The Alien Reindeer's Wild Ride

by Kate Rudolph

  SEX WAS THE BEST SLEEP aid out there. At least sex with Dash was. Despite all the stress of the day before, Ro was ready to spring out of bed and meet the day. Or to snuggle back up against the warm man next to her and enjoy a few more hours together.

  But it had to be option one. They were due to approach Earth soon and she had to be ready.

  The shower was at the other end of the hall and Ro was sure she looked well-fucked, with messy hair and a grin on her face as she made a break for it in rumpled clothes. But none of the crew saw her. Not that she cared. Ettie already knew that she and Dash were together, and she wasn’t sure how sex worked on the planet the other crewmembers were from, if it worked at all. A lot of aliens were surprisingly compatible with human biology, or so she’d heard, but then there were some who were repulsed by sex or thought it sounded inefficient.

  She’d take all the repulsive inefficiencies she could get with Dash.

  By the time she was clean, though her hair was still a little damp, Dash was awake and had thrown his clothes on. He had that same sated look she was sure she’d woken up with and she wanted to throw her clothes back on the floor and ride him.

  No. Later.

  Something had shifted in her the night before. At first she’d been certain they’d have to part ways once this trip was over, but now she couldn’t imagine it. They had to at least try. Things had never been this good between her and another person, and giving up Dash just because it was a little complicated seemed like the coward’s way out. And Ro was no coward.

  “Shower’s free,” she said, practically pressed against the wall to keep from throwing herself at Dash.

  He grinned as if he knew exactly what she was feeling, and when he stood he loomed. He couldn’t help it, there wasn’t enough space in the room to breathe. And she wondered if they could stay there forever. He cupped her cheek, his fingers playing with the edges of her hair. “Thanks.” He bent down and kissed her, and it was no gentle peck.

  But before Ro could get caught up in it, well, any more caught up in it, he pulled back. “I’ll see you in the galley for breakfast.” He slipped away before they could kiss anymore.

  She was smitten. Completely freaking smitten. She couldn’t stop grinning, and she wanted to follow Dash to the shower and see how much trouble they could get up to. Instead she pulled her clothes on and headed for the galley to hunt down some food.

  As promised, Jeero did something to make protein paste taste like actual food, and while Ettie gave her a knowing grin, she didn’t give Ro any shit. Good. Ro wasn’t embarrassed about having sex. She was an adult, it was something adults did, and no one had to pretend it was anything special.

  Except with Dash, it was.

  And she was going to find a way to keep it.

  A few minutes later, Dash joined them and he paused next to her, wrapped an arm around her, and kissed her in front of everyone like they’d been doing it for years.

  That made Ro blush. Her past boyfriends had been wary about showing affection in front of others, and it wasn’t like she had insisted on it. Now here was Dash, claiming her as casually as he claimed a piece of whatever Jeero had made. Maybe she should have bristled, but Ro kind of loved the easy affection.

  She kind of loved everything about Dash.

  “We’ll be docking in Orlando in three hours,” Ettie informed them. “Right near one of the oldest human launch sites, if you’re interested in a bit of tourism.”

  Right, Florida. She’d heard something about that, but she’d been so happy they were going to Earth that her mind had stopped reeling for a moment and she hadn’t planned out the next step. “We need to get a shuttle up to Minnesota. Or some sort of vehicle. There might still be enough time to drive.” She often forgot how big the Earth was. How populated. Everything on Mars was concentrated in an area the size of a small city. Terraforming was difficult and life support even more so. But Earth settlements were everywhere, all spread out with hours or days of travel between them.

  Ettie and Dash shared a strange look before Ettie and her crew got up to go see to their approach.

  “What was that about?” Ro asked.

  “I... have a way to get us there,” Dash said, uncharacteristically hesitant.

  “Great!” She wasn’t going to get caught up in his caution. “Tell me about it.”

  “When we get planetside,” he promised. “It’s better to show you.”

  Well, that was cryptic. But he hadn’t failed her yet, so Ro would give him this.

