Page 7 of I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com (Cosmic Chaos #1)

“Run faster!” I yelled. My foot connected with the neck of a velociraptor, sending the dog-sized beast crashing into a tree. Those behind her leapt over their fallen comrade, using their superior speed to gain on Lok.

The big Sankado shifted Sol and me higher, straining the knot still firmly plugged inside me. When I didn’t pull free, he cursed and kept running. “I can’t!”

The lead raptor hissed, showing off rows of sharp teeth. Sol fed it a fireball, causing its cry to be cut short before its blood painted the remaining three in red. Undeterred, they shot after us.

Lok sprinted toward the painted rock, wincing when a particular step caused me to bump down hard against his balls. “Sorry,” I said.

Intern screamed, flailing when a raptor bit off one of his tail feathers. The little bird clung to Lok’s hair, desperately trying to hold on. “What do we do?”

“Don’t you have a ray gun or something?” I asked. “Shoot them!”

“You think I have the clearance for that? I told you, I’m just an intern!”

“Both of you shut up. I’m trying to concentrate,” Sol growled. His body heated to a fever pitch, causing warmth to spread up my ass. My stupid insatiable body reveled at the touch and I had to bite my lip to keep from moaning in Lok’s ear.

A ball of fire shot at our pursuers. But the one in the middle dropped low, avoiding the attack. Another launched itself at us, biting down on Lok’s thigh. He cried out, nearly falling before he righted himself. I kicked at the raptor’s side, but it wouldn’t budge. Instead, it closed its eyes to shield them from my blows. Its long talon rose, ready to gut Lok’s side.

I grabbed its foot, cursing when the long talon sank into the back of my wrist. Ignoring the pain, I twisted its foot until its joint popped. The raptor screeched, releasing its hold on Lok. I let go, letting it crash into its packmate.

Sol blasted the remaining one. Its leg blew clean off, sending the beast crashing to the ground with a pained wail. He shot at the two raptors struggling to get up but misfired when Lok jumped on top of the painted rock. He fell back on his ass, breathing heavily. “Sol, take care of the last one,” he panted.

Sol raised his hand and aimed at the raptor charging toward us. Sparks danced over his palm before falling uselessly to the ground.

“Shit,” Lok growled.

“Shit?” I parroted. “Wh-why shit? What’s happening?”

The fire-haired Sankado thrust his hand out again, only to have the same result. “I’m out of fire.”

“You wouldn’t be if you hadn’t spent so much time trying to incinerate me just for helping Stardust,” Lok sneered.

Sol scowled but said nothing. Instead, he pulled a knife from his waist belt. The velociraptor tried jumping up onto the rock but fell short. Its sharp talons raked across the stone with an awful screech. The creature hissed, then looked around before running around to the back side of the rock, where smaller boulders could be used to jump up. It leapt onto the first before turning toward us and shimmying like a cat ready to pounce. It leapt with a shriek, its long talon extended.

I screamed and closed my eyes. A snarl caught my ears, followed by a sickening crunch. I peeked an eye open to see Toto standing next to us, the dead raptor clamped firmly in his jaws.

“Oh, Toto, thank goodness. I thought we were goners. Thank you so much,” I said.

The lion preened under the praise, dramatically tossing his kill off the rock. “That was nothing. I once killed four hyenas in one sitting. Those hunchbacked scavengers always think their numbers make them invincible. Just be happy I could hear you screeching halfway to the cave.”

“I killed three,” Sol grumbled.

“Two,” Toto replied.

“No, it was—”

“Two. The one you shot in the leg didn’t die.” Toto grinned, looking unbelievably smug. “Don’t worry, I got it for you.”

Sol tensed at my back, glaring at the lion. I patted him on the shoulder. “Ladies, please. You’re both pretty, and really good at killing things. Can we relax now?”

“Right, sorry,” said Sol.

Toto lowered his head, looking contrite. “Of course. We were being childish.” He lifted his gaze, one corner of his mouth lifting in a smirk. “I am better, though.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” I said, giving a test lift against Lok. When I didn’t feel stuck, I pulled myself off him, letting his and Sol’s cocks slide out of me. Gods, what a mess. I’d give my left tit for a hot shower and a sugar rub. I pinched the bridge of my nose, doing my best to count down from ten instead of screaming my frustrations into the sky. “All right, Intern,” I began, putting a hand on my hip. “Where is the research center? I’m assuming it’s somewhere on this planet, right? Or are you guys just up there in orbit?”

The little Biwban sat up, twisting his head around to scan the area. “Oh no, an on-the-ground facility is far more cost-effective than a space station. Let’s see, I flew past the Gullbaton pass, soooo, ah!” His feathers poofed, and then he scrambled up and pointed to a mountain ridge in the distance. “It’s in the valley between those mountains there.”

“Right.” I cast a glance at Sol and Lok before making my way down the rock. “Goodbye, then.”

“What, where are you going?” Sol asked.

