From the Depths

by S. J. Sanders

  Working as a bartender on Earth had caused some discord between her and many of the wives of the husband's she served alcohol to. Raschelle never engaged in flirtation with the men, knowing that nearly half of them were married. Besides, tips were better that way. She gave them the cold shoulder, but they saw it as her playing hard to get. It was a damned if you do, damned if you don't kind of scenario, but she was blamed for other people’s problems regardless. Lying, cheating, flirting, being a damn home-wrecking whore. It was all a bunch of crock and was the reason she took up work at Wednesday's, the female only bar on the ship.

  "Do you have a family I’m keeping you from?" she asked as he applied the salve to her breasts.

  She blushed, but thankfully he seemed to be too busy to notice the slight change in her posture and demeanor while his hands massaged her womanly flesh. Oh god, I can’t believe this is happening, I should tell him to stop...

  She didn't want to admit that it felt good. Too good. Here she was with an aquatic alien who had saved her life, who was massaging her only to provide pain relief, but the gentle way he stroked her skin felt more erotic and sensual than when any of her ex’s would rub their grubby hands on her body.

  "No," he responded coolly, but for a brief second his lips turned downwards into a frown. "Female Aq'aith are rare and finding one available for breeding is…nearly unheard of," he choked out. He pulled a fresh piece of dried seaweed and something that resembled kelp and pressed it against her chest.

  All the while, she noticed a small tear escape one of his eyes. Clearly, she had hit a sore spot and immediately felt bad for bringing something up that was painful enough to cause him pain.

  "I'm sorry," she said, placing one hand on his arm and squeezed him gently in comfort. ”I had no idea.”

  “It is not your fault. My kind have been dwindling in numbers for generations. It is why I have sworn to watch over any budlings should I find any, or if I’m lucky enough to have my own…”

  “Budlings?” She cocked her head to the side.

  He was silent for a moment while he made more salve. “Our offspring. When we breed, the female takes our seed and deposits it a safe area. She only stays around until the polyp is formed. It is no wonder we die out.” Another tear falls from his eye.

  His hand reached out and spread the orsharb salve around her knees.

  “And you want to watch over them to make sure they survive. That’s reasonable. Why don’t other males do that too?” It was becoming increasingly harder to ignore hands on her body.

  “Female Aq’aith are aggressive. They view breeding as their specialty, and only deposit in safe areas when they aren’t being watched. It’s nearly impossible. Many times have I swam into a female on her way to deposit. I was even chased away from my own den for several daylights just because one had passed through the area. I wasn’t going to stand in the way of course.”

  The news hit Raschelle like a tidal wave. One, it was clear that there were more differences between them that she didn’t quite understand, and two, it sounded like all this male wanted was to have a family and be a father. It tore at her heart. How many failed relationships did she have to end because men were only after her for sex? It felt like too many. Of course she enjoyed sex, but she wanted to connect and settle down too. Maybe have a family of her own. With the ship in ruins at the bottom of the ocean, it seemed like a rather unlikely scenario now.

  It was almost ironic the position she found herself in as his hands slid up her thighs to massage the nearly healed wound from the brushooj. The salve numbed the pain, leaving only the gentle feeling of his skin upon hers.

  If he continues this any further...

  “Humans typically raise their children together for many years, that is if they don’t split up or are separated by other means. I’ve always wanted a family…" She paused, distracted. Then stifled a small gasp as his hands reached higher. "Seems unlikely now that I’m stuck here. Even if I wasn’t in this cavern, I’d still be stranded on the planet. It’s doubtful that Earth even knows what happened, and if they did, it would probably take several years to make a rescue attempt.”

  “That’s unfortunate," he replied, then paused again while chewing more of the salve, "but I can’t deny how much I've enjoyed your company since you have awoken. It’s been a long time since I’ve had any real contact with other in—"

  When his hands dipped only an inch away from the junction of her thighs, touching the sensitive spot that never failed to get her going, Raschelle couldn't suppress the breathy moan that escaped her throat. She leaned her head back, shivering with need as lust consumed her.

  Chapter Five

  Drashar

  Alarmed that he had harmed her or worse, envenomated her, he stopped applying the salve and checked the orientation of his bell margin and everything beneath it. Things seemed to be in proper order. His oral arms were hidden beneath his other tentacles, but he drew them up towards his oral mouth in a tight bundle, ensuring there was no possible way he could sting her.

  I will have to remain in this state whenever I’m around her.

  He watched her eyes become heavily lidded as her head tilted back.

  Fear.

  For the first time in a long time, Drashar had felt fear. He didn’t know how to process it nor did he understand what was happening to Raschelle.

  He cupped her face with a hand. “What’s wrong? There must be something I can do,” his voice trailed off, unsure of what to say next as his worry gripped and tore at him from the inside out. Unknowingly, in the time spent caring for her and the short time he had spent getting to know her, he had become somewhat attached to her. She was incredibly different than the females of his species. She was kind, funny and determined despite all odds. He realized how he saw her as lesser because she didn’t have a plethora of tentacles was a mistake. Her strength wasn’t in brute force, but in her strong spirit.

