by Sadie Carter
Anger filled him as he took in her bruised face.
“I’m okay.”
“Did he hurt you anywhere else?” he demanded.
“No.”
“You can tell me.”
“Que, I promise. He didn’t hurt me. Just this.” Her hand lightly covered her swollen cheek.
He took in a deep breath, trying to push down the rage. “You are in much trouble. What did I tell you to do?”
She bit that full lower lip. “Stay in the ship. I was going to, I promise. I didn’t want to leave. But then Emerald turned up and she was crying and I couldn’t just sit there and watch her. She looked so miserable and alone. And I think she’s just a baby.”
“Emerald?” He stared down at the creature in her arms. “What is that?”
“I’m not really sure. I guess we really need to find her parents.”
And how were they expected to do that? “Keely, we cannot go back to the town.”
“Uh, yeah, that much is obvious. Shit.”
“So, you left the safety of the ship to go and check on Emerald? How do you know her name? Does she speak? Can she tell us where her family is?”
“Um, no, she doesn’t seem to speak. I gave her the name Emerald. I just couldn’t continue to call her it. Truthfully, I’m not even sure that she is a she.”
“Right. So, you left the safety of the ship where I ordered you to stay, to help this creature, when you have no idea what sort of creature it is. Whether it is even dangerous.”
“She’s not dangerous.”
“Did you know that before you left the ship?”
She bit down on her lower lip again. He did not want to notice how adorable she looked when she did that. She was in trouble with him. He needed to make it clear that he expected any order given for her safety to be obeyed. He was coming to understand that he could not control all aspects of her life. But when it came to safety he was most assuredly in charge.
“No,” she whispered.
“You left, not knowing if it was safe. I will point out that some of the most dangerous creatures in the universe purposely make themselves appear harmless in order to lure in their prey. So why did you not return to the ship?”
“I couldn’t get the door to work.”
He froze. She hadn’t returned because the door wouldn’t work for her. Because he had not programmed it to open for her. Because he had not thought she would leave without him.
And that was a big oversight on his part.
“I should have programmed you in so it would re-open for you.” Self-recrimination hit him hard.
“You didn’t know I would leave,” she told him. She wiggled in his arms. “It wasn’t your fault. Que, will you put me down, please?”
“No.”
“I said please.”
He raised his eyebrows. “And saying please means I must do as you ask?”
“Well, it would be impolite not to,” she huffed.
“Warriors are not known for being polite.”
She sighed. “That much is obvious. But I don’t need you to carry me anymore.”
“Just because you do not need it, does not mean I do not,” he surprised himself by revealing.
“Que,” she said quietly.
“I have never felt fear like I did when I saw that Szquich had you.”
“Szquich? Is that what Warty-dick is?”
“Warty-dick?”
“Uh, yeah,” she said uncomfortably. “That’s what I nicknamed him after seeing that particular appendage up close.”
“You got close to his dick!” he thundered. “That is unacceptable. You never should have been anywhere near him. You could have been hurt, you could have been taken from me, I may never have found you again.”
She reached up and placed her hand against his cheek. “Yes, you would have.”
“What?” He stared down at her.
“You would have found me again. I have no doubts about that. I wasn’t worried or scared because I knew you would come for me. Because I’m yours.”
His heart skipped a beat. “You are mine.”
“Yeah, sweetcheeks. I’m yours. But you’re mine too.”
“Yes. I am.” He dipped his mouth and took hers. The kiss started a little stilted, soft but then she melted beneath him and he slid his tongue into her mouth. His cock hardened and was it not for the small creature that awoke and started making noises, he was not sure that he would not have taken her to the ground then and there and joined with her.
He pulled back. “What does it want?”
“I don’t know. Emerald, what are you. . .”
Her words were broken off with a scream. He heard him far too late. His lack of awareness was inexcusable, especially when he was guarding someone as precious as his mate. He deserved the slash of fiery pain that erupted across his back. He had to drop his mate as he fell. He tried to cover her as he best he could, but she slid to his side, her arm moving down his side even as she screamed his name.
The pain engulfed him, darkness threatening to pull him under as he saw the Szquich step forward, out of the trees.
Then he knew no more.
She’d never felt fear like this. Not once. Definitely not for herself.
But right now, she was downright terrified. Que lay lifeless on the ground; she wasn’t even sure he was breathing. A bloody patch had formed on his back already, soaking his shirt.
Oh God. Oh God.
He’d been shot.
“And now, you are mine again.” The Szquich thumped its way towards her. She didn’t know how he’d found them so quickly, but no way was he taking her again.
“He was a fool not to realize I would be tracking you.”
Tracking her? What was he. . .oh shit, the collar. No doubt he had a tracking chip put in it in case any wayward slaves got away.
Well, he wasn’t taking her back and he wasn’t taking her from Que.
She slid back, away from him, trying to find her feet beneath her as her entire body shook. Shock. She was going into shock.
“Get away from me you overgrown lizard!” she screamed at him.
“You will soon learn to respect me. A few lashes of the whip will teach you to watch your tongue.”
