Captured By The Alien Barbarian: A Sci-fi Alien Romance series (Planet Atraxis Warriors)

Chapter 16

Ajolt runs through my entire body as something cold and wet touches my neck. It’s a mistake to move. Moving only increases the pain that spreads through every part of me—my skin, bones, and even my claws throb with the weak pulse of my hearts.

My eyelids flutter at the sound of movement nearby. Instincts as old as time scream at me to stand and defend myself, but my mind is foggy. How did I end up in this situation?

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” a familiar voice utters. Peeling my eyes open, a hazy sight of blue skin meets my gaze. I groan and attempt to shove the male away, only to be consumed by a wave of pain so intense that it leaves me disoriented and gasping for air.

“Careful now. The medicine has only just started to take effect. You’ll be weak for quite some time.”

I stare at the male hovering above me, struggling to speak, since my tongue feels swollen and unresponsive. A flurry of questions swirl within me: why is he here? Why am I here? Why would he waste precious medicine on me, an outsider to his tribe?

Melvall seems to pick up on the chaos within my mind as he sits back on his haunches and looks down at me. He sweeps a blood-red hand over his scalp, slicking back sweat, then holds his hand out in front of him with a grimace of disgust at realizing just what he did.

“I’m going to smell like you,” he says, shaking his head.

With a grunt, he shoves one of my drolvden back, futilely commanding it to sit and stay. The three of them whine and wiggle back toward me as soon as Melvall’s attention shifts.

“How did you get ambushed? I thought you were a better hunter than this,” Melvall says. “It can’t be that hard to keep a little female hidden from sight.”

Little female... Ariana!

My beautiful little Ariana—my Nika—is in grave danger. I desperately attempt to stand, commanding my limbs to take action, but they flail wildly instead, colliding with Melvall in the process.

“Ariana,” I manage to say, the words sounding slurred even to my own ears.

“You still have water in your lungs, and your body is far from healed,” Melvall says. He slams a hand against my chest, forcing me to lie back on the ground with surprising force.

I resist, trying to break free. Ariana is alone and defenseless. She needs me.

“If you continue moving, you will die.”

Narrowing my eyes, I glare at him, even as my energy dwindles. My resolve to protect Ariana remains strong.

“Your drolvden alerted me.” Melvall once again shoves the drolv back from my body as it tries to sneak forward. It growls and snaps at him, but never quite bites him. “The damned things wouldn’t stop howling all night long. When you didn’t make our usual meeting, I figured something was wrong. I had hoped you’d merely kicked the mangy beasts out of your den to mate with your female.”

Melvall averts his gaze for some time before saying, “Your female is gone.”

The male then grabs my face with both hands and urgently shouts, “Breathe! I didn’t waste that medicine on you just for you to die from shock. Your mate needs you to live.”

I gulp in deep breaths, feeling the cold air filling my lungs and chilling my heart. Shivering, I feel useless. I can’t save my Ariana if I can barely breathe. How can I save my Ariana when I can barely breathe, let alone fight for her?

Suddenly, visions of my father flood my mind—blood everywhere, his hand clutching his stomach wound, and his other hand pointed at me while yelling, “Get away from me! Get away!”

“Your mate needs you,” Melvall says, shaking me out of the horrifying memory. “If you don’t want her, then I’ll hunt her down for myself.”

Enraged, I lunge at him, but my movements are clumsy, and I only manage a weak slap instead of a powerful strike. My claws don’t gouge his flesh as I had intended. I’m pathetic.

“Mine,” I croak, determined to defend my mate to the death, making sure Melvall knows I won’t give her up. “Mine.”

The male has the audacity to laugh at me, throwing back his head as he reveals sharp white teeth. “Oh, I don’t doubt that. Despite the mud that coats your filthy hide, you reek of her.”

I don’t miss the longing on his face. The curl of his lips softens to a smile. He doesn’t fight me. Every male wants a female. But in this one instance, I know that Melvall won’t challenge me for mine.

He’s insane not to. My Ariana is perfect. But I won’t point this out to him.

“I owe you an apology. When I found you, I was faced with a choice. I could leave you or find your female.” He looks away, guilt evident in his eyes. “I searched for your female.”

I narrow my eyes at Melvall, who quickly holds up his hands defensively. “Not like that. I thought, if it was me in your position, you would want your mate safe. I had hoped you might recover on your own. When I couldn’t find her, I returned, and you were still in bad shape. In fact, you were closer to death. So, I used the medicine, even though I know your tribe despises it. Sorry about that.”

To be honest, I can’t fault him the logic. Ariana’s safety was the priority.

“I’m sorry, Taccit, but your den was empty by the time I got there,” Melvall says.

I growl at him and let my hands fall to my sides, feeling utterly exhausted. It surprises me that he knew where I lived, as I had never sensed him nearby.

“I’m going to find her,” I say, the pain in my throat mirroring my determination. Nothing in the universe will stop me from finding my mate.

“I followed the track. They’ve taken her to the human settlement. Launching a reckless attack will only lead to certain death, especially in your current condition,” Melvall points out infuriatingly.

