Alien Romance: Interview with an Alien (Football Paranormal Invasion Abduction Alpha Sci-fi Romance) (Fantasy First New Adult Contact Science Fiction Mystery Sports Alien Short Stories) (34 page)

              “So we are all good?” Andy asked, looking from Aupon to Corion.

              Aupon and Corion sneered at each other, neither saying anything. Paul pulled Andy back. Andy looked confused, but Paul could feel the electricity in the air. Ancient magic. Ancient anger dancing between the two creatures.

              “Andy, your brother has a saying that I think you should heed, run now ask questions later,” Aupon said, his giant arm whipping through the arm.

              Aupon transformed into his grizzly form, lunging at Corion who darted out of the way just in time. Corion was a wolf in seconds, and lunged at Andy, but Paul pulled him out of the way. The brothers darted into a full sprint. There was no time to transform. They would be able to move faster in human form through the chaos. The bears were too large to get around any other way. Paul pulled Andy, who seemed to be in a daze until he seemed to find his footing.

              “I don’t understand,” Andy gasped, cutting through branches, and leaping over branches.

              Paul looked back, and the snow was red with blood. Growls, snarls, howls, ripped through the air. Birds were zooming out of the trees as massive bodies slammed into redwoods and oaks. Some trees splintered, and the sound thundered through the air as the mighty redwoods came crashing down around them.

              “Paul, what’s happening?” Andy demanded.

              “War!” Paul said, picking up his pace.

              Werebears darted past them; some looked at them wondering why they were running away from the fight. Thankfully, no one stopped them. But Andy and Paul were running against the tsunami of bears, and it was getting too crowded. The snow had made a narrow path to the fight, and every one of Aupon’s bears wanted a piece of the action.

              Paul looked back again. The ground below was absolutely covered with the bodies of werewolves. A few bears were scattered amongst them.

              “Shit!” Paul said.
Amy

             
“Wait, what? You think they will get to her?” Andy looked over his shoulder.

              “No telling. Some are staying to fight, but once it slows they will want to get the other wolves. I doubt all of the werewolves are down there fighting.”

              Andy’s eyes darkened with understanding.

              “We have to get her,” Andy said.

              “God, I was afraid you were going to say that,” Paul said.

              “Plan?” Andy asked, darting out the way of several black bears running past them.

              “Transform. Run right into the thick of it. We will blend better that way. Just watch your back. Keep running. They couldn’t have gotten far,” Paul said, skidding to a halt.

              Paul took a deep breath, then collapsed on all fours, running right into the mess of bodies and blood. The growls grew louder as they closed in. Andy closed in next to him growling. It would take a miracle, but they would have to try.

*****

              “
Are you alright
?” Andy asked in bearspeak, as they cleared the fighting.

              Paul growled a response. A wolf had clawed him deeply across his chest, but he got away. Paul looked down, and the snow had a trail of giant drops of blood.

              “
Shit, I’m going to lead them right to us
,” Paul said, looking at the trail of blood.

              “
No worries. I see a campfire. There is still time
,” Andy said.

              “
I see it. Transform. We don’t want to scare them
.”

              Andy rose into his human form, skidding a wave of snow into the air a few yards away from the camp fire. Women and children jumped up, staring at them.

              Paul groaned as the pain of his injury weighed on his chest.

              “Ouch, that looks worse without fur on it,” Andy said, grimacing at the claw marks on Paul’s chest.

              “Thanks for the feedback,” Paul said, putting clumps of snow in the bloody scratches.

              “We’ve got company,” Andy said, jutting his chin at a line of women approaching them.

              “State your business,” said an old woman with long silver hair. She sounded French, though she was probably Canadian.

              “We mean no harm,” Paul said, approaching her slowly.

              “What’s going on out there?” she demanded, “Why aren’t the men back?”             

              “Look, we don’t have time,” Andy said, “There is war! You need to get out of here.”

              “Nonsense. We’ve my granddaughter. There’s nothing to fight about,” she said, tightening a shawl over her boney shoulders.

              “Granddaughter? You’re Amy’s grandmother?” Andy asked, looking around for Amy.

              “
Amelia
. Just who are you?” she asked.

              “I’m Andre, um Andy, and this is Paul. Look, we know her. And I am telling you, you’re in danger. You have to run. Don’t grab anything, just run!”