“To grab my clothes and then to the research center,” I said. “Where else?” I got on all fours and tried to reach the next rock down without falling on my face. “That damn department head needs a good kick in the ass, and I’m going to give it to him.” My foot was just a few inches short. I stood up, taking a deep breath before I swung my arms and jumped. Lok caught me by the arm and tossed me over his shoulder. “Hey!”

He jumped off the rock before sliding me down to the ground. “Oh,” I said, dusting myself off. “Thank you.”

He grinned down at me before sweeping into a bow. “At your service. Well, lead the way, Stardust. If we hustle, we might just make it there in a few days.”

We made our way to the pile of discarded clothes and quickly dressed. “You’re coming too?”

Lok hopped up and down as he shoved his leg through his pants. “Of course I’m coming. Did you think I’d leave my pretty mate to fend for herself?”

“Oh” was all I could manage to say. It had been a while since I’d had anything longer than a one-night stand. After breaking up with my cheating ex a year ago, I hadn’t had much interest in men and their lies. Well, beyond a good fling, I mean.

“So, you actually wanna try that whole weird serum mate bond? I’m fine now that we got it out of our systems a little.” The need to climb him like a tree was still there, lurking somewhere in the back of my mind, but for now at least, I felt sated.

He laughed, crossing his arms over his chest before looking down at me like I’d said something ridiculously funny. “That ‘weird serum mate bond’ triggered my Zhali. I don’t care how it happened. The stars opened up and saw fit to give me a gorgeous woman of my own. You’re stuck with me, Dory.”

“And a Zhali is what now?” I asked.

Sol finished dressing and dusted himself off. “The Zhali is the call inside all of us that chooses our sacred partner. Normally, it could only be triggered by those willing to face the trial of the gods and scale the holy mountain of our home world. If you succeeded in reaching the mountain’s summit, the gods would unlock your Zhali, which can turn even the scrawniest men into fierce warriors.”

“Well, that explains the physical change you both went through. But what’s that got to do with a mate bond?”

“Ah, but that’s the best part.” Lok grinned. He threw an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. “You see, the very first Sankado to scale the holy mountain only did so to save his love. It is said that back when the world was new, two lovers, Gravara and Lythron, were set upon by a pack of Voidhowlers. Gravara was gravely injured. Lythron, overcome with grief at seeing his mate at death’s door, scaled the holy mountain with her strapped to his back and pleaded with the gods to save his love. Before him, no one else had ever reached the summit. Impressed by his perseverance, the gods not only healed Gravara but granted him the gift of Zhali.”

Lok paused, then took my hands in his. His playful smile faded away. He searched my eyes as he spoke, as if trying to find the secrets of the world behind them. “Zhali bonds you to the one meant to walk with you through this life and the next, and grants you the strength to protect them above all others. When our world burned, I thought my chance of ever finding my mate went with it. Then I saw your ship fall from the sky and something in me knew to come find you. I don’t care if it’s the result of meddlesome aliens. From this moment on, where you walk, I follow.”

“I…” My throat caught. A bead of sweat slid from my forehead and trailed down my face. Holy alien gods matchmaking service. That is a lot to put on a gal. “Are you sure I’m really your Zhali mate? We’re not even the same species. This could just be a fluke.”

“Of course it’s not a real bond,” Sol scoffed. “You can’t take an ancient rite from the gods and put it into a serum.”

“You can if it’s caused by a chemical reaction in the brain,” Intern said. He brought up his screen, showing what looked like strands of DNA dancing in a petri dish. “The chosen mate part took a bit of guesswork to figure out who would be compatible with who, but our algorithm has shown a 96 percent success rate in triggering the desired response. Would you like me to run through the numbers?”

Sol looked murderous. I pulled a hand free from Lok’s grasp to wave the intern’s screen away. “Now’s not really the time for that,” I whispered.

Smoke pooled from the fire-haired Sankado’s tail. “I don’t care what kind of tests were run. You idiots didn’t even bother to check which of us were females before you grabbed us. There’s no way I’m trusting anything that came from you. For all we know, this serum could wear off before the week is out.”

“Good.” Lok spoke up. He gave Sol an encouraging smile and pulled me closer to him. “If you’re not interested in her, then I will be Stardust’s one and only. Be on your way and I’ll take her to the research center.”

“As if I’d trust my woman in the care of a Roamcrest,” Sol growled.

Lok raised a brow, and his voice took on a taunting tone as he spoke. “?‘My’? I thought you weren’t going to trust the Biwban’s serum.”

“I said I don’t trust it. Not that I’ll hand her over to you. Until we know for sure, she’s not leaving my side. For now we will take her to the Druid Onchu. He’ll be able to tap into our Zhali and see if it’s genuine.”

“You expect me to let you take her into hostile territory? Who’s to say your kin won’t run me through as soon as they see me? No. I don’t need your druid to tell me what’s right in front of me. Go test your Zhali on your own. Stardust and I have a date at the research center. Now, if you’ll excuse us.”

He turned to walk away but Sol grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him back around. “Wait—”

“NO!” I raised my arms, breaking free of Lok’s hold, then backed away from both of them. “I’m not listening to another second of your arguing. This day has been weird enough as it is. I’m going to the research center.”

