by Astra Lynne
"I am aware."
Chapter 9
Amelia could feel the darkness wanting to overtake her but resisted with all that she had. She knew her life depended on keeping consciousness. All around, green light exploded in slow motion in complete and perfect silence. She tried to scream but no sound came out. Ellenaki was there with her human face, but magenta skin, waving as she floated away in a bright green burst of light. "Come back," Amelia screamed over and over again, but still no sound came out. She fought and struggled as the Hive began disappearing into a blurry darkness. From somewhere deep outside of herself, she could feel the darkness trying to take her, but an invisible rope pulled her back.
Amelia sat bolt upright in bed, drenched in sweat and gasping for air. She was confused, unsure of where she was and could feel herself whimpering trying to keep from crying. She hated herself for being so afraid and so incapable of thinking clearly. Her whole life she had been able to depend on her brain to keep her grounded and to think her way out of things, but now the rules had all changed. The back of her throat was on fire from unshed tears and though she had tried to hold them back, she just couldn't anymore. She thought this all had to be a nightmare. She wanted to wake up or get medicated or whatever it took to get back to her nice safe little life where she got to sip coffee and watch little pigeons hatch. Wave after wave of tears swept over her as she just gave herself permission to let go and cry a true cathartic cry. Maybe the cry was just what she needed to start thinking clearly again. She hadn't cried when she made the conclusion about bumble bees. She hadn't cried when she found women were not getting pregnant anymore. She had barely cried when her parents died, but this was more than she could take.
"Do not be excited." Mattaki's voice startled Amelia so much she squeaked, and immediately hated herself for it. She gulped air in surprise and immediately choked on it. She was coughing and sputtering like a madwoman, eyes watering spit flying and forming in the corners of her mouth, she must look like a dying animal. Her pride was dying a thousand deaths from embarrassment. In a flash, Mattaki was at her side. He cupped the base of her neck with one hand and spread his other hand firmly across her chest. Whether it was shock or some strange alien power, Amelia could not be sure but her choking stopped and warmth spread from the top of her head all the way to her toes. The hand on her neck was familiar. She had felt that same hand on her neck many, many times before in her dreams. On Earth, Amelia would want to investigate how this was possible to find the scientific explanation. Before, on Earth, she had thought everything could be explained by Science, but right here, right now, the slate was wiped clean and she knew nothing anymore.
If she were honest, she did feel better. His eyes were starry like Ellenaki's, but much more intense, like they were looking right through her at her deepest darkest secrets. His hands, not unlike human hands except for the magenta color and bits of glowing dark iridescent scars . . . Nacresscence Ellenaki had called it, were warm, much warmer than humans. Looking at him now, she had to admit, the big alien guy was sort of hot, and his habit of invading her personal space was oddly comforting. She admonished herself for thinking such a thing at a time like this.
Mattaki seemed satisfied she was calm and took his hand away. "You have a meal now," he said. Amelia did not know if he were asking her or telling her but she shook her head in protest. There was no way she could eat right now. Her emotions were so on edge she could not even think about eating. "Come," Mattaki commanded, extending a hand to her. Too afraid to say no again, Amelia took his hand and very ungracefully attempted to stand. The bed, if that's what you called it, was more like a nest, not completely unlike a waterbed, only filled with something more like an ooblek. Though it was comfortable, it would take practice to learn how to exit it. Just as Amelia stood, she lost her footing and nearly fell on her face. Mattaki managed to catch her just in time by squeezing her tightly against his chest. He held her a long minute, searching her face to ensure she was ok. It was then she realized it was not just his hands that were warm; he was warm all over and sent that warmth coursing through her as well. He locked her in that gaze that made her feel both exposed and comforted all at once. Anyone smarter than her at that moment would be terrified, but she was oddly peaceful.
"You are well," he whispered, and again she could not be certain if he were asking her or telling her so she merely nodded. He stood her on her own two feet and led her by her hand through the dwelling. Following him, she noticed the lack of technology and how some of the furnishings looked rustic. She wondered if this was similar to a hunting or fishing cabin back on Earth. "Do you live here," she asked.
