Rescued By The Alien Warrior: A Sci Fi Alien Romance

by Leia Gray

  I swore off any kind of romantic attachment after my planet was attacked. No time for love games, no time for flighty women. And I certainly don’t have time for this delectable human in my arms.

  So why does my heart and soul light up every time I look at her?

  I pull up on a metal grate in the ground and set the human on her feet at last. She stands there defiantly, with her hands on her hips and an eyebrow raised. “Just what do you think you’re doing?” she asks me.

  “Saving your life.”

  I grab her hand and point down into the tunnel with my other. “We’ve got to go down there. You first. I’ll follow behind. I’ll look out for you.”

  “And what if I don’t?”

  “You’d rather fend for yourself?”

  That put a stop to any inquiry. She hmphed and pouted a bit but her muscles finally relaxed. “I’m sorry,” she said slowly. “It’s just been... a little much.”

  “You should never have been there.”

  “Oh? And you are my knight in shining armor then?” She said it a little snarkily, like she thought I was going to hurt her just like Krevith had. How could I convince her otherwise? It wasn’t going to be easy, but I was determined.

  “I’m not a knight,” I said. That, and my armor was hardly shining. I pointed into the tunnel again. Footsteps clattered on the sand behind us; they were growing close.

  “Go!”

  She took one look at our pursuers and bit her lip, then grabbed onto the metal railing and descended into the tunnel.

  I could hear her heart beating from here. I could smell the fear coming off her in waves. The stone pulsed in my hand again and pink light emanated from the center. I gripped it tightly and followed her down into the tunnel, pulling the grate over us. Darkness surrounded us both, and we were alone.

  “What is this?” the woman hissed. “You’re trying to kidnap me too?”

  “What did I tell you about speaking?”

  “Not to.”

  “Good. You’re catching on.”

  The stone glows again, brighter this time. It casts the tunnel in rosy light. Now I can see her frightened face, illuminated by the stone’s energy. Even though her countenance is frozen with terror, there’s no denying her beauty. Those pink lips hang open only slightly, and her emerald eyes lock onto mine, looking for answers.

  I wish I had them.

  “Keep moving,” I tell her, and we continue to descend down the slick damp ladder. “And watch your step.”

  We continue in silence. Well, almost silence. The only sounds are the wet drip of water from the stalactites and the shallow breaths coming from the human. My senses pick up it all: the way her breath catches when she almost misses a rung, the way her heart beats in time with her breaths, and the way those same beats match the pulsing of the ore in my hand.

  That can’t just be coincidence.

  We make it down the ladder and onto hard concrete. A tunnel spreads out in front of us, dim halogen lights leading the way.

  “What’s your name, girl?”

  She eyes me for a moment and answers. “Liana. But I’m not your, or anyone else’s, girl. What’s yours?”

  I swallow a retort. Never said she was.

  Oh, but she could be...

  My mind doesn’t seem to want to let me be. I test the name on my tongue. I wonder what she tastes like. Liana. It has a beautiful, lyrical sound to it.

  “My name is Darvok. I mean you no harm, Liana. But you haven’t told me where you hail from. You’re unlike the other creatures I’ve seen before.”

  She bristles at that, crossing her arms again. “You’re different than people I’ve seen before, too.”

  I huffed out a breath in amusement. “So you’re going to tell me, then?”

  She rolls her eyes. “Fine. It’s not like I have any other choice. I’m from a planet called Earth, but my people spread into the galaxy after our planet fell to ruin. I grew up on a planet called Miros in the Avia sector, lived there my whole life until...” She trailed off.

  Once again, I felt the hurt barrel into me like a freight train. Whatever she was going through wasn’t pretty. But then again, nothing involving Krevith ever was.

  “Let’s go,” I offered, pointing down the tunnel. “We can talk more when we get there.”

  “Where is there?”

  “A hideout of sorts. Somewhere you’ll be safe for now.”

  She doesn’t say anything, just looks at me with those wide eyes full of gratitude. I’m not doing this for her. I’m not.

  She’s affected my ore, and thus my ability to get to Krevith. Once that’s sorted out, she’ll be of no use to me anymore. Attachment is not something I do. Not with anyone.

  But if she keeps looking at me like that, I might have to reconsider. This impulse, this desire that spreads through me, it’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before, and if it keeps going, I’m not sure I can control it. I’m not sure I want to.

  We walk along in silence for a few more minutes, until we come to a fork in the tunnels. I direct her to take the left one, and soon the tunnel opens up into a large room with a door at one end.

  I step over to the door and press my palm against the wall.

  “Do you trust me, Liana?”

  She pauses, chewing her lip. Then she gives me a short nod.

  The light glows blue as it recognizes me, and the door clicks open. It’s one of the many clandestine hubs for smugglers and thieves throughout the galaxy. In my travels, I’ve learned to locate them, and commandeer them for my own needs. Now, wherever I go, I’ll always have a place to call home. I always have a place to crash, and if I need to hide away from the authorities for a little bit? I can do that too.

  Liana steps into the small den and looks around, then looks to me.

  “What is this place?”

