Alien’s Power

OUTLAW PLANET MATES

EDEN EMBER

Cover by Kasmit Covers

Edited by Perfectly Plotted Books

Copyright 2022 Eden Ember

All rights reserved.

This work of fiction is intended for mature audiences only. All characters represented within are eighteen years of age or older and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. This work is property of Eden Ember & Starr Huntress, please do not reproduce illegally.

Chapter 1

DELAINA

Months ago I awoke on a spaceship, tethered in a stasis pod in the midst of crashing to Reazus Prime. At the time, I had no clue what had happened. My last memory was of running through an airport, late for a flight to the Cayman Islands with my friends for spring break. My senior year of college had me nearly burnt out and with just two months to graduation, I gave myself a gift, a ticket on a plane, and my share of the condo with four other friends.

What happened? My mind spun as the great ship shuddered, breaking into pieces. Oh, I was running through the airport, praying against all that I wouldn’t miss my plane. I tripped, I fell. I went black. And there I was on a ship careening through the burning atmosphere of an alien planet.

Thankfully, an alien family took me in and nursed me back to health once I woke up. The shock I endured caused me to take a while to realize I hadn’t landed in Comic Con’s annual conference. The throbbing pain behind my ear was another indication what I was experiencing was real. Somehow I could understand the aliens and they could understand me.

My family, Babu, Dola, and their children Wincie and Alfy, became good friends who nursed me back to health and helped me stand on my own two feet once again. Being on an alien planet, God only knows where, it took me a while to figure things out.

Babu helped me to get a job at Jiggys on the main thoroughfare of Morte Valley. He said it was a good job, a reputable job. He bowed and thanked me for allowing them to reap good will by helping me. Then he left. I’ve not seen him or the family since. I suppose it’s the way they do things around here. There was not much sentimentality to be had.

I have busted my butt from sun up to sun down waiting on Jiggy’s customers. In exchange, they pay me a small pittance, and they have given me a room and food, from their eatery, of course. On Earth, I was training to become an educator with only two months until graduation. I would have been an elementary teacher by now. Tears threaten to fill my eyes, but I force them back. I can’t allow myself time to cry, not when the hungry brood of mixed aliens want to eat and drink.

Such a waste, the nearly four years I studied my ass off only for this to happen. This, whatever this is. I’ve lost count on how long I’ve been here on Reazus Prime. Months? A year? I’m not certain. The days are shorter here, I think.

A clap of thunder rattles throughout the old buildings. The outer walls are made of clay and yet they hold up in the torrential rains we often receive. I hate it when it rains because whenever the door opens, the rain blows inside. This adds to my already full duties. Mopping the floors and drying them takes more time away from the customers and they become irate while waiting on their food.

I jump when the thunder crashes and booms. A long-snouted creature slaps me square across my ass, causing me to screech. He chuckles, his eyes moving in two different directions.

“Oh, sorry, didn’t see you there,” he says while laughing as if he’s just told the funniest joke.

I suck in a deep breath and give him a smile that doesn’t reach my eyes. Part of my job is allowing the customers to play handsy with me. I’m a novelty here, an exotic, a Terran. There are a few of us here and there on the planet, from what I’ve been told, though I’ve yet to run into another of my kind.

The deluge breaks free outside. A customer pops inside, the door banging against the wall and rain flooding through, pouring into the dining room before it finally shuts. The tall alien, one I haven’t seen before, eyes everyone before he sits down, alone, his body dripping. His body. Oh my, I have to take a second look.

Our eyes meet and lock for a moment. He then turns them toward the door. The torrential rain continues falling. The sound of rumbling thunder peels through the place, the walls shuddering.

He jumps up, his eyes wide, and grabs me. I scream, but no one hears because the entire place erupts into chaos. Beings yell, scream, and run. Customers grab whatever they can and hit the door running.

The hunky alien pulls me to him, practically carrying me out the door. I scream and struggle against him.

“Let me go, you jerk!”

He doesn’t listen. Instead, he runs and I struggle to keep up as he pulls me along. I stumble at one point, and he reaches down, picks me up, and takes off on foot to the corner. A hovercar door raises and he pitches me inside. While he rushes around, I desperately try to open the door. It just opens as he hops inside and his powerful hand takes hold of me.

“Let me go, asshole,” I shout.

He pulls me hard against him, folds his arm around me, and with his other hand hits the button to close the door. His foot presses on the accelerator, and the vehicle speeds off, weaving in and out of traffic. I scream.

“Please, stop screaming.”

“Stop the vehicle and let me go.”

“No! Shut up and belt in,” he shouts back.

Outside, the world is going nuts. Beings rushing here and there, vehicles racing, leaving the city as if some horrible monster were coming up the street.

“Please, just let me out! I’m not your property,” I plead.

“ I’m not stopping, not now.”

Great regret fills me as he speeds through the traffic, weaving in and out of his lane until finally we reach the end of the street with open fields on both sides. The hovercar only flies six feet above the ground, but it can fly over any ground. We lurch to the side, gaining speed.

“Can this thing fly higher?” I cry.

He chuckles “No. Belt in or risk being thrown around. We don’t have time.”

CARX

My instincts take over as I grab the Terran. Something beyond my control propels me to do everything in my power to save her. She’s feisty, fighting me every step of the way. But I know she felt it too, the moment our eyes locked.

The flood waited for no one. It came through, not caring who perished in the dirty waters careening off the sandy mountains, bringing with it a torrent of water, careening ever downward to Reazus sea. I’d seen it before, twice. There’s no way to predict it, either. It’s either flee and survive or stay put and die.

“Let me go!”

I come to a point where I can show her why I did what I did, but only for a moment. The waters are rushing in quickly and could reach where we are parked.

“Look!” My voice booms louder than I intend. But her constant whining is getting to me.

Her hand teeters on the door. She wants to open it and run away. The view below shows the floodwaters rushing in, filling every space and heading our way. The Terran swallows hard.

“Oh no! How? How did you know this was going to happen?” Her hand falls from the door handle. Good, she no longer wants to run from me.

“It’s the way it happens here. I just, I don’t know, had the feeling. I felt the need to step into the place where I found you.”

“And, why me? Why not another one closer to you?”

Her eyes peer at me, making me a bit uncomfortable. The inquisitive little Terran wants answers. How can I tell her what I just discovered myself, that I foresaw her? I foresaw her, exactly as she appears now. Curly hair, bouncing over her shoulder, reddish-brown, with a face full of lighter brown dots. Thin and yet curvy with her soft skin and sweet smile, she is exactly as I expected. How could I explain how it hit me like the flood waters drowning the streets below?

I accelerate the hovercar, preparing for speeding ahead. “We need to get out of here.” I hope the distraction will make her forget the question she has asked.

“Do you really think the floodwaters will come this high?” Her voice cracks.

“I know they will. I’m sorry.” I steer the car up the rocky road, flying high enough to avoid the sharp peaks.

“Those poor people. All the deaths. Can’t we stay and help them?”

I look down, the bottom of the hovercraft scraping against a rock. “No. The waters are coming up too fast. There’s nothing we can do at this point. By the time it recedes, it’s going to be too late. That’s why the place is called Morte Valley.”

“Huh. I always thought it was called that because of the heat from the sun. On Earth, we have a Death Valley. It’s hotter there, though.”

More rain pelts us as we travel into the higher grounds. “If you really think I’ve kidnapped you, I’ll stop and let you go.”

She’s taken aback by my words as she looks quickly at me. “If you want to get rid of me, then fine. I’ll go. But you can see I’m not exactly dressed for the wilds of Reazus.”

I chuckle. “No, you’re not.” Her warm body beckons to me. I want to stop the hovercar and pull her close to me. I want to feel her soft curves and light skin against me.

“I want to hear your story.”

I laugh. “What’s yours? Are you part of the crashed ship from a while back that rained Terrans on us?”

“Oh my, I guess so.” She takes the next few moments to quickly tell me her story, which I’ve heard in some form from others before. “Now it’s your turn.”

I nod. “Yes, as you are well aware, Reazus Prime is an old prison planet. I was sent here from Eforix, my home planet.”

“To prison?” Her eyes widen.

“For detention. I had fallen into a gang of pirates from my planet. We were young and stupid. You know, a rich young adult with a spaceship. We thought it would be funny to land on other ships and take their goods.”

Her mouth opens. “Did you hurt others? Like, kill them?”

“No. We just rendered their ships unusable until we pulled off their valuables. Then we’d fly off to some of the outer space stations and sell the goods. It became a challenge to see how rich we could become. Until we were finally caught.”

“Oh my! How did that happen?”

“We commandeered the wrong ship. The Authority flew in an unmarked ship, trying to lure us in. And it worked. We were arrested and sent back to Eforix. Our punishment had us coming here to Reazus Prime. That was right before the great uprising. There were not enough guards and too many prisoners, sowe took over and chased the Authority away. Now Reazus Prime is a sort of lawless place, ruled by whoever has the most power,” I tell her.

“Wow.” The Terran’s head shakes. “I can’t imagine if this happened on Earth. But then on Earth, most don’t believe in aliens.”

“I’m sure you do now. We’re every bit as real as you.”

“Oh, trust me, since landing here in a stasis pod I’ve gone through a plethora of emotions and beliefs. And yeah, I’ve come to the conclusion aliens are real. And now I’m going to who knows where with one.”

I smile. “Does this mean you won’t try to run away when we stop?”

“Touche. Does this mean you intend to keep me, then?” Her brow arches endearingly.

My heart sings at the smile that stretches across her face. “We’re going to my village, to my friends and family. We work together.”

“So, then why were you in the city right before it flooded, and specifically at the bar where I worked?”

It flashes before me, the vision that brought me here. Instinct led me, my vision fueling my body to find her. Her, the Terran sitting beside me in my hovercar.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” I reply.

“Try me. And give me more credit than that. I was once an unbeliever, now I’m a believer, remember?”

Chapter 2

DELAINA

My head swims with wonder as he steers the hovercar higher into the mountains. As crazy as it sounds, he makes my heart pound as it did once, long ago, back on Earth when I had a crush on a young man. I haven’t felt this way since. The eagerness to feel his hands on my body, to taste his lips grow strong. Yet, I’m not fully convinced he didn’t kidnap me and use the flood as an excuse. How do I know he hasn’t been watching the bar for weeks and knew about the impending flood? Perhaps it happens often enough? It could have become an excuse to take what he wanted.

I come to my senses. This is ridiculous. “Yeah, I’m not sure I should continue with you. After all, you’re an alien prisoner. An escaped prisoner, I might add. How do I know you’re not out to make a quick buck and sell me in a slave auction.”

He laughs. “If I came to the city to kidnap a Terran to sell as an exotic in an auction, I would have done so already, paid for my new ship, and been off this hellish planet by now.”

“How do I know you haven’t and I’m just another of your notches.”

“What are notches?” He seems seriously confused at the term.

I laugh this time. “Nevermind. How do I know I can trust you?”

“How do I know you won’t pull out a weapon and slice my throat?”

“Touche,” I say. And upon seeing the look of confusion on his face I add, “Touche means I acknowledge you making a good point.”

I want to slap the smugness off his face. I laugh, hard. I laugh as if I just got the funniest and most vulgar joke. I just met this alien, and here I am feeling comfortable enough to see his smugness and smile about it.

“What is so funny, human?”

“You called me human. Not a term I hear about myself much since crash landing on this plant. I usually hear I’m a Terran from the Terran System. Before this happened, I thought I was just a human on Earth in our little solar system. I dunno, this is all crazy.”

I sit back, a wave of dizziness overtaking me.

“Are you okay? What is your name?”

I laugh again. The giggling fit hits so hard, I nearly pee myself. “I’m Delaina Hopkins. Earthling extraordinaire. And you are?”

He smiles. “I’m Carx, the Eforixian. My home planet is in the neighboring star system. And I’ve told you the rest of my story.”

We continue driving until my eyelids begin to droop heavily. He pulls toward a steep cliff overlooking the valley below, just as the sun rises on the horizon opposite of the cliff. A horrifying scene stretches before us. Only the very tops of the taller buildings poke out of the choppy water. The mountains on the other side keep feeding the impromptu lake. There is so much destruction.

“This is horrible.” My head shakes as gall fills my throat.

“This is why all the buildings are made of stone. When the waters recede, they’ll go back to business.”

“If anyone’s still alive.”

“Actually, they had time to leave.”

I turn to face him. “Did they, though? What about those who didn’t have access to a hovercar, or a secret rescuer, or a kidnapper who happened to save her life?”

He grimaces and smiles at the same time. “I didn’t kidnap you.”

“Oh, but Carx, you did. You grabbed me and ran. You could have said, hey, a flood is coming, follow me.”

“Would you have followed?” He looks intently at me, his eyes narrowing.

Flabbergasted, I stare out the passenger window for a second. “Yes, I would have. But you didn’t even give me the choice.”

He flinches. “What if I told you I saw this happening before it happened?”

“Oh, and are we Zodiac matched, too?” I laugh hysterically.

“Zodiac?”

“Yeah, that’s a sign of when you were born. Well, on Earth, anyway. Some people map the stars and consider what your fortune might be according to their positions. I suppose this system is a little different. It just feels like you’re coming onto me with corny lines.”

“Corny lines?”

I keep forgetting the residents of Reasuz Prime don’t understand Earthling lingo. “Never mind,” I say with a wave of my hand.

“Are we okay to move on?”

I look out over the water and think about the lives that were likely lost. Carx doesn’t seem as affected by it as I, and that bothers me a little. Maybe that’s the way Eforixians are with their emotions, or lack of emotions.

He starts the hovercar and it lifts from the ground. I should be used to this by now, but every time I tend to think about Earth and how my friends back there would be absolutely surprised at the existence of such a machine. On Reazus, it’s very normal.

He grows quiet as he steers the hover car higher into the mountains. We’ve driven all night, so I’m sure he is tired by now.

“Hey, why don’t we stop for a rest?”

He looks at me as if I have asked him for the emperor’s head on a platter. “Here? Are you kidding?”

I look around at the tall trees with round tops and shake my head. “I’m not kidding. I see no one else out here.”

“One does not stop along the road on Reazus. If you do, you’d only wish I was the one kidnapping you.”

I wince. “We literally haven’t passed another car on this road the entire night.”

“And trust me, they will be coming up from behind. Reazus takes advantage of catastrophes to steal and to take others.”

I turn away, my eyes rolling. “Tell me about it,” I say as I cross my arms over my chest.

He sighs and we keep moving ahead, avoiding any of the side roads jutting off the main one.

“Where are we going again?” I ask, the sound of annoyance obvious in my tone.

“To my village. I trust those living there.”

“And then what?”

He turns to me, his brow furrowing. “I don’t know, Delaina. We just barely missed being drowned in the flood. I saved your life. At least be thankful for that.”

CARX

Delaina stops talking, focusing on the road ahead and occasionally turning to look out the passenger side. She’s right though, fatigue weighs heavily upon me. I steer the vehicle down an abandoned road through the bushy undergrowth.

“Where are we going now? Is this the way to your village?”

“We’ll camp. I need rest,” I say without much emotion. If she runs away from me, so be it. I’m too tired to care.

She doesn’t argue, thankfully. We pull into the  bushes and trees and set the hovercraft down where it is hidden from the road.

“Where are we?”

“Reazus Prime,” I say flatly.

She giggles. I pull open the back trunk of the hovercraft. A weatherproof quick tent and several blankets lay under the jugs of water and the food box. I pull out the food box and hand it to her. My hand brushes against hers and a flash vision hits.

Delaina curls in my arms, her face enraptured with satisfaction, her body naked. I breathe heavily having just made love to her, breathless and happy.

“What?” She demands.

My head shakes as I come to my senses. What was that? Like a moment of reality quickly shifted into the present? She holds the box, confusion on her face as if I have said something inappropriate to her.

I blow out a breath. “Sorry,” I mutter and grab the quick tent. “Set the food in the vehicle. We’ll grab it after I set up the tent.”

“Are you serious? We’re actually camping?” Her face skews.

“You can sleep in the tent or in the vehicle. I really don’t care,” I tell her. My tone sounds harsh and I am sorry. It might be best if we didn’t sleep in the same place, anyway.

Above us the sky cracks and lightning streaks across with a vengeance followed by a peal of thunder so loud it shakes our very core.

Delaina shrieks. “Seriously? Are we going to have a flood here, too?”

I laugh. “No. We’re on high enough ground. It won’t affect us. But the valleys are being flooded.”

She crawls into the tent with me with three blankets between the two of us. I lay one out for us to lay on and hand her another. I take the last blanket. We split a couple of food packets between us.

“What is this?” She makes a face.

“Space food. MREs, as Terrans call them. This is some savory meat with a side of a green vegetable. Which vegetable, I’m not sure, exactly.” I chuckle.

We eat in silence, crunching the food and gulping water. I keep my distance. Her body slumps next to mine, the tent too small for much room to be had between us.

“I need a human moment. I’m not sure how you’re kind does it. But point me to the nearest tree, please.” Delaina heads to the tent door.

“Wait, you can’t go out there, it’s storming terribly. You’ll drown,” I say as I try to block the entrance.

Her hand lands on my shoulder. An instant flash pours into my mind. She and I are dancing under the sunlight in the sand. I reach down, patting her swollen belly. A crack of thunder brings me back to reality.

“I have to pee. Understand?”

My head nods. “Yes, I do. Of course.”

