“It is strange.”
That didn’t help alleviate her worries one bit. Kelsey inched closer to Crath. “Now I’m wondering if something killed them all. Are mud monsters going to suddenly pop out of the ground to eat us?” She warily stared at the clay-like surface.
“I will keep you safe.”
“Your big plan was to crash us onto a planet that you know very little about.”
“The Cristos didn’t capture us, did they?”
She’d give him that. “How can you keep me safe from dangers that you aren’t even aware of?” She visually hunted for a weapon. A broken gray branch lay about ten feet away. She carefully walked in that direction, watching the branch for long seconds. For all she knew, the trees might be alive. It was an alien planet, after all.
The chunk of twisted vines that passed for a branch didn’t move. She reached out to touch it with her fingertips. It didn’t react in any way, so she lifted it. The wood felt solid.
“What are you doing?”
“Weapon.” She turned, giving it a test swing. “It might take down something coming at us if I hit hard enough.”
“I see. But you don’t need that. I will protect you.”
“That’s great to hear but I’ll keep this anyway. I’m kind of into saving myself whenever possible.”
“I respect and admire a strong female.” He smiled at her.
She noticed again that Crath was a good-looking alien. Especially when he attempted to be charming. He was mostly humanoid but with feline traits. Those blue eyes of his were incredible.
A history lesson flashed in her head from high school. It was about Egyptian deities. Some of them had been catlike. Her gaze flicked down his very human-looking muscular body and back to his facial features. Maybe his race had once visited Earth and bred with humans. It would explain why his features weren’t as harsh or animalistic as those depicted in museums and books.
“Did your people happen visit Earth thousands of years ago, by any chance?”
Crath glanced at her and shrugged. “Perhaps. We have been traveling in space for a very long time. I’m not certain. Why?”
“Never mind.” She wasn’t about to ask if his ancestors had been worshipped by humans at some point in history. It was time to change the subject. “So you like strong women? Good thing. That’s who you’re stuck on this planet with.” She wiggled her bare toes. “I need shoes. This mud stuff is cold. I grabbed some material to shove into that bag and a few knives. Can you dig inside it for that stuff and grab them for me?”
“What are you going to do?”
“Make some kind of covering to protect my feet.”
He grinned at her. “You’re resourceful.”
“I try to be.”
He stopped, opened the bag, and dug around. Kelsey accepted a small knife and the folded dish towels, or whatever aliens called them. They were a thin but sturdy material. Kelsey took a seat on a twisted vine log, wrapped one towel around her foot, gathering the ends around her ankle, and cut another towel into long strips. She used one of them to strap the material in place around her ankle. Then did the same to her other foot.
“Smart female.”
She lifted her chin, staring up at Crath. “I’d love some hiking boots way more but this is better than nothing.”
“I will get you anything you desire once we’re on The Vorge.”
“Then I’ll look forward to a hot meal, a warm bath if you have something that passes for a tub…and do you have a robot masseuse?”
“What is that? Masseuse? I haven’t heard this word before.”
“I was joking. It’s basically a robot that gives back rubs. You know, to massage aching muscles.”
“You want your body stimulated for pleasure?” He grinned. “I can do that for you.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Whoa. Let’s just stick with a hot meal and a warm bath when we’re rescued.”
Crath’s gaze ran down her body briefly before he turned away, seeming to visually inspect the area round them. “I’m seeking caves. That means we need to start climbing. We’ll find a secure place to spend the night in case The Vorge can’t retrieve us until tomorrow.” He faced her again. “If you hear any engine noises, rush to me.” He lifted his arm and pointed at the device on his wrist. “You need to be very close for this to mask our life signs from scans if the Cristos return.”
She studied his thick wristband. “I thought you said that was how your people can track you.”
“It is, but it does more.”
“Do all aliens have those?”
He shook his head. “It came with my job.”
“What do you do?”
“Like you, I am law enforcement. I work with the allied authorities. I’m taking some time off right now after my last assignment.”
“Did something go wrong on the job?”
“You could say that. I was captured and held prisoner while undercover. My family and the crew of The Vorge came to my aid. They also rescued a human from the same planet. She became my second brother’s wife.”
“You guys really do find humans and save them?”
“Yes. We do.”
“How many siblings do you have? Do they all live on the ship that you’ve told me about?”
Crath chuckled. “Not all. Just my littermates are on The Vorge. We’ll discuss it once we find a safe place to set up camp. I’ve been assured that explaining Tryleskian families to humans is complicated.”
She stood, trying out her makeshift shoes. They wouldn’t protect her from sharp objects but they kept her feet warmer and beat walking directly on the cold mud. “Telling me how many siblings you have is complicated? And what are littermates?”
“Tryleskians have litters. Humans tend to have single births. Nara told me that. Sometimes your race can have twins or triplets. My people have anywhere from three to five babies at once. Sometimes six, but it is rare. One of our scientists theorized a human would probably have at least two and up to five babies during a pregnancy from a Tryleskian male’s heat. Those children born at the same time are called littermates. We also go into heat every three years.”
That had her jaw dropping in shock but she closed it fast. The litter thing made more sense now, since Crath did appear to be some type of cat alien, albeit a very humanlike one. “What is your version of heat?”
“I understand that some of your animals from Earth experience going into heat. It is similar.” He turned around to study her. “To be blunt, it is the only time a Tryleskian male’s seed is effective to impregnant a female. We experience an overriding desire to breed that is instinctual.” He looked up. “Now, we need to find cover. It appears the sun will be going down soon.”
She watched her feet as they kept moving, the slanted ground becoming steeper. Her mind, however, was mostly occupied with what she’d learned. Her gaze kept straying to Crath’s body, taking in his wide shoulders, tall frame…and he had an amazing ass. The fact that he went into heat like an animal should have left her unnerved, but that wasn’t what she felt. It sounded kind of…
Sexy.
Kelsey sternly shoved that thought away and focused on their surroundings. The sun sat low in the sky, but frankly, she wasn’t certain if it was going down or coming up. Either way, shelter was probably a good idea. There were no clouds in sight to indicate more rain or incoming bad weather, but for all she knew, that could change in an instant. It was an alien world. She didn’t have any idea what to expect.