"I am alive here, yes." He looked at her curiously at such a strange question.
"No, I mean, is this your home? Your residence?"
"No."
She waited for him to add more, but he did not. Perhaps conversation wasn't a Mari-Ursian strong suit, she thought. "Where do you live," she asked more specifically this time.
Mattaki stopped and faced her. His face was contorted in confusion. "I am alive in all places. I do not think this means the same in Earth language." Despite herself, Amelia smiled. She had to admit it was an odd way of asking the question. She thought a moment and rephrased. "Is this where you dwell? Where you reside?"
"I dwell where the Council commands. I currently dwell at the Hive," he said and continued leading her through the dwelling. At last he motions for her to take a seat at a table. Mari-Ursians were bigger than humans and Amelia felt a bit like a child in the large rounded chair. Though she could hardly be described as short on Earth, her feet still swung freely without touching the ground.
Pulling a chair close to her, Mattaki motioned for her to take a bite of food. On the ship, Amelia had learned Mari-Ursians were primarily a plant based society, with the exception of eating small amounts of meat during holidays. Though she had sampled a few Mari-Ursians dishes on the ship, she didn't exactly feel up to anything too exotic. With everything else happening around her, she wasn't sure she could take any more surprises and she was saturated with new experiences at the moment. She was struck first by the vibrant colors of everything. The smell was both spicy and sweet and made her stomach lurch in hunger. Tentatively, she took a bite of something that looked like a cross between rhubarb and broccoli. To her surprise, it was delicious, tasting like a spicy pickle. She tried the next bite and the next, motivated more by hunger than curiosity. She was going to take a bite of something that looked like a type of melon, but Mattaki stopped her. He poured a bit of sauce from a small bottle and dipped the melon in it. He moved the melon closer to her face and encouraged her to take a bite. Not wanting to be rude, Amelia took a small bite. The melon was sweet and tart, but the sauce was spicier than she was expecting and her face lit up with heat. Mattaki chuckled as she gulped down a glass of water, itself slightly sweet she noted.
"Aren't you eating," Amelia asked when she finally caught her breath.
"No," Mattaki replied simply.
"Have you heard anything about the Hive?"
"There are many casualties."
"That's it? There are casualties," Amelia pressed.
"Yes, many casualties," Mattaki corrects her.
"What is going on? Is there war? Ellenaki said there could be war over the humans . . . us. Is that what this is?" Amelia's voice was shriller than she had intended but she needed to know what was going on.
"It is possible, but it is not known," Mattaki said shaking his head.
"You aren't a big talker are you?"
"I am very large," Mattaki said with a curious look on his face. Despite herself, Amelia smiled at what could easily be interpreted as double entendre.
"I think there is a bit of a language barrier, we'll work on that," Amelia mused. "The meal is very good," she added, gesturing to the food in front of her, "Thank you."
Mattaki nodded. "You are satisfied," he asked.
"Yes, thank you." Amelia tried to suppress the blush spreading across her fa
ce.
Amelia walked around the dwelling while Mattaki washed up. "There is no technology here," she observed.
"Technology can be traced," Mattaki answered simply. "It is why I bring you here. To this dwelling."
"Yeah, about that," Amelia began. "Why did you bring me here?"
"So you could not be found. So you may be safe."
"Ok, I can see we will have to be very specific here," Amelia said more so to herself than to Mattaki.
Mattaki motioned for her to sit on the large rounded beanbag looking sofa. She regarded it for a moment before sitting down. It was the most comfortable thing she had ever felt. The sofa was like sitting on a cloud. Looking around she decided there were worse places to be. The house was warm and comfortable despite the lack of technology. The food was delicious and her either captor or savior, she hadn't decided which he was yet, seemed nice enough. Mattaki joined her on the sofa, much closer than she was accustomed. Maybe the Mari-Ursians were less about personal space than Humans, she thought. She cleared her throat and looked up into his dark eyes staring down at her.