Out in the pouring rain, I shiver against a tree while she disappears to relieve herself. Considering my own needs, I go and do the same.

“Delaina? Are you ready to go back? I’m soaked,” I call out to her. She doesn’t answer. A rustling on the ground startles me and I whip around.

“Where did you go?” Water pours over her beautiful face.

My heart beats again. “Like you, I had to take care of some business.”

We crawl back into the tent, both of us soaked. She sits on the tent floor, not on the blankets. I move the pile over and sit beside her. Both of us shiver in our wet clothes.

“Great. What little clothing I had is now underwater and I’m soaking wet, too.”

I pull off my shirt and partially stand to come out of my pants. “Take off your clothes so they’ll be dry by morning.”

“What are you doing?” She turns away, averting her eyes from my naked body.

I laugh. Removing clothing in front of others is not considered offensive to my kind. “It’s the fastest way to dry our clothes.”

Delaina turns away. “No way. I’m not getting naked in front of you. That’s just what you want me to do.”

I laugh again as I step out of my pants, my body completely naked. “Suit yourself, Terran. Keep in mind, I did not kidnap you, I saved your life. Also, you decided to take a human moment in the rain and that’s why you’re wet. If you keep those clothes on, you’ll probably still be wet by morning.”

She turns to me, her eyes widening as she takes in my body, looking for a moment at my male part. I proudly display it. I’m not sure what human males look like, but I can’t imagine it’s much different from me.

“I. Um.” Ahem. “Just what is with the fins?” She sits on the floor, hugging her knees, shivering.

I laugh as I settle on the blanket and cover my body with another one. “I come from a water world. My people are quite able to swim, though through the eons we’ve lost some of our abilities such as breathing underwater.”

She grunts, shaking her shoulders. “Great, a fish alien who can’t survive in water. What a rescue.” Her shivering grows violent. “Dammit,” Delaina complains as she gets out of her clothing. “Don’t look at me. Unlike you, I’m very modest.”

I can’t help but laugh. “I assure you, I’m not a fish. And what is modest?”

“That means I don’t want you looking at my naked body.”

I pitch the blanket to her. “Then wrap this around your body. I’m not going to do anything to you. Unless you want me to.” I rest on my arms, looking up at the roof of the tent.

“Hmph. I bet.”

“Listen, it could be much worse. I could be one of those who enjoy having their way with exotics.”

Chapter 3

DELAINA

I lay my clothes beside his clothes while trying to keep the blanket over my body. Outside the wind blows, shaking the tent, the air icy cold. His naked body etches into my mind. Why did I look at him? His cock hangs low, ridged, rough. My mid-section warms at the thought of it. Ugh!

My back faces him as I look at the side of the tent. A strange light shines between us, bluish-purple and warm. Rolling over, I stare at it. He sits up, warming his hands, the blanket rolled off his body.

“What are you doing?” I roll to my back, the blanket wrapped around me like a tortilla.

“This is emergency heat. It’ll last a couple of hours. Sorry, it’s not dark.” He rubs his hands near it.

Admittedly, it emits a nice warmth. My body shivers despite being rolled up in the blanket. I sit up too, making certain to hide my naked body, and face the light, allowing it to penetrate the front of me.

“It heats biomatter. Remove the blanket and you’ll get warm faster.”

I laugh. He wants me naked so that he can see what I’ve got.

“Turn away and I will,” I reply.

He chuckles and turns away, but only slightly. I open the blanket to the heat source, and keep it at my back, flared out. He’s right. My body immediately warms.

“Wow, amazing.”

“I told you.” He turns to face the heat, keeping his eyes straight ahead.

“Don’t look at me.”

He laughs again. “Why not? Are you ashamed of your body?”

“I’m modest. That means I like my privacy.” I mean, if he indeed kidnapped me for his sexual purposes, I am playing right into his hands.

“I won’t look. But you’ve seen me.”

Oh yes. His body intrigues me. The ridges around his cock make any dildo on Earth look like a smooth pencil. I want to ask him about it, but I don’t.

“Do Terran males look like me?” He would ask that question.

I giggle, my face blushing. “Actually, not really. Honestly, your kind looks a little better.”

“Oh, she gives a compliment.”

“What about me? Do I look very different from an Eforixian female?”

“Are you inviting me to look at you?”

“Maybe.” I blush so fiercely my eyes water. Being beside him brings out a boldness in me. I want him to see my body.

He turns, his brow lifting as his eyes gaze over my nakedness. My eyes close in embarrassment.

“May I speak the truth?”

My eyes snap open. “Please.”

“You are beautiful. Female Eforixians are hardened, their bodies rough. May I?” His hand reaches for me.

My eyes widen with surprise, but I nod. He touches my arm, steering clear of my other parts. Then he grazes his hand against my belly. My eyes close again, his touch warming me in a way that almost makes me lose control.

He startles suddenly, jerking his hand back and shaking his head.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry, it’s not you.” He turns away, his face distraught.

I pull the blanket back around my body, thinking he has grown disgusted by what he has seen and felt.

“No, I’m sorry. You won’t have to look at or touch me again,” I say as I lay on the blanket with my back toward him.

“It’s not that. Delaina, you’re beautiful, soft, lovely. All the nice words I can think of for a Terran. It’s just that, I don’t know. When I touch you, I have visions, flashes, and they startle me.”

I roll over to look at him. “Like, what kind of visions?”

“I’m not sure you’d believe me.”

“Try me.”

I take a breath before telling her, “I saw you nearly perishing in the flood. It scared me and that’s why I took you because I felt it was a warning.”

I prop up on my elbow. “That was back there. What about just now? What did you see?”

“I can’t.” His head shakes.

“You can’t tell me? You saw me in a vision and you can’t share it with me?” I sit up.

“You don’t want to know. It’s nothing so terrible, it just startled me. If it comes to pass, I’ll let you know.” He gives me a slight smile.

I reached for him, grabbing his forearm. “Do you see anything while I’m touching you?”

He shrinks back. “No, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it. Get some sleep.”

I nod and roll away once again. The alien won’t let me figure him out. Thankfully, I’ve learned to sleep in the worst conditions like I did in captivity with the pirates. A tiny six by six cell with a metal floor and no blanket made it difficult, but I survived.

Cold air descends upon us, surrounding my body and causing the shivers to return violently. The little heater has stopped, having run out of energy. Sleep finally takes me away and my dreams come alive.

Carx kisses me. I don’t back away, as I wanted to as well. I moan, his body so warm and toasty. Smiling, he draws me to him. “Where you’re supposed to be.”

I wake up from the dream, budding feelings for the alien at the front of my mind. Wait! Wasn’t I cold before? I haven’t been this comfortable in a long time. I shift, something solid, yet soft rests behind me. My breath holds, the beating of another heart thumping at my back. Awareness comes slowly as I wake up. The soft breath of Carx hits the back of my neck. His arm is wrapped around my body, yet avoiding the intimate parts of me.

He rouses, his hardness prodding at my lower back. I scoot away.

Ahem. “Um, hello?”

“Oh, Delaina. You were freezing last night when the heater went out. The only way I knew to warm you was with my body. My normal body temperature is higher than yours. You calmed down, fell asleep and stopped shivering.”

I pull the blanket around me. “Thank you,” I mutter. Honestly, I feel as if I might grow fonder of him for caring about me so much.

CARX

My mind swims with the amazement of the dreams that came when I rolled next to Delaina. If I had any inkling from before she might not actually be my mate, I have it no more this morning. Stark, colorful dreams of a life with her, raising children, making love to her were a constant flow while I slept. I couldn’t imagine ever letting her go, now.

Delaina has become my reason for living, for wanting a better life, for trying to get off this planet. She smiles when she emerges from the trees after taking care of her human moments, as she calls it.

“We need to pack and get away from here before the pirates find us.”

I grab the tent and pull the corners, releasing the top. Delaina places her hand on mine, stopping me.

“Carx, thank you for taking care of me last night. You made a tense situation very comfortable for me. I really appreciate it.”

I smile and nod. Words of reply escape me, so I say nothing. Should I tell her about my vivid dreams? Should I explain how she has awakened something within that I thought gone forever?

“Would you like to come to my village and live with me? It’s safer there. It’s in the desert, and there are no risks of floods there,” I tell her.

She looks out the window, deep in her thoughts. “I’m sorry, what?”

I laugh. “You are so calm today. It’s nice.”

“Hmmm. Is that what you just said to me before? Just some comment about me being calm?”

“No. You were deep in thought, though. I hope it’s good thoughts.”

Her face stretches into a smile, the kind I enjoy seeing on her. “I’m having good thoughts, Carx.”

“Hmmm.”

“But what did you ask before?”

“Yes, I asked if you wanted to consider living in my village in the desert. I said it doesn’t flood there.”

“Oh. You really didn’t give me a choice here. Remember, you grabbed me.”

I chuckle. “I saved your life. I did not kidnap you. I have no intention of selling you to the auction houses, either.”

“I know. I’m sorry. It honestly felt as though you were kidnapping me yesterday. I keep asking myself, why me? Why didn’t you try to save someone else? It almost feels as if you were following me.”

What could I say? Tell her the truth, that’s probably the best route.

“I promise Delaina, the first time I ever saw you was the moment I stepped into that establishment. I knew the torrential rainfalls were about to cause a flood. I can’t describe what led me to the city in the first place, other than I went there on pure instinct. When I saw you, I don’t know, it was as if an alarm went off in my mind that I must save you. We had no time for proper introductions. The flood was coming and I took you and ran.”

“Yeah. Strange. This whole time has been strange.” She looks at me and smiles.

“Do you regret it?”

“No, you saved my life. Thank you, Carx. I owe you.”

We drive to the crest of the mountain where a bridge spans two peaks. The road disappears abruptly and though we are in a hovercraft, I slow down.

Delaina screams. “Stop!”

I bring the vehicle to a stop and we step out. The bridge has crumbled away from the other peak, the middle dangling over the deep valley beneath.

“What happened?” Delaina rushes to the edge.

“The flood.”

“We need to find another road.”

I shake my head. “There are no other roads leading to my village, except through the city.”

“This thing can’t fly over?”

“No, it uses magnetic power from the ground. I have had it at just about the limit. We would probably fall to our deaths.”

“There are no other roads?”

“No.” I back the hovercraft around and head back down the same road.

“So, where are you going now?”

“To my village, of course.”

“All the way around? We’ll have to camp another night along the road.” She sounds troubled.

My body tingles at the thought of being naked against her softness again. “At least, it’s not raining anymore.”

“What about the flood?”

“We’ll have to drive around the waters.”

Her hand comes up like she’s handing me something. “Then why didn’t we do that in the first place?”

“In the first place, it was raining and I had no way of knowing how much it would flood. We came this way because it’s the mountains and high out of the flood waters. The bridge road would have led to the other side and the high desert where it doesn’t flood so easily.”

We drive until the sun starts setting. Fatigue settles on me and the shadows outside are long. I’d rather stop and find food and set up camp before it’s completely dark.

“I can drive, so we can get there faster,” Delaina tells me.

Her offer amuses me. Although she crashed on Reazus Prime less than a year ago and has worked at the little food establishment, she probably hasn’t learned how to drive a hovercraft yet. “No.”

“Why not? I drove a car on Earth.”

“Did you drive a hovercraft?”

“Well, no. How different could it be, though?”

My head rolls back in laughter. “I’m not risking our lives like that. Besides, we’ll camp here. A small lake has bountiful Aquas for dinner.”

“Fish. Ugh.”

The little restaurant served plenty of it. “You know how to cook fish, right?”

“I can, yes.”

I chuckle as I pull over and get out to walk to the lake. She stumbles behind me, walking quickly. I walk into the edge of the water, and pull out my weapon, extending the speared end. Delaina gasps as I spy a dangler and spear it right through the head, killing it instantly.

“Catch,” I say as I pitch it to her.

She squeals. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

“It’s dinner.”

“I can cook one that’s cold and fileted, but not like this.”

I laugh as I shove the spear into a second fish, twisting and killing it. Pulling it out of the water, it’s already dead.

“Thank you for providing us with food,” I say to it and the one Delaina holds.

Chapter 4

DELAINA

I grimace as I hold the cold, slimy fish while Carx starts the fire. This fire is real and outside, unlike the fire from last night. Sparks fan out as a knot in the wood explodes. I jump and giggle.

“Hey, it’s okay. I didn’t save you from a flood only to have you burn up.” He grabs the fish and whips out his knife, scaling and fileting it with finesse.

I perch on the blanket, watching as my alien places the fish filets on a hot stone, the meat sizzling. My mouth waters even without all the things I once enjoyed with a fish meal on Earth. Oh, what I wouldn’t do for a slathering of tartar sauce and a squirt of lemon juice! Even so, the fish, the danglers, made my taste buds dance.

“Mmmm, yof cook goof.”

Carx laughs. “I-- what?”

I laugh with him and swallow the bite. “I said you cook good. Or rather, you’re a good cook. Even without tartar sauce and lemon juice, this is delicious.”

After the rains leave, the air warms considerably. Part of me feels let down because there will be no reason for Carx to snuggle up to me in the tent, or for us to remove our clothes to heat by the instant radiant log. Outside, the wind blows just enough to move the sides of the tent, whispering a lullaby that helps me cross into dreamland.

We take off heading back to the drowned city the next morning. I shudder while thinking of all the lives lost and how I could have been one of them. Carx steers the hovercraft, his presence in my life still a shock. I’d never laid eyes on an Eforixian before. He’s growing on me now for sure.

I gasp as brown water laps at the edges of a cliff below. It’s as if it’s been there this entire time. A great lake with islands of tall buildings in the distance. The street where I lived is now deep under water. It’s not surprising, when I consider it is at the very lowest spot of the valley.

“Stop! Stop!” I nearly jump out of the hovercraft while we’re still moving.

“What?” Carx slams on the brakes, the hovercraft then lowering to the ground.

I jump out and run to the edge of the water, pointing to a building a couple of hundred yards out. A family of three waves from the roof, yelling for help.

“We have to help them!” I look around for something to float to them.

Carx opens the back of the hovercraft and pulls out a compact raft. One movement of his hand and the thing airs up immediately. We push it into the muddy water and then push away from the shore after climbing aboard. Small paddles help us move close to the roof where the family awaits.

The aliens have brown fur and large ebony eyes. The small child, a male, stares at us from behind his mother. Carx pulls the raft to the building, where there’s a two-foot drop to the raft. The father jumps into the raft and turns to help his mate and son. The little tyke clings to his mother as we paddle away from the building. With the added weight, the raft doesn’t move as quickly. A current pulls us farther out into the water.

The very center of the flood contains a vigorous current that is causing the raft to waver. A scream comes from the child as he loses footing and topples over the side of the raft, making a small splash into the water. His head surfaces as he coughs up water.

“Deykon, oh no! He can’t swim!” the mother screams.

I shrug out of the jacket and dive in without a second thought. My years of training as a teenage lifeguard kicks in as I look for him. I never thought I’d use my skills in flood waters on an alien planet. The furry child sinks, his fur making him even heavier. One swift reach and my fingers grab his arm, while I swim with all my might toward the surface.

The current sweeps us away from the raft. I hold the child with one arm, kick with my feet and wave with the other.

“Over here!”

The mother screams and points. The child wiggles, coming awake.

“Hold on, I’m helping you,” I tell him.

The boy’s big eyes land on me, and he instinctively holds still, allowing me to tread water. Carx directs the raft toward us, and the father reaches out with the paddle. I grab and he pulls us in with Carx’s help.

Little boy coughs up a little water while his mother and father hold him tightly. I smile through the water running down my face. Carx shakes his head, a grin stretching across his face.

He reaches for me, pulling me to him in a big embrace.

“You were brave, Delaina! So brave.”

“Yes, we owe you for saving our son,” the mother tells me.

I turn to the family. “Him surviving is thanks enough.” Bending down, I smile into the lad’s face. He reaches out, his cold little hand touching my cheek as he nods. I nod back. I’d like to hug him, but I’m unsure of the customs here and don’t want to offend anyone.

We make it safely to dry ground and Carx hops out of the raft to help the family to safety.

Again, they turn around, taking my hand.

“Thank you for saving our son,” the father says.

“Yes, much gratitude to you.”

“He’s alive and healthy, that’s all I want,” I reply.

“We want you to come to our home. Please. Let us thank you with a meal.” The mother makes an enticing plea.

I smile and look at Carx. He nods. “If you want?”

“I do. A nice meal sounds wonderful.” I turn to the family. “Yes, thank you.” I bow slightly in acceptance.

The family leads us up the road to a quaint home, more like a hut, built on the hillside. I wouldn’t have known it was there because it’s camouflaged very well, blending in with the ground and the shrubbery surrounding it.

CARX

“Excuse me, what is she?” The Intokian father asks.

I laugh. “Isn’t she beautiful? She’s a Terran. One of the ones that crashed on Reazus a while back.”

“I’m Tigon and this is Relly and our son, Rish.”

Delaina smiles. “Nice to meet you. I wish it had been under better circumstances.” She shivers as the air cools with the setting sun.

“You wear warm clothes at my house,” Rish tells her.

“I’ll need to dry these at the very least,” Delaina replies while rubbing her arms.

“Rish speaks the truth. I have clothes you can wear,” Relly adds.

“That is very kind of you. Thank you.” Delaina bows, the smile staying on her face. Her eyes move to mine and for a moment, we’re seemingly synched together. I take her hand and squeeze it.

