Alien Mate: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance

by Penelope Woods

  A sharp grin forms on the halfling's face as he charges me. He bounces on the back of his heels and does a double flip into the air. When he lands, he stabs his blade near my chest.

  I dodge it but my ass lands on the earth.

  "Almost," he hisses as the blade digs into the dirt.

  I scoot back against the various bones and alien entrails, and roll back onto my feet as he baits me near the wall.

  "I've got you now," he says, scooting forward slowly.

  When he's close enough to cut me, I duck and slice his kneecaps. In shock, he falls to the ground, as his red blood soils the earth below my feet.

  I grab his arm and twist it behind him, placing my knee against the base of his spine. "Looks like I've got you, friend."

  He straightens and screams as I keep his arm twisted in the air, ready to break it free from its socket. "Please, don't kill me," he grunts. "We have both been charged with false crimes. It is them you want. Not me."

  I apply more pressure and watch him squirm. "Maybe I don't care. Did you ever think of that?" I growl.

  "I would have let you live," he cries. "I am a halfling. They hate my kind."

  I loosen my grip and lower my blade. Even if I kill this idiot, do I trust the Gerkis to free me? Fat chance. "If I let you go, can you get us out of here?" I ask.

  He nods rapidly. "There’s an underground path. Let go of my arm. I'll lead the way," he says.

  Despite my better judgment, I step off of him. I reach down to help him to his feet.

  His grip is harder than expected. His palm brings me closer to his level. Revealing a sharp and malicious grin, he starts to laugh.

  "Hey, what—"

  He slides his blade forward. Knowing he has tricked me; I duck my head back. Still, he slices me with one clean swoop.

  I stumble back, dazed. Blood falls down my chest. Am I dying? No. He just nicked the front of my chest. Still it hurts like a bitch.

  I don't waste time with my reaction. With careful aim, I lunge my dagger toward him, impaling the center of his throat to the wall. He hangs, defeated.

  “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” I mutter to myself.

  Bloodied and stunned, I raise my fist into the air. The crowd hisses and boos.

  The Gerkis guards come running in to tend to their halfling soldier, but he is far passed dead.

  They turn and face me. I smear my blood over my face and laugh, frightening them away from me. "I win. You have to let me go."

  A guard swings a shock prod at me. "No one wins the judgment arena," he shouts.

  "Yeah, well, I just did," I say. "We made an agreement."

  The guards lift their rifles. They force me against the wall. The lead guard says, "One more fight. We’ll settle the score at the end."

  "Two out of three? That was not the agreement! You’re a bunch of sadists," I howl.

  I am covered in my own blood. Bruises and cuts ruin my face. I stand, but my ribs feel like they're broken. I tongue at a loose tooth, prying it free. I spit it onto the concrete and watch it roll into a small drain. I'm still hanging on, but I'm not sure how much longer I can last. Still, I’ll play their stupid game if it ensures my freedom.

  The intercom blares: "Please stand. I introduce to you a new beast, brought all the way in from the White Sands. The Death Crawler."

  My arrogant smile drops from my face. "The what?"

  The crowd goes even crazier this time as aliens stand to watch and see what happens next. Though my pain is excruciating, I do my best to stand.

  The Death Crawler...

  "The fight begins now."

  I yank against my chains. "Wait," I shout. "Let me out of my chains!"

  The crowd laughs. When I look around the arena, I don't see my challenger. The arena is empty, spare the dead soldier's body.

  I am without mate, without weapon, and without hope. I look around the arena at the faces that all despise me. They throw hate in every direction. They hurl insults and cackle with manic laughter. They wish me to die, but I will not satisfy their twisted urges. Anna would want better.

  I snap out of my fear and stand against the wall. I raise my fist into the air and howl. "For my mate."

  The room goes berserk.

  The ground rumbles. The particles of dirt spread apart as the center of the earth collapses inward. A worm-like creature rocks its body free of rocks and dirt, and when it opens its mouth, I can see layers of giant, oozing pokers waiting to pierce me.

