Chapter 10

We parted, both of us with smiles on our faces and excitement in our hearts. And I, a decent amount of nerves. Getting to my tent was a bit of a chore since I had to shove aside quite a few branches with sharp leaves. My hands fumbled with the tent zipper, finally getting it open. All the while, my anxiousness built. How does one explain to their boss that they've encountered an alien? With absolutely no plan or idea how this conversation might go down, I flicked on the switch and sent out a signal to home base requesting contact.

"Eve. Thank G...." The Commander's voice jumped through the small speakers. The air filled with static as the device struggled to establish a clear connection.

"Commander? I can barely hear you." I spoke clearly and loudly into the mouthpiece, hoping he could hear me fine.

"Are you hurt? Storm knocked out our... Communications are not stable. Keep the report simple."

Right. Well, I guessed I would have some more time to come up with explanations about my current situation, including how I was now mated to an alien.

"It's as we thought. Outer-zone one is perfect for us to settle. It has everything; water, safety, and all soil tests came back with high numbers. There's also something else I have to tell you, Commander."

I waited for the Commander to say something, anything, but the speakers just projected static.

"Outer-zone one is perfect. Repeat, outer-zone one is ideal." I had no idea if home base had received my message. If I didn't get a response by tonight, then tomorrow I would start the long walk down the mountain.

"Eve!" I jumped out of my skin at James' shout. I had absolutely no idea he was anywhere nearby, let alone standing at the entrance of my tent.

"James? Are you alright?" I scampered to my feet and rushed over to him. I had to duck through the tent's entrance flap, an awkward endeavor when James didn't step back to give me space. He was looking less than healthy that morning. His arms were covered in scratches, and the rest of his body was coated in patchy spots of mud.

I took hold of his arm, turning it this way and that as I inspected his wounds. Thankfully, they weren't deep, but they would definitely need treatment. A team of my colleagues had descended to the planet to investigate its bacteria, specifically identifying those that could pose a threat to us. However, I had not yet returned to our base camp to review their findings, nor had I received any medicinal compounds that they may have synthesized.

James shoved a brown object at me, nearly hitting me in the face with it. He thrust the object into my hands, and my eyes widened in shock. Balroth's bowl.

"What is this?" James demanded.

I looked over at him with wide eyes. I suddenly felt guilty, like a kid caught with their hand in a candy bowl. James always made me feel like I had done something wrong with the way he looked down his nose at me.

"You've just been wasting everyone's time, haven't you, Eve? Out here doing arts and crafts while the rest of us are working. You were always terrible at your job."

"That's not true! I just called home base to report this outer-zone as ideal, James. All the tests have been done. I've triple-checked them!" My fists clenched at my side. I had been working my ass off for days now. What had he done during that time?

James opened his mouth to retort, but I held up my empty hand and kept talking. I was not done yet. I was so tired of his accusations, his insults. He always acted like he was the best, but he just leeched off others.

"I've got some news for you and the team. There are people here, James! Actual real-life aliens. I met one of them."

James snorted. "Don't be ridiculous. The planet is empty. You saw the reports on the ship, just as I did. No sentient life has ever lived here."

I waved the wooden bowl in front of him, trying to make my point. "I can introduce you to him once I've spoken to the Commander."

James narrowed his eyes at me, and a chill ran up my spine. I did not like the sly look on his face, the calculating gaze. "Why wait? You are always running to the Commander. He has to coddle you just so you can actually measure up. Are you sleeping with him?"

I gasped at the accusation. "Hey! That's entirely uncalled for."

"You've got him wrapped around your little finger. Just who else have you been whoring yourself out to, huh?"

I backed away from James as he advanced towards me. Each step back I took was difficult, struggling to find purchase on the uneven debris beneath my feet.

"You slept with every male on the team, yet you refuse to sleep with me?"

I gaped at the man. "Seriously? You're not over that?" When we first left Earth, James had approached me with the proposal of being a casual partner. I had been so overwhelmed with going to space for the first time that I told him I was not interested. It did not take me long to understand James's true character, and I was grateful for having declined his advances.

James' hand snapped out and grabbed me with a painful grip. "Hey! That hurts!"