“I’m glad you’re doing well.”

“I am. I swim very well. Good thing I was there when little Rish fell into the water.”

“Good thing,” his parents echo.

Relly hands Delaina one of her outfits, a long brown dress with carved bone buttons.

“Thank you,” Delaina says with a slight bow. She is then shown where she can change her clothes.

She soon emerges wearing the dress that reaches between her feet and knees. The boots match the brown, and they are worn and weathered.

“You look very nice,” I tell her.

A blush rides across her face. “Thank you, I think. At least it’s dry. A bit snug.” The buttons across her chest barely contain her breasts within. My member grows hard while looking at her.

Ahem. I quickly turn away to hide my excitement. I want to throw her down and pull the dress off and feel her soft skin again.

Delaina soon steps to me, her hand touching my arm. Instantly, a vision flashes, and she’s with me in my hidden village. We’re happy and mated together.

“Carx, are you okay?” Sweet tones reach my ear.

I nod as I come to my senses. “Yes. I just had another vision.”

“When I touched you?”

“Yes.” I turn away again. I don’t want to share this vision with her, but she’s not letting it rest.

“What is it? What did you see, Carx?”

“Excuse me for interrupting, but we have food ready. Bravin stew and cold rolls.”

I smile. “Thank you, Relly and Tigon.”

Delaina has no choice but to follow us to the little table where we sit and enjoy the  meal with our new acquaintances.

Tigon helps himself to a second helping. Little Rish picks at his bowl and asks for another cold roll.

“Tell me, friends, how long have you two been together?”

Immediately, Delaina’s face stains a deep red. She peers at me and then at Tigon.

“Oh no, we’re not together like that.”

My heart sinks.

“Not together? You two have great shuin. You should be together.”

Delaina’s eyes peer at me. “What’s shuin?”

“It’s like energy. The Inkotians believe that two who are fated share a special energy or bond together.”

“Oh yes, you two do. If you’re not together, what’s stopping you?”

Delaina laughs nervously. “I’m a human. We don’t believe in that stuff.”

“Fate doesn’t care if you are human or Inktokian or whatever. If fate deems it, then it’s so. And you two have fate. I see it circling all around you,” Relly explains.

I smile, enjoying the attention in the current conversation. Delaina can’t argue with it.

“You feel it, no?” Relly looks at the Terran who I consider my hopeful mate.

“I can’t say I don’t. I just met Carx when the flood happened. In fact, he grabbed me and we ran,” her eyes come to mine and lock.

Relly laughs. “That’s okay. We have a small place here for you to stay. You two will have to share Rish’s room for the evening.”

“We should be going,” Delaina replies.

“You mustn’t travel in this area while it’s dark. There are too many flooded lower levels.” Relly looks at her mate.

“Too many bridges out from the force of the water,” he adds.

Delaina and I look at each other.

“I can’t understand why the hovercraft can’t drive over water,” she says.

I laugh. “I explained it earlier. It has to do with the magnetic energy in the ground. Water doesn’t have this energy to carry the magnetic force.”

“No, but there are hovercraft that can also float on the water.” Deykon explains to Delaina. “Carx’s vehicle isn’t equipped with that ability.”

We sit in their front room after dinner and little Rish crawls onto Delaina’s lap.

“He’s honoring her for saving his life.”

Delaina’s arms wrap about the young lad in a hug. “I’m honored to have saved your life, Rish.”

My heart pounds as a vision flashes before me. Delaina with a young lad who looks very much like me with a touch of her. She squints at me, knowing I likely have had another vision.

We lie in Rish’s room later. She’s on the small cot and I’m on the floor. Delaina rolls toward me and looks at me in the dark.

“You had another premonition. Are you going to tell me about it?”

“You are in my visions, Delaina. You’re in my dreams, too.”

She grows quiet, contemplating what I just told her.

“Does that make you nervous or unhappy?” I can’t help but wonder.

Her sigh somehow causes me to relax.

“You don’t make me nervous. I realize your culture is different from mine. I’m from Earth, and I doubt I’ll see Earth again. I keep comparing all the beings I meet to Earthlings. On Earth, what you did with me before the flood would have been considered kidnapping, even if it was for my safety. I realize I’ve been too harsh on you, Carx. I’m sorry for that. And honestly, I haven’t had a life here since crash landing in the stasis pod.”

I reach up and take her hand. Delaina lets me hold it, her thumb rubbing over the back of my hand. Both of us settle back and relax. Her breathing becomes deep and steady very soon. She’s asleep. I keep hold of her hand and slip into dreams about her all night. One vision after another makes my heart race and my loins ache. I can tell already, she’s absolutely my everything.

Chapter 5

DELAINA

Sleep brings vivid dreams. It’s almost as if Carx is projecting his images into my head. I can no longer deny the attraction I have for him. It feels his sole purpose now is to protect me. I even felt his concern for me as I dove into the water to rescue Rish. He held me so tightly in his arms afterward, his warmth filling me to the core of my being.

The next morning comes with rain. I bolt upright, fear from the flood terrifying me.

“Oh, Delaina, it’s okay you’re safe.” Carx pulls me to him, his strong arms wrapping around my trembling body.

“I’m sorry, it’s the rain. I think I have PTSD.”

“What’s PTSD?”

“Post traumatic stress disorder. It sometimes happens to people who have been through a terrible trauma.”

“I see.” He nods and then holds out his hand. “It’s time we go. If we travel now, we’ll make better progress. This way is longer, so we need to get going soon.”

Saying goodbye to our new friends proves harder than I expected. I haven’t made many friends since landing on this planet, and even so I don’t trust the finicky ways of these people. These aliens.

Not a single cloud peppers the sky today as the sun pours out a nearly unbearable heat, unlike the last few days of cool air and rain. Hovercraft aren’t like vehicles on Earth with air conditioning. The windows are open, and the hot air swirls around us. I’m wearing the dress Relly gave me as we travel.

We drive down a mountain, the valley below flooded as well. Rooftops dot the horizon, but not a soul is standing on any of them. I stifle a cry at the lives lost. My hand grabs Carx’s. “Those poor people.”

“Many have likely escaped. This part of Reazus is plagued with horrible floods every so many years, so most are prepared for such things.”

He turns up toward the opposite hill, driving for a while before pulling over onto an overgrown road. We stop at the edge of a pristine pool.

“What are we doing?”

“It’s a hot day. Nice moment for a swim, don’t you think?”

I smile and hop out of the vehicle. After the last few days, a nice dip in a crystal clear pool sounds wonderful. Carx grins as he comes out of his clothes. My face heats up as he catches me looking at his muscular body. His male member extends and he smiles, enjoying the opportunity to show off.

I act as if it does not matter and take off my clothes as well. We’ve already seen each other naked. He seems to like what he sees, so I smile and shrug as I dive into the clear cool water.

“This place reminds me of the high desert back on Earth. It could get up over one hundred degrees in the daytime and down into the forties at night. The other night we nearly froze to death and today it’s boiling hot.”

He laughs and dives in. His velvety green skin shimmers in the water. I can’t help but stare at the huge green phallus as well as the smaller appendage sticking straight out between his legs. Carx splashes me, breaking my stare.

I dive under the water, embarrassed that he caught me staring at him again. He dives in after me, swimming quickly.

“Yeow!” I squeal as I try to run from him. However, I’m up to my neck in water and can’t get away from him.

He reaches me and grabs my feet, dragging me under. My eyes open, the water not burning them as I expected. Instead, the water is crystal clear and easy to see through. Carx smiles. I swim to the surface while trying to get away from him. I laugh and inhale water and cough. He catches me, pulling me to him, spinning us around.

Naked skin touches naked skin. My hand brushes against his soft suede skin and I don’t remove my hand, I hold on. Like magnets, I can’t let go. I don’t want to let go.

Leaning in, our bodies melt together. He peers longingly into my eyes. I try to ignore the hard prods from his midsection and focus on his aquamarine eyes. They are mesmerizing. I lose myself within the depths of his soul.

We are so close I can feel his heart pounding between us, his breathing synchronizing with mine. He lowers his face, his breath licking my face. My chin lifts, closing the gap between us. Our lips meet, and we enjoy soft, sweet kisses. Carx pulls back, giving me a half smile, his expression somewhat intense. My hand touches his chiseled jaw and I draw him to me again, this time with passion completely inflaming the two of us.

I grope at him, his rigid body bringing my senses alive. Making out in the water sparks a giggle from me. Why not? I’m on an alien planet after being abducted by God only knows who and crash landed in a stasis pod on an outlaw prison planet. I was then taken in by aliens, who after a while just dumped me into this world. Then along comes Mr. Tall, Green and Hunky and kidnaps me just in time to save me from a flood. I find myself incredibly horny for this alien.

Carx suddenly pulls back, looking at me as if I’m out of my mind. “What’s so funny, young human?”

“What’s so funny? This, us, me. I’m actually turned on by your soft velvet skin and your nice features. I guess I’m a little drunk with desire, “ I tell him between giggles.

“What’s turned on?”

I trace my finger down his shoulder and over his smooth pectorals. “It means I desire you. I desire this,” I say as I grab the rigid member prodding my belly. He groans as I squeeze and then run my hand along his thick shaft.

“Oh, so turned on means this?” His hands move to my chest, each hand covering a breast. “So soft.” He moans.

Our eyes lock and we dive into each other's lips first. I have lost all common sense, throwing out my preconceived good girl ideations. To hell with it. I’m enamored by my green alien.

CARX

We climb out of the water, our bodies warm from being so close to each other. I carry Delaina to the grass. She reaches for me as she lies back. I lean over her, our lips meeting. Her full lips move against mine. She invites me to explore her body.

I lift her into my arms, carrying her away from the shore to where it’s warm and the sun is shining. She lies under me, her eyes locking with mine. I’m surprised by the way this mutual affection is turning into an unbridled passion.

One touch and my mind flashes toward the future. Delaina wraps her arm through mine. A little girl runs ahead, curls bouncing. She flings around, her soft laughter like a melody strumming my heart. Her eyes beam back at me, and it’s Delaina’s skin color, lips, and sing-song voice that I recognize.

Delaina groans, our kisses growing more passionate. The future flashes in my mind again. Delaina is carrying a baby boy. My son looks just like me. Our daughter squeals as she carries a stuffed toy Delaina has made. We work in the garden, the air blowing warm around us. Happiness swells through my body.

“Are you okay?” Delaina peers into my eyes. I’m hovering over her, blinking.

I sit back, dumbfounded momentarily. What can I say?

Ahem. “I had a vision. Every time I touch you I have these wild visions.” My eyes narrow. “What do I do when I have these visions?”

She smiles and sits up. “You sort of blank out. Like something is going on in your mind and you’re sort of gone for a few moments. It’s weird. So, are these visions of me again?”

I nod and stand. We’re still completely naked and suddenly I’m very aware of it. I reach for my clothes. “I really don’t want to talk about it right now.”

I’m afraid she’ll not believe me and consider leaving me. The visions never happened until I met her. I would do anything for Delaina, but something tells me she’d leave if I became too stricken with these visions.

“Have I done something? I thought we were connecting just now.” Delaina grabs her clothes and begins putting them on.

“You haven’t. Please understand, these visions aren’t usual for me. I don’t know if they’re prophetic or a warning.”

Delaina winces. “A warning? Did something terrible happen?”

“Well, when I first met you, please understand, I touched you briefly when you stepped aside to take my order. The flash of you being harmed by the flood filled me and the next moment, it happened. I reacted. You thought I kidnapped you, but I didn’t. Still, I acted upon it in a way that must have been a shock to you.”

She laughs. “You’re on Reazus Prime as an escaped prisoner, right? That worried me a little at first.”

Her words say it, but her eyes don’t show fear. It shows something else. Something tangible and desirable.

“Are you sure you’re not interested in me now?” She folds her arms over her chest.

“No, I’m not saying that. Quite the opposite.”

She steps toward me, her chin lifting, her hand coming to my shoulder. “Then what’s really the problem?”

“There’s not a problem. But when we touch, the visions become so clear, so real. I stop being with you as I see the vision. I can’t live like that, so I need to figure this out. I need to be in the here and now with you.”

“Maybe it’s your psyche trying to protect you from being hurt.”

“What do you mean? You won’t hurt me, I’m stronger than you.” I tower over her.

Delaina giggles. “I don’t mean physically. I mean here,” she says as she places her hand over my heart.

My breath catches. She’s standing before me at the village. A covering of silk lace rests on her head. Singers carry out the song of ceremony. Then, there is the binding and mating.

I shake my head to bring myself out of the vision.

“It happened again, didn’t it? Was it something terrible?” she asks.

“No. I’m not sure what to make of it. I’ve never known anyone from my village to mate with an alien.”

Her brow lifts. “I mean, I don’t call making out with you mating. To me, mating means having sexual intercourse in order to conceive a baby. Is that what you mean?” Her eyes narrow at me.

I smile, my nerves rumbling. “I believe so. We find our mates, then we come together for both pleasure and for the production of the future generation. That’s what it’s for. We don’t lie with those we wouldn’t want a child with. Do you?”

Delaina blushes. “There's a big difference between humans and Eforixians. We have sex for pleasure most times. We fall in love. Sex isn’t always a means by which to have a baby. Sometimes couples just enjoy each other. They have sex for pleasure. I can’t imagine becoming pregnant with an alien’s baby, though. I’m not even sure it’s possible. But physically you and I would probably fit together.”

I wince. Not doing it to conceive a baby is far from how I was taught as a youngling. At least three of the females in my little village are with children or have had children. All are interspecies, too. Here on Reazus Prime, the idea isn’t to find your own kind, because chances are you won’t. We’ve all abandoned that idea.

“We should get moving. I’m not certain you and I have the same understanding of what a relationship should be between mates. It goes against my tribe to mate without cause.”

This pulls us apart. While I want to dive into her soft skin and explore the hole between her legs, I can’t do so without thinking she’s my mate. My one and only. And I certainly can’t share my seed with her unless Delaina is willing to take it and let it create a baby. If a baby doesn’t come, that’s fine, but it won’t be because I don’t want one.

She grows quiet and climbs into the hovercraft before we set off for the village. We still have a long way to go. I’m torn, as I still want her. I want her to want me in the same way, too. Not just for a casual moment in passion, but for life.

Chapter 6

DELAINA

I can’t figure these aliens out. Human males are finicky and unable to commit. Apparently Eforixians are as well. Carx makes no sense. Just when I’m comfortable with possibilities while being physically attracted to him, he pushes me away.

We were so close in the lake water, our naked bodies touching. So close on the shore, kissing, our feelings for each other blossoming. At least, I thought they were.

Now, I’m biting my lip and looking out of my side of the hovercraft as we ride in silence toward this elusive village. I can’t say he uprooted me. I mean, I was working in a dive as a piece of meat to be ogled by others until he kidnapped, I mean, rescued me.

Carx’s face skews in pain. My eyes turn to look at him from the periphery. He knows it as he turns and catches my glances. Dammit. I don’t know what to think or even what to say to him. I just want to find a place to call home. Earth is now a distant memory. Not many ships leave this planet. Those that do belong to pirates who are taking poor beings off to slave auctions in other galaxies. I don’t want any part of that for myself, so I hold tight to what I have right now. Which isn’t much.

Carx draws feelings from deep within me. For a few moments today, I felt the assurance of possibilities in a relationship with him. I felt hope for the future, which quickly disappeared when he had more of his visions. Those stupid visions. I wish I could wipe them from his mind. I honestly wouldn’t be too upset if I ended up with a green alien like Carx. Physically, we fit together well. Emotionally, there’s a connection as well. But it takes two to create the circle. Something he’s apparently not willing to do.

I blow out a deep breath. All the wishing in the world won’t give me stability or peace of mind. I need to focus on this moment in time and on my survival. Pretty much what I’ve done since landing on Reazus Prime.

“How much farther to your village?” I ask as I wonder if there’s a place he can drop me before we reach it.

“A couple of days. It’s far and we’ve lost time by traveling the other way as well as the time we took to rescue that family.” He smiles and yet keeps his eyes straight ahead.

My hand reaches out and touches his. A sort of electricity passes between us. His eyes widen and he pulls his hand away. I look down and retreat as well. It’s obvious he’s too repulsed by me. I’m not sure I believe him about the visions, either. We were so close at the lake, so near giving ourselves to each other. Yet, he did a one-eighty on me and since then has been cold. I just need to get away from him so that I can put this thing between us in my past.

We stop at a small village later in the evening. “We’ll stay here for the night. It’s a nice place and we can have separate sleeping quarters. Tomorrow very early we’ll leave and should arrive at my village within another day. It depends on what we encounter along the way.

He goes inside to get us rooms. Separate rooms. My heavy heart soon follows him to the back, where it’s like little caves inside. Carved stones along the walls and as furniture adorn the place as if it’s the simplest of accommodations available. It includes a padded pallet and a small washroom, for which I am very thankful. We’re in the same room, but the pallets are on opposite sides of the washroom with only a curtain for the door in between.

I toss and turn during the night, not able to sleep very well. Carx’s behavior continues to confuse me. He sleeps soundly, his back to me, as if he hasn’t a care in the world. Outside, the night is clear. An animal howls in the distance, and the village sleeps, at least in the part where we are staying. Maybe he’d feel better if I were to disappear? Carx could move on and find his village and I could stay here.

