Page 16 of Saved By the Alien Mercenary

I had shaken the other Hoxiam male. Luck had been with us when theFinixblew up, it had struck our pursuer with more force than it had hit me, and he’d taken longer to recover. Zigzagging between crates of cargo, slogging through water channels, and diving into the warren of Avur’s slums had done the rest. At some point,I’d managed to snatch a long cloak from a stand of wares and wrapped my tiny mate in it so she was warm and hidden from view. But things were far from good:I had failed to protect her ship, and now she was without a livelihood or money.

It seemed a disproportionate response to the loss of a small amount of Kanfray. They would have tried to capture us or take the ship and sell it, not blow it up. Why had they done that? Or was it an accident? De’tor and the rest of his men had been far closer to the blast than we had been. It was unlikely the male would have risked his life like that,if he could help it.

My steps had slowed once I’d shaken the Hoxiam chasing us, and now I meandered through the slums in search of a safe place to go. Temperatures were dropping as the afternoon wore on—the air brisk and pleasant to me, but probably freezing to my female. I was not a male with contacts in every port—not like Flack,who seemed to know anyone and everyone. A useful traitfor a Quartermaster, he could source anything your heart desired. He’d brought me the coveted chocolate and Mandy’s fresh ginger to be cultivated in our hydroponic growing facilities. Now I really wished I could pick the male’s brain for a good place to hide out. My com had secured lines, courtesy of Mitnick—but could I risk an outgoing signal just yet?

No, I was better off relying on my own skills than on those of otherswhoweren’t even here. And what was I good at? Taking care of my mate’s hunger, cooking her anything her heart desired, and keeping her warm. As a Hoxiam, I also knew these temperatures and how to survive in them. A Rumcas winter was mild compared to the brutal cold on my homeworld, where I’d been raised in a small town and taught everything about survival by my father. I needed to get out of the city and back on familiar ground.

“I’m tired,” Ruby whispered against my chest. “I’m sorry, Brace. You’re the one doing all the walking, but I feel so tired… Can we find a place to rest?” She sounded so small and apologetic that my heart ached for her. It was no wonder she was tired, not after I’d kept her up half the night, and not after the only home she had in the Zeta Quadrant had been blown to pieces. On advertising signs and in storefronts, news feeds interrupted normal broadcasting to show the devastation at the port every few minutes. There was no way I could have shielded her from every screen. She knew that the authorities were looking for her, and that now,not one but two parties wanted to skin her for every penny she had to repay “damages.”

The port damage,at least,was real, but she was as much a victim as the port itself. At least the news feeds had reported no deathsand only mild injuriesamongdockworkers in the area. The damage to the robots that mostly manned the port, andtothe ships that had berthed near theFinix,was far more substantial. We would never be able to show our faces there again;the only way off the planet would be if I managed to find someone to smuggle us out—or if theVarakartoomcame for us.

“I’ll take care of you,” I husked at the tired female in my arms. Tucking her higher against my chest, I made sure the top of her head was properly covered. “Sleep while I walk. You are safe.” I had located the way out of the city, and as I stepped through the city gate, I turned off the beaten path,where hover vehicles zoomed, and straight into the snow-covered woods.

My steps left deep tracks in the white powder, and for the first few miles,I did not bother to cover them. Then I pulled on every bit of hunting skill ingrained into meby my father. It had been so long since I’d walked through frozen woods, with nothing but the icy air and my wits to keep me company. It felt good, it felt healing, and I felt strong every time I glanced down at the drowsing female in my arms. Ruby trusted me to protect her, and so I would, with every breath in my body, with every beat of my heart, I would keep her safe.

Concealing my path became easier when I used my rusty skills and honed themto fit our needs. My ears twitched as I kept a careful ear out forany sounds behind us, and with my nose,I inhaled and filtered each scent I picked up: smoke, animals, running water, and every new but distinct plant or tree. The city still hummed in the distance, but I could no longerhear the sounds of the busy road I’d abandoned as soon as I’d gone out the gate.