I find I honestly don’t care. I would prefer death over never being able to hold Ariana in my arms ever again.

I glance up at Melvall, whom I’ve known for most of my life. I’ve never genuinely trusted him before today, always keeping him at arm’s length. I realize that if I am going to save my mate, then I will need to. “Will you help me?”

“I may. I might find my own mate in the process,” Melvall says, laughing. Of course, he isn’t helping for free, the scoundrel. Though, as long as my Ariana is rescued, I don’t care what he does. “But we will need more warriors than just you and me. We’d be fools to rush in.”

I flex my fingers and toes, feeling the familiar sensation of claws lengthening and retreating. The agony is already subsiding, as my skin and muscles knit back together more rapidly than ever due to the medicine. My wounds will soon be healed enough for me to travel, though I’ll remain significantly weakened for some time.

Yet it’s enough. A plan is forming in my mind—one I would never have considered if it weren’t for Ariana.

“I know where we can find more warriors,” I say.

* * *

Melvall catchesme as I stumble down a small incline. I grunt my thanks to him. Neither of us mention my lingering weakness, or how it’s almost impossible for me to walk yet.

It’s unsettling to walk these familiar paths again. The trees seem smaller despite having grown larger over time.

I halt in my tracks as the huts become visible through the foliage. Their resemblance to human structures is uncanny, with red-brick exteriors and roofs adorned in reeds. The stone pathways weaving between the cottages and the central communal hall are a new addition, though.

Apprehensively, I observe a youngster racing through the doorway of the nearest building. He glances my way and his eyes widen in shock upon realizing I’m not someone he recognizes. He quickly retreats, and a cry reverberates through the abruptly silent village.

Every instinct within me urges me to flee. My feet shuffle uneasily as my claws lengthen, digging into the soil to resist the compulsion. For my mate, I must stay.

My tribe isn’t large, and soon enough, the members pour from their homes and rush towards the growing commotion.

Several men shout and charge towards us. They brandish their spears, with crackling lightning at the tips, ready for combat.

“Brothers!” I call out, lifting my chin defiantly, unfazed by their ferocity.

Behind me, Melvall has taken a step back, but upon seeing my resolute posture, his own confidence bolsters. For an outsider, encountering our tribe—and more so, discovering the location of our village—usually means certain death.

In this moment, I am more than grateful for having my friend at my side. And it’s a strange thought. Until today, I had considered Melvall as a mere acquaintance, but not someone that I truly trusted. It took meeting my mate to recognize just how much I appreciated his friendship.

I’m thrown when the warriors halt before us, utterly baffled by my disposition. “But... what?” one of them stutters.

My brow arches as his spear point dips towards the ground, and I realize his training must be inadequate given his lowered guard.

No wonder he’s inexperienced. He’s much younger than I am.

My voice is hoarse with emotion as I address him. “Zoran.”

The last time I saw my little brother, he’d barely begun walking. He turns his head from side to side, utterly in shock. Still, I’m glad to see the markings that adorn the side of his head, showing that he’s earned his place among the tribe.

One of the elders gently nudges the young male aside. I instantly recognize the now weathered face, with wrinkles etched heavily around his eyes and his once-glossy black hair turned white.

“Elder Dra-zeed, my heart is glad to see you still live.”

I bow deeply, bending at the waist, and my healing body protests the action.

Dra-zeed was my sire’s best friend, and I saw him almost every day growing up. He never found a mate of his own, so my dam shared our food with him. Though we did not share blood, he treated me like family and I considered him as such. Various expressions cross his face, and I anxiously await for his eyes to show contempt, anger, or disgust. Instead, hope emerges. “So you have decided to return, then?”

Before I can reply or request his help, a voice cries from the back of the group, and everyone freezes.

My world slows down as my eyes drift towards the individual who has captured everyone’s attention. The crowd parts, revealing a short, green woman leaning heavily on a cane. Her hair is a cascade of white braids down her shoulders, and she wears a simple knee-length dress along with a crude bracelet and headband.

My legs tremble and collapse beneath me.

I hear a sob, but I am unsure whether it comes from my mouth or hers.

“My dam,” I say, my forehead touching the rocky soil as I lower myself in submission before her. After all, I am her tainted son. “I beg for your forgiveness.”

A heavy weight falls upon me, and I flinch, expecting an attack—a deserved punishment from my tribe. To my surprise, arms embrace me.

Pain cuts deeper than ever as her tears fall on my neck, and she buries her face in my shoulder, sobbing. “Forgive you for what, my youngling?”

I look at her, intending to stand strong and proud before her, to show her the male I’ve become. But instead, my vision blurs as tears fill my eyes and spill onto my cheeks.

“There is nothing to forgive. There never has been.”

“I’m sorry,” I whisper repeatedly, releasing the pent-up words from my youth as I cling to her.

Her body seems smaller than I remember. Where I once nestled in her arms, now I tower over her, holding her tight. She still smells of food, just like she did when I was younger. Her scent reminds me of vasarian milk hotcakes—sweet bread drizzled with honey—from my childhood. Memories resurface of trying to sneak extra cakes, only to be caught and made to help her bake new ones. Somehow, there was always extra dough.

