Alien Claw, page 4
“My ship is in there,” Thaleria said, jerking her pointed human chin between the boulders. I looked from her to the place she gestured towards, still in disbelief that something could be there yet be so unseen.
“You will be able to see the inside,” Grim told me as if sensing my disbelief.
I moved to two legs and took my spear from my snout, clasping it in my fist and watching closely as Thaleria moved towards... Nothing.
But a moment later, that nothingness opened up. Like a seashell being cracked, the air seemed to solidify and split, creating an opening that Thaleria stepped into. Grim dropped his spear on the sand and followed her on all fours, barely able to squeeze into that opening that hung like a dark stone in the sunlit air.
Cautiously, I moved toward the opening, unwilling to relinquish my hold on my own spear just yet. I leaned into the opening, gaze narrowed, taking everything in.
Thaleria’s ship was a tubular structure. Thaleria and Grim had moved towards the far left end, where the ship allowed us to see out onto the desert via some kind of transparent stone shelf. Grim could barely manoeuvre himself in the structure, and more than once his clumsy tail knocked aside and damaged the foreign objects that lined the shelves and surfaces of this strange place. Because of the lack of space in there, I opted to remain at the entrance, the majority of my body outside the structure. I kept my spear in one fist, and I rested my other hand on the outer wall of the ship to the left of the opening. I was both alarmed and fascinated to rest my hand upon a surface completely solid that I could not see.
I leaned inward, my head, neck, and the tops of my shoulders entering into the ship. Sunlight entered through the sheer stone wall at one end, and the rest of the space was lit with light similar to the ones the humans had placed at various points in the settlement and cliffs. My jaw clenched as I remembered the way that odd whitish light had licked down Taylor’s face and neck. The way it had turned every drop of dew upon her skin into a gem, a pearl...
Thaleria said something like “dah mitt,” and I looked towards them once more. Thaleria was seated, and Grim crouched behind her, peering over her shoulders as she stared at a glowing square.
“Still nothing,” she muttered.
“What do you mean, nothing? What did you come here to retrieve today?” I asked, leaning further forward and feeling the sides of my broad shoulders scrape against the edges of the entrance into the ship.
“My superiors asked me to get a hostage. Chapman and I agreed we needed more information on that directive, so I’ve asked for clarification. I asked them what they planned to do with the hostage once acquired. But it’s been radio silence since then.”
“‘Radio silence’ means no one has responded,” Grim added, twisting awkwardly to look at me from his cramped position.
“I figured that much out myself, Grim,” I replied flatly.
“It could just be some kind of comms error. Every once in a while the messages from up top get delayed longer than usual. But still...”
“You are worried,” I said, noticing the tense set of Thaleria’s shoulders and back. “Why?”
Now Thaleria was the one twisting to look at me.
“Because it could mean that they know I’ve been compromised somehow. They could be getting suspicious of me and my questions. Or it means that what they want to do with a hostage is so heinous that they don’t want me to know what it is.”
I said nothing else, ruminating on her words as she and Grim turned back to the glowing squares and rectangles.
“How is the sand storm today?” Grim asked.
“Shifted a little. It would still be in our way, though. We’ll need to see it move further out. Maybe a few more days until then.”
“Sand storm?” I asked. I hadn’t felt or heard a lick of wind. I was used to ocean tempests. Lashing rain and vengeful claws of light that burned the sky. But a sandstorm... I had yet to experience such a thing.
Frankly, it sounded awful.
“Yeah. Past the Death Plains there’s been this big storm swirling on the scanners and blocking out a lot of the data. But now that it’s moved slightly, we’ve found something. As soon as the storm moves further out, a small group will go investigate it.”
“What did you find?” I asked, leaning so far into the ship that my shoulders became firmly wedged. I managed to free them with only with a sharp jerk of my torso.
“We can’t be certain based on what we’ve seen but we think...” Thaleria planted the small but forceful pad of a finger on the glowing square. “We think it’s a sixth tribe of the Sea Sands. And we’re going to go find them.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Taylor
By the time evening came, I’d grown tired of my own cowardice. I didn’t want to stay hidden in the tent any longer. Well, that, plus the fact that I’d gotten sick of munching on the dried meat and valok gel we kept in the human tent as snacks. Remembering Camille’s mentions of new recipes made my stomach growl fiercely.
“I’m going to grab some nosh. You coming?” I asked Priya.
“No, just gonna finish this part,” she replied, hunched over her latest work. She’d been using the geographical data in files of the ship, plus her own observations on small excursions with bodyguards, to craft beautifully rendered and perfectly accurate maps of the surrounding areas. And when she got going, she really worked – she barely ate or looked up while she was in the midst of things.
I nodded without saying any more, not wanting to disturb her work too much.
I got to my feet, stretching, feeling several spots in my spine crack. I may have only been 24 years old, but staying sedentary and hunched over all day had a way of making a lass feel older than her years.
It will be good to walk around a bit. Get some fresh air...
I gulped, wondering what awaited me out there. Now that Tok had told me I was supposed to be his mate, what did that mean going forward? Was he going to be waiting for me right outside the tent, expecting me to... Do what, exactly?
