Page 96 of Stranded with the Alien

Rocky watched from the sidelines with his perpetually puzzled expression. He no longer had any puppyish features. His grey coat was short and sleek. Bone-like ridges traced his spine. His jaws were powerful enough to snap necks and on his hind-legs he stood nearly as tall as a Vraxian.

But his black eyes held only adoration for Vahn and Kara, even if he didn’t entirely understand why they were trying to knock seven bells out of each other.

As time went on, Vahn stopped holding back. His mate was a fast learner, increasingly difficult to hit. Her punches and kicks hurt when they landed. His admiration for her resilience soared.

After training Kara would examine her bruises with a sense of satisfaction. She didn’t know if she could actuallybeata Vraxian in a straight contest. But she’d sure as hell last a lot longer against one.

At night, Vahn would use his hands and serpetri on her in altogether different ways. Just as they trained to fight together, so they trained in love-making. He learned how to make her body shake in ecstasy. And she learned how to keep him on the brink until he begged for release.

When her period came for the tenth time, she wondered if they’d ever get off the planet. And found that she didn’t mind if the answer was ‘no’.

So it was Sod’s Law that barely a week later as they hiked upriver to check their traps, they heard the distant howl of an interstellar engine directly overhead.

Forty Five

They looked up. The ship was too high and the cloud cover too low but the sound of engines shifting from space drive to atmospheric propulsion was clearly audible. Kara’s heart plummeted.

“They’ve finally come,” she said bleakly. The irony wasn’t lost on her.

She’d spent her first few days on the planet praying for the SDF to find her. Now they had and she was devastated.

Because it meant leaving Vahn.

She turned to the blue alien, trying to keep the anguish from her voice.

“They’ll need to land in a clear area but it won’t take them long to find the camp. You have to go.”

Vahn nodded heavily.

“I’ll head into the hills and wait until your people take off again.”

“I’ll leave the water canisters for you. And you’ll have Rocky for company.”

“I will be fine,kalehsha.Once you alert Vraxos to my location, I will be home soon too. And then we can work towards the day we see each other again.”

Kara’s heart cracked.

“I can’t bear it,” she said, her voice small and lost. “I can’t bear to leave you.”

Vahn crushed her in his arms, inhaling her scent as if he was drowning and she was oxygen.

“We knew this day would come, Kara. We are prepared.”

“I don’t feel prepared.” She let her tears come, not caring that she was soaking his chest. “The thought of not seeing you, not being with you… I can’t do it, Vahn.”

“You must.” He kissed her hair. “We cannot stay here forever,kalehsha. I love you but I know this life isn’t enough for you. You need your people, your friends, your mother…”

“No!” she looked up at him fiercely. “I don’t need any of them. I only need you. Vahn, let’sbothhide. Let’s stay here. We can break the stupid beacon, we can stay together. Please don’t make me leave you behind.”

He kissed her then, his mouth searing hers with an intensity borne from despair and sadness. When he let her go, he thought he heard his heart cleaving in two.

“You will go with your people,” he said steadily. “You will thrive. And one day,kalehsha,we will meet again. I know this in my heart because no matter what the odds, we’re destined to be together forever. Until galaxies crumble and stars fade. Now go.”

He gave her a little push. When she didn’t move, he summoned every ounce of will and turned away from her.

“Goodbye Kara,” he said. And began to walk towards the hills.

“Vahn.” He didn’t respond and she fell to her knees, the strength suddenly gone from her legs. “Vahn, please.”

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