Page 46 of Her Alien Savior
“Oh… then…” I didn’t know what I wanted to say anymore. Because just like he said before, I couldn’t define the why of wanting him. I just did. And it wasn’t like I was drawn because of his blood, right? Humans didn’t work that way. But I remembered having tasted his blood when I kissed him before. It was oddly comforting and arousing.
“I think on this from time to time,” he began, “What would make you smile if circumstances were different? If I had met you as Commander Vox Direl, standing before you with honor and confidence as you went about whatever tasks you would fill your risings with. How I would submit formal requests of claiming among my tribe both on the ship MX-Vul Fleet An, and that of the House of Nel on Necias Prime upon knowing in my hearts I was yours, and you were a gift of the goddess presented without such danger and trial. What would be bringing my mate joy before I came to her life? Of course, I would wish to earn my place as first joy, but there is no denying I would wish to be claimed on the first rising. My tribe could wait for a formal claiming, but if I were not restrained, I fear I may have lost before I began. Is that not the way of humans? Would I have lost you because of my customs, my mate?”
My lip was trembling that he was thinking of all these things. These were not the thoughts of someone crazed by blood lust to claim a mate, these were thoughts of a fully aware being wishing to make me happy and it had nothing to do with what blood I held in my body.
He continued before I could answer, “The goddess has chosen our path to be filled with obstacles to prove me to be a warrior worthy of the honor to claim a bond so rare as a Pulsunne. I will earn this, because of this feeling I have right now, with your body pressed to my hearts. There is not a why better than this, my mate.This,“ he said again with a squeeze. My whole body warmed, humming withthisall-consuming feeling washing over me, filled with contentment, and longing, and… home.
He was right,this,was everything. He was everything.
And I didn’t need to explain the why… I felt it.
I sniffled, and wrapped my arms around his middle and squeezed as tightly as I could, making him grunt and then a beautiful laugh filled the room.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered softly to me, but I squeezed him tighter still, not that it would harm him. My muscles were no match for his, or the thick second skin covering his epul. I should have been a little more worried about being skewered by the spikes that were under that skin of his, but I felt safe, and no amount of squeezing was putting a dent in his skin.
After a time, I finally spoke, “I like to dance… that’s what makes me smile.” Other than you, I thought, but I couldn’t bring myself to admit that just yet.
“Dancing,” he repeated, and I could tell he was smiling into my hair, the corners of his mouth lifting.
“Well, weapon’s dancing. It’s like the art of dancing, but with a spear. On Earth, I had a studio apartment that I cleared the whole floor of everything except a bed and I’d practice until my lungs burned and I collapsed on the floor with a smile on my face. It was the only time I smiled back home.” The only time, for a split second, I forgot about everything, before thoughts of my brother sobered me.
The smile I had on my cheeks flattened, and I felt myself pushing away from the warmth Direl provided, but he held me still. How could I smile right now, when Direl was going to fight some duel for me, and I still didn’t get the information on the truth of how my brother died?
“I have to go, I need to return to the lab,” I said hurriedly, the plan forming in my mind rapid fire and unable to stop myself. His hands rubbed softly down my arms in a calming gesture, before he released me, and I fumbled to the door, only to discover it blinked blue once more. Blue, god-damned alien restricted blue!
“Fucking unbelievable!” I raged, as I slammed my hand against the door, then stormed off to the bathroom, where the weird opening Tomquin called the conservatory probably was. Direl followed behind me quietly, allowing me my space of frustration.
The brightness of the outdoors, made me squint. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I couldn’t stay still any longer. I had something to prove! My feet sped up, one in front of the other, faster and faster until I was running through the weird alien grass, not even fully taking in the beauty of the landscape surrounding me. Before I heard a roar from behind that made me glance over my shoulder.
Direl’s eyes were fully dilated and black. His nostrils flared and his chest heaved with restraint as his long strides strained in smooth deliberate movements. My eyes went down his chest and to the bulge in his pants, before snapping back up to the way he licked his lips.
I tried to explain to him what I was doing without giving away my plans, because he wouldn’t approve of what I was going to do if he knew the full truth of it, “I’m going to force them to let me back into the lab. I just need to find another person and if we’re lucky they have access to leave their room, and if we aren’t lucky then I threaten them.” Whoever was watching us, now knew what I was going to do, so either they granted me access to leave through someone else’s room, or I showed them what weapon’s dancing was like with an opponent, and not simply for fun.
Direl was gaining on me each time I looked back over my shoulder, the restraint he was showing on slowing his strides was losing.
“Rakture!” he roared loudly through the open plains as I jumped over a bush to reach the upcoming hidden enclosure that had to be the closest residence with direct access to both the conservatory and their rooms.
I’d looked at the schematics of where my rooms were on the facility map, so on the quadrant I was trying to memorize before coming back to my rooms, I noticed that only my room and a couple of others had access to both sides. My room was indeed set up as being part of the staffing rooms, and not just a science project. Many of the other holding rooms were not attached to the hallways that led to the labs.
And before I could get to the room, I looked back once more to find Direl was no longer behind me…
He was… gone?
I heard a chuff from in front of me, and I stopped running to see him standing in front of the room with full epul on display. His forehead was covered in small bones that appeared like a crown around his temples. Shoulder epuls were so large that a few of them curved and framed out his head. Spikes ran down his arms, even his thighs and the backs of his feet had spikes coming out. His pants were tearing with every moment against his released epul and patches of his skin shimmered a light blue and yellow like his skin, appearing like armored scales. He was fully ready to… fight me?
“Direl…?” I said softly, while lifting my hands up.
His chest heaved, and he smiled showing me his fangs. He said nothing, but proceeded to circle, and pace in anticipation of me coming after him? These were movements of a predator waiting for another prey’s next move. Watching me, waiting to see what I will do.
A shadowed figure came out of the room behind Direl, and a familiar voice called to him, “Whoa, I didn’t believe the announcement that I’d get to witness a Rakture right outside my room. I knew I could count on you to bring some excitement around here,” he joked, and that laugh made my knees weak. I choked on a sob building up in my throat.
I stepped forward, but Direl matched my movement, preventing me from seeing who decided to watch whatever this Rakture was that Direl had made very clear with his species’ rut taking over his higher thinking capabilities. He was lost in whatever needs his body had right now. His pants were shredding more with every step he took that brushed his fabric against his extended epul. He didn’t even acknowledge whoever was here watching us, his black eyes were focused on me, and only me.
Soon, more creatures gathered around us from their dwellings, and we were stuck facing each other off.
“Direl,” I begged, stepping off to the side again, only for him to block my view. Despite how charged he was, and I should have been terrified of how he looked right then, I wasn’t. I didn’t think he’d harm me even like this, but what I did know is that I knew that voice, and I needed to know if I was hallucinating.
I grew more irritated with Direl as the seconds ticked by, and even though I found him very attractive, and the way his muscles strained against shredded clothing made me want to squirm, this wasn’t the time. I had to see who was attached to that voice, even if all it did was lead to more disappointment because I knew it was impossible, and it was probably just my imagination, it didn’t matter. I needed to know.
