Page 16 of Alien's Eternal Mate

“Wait a second, did you say ‘lifemate?’”

FOUR

CARTER

“Yes, lifemate. My apologies, she must seem like a stranger to you.”

He motioned toward the cowering female.

“Come here, Arael. Stop being fussy like some child. You are his wife. Attend to him.”

She moved into the room, shoulders hunched over, and came to stand before me. She did not meet my gaze, instead staring at the floor.

“Introduce yourself, woman,” the Physicker snapped.

She flinched, then licked her lips and spoke in a tiny voice.

“I am Arael, milord. I am yours, and live only to serve you.”

I scowled, disgust roiling my gut. Humans had once had similar attitudes about our women, and much to our detriment. I did not like the way the doctor spoke to her, but obviously it was the status quo. If I wanted to blend in, I could not object.

I didn’t have to like it, though.

Stop it, Carter. She’s an alien. They’re all aliens. Who cares about their fucked up culture, or about her feelings for that matter? It’s just good that she won’t be a nag.

“Hello, Arael. I don’t remember you. Obviously I must have done something incredible to win your heart.”

She lifted her gaze to meet mine, confusion reigning in the lavender depths. The Physicker scratched the back of his neck.

“Gro, you took Arael as your trophy when you slew her father in battle. As far as her heart, such considerations are for poets and storytellers, not Followers of the Dzun. I hope you remember that much at least, and soon.”

I wasn’t sure what to say. He stared at me sternly for a moment and then swept out of the room. I supposed that meant we were dismissed.

I found a pair of boots, the same color and plain stitching as before. I slid into them and found they fit well enough. I turned to face Arael.

What do you say to someone in this situation? I don’t think there are any words.

“They want us to leave. Do we have a dwelling of some sort?”

She nodded.

“I can take you to our Aerie, milord.”

Aerie? That’s a strange way to put it.

I followed her out of the door into the hallway. The green metal formed the floor and ceiling, but not the walls. It took me a moment to realize that the hospital had been built into the existing structure.

I don’t think these aliens are the ones responsible for the creation of the Luna facility. They appear to have come upon the technology and managed to harness some of its properties, but I doubt they can replicate it.

My estimation of these aliens dropped another peg or two.

We passed by many patients at the hospital. Most of them bore gruesome injuries, such as missing limbs or hideous burns. My stomach twisted in revulsion at the thought of how miserable it must be.

I began to notice several things about my new body. For one, I was a considerably larger specimen than all of the species I had yet encountered. I stood at least a full head taller, and would have been several hundred pounds heavier if this had been Earth.

Who knows, perhaps this species is only six inches tall, and it’s all relative from my perspective.

I doubted it, though. Most galactic species fell in the three foot to eight foot range.

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