A Soldier in Love

by A. Petrov

  “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he said as he gave her a soft and gentle kiss.

  “How soon?” she asked as she tried to maintain a brave face. She didn’t like the idea of being alone on the ship on an unfamiliar planet with Serik with her. No amount of combat or arms training could make her feel safe without him.

  “I’ll be back by morning,” he replied quickly.

  Michelle nodded and watched him exit the ship with a pack of supplies. She sat down on the couch and sighed. He had been distant since they had left Sora. She wasn’t sure why but he was. Although he had always been a bit reserved something seemed aloof about him.

  Maybe it’s all in my head…

  She made her way to the kitchen and decided to make herself useful. She cleaned up a little and took a frozen meal out to defrost. She paced nervously around the empty shuttle. She hated to be alone. When she was alone the memories would haunt her the most. She could hear Alex’s screams tormenting her or smell of the molcos hund. She could remember her parents not coming home. It haunted her, it all haunted her. Not to mention without Serik she felt lost, alone, useless. He was her rock.

  She decided to go to the gym. She warmed up on the treadmill, thankful that Serik had shown her how it worked. It was a little big for her since it had been designed for someone of Serik’s stature but she could still use it.

  She ran and ran but her mind still raced. She undressed and showered but the thoughts pestered her.

  She shut her eyes and as she lay in the bed by herself. It seemed too big without Serik. She rolled over and reached out to where he should have been. Michelle listened to the silence that surrounded her. She had put on a brave face for Serik but the truth was each little noise outside of the ship frightened her. It made her wonder what was out there. He had left in such a rush without explaining anything.

  “For Christ’s sake I’m an Earth Army soldier. I can handle whatever comes my way. I can’t let every little bump in the night make me lose sleep,” she whispered hoarsely to herself.

  Michelle sighed as she realized that no longer held true. The fact was that she was no longer an Earth Army soldier. She wasn’t sure there was an Earth Army any more. She stared at the ceiling as the dim light filtered the room. She wasn’t sure what she was anymore.

  Useless…

  She felt pretty useless. Catching the Cabaka terrorist had been the only thing she had accomplished since leaving Earth and that wasn’t saying much. She wondered what it was that she was supposed to do now in the vast universe. She didn’t know that she had in skills that would help her survive. What would she do? Where would she go? She had nothing. Instead of thinking it through, she just blindly followed the Earth Army and her own rage. She had Serik but she wasn’t entirely sure wanted her. He seemed so hot and cold. One moment telling her she was beautiful the next almost leaving her on Sora, only to come back for her. She wondered if it had to do with her own behavior. She would become closer and closer to him only to get frightened and pull away. There was an intensity about feeling emotions again and it doubled when Serik was around. She didn’t want to risk getting close with someone else only to lose them. She wondered what the point of life was when everyone you love is always taken from you.

  However abnormal their relationship was, it felt strange to be in the bed alone. She wasn’t sure how but somehow between the terror of the little noises that rattled along outside of the ship and the tragedies that replayed in her own mind she fell asleep.

  The next day Michelle awoke. She had almost forgotten that she was alone until she sat up. The quietness remained.

  She sighed and got up even though her heart felt heavy. She puttered around the shuttle as she tried to make herself do little chores. They all seemed so useless.

  Abruptly, she remembered. “The IS… it may be working here!” she exclaimed. She jumped a little as her voice echoed off the empty walls.

  “IS activate,” she said with excitement as she tapped the silver bud in her ear. Nervousness formed in her stomach and made its way through the rest of her body. She took a deep breath and waited.

  “Satellite found nearby. Please remove barrier,” the mechanical tone said into her ear.

  Barrier? What barrier?

  “IS sync to satellite,” she commanded.

  “Sync failed. Please remove barrier,” the mechanical tone replied.

  It’s the ship! The material the ship is made of is blocking the IS.

  Without a second thought, she ran towards the door and pressed the exit button. She stepped outside and tried again.

  Shit, Serik told me to stay on the ship. Oh, well I’m just right outside of the door. I’ll be fine, I’m really close. Plus, I need to know what’s going on… he didn’t come back this morning like he said he would. What if he doesn’t come back at all?

  She swallowed. She shook the thought out of her head. Of course, Serik was coming back. He had too.

  “IS stream to me directly, what is my location?” she said softly tapping the silver bud again.

  “Coordinates not found.”

  Damn, this area is uncharted by anyone from Earth, she silently cursed.

  “IS stream to me directly, topic Earth Wars,” she said.

  “You smell delicious,” a deep voice called out breaking her concentration.

