I shut my eyes, trembling. I can feel the tears betray my outward strength.
His face is so near mine, I can almost feel his lips against my cheek. “I will rut and kill you, worthless whore.”
Okay, so now I’m a whore. Noted.
I open my eyes. Turin is standing right behind him.
“Don’t touch me,” I say.
Zakar takes my chin and squeezes, forcing me closer. Rolling his tongue out, he licks my face upward.
I lean all my strength away from him, but his sharp talon-like nails dig into my kidneys.
I twist and fall into his grasp.
I lose all the control I once had.
“You are not his,” he says. “You are mine. Everything on this planet is mine.”
“Not Turin,” I mutter.
Zakar slaps and throws me to the floor. “Turin is my bitch, too.”
Turin’s red glow grows strong, illuminating the entire room. He roars so loudly that the entire jungle echoes. “This is your time to die,” he screams.
Notified of his presence, Zakar turns to fight, but it’s too late for him to act. Turin tackles him through a panel in the wall. Amidst the thick mass of cables, they roll.
Turin gets his leg around Zakar’s waist, subduing the evil beast. Using this moment of weakness to his advantage, he hammers his fist across his face, shattering his nose.
Instantly, his nose reshapes. The blood dries and disappears.
Wide-eyed, Turin searches for a weapon. I toss him the first thing I can find, a big ratchet. He winds back and smashes Zakar’s teeth. He hits him so many times I have to look away.
I fell in love with the alien that opened up to me. Not this.
Bloodied, Zakar does not move. As Turin stands, breathing like a total maniac, he turns. “I’m sorry you had to see that. You’re safe now.”
Zakar rises, head reassembling. A sharp grin cuts across his face. “Safe? No one is safe.”
Zakar drives his arm forward. His hand digs into Turin’s flesh, subduing him.
Turin falls to his knees. “Naomi. GO!”
I don’t want to leave. Every second away from him would be spent wondering if he made it out alive. It would kill me.
Zakar throws Turin to the ground. “You have turned on your own kind?” he sneers.
“Fuck you, Zakar. We both knew this day would come.”
I make a split second decision. I turn to the captain, and I don’t cry. I take charge.
We run out of the starship, into the setting sun.
I have no sense of direction. All I know is that I’m running away from the alien I fell in love with, and I have no idea how to cope with that.
Everyone I’ve ever loved has been taken from me. Everyone.
He promised he wouldn’t leave.