  The final three hours rushed by and before she knew it, Ro was strapped into a seat beside Dash as they blasted through the atmosphere. It took another two hours to get through customs and do all the paperwork that happened when entering a planet like Earth, and Ro just wanted to be done. She was on Earth. She was so close to her family she could taste it in the still warm Florida air. It would be cold in Minnesota, she knew that, but she didn’t care. That was what coats were for.

  She tried to call her sister, but May didn’t answer. It didn’t matter. She was going to make it, even if she had to walk.

  It took Dash a bit longer to get through customs, and when he did, he didn’t have their bags which he’d promised to take care of.

  “Don’t we need our luggage?”

  He turned so she could see the small pack on his back. “I’ve got a few changes of clothes for us, but the rest I sent on to your sister. We’re traveling light for this part of the journey.”

  “Okay, can you explain the cryptic words yet?” She’d been patient, hadn’t questioned him since he declared he had a way to get her home, but now they were on Earth and Ro was ready for some answers.

  “It’s too crowded here,” he said, “come on.”

  And so she followed him again. They were outside and it was just about dusk, the sun getting ready to sink below the horizon. The space port was a bit out of the way from anything else, and the air smelled of salt and water. Dash walked them down a sidewalk and then found a dirt path and followed it. If she trusted him just a little less she might have thought he was going to murder her. But she trusted him.

  She was almost certain this walk wouldn’t end in murder.

  But as the sky got darker, she found herself casting backward glances down the trail as it got more and more dense with foliage.

  “If this is some elaborate serial killer plot, I will find a way to make sure I’m avenged.” It was a joke. Mostly.

  Dash laughed and came to a stop. “I’d never kill you,” he promised.

  That was probably something a serial killer said right before he struck.

  “I said I can get you to Minnesota, and I can.” Dash rolled his shoulders as if he was about to start a race. “But it’s a bit unconventional. Please don’t freak out.”

  Famous last words. Ro didn’t know what to say, so she nodded and waited for him to do whatever he was about to do.

  For some reason Dash took off his clothes and then stuffed them in his pack. Ro enjoyed the view, but it only made her more curious.

  Nothing happened for a moment until the air seemed to shimmer. Ro squinted, as if that would put everything to rights. But it only got worse. For a blink, Dash disappeared completely, and then something else filled his space. A reindeer?

  No. What? No.

  Ro blinked, shaking her head all the while. Dash was a reindeer? That wasn’t possible.

  But what came out of her mouth was: “How are your antlers glowing?”

  In a flash, the naked man was back and he was beaming. He scooped her in his arms and swung her around with a whoop before setting her back down and kissing the daylights out of her. Ro clung on and sank into the kiss, even if most of her mind was still stuck on the reindeer thing.

  She should be freaking out more. And probably upset. But mostly she was just confused.

  Dash finally let her go and Ro stepped back. “You’re an alien.” She’d been sure he was human, and yet, humans didn’t shapeshift.

  “We
’re called reilendeer,” he replied with a nod. He grinned as he touched his forehead, rubbing where his antlers—antlers!—would have been. “We spread good cheer and shift into reindeer.”

  “Good cheer? Like... are you telling me that you’re one of Santa’s reindeer?” That was a kid’s story, and it grew less and less believable the farther away from Earth that humans strayed.

  He laughed. “Not quite, but maybe that’s where the myth comes from?”

  “Those reindeer can fly.” It felt a little strange to be breaking down the specifics of a child’s story, but Ro was clinging to sense by the tips of her fingers.

  “Why do you think I brought you here? I said I could get us across the country.”

  “You can fly?” She’d had a mental breakdown somewhere along the way. There was no way the man she was halfway in love with was a magical alien reindeer who said he could fly her across the country. Nope. Not a chance. “And so are the glowing horns where the red nose thing comes from? They light your way.”

  He opened his mouth and clicked it shut, taking a moment to think. “No, they’re something else. But it’s a lot to explain, and we’ve got a lot of sky to cover. So are you with me?”

