Page 1 of Torn from the Alien Commander

Chapter 1

Tyrxie

Stars

Xandor moves to setme down, but if I could, I would rest in his arms until the day his strength finally waned. Never wanting to be apart as our bodies press together, our ragged breaths mingling. The sound of his heart, the heat of his skin, his breath—something I never dared hope for, but now crave. Our closeness, our belonging, is overwhelming. Tears tumble from my eyes, but for the first time, they are tears of joy and acceptance, not pain.

I’ve cried enough tears of pain.

Even as my feet touch the ground, I cling to him still. “Just a few more minutes,” I suggest, squeezing against him.

Xandor strokes my hair with gentle brushes. “I’m yours forever,” he replies, sending my heart fluttering. His wordssuggest such permanency, as if he sees us together forever. It should shock me, maybe even frighten me, but I can’t deny I enjoy his bold words, hoping he believes in them as much as I wish them to be true.

Something deep within me tells me that Xandor is the only male for me. Feeling him beside me, I silently vow to always be by his side, knowing we both fought so hard for each other. A glowing warmth surges throughout my body at the thought, prompting me to squeeze Xandor even tighter.

I think I love him!

But I dare not speak the words; it’s much too soon, and he’ll think me a naïve girl. Xandor leans down to rub his nose against mine, and I rub back, feeling a little silly but enjoying it too. Xandor chuckles, then leans in again. This time our lips meet in a gentle kiss, full of affection and tenderness. My heart soars once more, wrapped up in our little bubble of bliss.

“Exposed mammaloids!” The screeching voice of Job explodes our bubble like a popped balloon. In a panic, breathless, I break our embrace to cover my nakedness.Voiding voided void tits!“My workshop now, breeding ground for mammaloids! Yes?” Job demands, flailing his arm limbs and fluttering his antennae.

Xandor stands with confidence, not bothered in the slightest, while I’m sure my skin has turned as red as my males. “You should really tidy this place up, Job,” Xandor suggests with a smirk as he turns to face the approaching Glaseroid. “We could have sat on something sharp.”

Job stops in his tracks as Xandor’s member swings with wild abandon, “Eww.” He recoils in horror. “Fleshy bits flopping excretions over my tools! Yes?” Job shrieks.

I struggle not to laugh despite feeling mortified, scurrying to put my clothes on as fast as I can. It’s a struggle to remember where I left my shirt amidst our heady, chaotic embraces. Yet Xandor moves with languid grace, unperturbed.

Job approaches a device bundled along the wall and tests it, sending long jets of flame bellowing out. “Will take hours to cleanse mammaloids juices,” he complains, adjusting dials on his flamethrower with quick movements. “Containment breach, atmosphere contaminated, stench overwhelming. Yes?”

Xandor finally begins equipping his armor while I, already dressed, attempt to creep out the exit with delicate steps, eager to escape this terrible embarrassment. “You, supposed to help fix cargo hold,” Job demands, while I wince at being caught. “Instead, you desecrate workshop. Yes?”

“No!” I shoot back, my mind going blank, unable to think of an excuse, literally caught with my pants down. “I... I—”

“Tyrxie’s with me,” Xandor interrupts, nodding in my direction. “She’s my temporary co-pilot and navigator. Until the other two get their shit together.”

I breathe a sigh of relief at Xandor’s timely rescue, but also worry that I don’t have the slightest idea how to pilot or navigate this ship. My eyes snap to Xandor as I tilt my head and scrunch my face.

“Her?” Job scoffs, activating his flamethrower, which now shoots a much smaller jet. “She can’t bolt straight, like blind pupa pilots ship. Yes?”

“Hey!” I snap back, glaring at Job in annoyance. “If I can’t bolt straight, then why do you keep asking for my help? Answer me that one, antennae-get-stuck-in-everything-Job? Hmm?” I challenge him with a smirk.

Job taps his head with one of his many arm limbs, as if unsure if his antennae are stuck, before returning to blast jets of flame over the benches and tools, grumbling about “Purging juices.”

As I watch Job, a pang of guilt nags at me. I promised to help him and still plan to, but I just want to spend time with Xandor first. “Job, leave the cargo hold for me. I’ll get round to it later.” I smile at him with a nod. “And thanks for your advice earlier,” Iadd with a side glance at Xandor, who’s just finished dressing. “I think it helped.”

Job waves a dismissive hand, “You return help by breeding elsewhere next time. Yes?” he states, continuing to fire short blasts of flame over the area.

He’s such a grump.

“Farewell, my little friend,” Xandor calls back, taking my hand and leading us out the room. Excitement surges through me at the sight of our joined hands. It feels good, like we’re a team or something. His hand is massive, with a texture like leather mixed with stone, and I can sense the immense strength simmering beneath. But for me, his powerful hands move with careful, delicate grace.

“What advice did you speak of?” Xandor asks, with a casual tone, yet it still stiffens my back. He misses nothing!

“Oh, nothing.” I look up at my towering male, who’s now watching me with a curious look. “Actually, it was for a very important project,” I correct with a beaming smile.

“Is that right?” Xandor chuckles, before continuing, “Something to do with that?” he asks, pointing at my chest.

My face heats, thinking he somehow knows about ‘exposing my fleshy bits,’ until I realize he means the scorched flesh on my chest. “Yeah... Yeah, that was part of it,” I add in relief, struggling to tell the truth without giving away the embarrassing details.

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