Page 26 of The Stolen Tribute
ELEVEN
JAXIR
The human’s kiss made me feel more alive than I’d felt in years. Her taste sent a rush through me that I’d never experienced before. The closer she got to me, the harder it was becoming to keep myself from claiming her right there and then on the floor. My body ached for hers.
It killed me when she pulled away, but thankfully one of us had to come to our senses. I couldn’t trust myself around her. Another kiss like that and I’d be lost to her forever.
Her creamy skin went red when she was embarrassed. It was cute.
“I’d love to pick up where we left off,” I teased, mentally kicking myself for keeping the option open. I was playing a dangerous game now.
I recognized the language of the signs in the trawler, and we were not among friends. The cleaning ship was likely owned by the Mujugs, a species that barely qualified as intelligent and had not yet earned recognition in many intergalactic organizations. They were scavengers and very hostile.
I plucked my laser blasters from my belt. Thankfully, both were still full power. I glanced at Kylie. I hadn’t wanted to depend on her for back up, but it was beginning to look like I didn’t have a choice.
The door trembled and creaked. A long tentacle lashed out through the open crack.
I stepped back, pushing Kylie against the wall to keep her out of harm's way. Who knew what one of these monsters would do with a human female?
I handed Kylie a blaster. “Any chance you know how to use one of these?” I asked.
There was an odd glint in her eye— a shadow of a look of recognition.
“I’ll give it my best try,” She said.
That was better than I could hope for. I had to trust that this little human could use a laser gun, or at least she was a fast learner.
“Better than nothing,” I grunted as I ripped open the door and trained my blaster on the alien that waited for us on the other side.
Mujugs were disgusting creatures that stood slightly shorter than the average human. They had hunched torsos and four long limbs that resembled tentacles. Their legs were short and stocky, and they moved accordingly.
My first shot hit home, getting a Mujug right in the chest and sending its dark green blood splattering everywhere. Their bodies were fragile, almost gelatinous.
The other Mujugs roared; there were about half a dozen of them. They stunk like the space garbage that they collected.
I wasted no time.
Mujugs were strong, but they were slow.
I fired off a few more shots, all of them hit home, and our attackers began to retreat.
The Mujugs’ language sounded like nothing but garbled nonsense to me.
“What are those things?” Kylie gasped.
“Mujugs,” I said, taking aim at the last retreating one. My laser blasted through its gelatinous head and splattered against the wall.
Kylie was pale like she might be sick. It made her freckles stand out more than usual, in a cute sort of way.
“Don’t feel bad, they would have killed us, too,” I said.
Kylie covered her mouth and nose with her sleeve, reeling from the stench of the alien creatures. “It’s not that,” She said. “They just smell so bad.”
I chuckled. “Come on,” I said.
I took the Earthling’s hand. A spark passed between us. I wasn’t sure if she felt it, but my heart reacted to her touch so strongly that my entire body went tense. I knew what this meant; I just wasn’t ready to admit it to myself yet.
***