  Michelle looked up to see a large male. He looked somewhat like Serik, but he also looked very different. He wasn’t quite as tall but his presence was just as large and intimidating. His hair was deep blue and tied back in a short ponytail. His icy blue eyes were just like Serik’s left. Michelle shuddered as his icy eyes made their way up and down her body taking in her curves she had recently gained.

  He moved closer as he took in a deep breath through his nose.

  “What are you? God, you’re beautiful. You smell like warmth, sweetness, and sunshine,” he said swiftly moving in. He cornered her small body against the metallic exterior of the ship. He gripped her arms above her head with one of his large hands. He sniffed her neck and the top of her head.

  “I… uhm,” Michelle stammered in fear. She struggled to break free of the male’s grip. She pushed hard but he was far too strong.

  “She’s mine!” another deep voice called out.

  “I found her first,” the male with deep blue hair and icy eyes growled as he released her from his grip to face the other male.

  Michelle stumbled backwards away from him. She looked up to see another male of a similar stature but with dark hair and deep brown eyes.

  Great, now there are two of them. What do I do?

  He hissed as the other male approached. Michelle shuddered it reminded her of the sound the molcos hund made on Redex.

  “She is my mate,” he said and then let out a low primal growl.

  “I, um… I already have a mate. I’m sorry. I’ll just be on my way,” she stammered as she struggled against the male’s grip.

  “You don’t bare his mark,” they both roared in unison.

  Michelle swallowed as her mouth went dry. She was unsure what to say. She looked about trying to weigh her options.

  The darker male neared her and examined her neck. His fingertips felt strangely cool on her neck. She abruptly pulled back from him.

  Mark, what is he talking about? Shit, that’s what Rina had on her neck. Fuck, why didn’t Serik mark me? What the Hell was I thinking going outside the shuttle without a gun?

  “No, no. He hasn’t claimed you yet with his seed. That means you can be mine,” he said with a mischievous grin.

  He lunged forward at her but she also lunged forward tripping him. She watched as he tumbled down. She may have been small, but she was agile.

  The blue haired male made his move while the other male was on the ground. He quickly grabbed her from behind. She mustered up all of the strength she could summon and kicked him between the legs. She would use every dirty move in the book if she had to. She had to get herself out of this situation.

 
She felt his body go limp and his grip loosen. She wriggled free and began to run towards the door of the ship.

  The dark male darted in front of her and smiled a devilish grin. “For something so small and beautiful, you are very fierce.”

  He forcefully pulled her closer to him. Michelle desperately tried to free herself from his grip, but he was much too strong. She could feel his hot breath on her skin as he breathed her in. She twisted her arms and wriggled but he just gripped harder.

  “You will bear me many good strong sons,” he whispered into her ear.

  “Like Hell, I will,” she said as she got her right arm loose from his grip. She hit him as hard as she could in the chest with her elbow. It knocked the breath out of him. In the short moment he was in shock, she began running again. Her feet pounded the ground as her legs ached from the speed she forced her body to exert.

  I’m so close, I’m almost to the door, she rejoiced.

  What seemed like only a few feet from the ship door she felt a pair of strong arms drag her down. She struggled again but it was in vain; her captor was much too strong.

  The only thing she could think of was Serik.

  God, Serik. You gave me one simple rule and I broke it. Now, I’ll never see you again.

  Just then she felt the weight on top of her shift. She looked up.

  “Serik,” Michelle exclaimed in relief.

  The blue haired male hissed and grabbed Michelle’s upper arm. He pulled her close to his large muscular chest. Serik lunged toward him but the darker one threw a hard punch.

  “We will fight for the female,” the darker male proclaimed.

  “What? No, I told you this is my mate,” she said in horror as she tried to squirm out of the blue haired male’s hands.

  She watched as both the blue haired male and the darker male laughed.

  “This one? One of both light and dark? He is evil!” he exclaimed.

  “Michelle, I will fight for you. It would be my honor,” Serik replied ignoring the obvious insult.

  “No, what do I have to do? I just want this all to stop. I’m so sorry, Serik,” she cried out.

  “I would have to mark you,” he replied. His voice was low and quiet.

  “OK, just do it,” she replied as the blue haired one pushed her in the middle. She stumbled forward as the trio formed a circle around her.

  He shook his head. “You don’t know what it means. You don’t understand. There’s something I haven’t told you...”

  “Whatever it is I don’t care. I don’t want you possibly getting hurt because of my foolishness,” Michelle replied with fearful eyes.

  “We become one as soon as I do this, Michelle. You don’t know what that means…” he trailed off.

  “It means I love you,” Michelle said boldly.

  “No, Michelle it means…it means you will hate me,” he said in a cool tone.

