2. Lordek

TWO

As I stood alone on the bridge of my small spaceship, a pang of loneliness hit me. There was nothing unusual about that. An adventurer, I'd traveled alone for many years, my only company those I met during my travels. I was never in any port long enough to build a relationship, to find someone who might touch my heart in a way no one else ever had.

I gazed out the ship's viewscreen at the vast expanse of darkness, yearning for someone to share my life with. It was a silly wish. If I truly wanted someone in my life, I should move home. My family would be happy to introduce me to potential mates.

Maybe after this final adventure, I'd sell my ship and settle on the land I owned on my hope planet. I could become a farmer, a notion I would've scoffed at years ago. But the lure of seeing what might lie beyond the next planet had grown stale.

"Computer, set a course for the nearest uncharted planet suitable for landing and restocking supplies," I said, sitting in the sole chair on the small bridge.

"Course set," the tinny voice said, and the hum of the engines changed as I began what would be my final journey.

As I became absorbed in the intricate calculations needed to return to my home planet after restocking, I failed to notice the looming danger. It was too late when the alarms blared, signaling an imminent collision with an asteroid. How had my advance alarm systems missed it?

"Engage evasive maneuvers," I shouted, gripping the armrests. I quickly fastened the restraints, binding my shoulders and chest to my chair. "Now!"

The ship shuddered, veering off course in a desperate attempt to avoid the enormous asteroid. As we scraped past it, the ship's hull screamed and the entire frame groaned as if it was about to give way.

A bank of what looked like mist or fog appeared straight ahead.

"What?" I'd never seen anything like it before. Outer space didn't have an atmosphere that could support phenomena such as rain, fog, or mist. Was this gas? I punched the dials on the control screen in an attempt to manually change the ship's course away from it.

With a gut-wrenching lurch, the ship was sucked into the swirling oddity.

Darkness engulfed the ship. Vertigo set in as stars and galaxies blurred together, stretching and twisting as my tiny vessel was hurtled through what felt like a tight passage. A wormhole? That might explain it, though I'd never seen one like this before. Why hadn't my computer notified me that one was near? I avoided them at all cost.

My guts wrenched sideways as the craft was ejected. It spun toward an unfamiliar blue and green planet.

"Computer, stabilize," I cried out, gripping my armrests so tight, my hands spasmed.

Metal shrieked and heat drowned the ship as it broke through the outer atmosphere. The ship was coming in at the wrong angle. If I didn't correct it... I didn't want to think about that. I'd die and no one would ever know what happened to me.

Only now did I regret not seeking a mate.

"Attempting stabilization," the computer said with a calmness that evaded me.

The ship shot through clouds, approaching the planet's surface at too fast a rate, and I took in the blur of blue and green. A small city with buildings below. Then open land with masses in varying shades of green.

With a sickening crunch, my craft streaked across the sky. The ground came up too fast, and from the warnings flashing on the screen, the left wing and engine had sustained damage when it deflected off the asteroid. It was all I could do to control the craft's descent.

With a jolt, I brought the ship down on a bare stretch of green land speckled with trees of various sizes, though most new growth if my experience on my home planet was anything to go by. My vessel bumped and jarred across the open area, and my teeth snapped together. The spaceship finally came to a halt when the nose crashed into a small hill.

The impact made my bones jar together. The restraints malfunctioned, and I was flung forward, my body slamming into the control panel.

My vision blurred as the ship's engines went silent.

"Computer… report." It was all I could do to speak. My right leg ached. I grimaced as I rubbed my lower limb. My uniform had torn, and blood seeped from various wounds, but my leg lay at an odd angle. Broken, most likely.

Stay awake!

If I passed out… I didn't want to think of what might happen then. I didn't know where I was or if this world supported species who were friendly or who'd be eager to capture me. The latter was much too common through the galaxies.

"Assessment of ship damage underway," the computer said. "Location unknown."

Yeah, I knew that. "Where are we?" I barked.

"Location unknown."

I shifted, trying to get up. I needed to secure the ship. I needed a weapon.

Agony shot up my leg, and I crashed onto the floor, smacking my head against the hard tile.

My mind slipped away…

I woke to the hatch opening overhead and the stairs unfolding in a sky as inky as the blood of a blukmire back home.

"Computer," I cried out.

My mind swam, and I struggled to remain conscious. If I passed out again…

What was I going to ask? I couldn't remember. Something about securing…something. Weapons?

The damp smell of soil and vegetation filled my senses. At least I could breathe on this world.

I tried to open my eyes but they felt sealed shut. Finally, I pried them open and wrenched my body up into a sitting position. Flames licked up my leg, and blackness clouded my vision. I tipped my head back against the control panel, and when I opened my eyes next, I took in vegetation spiking around me, both short and tall. All kinds of green, so different from my home planet's blue.

"Computer." My voice barely rose above a whisper. "Secure the craft."

"Emergency procedures in effect. Hull is not secure. Repeat. Hull is not Secure."

"Can I breathe the air and survive here?"

"Air analysis complete: breathable."

At least that was good. "Status report."

The dash flared before dying down; the computer saying nothing.

Wonderful.