“But—”

“NO BUTS! I’m going. With or without either of you. Lok.” I turned toward the larger Sankado, who stood straighter under my scrutiny.

“Yes?”

“I don’t know a damn thing about a Zhali, but I do know I just met you. We don’t have whatever soul-bond-type thing this is on my home planet, so don’t expect any undying love confessions from me anytime soon. But I am willing to try. Mostly because I’m not sure if I have a choice with this serum.”

“You don’t,” Intern said matter-of-factly.

I shook my head, choosing to ignore him. “Can you work with that?”

Lok smiled wide. “Absolutely.”

Nodding, I turned my attention to Sol. “My mind is made up, but you are welcome to join us.”

He gritted his teeth, his eyes shifting between Lok and me. Clearly he was trying to fight back his dire need to argue about every little thing. After a moment, the man must have decided to concede defeat and let out a breath. “Fine. We’ll try it your way.”

“Good.” I clasped my hands together and smiled. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, Intern, lead the way.”

“Right.” The intern flew up to rest on Lok’s shoulder and pointed to the mountains lining the horizon. “Let’s be off, then.”

“This group is entirely too comfortable using me as a beast of burden,” Lok said. He tried to manage a pointed scowl, but it soon broke into a chuckle. Reaching to his belt, he unhooked a long bone horn and brought it to his lips. Its sound blared across the clearing like a trumpet, one long note followed by three short honks. Once finished, Lok returned the horn to its holster.

“What was that?” Sol snapped, his body tensing as his hand inched closer to the knife on his belt. “Who did you call?”

Lok rolled his eyes. “Blossom.”

“And just who is—”

A blaring call interrupted his question. Fast trills rose from somewhere in the distant tall grass. I followed the sound to see a duck-billed dinosaur galloping toward us. The ground thudded beneath her heavy stomps. At the sight of Lok, the creature threw back her head and a loud, triumphant blare escaped the long red crest adorning her skull. The rest of her body was a greenish beige, with black stripes peeking out from beneath the saddle on her back.

Spreading his arms wide, Lok braced himself for impact as Blossom charged at him. Her front legs hit the brakes a few yards from him, but the rest of her body was far too full of excitement and didn’t get the memo. I winced as the dinosaur slammed into him. Intern squawked, frantically flapping his way to safety.

Lok merely took the hit with a smile and petted her. “Blossom, my big girl!”

“Big” was an understatement. His big girl dwarfed the man entirely. Even standing on all fours, Blossom had to be at least nine feet tall and thrice as long. The duckbill leaned into his hand, then snorted and nudged at his gut with her hoof. Taking the hint, Lok pulled a brown flower-shaped treat from his pocket and offered it to her. His hand disappeared into her mouth, then reappeared flowerless. Thankfully with all his fingers intact.

Amazed, I stepped closer to the dinosaur, instinctively reaching for my phone. Swiping away its Low Battery notification, I pulled up my camera and took several pictures. “You tamed a dinosaur? I thought Sol said you’ve only been on this planet for ten years.”

“Yes?” Lok cocked his head as if confused and said, “It doesn’t take that long to make a friend. Blossom here will do just about anything for a sugar flower.” He produced another flower from his pocket, then dodged Blossom’s lunge and tossed it to me.

I caught it with a completely normal amount of awkward flailing. The sugar flower was about the size of my palm. On top of the flower sat six petite petals reaching outward, each one resembling a dainty heart-shaped leaf.

My hand is gone.

Just. Gone.

Oh, it came back, thank the gods.

Body frozen, I chanced a glance at Blossom, who held my gaze, happily chewing her prize. Pinky, ring, middle, pointer, thumb. Praise the Absolute, her prize did not include my fingers.

“And now she won’t nip at you when you ride her.” Lok scratched her behind her crest, then took her by the reins and gently but firmly led her back a few steps, out of my space. She flicked her head in irritation but was soothed quickly enough.

It was at that moment I knew Lok was dangerous.

Not in the sense that I half expected him to take the spear from his back and drive it into my gut, which I suppose he could have done if he was so inclined. No, Lok was something much more menacing to my heart.

He was a man who was good with animals.

Be it firemen posing with adorable kittens on calendars, Steve Irwin calling a crocodile rightfully trying to murder him beautiful, or apparently even alien men petting dinosaurs, something about it made me weak in the knees every time.

Blossom tried to jerk out of his hold and step toward me again. Lok’s grip on her reins tightened, flexing the prominent veins on his forearm. As if my already weak-minded self needed another reason to find him ridiculously attractive. He tucked a strand of his long black hair behind his ear and gave me an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I’m still teaching her manners.”

I bit the inside of my cheek and tried not to drool. “She’s perfect.”

“Isn’t she?” His face brightened, a direct attack on my heartstrings. He slapped her side. “Blossom, call your boyfriend.”

She shifted her weight back on her feet and blared a tune into the sky. Lok produced another flower from his pocket and tossed it to Sol. “You get him, good luck.”