Page 10 of Her Alien Savior
I could hear a roar and banging noises from outside the door and King Sylve didn’t even raise his voice to reply, “I’ve injected you with nanotech, and they are currently multiplying and infecting your bloodstream. I guess that also includes proliferating your every organ as well.” He sounded dismissive of my situation and added, “It should subside soon, though I’m unsure why you’re having such a reaction to them. It’s usually a painless process, so I’m told, but I guess I’ve never actually been around when it’s being injected.” Shrugging he opened the door to the room with a wave and the loud noises were deafening to my ears.
King Sylve stopped at the door, without turning to glance at me. “Oh, and Miss Spearit, when Direl makes his way here, you can tell him there is a room down the hall to the right, fourth door down that you two can use until we reach Trillume, if he cooperates. If he does not, there are plenty of stasis chambers on board.”
Commander Chuel chuckled. “It’s amazing what being in rut will do for his motivation to do what he’s told,” he joked with Sylve who didn’t even acknowledge that he said anything while walking away to leave me writhing on the floor.
“You’re a piece of work,” I growled out in disgust. He didn’t seem to get that it was an insult and simply smiled at me.
“Your ability to speak while in pain is admirable,” Chuel complimented. “Perhaps I will celebrate with you after our victory of thwarting the war.” He bulged out some more spikes from his chest and biceps in what I supposed was some sort of necia mating display before grunting and making his leave to catch up with his king.
I’d rather die from this searing pain than mate with the likes of him. What kind of warrior leaves someone clearly in distress?
My thoughts went back to Direl and him being passed out and his skin raw and burned from the electricity. We had left him there, I may not have had a choice, but Chuel certainly did. This probably wasn’t as bad as that, since that would have killed me instantly, making my heart stop. That was the only motivator, knowing this couldn’t be as bad as what Direl had gone through… I was still conscious.
I steeled myself to the pain and tried to crawl to the door for my escape.
I had to get out of here.
Chapter six
Direl
Hooman,Irepeatedinmy mind until my voice sounded more like what my translator repeated back to me. Human, I said again. I’d lost consciousness for a moment, but when I regained my mind, I asked my ship’s A.I. to send information about her species to my implant. I heard about Riley’s Earth when the exchange program started, but I never imagined my ship would ever have one on board.
It was true that necia warriors didn’t view humans as much more than animals or pets to be cared for due to their fragile nature and small stature. As humans viewed other creatures that were loyal and proved useful with the right care and attention, so it wasn’t unusual for Chuel to address my female as human instead of by her name. The last nerve for me was when he dared to touch what he clearly saw was not his to protect.
Riley had triggered a rut within me, that’s what all these feelings had to be, and I couldn’t deny it any further after losing control while restrained. I’d struggled so much I’d knocked myself out, which was why we gave any warrior in rut a dose of elder root to take the edge off. For severe cases a high concentrate dose to knock us out. That would have been preferable to what I just experienced. But, if my rut continued not even elder root would keep me subdued.
Waking up from being shocked to momentary unconsciousness was worse than the caves of Hargom. I’d ignored my tribe elders when they said to stay away from the Hargom caves, where the gom eggs were harvested. The gom had natural protections against animals or even the necia from hunting their egg sacks with energy currents that stung the flesh and needed ointment to relieve the sensation of burning.
The brief time my body protected itself from harm by shutting everything down was not long enough to heal from the injuries sustained. My charred flesh assaulted my nose, so much worse than the illusion of my nerves believing they were on fire like the gom’s defenses, but it didn’t stop me from sniffing the room in search of the only thing that mattered, finding my Riley and finishing my rut so this lack of control could be done with. There was no other explanation for this one track mindset to be by her side when Sylve was planning something that could destroy our alliance with the trill. My rut was ill timed when lives were in danger.
My blood pumped in my ears so acutely that it was deafening, all I could hear was the pressure beating faster, and faster. An anxiety like I’d never felt in my life, even facing the largest of opponents in duels with the most deadly of epul didn’t compare to the fear building inside of me.
Fear that couldn’t be mine, I thought.
