Marauder_A Science Fiction Alien Mail-Order Bride Romance

by Lisa Lace

  I am startled when Mor’s eyes snap open. At first, he appears to be staring directly at me. The look on his face is intense, almost frightening. Then he jerks up. His body remains fixed, and his attention is directed out into the woods.

  Neither he nor I move, but Orien twists where he lays while he dreams, and lets out a loud snore. I’m surprised by how slowly Mor stands; for such a large being, he doesn’t make one sound. He walks over.

  His steps are silent as they cross the camp. He bends down and presses one hand over Orien’s mouth, and the other on his arm. He shakes the golden alien firmly.

  Orien’s eyes snap open, and his voice is muffled by Mor’s large hand. Mor places a finger to his lips and then points out into the woods. Orien’s eyes grow bright and look around wildly. He slowly reaches over and unties his belt from the tree, releasing me.

  What’s going on? I scan the perimeter and don’t see anything, but I do notice the silence. The lively jungle has become deadly still. The strange exotic screeches and calls of the forest have all faded away into noiselessness.

  My heart begins to race, and the hair on the back of my neck rises. A long moment passes, and none of us dare to move.

  Then a snarl so low, I feel it in my chest, reverberates around us. I hear the snapping of sticks. Adrenaline pours into my system as I look out in the dark jungle. Orien pulls the knife from its sheath. The blade glistens in the moonlight, and glows gold, like his eyes.

  The slacker dozing by the fire is now unrecognizable. His brows furrow over electric eyes; his body is taut and ready for action. He spins the blade in his hand several times, not even looking—he’s practiced that move.

  Now, I can tell he’s a true predator.

  Mor stands next to him, shoulder to shoulder.

  Orien has a gun, already aimed and held out at the ready. “Emily, don’t move. Whatever you do, don’t move,” Orien growls in a low whisper without looking at me.

  His words pass through me like a cold breeze. All my attention is transfixed on the menacing creature crawling out of the shadows directly in front of me.

  It’s almost like a wolf, but twice the size, and with six long, spidery legs. Shaggy black fur hangs from an emaciated body. A red stripe runs down from its forehead to its thin, rodent-like tail. Drool hangs from its short, twisted snout, where shiny, white needle teeth glisten.

  Three red blistery eyes fall directly on me. I feel as though I'm turning to stone, and the world is spinning around me. The fear holding my heart is too great, and I cannot move. It lifts its demented head and takes a long, deep breath.

  The blast of Orien’s laser pistol fills the air. The monster writhes on the ground. It happens so quickly I have no time to process the attack, but I see steam rising from the large hole in its chest where Orien shot.

  “Damned space monsters,” Orien mutters. The creature lets out one guttural cry as it takes its last breath and then dies.

  “Good job, Orien.”

  “Don’t thank me yet.”

  More growls, mixed with low, deep yelps, fill the air around us.

  It wasn’t alone.

  “Fucking three suns. What did we do—sleep in their nest?”

  More of the spider-mutts slink out from the shadows and behind trees. A pack of them begin to assemble around us, ready for attack. This could be our end. Pointed claws paw and scrape the wet ground. Their shiny eyes reflect the light of the fire.

  “Get a head start,” Mor instructs. Both of them are shockingly calm.

  “I guess it's show time,” Orien says. He jumps toward me and slides a stable hand around my waist. For the first time since my kidnapping, he makes me feel safe.

  In reaction to Orien’s movement, one of the monsters instantly leaps out of the pack. It falls mid-jump to the ground, and Mor reloads his own gun.

  “Let’s go, Emily,” Orien says.

  Everything happens immediately. Orien swings me around and throws me onto his back, and I wrap my hands around his neck, clinging for life.

  He’s running, but it feels more like flying. The jungle and world sweep past us as he sprints at inhuman speed. Everything becomes one dark blur around me.

  I hear several blasts rip through the air. The creatures’ skulls and blood splatter across the woods.

  “Hang on!” Orien shouts.