  “An emergency den. Traditionally used by more unsavory types to avoid detection. Now used by us to lay low.”

  “I see,” she says slowly. “And you’re sure it’s safe here?”

  “As safe as one can be on this station. Stay here. I need to go gather some food.”

  She gives me that yeah, right look. I narrow my gaze and place both hands on her shoulders, looking down into those brilliant green orbs.

  “I mean it, Liana. Do not leave this den.”

  “Yes, master,” she says with a smirk as she rolls her eyes. “Not like I have anywhere else to go.”

  “That’s the spirit,” I grant. “I’ll be back soon.” I take one last glance at her, trying to form the shape of her eyes, her hair, her hands, in my mind. If I never see her again, it would be a crime.

  But I’ve got more important matters to attend to right now. And wooing this female, no matter how pretty she is, isn’t one of them.

  13

  Liana

  I’m alone.

  A luxury I’ve all but forgotten since the trials of the pageant and then the kidnapping. I let out a shaky breath, and it puffs in front of me in a cloud of mist. It’s cold. Much too cold.

  But I’m safe. At least for the time being.

  The constant adrenaline spikes begin to leave my body at last and a heavy blanket of exhaustion falls over me. “I’m not going to be auctioned,” I mumble to myself, a reminder. For good or ill, I’ve been rescued from that foul place.

  And what comes next?

  Well, I’ll just have to wait and see.

  The silence closes in around me and my body yearns to move. I’ve been sitting still for far too long. I need to get up; I need to keep my hands busy. They’re no longer shaking with the vestiges of fear, but to say I am completely calm would be an overstatement.

  You can do this, Liana, girl. I smooth the strands of hair back from my forehead, tucking them behind my ears. Focus.

  With another shuddering breath, I force myself calm.

  I’m okay.

  I’m safe.

  I’m alive.

  That will have to be enough for now.

&n
bsp; In the meantime, this place is filthy! Dust covers every surface and tickles my nose when I breathe in. My throat already feels raw and my eyes are itchy. Whatever this place is, it’s not been occupied in some time. And it hasn’t been cleaned in even longer, if it ever has.

  After sifting through a supply closet, I find a few rags and a bottle of alien detergent. It’s not much, but it’s a start. The countertops come first, and with a bit of scrubbing, they look good as new.

  Now, it’s much too cold and dark in here. I feel my way over the walls, looking for some kind of switch or panel to turn the lights on.

  Thanks for the hospitality, huge alien dude. I huff out another breath and hug my arms around myself.

  He said he’d be right back with food. But...my mind wanders...what if he isn’t?

  What if this is just another place I’ll be trapped and held for some alien’s whims?

  I can’t think about that right now. I finally find a light switch in a dark corner and pale flames bounce into being on the wall sconces, adding some much-needed light.

  There, that’s much better. Except for the part where I can see even more clearly the squalor of the abandoned den.

  Oh well, it will keep me busy. It will keep me occupied. I know if I let my guard down for even a moment, the carefully constructed dam around my heart will break, and a torrent of emotions and grief will spill out, drenching everything. I can’t let that happen.

  No matter how much I try to throw myself into my work, I can’t help but remember the way those alien eyes locked onto mine, first at the shuttle station, and then in my dreams...

  And then there he was, in the flesh, breaking into my prison and hauling me out like it was the simplest thing in the world. Had he been following me all this time?

  I shiver at the thought, and this time it’s not just from the cold air. I should be afraid, I know that. The thought of some strange alien tracking me across the galaxy, breaking and entering and tossing me over his shoulder as we ran from my captors...

  What makes him any different?

  Now that I can see a little better, I grab a forgotten mop and use the head to wipe cobwebs from the dark corners. It throws up no small amount of dust, but once it settles, the place looks almost habitable.

  Almost.

  There’s a hallway leading into darkness in one of the back rooms of the den, and in contrast to the dank smell of decay, I smell something...floral. I grab one of the lamps and brandish it like a torch, peering into the tunnel.

  It takes a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the light.

  Flowers. Real flowers.

  It’s the first inkling of life I’ve seen in far too long. The strange, bioluminescent flora grows out of rocky soil, stretching toward the ceiling as it spills out large wide petals in every color of the rainbow.

  They’re beautiful, and they smell even better.

  I gather up a handful of stems and yank them out of the rocky soil, where they come away easily. In my other hand, I grab a couple of the smooth stones and head back to the main living area.

  Dropping them into a glass tumbler, I turn on the faucet and cool, clear water spurts out. At least one thing’s working around here. I drop the flowers into the makeshift vase and set them on the countertop next to the bar seats.

  There. That adds some color to the place.

  The light, the clean counters and floors, and the splash of color from the alien flora light up the place and make it feel a little more like a home instead of a prison. I sit back in a chair and admire my work before my mind turns to what might happen next.

  Even though so much is still uncertain, I’m still trapped on an alien planet with no way to get free, I feel calmer than I have since the mining accident that cost me my job and my family.

  Darvok doesn’t mean to hurt me.

