My mind races as I try to think of something to do that will spare the life of the bear. Had I truly wanted it dead, I could have ended it several times during our brawl, but all life is precious, and the bear’s reaction was purely instinctual. From the blood scent on the bear, it appears as though Keelie stumbled upon it while it was eating off a fresh kill. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I don’t blame the bear for this.
No, this is all my wayward little mate’s fault.
As I continue to grapple with the bear, I frantically try to think of something that will deter it, so I’m not forced to end its life. In a last-ditch effort to drive the creature away, I grab its head in both of my hands, fending off its claws with my wings and tail before head-butting it with all my strength. Both the bear and I let out cries of pain, and the crack of our skulls connecting resonates across the clearing. Moaning lowly, the bear drops to all fours and staggers back away from me with a half-hearted snarl. A sharp whine escapes me before I can suppress it—pain piercing from the base of my horns across my skull.
Shaking my head to clear it, I wince at the wave of dizziness the motion causes.
I can’t afford to pass out. The bear has backed further away from me and is leerily staring at me, periodically shaking its head, trying to decide if engaging me again is worth it.
I click my firestone in warning, and the decision is made for the animal. It turns with a snarl and bolts from the meadow as fast as its heavy legs will carry it. The stench of singed fur lingers in the air, making my nose wrinkle. It’s a vile scent—but thankfully, I kept my sensitive tongue safely inside my mouth. Tasting burned hair is far worse than merely smelling it. Mercifully, the bear has no interest in tangling with an adversary that breathes fire.
Watching until it’s completely out of sight, I ignore the throbbing in my head to ensure the threat is completely gone. The silence behind me is deafening, and trepidation fills me at what my mate must be thinking. Definitely not the encouraging first impression Ahstahl wanted to make. Raising a hand to my head, I’m shocked to see a smear of vibrant purple blood on my hand.
Well.
Rut Me.
Turning slowly, I see a pair of rounded eyes staring back at me in shock. Flicking my gaze over to Ahstahl, I can see the laughter at my expense he’s trying to hide. Grimacing, I take a step toward them, an apology already forming on my lips—but the movement sends shards of pain lancing through me, followed by a wave of nausea and dizziness that nearly drops me where I stand. Looking around, I notice there are little sparkling lights around the edges of my vision.
Well, frak…I’m about to pass out. Apparently, head-butting a bear isn’t something I should do ever again.
That’s my last conscious thought as my eyes roll back in my head and everything goes dark.
Chapter 5
Keelie
Ican’t believe what I’m seeing.
Pinching myself, I wince in pain and realize that, yes, I’m awake, and this isn’t a dream.
An alien is lying on the ground in front of me, and the one who carried me to safety quickly yet gently sets me on my feet before approaching his fallen companion. The creature crumpled on the ground and landed in what appears to be an extremely uncomfortable position—its wings and limbs folded awkwardly beneath it. These beings, whoever or whatever they are, just saved my life. Without their timely arrival, that bear would have toyed with me for a while before eventually killing me.
Watching the slightly smaller being crouch next to the other, I take in their vastly different physical appearances. Both appear to be a bipedal cross between a werewolf and a dragon. The one on the ground is covered in dark slate-gray scales, broken by strategically placed patches of silver fur that deepen to black along the points of his body. The smaller one is just as striking, his brilliant turquoise scales contrasted by pitch-black fur arranged in the same pattern. Their hands are five-fingered, but their lower extremities end in digitigrade lower limbs withfeet that are more reminiscent of a dinosaur than any warm-blooded mammal I’ve ever seen.
They don’t appear to have any external genitalia either; instead, their groin area has a lightly furred sheath. So, if you add in a massive set of wings, a pair of impressive horns, and a deadly-looking tail, they’re the definition of an apex predator. One thing I find interesting is that they have a mane of hair that looks similar to a human in the front, but appears to fade into the ruff of fur across their shoulders and back.
What on earth are they doing on Earth?
A quick glance over at the less vibrant fallen alien confirms that he’s out cold, and the second one is trying to rouse his friend. Watching the tender way the black and turquoise cares for his companion, I ruefully rub the back of my neck, realizing what I have to do. I’ve always believed that one act of kindness begets another—and there is no greater kindness than saving a life.
Peering up at the sky, I shake my head before chastising my husband. Because if there was a way he could make something like this happen, he dang sure would have.
“Wayne! Please tell me you are seeing the same thing I am, and this is not a bad mushroom trip…”
Rolling my eyes in exasperation, I refocus on the creature now peering over at me in confused amusement. I guess he’s never seen anyone yell at the sky before, and then it dawns on me.
Why is he smirking?
Can he understand me?
Taking a deep breath, I force calmness into my voice, so I don’t come across as a ninny and ruin my shot at my first sentient interspecies interaction.
“Erm. Hello? Is your friend okay?”
Pale green eyes with slit pupils widen in surprise at my question before its fearsome face creases in a macabre version of a smile, and a smooth, deep voice replies. “Many thanks for asking about Aercek. From what I can tell, he’s merely unconscious and will be fine once he comes around. Although he’ll wake with a fiercely aching head. What about you? You just had a scuffle with a rather large predator. Are you harmed in any way?”
Wincing in sympathy for the pain his friend is certainly going to be in, I check myself out to ensure I’m still in one piece as the adrenaline begins to fade from my system.