Something moved close to the ship, the footsteps crackling as they shuffled across the planet's surface.

Fear spiraled through me. I grappled at my waist but I never traveled with a weapon. There was always time to grab one from the cabinet in the back of the small bridge. Could I get there before who- or whatever this was reached me?

Fuck, I'd have to.

I struggled to rise, pain arching up my leg like a blade gouged down through it.

A humanoid being poked its head over the side of my craft, its long golden hair cascading over its shoulders.

Such beautiful features. The creature had high cheeks, eyes the color of the lushest trees on Sathoria, and a chin with a tiny dimple. Its lack of horns and claws made me wonder how it defended itself during battle.

Despite standing on the stairs that must've projected to aid in my evacuation, the being's head barely jutted above the side of the ship. What kind of tiny creature populated this planet?

"Kan ick halpa honom?" it asked, its words a melodic jumble I ached to understand.

My brain implant churned, snapping into action, trying to translate the language.

"Please," I whispered, thought I didn't know what I asked for. Help? The creature could be planning to eat me.

I reached toward it, and it did the same.

Our fingers made contact. As if I'd touched a live wire, a jolt roared up my arm.

Fated one?

This wasn't possible; I was imagining things.

"Whoa, an alien. You gave me a shock." Female, my implant said. She shook her head. "Calm down, Iris. It's a badly wounded alien. Green skin. Horns. But as wounded as a stray cat you might find scurrying through the ditch on the side of the road."

I suspected she wouldn't harm me, but I wasn't sure why I felt I could trust my instincts in this.

"I"m going to help you," she said. She clambered up over the side of the ship and jumped into the small bridge.

Despite my dire wounds, I gaped at what she was wearing—a bright red garment that hugged her generous curves and stopped mid-thigh.

"I'm Iris." Her gaze traveled up and down my body. "You're huge. Please tell me you're not going to kill me if I touch you."

"I will not kill you if you touch me," I rasped.

Her brow scrunched together. "At least we can communicate. I should get you out of the spaceship and… Well, I'm not sure what else. Your leg looks pretty bad." Her swallow went down hard.

I started to slide sideways. I would've smacked onto the floor again if she hadn't slipped her arm around me, holding me upright. "Hold on there, big guy. Don't do any further damage to your body."

"Lordek," I croaked.

"That's your name?"

"Yes."

"Nice to meet you, Lordek." She gaped down at my wounds and the fracture in my lower leg. "This is going to be a challenge. I should call 9-1-1. I shouldn't be rescuing an… alien." Her voice rose. "Damn, I can't believe I even said the word. Aliens really are real." A frown crinkled her smooth-skinned brow. "You're not into probing are you?"

"What kind of probing would you like me to do?"

She snorted. "You're cute in a different way, but not that cute."

Coot... It took a moment for my translator to tell me cute meant she found me attractive.

My hearts skipped a couple of beats. It shouldn't. We weren't even of the same species.

"I shouldn't move you, but..." Her eyelids pinched shut before reopening. "Let me lay this out for you. Aliens don't exist as far as we know here on this planet called Earth. I'm sure the government is aware your ship crashed in this area. They'll be after you, and I doubt they'll be kind once they find you. They might kill you. So, as crazy as it sounds, I'm going to get you out of here and hide you. We can figure out what to do with you once you've healed."

This wouldn't be the first species eager to grab someone like me for experimentation. It was all too common throughout the galaxies.

Her finger traced down my lightly scaled arm. "Did you know your blood is almost the same green as your skin?"

"Yours isn't?"

"Mine's red."

"Odd. Like your clothing. Do you dress to match your blood?"

She snorted. A laugh? I'd assume so since it was similar to the sound my species made to express humor. "No. Humans, which is what we call ourselves, wear all sorts of colors." She glanced down at the red garment. "I wore this for a costume party. I wanted to dress like a romance cover model. You know, bodice ripper." She jutted her hip to one side and placed a hand on it, tipping her head back to make her long hair swirl across her bac. I had no idea what the gesture meant. "I just need a swashbuckling dude wearing no shirt—with long hair, I should add—draping me over his arm and dipping me backward so he can press his lips against my neck." She peered around. "Any takers?" Another snort rang out. "Guess not."

I wasn't sure what she meant, but it didn't matter. I liked how she looked in the red garment. I could too easily imagine myself peeling it off her with my teeth.

"I'll get you to my house," she said. "Then I'll come back with my grandfather's tractor and take your ship to the barn. Assuming I can get it onto the big wagon parked in the back of the barn. Your ship's small, so it should fit. I'll strap it down. If I dragged it to the barn, the trail would lead them right to you."

"I appreciate your assistance, kind female. I'll assist you."

"Good, I'll need it."

She tightened her grip around my waist, and I nearly toppled, catching myself with an arm braced on the side of the ship.

"Out you go." She hefted me up onto the side of the hatch. Before I could tumble over and hit the ground, she grabbed my arm, slowing my fall. I still made impact, and pain rocketed up my leg. My vision wavered. Damn, I was going to pass out again.

