Page 69 of Stranded with the Alien

But the sound of Kara’s voice seemed to have calmed the animal. It quietened down, its eyes fixed on her face. Vahn released it and stepped back hurriedly, keeping the weapon trained on it.

The animal paid him no attention. It rolled over and showed Kara its belly.

“Oh, you cutey-pie,” she said, immediately dropping to her knees beside it.

“Be careful,” Vahn warned. “Those jaws are exceedingly powerful.”

“You don’t want to hurt me, do you? You’re a good boy. What a good boy.” Vahn watched in disbelief as Kara rubbed the hound’s stomach and spoke to it as though it was a week-old hatchling. “Have you been following us? Have you? What a clever boy.”

“Kara, I do not know much about zoology but I am fairly sure the animal cannot speak.”

“Ignore the grumpy alien. Have you been bringing us food? Have you? I know you have. Good boy.”

She scratched its head. Vahn swore the cur gave him a smug look.

“Why is it here?” he demanded. “It should be with its own kind.”

“Maybe he couldn’t find his pack. Or maybe they rejected him.” She looked winsomely up at Vahn. “Let’s keep him.”

“Are you out of your mind?”

“Why not? He’s a good hunter. He’ll come in useful. Anyway, how are you going to stop him from following us?”

Vahn deliberately raised the blaster again and Kara scrambled to her feet.

“No! Stop it. Put it down.”

“Fine. On your head be it.”

Muttering under his breath, the Vraxian strode past her and resumed the path up the hill. “You’re responsible for the creature, human. Don’t blame me when it turns on you.”

Kara eyed the hound.

“Ignore him. He’s a big softy really. Well, actually he isn’t but I won’t let him hurt you. Come on then, if you’re coming.”

She patted her thigh and the beast sprang to its feet. It had grown incredibly fast. It wasn’t quite as big as the ones which had attacked her but it wasn’t far off.

The hind leg which had been broken seemed to have mended well, if slightly crookedly. She bent and pulled off the frayed cloth. The hound’s reptilian tail thumped the dirt and she smiled.

“Okay, let’s go. And we’ll think of a name on the way.”

Thirty One

The journey became a grinding uphill slog. As usual, the rain began in the afternoon but now they also had to contend with a sharp wind that grew more blustery as they climbed.

Kara’s calves began to burn. When Vahn took the backpack from her she only put up a token complaint. He didn’t seem bothered by the gradient and she was too tired to argue.

The hound-beast was equally unfazed. He skipped up the track as if on a casual walk, seemingly untroubled by the increasingly rocky ground. Sometimes he picked up a small stone and crunched it in his jaws just for fun.

“Rocky,” she murmured. “That’s what I’ll call him.”

Every so often Rocky would run ahead to investigate, then turn and watch anxiously to make sure Kara was coming. It was a different story with Vahn.

Every time the Vraxian got close, Rocky would lay his ears flat and bare his teeth.

“Look at that,” Kara teased. “Clearly a good judge of character.”

“The animal is deranged.” Vahn glared at the beast and Rocky’s deep-throated growl kicked up a notch.

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