Page 31 of Chosen By the Alien King
A deep, deep sigh left Rico’s lungs.“It was my mother’s idea.”
Miekil dropped his head back to stare at the sky.“Same.Mothers, man.”
I remembered his mom on the viewscreen during one of the early episodes where she very publicly admonished him for not finding a mate yet while sewing a little baby hat with holes for Killian horns.
“Must be a lot of pressure,” I muttered to him.
“She means well, I suppose, and I am thankful I still have her.”
I nodded, my hearts splintering.I didn’t talk about my mom much, but she died soon after my dad’s murder.She withered away from heartsbreak, and there was nothing I could do but helplessly watch it unfold.The kind of love they shared was eternal, much like Nera’s and mine.
“I hear a lot of buzzing over here,” Pete hissed at us, “like pesky, gossipy flies who are about to meet their maker if they don’t.Shut.Up.Live show here, people!”
At that threat, Miekil’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.“Speaking of flies, yours is down.”
“FUCK!”Pete quickly turned and yanked his zipper back up to a chorus of snickers.
Poor Pete.I would’ve told him before we went live, but after him waxing poetic about his boners and about giving them enough room in his pants a few episodes ago, I generally avoided looking at anything in that general vicinity.
When he faced the camera drones again, Pete easily slid back into his smooth, cavalier host role.“All good, baby.Allllll…goooood… Now, time to get these contestants up on their toes in a last-ditch effort to win the audience’s hearts to propel them into first place.All they have to do…is—”
He broke off too suddenly, the tan color on his face draining too quickly to be anything close to natural.He stared at the jungle wall behind us with wide, unblinking eyes, completely frozen in place.
“Pete?”Nera and I whispered at the same time.
The crew on the sand below the platform looked much the same way he did—with stark terror written all over their faces.
A cold prickle dashed up the back of my neck, and slowly, painfully slowly, I turned around in my seat.
A huge black panther was creeping out from the jungle wall on silent, stealthy feet.Even the thick foliage hardly swayed as its lithe hindquarters and tail emerged from the jungle.Its yellow eyes stuck straight ahead on a direct course toward Pete.
And in its mouth dangled a bloody, booted stump of a human foot.
The scream.The male scream we’d heard from the jungle a few episodes back… Was this what had happened?
“Pete,” Miekil said, barely a whisper, “don’t move.Don’t breathe.Don’t make eye contact.I’ve got you.”
Of course he did.Despite their constant brotherly bickering, the two adored each other.
To Pete’s credit, he didn’t do anything but stand there.To everyone else’s credit, they didn’t move a muscle either.
We all watched in complete silence as the gorgeous apex predator crossed the platform.I couldn’t help but admire its sleek black coat, soundless movements, and fierce-looking teeth gripping the human foot in its mouth.
It already had a snack.It didn’t need Pete too.
I hoped.
Subtly, not even a movement at all, Miekil reached for the machete he’d stashed underneath his hoverchair for the obvious just-in-case scenario that by now all of us expected.
I had mine too, but I prayed to the goddess we wouldn’t have to use a machete on such a magnificent creature.
As it passed by us, I glimpsed Nera staring at it in wonder, while both her arms were crossed protectively over our baby.
Ignoring Pete altogether, the panther crouched at the edge of the platform and then leaped off into the sand below.Judging by the crew’s stares, it loped off toward the sea.
As soon as it was gone, a collective relieved breath stormed from everyone’s lungs.June and Nacket started sobbing.A shaky croaking sound came from Pete, and he took a single step and then crumbled to the platform in a dead faint.
In an instant, Miekil was there to catch him.