              The old woman was about to speak when Amy stumbled from behind some trees. She looked weak, pale, and bruised.

              “Nona,” Amy said in a low voice, “I believe them. We should go.”

              “Good. Let’s go!” Andy said, walking towards her.

              “Stop!” Amy said, tears brimming in her eyes, “Don’t come anywhere near me. We,
wolves,
are leaving. You two can go back to your kind,” Amy said, pursing her lips.

              “Amy, you’re ill, and not fit to travel,” Nona protested.

              “Um, I don’t think we have a choice,” Paul said, looking at a wave. A tsunami of bears and wolves about a mile away raced for the camp.

              Nona’s face went ghost-white. The wolves howled in their direction, and Nona brushed her gray hair away from her ear, leaning her head in to listen.

              “Oh, no,” Nona said, “Corion is—they say to run. Grab the pups. Run, everyone, quick!”

              “There are caves. We can get there undetected if we move now,” Paul said, collapsing on all fours. Paul grabbed children two by two and tossed them on his back. The children held on tight, grasping at his thick black coat. Andy followed his lead and threw Amy over his neck along with five young wolf pups. The other women transformed following close behind.

              “
It’s okay, Amy. I’m so sorry
,” Andy growled. Paul heard him so Amy must have too. He had taught her bearspeak, but she didn’t reply. Maybe she was just too weak.

              They ran, and ran for miles uphill, and then across a lake to lose the scent, and then down the hill to a row of caves.

              Paul squatted low so the pups could climb off, and transformed back, feeling the weight of his wounds.

              “You’re hurt,” Nona said, rising to her human form.

              Paul nodded, leaning on his knees.

              Nona walked outside of the cave and returned with berries and leaves in her hands.

              “This will sting, but it will keep out infection,” Nona said. She spit on the leaves, and mashed everything into a paste in her small, frail hands.

              “Ow!” Paul said as the purple and green paste touched the bloody gashes on his chest.

              “Pain only lasts a moment,” Nona said, “Thank you for saving us.”

              “It was the right thing to do,” Paul said with a terse nod.

              “What now?” said, Amy walking over with Andy.

              Nona looked to Paul, as did everyone else.

              “Why are the kids looking at me?” asked Paul.

              Nona smiled, “Because the pups think you are alpha.”

              “Alpha? No, no, I’m—not a leader,” Paul stammered.

              “I don’t know, bro. You sure as hell like bossing me around. Might as well make that alpha status official,” Andy said with a slight smile.

              Paul looked to Amy, and she nodded her thanks. Good, they were good. Andy smiled, and Amy reached for his hand, smiling at him. It looked like their feelings were real, and Paul felt a peace about it that he couldn’t explain.

              “I can’t promise that I will be a good leader,” Paul said, looking to the wolves, to his brother, “But my brother was right about the forest being our home. So if the forest can be home to an architect, then wolves can be his brothers and sisters. We will have to keep moving, but I will protect you to the best of my ability.”

              Paul rose, standing up straight through the pain, and he growled loudly to the sky. The wolves howled loudly in reply, and Paul smiled that his family was once again complete. He would not be a king of the woods, but its guardian.

THE END

Another bonus story is on the next page.

Bonus Story 10 of 24

Suzie Kitchener stepped up to the panoramic window of the VIP booth and inhaled deeply, relishing the heady scent of tire smoke, engine fumes, and the acrid tang of brake dust. She couldn’t help the smile that twitched her lips. It was as if she’d come home. It was true, she was no longer a nine-year-old kid on her father’s shoulders. She felt out of place in her business suit, heels, and blouse, although the other VIPs were just as smartly-dressed. But she’d still have felt more comfortable in scruffy coveralls, blond hair tucked beneath a baseball cap.

Below her, on a cement area randomly striped with black rubber, six men in lime green coveralls celebrated as their driver blasted back into the thick of the pack. The windows vibrated madly as the V-eight screamed. A cloud of tire smoke and track dust obscured her view until the hot winds cleared the air.

Suzie leaned over, her face almost touching the vibrating glass, trying to keep the lime green Nascar in view as it roared away to join the track, which ran parallel to the VIP booth. She watched as the car squeezed between two competitors, snuck out to pass the car ahead, and then it was gone, lost around the steeply curving oval track.