The sun eventually rises and I walk into the center of the community. The residents of the village begin to come out, hanging their signs and setting up tables and carts for the markets.

“Can you understand me?” I ask a female. Her pale blue skin contrasts her large ebony eyes. She stares at me as she rattles off something in another language to me.

My head shakes. “I can’t understand you.”

I can’t tell if these beings ever smile or if they always have a startled expression on their faces.

“Kurgli?”

My head shakes. I can’t understand the next being I meet, either. It angers me that my adopted home has flooded. The implant behind my ear worked for most of the different creatures there. Reazus Prime has so many different kinds of aliens that I’m bound to run into those whom I cannot understand occasionally.

My morning walk takes me through the marketplace as things become busy.

“There you are,” a voice startles me from behind and I turn.

Carx glares at me, the sun shining in his eyes.

“Yeah, here I am,” I say flatly.

“Why did you leave?”

“Because I think you need time away from me. Obviously, you don’t care for me much.” I turn away and begin to walk again.

“Come on, Delaina, we need to go.”

“Why should I go with you? This seems like a nice place. At least these people don’t shrink back when I come near them,” I complain.

Carx looks as if I have slapped him across the face. I step toward him and he steps backward.

“Yeah, move on without me. You’ll feel better without me.”

He advances toward me and I put out my hand. “Just stop. Unless you want to kidnap me again, leave me alone,” I tell him.

The expression on his face is painful as he backs away. “I’ll stick around for a few days, should you change your mind. I want you to come along with me. You’ll be happy in my village. I can help you with the language barrier, too. This place is a crossroads. I’m not sure it’s the right place for you.”

“I can decide that for myself. Go on, find your village and have a great life.” I whip around and march away from him, though it pains my heart to do so.

CARX

I’ve let her down. I’ve let myself down as well. These visions strike and I lose all sense of presence when they do. Will it be this way even if I mate with her? I can’t handle the thought of it. I need to keep my focus, especially in this world.

Delaina walks away, though I know she’s not sure where she’s going. The languages here are beyond the capability of her implant. I’ll stick around and keep an eye on her. Maybe after a couple of days she’ll realize she’s better off with me, despite my shortcomings.

I turn back, seeking food for the day. On second thought, I’ll invite Delaina to dine with me. She’s disappeared out of view now. My heart sinks. I could hit myself for letting her go like that. The Terran needs me.

Eating alone in the diner, the others here go on about the unfriendlies in the village. Unfriendlies usually means those who seek to do harm to certain others. They kidnap and sell and enslave those they think will bring them profit. Delaina is in grave danger here. If I have to, I’ll kidnap her again to keep her away from such terrible creatures.

The village curves around through small hills with deep ravines and small ponds of water scattered throughout. I look down to see a muddy reflection of the orange sky and shudder. It’s not good water. It’s tainted with bacteria and parasites. This place becomes less desirable by the minute. I must find Delaina.

After spending the large part of the morning searching, I have come to believe that she is nowhere. My heart pounds hard as I keep looking. Where could she have gone in such a short time? Did she truly take off to hide from me? I can’t blame her really, but she’s not from here and doesn’t understand the dangers that could befall her.

I took pictures of her with my comm without her knowing the other day. She’s that beautiful. Every market I go into, I pull up the image and ask if they’ve seen her.

A Gurgli snorts, motioning the sign for yes. “Early today. She no talk right. No language implant,” she says as she points to her ear. Certainly, Delaina wouldn’t have understood her.

“Okay, which direction did she go?”

The Gurgli points. I sigh, because that’s where I saw her last as well. After scouring the area, I can’t locate her. It’s as if she has dropped off the planet.

I can’t leave without one more pass through the area. Every place that would take in a stranger hasn’t seen her. The several I’ve asked in the market haven’t seen her either.

“Too many are passing through here. Easy to leave with those passing,” one tavern owner tells me.

“Like shuttles?”

“Like beings traveling to other cities. We’re a pass-through, an open road. Not many stay here because of the unfriendlies and lack of good communications.”

He’s right. I head back to the little room at the edge of the community where I’ve been staying. I wish she’d happen by again. Outside the door, I perch on my feet, watching, hoping. She doesn’t come back.

I wait out the night, hoping she’ll show up anyway. By morning, I’m fatigued from no sleep. A small snack should tide me over until I find her. I continue to look in different directions along the crossroads community, keeping my eyes open for any sign of Delaina. I continue to show her image to those I meet, but to no avail.

Disheartened, I head back to the center of the village. The only thing I know to do is to go through it once more and ask everyone I see. I’ve had no luck yet, but I soon feel my heart jump within my chest as I reach the outer edge of a group of buildings near where the shuttles land and take off.

Delaina stands among the other beings there along the side of the road. Many are carrying bags. She has nothing in her hands, but stands near the others.

“Delaina!” My heart pumps wildly as I approach. The chorus of voices chattering back and forth is loud as beings shout back and forth to each other.

She turns toward me, her eyes growing wide as I approach.

“Carx, what are you doing here?” The tone of her voice reveals her disappointment.

“I’m here to take you back,” I say as I grab her hand.

She pulls back before a vision flashes through my mind. “No! I’m not going anywhere with you. I’m going to a new city with these people.”

“Come with me, Delaina.” I refuse to let her go. I pull at her hand and hold tightly as I drag her out from the midst of the others.

“Stop it!” she screams as her hand shoves at me.

A few of those nearby stop what they’re doing and stare at me.

“Come here, at least let me talk to you,” I plead with her.

Delaina stops pulling against me as we stop. Her face is set in stone as her cold eyes look up at me. “What?” she demands.

I reach out and take her arms to pull her to me. Leaning in, I kiss her. She kisses me back for a moment before pushing me away. Her hand lands squarely on my face with a smack. My arms bristle, the act causing my body to go into defense. I stumble back with surprise.

“Leave me alone, Carx. I think you just want to take me against my will again. You saved me from the flood, thank you. I’m fine now. Please, just go and leave me alone,” she says, her words stinging my ears.

My hand protectively hovers at my face. I didn’t deserve the slap. Turning, I walk away angrily. Even her striking me caused a flash of a vision. She was smiling at me in the vision, the sun shining through her glossy hair. My head shakes while trying to chase her from my thoughts.

I’m done. The human can go on her way. I’ll head to my village, where they appreciate me. Once I get back to the room I have rented, I gather my things and climb into the hovercraft to head home without her. Yet, my heart won’t let me leave. I turn around and drive back to the other side of the village. So many are on the road, walking and driving slowly. It takes me a long time to get there.

Chapter 7

DELAINA

“That Eforixian bought you?” The female Tuglio speaks in a language my implant understands. She hovers with the crowd, having stood back and watched while Carx and I had words.

“Him? Oh, no, no. He’s, no, he didn’t buy me. He, um, was giving me a ride. I didn’t want to go with him anymore,” I reply.

She nods. “He seemed like a slaver the way he grabbed you.”

“No, I wasn’t his slave. But, that’s why I’m here. I need to find work and shelter.”

“Yes, yes. Work and shelter. Sometimes we find those things in the right places, no?” Her beady eyes keep steady with mine. Her long pointy nose flares with each breath she takes. She’s not exactly what I would call a beautiful creature, but she seems friendly enough.

“Um, sure.” I’m not sure what she expects me to say.

“The shuttle will take you to new life.”

The Tuglio reminds me of those I’ve met back on Earth who are still learning English with the way she forms her sentences. I smile and nod politely.

“You been to auction, no?”

“Auction? Oh, as in a slave auction?” My head shakes. “No. I lived with a family when I first, um, crash landed here. Then I worked at an eatery in Semiton.”

“Crashed? You from Terran ship?”

My head shakes. “No, it wasn’t a Terran ship. Pirates abducted me and put me inside a stasis pod. Then when the ship entered the atmosphere of this planet it splintered apart and here I am.”

“Many didn’t make it. Many did,” she says.

“You know about it?” My eyes narrow.

“Oh, yes,  yes. We know.” She nods and turns away.

“You go on shuttle with us? T’aka is good place for work.”

“Yes, I’m going to T’aka.”

Something in my gut doesn’t agree. It’s a warning perhaps, but I refuse to listen to it. I need to be in a situation where I’m in control and not at the mercy of some alien who recoils when I touch him. Even if I find him terribly attractive. Right now, it’s a matter of principle. I have standards to maintain, even though I’m on an alien planet far from Earth.

An old hovercraft shuttle, rusty on the sides, rounds the corners of the building and comes to a stop. It looks a little like a giant retro travel trailer from Earth; the ones from the fifties or sixties. Every vehicle here is a hovercraft. It may sound incredibly exciting to those fresh from someplace like Earth, but it isn’t. It barely clears the ground by some sort of magnetic energy. These crafts can’t fly over anything like a cliff, or on water unless it’s specially built for such a purpose.

I sigh. All the talks I had with Carx flood into my mind as I step onto the rusty box of bolts that hovers just over the ground. Other beings crowd on as well, the snooty Tuglio keeping a keen eye on me. The ripped seat cover snags on my outfit as I try to get comfortable. Now my thoughts go to Relly and the family we saved. I also think about the tender moments Carx and I shared on the lake. I smack my thighs with my hands as anger bubbles up from inside me. Why, Carx? Why?

The Tuglio didn’t tell me her name. Whoever she is, she keeps looking at me. Hairs on the back of my neck bristle as tall bug-looking alien males talk with her and hand her several currency cards. I count at least three. She glares at me and turns away to hide what she’s holding. After traveling for some way on the shuttle, it slows to a stop and she gets off. It seems that she is not going to T’Aka after all.

I stand, changing my mind about my plans as I feel that something is not right. I’d rather go with Carx. “Stop!” I shout out. The other beings on the shuttle look at me with no understanding. Mr. Bug steps toward me, looking down his sharp nose with a grimace.

“Sit. We aren’t stopping again until we get to T’Aka.”

My lower lip quivers, but I don’t allow myself to cry out. I thought my life was lackluster before I met Carx. Then I thought he kidnapped me just to claim me. Now I’m on a shuttle heading to T’Aka as a slave. It was the original intent of my captors on Earth.

“Oh Carx, I’m so sorry I didn’t believe you.” My head bows, I don’t want to make eye contact with the creeps who have ill intent for me.

To my left, bound by the feet, are two females. They are tall and gruffy-looking with fur growing from their heads, down the side of their faces and arms. I surmise they are females by their swollen bosoms as well their higher-pitched voices. I try to get their attention. I’m not bound and I could easily slip my hand over and try to help them loosen their bonds. Maybe we could come up with some sort of escape plan. They’re huge compared to me and might be able to help overpower our captors.

I scoot to the edge of my seat, keeping an eye on the goons that captured me. My eyes stay forward and I try to speak to the females quietly.

“Hey, can you understand me?” I speak barely above a whisper. The bug in front of me seems preoccupied and is staring out the shuttle window, his eyes not directly on me, thankfully.

My foot pushes to the side to get their attention. “Hey, can you understand me?” I’m hoping they have an implant that will translate my language for them.

“Eeecio?” she asks.

My eyes close in sheer disappointment. “You can’t understand me. No point.” My head shakes.

“Eeecio? Quman.”

“Yes, I’m human,” I reply. However, I doubt that’s what she is asking. It doesn’t matter. Without communication, we can’t collaborate.

We travel on and I keep looking outside, hoping to see Carx racing up to save me. I treated him terribly. My pride and ego got in the way of going with him to his village where he promised me safety. I should have known better than to react the way I did.

The shuttle is apparently not headed toward T’Aka. My heart skips a beat as my eyes spot a large ship, in the very center of an open field, lit and ready for flight. We pull right up to it. Great. I’ll bolt before they force me onto another ship that may crash on yet another planet where I will know absolutely no one.

It’s a good thought, but impossible as Bug sends more of his kind to escort us with their weapons pointed at our heads. Yeah, I guess I’m going on another space flight.

CARX

“Where are the ones waiting for the shuttle for T’Aka?”

The general grunts when I ask. He sits his fat body behind the counter, waiting for calls for transportation.

“They left a while ago. Why? You wanted a ticket?” He squints at me. General Ponduesk of the Galianas. At one time, he stood guard over one of the prisons on Reazus as part of the fallen militia. Now he runs the transportation of the village, the hub of which hosts shuttles coming through the area.

“Do you know if a Terran got on the shuttle?”

“I don’t question who or what gets on those shuttles. I just pass on the information and sell tickets. This is Reazus, after all. There’s practically no government oversight here.”

“Thank you,” I reply with a grimace. There is little else I’ll get out of this feckless waste of flesh.

I leave the place, turning the hovercraft around and following in the direction of T’Aka. The shuttle caravan can’t be too far ahead. Before long, I catch up enough to see one of the shuttles take a detour. I’m suspicious because they don’t turn toward T’Aka. Instead, they go in the opposite direction, making a sharp right turn toward the nothingness of the valley beyond. Something isn’t right about what’s happening and my potential mate is on that shuttle. I speed up to follow them and the shuttle appears to speed up as well as they attempt to get away from me. Now I know they are up to no good.

If I ever find Delaina, I will not allow myself to be so disturbed when the visions come to me. My reactions have scared her away from me. Deep desire for her begins to move up within my belly and heart. I need her. I’m not whole without her. No one else could ever come close to replacing the human.

The shuttle turns, disappearing into a bushy patch. I slow the hovercraft and turn down the rough path where I come upon a gate. Of course, it’s well-hidden and off the regular road. For certain aren’t heading to T’Aka. I am extremely concerned as I turn the vehicle into the bush, running over the smaller trees before parking.

A roaring suddenly reaches my ears. I know what’s here, now. I follow the fence long enough until it eventually stops, the thick bush serving as a good hiding spot for me. A large makeshift airfield in a field stretches out before me. There’s nothing else here except for a couple of shuttles and a large spaceship.

I pull a scope from my belt and extend it to get a better look at the ship and the shuttles nearby. I recognize several of the beings from the shuttle stop earlier. The male Guglios escort each of the beings with weapons drawn and pointing at their heads. My heart nearly jumps out of my chest. Unfortunately, eyes don’t deceive me. Delaina is among those being escorted from the shuttle to the ship. One of the Guglios holds a laser blaster to her head. The look of terror on her face sends a chill down my spine. A closer look and I recognize the symbols on the sides of the ship. Pirates. I must save her somehow.

I scurry around the hangar, unnoticed now that it’s getting dark. Everyone’s focusing on the shuttles and the remaining occupants as I step to the back of the ship. It’s humming, ready for take off. I can’t allow that to happen.

Delaina’s on the ship. Guards pace around the entrance and there appears to be no way to get by them. Unless I am able to disguise myself as one of them. I’d have to take one out and steal his uniform for that to work. At best, my little blaster will take out only a few of the group of them if they discover me. Perhaps the hangar building has something else I can use. I search around the facility until I find a little window, not quite large enough for me to crawl through. Peeking inside, I see no one there, as they’re probably at the ship preparing for takeoff. I cannot allow it to leave with Delaina onboard.

I pull my jacket tightly around my neck and hunker over as I attempt to walk more like the pirates in hopes that no one will notice me. Some of the guards are distracted and move away from the entrance for a moment and I easily slip inside, my heart pounding as I catch my breath.

Several mechanic uniforms hang on hooks near the large opening door. Meant for the pirates’ body type, the outfit barely fits over me. I manage to hook the front of it and then place a hat on my head, providing what I hope to be the perfect disguise.

Someone rushes from a doorway inside. I turn quickly and act as if I’m going through the tools on the counter.

“Double check the gear,” they bark at me.

“Ya,” I answer in the same gruff expression, acting as if I’m one of the pirates.

Luckily, years ago I did mechanic work on spaceships, so I know my way around the engine room and the underside of the craft. This particular ship has landing legs, and apparently I’m expected to look them over.

I grab a cloth on my way out, and keeping my head down, walk to the ship amongst the others. They’re still loading the poor captives onto the ship. Delaina is already inside.

A gliding board enables me to effortlessly push myself underneath the ship. There is barely enough room for me to lift my head while here. I’m bulkier than the Guglios, so there’s no room for me to work very well, but I do it anyway. Sliding all the way to the middle of the underbelly, I can see the array of seals that are stretched along the panels. Without the proper tools, I can’t do much. The piece of cloth I took from inside protects my hands as I try loosening the panels. It’s a spaceship belly, so of course, it’s not easily undone. I’m not sure I’m budging anything as I work frantically.

The landing gear legs could keep the ship from taking off if one of them jams. It would buy me some time to do whatever I can to get her off the ship. I look around desperately searching for something to wedge into the gear locker. Sliding back out from underneath, I go back to the hangar building unnoticed in search of something to use.

I grab as many tools from the counter as I can before returning. If I can keep the ship from taking off, I’ll be able to plan a way to rescue Delaina. Two Guglios walk into the building as I exit. One eyes me, but doesn’t stop or say anything. I walk with my legs bent at an odd angle, like they do. I scoot underneath once again and notice that someone else is on the other side from me. They see me and nod. Perhaps they won’t notice my act of sabotage as I pretend to inspect the landing gear.

Chapter 8

DELAINA

I stumble onto the old ship, forced to walk up the ramp and into the interior. I am taken to a large room with cells that are formed into a circle. I’m forced into one that has a being tied to a corner. I can’t see who or what they are in the dim lighting, but I assume they are female. The guards go to her and untie her, letting her loose before they back out of the cell with their weapons pointed at us.

