Unfortunately, its tongue doesn’t disappear along with the sight. It’s dragging across my forehead.
“A little help here,” I shout between clenched teeth. My new friend shifts behind me and reaches forward, sliding his huge bicep past my shoulder. The creature whimpers and the cold tongue is thankfully off my face as I find the lighter on the dirt and flick it on.
The blue alien has it by the tongue as he’s trying to crawl over me. “Ow!” I cry out as his knee digs into my back. I try to scooch out of the way, making my body as small as possible but he’s so big and he’s in a hurry to get to the monster before the monster’s teeth get to me.
His hard abs press my head into the dirt and I sigh in relief as his knee finally leaves my back. I turn and look up just as his loincloth hits my forehead and his blue ball sack drags up my cheek.
“Ew!” I cringe as he stops moving to fight the creature. He’s fighting the monster with punches and slaps as I squeeze my lips closed with his hairy balls resting snuggly on them.
“Mmgpheg,” I groan trying to move backward but his leg is pinning me in place. There’s nothing I can do but wait until he removes his balls from my lips, which he thankfully does after a minute or so of fighting.
The whimpers of the creature stops and I furiously wipe my lips with the back of my hand as he climbs off of me.
I relight the lighter and he turns back with a grin. “We have lunch,” he says, proudly. “Burumae are delicious.”
“Good,” I say with a fake smile. Maybe it will take the taste of his balls off of my lips.
We crawl on our hands and knees for a few more minutes and then there’s light snaking into the tunnel. I’ve never been so happy to be outside before, which is saying a lot on this horrible, death-filled planet.
I’m full of dirt but I’m looking like Mr. Clean compared to my blue friend. He’s covered in dirt, alien blood, and now burumae blood. He looks terrifying.
I take a step back, holding my breath as I look him up and down. He’s holding the dead burumae by the back of the neck and the thing looks even scarier in the light.
This guy is either going to eat me or make me mate with him. I’m not sure which one is worse.
I consider running away while he’s searching the sky for the spaceships, but I’ve seen how fast he can run. It’s like trying to outrun a cheetah driving a Lamborghini. Not going to happen.
His massive shoulders drop when he turns to me. His face softens and for some reason my fear is starting to dissipate.
“Who are you?” I ask, my curiosity overtaking my fear for the moment.
He beats a fist onto his enormous chest and raises his chin in the air. “The ferocious and dominant Straykeer,” he says in a sexy booming voice.
“Oh,” I say, taking a deep breath. “Can I just call you Straykeer?”
“You can call Straykeer your mate,” he says proudly.
“Uhm,” I say, tapping my lips with my index finger. “About that whole mate thing…”
“Come, my Mandy,” he says, waving me over. “Let’s mate and then feast on this beast.”
My jaw drops and my heart races. “How…” I mutter, losing my voice. “How do you know my name?”
Straykeer tilts his head as he watches me. “The Saku told him.”
“The Satu?” I repeat. “What’s a Satu?”
“The Saku,” he says, sounding out the end of the word slowly. “Avery.”
Now my heart really starts racing. “Avery?” I say stepping forward. “You know Avery?”
My skin is tingling as I wait for his answer. Could it really be Avery? Is she still alive? Did she make friends with these blue warriors?
“Every Drandroka on Zandipor knows the one the prophecy speaks of,” he says, staring at me like I’m an idiot. Well, excuse me for not being up to date on all of Zandipor gossip. “The Saku Avery is the one who will kill all of the many fanged beasts of Zandipor.”
My shoulders drop and I exhale in defeat. It can’t be my Avery. My Avery parked her car on the curb at the movie theater before all of this mess happened.
“What does she look like?” I ask, remembering all of the stupid things that my Avery used to do on a regular basis.
“She is a most spectacular pink Sandroka,” Straykeer says, his eyes lighting up as he talks about her. I must admit that I am a little jealous.
“Her skin is pink like yours, only not as beautiful,” he says, stroking my cheek with the back of his hand. It instantly heats up under his touch and I have to turn away before he sees me blushing. My pulse is racing as he glides his fingers through my red hair. “Avery’s hair is the color of dirt, not like my Mandy’s hair that has been kissed by fire.”