"Is this your dwelling," Amelia asked.
"This is my family's dwelling for when we are on hunts," Mattaki offered.
"Where is your family now," Amelia asked, thinking she would just take this conversation step by step until she could get the information she wanted.
"My father is at the Hive. My brother is at the Academy. My mother and sister are at our home."
"You have a large family?"
"We are larger than humans, but my sister is young." Mattaki's face was so serious Amelia could not help but snicker at the language differences. "This is amusing," Mattaki asked.
"No, I am just nervous I guess. I tend to laugh at inopportune times when I'm nervous." Amelia took a sip of her water. "Mattaki, may I ask you something?"
"Yes," Mattaki answered simply.
"Do you know who attacked the Hive? You said it was the Scincidians."
"It appeared to be the Scincidians."
Amelia shuddered at the thought of the Scincidians. She had learned about them from Ellenaki on the ship during one of their coffee discussions. Scincidians were a reptilian humanoid species from Scincidea. They looked intimidating and scary from the photos she saw from her own research. She knew the Scincidians were the primary species that wished to mine Earth for resources and discard humanity altogether.
"You know of the Scincidians," Mattaki asked.
"Ellenaki, she was a Mari-Ursian I knew from Earth, told me about them."
"I do not know if they acted alone. I feel they are aided by Mari-Ursians as well," Mattaki's Nacresscence glowed at the thought of betrayal from his own people.
"Ellenaki told me there were those who didn't agree with the Reaping,"
"I do not understand this, we must aid humans if we have the ability," Mattaki said in earnest. Amelia believed he was sincere and it made her feel more comfortable than before.
"What did you do at the Hive," Amelia asked. Mattaki regarded her curiously. "Let me rephrase. What was your occupation at the Hive?"
"I am a Warrior," Mattaki answered with pride, understanding her questions much better now. "I am assigned to the Hive to protect Humans."
"Is that why you brought me here?"
"I brought you here to ensure your safety." Mattaki was getting confused again. He had already told her this and she was asking again. He was sure she was asking for different information, but without his communicator, the language difference was difficult.
"OK, let me try again. Why did you bring me, instead of a different human here?"
"I am not as concerned with other humans as I am concerned with you." Mattaki whispered. Her eyes widened at his words. He had only seen her face in profile in his vision and his dreams, but looking at her now, she was even more beautiful. Her face was rounder and softer than Mari-Ursian females. She had large green eyes the color of the jungles of Kish, and skin as white as the stars. He reached out and stroked her fire red hair from her face with the backs of his fingers. Her skin was smooth and cool, softer than anything he had ever felt and he wondered if she was that soft everywhere. Instantly, he could feel her skin warm and turn a pale pink color. His Nacresscence glowed bright in response at the newness of her.
Amelia could not break his intense gaze, his starry eyes drawing her in as easily and completely as they had in her dreams. His touch was softer than he massive physical presence would betray. He was easily over 7 feet tall and built like a wall of muscle. Despite the myriad of questions and concerns fighting in her brain, she still felt protected and safe with him. His touch, like his eyes, was familiar. It was the same as her dreams and considering the pleasure those dreams had brought her, she wasn't sure she wanted to break his touch now. His hand slipped into her hair and stroked down the base of skull and tickled the back of her neck. She sucked in her breath at the shock of how her body leapt to life beneath his touch. She broke his gaze at last and swallowed hard. "But, um, why were you more concerned with me…than another human?"
"You are my only mate." Mattaki said simply. "You are my fated one."
Chapter 10
Mattaki was amazed at how loud the human female could be. She paced around the room like a caged Lygra, flailing her arms around and using words he had not learned in his linguistics training. He marveled at the way her skin flushed a deeper pink when she repeated the word "Mate". Mari-Ursian women did not do this. He wondered if all humans changed colors when they behaved such a way, or only human females. He found it oddly attractive and wondered what else made her turn this color. She seemed angry, but Mattaki was not sure why.
