Rescue Me (a BBW Alien Hero Science Fiction Romance)

by Kye Mooney

  Alarm flashed her eyes, like she'd half-expected him to understand her reasoning. But he didn't. Wasn't she accustomed to being kept safe? Nurtured? Protected? And why would she want to rebel against something like that?

  Hell, Finn's mother couldn't care less what happened to him, so long as he didn't embarrass her wherever he wound up from day to day.

  “They'll double-down. I'll be lucky to visit the powder room without a female guard. My father would flip the hell out...”

  She chuckled softly, almost angrily, he thought.

  “From afar, any ways...”

  Her gaze drifted off before she snapped back to the present.

  “Yeah, so. I'm gonna go... get my head together. Thanks again.”

  Finn felt his stupidity rising to the surface the minute the words left her mouth.

  Temptation. This was... Stars, this was not good. Shit.

  Big self to little self: don't do it.

  “I know a place you can go.”

  5

  Lily

  Lily was accustomed to people looking at her like the sun rose and set on her, but never in a way that suggested they were romantically invested. She was the president's daughter. It was a seat that gave her a certain kind of aura in the eyes of Alpha 9's common folk. She wasn't sure how to take it. She considered herself decent looking enough, but everyone knew the skinny girls in Alpha 9 were the ones the locals tended to go for.

  And Dad never let her attend his delegations with the alien diplomats who came planetside to split, incredibly boring hairs over politics and the like, so she had no experience with the alien men who seemed to prefer women with sloping curves.

  To Lily, it had been nothing more than hearsay, the sort that was fairly difficult for her to believe.

  She reached to tuck a thick lock of hair slapping her cheek in the high winds behind her ear. The hover ramps were barren this time of night, and she loved that she didn't know where he was taking her. The mystery element of it all made the stars and muted, rainbow nebulae surrounding Alpha9 more vivid, somehow. Made everything come to life in a way she was unaccustomed to.

  Sure she'd gone on all of the mandatory “family trips,” but she couldn't remember getting a whole lot out of them. Her father got the paycheck, but they were all put to work. Life as his daughter was work. Every single day.

  “Hold tighter.”

  A thrill rushed through her, even though she was sure he was telling her to hug him more tightly, so she wouldn't fall off of the hover bike. It wasn't an especially long way down to the hover ramps, but this guy seemed the type who was super careful about everything.

  At least he wasn't a complete drag about it.

  Stopping herself from resting her cheek against his back, Lily drew up a mental note not to act on the obvious attraction she was feeling toward him. She barely knew the guy, and this little detour was probably his friendly way of getting her mind off of nearly being abducted.

  Nice of him, but she shouldn't jump to any conclusions about it.

  “Shit.”

  Lily's eyes snapped up expectantly.

  Her heart plummeted a second later. The flashing lights at the end of the ramp... AlphaFront was already looking for her. They'd wasted no time forming a checkpoint.

  The green-eyed rider slowed, obviously debating his next decision. She could feel the tension cording his muscles, and when he finally veered off the ramp, taking them out into the ether with no safety net, her heart dumped pure adrenalin into her veins.

  He was quick about it, maybe even enough to evade AlphaFront's attention, but that didn't make it any less of a shock.

  He didn't say a word until he'd intercepted a lower ramp loop, one far less traveled, to Lily's relief. The quick sound of sirens overhead told them, he'd been seen. But just as Lily's hopes plummeted, he increased their speed accordingly.

  Lily nipped her lip as the wind whipped her hair wildly around her head, making brushing it away a futile effort. She didn't care. This was... friggin' great. As her initial fear ebbed

  away, her blood sang with new exhilaration. This was obviously the sort of thing she was made for. She wasn't a girl anyone should ever attempt to put in a box.

  Stealing a glance back, a whimper escaped her as the sound of sirens increased. There were AlphaFront agents overhead now.

  Lily sighed.

  Well, it was fun while it lasted. No point in delaying the inevitable.

  “You can just... let me off anywhere. Don't want you to get-”

  “What was that?”

  “I said,” she repeated, yelling it now as the whipping wind half-muddled her voice, "You can just let me off. I don't want you having trouble over this.”

  “You want to get off?”

  His question filled her belly with butterflies for some reason.

  “Well, not really, but-”

  “Hang on tight.”

  Darting out ahead onto the ramps, his speed took on a scary pace, enough that she almost began to rethink giving him the green light to try to shake her security detail. Not that she believed he'd succeed. She should probably insist he let her off. If they caught him... He'd probably be kissing his future goodbye.

  The scent of salt and sea engulfed her as the hover-bike took a sharp dip down, and she strained to hold onto him as her rider wrestled with the laws of physics to right them onto the stone ramps surrounding Shade's beach.

  A grin ticked her mouth.

  She was impressed.

  They'd be untrackable if they waited awhile in the tunnels. Nothing could read through the rock there.

  But if any agents saw him come here...

  “What if they saw-”

  “They didn't. They were too high up.”

  “If they guess?”

  “Trust me. We lost 'em.”

