by Zara Zenia
"Good girl," I said.
Clicking open the door, I slid out onto the sidewalk making sure to remain crouched behind the car. The young soldier was looking for Anya, wondering where she went. Without hesitating, I shot him square in the side of the head and he hit the ground. The other soldiers all looked down to him shocked.
"What the fuck?" one of them yelled.
"Who's here?"
"We've got an enemy in our field!"
Chaos began to encircle the street as the soldiers realized there was a hunter on the loose and I wasn't leaving until I was stepping over every single one of their corpses.
Still kneeling behind the wheel arch, I fire two more shots, hitting one in the gut and another in the shoulder. Both hit the sidewalk squealing and as their comrades rushed to help them, I opened fire on them. I did a quick head count and noted there were only fourteen left.
Crawling out from the safety of my car's shadow, I pressed myself up close to the nearby shrubbery. There was heavy breathing on the other side, the sound of a terrified soldier as he attempted to take cover.
"You can't hide from me," I whispered.
"Wh-what? Who's there?" he stuttered.
And I fired into the bush, the bullets blowing a hole through the branches reaching his chest. Through the gap in the hedgerow, I could see his body collapse and the space where his heart used to be.
"We're under attack!" their commanding officer was shouting. "Fire!"
I hit the floor and climbed into the brambles, my gun out in front of me like a lucky talisman. Quick steps hurried before my face and I pulled the trigger, shattering three men's ankles. Crawling out to see them writhe in agony, I put them out their misery and shot them each in the head.
For a moment, I watched the soldier in front of me as the light dimmed in his eyes. He wasn't more than a boy and it seemed like only yesterday that I was the same age as him with a fire in my heart to serve Orba. I drifted my fingertips down over his eyelids and bowed my head. It wasn't his fault he was here, and it wasn't my fault he had to die.
Sensing I was being watched, I looked up to see Anya at her window with tears in her eyes. She gave me a subtle nod of appreciation and raised a hand. I nodded back, a silent pact to let her know I was here for her. Yet half the troop remained, and how long would it be until my luck ran out and my humble handgun ran out of bullets? I needed to do something quick and drastic and it was then that a spark of inspiration hit me. The car.
Firing two bullets into the tail light, I heard the sound of the breaking glass splinter the silence of the night.
"Over there!" the commanding officer shouted and pointed over to my car. "I heard him!"
The soldiers surrounded the vehicle with confused expressions on their faces.
"He's not here," someone said.
"I heard him..." the officer seethed.
Lying down low, I felt the early morning dew dampen my stomach. I took a deep breath and felt the coolness against my skin.
"Stay focused," I told myself.
Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Anya watching with sheer terror in her eyes. I pressed my fingers to my lips to kiss them before holding them out toward her. She gave me a weak smile and returned the gesture. Turning back to the commotion at the car, I spied the flap of the gas tank and steadied my hand.
Holding my breath, and biting down on my lip in concentration, I fired three shots in succession. The first one penetrated the gas tank while the second shot through the diesel, burning it up on impact. The third one ignited a spark and all I could do was grip the sides of my head as the car exploded. The smell of blood, flesh, fear, and gas descended on the street as bodies were catapulted throughout the neighborhood in a storm of searing skin.
Nearby, an arm landed on the lawn ablaze before extinguishing itself on the grass.
My ears rang as I pulled my hands away and I rubbed at my nose to stifle the smell.
It was over.
For now.
Epilogue
Anya
"Dray!"
I ran out of the house and fell to the ground beside him.
"Oh, my God, Dray!"
He lay in the grass with scorch marks covering his body. A cut to his forehead seeped blood and I pressed a hand onto it as I gently rolled him over onto his back.
"You came to protect me," I cried. "Even though I told you not to."
A single tear fell onto his lips and he moved his tongue over it before smiling and raising a hand.
"Don't cry. It's over now," he said. "They're dead."
I looked up and saw the devastation.
"It looks like hell out here," I said. "Let's get you inside."
Helping him to his feet, I slipped an arm around his waist and guided him indoors. He lingered for a moment on the porch and drifted his eyes over the body of a young soldier.
"That bastard had his eyes on you," he said. "I'm glad I took him out first."
And he limped inside.
Helping him onto the sofa, I wrapped my arms around him and nestled my head into his neck.
"I'd never seen anything like it," I said. "You took them all out. Just you and you alone."
He ran a hand through my hair and kissed my cheek.
"Promise me something," he said. "If I say you need protecting, you need to accept my help, okay?"
I nodded and wiped the tears from my eyes.
"I was foolish," I replied. "I should have believed you when you said I was in real danger."
"Imagine if I wasn't here," he said. "It would have been twenty of Palzu's men against you. You wouldn't have survived."
"You're right," I answered as I traced a finger down the bloody scrape on his head. "I'm sorry I turned you away."
The smell of fire and death was indelibly stamped onto his skin and clothing. Meanwhile, the injury to his head was only getting bloodier.
"Here, let me see that."
