by Luna Hunter
“You lost?”
“I lost. And now, I didn’t just have the Russians on my tail, but the Terulians as well. I needed to disappear, and fast. That’s where Calloway Corps came in. They don’t look too closely at your resume. Signed up for a deep-space mining gig and got as far away from Earth as humanly possible later that night. That was a smidge over ten years ago.”
“Wow,” is all I can say. “I had no idea.”
“I don’t go around advertising my sordid past,” Nathan laughs. “Bet you didn’t expect any of that, huh?”
“No,” I say as I shake my head. “Not at all.”
“I’m a different man now, don’t worry. Everyone who works here has some skeletons in their closets, a past that they’re running away from… so what’s yours?” He folds his hands over his chest. “Is it as good as my tale?”
Oh crud. I can’t really talk my way out of this now, can I?
“I’m afraid not.”
“That don’t matter, I still want to hear it.”
“I’m telling you it’s long and boring.”
“Try me.”
Sigh. Here it goes.
“It’s because of this… boy.”
“Figures.”
“Why is that?”
“Didn’t think you the stealing type. Go on.”
“I can be bad if I want to!”
“I’m sure you can, but I don’t think you want to. Go on.”
“I need a drink,” I say, my cheeks burning bright red. I don’t want to talk about this at all. I just want to crawl underneath the covers and sleep for a week, forget all about Eric and Fenrir and all other men for that matter.
With a sigh Nathan pours me a cup of instant-coffee. “That’s all there is to drink here, now start talking before I tell the whole crew you’re chickenshit.”
“Okay, okay. Like I said, there was this boy. Eric. We met when I was a freshmen at the Galactic Institute for Languages in San Francisco. He was a teacher’s aide, and already working on his masters.”
“So he was your teacher?”
“Sort of. He was only a few years older than me.”
“Classic,” Nathan smirks.
“I was so impressed by him at the time. He was older, smarter, richer, wiser. Or so I thought.” My cheeks are red and my heart is thumping as I unburden myself for the first time. I’ve had all this emotional pain bottled up deep inside where no one can see, but Nathan’s pulling it all out of me.
“He asked me out. I said yes. Within months we were living together. I thought our lives were perfect, but I hadn’t realized I was living a lie yet. After a year, he kept asking me to borrow him money, and pay his share of the rent, telling me there was some problem with the bank and it would all be sorted out soon.”
“You believed him?”
“Why wouldn’t I? I still had stars in my eyes. The fact that he couldn’t be perfect had never even registered. One month turned into two, three, and then a whole year had passed in which I paid every single one of our expenses. I had to take out student loans just to make due. He kept giving me excuses about how his dad’s business was tied up in some legal battle but he’d get the money to pay me back any day now, and that the Institute was behind on payments, and more of that bullcrap. Looking back, I can’t believe I put up with it all for so long, you know?”
Nathan nods. “You were young, that’s what happens. You give someone your heart and they step on it. It’s not your fault.”
It feels good to get this all of my chest. It feels like a giant stone that has been weighing me down is finally being lifted. “That’s exactly what happened. The money wasn’t even the final straw. It was a red flag, but I looked past it. That all changed when I came home early one day to find him in bed – our bed, no, my bed, the one I paid for – with some new freshmen girl! I felt like such an idiot.”
I stare down at my feet, my voice fading to a mumble. It’s hard to relive that moment where my heart broke, where everything I thought we had was shattered in an instant.
“He didn’t even apologize. Can you believe that? He just got mad at me for coming home early. Like this was all my fault. I realized he’d been gaslighting me from the start, and I’d been naïve enough to fall for it. I spent years and thousands of credits on that guy, and to him I was just… nothing. A paycheck, probably. I was humiliated to my core. I didn’t even dare show my face at the Institute anymore. The thought of everyone knowing what a creep Eric really was all along, and how he strung me along for years like a total idiot – I couldn’t bear facing that.”