“Fuck off, Warty-dick, you’re not getting anywhere near me.”
His tentacles hissed at her, snapping around him. All right, maybe pissing him off wasn’t her best idea. Especially with Que lying there either dead or dying.
“Yes, I will like introducing you to the lash,” he rumbled, stepping forward, his tentacles reached out towards her as she felt something cold touch her hand. She looked down to see a blaster lying on her hand. Emerald bounced up and down next to her. Where the hell had she gotten that from?
Then she didn’t have time to wonder as his tentacles grasped her ankle. She grabbed the blaster, releasing the safety. Then remembering Annabel’s teachings, she took a second to aim and fired. Her shot was true; she shot that bastard right in his head. His tentacles didn’t immediately release her, however, so to make double sure, she shot him again.
Then again.
His body tumbled over on its side with a loud thud. The tentacles eased off their hold, falling away. She lay there, breathing heavily, unable to believe she’d just done that.
She’d killed him.
Then Emerald made another noise and she looked over to find the small creature crouched next to Que.
“Que!” On hands and knees, she made her way over to where he lay lifeless on the ground. He was on his stomach and the bloody patch on his shirt was growing. “Oh God. Oh God. I don’t know anything about blaster wounds. I don’t know how to deal with anything more than a paper cut!” she cried out, panicking.
“Please be alive. Please be alive. Please be alive.” Tears flooded down her cheeks, sob after sob working its way through her body. “Please. Please. I didn’t come to that fucking revelation about trusting you just to damn well lose you. How am I supposed to trust again,
huh?” She searched for a pulse as she spoke. “If you die, you’ll leave me with just another fear. Now I’ll think every man is going to leave me and I’ll never trust again and I’ll die alone and lonely. That what you want? Is it?”
A groaning noise escaped him and she froze. Did he? Was he?
Another sob escaped her as he moved. Then he let out a low, pained noise, which she knew meant he really had to be hurting since tough badass warriors like Que did not admit to pain easily. She suddenly realized he was trying to roll onto his side and she reached for him. “What are you doing? Don’t move.”
Fuck. She needed to put pressure on his wound, even she knew that much. Ignoring the way the cold bit through her sweater and undershirt, she pulled the sweater off and bunched it then pressed it to his back.
Was it just her or was the temperature dropping, drastically? And it was growing dark. Quickly. Shit. She needed to get him to the ship. Only she had no idea where the ship was or how she was going to move him.
“Oh God. Oh God.”
“Keely. Keely, you must stop crying,” he told her in a low voice.
“Oh, Que. Que, please stay with me.”
“Stop crying, my mate. All will be well.”
“How?” She wished she was stronger, knew that she should be reassuring him. But she was terrified. He was always so tough. Now, seeing him like this it was more than she could take.
He reached out with one hand and she took one of hers away from where she was pressing firmly against his back and held onto his hand.
“Oh, you’re so cold. Shit. I need to get you out of here.”
“Keely you must get to the ship,” he told her slowly.
“And then what?” she wailed. “I can’t get onboard.”
“Take my communicator.” His voice was low, pained. Flakes of white stuff started to hit her face. Seriously? Was it snowing? Why did they have to land on such a cold freaking planet? She hadn’t seen snow in years, on Earth it rarely snowed anymore. And now, now the universe sent her snow.
“Stupid, fucked up universe,” she muttered.
“It will allow you entrance to the ship.”
“Okay, okay,” she said as she worked the communicator off his wrist. She could do this. She had to. She wouldn’t fail him. “What’s inside for me to bring back? Have you got some sort of hover stretcher? Will the masic make it this far? Does the ship have any sort of medical equipment that will heal you?” Her voice rose with each question. She knew the ship didn’t have a regen machine. She also knew that he was barely moving and that his voice was getting quieter, as though he was growing weaker.
And he couldn’t be doing that, because that meant he was slipping away.
From her.
Another sob ripped free.
“Keely, my mate. Listen to me carefully.”
“Okay, okay. Sorry, sorry.”
His head was turned to her and he smiled faintly. “My mate. So beautiful.”
“Shut up,” she told him. “Now isn’t the time for compliments. Now is the time for you to tell me how to save you.”
“You cannot save me, my precious mate.”
It was like a stab to the gut, she literally bent over. And then a keening sound of pain unlike any noise she’d ever made before escaped her.
“No. No, I can. I’ll bring something back and I’ll get you to the ship and then. . .”
“And then you cannot fly the ship, precious one. You must lock yourself inside and call for help. Then not leave until it arrives.”
She shook her head, her hair flying around her. By now the ground was covered in white snowflakes and she was shivering, her teeth chattering together. She kept pressing down on his wound, but her sweater was already soaked through. Even she knew he was losing too much blood.
But she couldn’t leave him. She refused to.
“Emerald will help me. I can do this.”
She looked around for the small, green creature, only to notice she’d disappeared. Shit. Shit. Shit.
“I can do this. I’m not leaving you here. I can get you to the ship. You just can’t give up on me.”