  She gazed up at him from her position. Her eyes glazed over while her face flushed an enchanting pink, reminiscent of the mesmerizing floras where females tended to lay their polyps. “Nothing’s wrong,” Raschelle’s murmur turned into a soft moan.

  But something had to be wrong. Her behavior was illogical and uncharacteristic of her, except for when she was unconscious and ill. Between small bouts of the fractured consciousness he had observed from her moaning and groaning and occasional grunting in pain. While he could see she wasn’t exactly in that kind of state now, he still felt that something was off, but Drashar just couldn’t pinpoint what it was exactly.

  An enticing aroma filled the air. Drashar stilled. It was similar to the scent that lured him out of his den, but much richer. Sweeter too. An unfamiliar feeling coursed through his body, while the urgent need to find the source of the scent consumed him. His nostrils flared repeatedly, in a hunt. He leaned his body over her, ever concerned. Perhaps she was seeping red fluids again, but that couldn’t be it. There were no open wounds or any signs of leakage.

  Leaning in, he smelled her, starting from the top of her beautiful red hair and downwards. When he reached the crook of her neck and inhaled, Raschelle gasped. One of her hands reached up and touched his chest.

  “Your skin feels different than it looks. Velvety soft, like expensive leather,” she murmured.

  He batted her hand away, continuing his inspection. “I must find the source of your illness. Last time I scented you, you were nearly dying. You cannot die on me.”

  “Dying?” she asked, allowing her thighs to fall open.

  A fresh blast of the maddening aroma rushed at him.

  His eyes widened in surprise at the realization he was scenting her mating arousal. The thought of mating her hadn’t crossed his mind before now. Sure, he thought she was lovely, and definitely enjoyed spending time with her. He couldn’t deny that he found her coloring quite alluring too, but never once had he thought of breeding with her. For one, female Aq’aiths typically signaled males when they were ready to breed. Males didn’
t choose. And secondly, from what Raschelle had told him, her species mated for life.

  But isn’t that what you’ve always wanted? To find a female who’d agree to be a life mate and care for your budlings?

  It was true. He had yearned for a mate and offspring for a long time now. But it was also true that he was starting to lose hope. He glanced down at her body with fascination. Was that what this was? Was she signaling him that she was choosing him as her life mate? Releasing her breeding pheromones so they could produce youngling? Were they even compatible? One thought shifted to another, but in all that time, that unrecognizable feeling he had felt the moment he had scented her mating arousal, had indeed become stronger.

  He glanced down at his pulsating slit. That’s what it was. His arousal. Never had he encountered a breeding female, and never had he felt the need to expose his sakawi. The pressure was undeniable, and in one swift moment he allowed himself to fully extrude, presenting himself for Raschelle’s examination.

  He wasn’t sure what she expected in a breeding male, but in that moment, he realized that if he were to ever have a female, he wanted Raschelle. Her tough spirit, strong will, kind demeanor...and her laughter. He wanted all of it. Drashar may have not known her long, but he was certain about her.

  “Woah, hold the fork there for a moment.” Raschelle shot to her feet, her eyes wide on his sakawi for barely a moment before turning her head and looking away. “I’m sorry...I got caught up in the moment there...I didn’t mean to…I need a moment by myself please.”

  Before she had finished speaking, she ran down one of the tunnels and out of sight.

  “Raschelle?” He straightened his spine and called out to her; his voice laced in worry.

  “Please. I’m fine. I just need some time alone,” she replied.

  Nothing sounded fine. The joyous sound of her melodic voice was gone, replaced by saddened undertones.

  Drashar glared angrily at his sakawi in shame. He was unsure of what he did that caused Raschelle to be upset, but he wasn’t going to push it. Had he assumed wrong? Had he inappropriately extruded himself for presentation when she wasn’t ready for breeding, or did she prefer a male of her own species? He didn’t know, and he knew he couldn’t ask. Not when she clearly wanted to be left alone.

  For the first time in his lonely life, Drashar felt true and utter dejection. He couldn’t blame her though. There was nothing to blame her for. It was he that was out of line, overstepping boundaries that wasn’t his to overstep.

  “Alight Raschelle, I shall hunt for us. I shouldn’t be gone too long. Please accept my apologies,” Drashar said down the tunnel she retreated to, but when she didn’t respond, his shoulders slumped even lower.

  He slinked off towards the pool, immersing himself with the fresh cool saltwater. It felt good across his skin and he was able to relax his oral arms freely now that he wasn’t in Raschelle’s presence. But freedom didn’t come cheap, not when he was disappointed in himself for how he had acted.

  Chapter Six

  Raschelle

  Several hours had come and gone, or at least that was how Raschelle felt. Without the sun to assist her in telling the passage of time, it was easy for her to lose track of it. For all she knew, Drashar could have left fifteen minutes or so, and her boredom was causing her to lose her mind. No. That couldn’t be right, he’s been gone long enough for me to take a nap and wake refreshed. Well, as refreshed as she could be given how horrible she felt, and boy was she ever feeling rather cruddy.