I leaned in close to him to inspect it.
"It's only a surface wound. Doesn't need stitches by the look of it but it does need a good cleaning."
"Are you offering to play nurses and doctors with me?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"Only if you're willing to be my patient."
He smirked and slid a hand over my waist.
"Let me run you a bath," I said and moved away as I blushed.
It felt wrong to find him desirable now that he was injured. He needed my help. Laying his head down on the couch and making him more comfortable with a cushion, I pulled my blanket up over him and kissed him on the cheek.
"Will you be okay for a minute? I'll call you when it's ready."
He smiled and kissed me back.
"Don't take too long."
Once alone in the bathroom, I could let my feelings loose. I sobbed into my hands and collapsed onto the floor. I couldn't believe what I had just witnessed. There were so many troops out there ready to kill me. They were hiding in that force field, but what the hell was that? There was so much I didn't understand, so much I couldn't process.
The taps squeaked as I turned them and for a minute, I rested on the edge of the bath as the steam filled the room. I couldn't bear to think about what could have happened if Dray wasn't here to save me. He'd proved himself tonight, shown that he'd fight twenty men to the death if it meant my life was saved. It was the perfect time to forgive him.
I called him upstairs when the water was deep enough and laid out towels and a bathrobe before squeezing in a liberal amount of bubble bath. Shaking my hand through the water to froth up the suds, I held his hand.
"The water's perfect. You can get in now."
"Are you joining me?" he asked as he unzipped his jacket.
"Maybe."
Helping him out of his jacket, I let the charred remains of the leather drop to the floor before moving my hands over his abdomen.
"I can't thank you enough," I whispered as I lifted up his shirt. "Really, I can't."
"You can thank me by be
ing here with me," he replied. "Just knowing you're safe is enough for me."
As he stood in front of me, shirtless and bloody, I had the strongest and strangest compulsion to lean forward and lick the sweat from his body. He saw the lust in my eyes and pulled me close to him and I kissed the space between his pecs and breathed in the scent of his strength.
Moving my hands down to his jeans, I gingerly pulled down the zipper and let them fall around his ankles. He was hard beneath his boxers shorts and I hooked my fingers into their sides to slide them down over his buttocks. Revealing his erection, I gasped and touched my fingers to the tip. He breathed heavily in my ear and ran his fingers down the length of my arm.
"I love you," he whispered. "Will you forgive me?"
"I forgive you," I replied and leaned up to kiss him.
His penis became stiffer in my hands and he let out a low groan as I quickened my hand up and down his length.
"No," I pushed him away. "You're injured. Let me help you."
"You're a tease," he winked as he stepped into the tub. "You better thank me later."
"I'll do anything you say later," I purred as I knelt down beside the bath. "But right now I need to see to that nasty cut on your head."
Opening up the bathroom cabinet, I picked up a box of band aids, some anti-septic and a bundle of cotton wool.
"This'll sting for a moment," I warned him as I raised the chemical soaked cotton wool to his head.
But he wasn't paying attention. He was sliding his hand down the front of my shirt and cupping my breast, pinching at my hard nipple and laughing as I winced.
"I hope you don't behave like this with all nurses," I joked.
"Only the special ones."
"Come join me," he said, tugging at my arms.
"In a minute," I laughed. "I'm not finished yet."
Sticking the Band-Aid to his head, I reached over and kissed it.
"There you go, all better."
He raised a slippery arm and firmly held my jaw in his muscular hand and I noticed it still smelled like gunpowder.
"I really mean it when I say that I love you."
Relishing the feeling of being held by him, I closed my eyes and exhaled.
"You saved my life," I breathed. "I'll never forget what you did out there to those men. You saved me and this entire neighborhood."
"It was the least I could do," he said. "Now please, come in."
I stood up and began undressing, but before I could flip open my top button, he'd grabbed me by the waist and pulled me down into the tub. The water cascaded over the sides and flooded the floor while I clung to his naked body.
"Dray!"
"Shhh..."
He moved the stray, damp hair from my eyes and stroked my head.
"You're so beautiful," he said. "Even when you're mad at me."
We both laughed. He lingered his thumb over my bottom lip for a moment, feeling every contour and surface of my skin. Then he kissed me tenderly, his tongue exploring mine ever so softly as he let out a moan. His hardness protruded through the water and pressed against me. Instinctively, I reached down and cradled it between my fingers. He gasped and rested his head back against the wall and I looked in awe as the hot water ran in beads down his body, the steam rising from his skin as he clamped his eyes shut.
"Fuck, that's so good," he whispered. "Let me touch you."
Ripping open my soaking pajama top, he exposed my breasts and held them gently, guiding a nipple into his mouth before reaching out a tentative tongue.
Sliding his hands inside my bottoms, we writhed in the water as we eased them off then let my clothes tumble over the side of the bath where they landed on the floor, puddles of soap and water covering the linoleum.
"I need you so much," he groaned and pulled my naked body onto his.
