she returned with a medicine injector, pressing it to Vera’s thigh.
“Is she worsening?” Roth worried that Vera might not survive. “I don’t understand what is going on. The medic of our grouping had to remain on the surface. He’s the only one of us with medical knowledge.”
Dr. Kane faced him. “I just had to hit her with some adrenaline. Her heart rate is coming back up. It seems sedating her isn’t an option. She should be waking at any second.”
Roth moved closer to Vera and took her limp hand in his, leaned close to her face and prepared for her to open her eyes. He’d be the first thing she’d see if her vision wasn’t impaired. He would let her know he was there, either way.
Chapter Four
Vera jerked awake—or at least tried to. Everything was dark. She was either back in the storage locker or her eyesight was gone. No tight metal walls were pressed against her. She was laid out flat on something soft and there were low beeping noises.
A scream rose in her throat. The alien who’d come to save her had been a hallucination, she was still locked inside the security office.
“I am here,” a familiar growly voice rasped, just as a big warm hand gently cupped her cheek and part of her head. “It is Roth. Do you hear me, Vera? You appear terrified. I’m real and you are safe.”
She realized another warm hand tightly gripped hers. She clung to it, panting. Her alien was real, after all.
“I’m here, Vera. You need to slow your breathing.”
She blindly reached out with her free hand, found material and fisted it. “Roth? Is this you?”
“Yes. I put on a shirt. You are holding on to it.”
She felt hot tears sliding down the side of her face. “I can’t see anything.”
“Can you please step out of the way?”
That voice belonged to a woman, and it sounded irritated.
“No.” Roth stroked Vera’s cheek with what she thought might be his thumb. “The female will panic if we break connection.”
“I need to examine her, damn it,” the woman snapped. “Get out of my way, Mr. Roth. That’s an order. You’re interfering with her treatment.”
“Don’t leave me!” Vera tried to sit up and turn into Roth’s chest.
“Miss Wade, you need to calm down,” the woman sternly ordered. “I’m Doctor Cynthia Kane. Do you remember me?”
Vera didn’t care who she was. Roth was real. She clutched him tighter and refused to let go. She wiggled closer until she pressed against that shirt, burying her face in it. Her alien had to adjust his hold and instead wrapped his hand around the back of her head, before sliding it down to her back. She wasn’t wearing anything, since he touched her bare skin. He stopped midway down.
“Vera?” Roth sounded closer, his voice next to her right ear. “You need to allow this female medic to help you.”
“I’m a doctor,” the woman ground out.
“Apologies,” Roth sighed. “Can you lie flat for her, Vera? I will keep hold of your hand.”
Vera shook her head against his shirt and the firm, warm body under it. She released her fisted grip on the material and slid her hand up to his shoulder, clutching him there. “I just want to hold on to you. You’re my real alien. I’m not food.”
That was important. She just forgot why for a few seconds. Then she remembered the creatures outside the pods. They had started to devour poor Crystal like she’d been a dead carcass, only she’d still been alive. Her screams had helped the search team find her. Roth was an alien, but he didn’t want to eat her.
“No. You are not food. I won’t allow anything to happen to you.” Roth gently stroked her back as his gruff voice tried to assure her.
At least she hoped that was his big hand against her skin. It felt nice. Soothing. It also helped calm some of her fears. He wasn’t a figment of her imagination. First, she could feel him. Second, he wasn’t threatening to kill her like bigfoot had, or insulting her the way her father had. Her alien was trying to make her feel safe. And she did. As long as she could hold on to him.
“Don’t disappear,” she pleaded to him.
“I won’t leave you, Vera. I gave my promise, remember?”
“Goddamn it,” Dr. Kane huffed. “Miss Wade needs medical treatment, Mr. Roth. Not to be babied and cooed at. Step aside. If she gets combative, we’ll strap her down. You’re interfering with