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The suns were setting, and for a brief moment, she forgot that she was on another planet altogether. Those cows looked as if they belonged.
And if what he said was true about the cows surviving for a long time on Nova Aurora, then there was a chance that they could continue to. There was something more to this puzzle, and Hope was determined to find out the truth.
For that reason, she rolled up her sleeves.
“Is it all right if I observe the animals more closely?” Hope asked, motioning toward the cows.
Deimos narrowed his eyes. In Hope’s peripheral vision, she saw Gerri nodding her head in excitement.
“I suppose,” he managed to say.
With a brisk nod, Hope hopped the fence and made her way over. That left Gerri and Deimos to their own devices, which was a good thing.
She didn’t want to know what they were talking about since she knew it involved her. Although she hadn’t known Gerri for a long time, she sensed one thing about the small firecracker of a woman.
Gerri Wilder wasn’t going to stop until she saw her plans through. Those plans specifically involved Hope and Deimos becoming a couple, which was mind-boggling. Why her, of all people?
Back on Earth, the notion made her recoil. After meeting Deimos, she was having second thoughts about her initial reluctance. Maybe there was a chance this wouldn’t be so bad after all.
FOUR
DEIMOS
The woman … Hope … made her way out into his fields, approaching the herd with easy posture and open hands. She held one out to Reyla, letting him sniff. True to his nature, Reyla pressed his nose into her palm curiously and accepted her attention.
Deimos was sure she’d be impressed with the quality of his herd. They were well cared for, even with whatever was making them sick. Their coats, in particular, were shiny and strong thanks to the special blend of feed he gave them.
Earth cows were beautiful if you asked him. Strong animals that came in a wide variety of colors with a surprising amount of personality. He could tell any cow in his herd from another at a good distance, whether that was because of Ikist’s distinctive neck spots that looked almost like a galaxy or because the deep black Noen was never more than two steps from the pale-yellow Gorel.
“Not bad, don’t you think?” Gerri said, hands on her hips, also watching Hope with the cows. She grinned at him, blue eyes mirthful.
He glared down at her, pleased by how much taller he was than her. “What are you doing bringing this woman here?” he growled.
She raised one eyebrow at him, completely unintimidated. “You mean your fated mate?”
“Yes, my fated mate,” he said, sighing. Obviously, he’d recognized her. It had been clear from the second he first laid eyes on Hope. He wanted to learn everything about her.
What did she like? Her clothing was plain and practical. Would she be amenable to silks and embroidery? She deserved to be draped in finery and jewels, precious metals. She was regal, even standing in a muddy field.
She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, the most desirable, the most interesting. He knew that every new thing he learned about her would delight him. His soul recognized her as his perfect match, his other half, and yearned to claim her, to complete their connection.
The problem was that he wassupposedto be focused on figuring out what was wrong with his herd. Not on an enchanting human vet tech. He curled his lip, revealing his finely honed fangs. “I need to think of my cows right now, not some woman, no matter who she is.”
Gerri actually rolled her eyes. He stiffened, unused to such disrespect. “She’s here for the cows too, and she knows more about them than you, so I don’t see what you’re complaining about. Two heads are better than one, as they say.”
He shook his head, watching as Hope examined Ikist. She had finished looking in his ears, eyes, and mouth and was now encouraging him to lift a hoof. She’d done the same with Reyla and even shy Maeri. “I don’t have time for this,” he muttered.
It didn’t matter how skilled she was with the cattle if she was going to ruin his ability to focus. His clutch was agitated enough over the ranch, pushing him to give it up. He didn’t have the time to woo his mate and introduce her and then deal with the clutch’s anxieties over an Earthling being his destined partner.
“Look, you don’t have to think of her as anything other than an Earthling with experience doctoring cattle.” Gerri waved her hand at Hope. “Just forget about the mate stuff if it bothers you so much.”
“You and I both know that’s not possible,” he snarled, the anger rumbling in his chest and making a few of the cows look up in alarm. The sense of her wasn’t something he could just shut off. Hope was going to be a distraction, no matter what.
Gerri growled right back, swatting him on the arm, eyes flashing gold. “I wouldn’t have brought her here if she wasn’t going to help you. So shut your mouth and try to dig up some gratitude, hmm?”
Gratitude? Gratitude for what? His manners were good, but he wasn’t going to be insulted. “I asked for a solution to my problems, not an addition to them. I needed a doctor, not for you to play matchmaker. There’s nothing to thank you for.”
“Luckily for you, I managed to do both.” She gave him an appraising look, smirking. “You’re a spoiled little boy, aren’t you?”