The metal door clicks as it shuts and my eyes begin to adjust to the low lighting. I’m surprised to find I’m staring at another human. She realizes we are both human at the same time I do. Both of us smile.

“Crashed in a stasis pod?” she asks.

I nod emphatically. “Yes! You too? Oh wow! About a year ago?”

“Yes! I think so, anyway. They’ve taken me from place to place without telling me when it is or where I’m at.”

My head shakes as I go to her so we can talk quietly. “I’m Delaina.”

“Mariel.” We shake hands in the dirty cell.

I whisper to her, “What’s your story?”

“My story? I was hiking in New Mexico in the desert back country. My college friends and I got separated from each other in the canyons. A bright light suddenly shone above my head and my ears started hissing. I blanked out and came to while careening to this God forsaken place. I landed in water, floated for a while until some insect-looking thing pulled me out and brought me to a huge building in the middle of nowhere. Imagine my shock when I realized I wasn’t dreaming and he was actually an alien. I was no longer in New Mexico or on Earth at all.”

“They gave you an implant.”

“Oh yes, while I was kicking and screaming. Then the damn thing got infected and I was in some sort of prison medical place where they nursed me back to health. They’ve taken me from place to place, moved about, and kept me in a cell. I’m gathering at some point I’ll be put up for sale at an auction.”

My head shakes. “I can’t believe they’ve waited so long.”

“Oh, there are many others enslaved on this horrible planet. They have these private auctions sometimes. I guess the aliens request certain types and I’m not one to have been chosen yet. That’s probably a good thing. I dream about being sold to someone nice, though.”

I sit back, my head shaking. I can’t imagine being held prisoner for this long. “Have you tried escaping?”

“Why? I can’t speak the language. I have no idea where to go or who to trust.” Mariel blinks, her eyes used to the dimness of the cell.

“But there are nice aliens out there,” I counter.

Her head shakes sadly. “I don’t know. I’ve not encountered any nice creatures until you, just now.”

I reach for her hand. She’s lived in such a terrible situation since landing on this planet. “I’m so sorry, Mariel. I’ve encountered nice ones.” I look down. Guilt over leaving Carx rips through my heart. He only took me to save my life. And honestly, he isn’t such a terrible person to be around.

“Oh, Delaina, you’re crying. Did you lose someone special here?”

I didn’t realize I was even crying. The back of my hand wipes the tears from my eyes. I’m normally not the crying type. But I’ve also never been kidnapped by real pirates.

“Yes.” I can’t offer any more words.

Her hand rubs my lower arm. “I’m so sorry. Tell me about them.”

I look into her eyes. “I chose to leave him, and it was a mistake. He begged me to stay. It was weird, though. He’s an alien for fuck’s sake,” I tell her.

Mariel giggles. “Girlfriend, everyone on this planet are aliens, except for us. And I believe there are others like us here, too.”

“Oh, I know there are. I’ve heard about them. But you’re the first one I’ve seen since being here.”

Mariel sits back. “Tell me about your alien man.”

“There’s nothing much to tell,” I say as I shrug and sit back opposite of her.

“Listen, I’ve been pent up in a cell for a long time. At least let me have the benefit of a good experience on this hellhole of a planet,” she responds. “Tell me about him. He obviously means something to you.”

“Okay.” I smile, my mind rushing back to when I first saw him. “His name is Carx and he’s an Exforixian.”

“Oh, he’s not the same as us, is he?” Her eyes grow wide as she sits up. She’s really into this.

“No.” I laugh. “He’s actually green and has these fin-like things on his arms. But he’s pure muscle. His skin is like velvet, though. He’s very warm and soft, yet incredibly strong.

“Keep going.”

“He came into the place where I worked down in Semiton. It was storming, rain pelting the place like crazy for days. He comes in and we lock eyes. I admit now I felt something. He went for me, grabbed me and ran. He sort of kidnapped me. It was crazy. I honestly thought he was kidnapping me to sell me, but that wasn’t it at all. Sirens I had never heard before sounded out in the little town. He didn’t say much as he ran with me. He threw me into his hovercraft and we sped off to the mountains, just as the floods rushed into the city. The entire place was covered!”

“Amazing. So, he’s a prince charming type? How in the fuck did he know it was about to happen?”

I laugh. “He’s been on Reazus for a while. He knew something was about to happen there. And he said, he, er…uh, had a vision about me. He followed his heart straight to me.”

Mariel sighs. “I wish I had some buff alien swooning over me. Although, I don’t want him kidnapping me. I'm sick of this shit.” She sits up and looks around the tiny cell. “At least I have good company now.”

I smile at her as she smiles back. Being locked up for nearly a year must do crazy things to the emotions. Carx certainly does have a buff body. I suppose he swooned over me, sort of. He swooned and then he recoiled. My head shakes. I’d take his recoiling over my current situation any day of the week. I actually miss the green visionary.

CARX

The damn welded bolts won’t budge. Whoever built the ship did a very good job. It’s a tight ship, and very safe. At least I know she’s on a safe ship. My attempts at sabotaging the landing gear aren’t going very well. Whoever is working on the other side yells over to me.

I look his way, keeping the hood over my head to hide the fact I’m not a Guglio.

“Spass?”

I nod and slide out before he engages in more conversation. It’s not good. My plans aren’t working out the way I had hoped. Delaina’s captive on the ship along with countless other slaves to be auctioned off to the highest bidders. If I could get my hands on some explosives, I could stop the ship from taking off at all.

My hood saves me again as a couple of Guglios pass me, each looking intently my way. I’m taller and bulkier than them, so they must be a little suspicious of me.

No one is in the maintenance building as I slip back inside. A flight hat hangs on the wall along with a jacket from a ship’s crew. They might belong to one of them on Delaina’s ship, so I put them on.

Outside, workers frantically finish the last minute details before the giant ship lifts from the surface of Reazus. As the engines begin to warm up, steam billows from vents nearby. The hull of the ship vibrates with increasing frequency. The little things I did to the underbelly aren’t making a bit of difference. The vibration of the ship has likely loosened the tools I attempted to wedge into the landing gear. I knew it had a slim chance of working.

I can’t let Delaina go like this, but it’s also an opportunity to leave this place. I hate leaving my village behind, including my friends who have become more like family. But Delaina has sparked something within me. She’s my future mate if my visions are correct. I won’t lose her now. I can’t.

The Guglios scurry on board, the last of the slaves tucked away inside somewhere. I can’t hold back. Not now. It’s now or never. I rush forward alongside the other pirates climbing aboard the giant ship.

Many of them go in different directions once they are inside. They know their posts, but I don’t. They could easily discover me here. A quick turn to the left leads me down a dark hallway and to the storage hatch. Perfect! I can hide in here. Finding a spot toward the back of the room, I settle between two crates. Hopefully I can find a nearly-empty one to get into if someone comes into the room.

The vibrations within the ship increase, a whirring sounding throughout. I grasp the sides of the crate as the ship lifts from the airfield. At least I’m on here with Delaina and I’ll have time to figure out a way to save her once we land.

The ship settles into its path and I sneak to the door, trying to see what’s going on in the rest of the ship. I find a port window and can see that we aren’t moving. We appear to be hovering over Reazus Prime, like a satellite. I haven’t left the planet since being brought here so long ago, so even this is a different experience than what I have become accustomed to.

I quietly walk out of the stock room, ducking behind a corner when three crew members walk around the curved hall toward the bridge. Others mumble behind closed doors nearby. I can understand only some of what I’m hearing through the thick doors.

The bridge is open, though, so I step inside to listen to what is being said.

“Slaves fed and watered?” The commander treats the poor females like livestock with his cold question. I want to storm toward him and punch him in the head, but the rest of them would be on top of me so quickly that I would have no chance of surviving. They would probably shove me into the airlock and open it to suck me into space.

I back out of the bridge and walk around to another corridor. It circles around, large doors appearing eventually on one side. It could be the doors to the slave quarters. I pass my hand over the lighted panel and the doors open, sliding into the walls on either side. The large room has tables and self-serve meal stations. I duck around a column when a group walks in from the other side. Keeping my head down, I go back through the doors before they notice me.

I circle around, looking for a door leading to the levels below. My walking takes me back almost all the way around to the bridge. There is a cylindrical elevator that leads to the lower level here. I can hear the voices of the guards below this floor speaking to each other.

Surely there’s another way down there that isn’t being watched by them. I carefully follow the corridor back around and toward the stockroom where I hid during liftoff. There is a door with a spiral staircase that leads down just behind it. It’s a risky move, but I lie down and look into the darkness of this end of the bottom. It’s very dim, and there is no light, so I make my move. Very quietly, I step down the creaking metal steps, pausing and listening occasionally to be certain there are no guards running toward me.

Muffled cries, soft murmurs, and the shaking of cell doors reach my ears after I am on the floor. I quietly step into the open corridor, the sound of the guards audible to me where I am standing.

“Delaina?” I whisper as I step in front of some of the cells.

Large eyes peer at me from one of the dark rooms, but no one says a word.

“Have you seen a Terran?” I ask.

Several heads shake as they look back at me. I speak in as many different languages as I can muster.

“Delaina, are you here?”

“Whoop!” A large female bumbles forth, her wild eyes on me. She grabs the cell door and shakes. “Whoop whoop.”

“Shhh,” I plead with her.

“Whoop whoop whoop.” She’s yelling.

“Hey, what’s going on?” a guard asks as he rounds the corner.

I quickly retreat, angry that the female brought attention to me. She’ll probably tell them about me in exchange for better conditions. I jump onto the stairs as footsteps come toward me. My feet are big and not quiet at all, but I get up the steps and run toward the stockroom. The sound of footsteps on the spiral stairs cause me to dive into one of the metal cabinets inside. Luckily, there are several small crates nearby. I push one to the side and close the door, hearing a click as I do. Very quietly, I push some of the small things in the cabinet toward the door so that if someone looks inside they will only see those things.

Someone comes into the stockroom, calling out loudly. “Who’s there? Anyone?”

“They’re not here, obviously,” another one growls.

They eventually walk away, the door of the stockroom closing behind them. I breathe a sigh of relief as I push the smaller things inside the cabinet away. I’m able to get out and go to the stockroom door. My heart drops as I try the panel. The door is locked and it won’t budge! I’m trapped!

Chapter 9

DELAINA

The ship shudders as it lifts from Reazus Prime. A wave of sadness rushes through me at the life I’m leaving behind there. Poor Mariel hugs her knees. We talked until our voices grew hoarse.

“I guess this time it’s real,” she mutters.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, they’ve shuffled me around all this time. I’ve lived in cells like this, forgetting what it feels like for my feet to touch the ground, or to have the sun in my face and sand between my toes. I’ve not had very many decent baths, either.”

I nod, agreeing the smell is quite pungent in the cramped, filthy cell. My own body will begin to add to the aroma eventually. I sit and begin to cry as the ship enters space. We can’t see where we’re going. I did a stupid thing by leaving Carx behind. All because I stupidly thought he didn’t like me. His recoiling wasn’t because he didn’t like me, though. He couldn’t handle the visions he was having. Honestly, I can’t imagine having that kind of thing happen to me. They were apparently very new to him as well. Carx claimed he saw me in his visions and that I caused him to come to me. I have no doubt now that was the case.

My head shakes. So much for visions, as they obviously aren’t going to come true now. I’ll probably never see the green alien again. My heart aches. It gives a whole new meaning to unrequited love. He’ll be a good memory, though. For a brief time we connected. I’m so stupid for not taking it all for what it really was. Regret is a terrible feeling.

Mariel falls asleep soon, slumped over against the opposite wall. I pull my knees up and lay my head over my hands. I would have been better off staying with Carx. He may have taken me in the name of a flood, but he didn’t kidnap me in the way that the pirates have taken me.

A great shaking of the ship jars us awake sometime later. Our hands reach out, steadying ourselves against the walls.

“What was that?” I sit up, my heart pounding.

“We just landed.” Mariel doesn’t seem surprised.

“Landed? So soon?”

“So far, when they’ve taken me around, it’s just to go to the other side of Reazus.” She tells me with a shrug.

A glimmer of hope springs from within my heart. That glimmer keeps me warm as the ship settles onto a landing pad outside.

“Now, they’ll move us,” Mariel tells me.

The pirates soon come down the corridor, opening each of the cells, their weapons drawn. They walk us out through the long corridor and off the ship. Outside, it’s dark and cold. Ice pelts our bare skin as we walk, barefooted, across the pebbled ground. Sharp rocks pierce my feet with each step.

“Why can’t we have shoes?” I cry, my toe stubbing into a stone.

“It’s less likely we’ll run without them. My feet have become calloused from pacing inside cells,” Mariel replies.

A giant shuttle with no seats hums by the hangar. They shove all of us onto it. We cram inside, shoulders touching, until the last one piles on and the door closes behind us. Three guards stand on the bumper, weapons drawn and pointing at us. As if we could run at all. A cold wind blows as we are pelted with an icy mix of sleet and snow. We’re probably on the other side of Reazus where the season is opposite to that which we left behind.

We stop, the guards pacing back and forth, their beady eyes always on us. I shiver, my body trembling from the cold sinking into my bones. The memory of the night Carx kept me warm floods my mind. Thinking about it helps to warm me. It was a near miss night. I came so close to rolling toward him and offering more than I dared. And at the lake, while we were naked together, we connected before he pulled away from me. My head shakes angrily. Why did he do that? Why did he chase after me if he didn’t really want me? I can’t understand it.

The line moves and we stumble into one another, the chains around our ankles keeping us from moving with much freedom. If one goes down, the line stops so she can stand back up. My feet have lost feeling, it's so cold. But the chain digs into my tender ankles as the guards prod us along.

“Awww.” Instant relief hits once we step inside. The stone floor may be cool, but it’s warmer than Reazus' ground outside and much smoother.

The guards march us through the hall and down a flight of steps to a dank basement. The floors are clammy and damp. Two by two, we’re shoved into the cells. I hold my breath hoping Mariel will be with me. Sure enough, the door opens and we’re pushed inside, the door closing behind us with a loud clunk. At least there are two pads on the floor, meant for use as beds. There is also a lever for water and a stinky hole in the floor meant to be used as a toilet. It’s not exactly the comforts of home, but much better than what we had on the ship.

“We need to get out of this place,” I tell her. I’m tired of being held captive and I want to get back to Carx somehow. While Mariel may be satisfied to await a fate of slavery, I’m not so keen about it.

“How?” Mariel’s weary eyes peer at me. We speak in barely audible whispers to each other.

“I’m not sure. Pay attention to the guards when they come in here. We could try to steal their keys, or even a weapon. One of us could feign being sick or something. Maybe faint. We could cause a distraction and take what we can.”

“You do realize they’d just as soon shoot us as deal with belligerent captives?”

“They won’t shoot us. We’re valuable commodities to them. Why they haven’t tried auctioning you by now is a mystery, though. I mean, you’re pretty and would bring in a huge amount of money.”

She straightens at the compliment. “Thank you, Delaina. Same to you.”

“What I mean is, they don’t seem to be in a big hurry, for whatever reason.”

“I think they’re waiting for some larger auction. There are beings who fly in from all over the star system and the neighboring systems for the big ones.”

CARX

The ship lands and I wait patiently, hoping someone opens the door to the stockroom. Others shuffle around just outside the room, but no one opens the door. At least we’ve landed finally. I need to find out where we are and where they’ve taken Delaina.

It’s silent on the ship, so I try breaking open the door with my feet to no avail. The door is thicker than the thinner metal walls. I knock along the walls until I hear a hollowness. Pulling my dagger forth, I try the door at first. The latch is well hidden within the frame in the thicker metal. Nearby, there is a thinner wall that gives a little as I press into it. I use my dagger to saw into it fairly easily. Desperation propels me. I need to exit the ship before it takes off again so that I can find Delaina.

The thin wall finally peels back revealing a ventilation system that probably curves throughout the ship. I pull it down far enough for me to crawl into. The thin walls of the vent system barely hold me as I move along, crawling upward until I find a grate opening.

Someone walks by the grate. I wait for the room to clear before attempting to push it open. A cleaning crew runs various cleaning and sanitation devices on the ship while everyone is gone. That means they’ve probably taken the slaves to another location. I wonder where we are? We weren’t in flight very long, so I have to believe that we are still on the same planet.

The grate proves to be difficult as it’s securely bolted in place. My trusty dagger works again as I loosen the bolts and the grate crashes to the floor. I stay back, fearing someone might have heard it and come to investigate. A few moments later, I quietly drop from the opening and quickly replace the grate. The ship is empty as I steal through the circular corridor back to the same steps I was on earlier.

Downstairs there is nothing but a slight popping of a ship cooling from flight. The first cells are empty, their doors open. I round the entire corridor and find each one empty. Delaina is on the planet again.

Footsteps above sound like someone has entered the stockroom. I go to the other end of the deck and ride the elevator up to where the bridge is, counting on it being abandoned. Thankfully, I have assumed correctly.

They’re still removing crates from the stockroom. We must be at their final destination for now. Pulling my jacket around me, I walk through in disguise, taller than the average pirate on the ship. Still, they pay me no mind as I scoop up a small crate and carry it off the ship. Once outside, I look toward the horizon to try and figure out where I am.

Someone comes close and so I turn toward the only place there is to hide; the ship. I don’t need the pirates to catch me. They’d throw me into a cell just like the slaves.

