by Hunter, Luna
The shuttle touches down without incident outside the ruins of Qrul.
I step off the walkway, my boot sinking into the cool sand. It is night, and the carcass of this once-great city is wrapped in darkness.
My eyes adjust to the dark instantly, the two moons and the many stars giving me more than enough light to work with. The humans do not share this quality. They stumble around in the dark, cursing.
“Why are there no lights?!” Viliana shouts.
Viliana’s antics are amusing at times — she is the most outspoken person, Dohan or human, I’ve ever met, but right now she is endangering all of us.
“Silence,” I growl.
The humans freeze instantly at the sound of my thundering voice.
“Dangerous creatures roam these ruins,” I explain. “Stay close to me, and you will be safe.”
I reach out and grab Kayi’s hand. She pulls away, and possessive anger rises instantly in my throat. I want to lift her up and throw her over my shoulder, just like Xaldur did to his gini, but I remember his words.
Riley was not pleased by that. You cannot earn the human’s trust by imprisoning them. Their trust must be earned.
It sounds easy in theory. But in the reality of these dark, dangerous, dilapidated ruins, it is much harder to put into practice. I want to keep her close. I want to feel her breath against mine, feel her heart beat against my chest. Only then will I truly know she’s safe.
Holding my protective instincts back is much harder than any battle I’ve ever fought.
“I can’t see a thing, Thokar,” Kayi says. “Do you have a light for us?”
I contemplate this for a moment. It’ll be much safer to travel in the dark — light will attract the beasts. Yet, if we travel at the speed of a human bumbling around in the dark, we’ll definitely stumble across a ravenous predator sooner or later.
I could carry the females, of course, but that seems to upset them.
“Very well,” I say. I command Lotak to grab the women some flashlights.
“Can we take these damn tinted helmets off?” Viliana curses. “They’re so dark I can’t see a thing. Or is the air poisonous here or something?”
“The air on Doxhar is perfectly safe for human consumption,” I say.
Our physiologies are extremely compatible. The helmets will provide an extra layer of protection in case the sun rises, but we should reach the pyramids long before then.
“Then I’m taking it off!” Viliana say as she pops her helmet off. Sarina follows suit, and Kayi tries but fails in removing it.
I help her, popping open the latch and removing it for her. She shakes her luscious red hair free.
“Thanks,” she says, barely meeting my gaze.
I squeeze the helmet hard. My fingers want nothing more than to tilt her head up and gaze upon her freckles, her jewel-like eyes, her perfectly sculpted lips.
The helmet cracks.
A minute later I’m leading the pack through the ruins, Lotak coming up at the rear. He’s a strong, capable warrior, but I cannot help but glancing over my shoulder at Kayi every three seconds.
“Why are we traveling at night?” Kayi asks with a whisper.
“Our nuclear weapons have destroyed Doxhar’s ozone layer,” I say. “Our central star is exceptionally powerful. The Dohan can barely stand to bask in it’s full glow. A human would spontaneously combust where they stood if the light touched them.”
I point out the ruins surrounding us to the the human female.
“Once this was a great city named Qrul. Now it’s empty, abandoned, and reclaimed by nature. The remaining Dohan live in hiding.”
My eyes catch sight of a paw print in the sand. My twin hearts skip a beat.
“Stop!” I command the group. “Don’t move.”
I crouch down and study the print for several minutes. The deep grooves and the four toes all point to a Skarag.
An extremely dangerous beast. I try to determine whether the print is fresh or not, but I cannot be certain. It matters little — this is Skarag country.
“We must move quickly,” I say as I turn around. “Wait, where’s Kayi?”
Viliana and Sarina turn around, confused. “She was just here a moment ago!” Viliana says.
“Lotak,” I growl furiously.
My fellow Dohan shrugs apologetically. “I didn’t see her leave!”
The scream I hear next makes my blood run cold.
Kayi!!!
4
Kayi
A few minutes earlier…
I keep my eyes focused on Thokar’s massive shoulders. As long as I’m with him, I’ll be safe.
These alien ruins give me the creeps.
It reminds me of those old, 20th century post-apocalyptic movies. They used to think Earth would turn into a deserted wasteland, but instead we covered the entire surface of our planet with skyscrapers.
The apocalypse did take place on Doxhar.
I guess I understand why Thokar is so intense and focused. Why he’s so driven. I’ve never had that myself. I’ve always known that the odds are stacked against me.
Born in the Deep, die in the Deep.
That’s the cliche — and it’s true. People don’t move up. That’s a fairy tale. I thought I had it bad in my little pod, but…
That’s nothing compared to what Thokar must have experienced. Watching his entire species brought to the brink of annihilation…
Those are some real problems.
Now I feel bad for pulling away when he reached out for my hand. The warrior just wants to protect me, I’m guessing, but I feel strange when he touches me. Like I’m burning up with a sudden fever.
I focus my attention back on the architecture of Doxhar, instead of ruminating on my confusing feelings. I wonder what this place must have looked like before all of this destruction. What was Doxhar culture like? Were they always so intense and focused, or is that a result of their sudden collapse?