  I tighten my grip, but a shriek passes my lips. Several of the monsters are keeping pace with us on either side. Their massive furry bodies begin to close in.

  One meets their end when it lunges at Orien. His knife tears through it with one swipe, and it crumples to the ground. “You’re choking me,” he gurgles out.

  I loosen my grip. “Sorry.”

  His speed doubles. His white hair whips into my face, and I close my eyes. I hear the pounding of my heart in my ears. Still more swarm around us, somehow closing on Orien’s trail. Another one falls by Orien’s blade. It lets out an ear-piercing screech as it falls behind, knocking several down with it.

  But then blinding pain rips through my spine. My throat lets out a blood-curdling scream as I am pulled off Orien; a mouth of needle-sharp teeth buries itself deep into my back.

  Orien has leapt over a fallen tree several yards away from me before he realizes I’m gone.

  A wall of monsters falls between him and me. The pain wracks my body. I cry out and convulse, kicking wildly, trying to remove the creature from my back, but its jaw is locked into my flesh.

  Its head twists, and it throws me against the ground. I scramble and try to scratch at the monster’s face. I desperately want to remove myself from this nightmare. Its fur is oily, and I can’t get a grip on the greasy hair.

  All I can do is scream.

  “Don’t worry about me!” I hear someone shout. “Get her! Fucking get her!”

  I don’t know where he came from, but Orien emerges, bludgeoning the monster tearing into my back. His slender arm swings hard, knocking another two out cold with disproportionate strength. His gun fires into their heads several more times, and their bodies lay limp.

  Without stopping, Orien lifts me from the ground and runs at full speed. He cradles me in his arms, which are covered in bite marks. I look up at him, but everything is growing dark. I hear Mor scream something in the distance, but I don’t understand. I try to keep my eyes open, but my mind is sinking.

  The shadows of trees mixed with the light of the stars pass through me. My body trembles. I hear the sound of more creatures following close behind. Their howls resonate in my head.

  Orien lets out a curse under his breath, and then I see it, through my hazy vision: the edge of a cliff in a great clearing.

  We come to a dead stop, Orien locking his legs to keep us from tumbling over the steep edge.

  There is no escape. The horrible creatures are circling behind us. Their gnashing teeth and yipping howls mix with the sound of a raging waterfall spewing over the edge of the cliff.

  Orien sets me on the ground and releases several more shots, keeping the creatures from growing too confident. The beasts fall, but they seem to be never-ending, spilling out from behind the trees.

  After looking down at me, Orien shouts something. Mor responds back, but they both feel far away. When they speak, I can’t make anything out, just the sound.

  Orien looks down at me once more. His lips move, and Mor screams a response. I realize they’re fighting, but about what?

  My thoughts are fading from me now. Weariness consumes me.

  I barely manage to lift my head up, but I see Orien. He stands, bent over. Thick orange blood gushes from several deep cuts. His chest rises and falls as he takes deep, ragged breaths. He stumbles forward, then backward.

  “Save her first, Mor,” he says moaning. I want to tell him no, that I’ll be fine, but there are no words. Instead, he picks me up as I remain silent, unable to speak.

  My mind is gone. The last thing I see is the glint of his golden eyes fading into the dark night.

  Orien steps forward towa
rd the cliff, and then he pulls me tightly against his chest. His skin feels like it’s on fire.

  No—that’s my skin. I’m hot and feverish. My body is doing everything it can to stay alive. His grip tightens on me. He runs forward at a full sprint, leaping off the cliff, and the world around us shifts as we fall. The wind whips past my face; the mist of the water sprays across my skin. Darkness consumes my mind.

  Orien

  Her body hangs limply in my arms. Three suns, is she dead? No, I can feel that she’s still alive, but barely.

  My eyes draw back over the cliff. We’ve been cornered here. The wild beasts’ snouts turn up as they pace back and forth. Their disgusting frames pivot and turn, and their legs twist underneath them. They’re just waiting for us to die so they can eat.