The sound of some prey animal,itsscent rich with watchfulness, made me veer to the right. Hunger sat in my belly—it was always there—but it had been hours since I’d last eaten, and it was growing especially fierce. The prey animal was four-legged and tall;I had no name for it,but it reminded me of the Saigrat from my homeworld. My mouth watered at the thought,but I kept a tight lid on the hunger. For now, getting my mate somewhere warm and safe was all that mattered.

The Saigrat-like animal had left a trail in the snow with dainty, three-pronged hoofs. It was possibly a game trail,well traveled by it and its ilk. When I caught sight of some kind of blind up in the hills not far away, I knew this was a good hunting spot. Someone else came here from time to time to do exactly that. Which meant… Yes, a deep inhale brought me back the scent of smoke, old, like cold ashes. There had to be a cabin nearby.

When I found it, it was partially buried beneath the snow—the roof piled high, drifts blown up against the sides. A chimney barely managed to raise its head at the top, and the one window I could see was completely frosted over. I’d have to dig out the door—a sure indication that no one had been inside this place in quite some time. It would be nearly as cold inside as it was outside, but four walls and a fireplace would be easy to warm. If we were lucky, there would be supplies inside.

Digging with one arm was not ideal, and it roused my mate from her light slumber. I tried my best to keep her dry as I cleared a path to the door, raising her as high as I could against my chest. “Where are we?” she murmured sleepily, her long lashes drooping low over her soft brown eyes. My Ruby needed food and rest as soon as possible, good rest, not the kind of stolen moments she’d had during the hike here. Her fingers were also disconcertingly cold where she dug them into my fur and held on.

“Somewhere safe, for now. I’ll get you warm soon.” Almost,I added mate, my tongue aching to call her that out loud. My claws hooked against the door handle then, distracting me from the ever-growing desire to claim her. After last night, it was nearly impossible to stay away. If I’d fit, I would have sunk into her completely, and there would have been no leaving, not for either of us. But I hadn’t filled her fully;she could still slip away to safety when this was over.I just had to stay strong.

The interior of the cabin stank when I opened the door,like stale air and something dead and rotting. Out of the wind, it was warmer,though, but there was nowhere to put down my mate that wasn’t absolutely filthy. This cabin had been abandoned for a long while, which made the possibility of supplies extremely unlikely. With a sweep of my hand, I cleared debris off the flagstones in front of the hearth. Bundled deep inside the stolen cloak,my mate looked like she couldmanage sitting down in the cleared spot for a while. She didn’t protest but hunched around her pregnant belly. Despite that, her big brown eyes looked at me imploringly. “Can I help with anything?”

I gazed around the small, dark room, hiding my dismay. “No,” I said to her, “just stay warm. I will clear the hearth first and start a fire, then tackle the rest so we’ll have a safe place to sleep for the night.” I had already sniffed out where the dead thing was, and I suspected its frozen state had prevented Ruby from smelling it, which was good. The hearth was piled high with old ashes,but when I peered up the chimney,I saw clear sky. With my paws,I dragged everything out, and then I slipped outside to toss the dead rodent and gather firewood. In no time,a fire was going, and my shiveringmate sighed with relief, wriggling her fingers over the fire to heat them.

“Stay,” I told her again. She was too tired after all this, and I was strong;I could do the work. She gave me a frown that was half-smile and made my chest feel tight. “I mean it,” I warned her again as I began sweeping away leaves and debris and pushingit all into a corner. There was a counter with cupboards in one corner, and I’d discovered a still-intact pail to use. I was filling that with snow to melt by the fire;we’d need water to drink.

“Okay,” she said, “but Brace, even pregnant, I can stand to skip a meal. Don’t worry,okay? I’m strong. You don’t have to do everything alone.” The growl that rose from my chest was instinct, but it wasn’t because I was upset with her. Rather, I felt so full of emotions I didn’t know what I was thinking. It wasn’t the usual red of rage, no, this was more like confusion. Her words made me feel like she cared, like she had her own pride, and as if I should do more to prove that I was the right male for her at the same time. Well, I would. And stars, I knew how stupid that thought was when I knew just how wrong I was for her, but I couldn’t stop my actions any more than I could stop being attracted to that tiny, shivering human with her bright smile and pretty braids.

