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“I have no idea. Perhaps it’s just his nature to be kind like this. Are there any casualties?”
“Surprisingly not. The big guy is out cold.” He points at Lizardman. “The spider venom knocked him out cold, but Lyri said it’s not designed to kill, so he should be fine. There are some broken bones, minor cuts and bruises, but all in all, they did really well defending themselves. Your mate is quite the fighter.”
I pull Astra closer to my chest. I know Omni is just being polite, but I don’t like him admiring my Myále any more than I like her admiring him. “She is. She’s also mine, so shoo.”
Omni snorts. “You’re an idiot, Tareq. The others will be here soon.”
“Good.” I plan on taking Astra back to the ship to have her checked over for injuries. If she’s alright, I’ll bury my face between her thighs for hours. She can rest while I lick her pussy.
Chapter 26
Astra
I’m roused from my sleep by a distant hum of engines. Opening my eyes feels like a chore but I’m curious, so I squint around before settling back against Tareq’s chest. He’s so warm I want him to keep holding me forever.
The ATVs look more like tiny planes than cars. They hover over the rocks kind of like a hovercraft. Despite the terrain being anything but flat, the three vehicles approach smoothly, parking near the escape pod.
The former captives are startled and only Nikolai’s calm voice keeps them from running away. That and the fact that there’s not really anywhere to run to. Nikolai himself is probably scared too, but he’s hiding it well. I should go and help him, but it feels like all the energy has been drained from me. Plus, Tareq doesn’t seem willing to let me go.
More aliens jump out of the ATVs. A big red guy with a hammer slung over his shoulder. A hammer, of all things. Not a rifle or some kind of futuristic weapon, but a hammer. He’s grinning, bouncing up and down with excitement as he looks over all of the aliens gathered around the escape pod. I get the feeling he’s the guy who asked me about the fur.
There’s a beautiful woman who I assume is Lyriana. She has tiny horns poking through her dark hair and three boobs. Other than that, she’s pretty human-like, just like she’d said.
A tall, slender man with insect-like antennae on his head pulls out a handheld scanner and waves it over each of the former captives. His antennae move and glow as he works. Nikolai follows him closely, his attention on the device rather than on the alien’s strange appearance.
A big hulk of a male covered in gray scales approaches Tareq. He smiles over the plethora of dead spiders around us and shakes his head. “Subtle, Tareq, very subtle. I thought we were just coming here to retrieve the primitives, not massacre the locals.”
His words are stern, but I can sense a teasing tone to them. He’s just pulling Tareq’s leg. Hopefully.
Tareq grins. “Well, Captain, since we’re already breaking the Non-Interference Directive, I thought, why not do it with style? Besides, I wasn’t the one to start killing people. It was her!”
I gasp in outrage when he points at me. “They attacked us! We were fighting for our lives, you jerk. Your fucking directives can bite my ass,” I snap at him, then hesitate.
What I said was true, we were just defending ourselves. But we did kill a lot of these beasts. Am I a criminal now?
Tareq chuckles, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “I know, Myále. I was just teasing you. I’m proud of how you handled things.”
“Tareq is right,” the big scaly guy says. His voice is like rolling gravel, but not completely unpleasant. “You did well, Miss Astra. You can rest now. We’ll take care of your companions.”
“Take care of them?” To my tired mind, it sounds a little ominous.
The captain smiles. “In a good way, don’t worry. We’ll tend to their injuries and take them to a UGC embassy so that they can be returned home.” He blinks and I notice that his eyes have vertical slits and a third, transparent eyelid. It’s a little unsettling, but since his general demeanor is polite, I decide to toss my ingrained xenophobia aside and give him a chance. After all, I was afraid of Tareq at first, and now I’m snuggling with him like my life depends on it.
“Is it safe?” I ask. “I mean, the UGC guys will wipe their memories, right?” That can’t be good for the brain.
“Yes, the procedure is safe. I’m afraid it is necessary for all those that wish to return to their original homes. The UGC has experience with repatriating stolen individuals. You do not have to worry.” He pauses, glancing at Tareq, then back at me. “I assume you do not want to return home?”
“I don’t.” I look up at Tareq, suddenly insecure. “If I can still stay?”
His smile is tender as he brushes a lock of hair away from my face. “Of course. I would very much wish for you to stay with me. Please,” he adds, the word little more than a breathless whisper.
“I’d love to,” I answer earnestly. “I just don’t want to be a problem.” I know nothing about the galaxy. I don’t have any applicable skills to support myself. Perhaps I could be a waitress again? Provided that robots haven’t taken over that job completely.
“You’ll never be a problem, Astra. We’ll figure everything out later. My…our situation has changed too,” he says, exchanging serious looks with the captain. “But I’ll always take care of you, I promise. First, let’s get you checked out to make sure you aren’t injured. D’Aakh!”
The alien with the head antennae approaches, scowling. “What?! I’m busy.”
“Well, be busy checking my mate over, please.”