  The pain is awful. It rushes through me. Deep wounds from bites and claws cover my body. Each breath I take aches more than the last as if someone is stabbing my chest.

  But worse than the pain is the position we’re in. Mor stands a few yards aside me. We have no ground left. Our only option is to jump down into the ravine, where the water’s strong current rushes over jagged rocks.

  “She isn’t going to make it. She’s losing too much blood,” Mor shouts.

  I clench my jaw. “Yes, she will! I’ll make sure of it! Don’t even think about worrying about me. You must protect her!” Speaking sends sharp pangs through my chest. My legs wobble, and I teeter to the left, then right.

  “It’s my job to keep you alive, not some woman,” Mor snaps.

  “Save her first, Mor!”

  He must know then I care for her more than I should. Before he can fight or try to stop me, I use the last of my strength to jump off the cliff.

  Air rushes past my face. We’re falling, and there’s nothing else to meet me but the river that my broken body rushes toward.

  It feels like slamming into solid rock. I hit the surface of the water; it foams and roars around my head. The force tears Emily from my arms. The current pushes me down, and the water consumes and absorbs me. It rushes up my nose and into my lungs, burning.

  I thrust my arms out and reach for the surface. My whole body is screaming in defiance and discomfort. Blood leeches out from the cuts, spilling into the water. My legs and arms throb and cramp, but I ignore those thoughts. I need to find Emily and rescue her.

  I try to swim, but my whole body seizes with pain. The cold water pulls me down. My arms push frantically, but the surface isn’t getting any closer. Damn it! This can’t be the way I go! But the darkness of the water only thickens, and I sink deeper.

  Mor’s large arms plunge into the water above me. He grabs me, yanking me up with a jerk. His strong arm fights the current with ease, and we break through the surface. My lungs suck air in. Mor throws me over his shoulder, and he swims to the rocky shore.

  “Orien!”

  He gently places me down.

  The coughing attack starts. Blood and water drip out of my mouth, followed by vomit. I retch, on my hands and knees. My body is trembling now, and my head spins.

  “Where is she?” I cough. I have to find her. Is she still in the water? Is she gone? I force myself up, but the world rocks under my feet. I collapse to the ground, spitting water from my lungs. My arms wobble to push myself up once more. “Where is she, Mor?” I scream. The fear of losing her gives me enough strength to stand.

  Mor helps steady me. “You need to heal yourself first.”

  I step forward, swaying. I’ve lost a lot of blood. My legs shake as I take another step.

  I see her then, lying underneath a tall tree, covered in blood. She’s barely recognizable. I give enough effort to approach and then collapse onto the ground beside her. I reach a hand out and press it against her back. Her flesh burns with fever, but her lips and eyelids are blue. I can’t let her die. If she does, it’ll be my fault.

  “Why didn’t you save her sooner?” I snarl when I feel Mor’s presence looming over mine like a shadow.

  “You’re my sole responsibility.”

  During the attack, he tried to rush to my side first every time. “I can take care of myself. You should have focused on saving her first, then me.”

  “You’re being ridiculous. Why do you care about this human so much?”

  I don’t have the energy to fight him. I slowly sit up. My head pounds. Orange blood drips down from a wound on my forehead over my eye. I wipe it away. I’m covered in scratches and bites. Mor’s thick skin saved him from any severe damages, but Emily’s soft flesh is riddled with cuts and gashes. All of her back is inflamed, and the clothes she wore are ripped to shreds.

  “She could die, Mor.”

  “Don’t even think about it,” he growls as both of my hands push against her back.

  I’m going to use the rest of my energy to heal her. It’s one of the many gifts the Baromenians possess. And for once, I don’t want to be selfish with it.

  “I can’t let you kill yourself.” Mor grabs my arm, and he twists me back, throwing me several yards away from Emily. I grimace as my body slams against the shore.

  “If you don’t let me save her, then I’ll kill you!” I clench my teeth and glower at him.

  “You couldn’t save your mother, and you can’t save her! You almost killed yourself trying to save her. I can’t let it happen again!”

  Anger plows through me.