  Well, she might be going crazy, but she was definitely on Earth. “Take me home, reindeer man.”

  Chapter Nine

  FLYING ON HER MAGICAL reindeer boyfriend was not comfortable. And from the way Dash shifted beneath her, she didn’t think he was enjoying it too much either. Wind whipped by, but for some reason she wasn’t cold. And she couldn’t track the ground beneath them, as if they were moving faster than should have been possible. Because, clearly, a man who could shift into a reindeer had to obey the laws of physics. Or not. The stars streaked by overhead as if they were running in the opposite direction, and Ro wished she knew where they were. And she wished she could talk to Dash. But all she could do was keep her hands buried in his fur, her legs clenched tight, and hope she didn’t fall.

  She was sure he wouldn’t let that happen.

  She wore the pack he’d carried to their take off destination and it was surprisingly light, as if he didn’t think they’d need to camp for the night. Was it really possible that they’d make it to May’s before morning?

  Dash’s glowing antlers said that anything was possible.

  Hours into their flight her hands hurt and her legs burned, and she knew Dash had to be feeling it too, though she wasn’t sure what was making him soar. It wasn’t like he had wings. Maybe there was no pain for him at all. The wind rustled in her hair as they took a dive downward, and before Ro knew it, they were on the ground. And suddenly she was freezing. There must have been some sort of magic keeping her warm when she was on top of Dash, but now the cold northern air bit at her and made her shiver.

  The air shimmered around reindeer Dash, and after a moment the human version stood in front of her, naked and cold. She shoved the bag towards him and he ripped at it, throwing on his clothes as quickly as possible. He fell back as he pulled on his boots and cursed. Ro would have helped if there was anything she could do, but Dash seemed to have a system for getting his clothing on as quickly as possible and she was concerned she’d just slow him down. Instead, she reached for the pack, since Dash had cast it aside, and said a silent thanks when she found a jacket. The material was almost thin enough to see through, but it somehow warmed her up and she wasn’t about to complain. Winter in Minnesota was cold.

  “Okay, when I offered, I didn’t realize just how far it was.” Dash was clothed and he closed the distance between them, pulling Ro close. “Are you warm enough? Sore? Need a rest?”

  She was cold, tired, and achy, but they had to be close. “We’re almost there. Right? Please say we’re almost there.”

  Dash kissed her, and for a second all her bodily complaints quieted. If she could bottle him up she’d make millions. But she wanted him just for herself. “We’re almost there,” he said when he pulled away. “It’s about two kilometers down the road, but I didn’t want your sister to spot us. We can walk it, or I can call a taxi and have it drop us off.”

  Two kilometers. Ro could walk that in her sleep, but then she realized what it would look like. Arriving on foot at dawn? With a strange man? And only a single backpack between them? Yeah, that would cause more questions. “Taxi,” Ro said.

  They made for the road and huddled next to each other, cuddling up close, for the ten minutes it took for the taxi to arrive. And the car was delightfully warm when they piled in. Ro was never leaving. “This is my home now,” she informed Dash. “And you can’t make me get out.”

  He just smiled at her and laced their slowly warming fingers together.

  Less than five minutes later, they pulled up in front of a house that was over two hundred years old. It had been in Ro’s family since before humans had managed space flight, and May had been keeping the place in great shape. No one was around so early in the morning, but a robot zipped up and down the driveway, clearing the snow from the asphalt. A light was on in a second story window, but Ro couldn’t see anyone moving around.

  She was suddenly nervous. She’d been so focused on getting home that she didn’t quite know what she was supposed to do now that she was there. Would May really let her stay for the holiday? Would Lee remember her? Was this all bound to be a failure?

  Maybe she should stay in the taxi forever.

  The light outside the front door turned on and the door opened before Ro could tell the taxi to pull away. And there in the doorway stood her sister, wearing pajamas and a fluffy robe, looking out at them with a hand held up to her forehead.

  Now or never.