They are coming quickly behind me, so I duck into the stockroom once again. I crawl into the locker I was inside earlier and carefully close the door. Someone puts something in the stockroom.

“Ready captain,” they say.

Two stand in the stockroom as the ship begins to hum again. Oh no! It’s about to take off. The two in the room sit on chairs near the door, belting in for takeoff. I hold onto the sides of the locker and push packing material against the door to hide myself better if they happen to open it.

The ship burns through the atmosphere and once it settles, the two leave the stockroom. My heart sinks as I sit back, realizing I’m now flying away from Delaina. I refuse to give up, though.

Maybe by some turn of events they have put the slaves back on the ship. I quietly exit the locker and the stockroom in search of my mate. The back steps are quiet as I descend into the belly of the ship and to the darkened hall. Each cell still sits empty and my heart drops as I realize Delaina is back on the planet.

I strike a cell door hard, cursing a loud bang. The elevator nearby begins to move and I run to the stairs and up toward the stockroom, barely missing the elevator coming to the bottom level. My temper nearly gave me away. No one climbs the steps behind me, but I do hear steps near the stockroom after I close the door. I scurry inside the locker once again, quietly holding the door to it closed as I hide.

Napping in the locker isn’t easy, but somehow I lose consciousness while in flight. At least, it allows much needed rest and a good way to pass the time.

My head bangs against the locker as the ship lurches. Surely it’s too early for the ship to land. However, if we had gone into hyperspeed we could have flown to the moon and back. Even so, I am certain that we were still on the planet earlier rather than on the closest moon.

I open the locker door and tumble out, stretching my limbs after being confined for some time. The stockroom is empty. My ears tune to footsteps passing through the hatch outside the door.

I have a plan, so I wait patiently for the ship to clear. Normally, they would allow the engines to cool and then do the required maintenance before taking off again. There’s a few spare moments where I can implement my plan and rescue Delaina. I refuse to leave her wherever they took her. She’s not up for auction. Not while I’m alive.

There’s only one thing I can do and I need to hurry. Someone walks toward me in the circular corridor. I duck into the nearest room and hide as I press my body flush against a wall, ready to pounce should someone walk in. They don’t see me and keep walking along the corridor.

One thing is for certain. I need to make sure no one is on board the ship as I work to prepare to save my future mate. Just one pirate could ruin my plans. Satisfied I’m alone, I make my way to the bridge. Once I acquire the correct key codes there, I go back to the entry hatch.

Chapter 10

DELAINA

Mariel and I examine the door and lock on the cell. It jiggles, rocking back and forth, as we try to force it open. She looks over at me.

“I’ve never had the guts to try to escape, Delaina. Thank you for pushing me.”

I chuckle. “I’m not one to just take it when I’m held hostage.”

We work the door, shaking and gently rattling it while trying not to make too much noise.

“Have you been in this sort of situation before?”

“Oh, no. I crashed in the stasis pod and a nice alien family took me in, nursed my injuries, then kicked me out.”

“What? No!” Her face skews in horror.

“Oh, it wasn’t really so bad. Kicked out is a harsh way to put it, I guess. It was their custom to take in those who needed help and once the person regained strength, they were cut loose to live their own life.”

Her head shakes. “I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to the mannerisms of the beings on this planet.”

We keep trying the lock, but nothing works. The pirates leave us for long periods of time, barely giving us any food throughout the day.

“Pssst,” the female in the cell next to us says.

I crawl toward her, amazed she can understand us. She’s one of the taller beings, with a tinge of green to her skin, and hair that looks like wet leaves. She comes from some sort of water world. Maybe she’s a close cousin to Carx’s kind.

“I’ve collected metal from our many transits. It could be useful to help us get out of here.”

Mariel crawls over and smiles. “We can do this, ladies.”

“By the way, I’m Oogula.”

“I’m Mariel and this is Delaina. We’re from the Terran system. We’re a couple of the pod crashers,” Mariel says with a smile.

“Oh, that happened at about the same time they took me.  Listen, think I can help us all to escape. I’m a metal worker by trade. If we can figure out the locking mechanism, I can use the metal to produce something that might work in it,” she tells us.

“Wherever this is,” I mutter.

“We’re on the other side of Reazus. This is my third time traveling here. These doors are all metal and that’s why I’ve collected what I can when I can,” Oogula replies.

“That’s smart. I’ve been captured since landing here. Delaina’s had freedom up until we met not too long ago,” Mariel tells her.

“You were probably brought here for the sole purpose of being sold in an auction. And also in some sort of experimentation,” Oogula remarks.

I shudder. “Experimentation is something that hasn’t happened to us.”

“That’s what you think. You don’t remember being on the ship for all that time, do you?”

My head shakes as Mariel’s lips stretch into a thin line. “So, they experimented on us while in flight? It has something to do with our brain waves while in the stasis pods, I’ll bet.”

“Your ship broke apart just as they entered the planet’s atmosphere. The pods were scattered all over the place as the ship disintegrated in the sky. Some of you made it, while others didn’t. Their data was likely lost and it’s valuable research to some.”

I crawl closer to Oogula. “Why are they holding you for such a long time, though?”

She grimaces. “They have private auctions and only a few go at a time. When they have the larger ones, something always happens to stop them. I’ve been on center stage before only to have it interrupted by others trying to steal slaves, or whatever the case might be. So, these particular pirates like to keep the auctions small and private if at all possible so as not to attract too much attention.”

“I see,” I say with a nod. “It makes sense now.”

We work with Oogula in bending and sharpening the metal pieces she has. The bars of the cell make for great metal files, as the metal in the bars are roughly crafted. The other females in nearby cells keep watch to let us know when the guards come around. When they do, we hide the pieces and act like we aren’t doing anything concerning.

Most of the guards leave during the night. Only a couple usually remain while we are supposed to be asleep. We work the metal pieces into the lock causing it to click. Mariel and I look at each other as the door swings free.

“Come open mine,” Oogula demands.

We tiptoe out and open her door. It’s the same for each door. We insert the metal piece and jiggle it around until the latch moves. A dozen of us are soon creeping along the hall toward the only opening that leads outside.

Three guards sit at a table just around the corner. Mariel and I lead the females and I hold up my hand as we stop. Mariel motions to them, holding up three fingers.

Oogula nods. “They’re outnumbered,” she whispers.

Mariel and I nod at each other and on the count of three we rush forward, the lot of us, taking the guards by surprise. They jump up and one fires a weapon. A female screams as she’s hit. The rest of us jump on top of them, taking away their weapons.

Oogula fires on one. He’s hit in the shoulder and slides to the floor in pain. Another one receives a blast to the foot, and the third guard we bind with chains in a chair. We rush outside before any more guards appear. Oogula waves us toward a hover bus. Before we reach it, several guards pour out of a small building to the left of the larger one where we were being held.

We outnumber them and rush to fight, ignoring the weapons they pull from their belts. It’s at least two females per guard, some having three of us on them. Very quickly, we take the weapons and turn on them.

One manages to shoot a female. She’s of a slight build with fuzzy green hair, but much smaller than Carx. She slumps to the ground, dead. Tears fill my eyes as I struggle with the one I’m on top of. How dare they kill one of us!

A female named Barkaya rustles the guard down who killed the green female. Two others help her. She yanks the weapon from his slimy hands and points the blaster right at his head and fires. Brains and purplish blood sprays all over her. I want to vomit.

CARX

The whir of the small shuttle craft’s engine sounds out after the hatch behind it seals. A small door opens and I launch. It’s not quiet, so I’m sure they have seen me take off. I punch the thruster and fly straight up, not looking back. The thrusters hum as I burn through the atmosphere and finally into space.

I set course for an orbit around Reazus and slow the thrust. The small ship stays in place as if it’s a satellite. Knowing ships’ shuttles as I do, I must find the tracker onboard and pull it free. I can’t have the pirates coming after me. It’s lodged in the ceiling, in a box with wires tapped into the electrical system. One good yank removes it.

I’ll fly now toward one of the outer moons and release the tracker into space. It takes a couple of hours, since the vessel isn’t equipped with hyperspeed. I also keep an eye on the fuel, making certain I can fly back to the coordinates from before and rescue Delaina. Thankfully, this particular shuttle is lightweight and well-fueled. There should be plenty for my trip to find my future mate.

Once I reach the outer limit of the Reazus moons’ orbit, I place the tracer box into the space walk and seal the door. It careens free of the vessel as I open the outer door, freely floating through space. I turn on the shuttle’s tracker locator to make certain the tracker is working. After seeing that it is, I chuckle and set course back to Reazus.

It won’t hurt to fly around the planet again. If they are coming after this vessel, they won’t know where to look after they find the tracker. Or they’ll keep flying deeper into the star system thinking I’ve gone to another planet.

The coordinates I took from the larger ship are located on the other side of the planet from where we were. I fly in low, looking for an area to land that isn’t too close so as to avoid raising suspicion. It will also allow me to hide the shuttle so that we can make our escape from that place.

I soon find a rough clearing where there are plenty of scrubby bushes. I land between an outcropping of rocks near the bushes and wait for the dust to settle. Checking the gauges, I note there is enough fuel to fly back to my village from here.

My comm details a three-dimensional map of the area as I push my way out of the bushes and onto a road. It’s probably not safe for me to be out in the open, so I cross to the other side, where there are gnarled trees and giant stones to hide me. The area seems to be in a drought, very unlike the other side of the planet, where the floods brought Delaina and I together.

I’m determined to tell her the truth and deal with my visions if they keep occurring every time I touch her. Maybe if I claim her as my mate they will stop? My body grows rigid at the thought of claiming the terran female. Her soft curves and warm lips stay in my memories, warming me at night, keeping me moving until she’s in my arms again. And she will be, even if I have to kidnap her again. I’ll convince her one way or another.

I have landed farther away from the area where they brought Delaina than I originally thought. I keep walking, following the map until I reach a mountainous area. A simple beep on my comm lets me know I need to continue to a higher altitude and the snowline there. So, for the next several hours, I move as quickly as I can into the colder altitudes.

As I draw near the exact coordinates, I find a hangar sitting empty. A field stretches to the wilds of Reazus on all sides. I slowly walk around the edges of the hangar just in case someone is here. The place seems to be abandoned. Not even an animal scurries around. There are no other buildings nearby, so I look inside the open hangar for clues. I look for anything that points in the exact direction they might have taken her. Hover vehicles don’t exactly leave tracks. Sometimes there are scorch marks, so I go with that thought as I walk in one direction from the hangar.

I eventually find signs of a hovercraft of some sort. I continue walking in hopes of finding a community or some other sign of life. I need more than my feet, though. I head back toward the hangar to fetch a hover scooter I saw there.

The small hover scooter might fit Delaina with me, but certainly no more than just her. I take off in the direction of the scorch marks, riding over undeveloped land until it opens to a sort of roadway. Of all things, it’s fairly close to a large metropolis of beings. I head toward the heart of the city in the middle of nowhere to discover its secrets and find my Terran mate.

My currency card scoots across the counter as I pay for a drink at a local tavern. Females wearing barely anything eye me seductively. I smile and sit, adjusting my implant to understand the dialect here.

“Preparing for an auction, I hear.”

The words send chills down my spine. That’s exactly what the kind of pirates who took Delaina would do. Sell her at a slave auction along with the other females. I pull up my jacket, adjust my belt, and set my face with a stoney gaze as I turn to the two ethane breathers talking about the auction.

“Pardon me, but did I hear you correctly? Did you mention an auction?”

The beings glare at me through the steam floating around their faces. I nod and grin. “I’m in the market for an exotic,” I say in a whisper.

“You? Exotic slave?” He chuckles, his fat rolls rippling over his chest. “Have fun with her, huh?”

“Yeah. I came here looking for the auction. I hear it’s nearby. I came a long way to find this,” I tell them.

Chapter 11

DELAINA

It all happens so fast once we force the remaining guards to the wall of the building. Klintoq, a brusque female alien, takes charge and waves them back inside.

“Let’s just run,” one says.

“No!” Klintoq barks. “They’ll follow us. We take care of them now.”

I freeze. The thought of simply murdering beings, even creeps like these, makes me sick. My feet slow as females go along with Klintoq into the building.

“Why are you pausing?” Mariel’s eyes grow wide.

My head shakes. “I can’t watch this. I just can’t.”

Mariel looks at the females marching the guards into the building and back at me. “Come on,” she says and grabs my hand, pulling me away from the building.

We run toward a hill where there is a road. I can see there are lights nearby. Perhaps a village or small city. Crossing to the other side, we duck into the shadows as hovercraft go by. The closer we get to the lights, the more traffic there is up and down the road. Giant boulders and scruffy trees line the sides of the road, giving us plenty of hiding places when we need them.

“Quick,” she says as we reach the outer limits of the more populated area.

“We need to blend in,” I say as I desperately search for something to put on my feet. I hate being barefoot on the cold ground. The pirates never returned our shoes but gave us rags with which to wrap our swollen feet instead.

“We need clothes,” Mariel says while looking from side to side.

This place reminds me of a city on Earth with the dumpster bins in the backs of the buildings. I pause to one one of them to see what kind of trash they have. The stench nearly knocks me down.

“What are you doing?” Mariel laughs.

“Looking for clothes, rags, material, anything we can use to help cover our bodies so we don’t look like escaped slaves,” I reply.

“I wish we had means to pay for new clothes,” Mariel says with a frown.

“Me too. With a planet of different beings, it really doesn’t matter what the fashion happens to be. We need to disguise the fact we’re female first and foremost,” I tell her.

The streets are lined with businesses. We search for one that has anything remotely close to clothes. Fabrics, uniforms, anything will do for a disguise.

“Here. This place appears to have donations. It’s a clothing bin.” I nod my head toward the front of the small building. Bins like this exist even on Earth.

Mariel shoves her hand inside the slot and pulls out a gray long coat. She shoves it at me and pulls another out for her.

I put it on, the hem hanging low, nearly to my ankles, the arms obviously meant for someone much taller. It’s easy enough to roll up the sleeves.

“Shoes,” I breathe.

Mariel laughs. “Yeah, I’m not feeling anything remotely like shoes inside the bin right now,” she tells me.

“Okay, so we go barefoot for now.” I hate it, but at least I can still walk. The long coats cover our bodies very well, so that will have to do for now.

“I think it’s just these coats in here.” Mariel keeps digging and coming up short.

I look down helplessly at my bare feet. I’m used to shoes and this barefoot stuff is going to continue to shred my feet.

“Give me another, I’ll make a pair of shoes.”

She laughs as I rip into the coat with my teeth. The shoulder seams come loose and I tie doubled sleeves over my feet for makeshift shoes.

I nod at her. “You ought to do this, too.”

Mariel shrugs and pulls out another, doing the same thing I did. “Happy?”

I laugh. “Yes. At least we can disguise our voices and maybe not get noticed by any pirates nearby.”

“I’m sure Klintoq took care of them.” She says with a shaky voice.

“I don’t want to think about it. Come on, we need to figure out what to do,” I tell her.

“Survival, I would think.”

“Yeah. It means we find a job and some shelter. We need food and water.”

“I guess that was a blessing in disguise with being held captive all this time. I had my basic needs met.”

“Believe me, freedom is worth much more than being fed and watered by those assholes.” I wrap the oversized coat around me and trudge on toward the larger part of the small city, which is waking up just now.

Crowds come out into the streets soon after. Aliens of all sizes and species file past us, paying us no mind. On one hand, this place offers true individuality and no one cares how someone looks. On the other hand, there is a lack of a government to enforce any laws on the planet. Reazeus Prime is sometimes referred to as Outlaw Planet. Even Carx was once imprisoned here.

I stay alert as I look at each of the beings who pass us. I’m interested in finding a certain green-tinged skin and a telltale fin lining a certain alien’s arms. Both a water and land being, Carx told me after we first saw the flood he’s an expert swimmer. He’s on the other side of Reazus, though, so why am I so convinced that I’ll see him here?

Wait! I grab Mariel’s arm and squeeze. She stops, wheeling around on me. No! It can’t be. Did I just see him? Him! Carx! Surely not.

“What is it?” Mariel looks through the crowd in the direction I am searching. “Did you recognize someone?”

My head nods. “Yes! Oh! I think I saw Carx. Or someone who looks a lot like him. OH! He’s an Exforixian.”

“Like I know what that means. You mean you saw a green guy with fins? Isn’t that how you described him?”

I nod excitedly. “I think so.” My voice nearly shrieks. “This way.” I pull her along, trying to get across the wide alley.

We go against the flow of others walking along. We come to a point where we pause at the street for the hovercrafts to pass by as they whiz by so fast. A quick break in traffic allows us a chance to dart to the other side.

“Carx?” I yell.

Mariel turns to the crowd. “Carx!”

I can’t find him now, but I know that was him. My heart is telling me so. We keep walking in the direction I saw him, then we turn right up another street where my gut guides me.

CARX

It takes two rounds of drinks for the aliens to tell me everything.

“Auction’s held for those with exclusive invitations only. You have one?” one of them snorts.

“No. How do I get one?” I guess there is an auction happening very soon.

“It’s private to keep from attracting unwanted attention. If you’re lucky, they’ll have an extra seat. You’ll be the last pick. First pick goes to those who already have tickets,” he explains.

“How can I acquire a ticket?” I’m growing tired of dancing around the question.

He snorts and nods to the door. “Out the door. Two and a half leagues to the star rise, white stone building on the corner. Can’t miss it,” he answers.

