Page 39 of Charmed By the Alien Warrior

When I finally open my eyes, he’s looking down at me with a satisfied smirk on his face, and I can feel the warmth of his body surrounding me, his hard length pressing against my thigh.

Holy shit.I just let an alien go down on me, and I enjoyed it. And I wouldn’t mind doing it again. My eyes drop to his full lips.Like right now. But the ever-present voice of reason—the party pooper inside me—is already back.

No matter how much I enjoyed the far-too-brief moment of throwing caution to the wind, it’s not who I am. I’m responsible. Careful. Always thinking ahead. And yet, it felt so good. Being wrapped in his strong embrace, I felt safe, protected, even cherished—emotions I haven’t felt in a long time. Far too long.

But I can’t let myself go down that path. I don’t want to be like my mom, chasing after a man to fill the void, to make me feel whole. I won’t let this happen again. I can’t.

Chapter 14

Mara

We just barely make it unscathed to the Ancestors’ Ship.

By the time we make it to the ship, the sun hangs low in the sky, its rays casting harsh shadows over the rugged landscape as we crest a rise overlooking the small valley where it sits waiting. The terrain here is so different that it feels like we’ve stumbled upon an entirely different planet.

Dark gray rock formations rise up from the valley floor and reach towards the sky like the fangs of a massive predator ready to devour us. The sight of them sends a shiver of unease down my spine. It even smells different here. Instead of the lush, spiciness of the jungle, it’s drier with a faintly woodsy scent that drifts from the scrubby evergreen trees that are scattered around the land.

Then there’s the ship.

“There it is,” Sorrin says, his voice tinged with awe.

And I have to admit it is awe-inspiring. Its triangular shape dominates the valley below us. A colossal, matte gray mass of metal jutting out from the ground like a sleeping giant. Its sleek, otherworldly design stands out among the rocks and plants that surround it.

But before we can even begin our descent, a deep, foghorn-like roar rips through the air.

My heart lurches in my chest as I look up to see a tiniio on the other side of the valley. Its hulking, T. rex-like body is covered in scales and marked with bright blue polka dots. Its perched on top of a rise, and it’s clear from the direction of its reptilian gaze that it’s spotted us. The tiniio lets out another bone-rattling foghorn roar before it begins its descent, its clawed feet scrabbling against the rocky slope.

“We need to move quickly,” Sorrin says, urgency in his voice.

His skin flickers, the bright aqua color changing until he blends seamlessly into the mottled gray rocks around us. We rush down the slope, moving as quickly as we can while still being careful. The path is treacherous with loose stones and uneven terrain, but the sight of the Ancestors’ Ship looming larger with each step drives me forward. Over the pounding of my heart, I can hear the tiniio’s roars grow louder and closer as it leaps over the rocks and down the steep hill, racing to beat us to the ship.

Luckily for us, the tiniio is built for the soft ground of the jungle, not the rocky slopes of the valley. Its bulky form takes a tumble a couple of times buying us precious seconds.

When we reach the floor of the valley, the shadow of the massive ship looms over us. My heart pounds in my chest as I gulp down my fear and push my legs to move faster, everymuscle in my body straining as I sprint toward safety. We’re so close, I can almost reach out and touch the metal exterior of the ship.

But just when I think things are finally going to go right, Laedirissae does what it always does and throws a stumbling block in my way.

Literally.

The tip of my sneaker catches the edge of a rock half-buried in the ground, and I go flying. A startled yelp flies from my mouth as the ground rushes up to meet me. My heart plummets, but before I hit the hard ground, strong arms, hardened by years of training, wrap around me.

Sorrin doesn’t even break his stride as he continues to race towards the ship, and I breathe out a sigh of relief as he pulls me close and cradles me against his chest.

I chance a glance at the tiniio and realize that it’s reached the more stable terrain of the valley floor, and it’s managed to gain speed. The dinosaur races across the ground, making its way closer to us. Its cold, reptilian eyes lock onto us like a heat-seeking missile, as it opens its gaping mouth wide to release another foghorn roar. Rows of sharp teeth glint menacingly in the sunlight.

“There!” Sorrin calls out as he points to a thick, moss-covered door built into the side of the ship. In the center of the door is a large metal wheel.

Wasting no time, he sets me down and grips the wheel with both hands, the muscles in his arms bulging as he gives it a hard twist. The metal groans in protest before giving way with a resounding clang, and the door creaks open just wide enough for us to slip inside.

With the tiniio bearing down on us, I dive through the narrow opening, hitting the floor with a hard thud. Sorrin slams the door shut behind us with only a second to spare as the beast crashes into the metal with a deafening thud.

Then, the dinosaur hits the door again. And again. And again. Each time, the sound reverberates through the ship like thunder. Until finally, with a roar of frustration, the tiniio gives up.

I’m sprawled on the cold metal floor, panting and dazed, but alive when Sorrin reaches down to help me up, his expression a mix of relief and amusement.

“All he got for his trouble was an aching head,” he quips, flashing me a lopsided grin.

It’s not particularly funny, but for some reason, maybe the adrenaline or the sheer absurdity of our situation, I laugh.

---