  "Great," I hiss to no one and everyone at the same time barely able to hide my sarcasm. "A giant sand worm named Death Crawler is going to eat me for dinner."

  I jerk against my chains, unable to move. "Come on, you son of a bitch. What are you going to do?"

  The worm rises from the ground and closes its mouth. Slowly, a giant stinger comes out of the center.

  "Oh, shit," I mutter.

  The monster whips its stinger at me, and the crowd hollers as I nearly get pierced. I feel the wind of its attack across my face as a warning. It lunges forward and opens its mouth, biting through the chains.

  I fall to the ground and roll out of the way before it can impale me.

  It swings back, stinger headed for the space between my legs.

  Oh, God. Please don’t let the worm pierce my cock!

  One more roll before I’m back on my feet and sliding across the arena. I jump over its body and narrowly dodge a second attack.

  "Fuck," I mutter, out of breath. I need a weapon.

  I sidestep toward my dagger. Little by little, I get closer to the shimmering blade.

  I scrape my hands in the pale dirt and watch the worm carefully. Wherever I go, the stinger follows. I have to make a move. The beast can sense me, but it does not have eyes. It cannot understand my movements. It can only react.

  I dive and try to grab the dagger, but it widens its terrible mouth and swallows the blade whole. Quickly after, it ingests the dead halfling soldier, spitting out his bones.

  "Okay..."

  I roll to the other side, and I'm not shocked when it repeats my motions. Every move made by the worm is a mirror of mine. The Death Crawler is not only a deadly creature. It is also a stupid creature. I can beat it.

  I dive back. It follows, piercing into the earth. As it loosens the ground, I’m forced to my knees. The ground shifts and builds around me as the Death Crawler eats its way in my direction.

  I start to sink, but I quickly grab my chains. As the worm makes its way to inhale my bones, I whip and coil my bindings around a pipe near the ceiling. I pull myself up, grab a guard’s blade, and swing away from the barrier.

  I drive that blade through its body, slicing him in half.

  The Death Crawler emits a great roar before falling into deadly spasms. Green ooze spills from the wound. When the beast falls to the floor, I swing to the ledge of the arena.

  Though the crowd goes wild, the intercom blares: "If you do not let go, we will electrify the barrier. We'll give you five seconds."

  Good, I think. Let's light this puppy up.

  I bait the crowd, screaming my own insults.

  "Five. Four..."

  Somehow, the Death Crawler rises from the ground once more. Except, this time there are two of them. The crowd stops roaring and watches as both worms eye me.

  "Three. Two..."

  With incredible speed, they move in my direction, stingers pointed and ready to pierce right through me.

  "One."

  They jump into the air, and for a split second, I wonder if two giant fucking worms might actually kill me. As I dive out of the way, I hoist my legs up and over. The Gerkis turn on the electrified barrier.

  One of the Death Crawlers moves to plunge his stinger but I jump out of the way before it can gut me. It hits the barrier and explodes with electricity.

  Quickly, I use the chains to pull myself into the audience. The entire place breaks out into total chaos. The aliens run for the exits as guards tear through the stairs. I pounce on one of t
he alien thugs, crack his neck, and steal a gun.

  I unload on the bastards.

  One thing leads to another, and I've got the whole fucking village chasing after me. There's only one person I want to see, so I fire at will and run toward the physician's ward.

  Anna. I'm coming for you.

  Anna

  It takes eight hours to comb through the Red Sands, and it's not without difficulty. The sun is hot and taxing to the mind and body. The sand weighs and reflects every step taken. It pulls on my heels, eating my energy until I collapse.

  I tuck my legs to my chest. I am ready to give up. I am near to being broken.

  Worst of all is the thought of Ax, alone and forced to defend himself without me there. He doesn’t deserve the pain.

  I've never felt more alone in my life.

  Eventually, the sand changes color and density. Palm trees form around a large body of water. Vibrantly colored birds fly through the cloudless sky. That's where I find a small settlement. It is a town for travelers, a place to trade and find refuge. I am halfway to my destination. Once I cross the Kalyx, I’ll be… home.

