“Someone like me?”
“A human female. A universal breeder. You were lucky that you crashed on top of me.”
On top of him. I grinned before I could stop myself.
“And why’s that?”
“Because when I fulfill my mission and return to Zorran, I will become a priest. I will take no mate, and I will pledge myself to the Three Heads.”
Okay, he was losing me. I was more confused than before.
“Even though you’ve slowed me down, Angie, I will help you again. I will take you to the Hub, where you can catch a ship back to your planet, Terra. But first, I have something to do on this island.”
“Island?” I looked around me again.
“You will wait for me here.”
“Here... where?”
“Inside the ship. You’ll be safe.” He threw his tools into a box. “I have to go now.”
“No, wait!” He was ignoring me once more. “Wait! You can’t leave me here!” He was strapping weapons to his belt, daggers and firearms, and getting ready to leave me behind. “Wait!” I started rummaging through my backpack. Tissues, lipstick, my wallet, tampons... finally, my phone! Of course, there was no signal. “What’s your name? At least tell me your name!” I threw the backpack over one shoulder and started running after him.
“It’s Thev’rar. You can’t come with me, Angie. This is one of the most dangerous islands on this planet. Sorahan Island. It’s better if you just wait for me on the ship.”
“No! No, no, no...” I blocked his path, and he ran right into me. My hands came in contact with his very bare, very strong, very ripped chest. His skin was warm, and I could feel the beat of his heart. “Please, Thev.”
“Thev’rar.”
“Thev, please... I have no idea what’s going on.”
“It’s clear to me. Humans don’t know about the existence of other species in the universe. You are not evolved enough to be entrusted with such knowledge. Sometimes, however, slavers ignore that, and they abduct fertile females to sell them on other planets. You were abducted, kept on a slave ship, and something happened, and the ship crashed. I saw it myself, a ship splitting in two in the sky. I just didn’t know what it meant then. I will take you to the Hub and help you get back home. But not now, Angie. Now you have to move out of my way.”
“Slave ship...” My eyes filled with tears. Finally, my mind was starting to wrap itself around what had happened to me, and I was flooded by overwhelming emotions and a painful realization – I was, indeed, lucky that Thev had found me and that he was a nice person. A nice orc. “Please don’t leave me...”
He jumped back, and confusion mixed with unease flickered in his eyes.
“What are you doing?” he said. “Stop that.”
“Stop whaaaat?” I cried harder, because I was certain he was going to leave me, and I couldn’t deal with the idea of being alone on an alien planet. I didn’t care his ship was safe. I couldn’t be alone.
“Th-that...” He motioned at my face.
“I can’t!” So, my tears were making him feel uncomfortable. “Please, take me with you... I won’t be a burden, I promise.”
“Fine! You can come with me! Now stop... doing... whatever you’re doing.”
I sniffed and wiped my tears with my sleeve, then dug inside my backpack for tissues.
“What am I doing?”
“Spilling water out of your eyes.”
I blew my nose and stared at him, wondering if out of the two of us, he might’ve been the crazy one.
“Crying? I’m not spilling water out of my eyes. I’m crying. Don’t tell me your... umm... species doesn’t cry.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “No, Zokunians don’t cry. And why would we? It looked like you were having a miserable time.”
“You’re right. I am having a miserable time!” I carefully placed the used tissue in a pocket I used for the trash. Being on an alien planet didn’t mean it was okay to throw litter. Then I smiled up at Thev. “But I’m feeling better now. Where are we going?”
He sighed, shook his head, and carefully moved around me, so as not to touch me, as he resumed his brisk walk toward what looked like a deep, dark forest.
“Fine. Don’t tell me.”