Page 11 of Alien Protector's Mate

The doors parted like a yawning maw, the harsh lighting from outside spilling into the dimly lit cargo hold and making her squint. She winced, holding up a hand to shield her face as her eyes struggled to adjust after hours in the darkness of the crate.

As the opening widened, a rush of air, laden with new smells and sounds, flooded in. She wrinkled her nose at some of the scents as she breathed deeply, finally filling her lungs as she kept her attention on the door in front of her. All she could see from this angle were more crates like the one she’d hidden in for thejourney up here. But beyond them she could hear the distant hum of some kind of machinery, the chatter of voices, and every so often a soft whoosh she couldn’t identify.

She heard a groan behind her and whirled around to find that the cargo hold had two doors. The other one was behind her, opening slower than the first. Quickly, she tucked herself in deeper behind the crates, trying to keep an eye on both doors at once.

The second door was more informative than the first. She bit her lip as she peeked out over the crate. People scurried back and forth between what looked like hundreds of ships in the cargo bay, driving hover-carts laden with cargo. They mostly looked human, but a few towering figures had horns and tails that made her eyes open wide.

Voices got closer, their words completely alien to her. A group of men appeared in front of the door with cargo-sleds, and she shrank down further into the shadows, her heart pounding so loudly she was sure it would give her away.

“Krav’nath zho’lar mel’tik,” one of them said in a gruff voice as he pulled gloves on. “Shar’vol na’kree…”

“Rak! I told you to put the damned ship translator on,” one of the others in the group said. This close, she realized they weren’t human as she’d thought. They were way too big to be human. They must be Lathar. “Half these dockhands are human males and can’t understand a word of Latharian.”

“…is last of the perishables,” the one with the gruff voice said. “We need to get them to storage quickly. We’re behind schedule.”

They turned away to the sleds, and she inched forward. She had to go now, before they started unloading. As soon as they did, they would find her in here. Holding her breath and expecting shouts of alarm to ring out any second, she eased from her hiding place and darted to the first cargo door that hadopened. Casting a quick look around to make sure she hadn’t been seen, she ran quick and low across to the group of crates not far away.

She worked her way across the cargo-hall like that, darting from one group of crates and boxes to another, always keeping an eye out to make sure she hadn’t been seen. Along with the aliens, machines filled the space as well. The tall, spindly spider-like machines had claws for hands and faces that were little more than one big, red eye. They gave her the creeps so she hid under a sled until they passed.

She was just about to squeeze out and continue toward the doors she’d spotted at the other end of the hall when the clang of metal on metal made her freeze. Footsteps approached—heavy, purposeful strides that echoed in the cavernous space. Her breath caught in her throat, and she pressed herself against a nearby container, praying its shadow would conceal her.

A towering figure passed by, only feet from where she was hiding. Through a gap in the cargo, she caught a glimpse of grey-tinged skin, rippling muscles, and horns. He wasn’t a Lathar, that was for sure. She’d heard stories of other aliens on the station, but she hadn’t paid any attention to the gossip. She’d had too much to think about with the Morgans to worry about aliens in orbit.

The alien paused, his head tilting as if sensing something amiss. She froze, breath caught in her chest, every nerve in her body taut with fear. For an agonizing moment, she was certain he would discover her.

Then a voice called out from across the bay. “Voratt! We need your strength with this equipment!”

The alien—Voratt—grunted an acknowledgment and moved away. She sagged in relief, her legs trembling as the adrenaline coursed through her system.

She couldn’t stay here. It was only a matter of time before someone spotted her. With a deep breath to steady herself, she moved again, slipping from shadow to shadow as she made her way toward what she hoped was an exit. Knowing her luck, it would just be the bay doors to space and she’d be fucked.

But as she got nearer, she caught glimpses of big corridors and the bustle of activity beyond the doors. People, the Lathar and the horned aliens alike, flowed in and out of the doors along with, she was relieved to see, some humans. Skirting around the back of a crate, she managed to snag a bright sash that must have been the equivalent of a high-vis vest here. She slipped it on and pulled her cap down to cover her eyes as she joined the back of a group of humans leaving the bay.

Relief filled her as the big doors slid shut behind her. She’d done it. She was aboard Devan Station and away from the Morgans.

Then she bit her lip as she looked around the crowded corridors. Many more aliens were here, of all different types, and she couldn’t understand a word of the conversation flowing around her. Her stomach churned as the reality of her situation sank in. She’d escaped, but now she had no plan, no resources, and no idea how to navigate this alien station.

What the hell did she do now?

Jade allowedherself to be swept along with the rest of the crowd headed down the corridor, trying not to gawk as she went. She’d never been out of her own sector of the city before, never mind all the way up to space on an alien station.

Everything was so big. The corridor itself was huge, stretching out in both directions and arcing gently in a way thattold her it must follow the curve of the hull somehow. She hadn’t seen the station on the way up here, but she’d seen enough pictures of it in orbit. It kind of looked like the oranges she’d seen in history books but with the segments all spread open and linked together.

The ceiling arched high above her head, easily three times taller than any building she’d ever been in back on Earth. Soft, ambient lighting glowed from somewhere she couldn’t see, casting a warmth over the metallic walls and floor.

And the air felt different here. Even with the faint metallic tang that tickled her nose, it felt… cleaner somehow. But being packed in tightly among all these beings chased that away somewhat, her senses assaulted by a kaleidoscope of sights and a myriad of smells: spices she couldn’t name, the ozone tang of the robots that wove their way between the organic beings here, and something musky and alien that made her nose wrinkle.

She looked around and couldn’t stop her eyes widening with wonder. Humans mingled with aliens of all shapes and sizes. There were lots of Lathar, their long hair braided intricately and adorned with metal beads that clinked softly as they walked. Their leather clothing creaked with each movement, the material looking supple and well-worn. Surprisingly, for all their height, they weren’t the tallest aliens here. The big ones with the horns and tails easily topped them, their cloven feet making clipping sounds on the metal of the floor as they walked.

She wouldn’t even have been able to describe some of the other aliens if she’d tried. Some had skin in shimmering shades of blue and green while others sported extra limbs or eyes. One group that passed by chattered to each other in high-pitched clicks and whistles, reminding her of the dolphins she’d once seen in a nature documentary.

It was like something out of a dream. A small smile tugged at her lips despite everything… despite the fear and uncertainty ofher situation. For a moment, she let a spark of excitement fill her chest. She was on an actual space station… she and Jared had always dreamed about this. And how many people back on Earth could say they’d done that?

Her wonder was short-lived though. The flow of the crowd took her around the gentle curve in the corridor, and she was so busy looking at a small alien with butterfly wings like silver that she missed the massive, reptilian alien who stopped abruptly in front of her. Its scales shimmered under the lights as it spun around, and she didn’t need to speak the same language to see the anger in its deep-set yellow eyes. It snapped at her, its mouth full of needle-sharp teeth.

“Kre’tavniv vee is nath! Shiv rol meik’fa!” it bellowed, its four eyes narrowed on her with predatory intensity.

Panic seized her chest, squeezing all the air from her lungs as other people in the corridor turned to watch the altercation.Shitshitshit, she was going to get caught.

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