***

Ruby

I really hated how tired I was, but ever since theFinixhad been blown to smithereens, I’d felt completely overwhelmed and adrift. Until it was gone, I had not realized just how much the ship meant to me. It wasn’t strange that I’d grown attached to my home of seven years, even ifithad felt like a prison of loneliness at times. I was made of sterner stuff, had armored myself against heartbreak and fear since the day of the fire, so this caught me completely by surprise.

The fire Brace had made was warming my hands and front, but I was careful not to lean too close with my belly. I didn’t want to accidentally fry the baby. With the ship gone, everything had to be about him now more than ever. I had to get to Ker and find sanctuary and safety there. Now that I knew De’tor wasn’tjustsome random, intelligent male I’d met in a bar, Ker seemed less safe than I had first thought. He was a high-placed criminal—Jalima’s current right-hand man,according to Brace—andhe’d have his fingers in many pies. But where could I go if Ker was out? Aderia? The Aderians were empathic and kind, but no pushovers. Since they were the best physicians inthe quadrant,the baby would be in good handsbeing born there.

My eyes went from the fire back to Brace,who was using his big hands to sweep all the clutter from the cabin in a surprisingly quick and handy fashion. He had already placed a bucket of snow by the fire, and though he’d tried to hide it, I’d seen him toss something very close to a dead rat. I was not as skeeved out by that as I thought I’d be, but then I’d had a rodent infestation aboard theFinixtwo years ago and gotten really good at shooting them. It’s why I had switched to exclusively running non-edible cargo on my ship. Ah, damn it! My throat closed up,and I fought back a sob. No more ship, no moreFinix. A name that so often had reminded me of Phoenix, and that had seemed fitting,because in a way I had risen from the ashes of my past.

When Brace left the cabin, warning me yet again that I wasn’t to lift a finger, I let out some of those tears. I knew he’d be understanding about it, that he’d comfort me if he saw my grief, but we had bigger things to worry about. What a colossal mess I’d made of my life. After seven years of staying ahead of everything, of managing my own safety, I’d ended up making some very big mistakes. Starting with that night with what I’d thought was a nice guy, and ending with the decision to keep on Chawz because I knew him, andtohire Kip. Three criminals I’d let into my life, three times the charm. Now I had nothing except the credits in my bank, and that wasn’t enough to start a life anywhere. Piloting was the only skill I had, and that was hardly a stable profession to raise a child.I’d be gone so much, or have to take him on a ship with me.

This was far more worrying and whining than I ever wanted, and I firmly blamed my spiraling thoughts on the explosion and the cold. Time to do something, or I’d sit here and mope until I fell asleep again. Tempting, but I was made of sterner stuff than this, even if I was beginning to feel incredibly ungainly and heavy. This baby had put on so much weight in the past coupleofdaysthatI was starting to fear what size he’d be by the time he was ready to be born.

The cabin was lit only by the crackling of the fire, but the small room heated quickly. When I peered at the walls,I realized that cobwebs were the worst of the dirt. This cabin was builtwell, and the insulation had to be top tier. There was a bed against one wall, slightly wider thanwhatwould fit a single person. It would be a tight fit for Brace and me together, but I wouldn’t mind some cuddling. It had already been swept clean, and whenIinspected the mattress, I realized it wasmadeof a type of foam common on spaceships. Extremely durable and guaranteed vermin-free. This one had been covered to protect it, and when I pulled that off,the mattress was intact.

Brace found me not much later, rummaging through a locked metal crate I’d pulled from under the bed. “What are you doing?” he demanded, sounding both accusatory and offended. I couldn’t help but smile at him over my shoulder, my sadness fading to the back because he was here. Being with Brace made everything seem a little lighter, a little better, because I knew I could trust him. Holding up the clean blankets and pillows I had found was good enough for him.

I had never truly seen him smile, but I was pretty sure this was a genuine Brace smile. His mouth tilted, though he never opened ittoshow his many teeth. There was a twinkle in his blue eyes that danced with the reflection of the firelightI saw there. “Good,” he agreed. Only then did I become aware of the bloody creature lying in a heap by the door. “I will skin our dinner and start cooking. You lie down again.” Then he was gone.

Chapter 14

Brace

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