  I lost my mother years ago, during the Great War. She’d tried to stop my father’s tyrannical dreams and defied him.

  I was forced to watch as he dragged her through the courtyard of the castle and executed her as a public example, a demonstration that he was willing to sacrifice anything to unify the Centaurus System.

  I ran to her body and poured all my strength into trying to save her. When Mor ripped me away from her corpse, I was only half alive.

  I abandoned Baroma soon after, filled with hate for the Emperor. We were just kids then, lost in a war-torn world.

  But I’ve never stopped regretting it. Wondering if I could have saved my mother if I’d tried just a little harder.

  And now, Emily’s body lies on the rocky shore near death, and I have the chance to rescue her.

  “Orien! Don’t!”

  “I was weak, young, and foolish when my mother died. I can save Emily. I have to. I can’t be responsible for another innocent’s death.”

  “She’d happily watch you die.”

  “That doesn’t matter.”

  Another coughing fit hits me. My shoulders convulse. I’m not giving a very compelling case for myself.

  “You have nothing to prove, Orien!”

  With every passing second, Emily slips farther and farther away from me.

  “Enough! Shut the fuck up! You’ve wasted too many precious seconds. I’m doing this!”

  Mor shakes his head and throws his hands in the air. He takes a few steps in the other direction and looks out over the rushing river. I understand his frustration. His whole life has been built around protecting me, but everything is different now.

  For once, he’s being selfish.

  “I’ll have no choice but to bury your body on this god-forsaken world.”

  “You’re being overdramatic.” I turn my attention back to Emily. My fingers tingle, and I feel the energy pull through my veins and out to her.

  Healing someone else takes time and focus. It’s a skill some Baromenians take years practicing; I haven’t done it much, truthfully. It’s extremely dangerous and very possible to kill oneself in the process of saving another, but now, I have no choice. I push down hard with determination.

  “Come on,” I mutter. “You can do this, Emily. Who's going to entertain me on this fucking shit planet?”

  Her wounds are deep, and I worry too much blood has been lost. Even with my help, she may not survive.

  If she dies, it will be all my fault. I agreed to bring her to Omicron. I am the reason we were attacked. I chose where we made camp. All of it would be because of me, and this poor hum
an had no choice in any of it.

  I force more of my life source into her.

  Without my own energy to fuel itself, my body begins to shut down. My head grows foggy, and my skin starts to numb. My vision blurs, yet somehow, I continue. The fear that it’s too late pumps through me.

  And just when I think I can’t take anymore, her flesh begins to bind itself together. The open wounds slowly scab. The cuts close. Her lips fade back to light pink, but I continue until I feel her heartbeat strengthen and her breathing smooth out, and I’m certain she will be okay. Then I take my hands away from her back.

  I didn’t even notice Mor was standing over me. “Three suns, you did it,” he sighs with relief.

  “That’s right.”

  “How do you feel?”

  “Awesome.”

  It's an obvious lie. I look up at him and flash a reassuring smile; I stand, but the whole world swivels to one side. Mor catches me seconds before I collapse on my face.

  Emily

  My skin feels heated. It tingles under the warmth like a sunburn, and I open my eyes. I cringe when pounding takes over my head. I lay on my side, curled up tight. My mouth is dry, and body is sore, but I’m alive!

  I look around the shore of the river. It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the blinding sunlight as I sit up. The movement alone takes an enormous amount of effort. Every part of me hurts, but in a dull, achy way. The raging waterfall tumbles down, foaming and frothing where it hits the wide river.

  How long have I been out for? I was sleeping like a rock, dreamless and empty. My clothes are damp and cold, but the sun is so warm, it doesn’t bother me.

  I hesitantly touch my back, where the beasts ripped into me. I’m afraid and expecting to find little to no skin, but the flesh there is raised and healed. How?

  I look at my shin. Shiny, newly-formed skin has replaced the scratches and wounds. It probably won’t even scar. I gingerly run a hand along my leg, the skin still sensitive to touch. It’s a miracle.