"Human women get to choose their mates," she screamed, stopping long enough to look him in the eye before going back to her pacing and shouting. "Is this why you kidnapped me from the platform," she screamed throwing her hands in the air. He did not know this word 'kidnapped', but he liked when she threw her hands and arms around, it made her breasts bounce and her chest heave as if she were lacking breath. This was another difference between her and Mari-Ursian women. Mari-Ursian women tended to have smaller breasts unless they were nursing children. Human women, from the few he had seen at the Hive, had much larger breasts and curvier hips. He liked that. He followed the curves of her breast, down to her waist, and back around her hips as if he were tracing them with his eyes.
"Are you even listening to me," Amelia screamed. Mattaki snatched his gaze back to Amelia's face in surprise.
"No," he admitted simply, shaking his head.
"Oh my God!" Amelia paced silently for a moment before launching into a new tirade.
He wanted to tell her to calm down, but the last time he tried, she only yelled louder. To his amazement, her skin flushed an even deeper pink and her arms flailed even faster. He stopped listening to her words and imagined pinning those arms behind her back and making her chest heave for an entirely different reason. She was now a self feeding fire and needed to calm down for her own well being and to preserve his patience and ever lessening self control. Mattaki closed the distance between them in two strides. Immediately, Amelia yelped and threw her arms up for protection and in her agitated state struck Mattaki in the center of his chest. As if realizing it was not the best idea, she turned and darted away, but she was not as fast as the warrior's reflexes. He grasped her wrist and spun her around to face him. She began crying bitterly, afraid of what was next, and bucked against him. He knew there was no way she could escape but he worried she would hurt herself. She pounded her small fists against his chest, doing anything she could to break free. Mattaki grabbed her wrists and bent them as gently as he could behind her back and pulled her into him. He liked having her under his control and could feel his body responding in kind.
Amelia continued to struggle for freedom but felt his warmth spreading through her again. She could hear his heart beating, slow, rhythmic and soothing. She felt the rise and fall of his breath, and despite herself, she soon mimicked with her
own. To her astonishment, she felt better, calmer. Gone was her initial shock of what Mattaki had told her. She didn't know what it meant to be a 'fated one', but she understood well enough he thought she was his mate. She stood there for a moment, enjoying the warmth and comfort she hadn't realized she missed. It had been a crazy few weeks by anyone's standards. It was then she realized his warmth was not something she felt on her skin, but something he was projecting into her, emanating from somewhere inside of him and passing into her. Somehow, his warmth entered her through her pores and grew throughout her body from the inside. The woman and the Scientist in her were both equally intrigued. Was it something he controlled? Or was there something to this mate business after all? Amelia admonished herself for thinking such ridiculous things and pushed away. This time Mattaki released his embrace, confident she was now calmer.
Righting herself, she wiped at the wetness on her cheeks, tugged the hem of her tunic and took a few deep breaths
"Listen to my words." Mattaki's voice was as soft yet commanding. Amelia missed being close to him despite how ridiculous it was. She turned towards him and looked into his eyes. She was comforted by the care with which he regarded her. He reached for her hand but instinctively she jerked away. Thinking better of it, and taking a huge leap of faith, she offered her hand and let him envelope it in his own.
Mattaki stroked his thumb across her wrist. He could feel her pulse quicken slowly against his hand. Her skin was the softest thing he had ever felt and her scent filled his lungs clouding all of his other thoughts. Though he had heard stories of the attraction between fated mates, he had not anticipated the pull towards her to be this unbelievably strong. He had thought of nothing else but her since his vision, and now she was there and every second he did not spend claiming her was torture. With his other hand, he stroked her hair and clasped the back of her neck gently. "You are very exhausted. You should go to your bed and sleep," he whispered. "When the morning comes, we will. . ." Mattaki struggled to find the right word. "Do more talking," he finally added.