  Her admiration for him deepened, and Lily let herself rest her cheek against his back then as he slowed his speed over the stone ramps. Her heart warmed when he seemed to lean into it, and she smiled to herself, the air of the Holo Sea completely relaxing her.

  Making the sorts of memories she'd actually want to keep here was an exciting prospect. One that didn't include photo opps or makeup artists or slimming outfits. Just... good company with green eyes she swore she'd seen glow, and a killer smile that would surely steal her heart if she let it.

  “I'll park the bike. We can get something to eat on the boardwalk.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  6

  Finn

  Whoa.

  Talk about side-swiped. Finn found it difficult to look Lily in the eyes for long. She was a smoldering knock-out. Ink-haired, and a body that just wouldn't quit, curves that put video vixens to shame. No wonder AlphaFront made her hide all of that under knee-length dresses. He'd seen her in passing, wilting in the background of her father's commercials and behind-the-scenes footage. But she was different tonight. More alive, somehow.

  Impossible situation, though. His family couldn't take that much exposure, and he didn't have the stature her father would want of anyone interested in dating her, any ways.

  Averting his gaze, Finn realized he was staring as he watched her study the waters sending the Holo Moon's reflection onto her cheek. She was goddess-like. Waterfall-haired and night-eyed. A stunner if he'd ever seen one, and he only had one night to enjoy her.

  It wasn't fair.

  He'd half-entertained the potential awards and prospects of rescuing her officially. Essentially socking it to his mother. Roland would never top that, no matter how hard he tried. But he knew the minute she wrapped her arms around him that it wasn't what he wanted. He'd thought he known what he wanted until that moment.

  Now, he was pretty sure he'd figured it out.

  Life wasn't hell-bent on making him miserable. It had had something waiting for him all along. And she was so beautiful, he didn't care if he'd only get to experience her for one night right then. He just wanted to enjoy it. His star bound. His other half. H
e could feel her blood rising up with the same heat his own had taken on, could hear the hum of their joined vibration thrumming her blood vessels.

  “Beautiful out here.”

  “It is. Real nature is even more amazing.”

  “I wouldn't know.”

  “No?”

  “Dad thinks it's too risky...”

  “Of course.”

  He'd like to take her off of Alpha9. She'd love the wilds. They could run togeth... Pushing back against the thought, he self-corrected. They couldn't do that. She wasn't Natura. And she didn't know that he was. Even if he was graced with an opportunity to take her to the wilds, he couldn't reveal his true self.

  He couldn't ever do that.

  Fighting the pang of disappointment that threatened to heavy his heart, he forced his mind to other things. To now. The moment they were both sharing. That was all he needed to be thinking about. It could end any second if AlphaFront really did find them.

  “So what does your family do?”

  If his family weren't so careful to live double-lives he might not have had an answer to that question. Fortunately, as much as he loathed their cover, he did.

  “My brother oversees the Tournament domes. My mother manages.”

  “Ah, so he's a warrior?”

  “Yeah.”

  She smiled and everything that had ever troubled him faded from his memory in the instant.

  “What about you?”

  “I compete, as well.”

  “You're a warrior? Wow. I've never seen you.”

  “I'm still intermediate.”

  Officially, anyways.

  Natura were born warriors. They could take on the shape of any creature they wanted. The more skilled of them knew their animals, too, and could utilize the strengths they needed at any given time. A long time ago, they'd relied on that skill to survive the wilds. Until the wilds were overtaken by “civilization” and cold-hearted men who had no intentions of being bested by “sentient animals,” as they'd called his people.

  “I bet you're amazing.”

  They took a step down the ramps to the sands, and Finn stole a glance back at the parking ramps, hoping his hover-bike hadn't been identified. It wasn't registered officially, but he didn't have the credits to buy another. It was all he had right then. At least until his next three fights.

  “Can we... go closer to the water?”

  Finn tensed a bit, a protective instinct overwhelming him at the prospect of the wrong AI getting its hands on her.

  “I don't think that would-”

  “Come on. I'm always fenced off from the dangers of life. Big guy like you? You can take on any beasties that set their eyes on me.”

  Finn laughed.

  She had spunk.

  And as much as he wanted to refuse her, his ego and some other, completely amenable aspect that felt like it would bow at her feet if she asked gave him the strength he had to push past his protective tension.

  “Alright, but not too long.”

  “My hero...”

  He grinned at that, reaching in to steal a fry from her carton.

  Life as the president's daughter probably sucked; he didn't mind giving her a taste of living with the little time they had together. Even if the AIs on this side of the Holo sea were less friendly than the sorts that had found their place in captivity on the Zoo pods.

  A thrill of heat climbed his limbs when her hand brushed his, and he fought to dredge up the courage to take her hand. Sure, it was forward, but what did he have to lose? They were star bound. Every cell in his body told him that.

  And even if the prospect of moving forward into actualizing it was slightly terrifying, he knew she was feeling things, too. Star binding was never a one-way street. Under the right circumstances, it meant a lifetime mating, at the least. If she were Natura, they'd be married without a word of dissent from either of their families. Even with her father being the president.

