Page 51 of Crash Landing
When I headed back to the compound, it was late and the light was starting to wane. I found Saleuk leaning in the doorway, arms crossed like he’d been waiting a while for me to return. I smiled brightly at him and trotted up with my data pad.
“Look,” I said, hoping I had enough battery to at least show him the photo. I tapped the screen and brought up the picture of the little blue monkey. “It was by the lake eating those little yellow things.”
“Bree’bee,” he said. “They make good pets because they’re too trusting. That’s a big one.”
“Big? But it’s so small and cute.”
“They are.”
“I’m just glad it didn’t have a stinger or something. God, this place is actually so interesting without the running and screaming.”
“I’m glad you’re getting time to explore it a little.”
“Me, too.”
I didn’t say it, but I wanted to mention that I was glad Saleuk was there with me. Without him, I’d have been in a panic, unable to take in the sights or calm down enough to study a single thing.
“Come,” he said. “You should eat something before we rest for the night.”
I nodded just as my data pad died and walked inside to find food already prepared for us. There were some potatoes and kalaha and both our canteens were full and sitting on the table. And later, I would finally devour a protein bar for a little extra taste.
Things weren’t so bad on Phesah.
Another night passed and I slept so wonderfully I wondered how I would ever return to sleeping without Saleuk next to me. Only, that morning I woke with a hot sweat on my skin and an insistent throbbing between my legs. It made me wonder what I’d been dreaming because my desire to see Saleuk was overwhelming as soon as I opened my eyes. I wondered how I’d go back to being without him.
Maybe you don’t have to.
Fantastical thoughts of staying with Saleuk crossed my mind. Then that evil logic spoke up and I remembered he was a soldier. He was always in space. Always flying and he was surely in high demand. My inability to fly through the stars without getting sick or simply losing my mind in the past told me I wasn’t a good fit for him. I was someone who needed constant care if our time together proved anything. I was fragile in all the ways he was strong.
When I woke up and Saleuk wasn’t next to me, I started wondering about my future. Was it with him or without him? Which one did I truly want? Then I started regretting asking him about the surge. If I’d just bottled it up and stayed silent, we could have both pretended not to know and then we could goon our way once we were finally rescued. That would have been ideal.
But what did I think was ideal after everything?
I was so confused…
When I heard Saleuk’s voice coming from downstairs, I sat up with a rush of heat and longing. How could a man do that to me with such ease? It was unnerving. I tried to dismiss it as I straightened my hair and headed down to see what was going on. I found him pacing slowly around the lobby with his comms device, speaking into it using his beautiful valerian language.
He was so alien. So perfectly and beautifully alien and yet handsome and familiar. I felt like I was melting to the floor right there at the ramp’s railing as I watched him move. Then there was a faint beeping noise and Saleuk lowered the com-link with a hiss.
“What happened?” I asked.
He looked up, the irritation on his face waning once he set eyes on me.
“I got it working long enough to tell them where we are. Seems the mess with your researcher friend is causing a stir. Otherwise, they would have returned sooner for us. But the tracker is active so they’ll be able to follow it straight to us as soon as someone can get off-world.”
I nodded slowly, relieved to know we hadn’t been forgotten, but admittedly disappointed to know that meant we had less time to sort out the whole surge ordeal. After a whole Phesian day had passed with barely any conversation, I was growing restless.
I decided there wasn’t going to be a chance if I waited so I spit it out.
“So, this thing between us,” I started. “The surge thing. Explain it to me. See, this doesn’t happen with humans.”
He grinned faintly at that. “Yes, it does. Otherwise, how do you breed? A surge is simply an exaggerated attraction. A very tangible, strong physical reaction. It can be one-sided, but many times it is not.”
“So, like humans, you can feel this attraction with others? As long as both hearts are functioning, I mean.”
He hesitated a beat. “Yes.”
“So, you can find anyone then. Now that you’re fully functional.”
