Page 16 of A Mate for Haax

Orange and red lights flash all around us as the ship jolts. Haax starts yelling, and although I don’t know what he’s saying, I can tell that it’s not going to be good. Grekarian. I swallow down the bile creeping up my throat, and my knuckles grow gradually whiter as I grasp the armrests of my chair.

Closing my eyes, I try to take in several deep breaths, but it all comes out in pants.

The words brace for impact are said in my head but never aloud. Telepathic, I keep forgetting. The faster we fall, the more my hands shake. Haax does his best to pull up on the controls, but it’s no use.

Haax must see the utter look of terror on my face because his words swirl passionately around my head. Do not worry, Esme. I will make sure you are safe. I have had many years training as a commander, and I’ve spent many times lost in the jungles of Grekaria. I imagine Earth’s woods to be similar.

Wind roars around us as we plummet towards the ground. Oh, God, I think I’m going to puke. I prepare myself for the inevitable when we hit the ground, but instead of vomiting, my world starts to fade away.

Pain radiates throughout my body, but I can’t move to do anything about it. So I let the darkness swallow me whole.

* * *

“Esme… Esme…” Someone or something is shaking my shoulders, and I blink my eyes as he comes into focus, trying to wake me up. A moan rips from my mouth as the pain again slices through my body. He’s standing over me; his jaw is tense and only softens when I fully open my eyes. “Oh, thank the Goddess.” Concern is written clearly in his eyes.

Forgetting my own pain, my eyes scan his body, making sure he isn’t hurt. He just looks stressed, and his clothes are disheveled. There is no blood or bones sticking out. A sigh of relief slips from me.

I try to assess where the pain is coming from and pinpoint it to my right wrist. I don’t think it’s broken but definitely strained.

He lifts his hand to my cheek, and I let myself drift into the warmth and comfort it provides. “Let me get the healer.” Without giving me a chance to respond, he goes in search of what I’m assuming is some type of medical device.

My eyes widen as I take in our surroundings, waiting for him to return. The sky outside is quickly turning to an onyx color, so I know we won’t be traveling tonight.

What happens now?

I keep wondering if it’s all a dream and I’ll wake up from it, but that is definitely not the case.

Haax returns moments later with an object that looks similar to a metal detector, like the ones they use at the airport. “Hold out your hand. I will let the healer diagnose it.” He says softly.

I do as he asks, and a weird light appears to run across my skin. He lets out an audible exhale. “It is not as bad as I expected. The healer will be able to get it back to new in no time.”

I allow him to scan my arm, and, already, it’s starting to feel better.

A few minutes later, I unbuckle myself from my seat and stand, only to wobble forward. Strong hands grab me before I hit the deck. My sight catches on the outside of the ship. Luckily we didn’t hit any of the trees and get stuck on the way down. I can see the ground below us. Littered chunks of the ship are scattered everywhere.

Lights still flash in multi-colors on the display board in front of me. That means we still have power, right? If our power source was affected, we wouldn’t have lights. My chest lightens just a smidge before my next thought hits, and my stomach lurches, leaving me feeling disoriented. “Do you know where we are?”

Pulling up a map on the screen in front of us, he points to a location. “We’re currently here; about a day's walk from the compound. We’ll have to travel there by foot since my ship is no longer an available option. It is dark now, and I am unfamiliar with the area, nor the animals who live here. I wish to be well aware of my surroundings so that I can protect you.”

He examines my face before exhaling. “I know there is a cave between here and the compound. We will start early in the morning and rest in the cave overnight. On our walk, I will procure wood to keep us warm by a fire, and I shall hunt.”

I give him a perfunctory nod. I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that we crashed and I’m still alive. I feel like someone has a wire wrapped around my heart and is pulling on it, squeezing the life from me, making it hard to breathe.

This is easily on my list of my biggest fears; being lost in the wild. I find a small amount of comfort in the fact that I’m not alone.

One single tear drops down my face, and he reaches over to wipe it off before pulling me into a hug. “Hey, do not cry, mate. We will figure this out together. Let us go to bed tonight, and we will start our way home tomorrow. I have bags and some things we can take for our travels. Always come with blankets and provisions for this precise situation. It is going to be okay. I’m hoping we come across a mountain where I can get direct comms with Axxon or the compound to let them know we are okay. They will be worried when they notice our ship dropped off the tracker.”

Rubbing my sweaty hands on the thighs of my jeans, I worry my bottom lip. “What happened?”

“This type of destruction can only be caused by one enemy, the Necorium. They must have been following us. The unknown of their newly stealthed ships proves cause for concern since we are no longer as advanced in finding them first and heading off any attacks.”

Haax pulls me in close, so I breathe in his calming scent as he kisses my forehead. Leather and mint coils around me in a protective way. “When we start out tomorrow, we must be vigilant and make sure we do not run across any of those savage creatures. I will not lose you. My people have already suffered too much loss.” His lips pull down at the corners as his eyes close.

Tears sting my eyes, and I sniffle, wiping at my runny nose. My heart breaks for him. I can’t even begin to fathom how hard it must have been to lose their females. Especially because no one knows what happened to them or why they all got suddenly sick.

The air is filled with absolute silence for minutes before Haax breaks it. “We should go to bed, mate, I fear it will be a long day tomorrow.”

I dip my head into a bow. “Yeah, I am kind of tired.” A yawn pries its way out through my mouth, and I put my hand up to cover it. He points to the room, and I head that way. The heat of his hand on the small of my back brings me a modicum of comfort in this uncertainty.

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