Only one way to find out.
My stomach fluttered, electric heat churning through my body. I took a deep breath, tossing my long curls back and straightening my shoulders before wrenching the tent flap aside in a forceful movement.
Well, that’s a wee bit anticlimactic.
I’d prepared myself to have Tok’s giant form right in front of me. But he wasn’t there. I blinked a couple of times, almost as if waiting for him to appear.
But he didn’t.
Why the fuck do I feel disappointed by that?
No, I’m not disappointed that he’s not here. It’s just not what I was expecting, that’s all...
Whatever it was, something gnawed at me in an unkind way as I walked towards the evening fire at the centre of the settlement.
I pushed down the awkward clash of emotions inside me, deciding that the gnawing feeling was simply hunger. The scent of roasted meat made my mouth water, and I hurried my steps. The smoky scent was different tonight, with a slightly sharp, sweet tang in the air.
It was fairly early in the evening, and dusk was just brushing the air with shadows. Many of the male warriors were still out doing whatever their daily duties were, so there were only a few Sea Sand men seated at the fire. Sea Sand women and children were busy butchering freshly-hunted dakrival, assisted by Theresa. I smiled at the Southern bell’s fortitude. For a pregnant lass, she sure didn’t seem very squeamish.
Speaking of pregnant squeamish ladies...
I didn’t see Cece at the fire, nor did I see her mate, the massive Gahn Buroudei. She’d been pretty wiped out by her pregnancy and spent a lot of time resting in their tent these days.
I scanned the rest of the group at the fire, spotting Camille and Jocelyn. I hurried over to them, plopping myself down beside Camille.
“Och, smells nice,” I said with a grin. I sniffed the air with outlandish enthusiasm, like some kind of cartoon dog.
“Try this,” Camille said, shoving a small bone plate heaped with smoked meat towards me. I took it, having another sniff before digging in.
“That’s fantastic,” I moaned between mouthfuls of the stuff. The meat was roasted to perfection, and whatever seasoning Camille had applied had imparted a perfect burnt sweetness. For a moment, I was transported home, to my Uncle’s pub, chowing down on one of his famous Sunday roast dinners.
“Now try this,” Camille urged, handing me something else.
I took it, staring down at it in confusion.
“What is it?” I asked.
“It’s candied valok,” Camille replied. “Jocelyn found a plant nearby that has some similarities to soybeans and I’ve incorporated them into the coating.”
“Hey, don’t give me all the credit!” Jocelyn replied with a laugh, her high cheekbones bunching prettily in the firelight. “You’re the one who’s turned them into something remotely edible!”
“Alors, they’re not quite as versatile as soybeans. But I’ve been fermenting them, hoping to create something like soy sauce. I think I’ve gotten pretty close. As close as possible, anyway,” Camille replied.
“Down the hatch,” I muttered before tossing the sticky, stiff slice of valok into my mouth. Camille watched me with a carefully composed expression as I worked on the chewy substance. Even though it was a bit hard to chew, it was astoundingly good.
“What’s that word for when something has the best savoury flavours?” I asked, my mouth still full of the oddly tantalizing snack.
“Bloody brilliant?” Jocelyn asked with a wink. “I swear, I’m addicted to this stuff now.”
I swallowed, then shook my head.
“No. I mean yes, but no. Unagi?”
Camille laughed. “Unagi is eel,” she corrected me, still laughing. “Do you mean umami?”
I snapped my fingers and then pointed at her, grinning.
“That’s the one!”
She smiled softly, murmuring, “Merci,” as she passed me another piece. I popped it into my mouth, admiring the umami-ness of it. The slightly bitter green-tea flavour of the valok had been sweetened by Camille’s cooking method, and the fermented coating added a perfectly subtle, almost chestnut-like, saltiness.
As Camille and Jocelyn talked about more ways to make use of the beans they’d found, I started to tune them out. Not that I didn’t want to be a part of their conversation, but cooking was not at all my forté – that had been my uncle’s domain. And even though he’d run a pub when he’d been alive, he really only had a couple of dishes he could make with consistent quality. Beef, potatoes, and the annual Rabbie Burns-night haggis made up the majority of what I’d grown up eating, so there wasn’t much I could add to the alien soybeans subject.
Since I wasn’t talking to my friends, my mind was free to wander. And so were my eyes – wandering all over the damn settlement, looking for one very specific, very large alien warrior.
But I still didn’t see him.
The Bitter Sea lads didn’t seem to like the smoke from the fire, and they didn’t eat their meat cooked. So though I could see a few of them milling about the settlement, none of them came near. And none of them were Tok.
And for some daft reason, that was starting my grind my human gears. Was he playing hard to get or something? Was he the type to just drop the “you’re my mate” bomb on me and then disappear to try to pique my interest?
Or was he already ghosting me?
I stiffened, popping another salty-sweet valok candy into my mouth and chewing furiously. Even though I’d been more or less hiding from Tok all day, the idea that he might now be avoiding me sent chaotic anger through my chest. I breathed deeply, trying to get a hold of it. Before she’d died, my mum had always told me I should have been born with her red hair to match my temper. I’d inherited her curls, but not their fiery colour.