  That’s more than I could say about my kidnapper. Fear threatens to seize me once more as I remember his greasy smile. If Darvok hadn’t arrived when he did...

  But that didn’t matter now. I was away from his foul flesh trade, and I’d just have to figure out where to go from here.

  As my mind replays the horror of the past few days, I curse myself again for not being smarter. For not noticing that something was off back at the pageant. For not getting out before it was too late.

  If my grandmother was here, she would have noticed something was wrong. She would have listened to her instincts, just like she always did, and just like she always pressed me to. Before she died.

  My hand strays to the metal band encircling my wrist, the one thing I have left of her. If she could see me now, what would she say?

  Homesickness and grief wrap around my gut and squeeze the air out of me. I bring my knees up to my chest and hug them close, waiting for Darvok to return.

  It’s not long before the door creaks open. I jump in my seat despite myself, ready to fight or flee.

  My heart doesn’t slow down when I see Darvok’s tall purple frame in the doorway. He fills the entire doorframe, his size even more imposing up close. He carries two paper bags, one in each hand.

  His gaze flicks across the room before returning to me. I expect him to say something about me tidying the place up, but his stony expression doesn’t change. He tosses me the paper bag and I catch it, thanking my reflexes, but my heart sinks a little.

  “Sit,” he instructs me, pointing at the barstool at the kitchen counter. “Eat.”

  I bristle at his words. I just got out of captivity and now he thinks he can order me around? Not gonna happen. Still, the smells wafting up from the paper bag are too delicious to ignore, and I am hungry. I clamp my lips into a firm line and scoot into the seat as Darvok fills the stool beside me. He unpacks his lunch in a methodical fashion, taking out each item and placing it on the table before starting to eat.

  I check inside my own bag and follow suit. It’s not unlike the bagged lunches I’m used to, but with a few alien adjustments. There are bright blue stalks of some kind of vegetable and a sandwich that smells strongly of garlic and curry. Darvok has no trouble with it—he dives in without another word, shoving the food into his mouth.

  I’m waiting for him to say something else, to show a glimmer of humanity the way he did when he rescued me, but he’s back to the cold, stone-faced warrior I saw the first time outside the shuttle station. If that’s how he wants to play, then fine.

  That means I don’t owe him anything, either. I get up and take my food into another room. It’s a small bedroom, complete with a dresser, dusty mirror, and a mattress. I sink down onto the bed, expecting it to be stiff and lumpy with age. To my surprise, it accepts my weight easily, the foam core forming around my curves as if brand-new.

  Darvok makes no move to follow me, and I’m not sure if I’m pleased at that or not. The way I feel around him...it’s like I’m on fire from the inside out, and rational thought leaves the building. But then again, I reason with myself, I’ve been through a lot lately. Maybe I just need some rest. Maybe things will look better in the morning.

  Maybe I’ll wake up in my bed back on Miros and realize this was all an elaborate dream.

  Yeah, right.

  The blue vegetables aren’t so bad. They have a texture like celery but slightly sweeter. I crunch down on them, deep in thought, while I figure out what to do next.

  Where would I even go from here? If I were to escape, I don’t know where the nearest shuttle station is, and I don’t know quite where we are in the galaxy. That would make getting home...difficult.

  And what was left for me there, anyway?

  My dad? Dead. My mom? Gone, too. My occupation? Blown to smithereens with the rest of the mining crew. I remind myself why I got off-planet in the first place. Why I staked the last of my life savings on entering the Miss Avia pageant.

  Because I had no other option.

  I hear Darvok get up and run some water in the sink. He makes a low sound in his chest while he works, almost like humming. I wonder if he even realizes h
e’s doing it. But the vibration at that low frequency reverberates off my eardrums and awakens my senses, like feeling the thump of a heavy bass. I feel...connected to him, in ways I can’t begin to explain, and that scares me.

  He appears in the doorway, as if he knew I was thinking about him. I shiver at the thought and at the vibration that passes through me when our eyes meet. He must be feeling this too...surely.

  “Liana.” My name hangs off his lips like a prayer.

  “Darvok.” I cross my arms, still a bit sore at him for earlier.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Eating this weird alien food you brought me.” I lift up the sandwich to show him. “Thanks, by the way.” My voice breaks when I realize again just how close I’d come to being a slave to some sadistic noble.

  His face goes blank again and his eyes narrow, as if he’s trying to see something far off in the distance. But there’s nothing there, only me. “Don’t mention it,” he says at last, turning away. Then he adds, still looking away: “This will be your bedroom for the night. I’ll leave you to rest.” He closes the door, and I’m alone.

  As the light of the twin suns wanes in the sky and blankets the station in darkness, the call of sleep tugs at me. I’ve managed to stay awake this long, mostly out of fear and adrenaline, but now? There’s nothing more I want than a good long nap. For like, a week.

  There’s something else keeping me up too, though. Namely, the alien outside my room, watching my every move.

  I can’t deny the strange way my body reacts to the brooding alien, much as I don’t want to admit it. My skin heats up when he’s around. I can feel his eyes on me, feel when they leave. I swear I can feel his draw to me too, but I could be just imagining that last part.