  I walk through the markets where street vendors yell to grab my attention. Many delicious and exotic smells waft into the air, but I have no appetite. Near the water, I keep my head down as fishermen gather up the final catches of the day.

  This place is beautiful and tranquil, but that is not why I came. I look past the harbor and dwell on what I may come across on this journey. What I may lose… well, I’m trying my hardest not to think about that.

  Eventually, I’m just breathing. Rather, I’m struggling to do just that. I’m holding back every emotion as if they might explode the world into pieces if I let them out. I need Ax.

  Going back to the EF is the right thing to do. So why does it feel so wrong?

  "Anna Longdale. Put your hands in the air," I feel a pressure on my back and realize it's from a weapon.

  I freeze. Carefully, my eye drops to the ground. I see a black shadow. It’s a human wearing a cloak. "Get your gun off of me," I say.

  Finally, I glance back, but the figure behind me pushes me forward before I get a good look. He is tall and slender. Above average build. He wears a mask, and his robes are in tatters. Above all else, the man knows how to hold a gun.

  The figure points to a small innocuous boat. "Get on board," the figure commands.

  I keep my head down and step onto the deck. The water shakes the gravity away. I trip, skidding my kneecaps against the wood. My heart rests in choppier waters, this much I know.

  The figure points to the other end of the boat. "Start the engine and drive."

  I was set up.

  But I can’t be scared anymore. I need to be strong. I close my eyes and swallow my fear. I’m going to be okay. My baby is going to be okay. I’m going to find Ax, and we’ll finally get off of this planet.

  “Okay. I’ll do it. Just don’t shoot,” I say.

  I start the engine and drift down the wide Kalyx river, watching as the town drifts out of view. Soon, it is just us and the surrounding rainforest. The sun amplifies the colors of the world as it prepares to rest.

  The figure sits on the other end of the boat. He keeps his pistol raised. The barrel is a perfect angle to my left eye. "Are you with the Syndicate?" I ask.

  The man presses a button on the side of his mask. A green light reflects outward as an electronic, muffled voice issues. "I am a bounty hunter."

  "Why are you searching for me? Money?"

  He shakes his head. "I have been following you, but there’s more than money at stake."

  I lower my head and nod. "Why am I not surprised?"

  "You are easy to track," he says. "You didn't see me once in the dunes of the Red Sands."

  I look away. My eyes follow the black river. "I would do anything for Ax," I say. "If you're going to turn me into Earth Federation, you should know I'd rather die."

  The man laughs, but he keeps that gun steady. "You are pregnant. You will not kill yourself. It’s against your nature."

  I feel my anger rise. "My nature? Take off your mask. Face me as I face you. Show me your true nature."

  "Tell me something. How is it possible an Earth Federation soldier fell in love with an alien from the Syndicate? It seems so... impossible." The bounty hunter doesn't take off his mask. He doesn't move at all.

  That's exactly what our love is. Impossible like a miracle. But the harder they try to stop our love from happening, the more we feel it.

  I watch the reflections of the leaves drift along the water. Ax is the furthest he's been away from me since our two paths connected. And now, he has been sentenced to fight and die. I've done pretty well with managing my emotions, but the bounty hunter's question catches me off guard.

  I bite the inside of my lip to distract from the loneliness I feel from his absence. "He is not what you think," I whisper.

  "A monster?"

  "Everyone has a monster inside of them. All that matters is if you can tame it," I say.

  “Perhaps.”

  My face turns red. The air feels hot. "He is kind to me. He has shown me what it's like to love. And maybe it's not what everyone else understands – maybe it's not the normal path, but he didn't get a chance at normal. He's doing his best, and I wish the planet and it’s power hungry factions would leave us alone.”

  "You feel that strongly for him, despite his past?" he asks.

  "He would die for me," I say. "And now that I'm pregnant, he works to find us safety on a new planet. How many men do you know that move an inch for their women?"

