He watched. Stunned to see one in the flesh.
Then he snapped out of his trance and moved to act. The moment she noticed him, she called out.
“Help me. Please help!”
The need in her voice drove his protective instincts into overdrive. He wasn’t sure if it was due to his three decades on the taskforce or a primal connection to this human.
As he approached, the animals turned their attention to him, creating a circle of attack, one he knew well, but from much more threatening beasts on Trenu Zel.
The first one lunged, but he caught it by the throat in midair. He examined the beast as it struggled and yelped. He’d never seen one of these creatures, and his curiosity for the new world piqued. When the female whimpered, he snapped the animal’s neck and waited for the next to attack.
One by one, he killed the hairy beasts with his bare hands. They weren’t worth the effort of unsheathing one of his weapons. He dusted off his hands as he neared the female crouching low behind her smoldering fire pit. She still carried a large stick in her hands. Trembling hands.
“I won’t harm you,” he said.
She nodded repeatedly, looking at her own hands as she dropped the makeshift weapon. “T-Thank you. I thought I was a goner.”
He reached out a hand to her, and after a pause, she took it. Dhiro pulled her up to her feet but was surprised she barely reached his chest in height. Women on his planet were comparable to males in height, but he found her tiny size endearing.
“What were those beasts?”
“Beasts? You mean the wolves?”
“Yes, the wolves.”
She ran a hand through her blonde hair. It flowed down her back even though disheveled. He’d never seen the color before. Everything about her appealed to him.
“I’ve come out here so many times, and I’ve never had a problem with them before. If I’d known a wolf attack was a possibility, I never would have ventured this far alone. Well, not this late.”
“You’re afraid of the wolves?”
“Of course, wouldn’t anyone be? Well, not you, I guess. How did you do that, anyway? You didn’t even use a gun. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“I’m a superior adversary,” he said matter-of-factly. “They’re not smart hunters. The others would have been wise to escape after I killed the first one.”
She stared at him. “When I was ten, I was attacked by one of them.” She pulled up the edge of her shirt, showing him a deep scar on her side. “I’ve been terrified ever since.”
Dhiro didn’t like that she’d been marked by one of those filthy beasts. If she’d been on Trenu Zel, their technology would have ensured she had no lasting scars. But she’d been born on a primitive planet at no fault of her own.
“I can protect you from the wolves,” he said.
“Yes, I know you can. What’s your name, anyway?”
“Dhiro.”
“Dhiro, that’s different. My name’s Ella. Ella Sinclaire, aspiring noteworthy geologist.” Then she held out her hand. He wasn’t versed in Earth customs and wasn’t sure how to respond. The first thing that came to mind was to hold out his hand in the same manner.
She laughed, a sweet, musical sound. “Okay then.” Ella grabbed his hand in hers, yanking it up and down. “Nice to meet you, Dhiro.”
She’d completely slaughtered the pronunciation of his given name. But all he could focus on was the intimate contact she’d forced on him. The feel of her skin against his.
He expected this mission to be easy, like choosing a pet. No emotion. No attraction. Ella was human, after all, an inferior species. This entire trip was a necessity, not a pleasure.
In the matter of minutes, everything changed.
Dhiro had found his mate.
****
Ella had been thrust back in time. She was once again a little girl at the mercy of a wolf pack. She’d wandered too far during a family camping trip and had fallen down a steep embankment. After wandering for the longest time, the wolves had found her.
She remembered the pain, the fear, the desperation like it was yesterday. When she was certain she’d die, the gunshot from a ranger’s rifle had scared them off.
But today, she’d been saved before it was too late.
By a complete stranger.
Where the hell had he come from? She’d traveled endless miles into nowhere land to dig up potential meteorites for research. It wasn’t glamorous, but she had a lot to prove, and no funding.
“Where did you come from? I didn’t think there were people for miles.”
Not that she was complaining. He was her knight in shining armor—almost literally. He wore some kind of black armor with numerous weapon holsters. And he was huge. Huger than huge. It was unreal.
“My transport is in need of repair. I came when I heard your cries.”
“Thank you for saving me.” This time she whispered. He’d never understand how grateful she was. “My ride never came back for me.”