Page 12 of Captured By The Alien Barbarian
Ariana. I savor her name, repeating it over and over in my mind. It shames me that I haven’t asked what her people call her first, that she has had to introduce herself. My only excuse is that my brain has been so muddled, shocked at finding her.
I quicken my pace through the forest, my steps moving over the plant-life on the ground with barely a noise. Ahead of me, my drolvden guides the way home. I can’t wait to see the pleasure on my little Nika’s face when I present the results of my latest hunting expedition to her. She will see me as a capable mate, one that can provide well for her.
It occurs to me then why the elders aren’t too keen on taking us young ones hunting. What should have been a brief jaunt in the woods for them turns into a day-long lesson teaching bumbling youths tracking, being stealthy, and the art of combat. All time spent away from the safety of the village and, more importantly, away from their own mates.
Bounding up the path, I reach the entrance to the cave, adrenaline pumping with the anticipation of showing my mate the spoils of a successful hunt. But as I push aside the door and step inside, it feels as if the air has been sucked out of my lungs.
My mate is gone.
The fire is a meager pile of embers, casting ominous shadows all around. The void that Ariana’s absence leaves gnaws at me like a chill that reaches deep into my bones.
My hunt forgotten, I cast it aside, all thoughts of celebration gone. All I care about now is finding my beloved Ariana.
My voice cracks as I call her name, “Nika?”
Desperation fuels me as I stumble towards the bed of furs, hoping against hope that she is hidden under their warmth.
Her scent lingers in the air, but it’s faint, stale even. She hasn’t been in the cave for hours. Mixed with her scent is the acrid tang of blood—her blood. That hint of copper turns my stomach. I have smelled her blood more than I should in a lifetime, but I will never forget the unmistakable scent of her blood.
My mind races. Has some beast entered my domain and attacked my little Nika? No. There is no sign of disturbance or struggle. Everything is exactly as I left it.
Taking in a deep breath, I focus on the bloody rope ties left behind. Clasping them in my trembling grasp, I foolishly hope they will somehow draw her back to me.
Her scent is the only one I detect, both on the bindings and within the cave.
My heart thunders as I spin around and dash out of the cave. The trail is clear—a single set of footprints leading away from our home.
My mate has abandoned me.
A guttural wail tears through me, the weight of fear and disbelief nearly crushing my spirit.
Could she really have chosen to leave, to face the perilous world without me by her side to protect and care for her? Am I fated to be mated to someone so tenacious, so stubborn, that she would spurn me without truly knowing me? No. I refuse to believe it. My mate is injured, sick. This is exactly what I feared would happen. She panics and stumbles out into the wilderness, lost to the haze of an ill-mind. She is in danger, and she likely doesn’t even know it.
All I know is that I must find her.
My instincts will not—cannot—allow us to be parted. I vow then and there to never cease hunting her. Ariana is, and always will be, mine.
ChapterFive
ARIANA
Iam a fool, the epitome of idiocy. What makes me think that I can escape? Why do I think that I will be able to go prancing across an alien landscape with barely anything to wear? A complete and utter fool.
Grimacing, I step on yet another wretched, pointy rock. By now, I’ve lost track of how many clumsy stumbles and cringe-inducing missteps I make on this little adventure. I’d like to think I am heading in the right direction, but truth be told, I am utterly lost.
My surroundings are as unfamiliar as that one Martian opera I sat through once. I can’t help but feel slightly miffed at my supposed sense of navigation. The only reason I dare to venture beyond the secured confines of the colony and its well-established trail is my cocky belief that I can simply follow the ominous cliff-line back as a trusty guide. Alas, I don’t have the faintest clue where those cliffs are in relation to my current, perplexing position.
If I can just scale this hill, perhaps I can get a clearer view of the land and determine in which direction to drag my sorry self...
My breath ragged, I lean against the deceitfully crumbly rock for a moment. Sweat clings to my skin like a thick, uncomfortable film, only to be chilled by the icy breeze that nips at me with unapologetic fervor.
Trudging onwards, I press myself against the hillside until the terrain morphs into a cruel incline. I venture along a narrow ledge, eyes desperate for a promising place to climb.
Suddenly, the ground beneath my feet betrays me, crumbling so fast it essentially disintegrates.
Yelping, I flail my arms in a futile attempt to defy gravity. But karma has other plans. It’s all for naught. My feet slip, and I am wrenched into a terrifying, unintended descent.
These rocks, though seemingly fragile and crumbly upon touch, transform into merciless, flesh-shredding demons upon impact. My tender skin is scratched and gouged by every cruel, stony surface. My legs, hips, stomach, and—heavens forbid—even the undersides of my breasts become their unwilling victims. As if that isn’t enough, a particularly greedy plant ensnares my hair and tears it from my scalp with ruthless glee.