  “Not too many,” he admits. “But maybe none of that matters to me. Maybe I just want to catch the hunt of the week. You’re a very popular girl, Anna.”

  The river path constricts. The sun sets behind the trees, and the animals come out to the edge to watch as we sail by their home. I got so used to the silence of Ax's home that I forgot what the sounds of the jungle were like.

  All of this will end if this man gives me up. The dream will be over. I’ll be forced awake, to live as another once more.

  I am frightened, but not of the animals. I am frightened of returning to Base Elysa. There's no way in hell I would get through the re-integration process. There is only a twenty-five percent success rate.

  I'm going to be put away forever. I'm never going to see Ax again.

  My throat closes and my sinuses burn as tears swell and roll from my eyes. I am silent in my grief, but the bounty hunter does not look away from me once.

  He offers no consolation or pity. He just stares until I stop. And once I do, I see something far off in the distance.

  It's a small port. There are other boats drifting toward it, coming from the other side. Torches burn brightly like a north star.

  "I recognize this place," I say.

  "Slow down. This is it, right?" the bounty hunter asks. "Answer me. Is the Syndicate facility up ahead?"

  I let go of the engine. I stand, shaking. "I thought you said you were a bounty hunter..."

  The bounty hunter stands and walks forward until the barrel of his gun rests against my forehead. Slowly, he takes off his mask. “I needed you to lead me here.”

  It's not a man at all. It's Clara, and she’s crying.

  I stop the boat completely.

  "Clara? What the fuck!" I cry out.

  "Do you know how difficult it is to play dead? When the Gerkis shot me, I had to inject a paralyzing agent into my veins. Worst pain I've ever experience," she says with a sly smile.

  "You bitch. You fooled them!"

  I throw my arms around her.

  “You know you would have loved to see it,” she says. She's right. This is one of the greatest gifts the world could offer me, but it comes with a certain level of sadness. Sadness that she immediately addresses.

  "I'm sorry about Ax," she says. "He is strong. He will survive."

  I nod. "I know you're right," I say. "But it's hard to trust in something so blindly.
I have lost everything. First, my home. Now, my alpha."

  "You love him. And we're getting off this planet. Together," she says with tears of her own.

  I react by squeezing her tight. I can't stop laughing and crying. There is still hope.

  "You'll really do it? You'll help us?" I ask.

  She lets go of me and wipes her cheeks. "I won't just help you. I'm coming with," she says.

  "But the Earth Federation... You've worked so hard at achieving peace."

  She twists her jaw. "There is no peace here. Our people have ruined this place, Anna," she says, hesitating on her breath. "The generals know it. Even if we act like everything is fine, we know it, too."

  "We used to call the aliens savages," I say.

  She doesn't laugh. "We were blinded by their lies. There's an entire world outside of the barracks, a world I have now explored. The universe is even bigger. There’s a place out there that doesn’t go to war, Anna. I have seen it. Planet Maryla."

  I glance up at the stars. There's the bright glow of the Honshu System. “Planet Maryla...”

  But when I glance back at the port, I see torches burning. I witness the women from the boats. They are led out by large, brutal Syndicate aliens with shock prods and assault rifles. I can hear their authoritarian barks. The sound echoes throughout the jungle.

  Their cruel laughter never ceases. The aliens taunt the women, jab them until they can't walk any more. They behave like devils, forcing them back into the mud as they try to stand.

  "That's it. That's the port of entry," I say.

  Clara shivers and silently watches with a worried look in her eyes. This is going to be impossible, but impossible things are worth taking on.

  I put my hand on her shoulder and squeeze. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

  She nods and swallows. "Let's burn this fucker down.”

  Ax

  Wielding a guard’s rifle, I run through the physician's ward. There is no one in fucking sight. There’s nothing in the room, spare some broken glass, liquid, and a squished bug.

  "Anna!" I scream.

  She’s gone. No trace of her in sight. My heart thumps, far too rapid for me to calm. Sweat pours down my face, and every muscle in my body strains and aches. I can’t stop thinking that I’ve lost her for good.