Page 11 of Wrecked By My Alien Mentor

The Grolgath crashes through the window, the glass shattering into a thousand glittering shards. For a moment, he hangs in the air, his eyes wide with shock, and then he’s gone, his scream fading as he plummets twenty stories to the ground below.

I’m frozen, my breath coming in shallow gasps, my heart pounding so hard it feels like it might burst. The golden figure straightens, his chest rising and falling with each heavy breath. His scales shimmer in the dim light, and his purple eyes—those piercing, familiar purple eyes—lock onto mine.

“Are you all right…” he starts, his voice deep and resonant, then stops, as if catching himself. “Miss?”

I stare at him, my mind struggling to process what I’m seeing. The scales, the height, the sheer presence—it’s all alien, and yet… there’s something about his face, something I recognize. The sharp jawline, the intensity in his gaze, the way he carries himself like he owns every room he walks into. It’s him.

“I’m not hurt,” I manage to say, my voice trembling. “Mr. Weller. Sir.”

CHAPTER 6

ORIYN

Cora sits in my office, my blazer draped over her shoulders like a makeshift shield. She cradles the coffee cup in her hands, steam curling up to her face. Her green eyes are sharp, curious, not the wide, panicked stare I expected after a run-in with a grolgath. She’s tougher than she looks. I like that.

“So, you’re not really a businessman at all?” she asks, her tone light but probing. She’s testing the waters, trying to figure out how much she can push.

“I’m as much a businessman as I am a soldier,” I say, leaning back in my chair. The leather creaks under my weight. “Veritas needs money to function. Someone has to make sure the coffers don’t run dry. That’s me.”

She tilts her head, her brown hair brushing against the collar of my blazer. “And the grolgath? They’re the bad guys, right?”

“From humanity’s perspective, yes. They’re here to manipulate your timeline, to ensure Earth falls under their control in the future. Veritas is here to stop them.”

She laughs, a short, incredulous sound. “Well, that’s a lot to unpack. So, in the future, Earth and Vakuta are allies?”

“Yes.” I nod, my golden scales catching the light. “And if we do our jobs right, it stays that way.”

She takes a sip of her coffee, her eyes never leaving mine. “Alright, Mr. Weller. Sir. If you’re really an alien working for a secret organization protecting Earth’s timeline… what do you want with me?”

I lean forward, resting my elbows on the desk. My voice is low, deliberate. “You’re sharp, Cora. Smarter than most humans I’ve met. Veritas needs people like you—people who can think on their feet, who don’t panic when the world turns upside down. You proved that today.”

She raises an eyebrow, a small smirk playing on her lips. “So, what? I’m your new recruit?”

“You’re a potential recruit,” I correct her. “This isn’t a decision to make lightly. If you join Veritas, your life changes. Permanently.”

She sets the coffee cup down on the desk, her fingers drumming lightly against the surface. “And if I say no?”

“Then you walk away. But you’ll never know what you could’ve been a part of.”

She leans back in her chair, her gaze thoughtful. “You’re not exactly selling it, you know.”

“I’m not here to sell it,” I say, my voice firm. “I’m here to give you the truth. The choice is yours.”

She’s quiet for a moment, her fingers still tapping rhythmically. Then she looks up at me, her green eyes steady. “Alright, Mr. Weller. Sir. I’m in.”

I keep my face neutral, but inside, something loosens in my chest. She’s still here. She’s staying. I don’t know why that matters so much, but it does.

“This isn’t a game,” I rumble, my voice low and steady. “It’s life and death. What you experienced tonight, with a grolgath attempting to kill you? It will likely happen again. Many times.”

She purses her lips, her fingers tightening around the edge of the desk. For a moment, I think she’ll back out. But then she squares her shoulders and meets my gaze head-on. “I’m still in.”

“Very well,” I say, nodding once. “Welcome to Veritas.”

Her eyes narrow, and she leans back in her chair, crossing her arms. “That’s it? You aren’t going to teach me a secret handshake or anything? What happens now?”

“Now,” I say, standing and moving around the desk, “we continue much as we did before. We still have a business empire to run, in order to keep Veritas and other altruistic projects funded. But your duties will…expand.”

Her face lights up, and she leans forward, her green eyes sparkling. “Do I get a raygun? Or a jetpack?”

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