Well, fine. He can do whatever he wants.
“Thanks for the food,” I said to Camille and Jocelyn before abruptly standing. I walked away from the fire with my arms crossed, stomping into the tent and grabbing some fresh clothes.
All I wanted to do right now was go have a bath alone. And I was not going to let either Tok’s presence or absence make any more of my decisions.
I was not going to let this man get under my skin.
And I was absolutely not going to acknowledge the way said skin was now prickling with goose pimples at the thought of Tok showing up at the hot springs again tonight.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Tok
“Why do you look like you just lost your favourite spear?”
“I don’t look like that,” I grumbled at Grim. “Besides, I do not have a favourite spear. That is childish. I do have a best spear, however. It is the strongest and the biggest. And I have not lost it. It is right here, in my claws.” I raised it between us meaningfully before lowering it once more.
“You know what I mean,” Grim replied. “Why are you glaring at the sky like that? Like you want to punch it?”
I stared at Grim flatly. He was trying to rile me up and I knew it. He knew exactly why I was irritated. Because instead of heading back to the settlement after Thaleria’s work at her ship had ended, they had instead insisted on coming here, to this larger human ship. Which meant I was separated from Taylor for even longer.
I’d hoped to get back to her long before night fell. But even now the stars were hot and hungry above us.
“Why ask questions to which you already know the answers, Grim? Despite your recent follies, you’re not a stupid warrior.”
Grim’s brow ridges tightened in mirth, but he tried to hide his expression.
He’s laughing at me.
“Grim, you have drawn out your day’s duties far beyond an acceptable measure just to keep me from the settlement and my mate. You are punishing me for what I did to you and you know it,” I snapped.
“Ah, perhaps there is a small stone of truth in that,” Grim said, no longer trying to hide his smile. “I cannot help myself, Tok. You make it too entertaining by reacting with such glowering.”
“You know how strong I am. You know the bite of my spear. If I am glowering, that should be cause for fear, not laughter,” I hissed.
But Grim, the brash young warrior, did not seem perturbed by my threats.
He and I were standing out on the sand, some twenty paces away from the large human ship. Nearer to the ship, Thaleria stood with the Gahnala Kapman and her mate, Gahn Fallo. The three of them were deep in discussion about a possible excursion beyond the Death Plains to commune with the potential sixth tribe of the desert. I did not care much for their plans. Whether there were six desert tribes or sixty, it made no difference to me. All I cared about was getting back to my mate and keeping her safe myself.
After what seemed another small eternity, Thaleria left the other group and jogged to us.
“All right. We’re done here for the night,” she said.
“Are you sure, Thaleria? There are no other pressing tasks to be done?” Grim crooned.
I shot him a warning look. If these two kept me out here away from my mate one moment longer I would have to drag both of them back to the settlement myself.
But whether she was taking mercy on me or just ready to return to the settlement, Thaleria shook her head.
“No, that’s it. Let’s go back.”
This time, I took the lead. I ran almost to my limits. I would have left Grim and Thaleria behind if it were not for the fact that I was still responsible for them until we were within the confines of the settlement. I remained on all fours so that I could move as quickly as possible, only rising to two legs once I was past the first line of tents out on the sand. After making sure that Thaleria and Grim had also entered the settlement, I turned my thoughts from them.
And turned those thoughts to Taylor.
I stalked through the tents of the settlement, breathing deeply, trying to suss out her scent beneath the smoke and the sand and the scents of the others living here. I caught a whisper of it near the new women’s tent, but it did not seem strong enough to suggest she was inside. I scanned the settlement visually, raking my eyes down every wall of rock, combing every shadow.
She was not there.
Perhaps...
Perhaps she was once again slick and naked, waiting for me in the springs.
A territorial growl rose in my throat as I gripped my spear and prowled towards the darkness of the cliffs. Passing into the opening that led to the hot springs, I forged forward into a darkness that was studded every few paces by small human lights on the sandy ground.
I entered a large cave within the cliffs, catching a more recent whiff of her. Just that slight lick of her smell on the air had my cock straining. Mating fluid rushed into my fangs. She had definitely come this way, and recently.
I continued forward into the next tunnel, breathing in through my nose. I made sure to listen closely, too. I would not enter the hot springs if Taylor was not alone.
But hers was the only fresh scent I caught here.
And I heard no voices.
Which meant she was in the hot springs again. Alone. Probably naked, and primed with the knowledge that she now had a powerful mate coming for her.
Lust quickened my movements until I met the steam of the hot springs cave. The moisture in the air seemed to intensify Taylor’s scent, making it thick and luscious in my throat. My muscles contracted involuntarily, forcing me to swallow. If her scent alone was that delicious, what would she taste like upon my tongue? My knuckles cracked as I tightened my grip on the spear I only just realized I still held. I tossed it down on the stone, creating an echoing clatter that brought forth a soft sound of surprise from deeper within the cave. My whole body reacted to that sound – every muscle tightening, every nerve thrumming. The smallest sound, barely a breath of it, and already it had worked its way inside me.
That little sound of surprise was followed by more sounds – words.