I nod and stand on my feet. “You’ll be wise to prove your value when entering,” the other one adds.

I step outside the tavern and walk in the direction I was given. The city crawls with beings from all over the planet and nearby systems. Some I recognize as the sorts imprisoned at one time with me, and others have come here because they see Reazus Prime as bountiful in opportunity.

Deep black sand blows through the streets and walkways. The presence of a volcano nearby sends shivers up my spine. It threatens a flood of a different kind than I experienced with Delaina many days before. Volcanoes are active on my home world Eforix as well, only bounded by the massive amount of seas on the planet.

I kick the blackened sand as I stroll the street until I reach the building where I can obtain an auction ticket. Suddenly, my heart pounds as if I’m near Delaina. In the sea of faces, I see none remotely close to hers. If she’s out here, it would mean she had escaped her captors. Up ahead, two shorter figures move away from me and turn down a street. I run toward them, running.

Carx! Did I just hear my name? Not only from Delaina’s mouth, but another Terran. Two shouts of my name. Surely, I heard it. Not many beings here would be named Carx. No one turns to look toward the voices. Cloaked in gray ahead, the two shorter beings run along as if they’re chasing someone.

I push through the crowds and one turns, seeing me running toward them. They tap the other one on the shoulder and they take off running away from me. Why? I look ahead into the crowd in the direction they are running and see another Eforixian. Oh, it makes sense. They thought they saw me? Perhaps. And I’m not completely certain one of them is Delaina. However, I will pursue them. My legs are longer and I’m fast enough to catch up to them.

The unrelenting crowd won’t part easily and they slow me down as I am forced to dance around them. Some of the others even tower over me, so I give them the right of way. The two cloaked in gray ahead of me duck into an alley and I smile. The alleys here deadend with the curvature of the buildings. They’re trapped. I stop running and merely walk faster. I will reach them, unless they go behind one of the doors. The only way they can do that is if they have a key as the inhabitants are not foolish enough to leave their doors unlocked.

I part through the last of the crowds and dive into the alley, which proves longer than I first anticipated. Long, narrow and dark, nothing stirs within. Maybe they did find a way inside one of the buildings.

My feet stomp and crunch over the small pebbles and sand that’s blown into the alley. I snort while trying to sniff them out. They’re here, a very familiar aroma coming from the end of the long, dark alley. I find the two of them huddled in a corner clinging to each other, scared out of their wits at my presence. My eyes narrow as I try to look closer at them. The gray coats hang from their slight frames, and there are odd shoes on their feet.

“Hello,” I bark in the most common language on Reazus Prime.

“Delaina? Is that you?”

“Carx!”

Delaina tears from the duo flinging herself into my arms.

“Oh, Carx! I’m so sorry I ran away from you. I’m so sorry I didn’t trust you.” Her eyes fill with tears as her chin quivers.

“Hey, it’s okay. I know I’m a bit strange. My behavior had you worried, and rightfully so.”

Another Terran steps out of the darkness. “But we thought we were following you out there, and yet you came after us.”

Delaina nods, her face stretching into a smile. “Carx, this is Mariel. She’s like me. And yes, there’s another Eforixian out there. He looks similar to you.”

I smile. “Well, there are other Eforixians on this planet. But that definitely wasn’t me.”

The hood on my cloak slips down. She didn’t recognize me because I kept myself cloaked. “I’m sorry, you thought I was chasing you?”

“Oh, Carx. The pirates had us for a while. I met Mariel in the cells they threw me into. She’s been under their control the entire time. We finally escaped and the other females imprisoned there helped us. One of them was killed. And they, oh…” Tears come to my eyes as I think about what happened.

“The other females killed the remaining pirate guards. Delaina and I took off because she didn’t want to have any part of it,” Mariel continues explaining.

Delaina’s head shakes. “I don’t like the thought of others dying like that. I know they’re bad guys, but we could have just locked them in the cells until we got away.”

“It’s okay. That’s how things are around here. I know it bothers you, but they have ridden the world of predators who like kidnapping females like you.”

“I can’t believe you found me? How did you do it?”

“I’m resourceful. I hid out on the same ship that brought you here. Unfortunately, I was locked into the stockroom and couldn’t get off before they launched again. I was able to get the coordinates of this place once they landed and came back in a small shuttle to find you.”

Her arms wrap around my neck. “You really do care about me!”

I laugh. “I care about you deeply, Delaina. You’re my fated mate, if you’ll have me.”

Tears flow from her eyes as Delaina nods and leans in toward me. Our lips meet and this time I don’t draw back even though a vision explodes in my mind. She and I are together and happy in this vision, the sun shining, as we’re in a small hut at my village.

Chapter 12

DELAINA

My heart soars from being with Carx again. He came all the way to the other side of the planet to find me.

“Are you having visions?”

He smiles and nods. “I can deal with them. I’m fine.”

“We need to get out of here. You said you had a shuttle hidden somewhere?”

“One I stole from their ship. And I have a hover scooter as well.” He looks at Mariel. “We’ll have to make do with it as it will be cramped.”

We follow Carx as I cling to his hand and Mariel holds tightly to mine. We make our way back through the crowded streets of the small city. Carx moves quickly, and the two of us practically jog to keep up. His thick legs carry him very well.

I’m winded, and Mariel stumbles along beside me, feeling winded as well.

“Carx, can we go a little slower?”

He turns to me and shakes his head. “No, the sooner we leave here the safer you two will be. The hover scooter is just up ahead,” he says as we jog across the street.

The small hover scooter leans against the wall in an alley where the crowd is sparse. “That won’t hold all three of us,” I say as I shake my head.

Carx chuckles. “Trust me, it will. Mariel, you sit behind me and hold on tightly. Delaina, you sit in front of me, and hold the bar. I’ll hold you as well.”

He sits on the scooter and Mariel climbs on behind him, her arms encircling around his waist, her fingers gripping his cloak and shirt for dear life. I climb in front, but there’s not much room. He motions for his lap and grins. I perch on his left thigh and hold onto the bar. His left arm encircles me and holds me close to him as he starts the hover scooter. Within seconds, it lifts from the ground and we’re just over the ground, going faster than we could ever go on foot.

We ride for what feels like forever. His powerful arms hold me tightly in place. I shout back at Mariel.

“Are you okay back there?”

“Yeah,” she shouts back to me over the hum of the scooter.

Carx pulls around the boulders and off the road before heading into the wilds. We reach the small shuttle soon. It’s barely large enough for the three of us.

“Will this fly with the three of us inside?”

“It will. You and Mariel will sit in the same seat, though. It’s large enough, I believe.”

“Where are we heading?” Mariel asks.

“To my village. The place I tried bringing Delaina to all along,” he replies.

“And I was a stubborn girl,” I say with a shake of my head.

We climb into the shuttle. Mariel and I sit in the same oversized chair and buckle in together, while Carx’s big frame takes up the pilot’s chair.

“This is really for two to fly from the main ship to the surface of a planet. This ship isn’t very large, but it can handle the three of us.”

“I hope so,” I say nervously as I put an arm around my friend.

“Hold on. We’ll burn through the atmosphere and head to the other side of the planet. It shouldn’t take very long.”

“What about a tracking device on this thing?” Mariel leans forward looking at Carx. “I’ve heard the pirates mention that their ships have them when they were searching for one that had been lost.”

“It’s careening out in space somewhere beyond Reazus Prime’s last moon.”

I laugh. “I’m glad you thought of doing that.”

Taking off in the small spacecraft certainly thrills me this time. Before, I nearly vomited in a cell deep within the belly of the other ship. Whatever the cursed reasons for me being here, my mood seems to lighten now that I’m back with Carx.

I reach for him, my hand brushing against his forearm, sending him into a flash of visions. He smiles my way, blinking lovingly at me.

“It must be fate,” I say sincerely.

“Fate, indeed,” he agrees.

Almost two hours later we come back into the atmosphere and fly toward a jungle area shrouded in lush green trees. It’s quite a different look than from the cold mountain where we had been held. Here, there is nothing that looks quite so cold and desolate.

“The flood was beyond those mountains,” Carx says as we fly lower and go to a clearing among the trees. “My village is very well protected and hidden from others who might seek to do us harm. Those who live there seek only solace and the ability to live a good life.”

“That sounds wonderful,” I tell him.

Mariel nods. “I hope to find a place among your people, too.  If that’s okay.”

Carx chuckles. “My people are many different beings, all on this planet against their will and with no real way of moving on from here.”

I look at him. “We could go back to Eforix. You’re flying a spaceship now!”

He slowly shakes his head. “This craft wouldn’t make it to my world. It’s too far away. My world is volatile with volcanoes and warm seas. Honestly, I know Reazus Prime very well now and I’ve grown accustomed to it. It will do for now. Until we can get our hands on a larger spaceship and the funds to fuel it, I think it’s the best life possible.”

“And to think you left it in search of something until you found me,” I reply.

“That’s exactly what happened.” He leans toward Mariel. “There’s someone out there for you as well. My kind and many others tend to have keen fate-like senses. Somehow we find those who complete us.” He squeezes my hand and my heart soars.

We walk through the gate of the small village after landing. It looks like a village in the middle of a jungle on Earth, maybe in South America or central Africa. Small homes are made of handmade bricks, their roofs of carved wood shakers. Each home, round like a yurt home on Earth, sits the same distance apart, with small yards circling each one. It’s very homey here. Small children run about, chasing what amounts to chickens on Reazus; only these things are colored with bold blues and greens with yellow stripes.

“Carx, welcome back. We wondered what happened to you,” a female Adorphian says to him. Her black skin contains many piercings around her chin. Her ebony eyes look us over.

“Veria, this is Delaina, my mate. And Mariel, her friend. They are Terrans from the ship crash last year,” Carx tells her.

CARX

The villagers open their arms to the Terrans, and many even congratulate me for finding my mate. Truly, when Delaina and I touch, it sends sparks up my arms and down my spine. Each of the visions I have encapsulates our relationship on a whole new level. They can be painful at times, but I try not to react because I don’t want to scare Delaina away this time.

Veria gives us a new hut to stay in toward the back of a row of homes. They’ll need to build one for Mariel, but that shouldn’t take long.

“She can stay in ours for now,” Delaina says as she clutches her friend’s arm.

“Of course she can. I’m just happy you want to stay with me,” I reply.

Ahem. “I don’t want to be in the way,” Mariel says as she blushes. She’s heard how Delaina and I have been speaking to each other. She knows what is likely to happen between us.

“I don’t know about you, but I need to bathe. There’s a small waterfall and a crystal clear pool nearby,” I tell them as I gently pull Delaina to me. She smiles.

“Mariel, I’m sure you don’t want to bathe with us. We’ll come back and you can have a turn as well,” Delaina says as she grins at her friend.

“By all means. Maybe some of the other females here will accompany me later.” Mariel nods her head and smiles before turning and walking toward the hut we have been given.

Delaina and I make our way down to the pool with fresh clothes in hand. Thankfully, Veria also keeps a supply of fabric on hand and fashions clothes for the weary travelers who come our way.

She pulls off her coat and the white rag the pirates gave her to wear. “What I look forward to is real shoes,” Delaina tells me as she flings the fabric to the side.

“I’m so sorry you had to endure that,” I say as I pull her toward me. Her body shines in the sun. She is completely naked and very enticing.

“It’s not your fault. This whole thing has been an adventure. If you had told me eighteen months ago I’d be on another planet and falling in love with an alien, I’d think you were absolutely crazy.”

I take her hand and lead her into the water. Her body gleams under the crystal surface. Delaina is completely comfortable in her natural state with me. We dive into the water and swim toward the falls. A rainbow casts from the spray in pastel colors.

“Oh, this is so wonderful,” Delaina says as she sinks underwater. Her hair fans out, reflecting the sun above.

I dive in after her and she squeals playfully before swimming away. My hand reaches for her, a bright light flashing before my eyes suddenly. Delaina turns as if her face is glowing. I’m temporarily blinded and yet she keeps hold of my hand. Instead of letting go, I bring her to me, pressing her body against mine. Excitement swells, my member engorging and desperately wanting to pin her down. She smiles as her hand rubs over my face. Her hands then run down the slight fins on my arms. I moan, the touch further flaming my desire for her.

“Carx, are you the one for me?” Her eyes look deeply into mine.

I groan. Nothing will stop me this time. Leaning in, our lips meet. Sweet desire floods through my body, my male member engorging and pulsating with the urge to claim her. She rears back, her brow lifting endearingly as she smiles at me.

“You are mine, Delaina. If you’ll have me,” I say, my breathing becoming heavy, my heart pounding hard.

My hands move over her body. Her soft curves and hidden spots are ready for me. One of her legs wraps around my waist and she smiles as her brow lifts, daring me to take her like this.

I groan. In the water, I can do anything, including mating. But I want to experience her completely. Humans are dry land creatures, and the water isn’t their natural habitat for mating. Delaina’s body feels so wonderful against me. Our lips touch, our tongues searching each other’s mouths. The visions appear to become less of a constant as we enjoy each other’s bodies. Fate is working here, drawing us together. Every cell of my body screams for her touch.

We move backward toward the shoreline. A soft breeze blows warm air over us, the birds high in the trees chattering with their calls. All of Reazus Prime pauses to capture the tender moment between us.

Our bodies tumble back onto the sandy shoreline, cushioning us. She’s on top of me, naked, her hair flowing over her right shoulder, landing on me in a spray. My hands tenderly rub over her back and Delaina leans in for another kiss. There seem to be vibrations coming from our hearts that heats us with an unquenchable passion. I groan, having her on me, naked, my body teeming with energy. The urge to flip her over, to plow into her and sample her soft hole nearly takes over. Sweet nipples on her breasts press against me as they begin to harden from the breeze. She moans softly, her body gently rubbing against mine.

Delaina lifts her head and smiles into my face. Her lips lightly kiss mine before she sits up. “Carx, I had no idea,” she says to me. Her hand moves between her legs where she grasps my member. “It’s so thick and rigid. It’s even vibrating.”

I laugh. “It’s meant to pleasure our females.”

Delaina leans into it, her female slit against it. “It’s meant to pleasure me.”

I hold her tightly, our bodies moving in unison. So close, yet not quite to where we are yet to go. It shouldn’t be like this. I’m larger and filled with so much desire I nearly lose control. She’s pinned me down on the sand and I feel passion building to a point of no return. We kiss as her hand grasps me, bringing the sort of reaction from me in which I will claim her as my mate. I can’t hold back, I want her badly. Delaina is mine, and she’s so willing. So ready.

“Delaina, I can’t turn back now,” I tell her breathlessly.

“Then don’t,” she whispers to me.  Her lips kiss my ears and then nibble along my neck. Her hands rub over my body as we both shake with intense pleasure. I’m wild with desire, ready to take her. Ready to make her mine completely and in every way possible.

Chapter 13

DELAINA

Warmth flows through my body. Carx’s arms encircle me, holding me against his rigid body. His wonderfully warm and very muscular body. He does things to me no human has the ability to do.

He growls, rising and flipping me over onto my back. I giggle at his roughness, loving it and the feeling of total control he has over me.

“Delaina, you’re mine. I’m not holding back any longer,” he tells me with a groan.

“Don’t. Don’t hold back. Carx, I’m yours,” I breathe.

He positions himself over me, his cock standing out stout and firm, vibrating. I gulp as I wonder if I can accommodate its girth and length.

My body trembles as he gingerly pushes his thick shaft into my slick tunnel. My body stretches over him, the sensation of his vibrating manhood causing my body to tingle.

I groan as the sensations I am feeling take me for the ride of my life. Carx slowly presses into me, his cock filling me, stretching me, and sawing back and forth. My body vibrates with extreme pleasure.

My fingernails dig into his sides. I lose myself as Carx moves over me. Nothing else matters as my body succumbs to the pleasures of having a bulbous, ridged vibrating cock inside me.

“Oh, oh!” The orgasm crashes over me quickly, taking me by surprise. My body moves in unison with his deep thrusts. He groans, building up to his own fantastic ending.

Pleasure surges through both of us. We’re as one, moving and moaning together. I’m his and he’s mine. No more will I part from this being, this alien. I’ve made my choice.

We lay beside each other on the sand sometime later, both of us winded and catching our breath. Carx holds my hand. The sun edges over the mountain, and the moons rise, glowing brightly in the soft gray sky above.

“One more swim and then we should head back,” he says to me before sitting up and offering his hand to me.

“Love 'em and wash it off,” I say with a laugh.

“It’s not that. But you know as well as I we need a good bath. Here’s a pumice stone,” he says to me before pitching it to me after reaching within his trouser pockets on the ground.

We enter the water together. All I know about pumice stones is they are rough and can buff the skin, especially the feet. Carx comes to me, and takes the stone from my hand.

“Here, let me help you.” We lock eyes as the green alien dips the stone in the water and gently takes my hand.

Starting at my fingers, he works his way up my arm and hits all the spots that need a good cleansing. I giggle when he works on my armpits. Thankfully, he’s okay with a little feminine hair, because on Reazus Prime, the beings don’t shave.

“What kind of pumice is this?”

“It’s soft and granular. It helps to cleanse off the dirt and grime,” he replies.

Carx enjoys washing me. He’s obviously fascinated with all my curves and body parts, paying careful attention to the folds between my legs. His member grows hard again as he rubs the stone over me.