I pressed my breasts against his chest and sighed as his body warmed me. Then I reached up and kissed him, my lips embracing his for what felt like hours. I never wanted to let go, never wanted to stop tasting him. We kissed until the bubbles dissolved and the water began to cool, we kissed until our lips felt raw and began to tingle.
The perfect moment came upon us when we knew the inevitable and most delicious moment was about to happen. He slid his hand between my legs and felt the slickness of my lips, massaging me as I bit into his bicep. Meanwhile, I reached a hand down and cupped his testicles, hot and swollen in the palm of my hand. He moaned as I tugged them, then pushed two fingers inside me as I gripped them harder.
"I need you," I whispered.
And his lips twitched into a wicked smile as he lifted me on top of his body. Lowering myself down onto him, I felt him grow harder inside me until he was pushing up against my g-spot. I tumbled forward with my nails clawing at his chest.
"Fuck!"
His fingers crept around my hips and held me in place as he rocked his hips back and forth, thrusting into me over and over again as the water moved in waves around us.
"Slow down," I gasped.
And he stroked my head and pulled me onto him. I held him tightly with our bodies moving so slowly we were barely moving at all. But inside me, I could feel every slight movement, every inch of his shaft and each ridge of every vein.
"I'm coming," he whispered into my ear. "Just like that. Right there. I'm coming sweetheart."
"Baby... Baby..."
I bounced up and down a little faster, the sound of our bodies slapping in the water making me wetter.
"Baby..." I cried. "You're so big."
I felt it in his thighs first, the tremble that signaled his approaching orgasm. His buttocks clenched tight and his calves contracted. His eyes were pulled shut and his jaw pulled itself taut as his grip on my hips grew tighter.
"Fuck," he growled. "Ugh!"
He moved his hands to my breasts and grunted with every thrust, his eyes opening at last and fixing on mine. At the crucial moment, I saw his pupils dilate then his eyelids fell one last time as his entire body shook. Unable to hold back at the sight of seeing him come, I climaxed hard, my mouth pushed into the side of his neck as I moaned and glided my slippery breasts over him.
For a moment, we lay in the cool, gray water as we tried to catch our breaths.
"Thank you," I said.
He looked up surprised.
"For coming back for me," I added. "I'll never forget it."
Gently, he toweled my naked body as I sat on the edge of the bed, focusing on my stomach before patting my legs dry.
"You're not like anyone I've ever known. You feel different, smell different. I know right now you're in a human guise but I knew back then, that night at the club, that you weren't like me. You felt like something feral, something that I almost shouldn't be in contact with."
He moved the towel to his own body and dabbed at the droplets of water on his chest.
"So, you knew I was an alien?"
"Of course not, but I knew you were..."
"Not from around here," he offered.
"Something like that."
I lay on the bed and pulled the covers up over me. A moment later, I felt the bed dip behind me followed by his warmth as his chest up against my back.
"This feels divine," I said and he squeezed me tight.
At the end of the bed, Sophie purred softly and tread her paws on the blanket.
"That quadruped, internet ruling, mini-beast no longer fears me," he said.
I laughed and tangled my fingers around his. Outside, the moon was glittering in the sky like a giant pearl. In front of it, a wisp of gray cloud drifted by and shrouded a crater.
"Dray?"
"Uhuh."
"You've been there, haven't you?" I pointed out the window.
"Yes, but can I tell you something?"
"Of course," I replied.
"It's not made of cheese," he said.
I waited for a moment to make sure he wasn't joking, then I looked over my shoulder where I saw his face was deadly serious.
"No... N
o, it's not," I said. "Although it's a fun thought."
Kissing my bare shoulder, he slid his hand over my stomach and stroked me.
"I never imagined I could fall for a human girl," he said.
"And I never once thought I'd fall in love with an alien."
We both smiled and I rolled over to face him, kissing him as I ran my fingers through his hair.
"But this isn't you, is it?"
He frowned and pulled back slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"This is a human guise," I explained and tugged slightly at his hair. "This isn't what you really look like."
"It's what I look like around you," he said. "Isn't that all that matters?"
"I suppose," I sighed and buried my face in his chest. "But can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
He twirled a strand of my hair around his finger before raising it to his face and feeling its silkiness against his cheek. Coiling his legs around mine, I felt his heat and nuzzled in closer to him.
"Dray? Do you think one day I'll be able to see you in your Orban body?"
He thought for a second in silence, the strand of hair still being pulled around his finger.
"When you are ready," he answered. "But what if you find me repulsive? We are blue monstrous creatures, we have tails and talons. It is not something I feel you will find attractive."
"Nonsense, Draygus. I will always find you attractive. You're my savior. You could be eight feet tall with one eye and razor blades for teeth and I'd still love you."
He smiled and stroked the top of my cheek.
"I love you too," he said.
Outside, a siren began to blaze.
"The force field must have dissolved," he said. "The phones must be working again."
"It's a pity," I said as I rolled over to look out the window. "I was enjoying the silence."