"That didn't go like I planned." Joining me on the ground, her hands landed on her hips as she looked me over. "You're bleeding from a billion cuts. One of your legs is clearly broken. Fractures can be nasty. They bleed a lot inside. You need surgery. Antibiotics, I'm sure. Way more help than a bookstore owner can offer. I really should take you to a hospital."

"No healers," I growled, my mind losing touch. I was here and then I wasn't. Here. Gone…

I woke and stared at the dark sky. So many new constellations. What was that rumbling sound…?

When I roused again, the ground beneath me rattled and shook, rocking me around on a hard surface. No, I no longer lay on the ground but in an open-air transport vehicle with short wooden sides. A green craft pulled it, black smoke chugging from a pipe on the front.

Iris peered back from where she sat on the vehicle. "Awake," she called out over the churn of the craft's engine. "Good. I was worried. We'll be home soon. I covered your ship with branches. It's not much, but it should keep the government from seeing it if they fly overhead before I get it inside the barn!"

I shook as the vehicle lumbered along, agony blasting through my head. I hated that my mind swam in and out of focus, that I could do nothing to help myself, to help Iris.

The vehicle came to a halt in front of a stout wooden structure with others off to the side, the sound of the engine rattling around us, echoing against the buildings.

Silence descended, broken only by a low, rolling, whirring sound I couldn't identify, followed by deep croaks in the distance. Insects?

I felt so foreign here, so . . . vulnerable. And I didn't like it. But what I could I do? I must rely on this person to help me. This beautiful person I strangely adored already.

"We're here," she said, peering back at me with lines etching her pretty face. So unusual from my species. So beautifully different. "I'll get you inside, and then I'll have to leave you. Your ship scraped the grass in a swath across the field. I'll smooth it out as best I can with the tractor bucket, then cover it with brush. The field's overgrown, and that'll help the mar escape notice. Branches and leaves won't stand up to anyone searching on foot, but it might work well enough for anyone flying overhead." She peered up as if she expected to see some sort of craft hovering, before jumping off the vehicle, landing squarely on the dirt ground. "Maybe they'll think your ship was a falling star like I did and ignore it." Her voice lowered. "Maybe."

"Thank you." I could barely host the energy to speak. Blood trickled from my wounds, and my leg throbbed so much I could barely keep hold of my mind.

I was big. It too more effort on her part than I liked, but she eased me out of the vessel and onto a long, bright blue flimsy square of fabric. Then she lifted one end and used it to drag me inside her dwelling. I lay on the fabric, feeling incredibly helpless.

And grateful to this person for her kindness.

My mind kept shooting in all directions, making it difficult to focus. I wanted to do something to help her; I hated being so defenseless. But I couldn't make my limbs move as they should.

Inside her dwelling, she dragged me through two rooms with strange, silver devices that hummed, not stopping until I lay beside a wooden frame with four posts, covered with a blanket crafted from multicolored patches.

A small black fluffy creature watched us from a high wooden stand, blinking its golden eyes. It peeled back its lips and made a ssssss sound, but it didn't attack. The fur on its tail and spine bristled and it arched its back, making more ssssss sounds. As long as it remained where it was, I'd ignore it.

Iris lifted me from beneath the arms, a comical thing since I was so much bigger than her. My mate was strong. Resourceful.

No, she couldn't be my mate.

Yet somehow, she was.

She hauled me up onto a soft surface, falling back with me lying on top of her, her legs splaying around my body.

"Sorry," she mumbled by my ear. "You're heavy. I'm not trying to be mean when I say that. You just weigh more than me."

"I'll… help." I'd try. I could barely hold onto consciousness. It kept swimming in and out of focus.

She squirmed out from beneath me and spread my legs wide, stepping between them before grunting and shaking her head. With a sigh, she lifted one of my legs, then the other, bringing them back together. At my side, she grabbed my hips. This time, I pushed off the floor with my good leg, aiding her in getting me up onto the patchwork surface.

Once I lay on it, she stared down at me, nibbling on her lower lip, a plump pink thing so unlike my pale green lips. "I have to cut your clothing off. It's the only way I can check out your wounds and see what they need."

"Do… after."

"You mean after I hide the ship?"

"Yes…"

"But you're bleeding. Everywhere."

"Hide ship…first."

She frowned a moment before sighing. "Alright." She rushed from the room, returning with a strip of thick cloth. "I've got other stuff I'll use later, but this will immobilize your leg for now. I know you want me to leave you now, but I can't. Not with your leg like it is. It's not an open fracture as far as I can tell, but when it breaks, bone bleeds like a…" Her voice lowered. "Yeah, better not to mention stuck pigs. If I can immobilize it, it'll not only be more comfortable, it might slow the bleeding. I'm no EMT. My faulty medical knowledge comes from TV shows."

I didn't know what she meant, but I sensed no threat from her words.

While she ministered to my leg, my eyes rolled around in my head. Agony kept crashing through me, threatening to suck me into the abyss. It was all I could do to remain aware of what she did with my leg.

It hurt. So much.

"Stay with me," she whispered, her voice hoarse. Her fingers traced across my forehead with a delicate touch, and again, sparks flared across my skin.

"True mate," I mumbled.

To think I'd found her on this uncharted planet so far from my own.