My skin softens where he’s rubbed. “I like this. I want to carry one with me, too. Do you have more?”

He chuckles. “Yes, I have more, back at the hut. Would you care to bathe me?”

I take the stone from him and rub it over his thick-skinned body. Though his skin appears rough, it actually feels more velvety. I love the texture of his beautiful body.

Carx stands erect, legs apart, and lifts his chin to the last of the sunlight before it slips behind the mountains. His eyes close as I gingerly clean his entire body, including his swollen shaft.

His body fascinates me. I kneel in front of him, washing around his throbbing male member, gently handling the giant balls that drive his male member. His hands rest on my shoulders, holding me to him. Vibrations begin again and he groans, humming even while I’m rubbing my hands over his long hard staff.

He groans, leaning toward me. His hands grab mine and stop me.

“No, we don’t waste it,” he says.

“Waste?” It suddenly makes sense to me. “You think we’re procreating?”

He stands tall, his face serious. “Aren’t we? That’s the whole course of, how do you say it, making love?”

I laugh and back away, my head shaking. “I’m not, no, no baby. That’s not in the cards.”

His face skews in confusion. “Cards?”

My eyes roll. He doesn’t understand human sayings and I keep forgetting that fact. “It just means it’s not fate that we have a baby, if we even could.” An alien and a human can’t make a baby, can they?

Carx’s hand reaches for me. I’ve stepped into deeper water. He pulls me to him and gazes steadily into my eyes. The pounding of my heart causes waves to ripple from my chest. He gently puts his hand under my chin, lifting it. Our eyes lock.

“Delaina, you are my reason for living, now. You are my entire world.”

My head shakes. “Carx, we don’t know each other very well at all. I know you have these visions with me. And we just made love, but for humans, this is more casual at first. We don’t automatically claim we’re hooked to each other for life.”

His hands hold my arms as he continues to look into my eyes with such sincerity. I nearly gasp. “Delaina, my kind doesn’t take mating casually. To us, when we mate, it’s for life. You are my reason for living now. I will fight for you and follow you no matter where you go. How do Terrans say it? I am in deep feelings for you.”

I giggle and relax. Why not? What else is there for me on this God forsaken planet? Certainly, Carx is the first being I’ve met who is offering me his entire being and his life. “You mean you are deeply in love with me? We call the real thing, the forever thing, true love.”

“Then, I true love you.”

“I love you too,” I say as I reach up and caress his cheek with the back of my hand.

We lean in toward each other, our bodies melting into one as our lips meet. The entire world swirls at my feet. He’s mine and I’m his.

CARX

Delaina’s legs wrap around my waist, our lips not parting. I slowly carry her back to the dry ground. Her eyes take me in as I hover over her.

“Again?” she asks delicately.

“Again.” I groan as I lean over her, my body reacting to hers.

Her arms encircle me. “Human males usually can’t go like this again so quickly after the first time,” she explains.

I chuckle. “I’m not human. Eforixians can go and go.” My lips nibble at her neck, trailing kisses downward until I reach her soft mammary mounds. Her body reacts when I pull a pink nipple through my lips.

“Uh, you know how to get to me,” she moans.

Delaina reaches for my growing male member. We simply cannot get enough of each other. I groan as she tugs on it, smiling and moaning as she does. My rigid body moves down until my face plants between her legs. The aroma of her raw essence instills a great urgency in me to taste her, to feel her body give in and come with my mouth over her feminine parts. She is so unlike female Eforixians, who have the mound surrounding the entrance to their wombs. She has a slickness that invites me. Her little member swells as my tongue glides over it.

Sweet petite hands rub over my head as I’m dazzling her with my tongue. She moans, her back arching, her long slit producing a decadent flavor I must lap up immediately. Her bottom grinds into the soft plants under her as my tongue swirls over the little member. As her legs quiver, I lean in, gliding against her. Our passion explodes and Delaina groans, her back arching, her head rolling from side to side. Panting, she holds me to her until her swollen little lady can’t take it anymore and she pushes me away.

I won’t be denied any longer. She moans as I crawl on top of her, hovering so I don’t squash her. Her sweet arms wrap around my neck, drawing me to her luscious lips. We kiss, the passion burning within me to take her, to make her mine all over again. Delaina gasps as I slide my hand under her hips, squeezing her buttocks. Her legs rise and encircle my waist. I take my cock into my hands and rub it through her soft opening. She moans as I penetrate her, claiming her as mine yet again.

The entire world fades around us as I take her. Our eyes lock. I cannot deny that she is the center of my universe. The sun rises and sets on her beauty. All the visions culminate into our union, as we consummate our love, our desires, between each other.

We soon lie in each other’s arms as the sun sets even lower. Delaina giggles and looks around at the darkening forest surrounding us.

“I wonder what Mariel thinks of us?”

My hand rubs against her soft skin. “She’s probably resting.”

Delaina rolls to her side, looking at me. “I’m sorry, Carx. I’m sorry I ran from you. I just never expected to fall in love with an alien.”

“Yeah, me neither,” I reply. “There were no aliens in my future either.”

“I guess I don’t think of myself as an alien.”

“You definitely are an alien to me. You fell out of the sky, along with your other alien friends, taking many of us by surprise. Especially me.”

Her hands rub over my chest. “Especially me.”

I sit and draw her to me. “You belong with me. I will give my life to keep you safe, Delaina.”

She smirks. “I'm a pretty tough cookie. You won’t have to give your life to save mine.”

“What’s a tough cookie?” I can’t understand her strange sayings sometimes.

She giggles. “It’s an Earthly expression. It means I’m tough. I’m a scrapper. A survivor. I mean, if I didn’t die when those pirates abducted me from Earth and I didn’t die when my stasis pod crashed on Reazus, I’m not going to die easily. It would take a lot more to kill me. I’m thankful Mariel made it as well.”

I nod my head. Her delicate hand rests in mine as I bring it to my lips. “I’m glad fate stepped in.”

“You think fate stepped in when we met?”

“Why else would I have come all the way to the little tavern where you worked? Why else would it just so happen to be at the very moment the torrential floods poured into town that I found you. I didn’t understand it at the time. I was going on pure instinct, Delaina. It made no sense at the time, but I followed my instincts.”

She lowers her head. “I know and I was scared by the way you reacted to me. As a human, we don’t understand stuff like this.”

“Yes, we’re different. But we’re also the same in so many ways. I wouldn’t have had the visions if the universe hadn’t chosen you for my mate.” I smile as she tilts her head.

“And now I realize you’re the one for me. I guess you’ve convinced me of this fate stuff, Carx.”

We laugh as we dress and head back to the hut. The other human, Mariel, comes to the door, her hand on her hip.

“I was beginning to think the two of you had run off,” she tells us.

“No. We, um, took a bath,” Delaina says before winking at me.

I smile and go inside where I prepare a meal out of the vegetables and dried meats Veria stocked in the cupboard for me. The one-room hut provides no privacy for us with Mariel here. I speak with Veria about allowing Mariel to remain in the hut while I build a new home for my mate and I in the trees on the hillside, near the waterfall pool.

“Of course, Mariel is welcome to stay as long as she’d like. As long as she remains, she’ll have our support and a safe place to live,” Veria promises.

Chapter 14

DELAINA

Carx and I start our new life in the small village with his friends and the other beings who have escaped the prisons. There are many who have mates of a different kind, very much like us. It’s amazing to see all the different couples, and even those with young children. Most alien couples exist here for pro-creation and that’s understandable.

“Mariel can live here in the hut, while you and your mate can build a new place to live,” Veria tells me. “We are constantly expanding our little village. It’s our goal to become so large that Reazus Prime becomes a safe place to live here away from the outlaw sections of the planet.”

“It will take a while to reach that goal, especially given how large the cities are on this planet.” Carx puts his arm around me.

Mariel smiles. “I need to figure out what I can do here to help out. I mean, it’s not like there are places to really work. It’s rather primitive, if you don’t mind me saying so.”

Veria smiles and pats her on the arm. “Your words do not offend me. We do have a communal garden and livestock pens to care for. Everyone does something here. Some even help build homes. Others run to the cities for supplies, like Carx did just before he met Delaina.”

I look at him, surprised. “I didn’t know that was your job!”

He shakes his head. “I took off on a longer trip than anticipated, led by my heart and my instincts.” He squeezes me to him.

Mariel shrugs. “I suppose someone could teach me how to garden.”

“Well, human, what did you do while on Earth?”

Mariel chuckles. “I was in college, learning to become an art teacher. That’s not exactly agriculture. I had gone on a hike up a high mountain, alone, before I was taken. I remember being blinded by a light and woke up while crashing onto Reazus Prime. Crazy, huh?”

“An art teacher. What about having her teach the little ones? Do the children here go to school?” I ask.

Veria smiles. “We teach our own. But as a community and in the spirit of becoming a larger community, perhaps we need to bring in a teacher. I’ll discuss it with the heads of our little village here. Until then, please offer help in the gardens. There’s always work for all to do. I suspect Carx and Delaina will be building a home. And of course, we ask anyone who builds and receives help with the building, to also help with at least one other home.”

“Of course. We are happy to help,” Carx replies.

“Sure. I can help in the garden, too. Though I’m more into the service industry.” I shrug. Whatever we need, I’m willing to do it.

For the first time in my life, I belong somewhere. Even piled into the small one-room hut with Mariel and Carx, I’m happy. Mariel’s life has become much better as she sets out each morning for the gardens and comes in late, dirty and exhausted.

The village takes in more beings who happen by or who need shelter and food. There are so many different species of aliens here and we make such a diverse bunch. It’s not quite like on Earth where there are prejudices between some people. At least, not here in this little village.

Eleutheria, the name of the little village, grows daily with people coming in from all over the planet. Its reputation precedes the place.

“Shouldn’t we be more cautious before letting new ones in so easily?”

“Why would pirates or old guards want to come here to live anyway?” Carx asks.

“Pirates would have a heyday in collecting beings for their auctions,” I tell him.

“Heyday?” Carx’s brow furrows.

I laugh at our language barrier. “It means they would have an easy time finding what they want here.”

“Not here. We’ll kick them out!” Carx is very determined in his response to my concern.

We walk through the village. A tall being with horns and silvery skin with black stripes down his torso walks by. He speaks a language I can’t understand.

“What is that?”

Carx laughs. “You think I know the origins of everyone, don’t you? I have no idea. He looks like someone from Rizi. They have horns, but I’m not sure about the black stripes.”

The being stops and looks at me as though he’s never seen someone like me before. Carx smiles at him and shakes his head and says something to him in another language I can’t understand.

We walk away as he chuckles. “He asked if you were mine,” he tells me.

“And did you tell him that I am?”

“Of course. It was strange, though. I spoke to him in Rizian and he understood me perfectly. Not many of those are around here. Reazus Prime wasn’t really a prison planet for those from Rizi, but who knows? Maybe he came here for a new life.”

I shrug and follow Carx to the country, where we’re still under the protection of the village but have more land choices. “As long as we remain here and work, we can build out here,” he explains.

The land goes up the side of a mountain, with small levels along the way for a good road. My head shakes.

“How in the world can we build here?”

“Do you like it here?” He grins.

“It's steep, but sure.”

“Come on,” he says as he takes my hand and begins to climb with me. “It’s not all steep, and plateaus along the way to offer nice building sites.”

We climb up and up, finally reaching a level plateau about a third of the way up the mountain. The land slopes gently in the back, giving an opportunity for a road. “Here.” I smile as I turn a circle with my hands out.

Carx nods. “I can see it. A small home with room enough for a little one, possibly?”

My hand goes to my belly. “Maybe.”

It’s hard to tell what my cycle is doing since landing on Reazus Prime. But we can always imagine what it might be like to have a child. However, since he and I have joined in mating, I’ve felt funny. I can’t imagine I could conceive an Eforixian, a green-finned alien. What would our child look like? I have some idea as I look around the village of Perfuga and see blends of two different species. It works, somehow.

CARX

The people gather at the side of the hill and bring wood and stones for our home. My heart pounds as I think of the past few months after Delaina came into my life. The oddity of the visions for me was astounding at first when we touched. Now, I have no visions, but my body hums when near her. She makes me happier than I’ve ever been.

“When we finish the house and help build another, maybe we can work toward acquiring a spaceship, and fly off this planet,” I say to her.

“Why haven’t you done that yet, Carx?”

That’s a good question. My head shakes. “I didn’t have the money to buy one.”

“Not even for a ticket off here?”

“Most of the ships leaving the planet are controlled by pirates.”

Our small home begins to take shape. Semi-rounded like the huts in the center of the village, it’s well hidden among the vegetation in the surrounding area. Delaina’s eyes mist as she steps inside once it’s ready for us to move into.

“This is absolutely the best thing ever,” Delaina says as she throws her arms around me. Ever since we’ve mated a couple of months ago, she’s weepy, emotional and always thanking me.

“My mate, I only want to give you the very best things. I hope it’s enough,” I say as I squeeze her to me.

“It’s more than enough. Oh, Carx, I never knew I’d have someone like you and would want a life here.”

I work with the local woodcarver to create furniture for our home, including a nice bed with the thick mats tripled over the wooden slats of the bed. Delaina works in the gardens with Mariel, creating a lovely place for all to have the vegetables needed for good nutrition.

Mavik carves on a cradle, his face alight in a large grin. “Alsani tells me she’s with child,” he announces.

“Oh? And there have been no problems?” Mavik and his mate are of different species, like Delaina and me.

“No. Not at all. You see the children here? We will make Perfuga a wonderfully safe place to raise a family. Very diversified, all within one generation. We’ll be so mixed no one can claim being anything but a Reazusian. It’s amazing, really.”

When Delaina and I arrive home, the new furniture sits around the hut. It’s easy here to trade for such things with other goods as well as services. Bartering is the chief form of currency of trade in our little village.

Mariel, Veria, and many others come to welcome us to our new home. Delaina’s hand comes to her face as tears fill her eyes. “This is so nice. It’s so much nicer than Earth, even.”

Mariel walks up and puts a cake on the table and embraces her friend. “You are so weepy lately,” she tells her.

Delaina’s eyes grow wide as her hand goes to her belly. “I’m just not sure about anything.”

She takes my arm and squeezes it. “We have such nice friends, huh?”

I smile. “Yes, we do.”

Mariel takes Delaina’s hand and they go to the back of the little home. I’m not certain what they’re talking about, but I turn my attention to the others who have gathered.

“Thank you for this.” I bow, my hands at my heart, clasped in the way some of the beings show appreciation here.

Delaina returns soon with Mariel, both looking sheepish. “I need to see someone in the village. I’ll be right back. Mariel needs my help,” she tells me.

“What’s wrong? Hey, I’ll go with you.”

“No, stay here. Host our guests. I’ll be right back,” she says before kissing my cheek.

Time ticks by and the guests leave one by one. Veria steps toward me, a look of concern on her face.

“Is all well with Delaina?” she asks as she looks into my eyes.

“I believe so. She’s very emotional, though” I say while shaking my head.

The last of the guests eventually leave and I pace the floor waiting for Delaina to return. Mariel and Delaina eventually return, giggling and carrying a rather large box. They push it into the middle of our main room.

“Carx, this is a gift for you,” Delaina tells me.

“Is everything okay?”

“Just open it, silly,” she says as she giggles.

I open the box and inside is the same cradle Mavik was working on at his shop. My brow furrows as I peel back the wooden pieces surrounding the cradle. “Mavik said his mate was expecting and that’s why he carved this,” I reply.

Delaina shakes her head. “Maybe, but he made this for me. I went to see Dr. Kurv for the results of a test the other day. Carx, we’re having a baby!” She jumps up and down, her hand covering her mouth.

Tears flood my eyes in very much the same way they have Delaina’s in the past. I pick her up and hold her close to me. Mariel stands back and smiles as I swing my mate around.

“I’m not sure what this means, but you and I have created a child. I’m willing to see it through and pray we both survive,” she tells me.

“I will make sure you both survive,” I say as I gently set her down. “When?”

“You tell me. This is a first. Dr. Kurv says he hasn’t seen this combination before, but obviously our DNA matches closely enough or our mating wouldn’t have resulted in a pregnancy.”

Mariel’s smiles warmly as she steps closer. “I’m so happy for you both. I only wish I’d find my perfect mate, too. But for now, I’m just happy to be a part of your lives and celebrate this with you.”

Delaina slides her arm through Mariel’s and nods for me to follow with the cradle. “Don’t worry. You’re my bestie and this child needs a godmother. At least I have a human friend for this, in addition to my sweet green alien.”

Epilogue

DELAINA

“Carx! She’s gone!”

He awakens, his eyes adjusting to the dimly lit room in our home. I took off for the garden early this morning to get a start on the day. Mariel always works with me, but for some reason didn’t make it to the garden.

He rises, and focuses on me. “Mariel?”

“Yeah! Veria says they think one of the newcomers took a liking to her and slipped out during the night unnoticed with her. We have to find her!”

“We will! I’ll gather a few of our best trackers and we’ll find her before they get too far from her. Don’t worry,” he tells me. Though I trust him as he says this to me, I worry that my dear friend might have been taken to sell at an auction. I fear for her safety.

Alien’s Claim, Mariel’s story is available here.

Eden Ember

Eden Ember found her passion in writing sci-fi romance. She spends her days either pounding on the keyboard or dreaming up the next stories. Her active imagination never lets up and the perfect outlet comes through in her books.

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