  Nipping his lip, the back of his hand brushed hers intentionally, and when she lifted her head to meet his eyes, he slipped his fingers in hers. His body sang with the bliss of it, and

  he felt his heart open to her with anticipation. He couldn't answer it in the way it wanted to be answered. But he'd weather that. Holding her hand was good enough for him.

  That's what he told himself as they touched down to the Holo Shore.

  7

  Lily

  Heart be still.

  It was beating impossibly in response to him. He'd taken her frigging hand. He was... interested in doing more than calming her down, obviously. She'd need a minute to wrap her mind around it.

  Averting his gaze, she turned her eyes to the water, easing into the pace they took over the light sands dusting the Holo Shore. The Holo sea was beautiful this time of night, and the fact that her heart was nearly bursting out of her chest next to a complete hottie while she took it in was far more than she'd anticipated when she'd set out that night.

  A splash up ahead stole her attention completely, and the child in her burst to life with the few fond memories she possessed of her time visiting the zoo pods.

  This was different, though. She'd never seen a Tula up close. Ever. Only in pictures.

  The creature leapt the air with a showy splash of water, encouraging them to draw closer.

  Lily giggled with delight. It was the most amazing thing she'd ever seen. She'd never been allowed to get that close to the Holo Sea before.

  “You think it'll be safe to sit by the edge?”

  “Ugh...”

  “Oh, Come on. It'll be amazing.”

  Tugging him with her, her boots sunk into the sand with every hurried step, and Finn eventually relaxed a bit by her side, no longer resisting once they were up close.

  “Stars, it's beautiful,” she praised as the Tula did more tricks flipping up high and diving deep into the sea, racing its way back up to leap the air ever higher.

  What a show off.

  Lily's heart... it was practically glowing.

  She was so swept up in it, she didn't notice the second pair of eyes wading close to its edge, cloaked in the mask of dark. But Finn did, and he was quick enough on his feet to pull her back when it leapt out, its scaly, little legs holding up the mass bulk of its bio-engineered body.

  Finn's hand clasped her mouth just as she screamed, muting the sound.

  Kreagers were dangerous little shits.

  Quick and clever and mean.

  “Don't give it your fear. Step behind me, Lily.”

  Swallowing her nerves, Lily did just that, taking slow, careful steps away from the beast. The fan fare of the Tula fading off in the terror of the danger her carelessness had caused. Stealing a glance at Finn, just as she made to step behind him, her breath faltered. She'd never seen a more intent gaze. A hunter's gaze. Not on a human.

  And his eyes...

  “Holy Stars, Finn. Y-your eyes!”

  His eyes were definitely glowing. It wasn't a trick of the eye, or some fancy dreamed up in her attraction to him like she'd considered earlier. Her gut clenched with fear to see it. And the air was waving over him like it was charged with nano lights. What the hell was happening to him? She didn't understa-

  “Look away, Lily. I'm sorry. I can't control it that quick.”

  “Control what?”

  “Just... look away.”

  “From what? What's happening?!”

  8

  Finn

  Frowning, Finn bore down against the horror of the moment. To be discovered... To actually change in front of a human. It was all wrong. He didn't want this to happen ever, but if it had to happen, why now? Before she had a chance to get to know him?

  He saw fear in her eyes.

  “Please... Look away.”

  “No.”

  “Just do it, Lily.”

  She gasped. And he knew it was too late.

  “You're... changing.”

  Gritting his teeth against the strain of the shift, Finn watc
hed her observe the sinking of his nail beds, the bend of his bones under the waves of ether changing him on a cellular level. He watched her all through the change, until he was staring at her through foreign eyes. Animal eyes.

  The eyes of the bears in his blood. He felt them all, all of their spirits, gazing at her along with him.

  “Oh my...”

  Hand flying to her mouth, her words trailed off.

  “You're... one of those... You're a Natura. Shit. We have to get you out of here.”

  Cocking his head as her words rambled over him, Finn realized where they were, and the panic in his gut set the change back on course. The trusty waves of old returning to brush over every inch of him, turning his fur to cloth, firming his skin, resetting his bone.

  He was dizzy when it finally stopped, and averting his eyes, he lowered to the sand beneath them, stealing a glance at the waters. The AI had fully retreated as he knew it would. The eyes of a predator are rarely contested by secondary life forms.

  It took some time before he stole another glance at Lily, but when he did he was thankful that he didn't see horror in the depths of those beautiful, inky eyes.

  “I'm sorry you had to see that.”

  “It's... okay. A little unexpected, but stars, you're a marvel. An illegal marvel, but...”

  She locked eyes with him meaningfully.

  “A marvel nonetheless.”

  “Hmm.”

  “Really.”

  “You're not... scared of me now?”

  “No.”

  “Why? Seen a lot of Natura in your life time?”

  “Only what the science books say escaped the labs.”

  A lie. Like most political propaganda that bled into the media and education systems of the people it aimed to manipulate.

  “And... Something inside of me feels like it... I don't know. Knows you. Maybe that sounds stupid.”

  A grin ticked Finn's cheek.

  “It doesn't.”

  If nothing else, she felt it, too.