  “Enough. Just do it,” she snapped. She was terrified at the thought of him being hurt or killed because of her. A fight to the death over her seemed unbelievably barbaric and animalistic. In that moment, she missed Earth dreadfully. She missed the safety she used to know. She missed humanity.

  “Kneel down and offer me your neck,” he instructed her.

  Michelle dropped down to her knees and tilted her head to the side.

  Serik kneeled down beside her and gently brushed her hair to one side. He gave her neck a soft kiss that caused goosebumps to pop up all over her arms. Her stomach turned as she watched in horror as two sharp fangs retracted from the top of his mouth.

  “It’s OK, baby. I won’t hurt you,” he whispered as she felt the sensation of sharp pinpricks on her neck.

  Who knew I was with Count Dracula all this time? her mind raced. It was a side of Serik she had never seen nor had he thought to mention. What did he mean they would become one?

  What am I getting myself into?

  “I can’t believe she chose to be with the evil one,” the dark blue haired male exclaimed.

  “Better get away before he causes us anymore bad luck,” the darker male replied.

  Michelle put a hand to her neck trying to soothe the stinging sensation. She watched as the two males left as quickly as they had appeared.

  “Serik, I’m so sorry,” she said looking up to his angry gaze.

  Serik remained silent. He knew the words he had to say but that didn’t make what he had to do any less difficult. He had to tell the female he loved that he was something that she hated.

  “I’m sorry,” she began to sob. “I’m an Earth Army soldier for Christ’s sake. I thought I could handle myself.”

  “Michelle, those males they would do anything to mate you,” he replied in a low voice.

  “Ugh, I don’t understand why. I don’t exist like that I’m a soldier,” she replied.

  “Do you not understand how beautiful you are, how strong you are, how fierce? Do you not understand how enticing your scent is?”

  He let out an angry blow against the metal frame of the ship causing Michelle to jump back.

  They were both silent for a moment. Michelle stood shifting her weight, unsure of what to do or what to say. Serik wouldn’t even look at her.

  “Look, let’s just, let’s just go inside,” he said opening the door the shuttle.

  ***

  Serik grumbled and grabbed the prasna bottle and sat down at the table. He didn’t even bother to get a glass instead he took several giant gulps straight from the bottle.

  I almost lost her again, Serik shuddered at the thought of his life without Michelle. He did not want to go back to that lonely existence. She was everything to him; without her, his life would be meaningless. He took another gulp of the prasna. He took another, and then another, but his anger just wouldn’t dissolve. He hated how the other males had looked at Michelle. They were so close to taking her away from him.

  Possessiveness swept over him; she was his and his alone. They would be one now but that also meant he would have to tell her. Would she hate him? Would he be bound to the woman he loved only for her to despise him?

  He took another drink.

  Surely, she would.

  ***

  Michelle let out a few tears as she stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. She splashed a few handfuls of cold water on her face.

  She stood back and looked over the mark on her neck. To her, it was reminiscent of a hickey.

  A large Dracula hickey, she added.

  She took a deep breath and grabbed a tube of ointment. She slid the door open and made her way to the kitchen to find Serik.

  “Hey,” she said softly.

  “Hey,” he replied.

  Michelle moved in closer as her face aligned with his.

  “What are you doing?” Serik questioned.

  “Dressing your wound,” she said.

  “It’s just a scratch,” he replied.

  Michelle shook her head and applied a dab of ointment to the side of his face. He had a cut from the scuffle.

  “I’m sorry for being angry with you. I just don’t know what I’d do if I were to lose you,” he said quietly.

  “I’m sorry, Serik. I should have listened,” she added.

  “I love you more than anything and everything. I would gladly lay down my life for yours,” he replied his golden blue gaze meeting her deep green one.

  And the truth was he had already proved that twice now.

  “Michelle, sit down,” he ordered.

  Michelle followed his direction and sat down at the table across from him.

  “There’s something I have to tell you…”

  Michelle furrowed her brow. “What is it?”

  “It’s a shameful secret that I’ve kept from you and I’m sorry,” he said with a pained look on his face.

  Michelle reached for his hand but he pulled away.

  “Don’t,” he shook his head.

  “Serik, I know I was foolish…” Michelle began.

  “No,” he interrupted.


  He sighed. “Michelle, just listen.”

  She nodded.

  “My father raped my mother; it is considered a higher crime than murder on Baat. She chose to keep me, I’m not sure why but there I was, a product of both good and evil with the looks to match. I chose rather to be an outcast in good than accepted in the evil. I chose to be a Baat.”

  Michelle remained silent unsure of what he was saying.