Page 4 of Made For The Alien Warrior

His heras pounded.

She was dying. He had to do something. Now.

On impulse, Tiegan pressed his hand against her chest. The water must have travelled into her internals. Though he had not studied human anatomy for many cycles, it was only right that he get the water out.

“Open your eyes, human.” Tiegan begged, pressing his hand against her chest and pumping. “Open!”

It wasn’t working.

Tiegan’s mind spun as he searched for another solution. Should he contact the Healer? Neh, the elder would not get here in time for the female to be saved. Her breathing was shallow and her heras would stop beating soon.

Tiegan’s eyes landed on the human female’s nose. He could blow into her nostrils. But would it be enough?

Suddenly, his gaze dropped to her lips. A rushing sensation filled his chest as he thought of putting his mouth there. It was a sign of intimacy, one saved for mates alone. If he engaged in such contact…

Neh, it did not matter what the consequences may be.

He had to save her and he had to do it now.

Hoping that his instincts proved right, Tiegan opened the female’s mouth and covered it with his own. He breathed into her, rasping his lips against the soft petals of her mouth and exhaling.

As he breathed, the female began to cough. Tiegan lurched back, overjoyed, when her eyes fluttered open. Liquid from the damas spurted from her lips.

“Breathe, human.” He dragged her to sit upright and lean against him. Sand clung to his arms and legs, but he barely felt a thing.

The human’s chest rose and fell swiftly, calling to mind the rhythm of the waves in the damas.

“Are you well now?” he whispered.

The female yelped and jolted away from him. Turning her neck, she stared at his face and her eyes widened to the size of his palm. Her mouth fell open and a soft, little scream poured out of it.

He raised an arm, keeping his expression calm and non-threatening. “Human, I am not here to hurt you.”

“Geeet aw-ah from meh!” She hiked her right arm through the air, swatting in his direction. Water dripped from her black hair.

It was a strange sight to Tiegan. He and his comrades wore twists to keep their long hair out of their face, but the human’s twists were stuck close to her scalp and ran down to her shoulders.

“Female,” he began.

“Geet aw-ay!”

Tiegan’s lips twitched when he saw that she was ‘fighting’ him with her eyes closed and her head swung away. He did not know whether he should call her brave or foolish.

“Human,” Tiegan remained seated as he felt that standing would only intimidate her more, “where did you come from? How did you get into the sacred damas?”

She scrambled back, her fingers clawing into the sand. It was a clumsy move and Tiegan finally took notice of her body. Why was she using only one hand? His eyes slid across her shoulder to the upper end of her tunic. Her left arm was missing.

Alarmed, he asked, “Are you hurt, female? Did someone torture you?”

She went very still.

He wondered if she could understand his words but, a second later, the female bowled over, a hand to her head.

“What is the matter?” Tiegan scrambled to his feet and charged toward her, not caring if she was intimidated by his size.

“Ah!” She curled into a ball, pressing her forehead into the sand. The wet tunic with the strange pattern clung to her back. He could see her skin through the fabric.

Frantic, Tiegan lifted his arm and tapped his wrist. Ingrained in his blue skin was a comms that would connect him with the Healer. The comms glowed and vibrated, waiting to make the link.