Somehow, I knew it to be the human that I’d marked for my rut. Was this what all warriors went through when they sought to claim victory for all to see? Many have spoken of the exhilaration, but not this, not the anxiety should your bed sport be in what could possibly be danger.
Riley was in danger, I fumed at the thought, and roared as if there were a battle against my own life approaching. Struggling to free myself I was jolted with another round of electricity, but it wasn’t as strong as what I remembered. Invigorated by this turn of events, I strained to escape my bonds, pushing through the pain that was thankfully at a tolerable level. Then my cuffs around my wrists snapped when my epul sprung from my second skin. I saw red as I ripped the one from my neck and the others from my calves.
Freed, I made it to the door, not even checking to see if it was unlocked, as I clamped down on the edges and peeled it like a can of the weakest metals of Earth, until I could climb through. Scraping my skin across sharp edges that tore at my hardened scales as I made my way through the door and rushed through the hallways in the direction that increased the pressure in my ribcage, growing in fear and... what I could now feel was pain. So, much pain.
Spurred on, I ran faster passing several warriors down the hall, none of them tried to stop me on my raged path. I couldn’t process whether they even spoke with the pounding in my ears. There was only the need to reach her, to destroy anything and everything that threatened her. As the pressure rose, and my skin burned I knew I was getting close. A single door stood between us, but I didn’t need to rip this one to shreds, it opened automatically upon my approach, and I stormed through.
Nostrils flared as my eyes landed on the writhing form on the ground before me. Our eyes met, and she didn’t flinch. She clawed at the floor wishing to escape this room, and I would make that happen for her. Scooping her up into my arms, I didn’t even have to think as my body relaxed with every spot the warmth of her skin touched. All my defenses fell, each part of my secondary exoskeleton retracted back into my flesh where she touched, and she whimpered softly sinking into my arms, her face burying into my shoulder. Even my epuls that I had trouble retracting fully with conscious effort were safely tucked away as to not harm my human. A calmness took over as her breathing slowed, and the feeling of her pain dissipated.
Riley was going to be fine, I assured myself, and once I knew she was safe in my arms, and there were no threats that I could see, my brain slowed down enough to know there would be no completing my rut in her current condition. Pulling her closer to me, I sniffed her hair, and chuffed in contentment. No part of me cared if I stayed in rut forever if I could feel this much completion merely by holding her in my arms, and smelling her hair that reminded me of sweet rak blossoms from the fresh marshes around my home tribe.
This was greater than any victory from any duel I’d ever won against another warrior. Why then have those in rut chosen to be medicated with elder root if this was how it felt simply holding their chosen sport. This may all be an effect of rut, but human or not, if holding her after rut felt like this, I’d claim her as my mate whether the galactic commission approved, or not. Whether my tribe approved, or not.
First, I had to clear my head of this rut, and reclaim my command to stop a war between the necia and the trill. Mating was not an option while there was interstellar disaster that could break all the treaties between species. It wasn’t just about the necia and trill... there were countless other planets that would be affected. My mind stilled, all thoughts of troubles outside of the human in my arms faded as she whimpered, I had to take her to the med bay.
I grunted when I reached the sliding entrance, words seemed to be lost to me.
“Commander...” the medic addressed, before correcting herself, “Direl, please sit down.” My chest stung at the adjustment, knowing that my ship was reclaimed by a traitor, instead of me. She hurried herself about the room, gathering supplies to help heal my human, and that was enough to ease my irritation at the dishonor of having my title stripped. But, when I sat down with Riley in my arms, the medic began dabbing at my arms with a cream, instead of tending to the near unconscious human pulled tight against me.
Riley mumbled something about needing to get home, and I chuffed, knowing that wasn’t going to be an option for her unless we could seize control of my ship once more. I glared at the medic, with my nostrils flaring, nudging them with implied haste to pay attention to the one that actually needed attention, not myself.
She seemed to understand, despite my lack of words, but shook her head. “You’ve been badly burned. Serious burns like this could permanently damage your ability to heal, and even the glands that help numb pain receptors in your second skin. You may not feel anything right now, but based on your inability to speak... at least a few of your glands have been ruptured, and this numbness you feel right now... it won’t last,” she lowered her voice, “Commander, please let me fix you up, before you end up feeling pain you’ve never felt before.”