  Ro got out of the taxi and Dash followed. The walked up the path to the front door where her sister waited for them, a look of shock naked on her face. “You’re here.”

  Ro nodded. “I’m here.”

  “You actually made it.” May’s cheeks were getting pinker by the minute and she had to be freezing.

  “I actually made it,” she confirmed. “Can we come in?”

  For the first time her sister seemed to notice Ro wasn’t alone. “Who’s this?”

  “Dash. He’s my...” Calling him her transportation was too simple. And did two nights together make him her boyfriend? “He’s with me,” she settled on after too long a pause.

  May seemed too cold to care. She took a step back and waved them inside. “Where are your things? And why didn’t you tell me you were coming today? You said you wouldn’t be here until Friday.”

  Ro wasn’t even sure what day it was. “There were complications. Plans changed. And our bags are being shipped.”

  “They should arrive tomorrow,” Dash added.

  “From Mars?”

  “Florida,” he corrected. “We took a circuitous route.”

  And for some reason that set Ro off and laughter burst out of her. It echoed around the room and she was sure to wake someone up, but she couldn’t hold it back. They actually made it to May’s in time! Her sister had let her in the damn house. The relief was so freeing that Ro felt like she could fly.

  Wait, no, that was Dash who actually could fly... and shapeshift.

  Oh no, if she didn’t stop laughing she was going to pass out.

  Dash put a hand on her back and rubbed, grounding her in the moment. It surely wasn’t lost on May, but Ro couldn’t bring herself to care.

  “Aunt Ro?” A child’s voice broke through her hysteria and Ro looked up, wiping her eyes. A young boy, though older than she remembered, stood by the stairs, one hand hooked on the banister. He had floppy blond hair and would come up to her shoulder if they were standing beside one another, but he was too skinny, as if he’d just hit a growth spurt and hadn’t had time to fill out yet. Still a little boy, but growing so fast.

  “Hey, Lee.” She smiled and wanted to blame her watery eyes on the laughter even as emotion assaulted her. “Come here.” She opened her arms wide.

  The boy darted across the room and she held him tigh
t. “I knew you’d come this year,” he told her, his voice a little too loud in her ear, but she didn’t care. “Mom didn’t believe me, but you said in your letter that you’d come.”

  She had. Months ago, in Lee’s birthday card, she’d promised to make it before the end of the year. And at least he hadn’t give up hope. “I’m here, buddy. Had to see you before you get taller than me.”

  He wiggled out of her embrace and looked over at Dash. “Is that your boyfriend?”

  “Lee, you need to get ready. Have you taken a shower?” May saved Ro from answering.

  The boy jumped in place. “You can come with!” His eyes widened and he nodded. “Can they, Mom? Please?”

  “Ro and Dash are tired, Lee. They need to sleep. I’m sure they’ll have time to hang out later.” Ro had no idea what Lee wanted them to do, but the fact that May was declining for them made her want to volunteer, despite the fact she was dead on her feet and Dash had to be just as tired, if not more.

  “It’s the fair’s last day. Please, Mom. Uncle Richard doesn’t like the rides, and I haven’t seen Aunt Ro in forever! Please?” He said it with the kind of desperation that only a child could manage. “And we’re not leaving until noon, anyway.”

  “We can take him,” Ro offered. “I haven’t been to a winter fair in forever.” And she’d been miserable the last time, but it would be worth it just to hang out with her nephew.

  Lee jumped up and down in excitement as May relented. “Fine. But you have to tell your Uncle Richard.”

  If she was a slightly better person, Ro would have offered, but she and Rich had never gotten along and now wasn’t the time to try and mend fences.

  Lee took off running back upstairs to inform his uncle.

  “Do you have a room for me?” Ro asked. “For us?”

  “So it is an us?” May confirmed.

  Ro shrugged. Sleep was starting to nip at her heels, and maybe she could manage an hour or two before it was time to leave with Lee.

  “Yeah,” May said. “Your old room. Try not to wake the house with sex noises.”