Page 16 of Married to the Alien Rogue

I lifted my gun, using both hands to try to improve my aim, but the fighters were moving too quickly. It didn’t matter that the weapon would only stun—if I hit Raxnor and numbed his leg, he’d die.

Raxnor shot again, a direct hit to the head. But the alien alligator just shook it off and roared again.

Mierda! Hitting its thick hide didn’t do anything!

Then a thought struck me.What about the inside of its mouth? That doesn’t have any scales for protection!

Standing so tall, Raxnor didn’t have the right angle for that kind of shot, but I was on my knees. Every time the alligator opened its mouth, I had a view down its gullet.

I needed a moment when I knew I wouldn’t shoot Raxnor. But how?

“Me do!”Lila’s high voice called out.

She darted out of the jungle and did this weird little butt swivel. Her tail flew through the air, the end jamming into the side of the huge lizard.

It roared, its jaws opening wide.

“Raxnor! Step left!”

He moved immediately, not hesitating or asking questions.

A flush of warmth went through me that he trusted my judgment. I mashed down the trigger, sending a stream of red light straight down the beast’s throat.

Its bellow choked off, all four legs giving out as that massive snout dropped closed with a snap.

The red light of my shot went high for a second before I could release the trigger, splashing across the trunk of a tree.

Silence fell except for our harsh pants. The jungle around us was still, as if all the animals held their breath.

I dropped the gun on the tent floor and scrambled outside and to my feet. “Are you okay?” My hand hovered close to him, but I didn’t know where to touch.

“I’m fine,” Raxnor said from between clenched teeth. He held his body stiff and upright. It hadn’t shown when he’d been fighting, but the injury to his ribs from the day before had to be causing excruciating pain.

“I’ll get the medkit.”

I dove into the pack, pulling out the small box he’d used the day before. There were a bunch of different syringes and tubes, each covered in symbols. “My translator chip isn’t working. I can’t read any of these.”

“Translator chips can’t do written language,” he said.

“But you have English on your phone.”

“Foen?” He frowned down at me.

“The thing you typed on, the thing with the map.”

The crease in his brow eased. “My comp. Yes, it’s been specially programmed with your language.”

I held the various items up for him, and he grabbed one of the syringes and plunged it into his left side. He didn’t even wince as the needle sunk in.

Yep. He’s still doing the whole “dictionary definition of stoic” thing.But it was kind of hot, the thought of him being so strong.

And so willing to protect me.

Lila raced up to me and placed her paws on my thigh.“Me did it! Me help!”

“You were amazing!” I rubbed her forehead all around her little horns.

“You were both excellent,” Raxnor said, his deep voice serious. “Do you have military training, Zo-Fee?”

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