Up ahead Thokar commands us all to stop before crouching down. I take the moment to look around, pointing my flashlight at all the different buildings around us.
My mouth falls open when I see what’s on my left. It’s a Dohan library, and to my surprise it’s almost completely intact. The bombs have barely scraped it — the windows are all broken and the front door is missing, but the majestic building itself is still standing proudly.
As I shine my light through the hole where the door ought to be, I see rows and rows of books. A glimpse into the past. I take a few steps closer, eager to see what’s inside.
All my life I’ve loved books. Physical books are an unaffordable luxury now, of course, but according to my classes that wasn’t the case back in the 20th century. I’ve had to make due with diginovels my entire life.
And now there’s an entire library filled with ancient books just waiting for me to discover them. I stand outside the library, my heart hammering in my chest. It even smells like history inside.
I glance over my shoulder. Thokar is still kneeling and studying something in the sand. I can take a peek inside and be back out before he notices I’m missing.
I tip-toe inside. My soft steps echo inside the large building. The ceiling is a large, windowed dome, the windows all broken by the blasts that rocked this city, and through those gaps I can see the starry night.
I run my fingers across the book covers as I walk down the many aisles, my mind racing with all the unique stories that are hidden in these tomes. I don’t want to leave. I want to set up camp here. This, to me, is heaven.
A sudden sound freezes me in my tracks.
My breathing isn’t that heavy and raspy — and neither is Thokar’s.
There it is again.
A rattling breath like bones dragged across concrete.
My heart hammers in my chest. I shine my flashlight at both ends of the aisles. There’s nothing there.
Maybe I’m hearing things. Maybe this library is haunted. It’s on a dying planet, after all.
I should head back.
I look up at the dome to calm myself with a glimpse of the starry night sky. Instead, I find myself staring right into the open maw of a gigantic dark beast. It sits on top of the bookcase, with fur as dark as the night and eyes as bright as flames.
Its giant fangs are dripping with saliva, and as it studies me, the beast hungrily licks its lips like I’m some kind of midnight snack.
As it lurches for me I scream.
5
Thokar
I’ve never run so fast in my life. The sound of Kayi’s scream is coming from the library — the sound leaks through the many broken windows.
The door is too far away. I jump and raise my arms, breaking right through the window frame, as my twin hearts pump me full of adrenaline.
Everything slows down as my warrior instincts kick in. I notice every single little detail.
My own heartbeat. The starlight bouncing off the broken glass that litter’s the abandoned library. Dust kicking up in the air twelve aisles down.
There.
I run straight through the bookcases, books, pages and splintered wood flying through the air as I ram my way towards my gini. How could I let her out of my sight?! The paw print disturbed me so that I had to take a moment to confirm my worst fears.
And while I was doing that, my future mate wandered straight into that predator’s den.
When I see Kayi my stomach tightens. She’s lying on the ground with the Skarag towering over her, its jaws wide open as it tries to bite her face off. Her hands are wrapped around its sharp fangs, her arms shaking as she forces its maw open.
This is the largest Skarag I’ve ever seen — it dwarves my mate completely.
“Hey!” I yell so loud that the dust flies up all round us. “Take on someone your own size!”
The beast looks up in surprise right as I tackle it. I plant my shoulder firmly in its side with all my strength. It shrieks and rolls over, it’s jaws snapping shut with a horrifying sound.
I instantly turn back towards Kayi. “Are you alright?”
She nods, her face as pale as snow. “Watch out!”
The Skarag strikes at me with its paw, every curved nail the size of a blade.
It slices my face open and blood seeps down my cheeks.
It roar is so loud and powerful that several books fall from their shelves, and my mate covers her ears with her hands and curls up on the floor.
It’s long, wicked tail is up high, as are all the dark hairs on its back as the beast roars once more, daring me to attack it.
The difference between a male and female Skarag is minute, and only visible in the thickness of it’s majestic mane. This one is female, and unusually aggressive. Skarags are menacing predators, but they prefer to stalk their prey and take them by surprise, picking them off one by one if possible.
When we’re all sleeping, for example.
Faced with an enraged Dohan warrior, most Skarag will back off. Not this one. No, she paws at the floor and roars in my face, spittle flying through the air, it’s rank breath surrounding me whole. There’s only one possible explanation for her behavior.
This beast is protecting her young.
As angry as I am that this wild animal has attacked my gini, I cannot kill it and leave her young without a mother. Her nest must be very close-by, and without their mother to bring in fresh kills, her young will die for sure.
I raise my palms to show I mean no harm as I slowly edge towards Kayi. “Are you okay?” I whisper again.
“Yes, are you?!” She says, her voice shaking. “You’re dripping blood!”
“Hand me your flashlight,” I whisper. “And don’t make any sudden movements.”
After some initial confusion, Kayi follows my instructions. Meanwhile, the Skarag has its massive head cocked to the side, its sharp paws digging into the concrete floor as it studies my every moment. Kayi hands me the flashlight and I grip it tightly, adjusting the settings with a single turn.
