DEE

"No," I exhale.

These two can't be here. If the world finds out about them, they'll stick them under a microscope.

Vadnar rushes forward. He helps me up as Ranrok stands close, hands outreached as if to catch me.

"Get the fuck away Ranrok, or I swear that I'll bury you in this foreign soil!" Vadnar snarls. "How dare you embrace her like she's yours?"

"Not now!" I interject. "Please, we have to find shelter." And talk. There is so much to talk about!

Ranrok isn't interested in anything but fighting, because Vadnar's threat enrages him. He tackles Vadnar to the ground, and the two tumble in the grass, swinging and kicking. We're on a hill right by the woods. Luckily, there's no one around to hear their struggles.

"Guys! Guys, please!"

My begging goes unheard, so I do the next best thing and pretend to faint. The sound of my body hitting the ground has them untangling and coming to my side. I pretend to slowly return to consciousness, batting my lashes and weakly saying, "We need to find Cherry."

"Yes, I'll find you all the cherries, my love. Just stay still and calm down."

They're both kneeling over me, sporting busted lips and bruising cheekbones. But at least they haven't killed each other yet.

I slowly get up, palming Vadnar's chest for support. They wear similar tunics, made of brown fur and bits of leather. Vadnar has a knife sticking out of a breast pocket—so close to his heart, so carelessly placed. These two men stand out like sore thumbs. They're warriors. And their red skin won't help them blend in.

"Look. We're all on Earth now. We need to find my friend, Cherry."
They both look around, mesmerized by the buildings in the distance.

"The grass looks like Zolan," Ranrok says, gripping a handful.

Except that it's not. If they thought they were ostracized while on Zolan for being masters, they will be shocked to see how evil Earth could be to them.

"Ranrok, why are you here?" I whisper.

"I ran for you," he replies. "I missed you while you were gone."

Vadnar's fingers dip into my waist—likely to anchor himself before he throttles the other man.

"Thank you for looking for me, but I'm... I can't be with you."

I hate having this conversation with him a second time. It feels cruel.

"He's staying behind," declares Vadnar. "Staying on this planet."

"Vadnar!" I gasp.

Ranrok stares at me for a long time, studying everything from my hair to my lips. "That would be the wisest choice," he says. "I will never let you go, Dee. Vadnar and I will forever keep fighting."

"But you need our protection, and we need you to help in the war!"

He shrugs a shoulder. "I've always had little faith in your mission to overtake the crown. We don't have enough numbers. I followed Vadnar to protect you, not to serve him."

This is crazy. Irrational. "Ranrok, you deserve to live in a world of peace. You won't find it on Earth"

"I told you I was fine living in the prison until you came along. I am obsessed with you, Dee. But now that I'm in your world, I can spend my days living in the mountains, studying your kind. There will be no more fighting, only peace and isolation. I've had enough war to last me a lifetime."

Vadnar brushes his fingers across the back of my hand. "He will never let you go if he remains beside you. Trust me, I understand his obsession."

"But he can't live here alone!"

"I'm a hunter," counters Ranrok. "I will survive just fine. And who said anything about being alone? I might find a pretty human."

I don't have time to deal with this insanity. With a hand on my forehead, I sigh. "Let's focus on finding Cherry. She can't be too far from here."

We're still in DC. I recognize some of the skyscrapers in the city. Knowing that Cherry's home was by the water, I lead the men down the hill with our backs facing the city.

Vadnar interlocks our arms to support me. I missed his touch. His warmth. We're finally together. Now I just need to get him into an empty room, away from all the danger and impending doom, and just tell him that I love him.
On Zolan and on Earth. Three months ago and three months from now, I will feel the same.

——

We finally get a stroke of luck when I identify Cherry's home. Her neighbors are a safe distance away, the tall oak trees blocking our view. I rush in front of the guys, as if my short figure could hide them. We circle the pond and I pound into her back door.

A minute later, she looks through the peephole. I know because I hear her loud gasp before the door peers open.

Ñ"D—Dee?"

"Hey," I laugh nervously. "Looks like Christmas came early."

"And which one of the red guys is Santa?" She asks, still hiding behind the door.

"They're harmless. They're my friends."

Well, harmless to us. I'm sure the house will come down if I leave these two alone in the same room.

"What is she saying?" Asks Vadnar, unable to understand our English conversation.

"God! His voice is so deep!" Says Cherry. "I don't know about this, Dee. How did you come back, and why did you bring these... men?"

"The portal failed. They were nearby and got pulled back with me." I bite my lip, anxiety rippling through me.

"Please don't shut us out. I know I've already asked for a lot, but I wouldn't know where to hide them. I can't go to my apartment."

She opens the door fully, staring warily as she extends a hand out. "Come on, let's get you some water. You look like hell."

I smile as I accept her hand. She's right. My body is exhausted, and my mind is quickly following. I need to rest, but speaking with Vadnar comes first. I've waited long enough. I won't miss my chance again.

The guys duck into the house. We step into the neat kitchen. The papers and the machine parts have been boxed. I guess Cherry figured she wouldn't need them anymore.

"Dee, explain to your friend that I will compensate her for her troubles. I will hunt the biggest beast in the land and bring it to her doorstep." He pats his breast pocket, as if that small knife will be enough for hunting.

