the male.

Holly’s mother gave him a final tug, wiped her cheeks, then tugged him back over to Holly.

“Aren’t you going to introduce us, darling?”

Holly rolled her eyes, but took his hand.

“Mom, Dad, this is Sinta. He’s…Canadian.”

“Canadian? How interesting.” Her mother beamed at him. “Does that mean you know how to speak French?”

“No, Mom—”

“Oui, Madame,” he responded, and her mother giggled.

“That’s wonderful. Maybe you can teach me—after this last trip I’m determined to learn a little before we go back. Or maybe you two could come with us. Wouldn’t that be wonderful, Alan?”

“I don’t think that’s going to be possible,” Holly said quickly. “There are some… immigration problems with him leaving the country.”

“Oh, dear. Well, never mind. I’m sure they’ll get worked out eventually. Now, Sinta, if you and Alan can go get the groceries from the car, I’ll get started on supper.”

“You don’t have to do that. I can cook, Mom.”

“No, dear, you can’t. But she’s still a wonderful girlfriend, isn’t she?”

He dipped his head. “She is perfect.”

Linda beamed, and he was sure she would not create problems. But her father’s face remained unreadable.

“Dad and I will get the groceries,” Holly said quickly, giving him a meaningful look.

He didn’t like it, but he didn’t protest as the two of them headed over to the car. But although he listened courteously to Holly’s mother, he also listened to the conversation between Holly and her father.

“All right, kitten. What’s the real story?” the older male demanded.

“What do you mean?”

“Canadian? He doesn’t look Canadian to me.”

“He just looks a little different because he’s an albino. I hope you aren’t prejudiced because of the color of his skin.”

“You know better than that.” Her father crossed his arms and studied her face. “How many languages does he speak?”

“I don’t know. Several? Why?”

“Hmm. What does he do for a living?”

“It’s a little difficult because of his immigration status, so right now he’s selling loads of firewood.”

A job that had proven surprisingly profitable. Holly had retrieved her uncle’s old pickup and the two of them would deliver the wood together. Sitting in the cab wearing one of her uncle’s jackets and a trucker cap, none of their customers ever gave him a second glance. Unlike Holly’s father.

To his relief, the male didn’t ask any more questions as they unloaded the bags of groceries. Sinta immediately took them out of Holly’s arms as soon as it was clear that the conversation was over. At least for now.

Holly’s mother was even more delighted when she found out he could cook and joined him in the kitchen while Holly and her father played a game of chess. It took him far longer than it should have done to realize that her constant flow of artless conversation actually disguised an exceedingly thorough interrogation. Fortunately, he had stuck to his cover story, keeping it as close to the truth as possible.

The most awkward moment came when they sat down to dinner and Holly’s mother made him remove his hat.

“Oh, you have the most beautiful hair,” she gushed, but he was far more worried about Holly’s father studying his face.

He excused himself as soon as possible after the meal to chop wood. Unfortunately, Holly’s father rose as well.

“It’s been a while since I chopped wood. I’ll join you.”

“You are our guests. You do not need to work.”

“I insist.”

Holly gave him a worried look, but if the other male had something to say, perhaps it would be best to let him speak. He nodded and led the way outside. Alan went to work in silence, handling the ax with easy competence, and he joined him, doing his best to temper his strength and speed to human levels. When they had two good sized piles, he stopped and took the tools back to the shed.

When he returned, Alan was leaning against the porch, his pipe sending up a gentle plume of smoke. He obviously had something to say so Sinta waited silently.

“Did Holly tell you I was in the Air Force?” Alan asked at last, and his heart sank.

“She mentioned that you were in the military, but she didn’t go into detail.”

“Her mother and I married late, and I left the service when she was still quite young. It was never a big part of her life, although I served for twenty years.” Alan straightened up and looked at him. “Saw some strange things in that time. We sometimes used to wonder if we were receiving visits from another planet. Not officially, of course.”

He waited patiently, but his heart was pounding. He could not hurt this man, could not hurt Holly’s father, but neither could he allow his presence to be discovered. Perhaps the four of them would be going on a trip after all, he thought grimly.

“I expect the same thing happens in… Canada,” Alan said.

“It may,” he said cautiously.

“Not my business any longer. Not as long as my daughter is happy.”

“I have vowed that she will be.”

The other male studied him, then nodded. “Good. Now we’d better get back inside before the girls get worried.”

Sinta hesitated a moment longer. Alan clearly suspected him, and he could still have military connections, but Sinta believed that he was more interested in Holly’s happiness. It was a risk to let him go, but an acceptable one. He nodded, and Alan grinned for the first time.

“I’ll let you carry the wood in. I have no doubt you can handle it.”

“What did my dad want?” Holly whispered later that evening.

They had given her parents their bedroom and were sleeping in the loft. The bed was much too small for both of them so he’d pulled her on top of him and was stroking his hand down the silky skin of her back.

