Alien Holiday by Tracy Lauren

Chapter 6

Resa

I’m up before dawn. Luckily the rain is heavy today—it’ll keep those bothersome aliens indoors. The knowledge allows me to take my time cooking breakfast over the fire. Funny though, my eyes keep wandering to the mouth of my cave. For some strange reason I keep imagining the brown-haired one finding her way up here. She nearly discovered me yesterday. Three more steps and she’d have found me ducked behind a tree. The consequences of which would be terrible. I mean, those aliens annoy me enough as it is—imagine if they knew I was up here? No, I can’t let that happen.

Digging into my meal, I idly wonder if they might become hostile. They had no issue taking over the temple, what if they wished to take over my cave as well? I frown at the thought. This was my parents’ cave. It is mine. They can have the temple, but I will not leave my cave. I am firm on that.

I think I’ll clean my tools today. Perhaps sharpen my spears… Yet, I find myself staring outside. Even with clouds so thick, I can still tell the hour for exercise is drawing near. But the rain is too heavy. It rushes down the mountain, concealing the opening of my cave like a curtain. The aliens surely won’t venture out—not even for their exercise ritual.

I move as close to the cave opening as I can without getting wet and widen my stance, one foot to the front, one to the back. Front leg bent. I hold my arms out and take a deep breath. This is sheer stupidity. I stretch my wings wide to aid my balance, then lean…

My back pops like a dry branch snapping in two and I suck in a breath. Foolishess! My time would be better spent sharpening spears or mending clothing—and I’m about to do just that when something catches my eye out on the hill.

I rush out into the rain for a better view. Sure enough, through the veil of water and fog, I can see a figure plodding her way across the muddy hilltop. I know exactly which foolish alien this is. I squint, shielding my eyes from the rain. Is a male accompanying her? She appears to be alone! By the Gods, what is she doing?

Is she searching for me?

Damn. She might have gotten a better look at me than I thought. What an idiotic thing, coming out here, alone, in a storm like this! There are floods to think about, mud slides! Hell, I’ve seen animals get stuck in mud so thick they die trying to get out.

I tilt my gaze up to the sky. It’d be easier to have eyes on her from above, but then I might be seen as well—I’ve had to limit my flying since the aliens arrived, lest I be discovered— My mind reels.

Damn it all!I can’t allow this female’s foolishness to be my undoing. Yet if I leave her to her own devices she’s more likely to die out here than to ever find me or my cave. I consider the dangers, frowning over the thought of something awful befalling her. Not that I give one damn about any of these aliens, it just seems like a sad way for a lone female to go—and I don’t want her blood on my hands.

I seek her out but she’s disappeared under the foliage. There could be a damn river flowing in the valley down there. She’s going to be washed away, I know it. Her people will never know what terrible fate befell her. Hell, they might send a search party.

Fuck.

A decision is made. I rush down the hill on foot, slipping and sliding through the mud, leaping for rocks and using my wings to catch the wind. I glide from stone to stone. I don’t know what I’m going to do when I find her. I suppose I’ll have to drag her limp body from a raging river. We’ll just have to find out.

I’m rushing down the hill like that, my thoughts and heart racing—when I pass her. I’m going so fast she’s not more than a blur and I have to double-take to ensure I’m not mistaken. That’s when I trip. Also, that’s when I’m finally discovered by the aliens.