Page 13 of The Alien's Unwanted Bride

Dravek’s hand flew to the hilt of his energy blade, years of training kicking in as he assessed potential threats. The urge to protect Zora, to ensure her safety above all else, was almost overwhelming. It frightened him, this intensity of feeling. It went against everything he’d been taught about emotional control and detachment.

“What did you do?” he demanded, his voice harsher than he’d intended. Was he angry at her for potentially triggering the barrier, or at himself for these confusing, distracting emotions?

Zora held up her hands defensively. “I didn’t touch anything! I’ve been sitting here the whole time, trying to fix Sprig!”

Forcing himself to take a calming breath, Dravek approached the barrier. He extended his hand, careful not to make contact with the unknown energy field. Heat radiated from the surface, prickling his skin even through the protective layer of his suit.

With a practiced motion, he ignited his energy blade. The weapon hummed to life, casting a blue glow that mingled with the ambient light of the cavern. Dravek brought the blade down in a controlled arc, aiming for the edge of the barrier.

The resulting clash of energies sent a shower of sparks cascading to the cave floor. But when the light faded, the barrier remained intact, not even a scratch marring its surface.

“Well,” Zora said, her voice a mixture of fascination and concern, “I don’t think that’s going to work.”

Dravek deactivated his blade, frustration etching lines across his forehead. “Your talent for stating the obvious is truly remarkable,” he muttered.

To his surprise, instead of taking offense, Zora merely smiled. “One of my many charms. Now, let’s think about this logically. There must be a control mechanism somewhere in here. These symbols,” she gestured to the glowing glyphs that covered the walls, “they must mean something.”

TEN

Dravek nodded, grudgingly impressed by her ability to remain calm and analytical in the face of their predicament. It was one of the things that had first drawn his attention to her, though he’d been loath to admit it even to himself. Her intelligence, her quick thinking, her ability to adapt to new situations—all qualities he valued highly. But coupled with her recklessness, her disregard for protocol... it created a confusing mix of admiration and frustration that he couldn’t seem to reconcile.

“Agreed,” he said, pushing aside his conflicting thoughts. “From what I can tell, this seems to be some kind of ancient Tharvisian technology. The symbols may hold the key to deactivating the barrier.”

As if eager to contribute, Sprig chimed in with another burst of nonsensical chatter. This time, however, the little robot projected a series of symbols into the air—crude representations of the glyphs that adorned the cave walls.

Zora’s eyes lit up, and Dravek felt an unexpected warmth bloom in his chest at the sight of her excitement. “Sprig, you beautiful little glitch! You’re recording the symbols!” She turnedto Dravek, her face alight with enthusiasm. “This could help us decipher the code faster.”

For the next several minutes, they worked in tandem, examining the projected symbols and comparing them to those on the walls. Dravek inhaled the subtle scent of her hair, felt the warmth radiating from her body, noted the way her brow furrowed in concentration—each detail seemed magnified, threatening to distract him from the task at hand.

He drew upon his military training, recalling briefings about ancient technologies that responded to specific energy frequencies. But even as he focused on the problem before them, a part of his mind kept circling back to Zora. Her expertise, her quick mind, the way she approached the challenge with such determination—it stirred something within him, a grudging respect tinged with... what? Attraction? The thought sent a jolt of panic through him.

“Look here,” Zora said, pointing to a recurring pattern. Her finger brushed against his arm as she leaned in, and Dravek had to suppress a shiver. “These four symbols—I bet they represent the classical elements. Earth, water, air, and fire.”

Dravek nodded, forcing himself to focus on the glyphs rather than the warmth of her touch. “And here,” he indicated another section, fighting to keep his voice steady, “these glyphs correspond to energy frequencies we’ve encountered in other ancient sites.”

A plan began to form in Dravek’s mind, a welcome distraction from the confusing swirl of emotions. He raised his wrist, fingers flying over the device’s interface. “If I can calibrate a signal to match the frequencies associated with these symbols...”

“...and if we use Sprig to project counter-frequencies,” Zora continued, catching on to his train of thought, “we might be able to disrupt the barrier’s energy field.”

Their eyes met, a spark of shared understanding passing between them. For a moment, Dravek forgot about protocols and propriety, about the inner turmoil that had been plaguing him. In that instant, they were simply two minds working in perfect harmony toward a common goal. The feeling was exhilarating and deeply unsettling.

As they set their plan into motion, each detail of Zora seemed to burn itself into his memory. The way she bit her lower lip in concentration, the graceful efficiency of her hands as she adjusted Sprig’s settings?—

He shook his head, trying to clear the distracting thoughts. Focus. Control. These were the principles that had guided him throughout his life. So why did they crumble in her presence?

Sprig continued to interject with his unique brand of “assistance.” The robot’s language centers were still scrambled, resulting in a stream of mispronounced words and nonsensical advice.

“Recommend dancing to appease the spirits,” Sprig chirped in a garbled mixture of Earth Standard and Tharvisian. “Empfehlen Sie einen Tanz, um die Geister zu besänftigen...”

Zora rolled her eyes, a fond smile forming. “Not helpful, Sprig. But thanks for trying.”

To his own surprise, a low chuckle escaped Dravek’s throat. The sound startled him—when was the last time he had laughed so freely? “Perhaps he’s onto something,” he said, the barest hint of a smirk softening his usually stern features.

Zora raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in her eye. “You think dancing will solve this? I had no idea the mighty Prince Dravek was so in touch with his spiritual side.”

Her teasing tone sent an unexpected thrill through him. Part of him wanted to retreat behind his usual mask of stoic indifference, to shut down this dangerous line of banter. But another part—a part that seemed to grow stronger with eachpassing moment—urged him to engage, to see where this newfound rapport might lead.

Dravek shrugged, the gesture more relaxed than any he’d allowed himself in years. “It might be worth a try. I’ve seen stranger things work on this planet.”

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