Human men just don’t look as good with that color. No one else will ever look as good to me as him. Where is he? Why isn’t he here? Squeezing my eyes, I force myself to lie still and wait.

The only movement is the shaking of my limbs as I twitch about. I can’t get them to stop. Nothing is helping. Nothing is working.

“Jessica.” A soft voice permeates the fog in my brain.

“Please,” I croak, turning my head toward the sound.

It’s so familiar. I should know it. The soft, feminine voice calls to me. But I can’t see her.

“Sweetie,” it calls out again. “You’ll be late for school. Hurry up or I’ll splash you with water.”

School? Water? My mother swims into view, her soft, exasperated smile cutting through the pain. Is this all a dream? A nightmare?

“I have your favorite waiting for you. Eggs and bacon.”

God, bacon. What I would do for a bite right now. But even at that thought, my stomach churns.

“No, ma’am,” she responds, as if I answered her back. “You are not eating that chocolate and bread. That’s not a healthy meal.”

My lips twitch into a smile as the age-old argument between us picks up once more. The table stretches before me, impossibly long. As I take my fork to stab my meat, the plate drifts just out of reach.

Off to the side, my mom laughs as if this is all just one big joke. The happy sound fills my brain, easing the lingering pain in my body. She wraps her arms around me, squeezing me so tightly I’m afraid I might burst.

But I don’t care. I’m back with my mom. I don’t dare tell her I dreamt of her death and funeral. She wouldn’t find that funny at all. And so, I soak in her love, taking it deep into my soul.

OceanofPDF.com

CHAPTER 22

OceanofPDF.com

VROKJAN

I squint up at the sun, my anger rising to the point where I might snap if Jakroon says one more fucking thing. It’s far past time for me to milk Jessica, and his idiotic negotiations are keeping me from checking in on her.

With a huff, I cross my arms and glare at him. “I fail to see how this is an emergency issue. You’ve called me away from my work to squabble over a property line?”

“Forgive me for wasting your time. Just thought you wanted to know there was a discrepancy. Any cows found within this area will be on my property. As such, I will assume they belong to me.” His eyes glitter as some diabolical scheme cooks in his head.

“You touch even one of my cows, and I’ll bring you before the government.”

He shrugs, his expression unaffected. “I have proof of ownership. If you choose to ignore it, that’s not my fault.”

Growling, I turn my back on him, refusing to give into his bullying tactics. “The property overseer will get in contact with you,” I call over my shoulder as I head back to the modified truck. “Until then, all my cows will be safely kept in the barn.”

I refuse to wait for a reply. Pulling out my communicator, I look at the time and swear under my breath. Two fucking hours he kept me away from her. Thankfully, the trip isn’t far.

She’ll be uncomfortable, but no cow has ever been injured by going a few hours without milking. Besides, I more than plan to make it up to her. My cock surges as I pull into the barn.

Already I can’t wait to fuck my pet again. Calling out to the Ranch Hands, I give them a rundown of Jakroon’s claims and instruct them to keep a close eye on the herd. A stupid grin tilts my lips as I take the steps two at a time.

When I open the door, however, my heart surges up to my throat. Jessica lies there on the bed, a small pitiful lump. Is she still sleeping? That’s not possible. I walk over to her side of the bed, uneasiness churning my gut as I take in her untouched food and water.

A sour smell permeates the air as I get closer. Milk stains the sheets, but that’s not what causes me concern. Her face is a bright red and emanates massive heat.

She carries on a conversation, the words soft and slurred. Panic beats at my chest as I gather her into my arms and rock back and forth.

“Jessica,” I cry out, shaking her ever so gently.

“No need to shout, Mom. I’m awake,” she murmurs.

Something’s wrong. Laying her back on the bed, I watch as her body quakes. Chills wrack her body, forcing her muscles to contract and jolt. Fuck! What’s happening to her? How is she sick?

I pull out my communicator and contact my brother, my heart pounding in my chest as it takes an eternity for him to answer. When he does, his bored expression pisses me off to no end.

“I need you here. Now.”

“What seems to be the problem? Can’t you handle it?”

“No, asshole. I can’t handle it. I wouldn’t be calling you if I could. Something’s wrong with Jessica.”

He frowns and leans forward, his face filling the screen. “Is the protein not working? Give her a double dose and see what that does.”

“She’s burning up, talking to someone who’s not here, and her body won’t stop shaking.”

For the first time, I watch my brother’s face pale. It scares me more than anything else.

“Get her into a cool bath. When was the last time she was milked?”

“This morning. Fucking Jakroon kept me away with his normal bullshit.”

“Get her into the tub and drain her. I’m on my way.”

Throwing the communicator on the bed, I hoist Jessica up in my arms. Her skin is blazing hot as I carry her into the bathroom. I lay her down on the cool tile as I adjust the temperature of the water.

My movements are frantic, hurried as I go back into the bedroom to grab the tubes. I only bring collection containers, not caring if the milk spoils while I tend to her. Jessica is far more important than the milk she gives me.

I hook up the tubes and hold my breath, waiting as her milk flows out of her. The tight lines around her face ease a bit as the pressure lessens. Soft groans reach my ears as she shakes her head back and forth.

“I don’t want to go to school,” she murmurs. “Can’t I just take the day off? It’s not like you never skipped a day of work.”

She must be talking to her mother again. Worry eats at me as I lower both of us into the tub. The cool water makes my teeth chatter as I hold Jessica tight against my chest.

It’s worse for her, though. The moment the water covers her body, the shivers become far more pronounced. She bucks against me, fighting against the cold. I hold on, smothering her in my grip.

Rocking back and forth, I look up at the ceiling, praying to the Celestials that she’ll be okay. Nagán will help her. He has to. I burrow my head into her neck as I listen to the nearly incoherent babbling.

Sorrow and anguish pour from her as she converses with the woman who gave her life. Her words become frantic, slurred almost, as desperation laces her tone. This woman means the world to her. It’s evident by the almost reverent way Jessica speaks.

Nagán bursts through the door, his face pinched. Worry radiates from him, making his movements jerky and rushed. Reaching under her arms, he lifts her from me and carries her into the bedroom.

The tubes drag along the floor, tangling up. The bags containing her milk strain against the pressure of being tugged on until they finally burst, spilling the precious liquid all over the tiles.

It means nothing to me. I realize as I watch it disappear, sucked in by the responsive tiles, that nothing is more precious to me than her. I stride into the room and take off my suit, ignoring my brother’s glare.

I need to be skin-to-skin with her, to feel her against me as Nagán looks her over. Climbing into the bed, I pull her into my arms. Almost instinctively, she turns into me, nuzzling my chest. We rock back and forth as he removes the suction from her nipples.