3. Terra

THREE

TERRA

Vega cursed every step of the way for the first mile or so. If she had slightly less discipline, she might have made a run for it. But we had six women hiding in a hidden cave not far from the crash site.

We might have been captured, but they were still free. I wasn't sure that would actually be any help. Most of them were civilians, and they'd rip through supplies fast.

Figuring out what this planet was, who these aliens were, had to be the top priority.

Was there even the slightest chance of sending out a distress signal? How far were we from Earth? I had so many questions and no hope for answers. Not now .

The aliens marched us through the hot sand to a barely seen cave entrance and led us down beneath the surface, past twisting tunnels and rushing rivers that carved their way through walls of volcanic rock.

I breathed in thankful gulps of the underground air. It wasn't cool, not really, but the moisture and the shade made it feel like paradise.

The scale of it was overwhelming at first—colossal stone archways leading to cavernous halls that thrummed with life. The sharp, rhythmic clang of weapons echoed in the background, accompanied by commanding voices in the alien tongue. Even beneath their guarded stares, I found myself wanting to look at it all, to memorize every detail.

For survival, I told myself. But part of me couldn’t help but feel a connection to the raw power of this place.

And now, we were there. Trapped. Hard, uneven stone underfoot, cool despite the heat of the planet. A single, heavy metal door secured us within. No windows. No clear way out. Alone with my team and too many unanswered questions.

Hawk paced a short distance near the far wall, keeping her eyes sharp on the door. Kira was crouched next to her pack, which she’d tucked behind what little cover the room provided, her fingers deft as she rummaged through it. Vega sat with her back to a wall, legs folded under her, her expression sharp and calculating.

She was studying everything, cataloging it like she always did. And me? I stood quietly near the door, rubbing at the faint ache on my arm where that alien had grabbed me. No bruising. No break in the skin. Yet I could still feel the heat of his claws there, like a brand.

Or maybe it was his presence that left that mark.

I was ashamed of how vivid the memory was. His golden eyes had burned through me with an intensity I couldn’t shake. That deep voice, unfamiliar but alive with meaning, haunted me. And worst of all was the word he said—or more accurately, the way it felt.

That single syllable reverberated in my chest long after he’d pulled away.

Luvae.

I clenched my fists against the thought, forcing my feet to brace wide as if that would steady me entirely. My tongue connected briefly with the roof of my mouth, and I immediately regretted the action when that now-familiar tingling sensation kicked in again, traveling the length of my jaw like a warning. Or a threat.

God, I hated this.

Hawk’s voice broke through the tense silence, sharp and practical, “What’s the plan, Captain?”

She always said “Captain” like that, as if I needed the reminder. Like she knew my mind was racing, that I needed the weight of authority to stop me from spiraling into personal doubts. And damn if she wasn’t right. Again.

There was no need to remind her that we'd left our ranks behind back on Earth before climbing onto the generation ship. We'd all signed on to be security forces at the new colony when we woke up.

This place? Definitely not part of the plan.

I inhaled deeply, forcing myself to meet her gaze. “We need to take stock,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “Assess resources. What do we have? What do we know?”

“Kira?” Vega prompted.

“Still got my pack,” Kira confirmed, her voice low but colored with quiet triumph as she pulled out something small and black. “They didn’t stop me from bringing it. Either they underestimated us, or they don’t fully understand human tech. ”

There were aliens back on Earth, but none like this. The travelers who had made it to us had never hinted at a place like this. These aliens, these monsters reminded me of dragons in a way I couldn't quite explain, and I was worried we were about to become their hoard.

Or dinner.

“What's that?” Vega moved closer as Kira turned the device over in her hands, inspecting it.

“Basic translators,” Kira said, offering a faint smile. “They’re not perfect—more like a rough filter of language patterns—but they should let us listen in. With some quick tweaks, I might even get them working both ways, but it might take some time.”

Vega was immediately wary. "We don't want them to know we can understand them. That gives away our only advantage. Better to keep it one-sided, use it to gather intel.”

Kira frowned but didn’t argue, her focus dropping back to the device in her hands. She knew Vega rarely argued unless she was absolutely certain she was right. She handed out the thin slips of metal and showed us how to attach them to the skin behind our ears where they'd be hidden by hair. Even if the aliens caught sight of them, they sort of looked like scars. They wouldn't know we could understand them.

"They're powered by bioelectricity," said Kira. "No need for a power source."

When the translator powered on, I heard a faint buzzing in my ear, and my head ached for a second before the pain faded.

“We need to figure out what they want from us,” Vega said, leaning back against the wall again. “And then if escape becomes viable, we act.”

“Escape?” Hawk crossed her arms. “In case you didn’t notice, this place is built like an actual fortress. And even if we made it to the surface, this whole damn planet’s trying to kill us.”