“You’re not an idiot,” Nathan says. “You trusted him. There’s no shame in that. Hell, it’s a good trait. You just had some spectacular bad luck.”
“Bad judgment is more like it.”
The coffee in my hands has gone cold, my knuckles turned white from subconsciously clenching the cup. I still go in full fight-or-flight mode every time I think about Eric.
“That’s why I signed up for this mission. I just wanted to get as far away from Earth as possible. This was the first possible opportunity.”
“Is that why you’re avoiding Fenrir as well? Afraid of men now?”
Ouch. Am I that obvious to read?
“I’m not afraid of men,” I say. “I’m the only woman on this whole crew!”
“You know what I meant.”
I shrug, wanting to avoid the sensitive topic. How did Nathan manage to get me to talk about myself so much? “Maybe. What does it matter to you?”
Nathan raises his palms defensively. “I’m just trying to help, sunshine. You’re hurt, and understandably so. However, you shouldn’t let a clown like that Eric stop you from living your life. Yeah, you wasted some years on the guy. You can’t change that. You can change how you’re acting now, though.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that there’s a tall and broody Falur roaming this planet who has his fire-red eyes set on you. You studied alien languages at the Galactic Institute, did you not? Something tells me you don’t study something like that if you’re not interested in alien cultures. We’re on the freaking Falur homeworld, the first humans to ever set foot on this marbl! And how do you spend your time? Hiding in the break-room, napping, playing games on your phone. Yeah, I saw you downloaded the Galactic Wars app on your com. Stop it. Live life. Talk to that man. I’m not telling you to saddle up and ride him into the sunset, but you could at least have a drink with the fella.”
Crap.
Perhaps Nathan’s right. I’ve put my life on hold, wallowed in self-pity, and I did everything I could to avoid getting hurt again. Maybe I ought to give Fenrir a chance.
Easy for him to say, though. He’s not the one who is being chased by a fiery Falur warrior. He hasn’t felt every inch of his hard, fit body pressed against him. He hasn’t seen those brooding, commanding eyes.
He doesn’t have butterflies in his stomach.
If left alone with Fenrir, I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop myself from falling head-over-heels in love all over again…
6
FENRIR
“WHAT’S WRONG WITH ME, sir?”
Healer Janssen peers into my eyes, one after another. I’m sitting on a table in his abode, one of the many homes built in the caves of the mountain. The walls are stacked with different potions and plants, many of which I don’t even recognize. He’s the most respected healer of our clan, and that’s why I went to him for help.
“Hm, your vital signs seem perfectly fine. Pupils dilate as normal. Frankly, you seem perfectly healthy. Run down the symptoms for me again.”
“I can’t eat, I can’t sleep. My head throbs, and my body feels warm. This is all not normal,” I say resolutely.
“You haven’t received any blows in combat? No head injuries?”
The thought alone makes me snort. Me, get injured? Impossible. “No.”
“How long have you had these symptoms?”
“About a week or so. I figured
it would pass, but it’s only getting worse.”
I neglect to mention that it’s becoming harder and harder to control my inner-dragon. My beastly side wants out. This is not how it ought to be. A Falur should always live in harmony with his or her inner-dragon, especially a trained warrior like myself.
“What about your dreams? Anything unusual about them?”
Yes. Every time I close my eyes, I see her. Abigail Snow. The alluring human female. I see her luscious curves, her thick lips, her unique and beautiful face. I can’t escape it.
There must be some kind of reasonable explanation. Perhaps she gave me some kind of otherworldly flu. That would explain my raised temperature, my throbbing headache, and the fluttering feeling in my stomach. Healer Janssen must not be familiar with this devilish strain.
“My dreams are… strange, yes,” I admit hesitantly.
“Do they figure a certain female?”
“How did you know?” I snap.
