Chapter 4

Sabine

Ididn't know what to make of this enormous male looming over me with a bloody sword and spear, covered in spikes and glaring like I was next on his kill list. My rational mind said, Oh, yay, it's a Mitran! I've been rescued! But the part of my mind that was dealing with pure emotions and primal fear wondered if I'd simply switched my fate from death by alien creature to death by a psychotic Mitran. He did not look any more friendly than the beast that had been about to attack me. Black eyes glared. Mitran spikes had risen high from his arms and shoulders and his weapons dripped with yellow blood. None of it made for a welcoming sight. Nor did the clear blood lust in this male's eyes.

His words sank in, however slowly. I'm here to save you. I blinked up at him, taking in the massive curved horns, wide muscular chest that still heaved from the fight he'd just won.

"S-save me?"

"Yes." He shifted his weight and sighed. "That's what I just did here." He gestured impatiently toward the dead creature. "You might try saying thank you."

Oh, so he wasn't psychotic. He was an arrogant prick. I narrowed my eyes. "Thank you, merciful warrior." My voice was thick with sarcasm. My body was unsteady, but I forced myself to stand upright. "I thought I was about to die."

He grunted. "You were about to die."

"Thanks for the reminder."

He looked down at me with a sneer on his lips. It was a shame, because he would've been exceedingly handsome if he wasn't looking at me like I was a pile of dog shit on his front porch. He had a very strong bone structure. High cheekbones, firm lips and a powerful jaw. His nose was a little crooked, but otherwise prominent and nicely shaped. Dark, slashing brows sat low over those black eyes and his brakas—those fleshy, tubelike extensions that grew on Mitran heads instead of hair—flowed past his shoulders. And of course, there were those horns. They were curved and dark, with a few chips and scratches. This had not been this male's first fight.

"What were you doing outside of your vessel?" he asked, as if I'd disobeyed an order.

"I had to use the bathroom," I replied. "The one in the transport is no longer working. It looks like that thing was waiting for me."

"So your transport was drained of all power." He shook his head. "My vehicle entered this space and lost its power as well." His spikes were slowly, very slowly, settling back into the grooves on his arms and shoulders. "It appears we're stranded here for now."

My chest tightened. "You don't know the way out of here?"

"We wouldn't be stranded if I did."

I rubbed my hands over my face, accepting that a quick rescue was not happening. "Fine. Okay. This wasn't exactly my plan, either."

"If I had my way, you wouldn't even be on this planet." He looked down at the dead creature with disgust. "Now I have to move this thing so its stink doesn't draw in more predators."

The way he said it made it sound like all this was my fault. Like I had lured the beast here or something. I bit my tongue to avoid saying something I'd regret and walked towards an area of thick brush.

His hand flashed out and grabbed my arm. "Where do you think you're going?"

I tried to wrench free of his grasp, but it was like iron. I glared up at him. "I still have to pee," I said through gritted teeth. "You're welcome to watch, if you'd like."

He released me as if my skin was as disgusting as the yellow blood covering his own. "Don't go far."

"Wouldn't dream of it," I said tartly, and moved off to find a private place to relieve myself.

I emptied my bladder, but I couldn't bring myself to hurry back to my transport. I leaned back against a big tree and closed my eyes just to get a grip on things. Judging by the grunts and sounds of something big being dragged through the forest, the Mitran was hauling that creature away.

I placed a hand to my chest and felt my heartbeat. It was beginning to slow to a normal pace, but stress still pumped hard and I knew I'd experience a crash. For now, I had to take stock of the situation and proceed as best as I could. There were a few pluses. One—after a day or so of being alone out here, I now had a companion. There was a big, strong male who was clearly capable of protecting me. Two—he was Mitran. This was his home planet so he must have some idea of this planet's terrain and hopefully he'd have an idea how to get out of here.

There were also a few negatives. One being the demeanor of my new companion. He'd said flat out that he wished I wasn't here, which was curious. I'd only been on Mitra for less than a day. Maybe he was prejudiced against humans. I'd heard that not all Mitrans were fans of my species, but I had worked with patients who had biases and just straight-up bad personalities. A patient was a patient, and maybe I'd need to see this guy as one if I was going to get along with him long enough to get out of here. We hadn't met under the best circumstances, after all.

I smoothed back my hair and took a deep fortifying breath. I would work with this Mitran. We could find common ground, I knew it. I hadn't done anything to him and if he hated humans, well, I couldn't help being one and he'd have to deal with me. He was probably sent by his warlord to find me and wasn't thrilled about that, either.

I stepped out of the bushes and back into the semi-clearing made by the Mitran's fight with the creature. The only evidence left now of that was the smell from that beast, which was not pleasant, and a yellow smear on the ground.

The Mitran reemerged from the woods looking no less peeved. "What kind of rations do you have on that transport?"

"A few emergency rations, a med kit, but that's it," I replied. "And I ate some of them. There is a small synthesizer for quick meals, but that's offline, of course. It's a ship to ground transport and not meant for long distances." I cleared my throat. "I'm Dr. Sabine Mecon, by the way. What is your name?"

"Dakkan," he said shortly. "I have limited rations as well. I can hunt for food, but we will need water."

"Do we have a plan?" I wanted to know. He certainly sounded like he had one.

He looked up to the sky, which was obscured by foliage. "This afternoon, when Skrah slides to the horizon, we will see if Brinat, the large gas planet, rises and turns all to red. If it does, that means we are still on Mitra."

My belly filled with ice. "You're not sure we're on Mitra?"

He waved a hand around us. "I've never seen any of this before," he snapped. "None of these species are familiar to me. So, no. I do not know. What we went through may have been a rift, or a portal." He clenched his fists. "I should never have come here."

"I can't believe this," I muttered to myself.

He frowned, as if he were mad at himself or, more likely, me. "I entered this region many years ago and did not experience this, but there have been others who have entered and not returned."

"Ever?"

His gaze fell on mine and for the first time it wasn't filled with scorn or annoyance but the foreboding weight of dread. "Ever."

"That's not good."

"No, it is not. But something is causing this abnormality and it's about time we learn what it is and how to stop it." His gaze sharpened on mine. "What altitude were you at when you lost power and came to ground?"

"I don't know," I said. "The transport was on a slow descent. My vessel was on autopilot with a pre-programed route. I can tell you it wasn't very high because I could see features on the ground clearly."

He nodded curtly. "This is the first time a vessel flying over the Raak region has become disabled. Obviously, we can't allow this to continue."

"Will the warlord of your Thrail send others to come find us?" I asked.

He gave me an odd look, partly of amusement and partly surprised. "No. The warlord will not send anyone else."

My shoulders slumped. "Oh. You're sure?"

"Very sure, Dr. Mecom," he said. "As I am the warlord of Thrail Sakra."

The shock must have been plain on my face because he raised one dark brow. "I would welcome you to planet Mitra, if I were sure we were still on it."