I’ve never cried. Not in all the cycles since I left my tribe. I’ve always thought myself stronger than this. I went into the wilds and lived by myself, a self-enacted punishment for killing my father.

Never have I been more wrong.

“All these cycles I have avoided you. I’ve wasted all these cycles. My mate was right; I should have returned earlier.”

My dam withdraws, eventually ending our embrace. She dabs her cheeks, drying her tears, and lets out a weak chuckle.

“I am aware this rascal,” she nods towards Melvall, who still lingers slightly behind us, “is not your mate. So, did you bring her here to meet your old dam?”

“I mean, I could be his mate.” Melvall says behind us. “What is it about me that screams un-mateable?”

He lifts an arm and gives it a sniff. “Do I smell or something?”

My dam raises her brow at my male companion, her lips twitching with amusement.

“I’m so sorry, dam.” The words become clogged in my throat. Fresh anguish washes over me as my eyes shut tight. I’ve been trying so hard to deny it, but I have to face facts. “I’ve lost her. My mate. The humans have taken her.”

Her gentle hand strokes my cheek soothingly. I open my eyes to see her astonishing brown ones gazing at me, and I am reminded, with piercing clarity, that she understands the pain of losing a mate. There is no anger in her eyes, only a resolute assurance that I myself cannot comprehend.

“Then, my youngling, it’s time for us to bring her home.”

* * *

The shock overwhelmsme as my tribe forcefully drags Melvall and me into the community building. We are guided to sit on the floor in front of a fireplace located in the center of the room. Shortly after, a warm fire crackles, and a bowl of food is pushed into my hands. I absently gaze down at the vasarian milk hotcakes that I had so loved as a youngling.

“No, but thank you,” Melvall waves away the offered food.

Before he has a chance to change his mind, I grab for his bowl and place it in front of me. Now that the medicine has taken effect, my appetite returns. I greedily consume the hotcakes for energy, unable to savor them as I once did. I have a mate to rescue. Still, I take some comfort in that my dam makes them just as they used to taste.

While I eat, I watch Melvall courageously narrate the recent events to my tribe. Despite their apprehension towards him, they surprisingly seem more receptive to the outsider than I had anticipated.

“I will fight with you. We will get your mate back,” my brother Balroth declares resolutely.

The thought of one of my younger brothers joining me in this battle makes me uneasy, and I choke on my food. I have no knowledge of his abilities as a hunter or a warrior.

“No, you could be hurt,” I say, placing my bowl down firmly on the floor.

Beside him, Zoran snorts. “Taccit is correct, Balroth. I mean, have you seen your hunting skills? They’re as sharp as a wooden spear. Clearly, I am the better male to accompany him on this raid.”

Balroth turns to our youngest brother, scowling, “I bested you in battle just weeks ago.”

“I have trained since then. I can take you,” Zoran retorts.

Beside me, Melvall’s eyes shine with glee. I can tell that he’s struggling to hold back his laughter. Of course, the male has a poor sense of humor and finds this bantering humorous.

Balroth shakes his head as if he’s tired of Zoran’s banter, yet his eyes crinkle with his own amusement.

My heart drops when he turns to face me with a serious expression. He sits taller, his shoulders back. In that moment, he looks like a younger version of my sire, and I find myself wondering just who took over leading the tribe.

“I am not a youngling anymore, Taccit. You cannot tell me what to do,” he says firmly.

I wince at his words. He is correct. I left his life cycles ago, and I have no authority to dictate his actions.

Balroth must notice my pain, for his expression softens. “If you wish for the support of our clan, then each available warrior will accompany you. If the humans came and took my mate, I know I would want my family at my back. Besides, my Eve can provide us valuable information about the colony so that we can plan out our attack.”

“You are mated?” I frown. It is a stark reminder of how long I have been absent from my tribe and their lives.

Then, I understand his words. “How does your mate know about the human village?”

Balroth grins and beckons to someone behind me.

I am stunned when a small human scurries up to him, slipping under his arm.

“You have... but that’s a human!”

“Hi,” the female Eve greets me, flashing her teeth as my Ariana did when we first met. Her eyes widen, and she quickly covers her mouth, looking horrified.

Despite everything, I can’t help but laugh. I return her human greeting by baring my teeth, even as my brother stiffens beside his mate and glares at me. “You are just like my Ariana. I am honored to meet you.”

Eve’s voice fluctuates with emotion as she exclaims, “Wait, did you say Ariana? Seriously? She’s your mate?!”

Eve’s cheeks turn pink, and I immediately recognize that she is embarrassed by her outburst. “I’m sorry. It’s just Ariana was one of my best friends on the ship. I never thought I would get to see her again. To know that she is alive and well…”

Her voice trails off, acknowledging that while my mate is indeed alive, her well-being remains uncertain. We don’t know the intentions of the human males who took her.

With determination in her eyes, Eve raises her chin, reminding me of Ariana. “Okay, so I’ve never been inside the colony since it was constructed, but I was part of the team that helped design it. Here’s what I think we should do...” With her help, we devise a strategy to attack the human settlement.