“Keely,” he started to say then he coughed and it sounded sore and awful and she found herself leaning forward, resting her head against his cheek. “Please don’t die on me. Please, I need you. Please, you can’t die after I just realized what an idiot I’ve been. I won’t let you.”
“Keely, you must save yourself. Use the communicator. But first, Blue sent me a link, open it for me.”
Why did he want her to do that? She had no idea, but she also knew there was no time for her to ask. She opened up his communicator and brought up the link. A projection appeared, shining bright.
“It’s mistletoe,” she said numbly. Why did he want her to bring up that?
“Christmas tradition. Kiss me. Then you must go.”
She was shaking her head even as she leaned in and kissed his too-cold lips. She felt something move within her. The knowledge that this was her mate. And he was dying.
She drew back with a cry.
“Now go, precious. I must know that you are safe.”
She shook her head. “I’m not. . .I’m not leaving you.”
The sound of bells barely penetrated her fog of misery. She heard them getting closer but didn’t look up. She held onto Que, almost as though she knew that letting him go meant him leaving her for good.
And she couldn’t survive that.
Something touched her arm and she turned slightly, surprised to see Emerald there.
“Emerald, I—”
The little creature grabbed her in a surprisingly firm grip and pulled her back.
“Emerald, what the hell are you. . .” Her voice trailed off as she saw they weren’t alone. They were surrounded by five creatures who were looked very like Emerald only larger. They all looked very similar to each other she couldn’t even tell whether they were male or female. They were all dressed in dark green cloaks that completely covered them.
One of them broke away and carried something towards her. Soft, soothing noises came from it as it wrapped a warm, heavy blanket around her shoulders.
“Emerald, is this your family?”
The little creature bounced up and down and she saw the little creature had taken off Keely’s jacket and that she was wearing a similar cloak to the creature standing next to her. Was this her mom? Before she could figure that out, she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to find the other creatures were lifting Que up.
“Hey! What do you think you’re doing? He’s injured.” What were they doing with him? She liked Emerald, but she didn’t know anything about these creatures, for all she knew they were taking him to carve him up and roast him like a pig on a spit.
She tried to get to her feet and slid on the slippery ground. Damn it, it really was freezing. And if she’d thought she couldn’t feel her toes before then she was in real trouble now.
The creature who had given her the blanket chattered away at her and reaching for her, held her back.
“Let me go! Don’t hurt him. What are you doing?”
She jolted as something landed against her legs then she looked down to find that Emerald had wrapped her arms around Keely’s legs. She looked from the small creature to the bigger one she thought was her mom and saw nothing in their faces that indicated that they might be going to harm Que. And the other creatures held him carefully. They lifted him into a huge red wagon where a dark-brown furry beast was attached to the front. Emerald and her mom let her go as they lay Que down, covering him in thick furs.
Emerald’s maybe-mom ushered Keely forward and she stumbled, slipping and sliding, her mind a jumble as she made my way to the wagon, which she noted had long blades instead of wheels, so it was more of a sled. She climbed on and sat next to Que, placing her hand on top of his back since they’d lain him on his front. Emerald, her mom, and two of the creatures climbed on with them, a bit of a squeeze but they made it work. The
other two creatures sat up front. Then another blanket was placed over her before the sled took off. Keely didn’t know how it was going to get through the densely packed forest, but suddenly, the sled lifted into the air and it appeared they weren’t going through the trees but over them.
She gasped, peering over the side of the sled. She didn’t know what sort of alien magic this was, but it was one hell of a way to travel.
She was starting to wonder if maybe she’d been injured as well when Warty-dick attacked and she was having some sort of dream. She was hallucinating. That had to be it.
Gradually, the contraption started to drop and they landed outside a huge building. The creature leading the sled ran along the snow-packed ground, dragging them along behind it. She guessed they had landed somewhere higher, but she didn’t know where since she hadn’t seen any hills or mountains close by. A thick fog settled around them that didn’t allow her to see much apart from the lights coming from within the big building. Then they stopped moving and lots of creatures like Emerald gathered around.
They lifted Que, carrying him carefully inside. Then two of them reached for her, picking her up to carry her inside.
“It’s okay, I can walk. Really. You can put me down.”
They completely ignored her, carrying her into the amazingly warm building where there was an actual fire crackling away in a huge fireplace with a mantelpiece that was just calling out for a bunch of stockings to be hung from it.
She shook her head. Not with humans anymore, Keely. These are aliens and they don’t have a clue about Christmas. She was taken through that living area and into a large bedroom, where Que was being placed on a huge bed in the middle of the room. He lay in a pile of furry rugs on his front. One of those creatures leaned over him, pulling off his shirt. Que let out a pained noise and she fought my way free and tore over to the bed to defend him.
“Don’t you hurt him!” she demanded.
The creature turned to look at her and for some reason the rest of her protests dried in her throat. She just knew, deep inside, that he wasn’t going to hurt Que. There was a wealth of knowledge and wisdom in that face. And she found herself sitting next to Que on the bed instead, running her hand over his closely-shaved head.