In one quick movement I aim it at the beast and turn it on, the light all condensed into one tight beam. The beast roars as it’s temporarily blinded, and I waste no single second. I scoop Kayi up into my arms, hold her tightly, sprint towards the nearest window, and jump out.
The predator does not follow.
I kneel down and cradle Kayi in my arms. I quickly check her entire body, my hands sliding across every inch of her.
“Are you sure you’re unharmed, my gini?” I ask. “Skarag venom contains sedatives, so you might be harmed without realizing it.”
“I’m fine, really, I am,” she says, her eyes searching mine. Her soft hands gently touch my injured cheek. “You’re the one that’s hurt.”
“A scratch.”
“You saved my life.”
“I will always protect you, Kayi.”
Just holding Kayi in my arms fills me with bliss. I gaze upon her perfect features as my twin hearts still race with adrenaline. Her green eyes look at me with gratitude, her perfect lips hanging open ever so slightly.
I kiss her.
6
Kayi
Thokar grabs my hair as his tongue enters my mouth.
I’m stunned as his lips brush against mine. I return the kiss, tentatively at first, and then passionately, my hand sliding around his neck as I pull him in deeper. His strong hands cradle my body as we kiss.
The feeling he sets off inside of me is indescribable. It’s fireworks. It’s an explosion of joy, of pleasure, of bliss.
A mere moment ago I thought I was going to die as I stared right down the maw of that terrifying beast. Now I’m making out with Thokar as his hands hold me possessively, my entire body tingling as the best kiss I’ve ever had makes my heart throb. Talk about extremes!
Thokar pulls away. I breathe hard, my body burning right up.
“That was, wow, I don’t know, wow,” I say as I fan myself. “Oh my god.”
“You are my gini,” Thokar says decisively. “I know it with all my hearts. You are my fated mate. I will always protect you, Kayi, no matter what.”
“This is all a bit much,” I say. “Can we talk about it later?”
“Of course, my little human. We have all the time in the world.”
His fated mate. I don’t know how that makes me feel. Happy. Terrified. Like running. Like throwing my arms around his neck and continuing our kiss.
That’s what my soaking wet core wants. Just his touch sets me alight, let alone that perfect tongue of his.
Lotak, Viliana and Sarina run towards us, their flashlights bouncing through the dark night, ending our intimate moment. Good. If I stayed in his embrace, I would have just offered myself to him sooner rather than later.
Thokar stands up and warns Lotak about the Skarag nest, as my two friends swarm me.
“Are you okay?!” Sarina asks. “What happened?”
“A beast attacked us,” I say. “But Thokar saved me. I’m fine.”
“But you’re breathing so hard! And you’re so red!” Viliana points out.
She never misses a thing, huh?
“I’m fine,” I stress. “Please, can we just go on? I want to forget about that beast as soon as possible.”
And that kiss, too. It’s stirring feelings long forgotten. Every boyfriend I’ve ever had, has turned out to be an abusive, controlling jerk. I promised myself I’d never let myself get hurt again.
And then I met Thokar.
I feel safe in his presence, safer than I’ve ever felt around anyone. Physically he can not be beat, but…
That’s not all that I need.
It’ll take a long time for my wounds to heal. Right now, they’re still too fresh. Will the alien general really be patient enough with me? He said we have all the time in the world, but I see how he looks at me.
He wants me.
He wants to tear my clothes off and claim me right here against the wall of the crumbling library.
I’m sure he’ll tire of waiting for me and
move in on Viliana or Sarina sooner or later. Just the thought makes me sick with jealousy. They’re my friends, but for a brief moment I can’t help but hate them. He’s mine. Back the fuck off.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Sarina whispers. “You’re trembling.”
“I’m fine,” I lie, as my eyes lock onto Thokar. He’s furious with Lotak for letting me wander off, and he’s letting the warrior know that loud and clear. “Really, I’m perfectly fine.”
Hopefully, tomorrow that will be actually true.
7
Thokar
The kiss still lingers on my lips. Kayi’s scent still fills my nostrils. I am still elated.
If not for the protective armor, my hardness would be plain for all to see. The urge to mate has never been stronger.
The pain of the Skarag strike doesn’t even reach my receptors. The joy of having kissed my gini is too great to even feel the hint of pain.
“A Skarag?” Lotak asks, surprised, when I fill him in on the details of my struggle. “Are you certain?”
I give the warrior a stern look. “Are you suggesting I did this to my own face, Lotak?”
The bleeding has stopped. My wounds will repair themselves, but the scars will remain. A Dohan warrior is always proud of his scars, and that goes doubly so for these.
Scars gained protecting one’s gini are the best scars to have.
If the Dohan possessed the healing abilities of the Thaana, it would have been as if the attack had never happened. Xaldur warned me he met one of the crafty aliens on Saloo VII. He suspects that he’s tailing us.
If a Thaana wants to take the humans, he’ll have to go through me.
Kayi’s mine. Mine. If one of those pointy-eared bastards as much as looks at her, I will destroy him. Every time his bones heal, I will break them again. She’s mine.
Kayi is chatting with her friends. Our eyes meet. Her pupils widen, and she quickly glances away.