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Horrifying ones. Not that I particularly want to share the specifics of what lurks beneath the surface of our planet. “I’d rather focus on teaching you how to protect yourself for now, rather than run through a list of our deadliest creatures.”

She eyes me suspiciously but turns back to the weapons as I come stand beside her. I watch as she runs her fingers along the blades of a few sharp knives.

“I know how to work these.” She glances up at me. “Stick them with the pointy end.”

I huff a laugh. “It’s a bit more complicated than that but yes. I’d rather you take something that doesn’t require you being so close.” I pull a blaster off the wall. “Have you used one of these before?”

“No, but I’m familiar enough with them.” She follows me as I lead her to the side of the center that holds the shooting range.

I tap a few buttons on the monitor waiting for the target to appear and then take my stance, aim, and fire several successive rounds. “Do you think you could do that?”

“I’ll try.”

She takes the blaster and imitates my stance nearly perfectly. I catalog everything in my mind that she needs to fix, so the next time she fires off a few rounds I can correct her. Her eyes narrow as she focuses on the target, a black outline of a dehazgam.

“What is that target supposed to be?” she asks before firing.

“Dehazgam. It’s a vile creature capable of tearing a Zeahirian in half with one bite.”

She slowly lowers the gun and blinks. “And that’s something that will be down in the tunnels and caves?”

“Yes. They aren’t even the worst we may run into down there.” I nod toward the target. “Let me see what you’ve got.”

She turns and holds up the blaster with one arm. Just before she can fire, I step behind her. She shivers as my fingers run down the length of her left arm and lift it.

“You need to use this arm to support and hold the blaster steady. I know I used one arm, but I’m used to firing them.”

“And you’re a little bit stronger than me.” She adds lightheartedly.

“Just a bit?”

“Mmhmm.” She lifts her arms back into the position I placed them in and squeezes off a shot. It hits the paper, but it’s outside the actual shape of the target. “Damn,” she mutters. She tries again and gets within the shape of the target but not in a fatal area.

“Here.” I stand behind her, widening my stance until I’m a bit closer to her height and wrap my arms on either side of hers. “Feel the weight in your hands, let the blaster become a part of you, an extension of your hands.”

Do I need to be draped over her to teach her how to do this?

No.

Am I going to take every single chance I can to touch her?

I absolutely am.

Her scent around me intensifies, so I know she loves this just as much as I do. I help her aim, trying to ignore the spark of arousal between us and then squeeze my finger over hers on the trigger. Together we hit the center of the target, a direct hit to the kill zone.

“Do that a few more times without me.”

I walk around her, taking in her shots from every angle and correcting what needs it. She gets better with each round of shooting until I’m confident she knows enough to protect herself. I know these creatures hunt in packs, so it’s not like she’ll only be fighting off one. None of us will be able to completely dedicate ourselves to keeping her safe. This part of it comes down squarely on her shoulders.

After she’s exhausted herself with the blaster, she hands it over. “Can we try something else now?” she asks.

“Of course. Your choice.” I set the blaster back in its drawer and wait.

Eventually she settles on two twin blades, each about the length of her arm from wrist to shoulder. They’re covered in a gel that dulls the sharp edges for practice but peels off quickly and easily for emergencies. I love the idea of watching her walk around with these blades on her back.

“You want to spar with those?” I ask, grabbing a sleek single blade sword.

“Will the blaster work on your planet? Shouldn’t I have a backup weapon I can use?”