A Seacat's Love (Oceanan Trilogy Book 1) by Jessica Kong Read Free Book Online

made his smile reach his ears.
    “How long do you think it will take for her to show some reaction?” asked the young assistant from his seat. He was inserting the latest data gathered from the dead specimen into the computer.
    “She’s smaller than the other four. I’ll say, give or take, two hours.” Over the rim of his glasses, the scientist looked at the round clock that hung on the silver wall to his left. “You can leave her here for now.”
    Taking off the thin, gray frames, he pinched his tired eyes. No longer were they as sharp as they were thirty years ago. “In an hour, we can throw her back in with the others. Right now, it’s time for lunch.”
    “Fine by me,” the assistant replied, without a pause in his typing. “I’m starved.”
    The rapid clicks of the keys slowed and became distorted. Leonora’s blood was on fire as it made its way through her veins, taking with it the latest series of human medications. Each injection had been worse than the previous. How much more could her weakened form endure?
    With his glasses still in his hands, the graying scientist lowered his face closer to hers. “How do you feel?”
    The twinkle she saw in his eyes was unmistakable. “Go to blazes!” Leonora growled. When he left her side on a chuckle, her hackles rose. “You will get yours. I promise.”
    The room grew black and began to swirl. It reminded Leonora of sailing through the stars aboard her brother’s ship. Challen had allowed her to pilot
Star Gazer
many times. She might never partake in her favorite pastime again.
    The recollection of her brother’s handsome face brought an onset of tears. Challen had been so adamant about her not participating in the science expedition. It all seemed like yesterday, but in fact, a season and a tide has passed.
    Leonora coughed. Her lungs refused to accept the air that was saturated with the blood of her friends. Every cell in the remaining shell that was her body cried out in pain. She was freezing, yet she felt the immense heat escape her sickened form.
    What is happening?
She no longer felt she could rely on her senses, or the clarity of her once-sharp mind.
    A light appeared. Like a beacon of hope, it pulled her out of the uncomfortable darkness. A small portion of it turned a dark blue. The larger part became a golden yellow, surrounding the blue. A face formed, and a warm, cozy feeling flickered to life within her hollow center. It was difficult to believe she could feel something in her dead soul. Without a doubt, it was because of this shining beacon: Rick McCall.
    A part of her no longer trusted freely. It had been destroyed along with her friends. This part refused to accept that McCall had actually returned for her, an alien. The other side of her—the part that struggled to survive—was extremely grateful and deeply touched.
    Challen had taught her to give a being the benefit of the doubt. “Never judge all by the actions of a few,” he had said. That was somewhat difficult to do when a voyage meant for research and exploration turned into a survival trip.
    Still, the only route to survival was to make an ally of someone of this planet. It was the only way to raise the odds in their favor.True, she did not know the first thing about Rick McCall—only that he had taken the first step to being called a friend. But she did trust her brother’s wisdom. Therefore, Leonora will place her life in Rick’s hands. She prayed her trust was not misplaced.

    The blue sedan raced down the freeway. Rick chose to bypass his rented hotel room and head straight for his ranch home in Phoenix.
    Ten fingers curled tightly around the steering wheel, instead of around Tigif’s neck. Rick’s jaw hurt from the amount of clenching he had done. The sight of Leonora wrapped up in Tigif’s arms deeply disturbed him. The manner in which the tiger caressed her face, arm, and back was a distraction. Each time the cat caught him looking, he smugly kissed Leonora’s lips