Page 14 of Gravel and Grit

Now, he felt like a pregnant female who was also sticking her chest out in challenge.

I understand why females say they feel like beachedmazuutswhen heavywith young.

He tried to hold the human as tightly as possible without causing her injury, but he could feel her bouncing around despite his efforts. Still, she remained mostly quiet with the exception of a few grunts and yelps when she hit the unyielding surface of his stone wings. That changed after he almost went sprawling at the first turn in the hallway.

Zaek thought for sure he was going to slip and slide until he fell on his tail. He caught himself by digging the claws on his feet into the floor for traction, but that near fumble prompted the female to start the screaming she’d forgotten to do earlier.

More claw, less pad.

As much as her shrieking hurt his ears, he couldn’t help but smile a little, even as he tranqed another soldier and put on a burst of speed to widen the gap between them. This was the first time since coming to this planet that a human’s screams were not directed at him.

“You are safe, Earthian. Do not fret,” he garbled breathlessly as he ran around another corner, his mouth still not quite working properly with the swollen mating gland.

Zaek counted the hallways, tracing his way back to the elevator and the only way out. The combined weight of her, the beacon, and his stone skin made running difficult, but he wasn’t willing to abandon either or retract his

defences for more speed.

Her response to his reassuring statement was to choke out something vaguely resembling words before she screamed, very loudly, “HELP ME!”

Poor thing is hysterical. She must not be accustomed to such excitement.

He chuckled slightly even as his heart squeezed with sympathy. He thought it was pretty apparent that’s what he was doing, but he stated the obvious anyway since she was clearly panicked.

“Iamhelping you, Fluffy Bunny.”

It came out more likeI mm hellg oo fufy unny,but Zaek was sure it was the thought that counted here. He tried to pet her to calm her down without letting go of his tight grip, which meant he mostly just flexed his fingers against her waist. He wasn’t sure she even noticed his efforts, but it made him feel better that he was making some attempt to soothe her since it was partially his fault she was in this predicament.

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MIRA

Mira was freaking out. This was not at all how she’d fantasized first contact would go.

Instead of the historic, intellectual meeting between higher life forms she’d imagined, she found herself, one seriously beefy arm, and her device squished inside some kind of alien kangaroo pouch, half of which was comprised of a rock-like surface she could’ve sworn were leathery wings only seconds ago.

More distressingly, she was being shot at by the very men who were supposed to protect her. She was sure they were actually shooting at the alien, but they were obviously perfectly fine with her being collateral damage, since they’d tried to shootthroughher to get to him—assuming the towering wall of grey muscle, and the bulge she’d clocked in his matte black alien suit, denoted maleness.

I knew I couldn’t trust those bastards!

Mira was fairly sure she was in the beginning stages of shock. Her mind was trying to focus on what was somewhat familiar—men with guns—

instead of attempting to come to terms with what just happened—kidnapped by a living gargoyle.

That insulating layer of shock lasted right up until the giant alien went skidding, sending her head thunking back against the rock half of the pitch black pouch she was squashed into, despite the tight, bracing hold he had on her waist. The blow knocked loose enough sense that she realized sitting

there like an idiot wasn’t going to help her get free. She had no way of knowing if he’d snatched her up just to save her life, or if he’d taken her with the intention of using her for leverage. If it were the latter, she would probably die. She wasn’t important enough to use as leverage.

Even knowing it most likely wouldn’t have any appreciable effect, the urge to scream for help wasn’t one she could resist.

“HELP ME!”

Mira felt, more than heard, the alien’s rude chuckle in response to her screech. She thought he said something after his laugh but, between the gunshots ricocheting off him, the muffling effect of the rock, and the odd way he enunciated them, the words were jumbled.

Okay, think Mira! Have to find a way out of this without getting killed.

Taking a deep breath that smelled of her own perfume mixed with earthiness and a spice she had no name for, she did her best to calm her thoughts while still being jostled around like clothes in a washing machine.

Mira stiffened as much as the small space allowed when there was a lull in automatic gunfire, hopeful that someone with more intellect than muscle had shown up and stopped those idiots from trying to kill her and her first alien.

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