"Count me in," says Ranrok.

"Guys, we don't hunt here. We have supermarkets and... Uber Eats." I take a seat on one of the stools Cherry pulled in here, thanking her when she hands me a glass of water.

"How do I provide for you, then?" asks Vadnar, setting a hand on my shoulder, seemingly unable to keep away from me. His touch is so warm and comforting, I slump in my chain in relief. I've missed his touch.

I cover his hand with my own, looking up to meet his eyes. He looks... angry. Not at me, but at my frazzled and weak condition.

"Everything okay?" asks Cherry as she twists a dry hand towel nervously.

"Yes. Sorry, Cherry. This is Vadnar and Ranrok. I've known them for a long time now. They're honorable men. I need to use the machine again. Something must have gone wrong in our calculations."

I don't specify how I was enslaved with the men. That would only freak her out.
She nods. "Yes, Dee, but... I was going to destroy everything and move out of this home for a while. So much activity has happened–all the energy I've been pulling from the grid..." she sighs.

"Someone will notice and come investigate. I was going to stay at my mother's house. I convinced her to go on vacation for two weeks."

"I'm so sorry for asking, but can we come along? I mean, these guys..." I point to the warriors wearing fur vests and pants. Scarred all over with messy hair and thin lines between their brow from the constant frowning. "I can't hide them easily."

"Of course, girl. Of course. I'm not surprised you came back. Clearly you couldn't stay away," she jokes.

We get to planning. One week should be enough to check our calculations and ensure that the teleportation works this time. All we have to do is lay low and hide the big red aliens.

Upon my request, Cherry shows Ranrok to the living room, handing him a yo-yo to keep him distracted, because a TV would just be too much to handle. The guys don't understand a word of English, so I give them a brief explanation of our plans. In one week, we'll be using the portal again.

I give a final peek into the living room before returning to Vadnar in the kitchen. He's looking right at me, ignoring all the magical machines and neat architecture around us. He's unimpressed by everything but me. Even after all these months apart, the man knows how to make my knees weak.

He closes the three feet between us, shocking me by being the one to fall to his knees. He grips my hips and buries his face into my belly. Sighing and sounding as exhausted as I feel.

"I'm so sorry, my Dee. I had been a rotten idiot for hurting you and not trying to fix things in the months that followed. Please take me back, Dee. I will give anything you ask for."

He's kneeling for me! Ranrok could walk in here and see this. I know Vadnar wouldn't appreciate looking weak in front of the other male.

"Hey, hey," I say soothingly and touch his broad shoulders. "Get up, Vadnar. You don't have to beg me. You had your reasons."

"I feared the pain of losing you. But those three months didn't lessen the pain."

"Vadnar." I run my hand through his soft hair. "I could have approached you too. But I was bitter. Childish. You don't have to apologize to me. And damn it, you didn't have to clutch onto me! Now you're on this fucking planet and..."

Only my sniffle makes him pull his head from my womb. He stands and pulls me tight into his embrace. Now I'm the one buried face-first into his chest. He smells like land after rain. He smells like Zolan.

"I will not lose you again. I will clutch you tight forever."

I lift my face, meeting his eyes that glisten with so much emotion. "But if humans found out about you..."

"I survived life as a gladiator!" he snaps, squeezing me and stamping a kiss on my forehead. "I did not break after all that fighting and starvation, and this planet will not break me, either."

My brave master. My honorable king. He doesn't need a crown to own the world as I know it.

I'm taken back to the first day we met at the farm. When he was glaring at me for trespassing into his land. He's glaring at me now, too, with conviction. He is fearless, and he has never been more attractive.

When he had been many inches up my cunt, showing me how virile he is with every jaw-clattering thrust, he made my heart thunder. It's beating just as fast right night now, because he's making love to my soul.

He rubs my back, pulling me even tighter as he finally observes our surroundings.

"This place is... strange. Weirdly shaped metals and textures on the wall. I don't understand this world, but I will protect you from everything."

Bless him. The man doesn't know what a car or a faucet is, but he would destroy this world for me.

"We will be here for just a week," I say.

"And we'll be home."

"Ranrok is staying here. The man has said his piece, and I respect him for it. I have shown enough restraint by allowing him to stay in the fort."

I rub my face, not ready to discuss this yet. I care for Ranrok–not romantically, but the guy has only wished me well. He carried me across the wall at the colosseum, and although Vadnar hates him for being so persistent, he shares the same characteristic with him.

How could I hate Ranrok for being persistent, when I love Vadnar for it?

"I will respect whatever Ranrok decides at the end of the week," I say. "But today, I just want to rest."

Vadnar nods. "Where is the bed? I will carry you."

"No. I need a bath, please. Will you help me wash?"

His body stiffens, locking around me. "Are you sure that's a wise idea?"

"Nothing sexual, Vadnar. I just want to be with you."

"I understand," he replies, looking at my lips. "But I don't know if I will have the strength to honor your request."

I smile. "You were just ranting about facing the world for me."

"Yes, but the world does not have voluptuous breasts and buttocks. I would lose the battle if it did."

I giggle and playfully slap his bicep. It looks like things are getting back to normal–as normal as they can get while having two aliens on Earth.

"Well, then you'll have to squeeze the bar of soap really tightly and pray to the god of hygiene that he gives you strength."