"Good." He spat the words in my face with heated breath. "I bet a whore like you can handle a bit of pain."

The guy had gone insane.

I tried to pull myself free, but his hand clenched my arm tighter, his fingers digging in deep. I cried out as it felt like he was crushing the bones in my arm.

Instinctively, I swung out at him with my other hand. The one clutching Balroth's bowl. I hit him across the side of his head with a sickening crunch. James stumbled back and landed heavily on the ground beside the tent.

"Oh, fuck." I gasped. "Sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I…"

I took a step towards him before I stopped myself. What the hell was I even saying? Why should I even help him?

James sat up, cradling his face. Blood seeped between his fingers. He glared at me. "You are going to die for that, bitch."

"Oh, fuck," I repeated. We stared at each other, locked in a moment that seemed to last for minutes. In reality, it was only an instant.

Then I ran for my life.

* * *

"Balroth!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I raced back toward the tree line from where we had emerged. He should have been somewhere nearby.

Looking over my shoulder, I cried out in fear. James had already climbed to his feet and was chasing me. He wasn't far behind. I knew from experience that he was faster than me. It wouldn't take long for him to catch up.

"Eve!" James' scream sounded blood-curdling. It was the sound you'd hear a villain make in a horror vid, right before someone died. Why were so many things in my life similar to horror vids these days?

I sobbed, my breath getting caught in my throat. Oh God, I was going to die.

I dashed underneath a tree branch, trying to keep low. Not low enough, since the sharp leaves caught on my hair and clothing. They cut through, scraping my skin raw. But I refused to stop. My one hope was that I knew this location better than James. I'd spent days exploring around the camp. Just ahead was a ditch; I nearly fell in it the first day since you didn't see it until you were basically standing right in it. If I could time it right, I could leap over it, and James should fall in. Right?

I pumped my arms and legs, willing my body to go faster. As the ground raced beneath me, I suddenly noticed the abrupt absence of solid earth as it fell away. With a startled cry, I hurled myself over the edge, my footing faltering on the loose soil.

My body slammed against the rise on the other side. The ditch was much larger than I remembered. The recent rain must have widened it. I scrambled, my fingers digging into the loose soil to find purchase. Rocks scattered around me. I slipped downwards.

Then suddenly, I was being yanked upwards. A scream ripped from my throat, right until my eyes settled on a familiar green face.

"Balroth!" Tears burst free. He pulled me into his arms, and I clung to him like my life depended upon it.

"Eve? What is it?" He asked me, his hands patting me over and desperately searching for injury.

I knew I didn't need to reply when his body stiffened. He practically picked me up and placed me behind him, shielding me with his body. His tail wrapped around me, holding me close to him. I clung to him, leaning against his tail for support.

"Him." He growled with venom. The sound vibrated his body and rumbled through the air. I shivered at the sound of it, causing Balroth to pull me closer into the protection of his body. If he growled at me like that, I'd literally piss myself. I was so grateful that he was on my side.

With a swift move that I barely saw, Balroth pulled his spear from over his shoulder. He held it ready, pointed directly at James.

"No!"

Both men froze. James's mouth gaped at me, although Balroth never took his eyes off the man.

"Don't hurt him, Balroth. Please," I pleaded. My priority had been to discuss Balroth with the Commander before anyone else, given the uneasy history between humans and aliens. Whenever humans encountered aliens, conflict usually followed. I refused to let Balroth or his people be hurt, especially because of idiots like James. "I want to ensure that there is no room for misunderstanding regarding the events of today. James, I will be reporting this, and there will be consequences."

James' eyes jumped frantically between me and Balroth. He wasn't scared of me, but the man shook in his boots whenever Balroth merely twitched a muscle.

A sly grin twisted my lips. "If you do anything stupid, trust me when I say that I'll send Balroth to deal with you."

His face blanched white. It was a stark contrast to the blood that was smudged and drying across his temple and cheek.

I placed my hand on Balroth's arm, encouraging my mate to lower his weapon. "Come on, Balroth. It's over."

As we walked away, I didn't look over my shoulder, trusting Balroth to protect me. I trusted my mate.