“So?” Vega shot back sharply. Her gray eyes narrowed in the eerie glow, steel and fire beneath her calm, collected surface. “We've got people out there who have no idea what happened to us. Do you want to just leave them?”

“No,” Hawk's tone was grim, “I’m suggesting we don’t act out of desperation. Until we know what we’re dealing with, laying low is the safer play.”

“Enough,” I said, raising my voice just enough to halt the back-and-forth. “Both of you are right.” My gaze flicked between them, making sure they were listening. “We keep track of what options are on the table. If an opportunity presents itself, we take it. But until then, we stay alive by keeping our heads down, assessing the situation, and not drawing unnecessary attention.”

Hawk’s shoulders eased slightly, and Vega gave a begrudging nod. It wasn’t perfect, but it would hold. For now.

Kira’s voice, softer but no less certain, drew my attention next. “For what it’s worth, I don't think they're going to kill us,” she said. “If they wanted us dead, they had plenty of chances already.”

None of us disagreed, though the unspoken doubt hung heavy in the air. Wanting something from us didn’t mean we were safe. It just meant we weren’t expendable. Yet.

The door groaned suddenly, massive and heavy as it swung inward. The sound reverberated through the room. My heart climbed straight to my throat, my senses sharpening as I braced for whatever entered next.

Him.

The heat I’d struggled to push down earlier rose again, coiling deep within me. His frame filled the entryway, larger-than-life and impossibly commanding.

Obsidian-black scales gleamed faintly in the light, touched with crimson undertones that practically glowed. His wings took up the space around him like he owned it, folding close enough to brush the edges of his imposing shoulders. Behind him, three others followed in silence—two of them vaguely familiar from the crash site, though I barely spared them a glance.

No, my focus was locked entirely on him.

He stepped forward, steady and purposeful, and though the chamber wasn’t small by any means, it immediately felt too tight. Like he was sucking all the air from the room with his presence alone.

My pulse quickened, my body tense and alert for reasons I couldn’t fully explain. It was beyond just survival instincts now. This was something else.

His golden eyes found mine without hesitation. No scanning the room, no split-second hesitation. Just … me. Always me.

I hated the way that softened edge of his gaze hit me, vibrating down to my bones. I clenched my fists at my sides and forced myself not to step back—to hold my ground despite the almost suffocating pull of whatever unnatural gravity seemed to bind him and me closer.

One word fell from his mouth, low and resonant.

“Come. ”

Even without the translator, the tone carried a layered command I felt as much as heard. There was no mistaking who he meant—even without the sharp, obvious shift of his golden stare boring into mine.

The others bristled immediately, their instincts screaming at them to protect me. Hawk rose to her feet fully, her jaw tight and her body stiff as a board. Vega stiffened, but wisely said nothing, though her dangerously calculating eyes flicked quickly toward me for a barely noticeable second. Kira tensed, balancing protectiveness with obscuring the translator still in her hands.

“You can’t expect us to let her?—”

I cut Hawk off with a sharp motion, tilting my head just slightly in warning. She quieted but didn’t move, and I adjusted my focus back to the towering figure in the room. He hadn’t spoken again yet, nor moved much closer, but the weight of his expectant presence left room for little else.

I didn’t have the luxury to argue—not with them, not with him . It wasn’t about surrender. It was about survival. Every choice I made had to balance the survival of the team against the unknown variables of what came next.

So I lifted my chin, squared my shoulders, and forced every ounce of confidence into my voice when I spoke.

“Fine,” I said, keeping it clipped, sharp, and neutral. “Just me.” He couldn't understand me, I knew, but I pointed at my chest and hoped he got the idea.

He tilted his head slightly, those brilliant golden eyes narrowing just a fraction—and for a moment, I felt the weight of his scrutiny like a burning ember pressed against raw nerve endings. Then he simply inclined his head, an almost unnervingly deliberate acknowledgment.

“Captain, you don’t have to—” Hawk started again, stepping forward.

“I do,” I cut her off again, softer this time. I didn’t look at her—not because I didn’t care, but because meeting her eyes would only crack the carefully constructed weight of authority I was clinging to right now. “Stay with the others. Watch. Listen. And wait .”

The last word was for all of them, though it hung heavier on Hawk’s shoulders than mine. Her jaw tightened visibly, but she nodded ever so slightly. I knew her well enough to sense the storm she was holding back.

Drawing one deep, steadying breath, I stepped toward the massive alien looming near the chamber’s entrance. My legs were steady, though every instinct screamed at me to stop, to fight.

But I couldn’t. Not yet.

His gaze burned over me, intense and searing as molten fire, as he turned and led me wordlessly out into the dim glow of the underground city.