  Looking back, she knew she’d acted foolishly. It wasn’t Drashar’s fault that he accidently touched her in one of her erogenous zones. Well, no...that was a lie. He did press the issue, but not because he was trying to be handsy-feely with her, but because that was his way of taking care of her. It was sweet and endearing, and honestly, she was perfectly fine with him wanting to dote on her like that. It was refreshing to finally be around a male who had a compassionate and nurturing side to him. From her perspective, those seemed to be the dying traits in human men.

  Ultimately, she could have refused his attempt to apply the salve for a second time and establish clear boundaries between them, but she hadn’t. Now all she felt was awkward shame. She hadn’t meant to become so aroused that she splayed her legs wide open for his viewing. It was embarrassing. So much so, that she freaked out. It was enough to cause her to flee the cavern for some time alone, but not before she caught sight of the painful look on Drashar’s face.

  What made her feel even worse was knowing that all Drashar had wanted was a female to have budlings with. That’s it. She had no idea if they were even compatible physically, but to offer herself, albeit accidentally, to the only person who could help her navigate and survive this strange world and then run out on him the way she did, was just plain cruel. There was no other way to put it, and she knew that. Deep down she knew that part of her reaction had something to do with the growing attachment she felt for him. Perhaps it was far too soon, and maybe that’s what scared her the most. Maybe that was why she couldn’t handle herself. Either way she felt like she dug herself into a hole and didn’t know how to climb out.

  What was supposed to be a simple gesture had turned into a complete nightmare. How could she face him now? No matter how she analyzed it, she couldn't find fault in his actions. If only she stopped herself when she knew things were getting out of control, they wouldn't be in this mess to begin with.

  Raschelle wiped the final tear that poured from her eyes. She had a good cry, one that she desperately needed. There was no time to process her emotions while the ship was crashing into Sa’Thulia, and no time to really process when she gained consciousness either. She knew she was stranded on the planet, probably for the rest of her life. Hell, it was rather unlikely the others were still looking for her. She still had no idea where she was, how to reach Sam and the others or how to find her damned way out of the cave system. And while those were her more pressing concerns, there really wasn’t a damn thing she could do it about. What she could do, was resolve the problem she caused between her and Drashar.

  Perhaps she was looking into the matter far too much, or maybe he wasn’t quite as upset as she thought he was. It was difficult to tell with all the hormones pumping through her body given the stressful day she’s had.

  The only thing she knew she could do was apologize and explain everything to him. Why things progressed the way they did, and why it ended so badly. She knew that Drashar deserved to know that at the very least. It would be good for both their peace of minds.

  At that moment Raschelle realized that she’d been so caught up between trying to find an escape and feeling bad for tempting Drashar that she didn’t take the time to appreciate everything he had done for her. He saved her life. Twice. Cared for her when she was so ill that she couldn’t remain conscious, applying a healing salve to her wounds. Without it, she’d still be suffering or long dead. Even now, he was out hunting a meal for them even though he had no real obligation to.

  Raschelle stood up, tired of feeling bad. First, she was going to make things right with Drashar, and accept whatever food he offered her, and then she was going to find safe water to drink. She wasn’t planning on dying on Sa’Thulia. One way or another she was either going to find her way out, or at least make the most out of her life there.

  Splashing by the pool woke Raschelle from the sleeping pad she had moved from further back in the cavern to the room adjacent pool.

  “Drashar?” she called frantically while dashing into the room, doing a double take to make sure he was actually there.

  When she spotted Drashar emerging from the water, she closed her eyes in relief. She was both famished for food and his arrival. While he was gone, she managed to find a small dribble of fresh water streaming down one of the cave’s walls. She felt insane standing there with her head plastered to the wall, mouth wide open lapping at the liquid, but she was desperate. It was a huge win, but finding food was another matter altogether.
There was just nothing in the caverns for her to eat, not unless she wanted to try the sporadic bioluminescent plants that glowed softly along the floor.

  I can’t eat my only source of light...

  She needed him. And not because she needed food for survival, either. She hadn’t realized until he was gone, just how much she enjoyed being around him. He was kind and caring, and she enjoyed the adorable way her human ways confused him. Despite her initial thoughts, Raschelle decided that if she was going to be stuck on this planet, she wanted him by his side. If she was anywhere else in the galaxy, she’d probably put the brakes on just a little bit. Life wasn’t guaranteed, especially on this planet.

  “I apologize Raschelle, I hadn’t meant to be gone for an entire daylight, but I decided to grab more orsharb for you while I was out.” He flicked several of his tentacles before drawing them together and made his way over to her.

  Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around his surprisingly warm body. “You were gone so long, I thought you weren’t coming back!” Her eyes closed momentarily and she took in the strength and peace of mind his presence gave her. When she felt him still beneath her touch, the pained look in his eyes from earlier played in her mind and she drew back. Her actions were probably giving mixed signals to the poor guy. They needed to talk badly, and soon.

  “What was that?” Drashar bent down slightly and asked with inquisitive curiosity.