“Right, but that’s because you’re sexist, and, as a civilization, in a sex drought.”
“Sexist,” he laughs at me. “You are small. You are weak. You are…”
“I am alive,” I say. “Which I wouldn’t be if I were a big strong male. Maybe they took that into their calculations when they sent me here with a cute little goat.”
“Maybe they did,” he admits. “But what would your human handlers have to gain from sending you to this planet?”
“Like I said. Maybe they want me to have a really, really bad time. Maybe they…” I bite my lip because I do not want to give voice to the suspicions that are suddenly swarming my mind like hornets.
6
Gruff agrees to let me go back to the dome. I have to see if there’s anything in the paperwork I never bothered to really look at to see if there was anything to worry about. I trusted the people who trained me and sent me into the wilderness, and I didn’t think I needed to worry about, well, anything. I was going to an empty planet. What was there to worry about? The world itself was supposed to be the challenge, not the place I came from.
It’s a much more pleasant experience hiking with Gruff than trying to survive the wilds on my own. I feel much more relaxed and much safer with him by my side. It is nice to not be alone in the world anymore, though there are certain issues associated with there being other creatures on the same planet.
Gruff lifts his head and sniffs. The wind has shifted, bringing with it an unmistakeable scent that even I quickly pick up.
“We’ve been followed,” he says. “Get behind me.”
“GRUFF!”
Our path is suddenly intercepted by the same buck he ran off before. This time, Broken Horn is not alone. He has three others with him, all snorting, stamping, and making lewd and obscene sounds. The stench of their rut is overwhelming, but not in an appealing way. They’re threatening.
“Give us the female. We have to mate.”
“You don’t have to mate. You want to mate. There’s a difference.”
“She’s a human. She’s a filthy alien hole,” Broken Horn says. “You should share her.”
“Charming,” I murmur. I’m not afraid, even though we’re outnumbered. Gruff is bigger than all of them, and he’s not afraid. There is nothing in his bearing that suggests he is worried. I have my hand on my sidearm, and there’s still the weapon strapped to my back if things get really bad.
My fingers are tingling. I am thinking about pulling my weapon and using it on the biggest one already. He called me a hole. I’d like to put one in him.
“According to our laws, anybody can take her if they can beat you in battle.”
Gruff snorts. “Is that why you’re here? To destroy our alliances by attempting to steal my already claimed mate?”
I can’t help noticing, over and over, that he is very outnumbered. I have a sense of the entire forest rustling with horny bucks. Their scents are ripe and rich, and yes, they are affecting me. I don’t want to be aroused right now, but my body responds to the stimuli without asking me how I feel. I have to maintain self-control before I start to find his rough speech hot. These aliens will not take me back to a cozy cottage and make love to me. They only want to be inside me, to use my body for their pleasure, to spill their seed inside my tightness.
“You should share, Gruff. It’s only hospitable.”
“You can have my milk, my cheese, and my mead. But you cannot have my mate.”
“The laws…”
They’re trying to goad Gruff into agreeing to a fight. I am sure that fight will not be fair. I’m sick of hearing about their stupid fucking animal laws. I step around Gruff and stride over to the nearest buck before anybody can stop me.
The buck reaches down for me. I respond by putting my gun to his head.
“According to my laws, I will shoot you right in the fucking face.” I push the barrel of the weapon harder against his forehead. I should pull the trigger. I should evaporate what’s left of his brain. He clearly doesn’t use it anyway.
“Jem, put that down,” Gruff says, ultra-calm. “There’s a good girl.”
He’s so casual, and here I am about to pull the trigger and turn this wild beast into a smear of smoldering brain matter.
“I’m not a good girl. I’m a murderous fucking human bitch, and I will kill any one of you that tries to touch me. Gruff won’t fight you. I’ll obliterate you.” I trigger the charging switch and the weapon makes an intimidating whirring sound. I want to shoot this asshole right in the head so badly. Instead, I show mercy. I push the weapon down and aim the barrel at the ground in front of his feet.
The resulting explosion is loud. Really fucking loud. A crater of glass-smooth earth appears between us, and every single one of the bucks turns and runs, fleeing through the bush with bouncing, bounding steps.