“Oh Fenrir,” Janssen laughs as he sits down across from me. He folds his hands in his lap, looking at me like I’m a young pup. “Can’t you see what’s happening? I bet your inner-dragon has been giving you trouble as well?”
“No,” I lie. “Not at all.”
“You’re a poor liar, Fenrir, always have been. Lucky for you, you’re an excellent warrior, though I don’t know if that is going to help you this time. You see, young man, you’ve found your elska.”
My fated mate? Me? Impossible!
“Don’t look at me like that, Fenrir. You know it to be true. You’re displaying all the symptoms. Franky, it surprises me you haven’t figured it out yourself. Except… ah yes, it’s obvious. It’s the human female, right? That explains your confusion, your inability to read the signs. I admit, it’s an unusual case.”
“You are wrong, old man,” I bite. “Wrong.”
Janssen shakes his head. “I see the bonding has made you even more hot-headed than usual. I’m sure you know all of this, but as a healer, I have to tell you all again so I haven’t shirked my duty. You’ve found your elska. You and the female in question, human or otherwise, are bound together by fate itself. The symptoms you’re experiencing are caused by the fact that you are not with your chosen mate. Your desire, anger, lust – everything will increase in intensity as time goes by, until you become completely feral.”
“Impossible,” I roar. “There hasn’t been a true bonding in decades.”
“True, but that doesn’t change the facts, Fenrir. I don’t control destiny, I merely read the signs. And right now, the signs are telling me that you’ve found your elska, and that you should claim your mate as soon as you are able, if you want what is best for you both.”
“What if I don’t?” I say. “Can I refuse fate? Resist it?”
I have no other choice. I will never go feral.
“Hm.” Jansen crosses his legs, resting his chin on his hands. “I’ve never heard of a case where that was successful. Perhaps it could be possible. Theoretically. With your expert training, you could have the ability to remain in control of your inner-dragon. It will be an incredibly tough battle for you though. And, I’m not sure your mate will survive it.”
Survive?
“What do you mean?” I growl.
“If my hunch is correct, and the female in question is the human… well, there simply has never been a case of a human experiencing the bonding before. If you resist, it could drive her to madness, perhaps even kill her in the end.”
All the anger and rage I have fades away in an instant. Abigail could die because of me?
“Are you certain?”
Janssen shakes his head. “No, I do not know this for certain, but I cannot discount it either.”
Fuck.
How did I miss the signs? Yes, Abigail has occupied my every waking thought, and I’ve flown down to their mining site every day in hope of catching a glimpse of her, but I never considered for a moment that she could be my elska. My fated mate. The one to complete me.
This changes everything.
“This bond we have… can its grasp be lifted? What do we have to do to alleviate the symptoms?
Janssen smiles. “You know the purpose of finding your fated mate as well as I do, Fenrir. Every child born from a true bonding has shaped history. It is the tool of nature to guide fate when she deems it necessary. Therefore, the symptoms won’t subside until the female in question is pregnant.”
Abigail and I will be consumed by lust until she’s pregnant with my offspring. Our offspring. This means our bodies are compatible.
“A mixed child? Has that ever happened before?”
“No,” Janssen says. “Not yet… but I have a hunch that’s about to change.”
7
ABIGAIL
“HE’S COMING!” Nathan yells from outside.
I glance out the window of my little temporary container home and see a winged figure in the sky, growing bigger by the second. That must be Fenrir, swooping down the mountain. For me.
I tie my hair up in a bun before untangling it a moment later. I can’t decide what I want, like always. I’m stuck wearing that stupid beige overall. It’s either that or my pajamas, and it’s a bit too early for that. My wardrobe is several lacking – I didn’t foresee any romantic escapades when I signed on for a mining mission.
It’ll have to do.
“I’m here to see the human female named Abigail Snow.”