“To give me a veiled warning that he knows—or at least suspects—that I’m not human.”

“Oh no! What if he tells someone?”

She started to sit up and he grumbled, pulling her back down and lodging her against his stiffening prak.

“He won’t,” he said firmly, his hands sliding down to her ass.

“How do you know? What if he—” Her words died away as he nudged his prak against her clit. “Stop doing that. I’m worried.”

“I’m not.” He hummed approvingly as he felt her slicken and ease his way. “He said he was only concerned about your happiness.”

“Mmm. Are you sure?”

“I am.”

A wicked grin tilted her lips as she rocked her hips against him.

“Then you’d better keep me happy. Very happy.”

“And how should I do that?”

He let his claws emerge a little, pricking lightly at her ass, and felt her quiver.

“That’s a good start,” she whispered. “But I want more.”

“How much more?”

“I want it all.”

“Then I will give it to you, my love,” he vowed—and he kept his word.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Thank you so much for reading Sinta! As you can probably tell, I love all the elements of the holiday season from lights to carols - not to mention two people discovering that they are perfect for each other. Even if one of them is a big, furry alien!

Whether you enjoyed the story or not, it would mean the world to me if you left an honest review on Amazon – reviews are one of the best ways to help other readers find my books!

As usual, I have to thank my readers for coming on these adventures with me - I couldn’t do it without you!

And, as always, a special thanks to my beta team – Janet S, Nancy V, and Kitty S. Your thoughts and comments are incredibly helpful!

* * *

If you enjoyed this sweet and steamy holiday tale between a human female and an alien hero, you’ll love A Kiss of Frost!

When Subcommander Jokul Frostarian stows away on his commander’s ship, the last thing he expects is to crash land on a backwater planet - or to discover a fiesty human female who won’t admit she needs him.

Can the warmth of the holiday season thaw an alien warrior’s frozen heart?

A Kiss of Frost is available on Amazon!

* * *

And if you’d like to find out more about the Kaisarian Empire, check out the Alien Abduction series, beginning with Anna and the Alien!

* * *

To make sure you don’t miss out on any new releases, deals, or updates,
click here to sign up for my newsletter!

OTHER TITLES

The Alien Abduction Series

Anna and the Alien

Beth and the Barbarian

Cam and the Conqueror

Deb and the Demon

Ella and the Emperor

Faith and the Fighter

Greta and the Gargoyle

Hanna and the Hitman

Izzie and the Icebeast

Joan and the Juggernaut

Kate and the Kraken

Lily and the Lion

Mary and the Minotaur

Nancy and the Naga

Olivia and the Orc

Pandora and the Prisoner

Quinn and the Queller

The Alien Invasion Series

Alien Selection

Alien Conquest

Alien Prisoner

Alien Breeder

Alien Alliance

Alien Hope

Exposed to the Elements

The Naked Alien

The Bare Essentials

A Nude Attitude

The Buff Beast

The Strip Down

Seven Brides for Seven Alien Brothers

Artek

Benjar

Callum

Drakkar

Endark

Folsom Planet Blues

Alien Most Wanted: Caged Beast

Alien Most Wanted: Prison Mate

Alien Most Wanted: Mastermind

Alien Most Wanted: Unchained

Horned Holidays

Krampus and the Crone

A Gift for Nicholas

A Kiss of Frost

Monster Between the Sheets

Extra Virgin Gargoyle

Cyborgs on Mars

High Plains Cyborg

The Good, the Bad, and the Cyborg

A Fistful of Cyborg

A Few Cyborgs More

The Magnificent Cyborg

The Outlaw Cyborg

Treasured by the Alien

Mama and the Alien Warrior

A Son for the Alien Warrior

Daughter of the Alien Warrior

A Family for the Alien Warrior

The Nanny and the Alien Warrior

A Home for the Alien Warrior

A Gift for the Alien Warrior

A Treasure for the Alien Warrior

Cosmic Fairy Tales

Jackie and the Giant

Stranded with an Alien

Sinta

Blind Date with an Alien

Her Alien Farmhand

Anthologies

Pets in Space 7

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

USA Today bestselling author Honey Phillips writes steamy science fiction stories about hot alien warriors and the human women they can’t resist. From abductions to invasions, the ride might be rough, but the end always satisfies.

Honey wrote and illustrated her first book at the tender age of five. Her writing has improved since then. Her drawing skills, unfortunately, have not. She loves writing, reading, traveling, cooking, and drinking champagne - not necessarily in that order.

Honey loves to hear from her wonderful readers! You can stalk her at any of the following locations…

www.facebook.com/HoneyPhillipsAuthor
www.bookbub.com/authors/honey-phillips
www.instagram.com/HoneyPhillipsAuthor
www.honeyphillips.com