I can hear Fenrir’s booming voice even while inside my home. His grasp of the Universal tongue is rudimentary at best, but it’s passable. I’m surprised to hear him speak it – I saw at the meeting how chauvinistic he is. The fact that he’s willing to switch to Universal means he really wants to see me. He sounds even angrier than usual, and I hope I’m not making a huge mistake by indulging his request…
“Tell me which home is hers or I will tear this place apart one by one!”
I step outside to find Fenrir holding Nathan by the collar of his shirt.
“Calm down,” I say. “I’m right here.”
Fenrir whirls around, his red eyes opened wide and filled with anger. I can’t help but gasp. He’s even more gorgeous than I remembered. His long dark hair, pointed ears, and spread wings make for a truly impressive sight.
“There you are!”
He drops Nathan to his feet and within two steps he’s standing in front of me. He seems to surround me completely – he’s so tall, so broad, and with his wings spread wide, he’s simply everywhere.
“You asked for me?” I say in fluent Falurian.
“Ja,” he growls. “I have something important to discuss.”
“Okay,” I answer, my arms folded over my chest. “Go ahead.”
“Not here. Come.” He reaches out for me, but I instantly take a step back.
“Whoa, slow down. I’m not flying anywhere, understand? And don’t touch me unless I say you can.”
Fenrir frowns, and damn, that look just makes it even harder to resist him. If I’m being perfectly honest than I have to admit that the minutes I spent in his arms as we flew through the sky were some of the most exciting of my entire life. Strangely enough, and I can barely admit this to myself, it was also incredibly arousing. Our bodies were one. His arms were around me, his hands resting on me, my legs wrapped around his waist, the wind blowing in my hair… If I let him fly me somewhere, I can’t promise myself I won’t jump his bones the moment we land.
And that’s not something I can live with. I promised myself I’m going to take it slow. Real slow. I don’t want another Eric in my life. Not now, and not ever.
“How will we travel then?”
“We walk,” I say. “Like humans do.”
“Where?”
“It’s your planet. Think of something.”
By now, we’ve drawn quite a crowd. Several miners are staring at us, muttering amongst themselves. Nathan, however, is giving me the thumbs up.
Fenrir’s frown turns into a smile – the first time I
’ve see the broad-shouldered warrior genuinely smile. It fits him. He bears his sharp fangs, and a shiver of excitement runs down my spine.
In the back of my mind I can’t help but wonder how it would feel if he sank those into me.
Stop it, Abby. I know it’s been months since you’ve seen any action, and the showerhead is not getting the job done either, but get it under control, okay?
“Come,” he says. “Walk.”
The Falurian warrior guides me away from the mining camp at the base of the mountain and into the sprawling woods that surround it. The trees here are all immensely tall, and so broad I can’t even wrap my arms around them. Birds chirp all around us, and it is actually quite pleasant out here. I feel foolish for staying inside the camp for a whole week while this wonderful piece of nature has only been a five minute walk away this entire time.
“How old are these woods?”
“They’re ancient,” Fenrir answers.
I have to follow his footsteps closely or risk tripping over the many branches and roots that sprawl across the forest floor.
“They’ve stood here since we started recording history, tens of thousands of years ago.”
“Wow. You don’t chop the trees, use the wood?”
Fenrir turns, his eyebrows raised. “Destroy the forest? Why would we do that?”
“Humans do it all the time,” I say. “Nature like this is impossible to find on Earth nowadays. The closest thing you can get to this is by wearing virtual-reality goggles.”
“That saddens me,” the warrior responds.
“Me too. So, what did you want to talk about?”
“Not here,” Fenrir responds.
“Where are you taking me?”
“A place I used to visit often when I was young. You’ll see.”
I have no choice but to keep following the alien warrior. We continue on for a short while in silence, the forest becoming ever denser, until Fenrir stops dead in his tracks. I’m so lost in thought I walk straight into him.
“Here it is.”
He pulls a branch to the side and a beautiful, hidden clearing appears in front of us. A small pond lies in the middle of the clearing, and a majestic dadyr, a Falurian deer, is drinking from it.