“Yes…” she hissed. Neptune Racing was already back up to twelfth place, despite the stop. The day was going well.

She’d arrived late—the result of a difficult board meeting—and missed the chaotic start that had cost four teams their cars. But with two hours of the race still to run, there would be plenty to see, including their new driver.

‘Tick’ Garfield was a recent acquisition for Neptune Racing, a deal recommended by Suzie herself. He was a good racer, with a solid record of high-place finishes. Nevertheless, Suzie knew her reputation within Neptune was in Tick’s hands. Her decision to retire Neptune’s previous driver had been difficult, but Harrison hadn’t gained a top ten place in the past two seasons. The other teams’ drivers were either younger, keener, or both.

Naturally, the pit lane scuttlebutt had decided Suzie was more interested in the new driver’s ‘stick’ than his track record, and his reputation as a hard-drinking womanizer hadn’t helped matters. But the fact remained, he was a good driver, and one who got the job done. His extra-curricular activities were irrelevant to Suzie, as long as Team Neptune benefited.

“So how’s your boy?” a man asked. She turned, to see Alec McNamara leaning dangerously close to her ear. The owner of Team Dysart, McNamara had also shown interest in Tick, but Suzie had been quick enough to snatch him from under McNamara’s nose. An old-school dinosaur, he believed himself and his money to be irresistible, and Suzie’s slick move had caught him by surprise.

“He’s doing well, Alec.” She folded her arms across her chest, aware of McNamara’s lechery.

“These new drivers always do,” he replied quietly. “Until they settle in, and then they get comfortable, sloppy, even.”

Suzie feigned surprise. “I’m sorry to hear that, Alec. Does this mean you’ll be letting Chester go after this race?” Grinning, she rubbed her hands together.

“Chester? What? No, I meant…” he stalled, flustered. McNamara fell silent, her comment about his newest driver burning his ears. Suzie smiled and turned to watch the cars thunder past. Their insane speed squeezed the roar of the V-eights into an approaching whine, then stretched them into an earth-shattering growl as they passed her.

“Neeeownggg…” she muttered quietly, as if she was ten years old again. The sound took her back to her childhood. Back then, she’d no inkling of the boardroom politics, the money-wrangling or the arguments between pit crew, driver and owner. She’d simply loved the sound, smell, and sight of scores of machines screaming past her.

Neeeownggg. Neeeownggg, Neeeownggg…
Nowadays, it was all too horribly complicated for such innocent enjoyment. Her concerns over the new driver, and how to wring the best out of him plus the apparently-frustrated pit crew were high on her list of worries. And if Team Neptune didn’t perform, the boardroom would demand answers.

As a child, being a team owner had been a far-distant dream. As an adult, it was bordering on a walking nightmare. But there had been no way to resist the allure of Nascar, even knowing what it would cost her in lost sleep. The upside, of course, was total immersion in her childhood love of racing.

A lime green blur whined, then roared past the window, pursued by a pack of slower-moving blurs. She glanced up. Tick was still down in twelfth place, but only by a quarter second. She expected him to take eleventh before he came around again.

“The new radiator’s making a difference,” McNamara murmured into her ear. She cringed away from him, trying to hide her shock. No-one was supposed to know about Neptune’s improvements to the cooling system. The whole project had taken eight months of hard work, cloaked in secrecy, and had finally been fitted prior to qualifying. Who’d blabbed?

“The car’s performing well,” Suzie replied, neither confirming nor denying McNamara’s suspicions.

“Enjoy the advantage while it lasts. This time next week, everyone will have the same system and then…” He snapped his fingers. “We’ll be back on a level field.”

“See you on the track, Alec,” Suzie returned her attention to the race. She wanted to stomp away, but then Alec would know he’d rattled her. She maintained her calm posture, creating a mental list of people who could’ve given Neptune’s secrets to their rivals. None of the pit crew, except for the crew chief, knew anything about the new system. Even Tick was unaware of the change, aside from an extra eight degrees of oil and water cooling, which allowed the engine to perform better. No one in the boardroom had been told of the expensive replacement to the standard Nascar-approved radiator. Suzie had ensured the costs had been carefully disguised as consumable parts; tires, engines and transmissions all wore out at a frightening rate and needed frequent replacement.

No, the only people with the necessary knowledge were the engineers at the company who’d developed the clever trick of hiding a core within a core, of adding extra cooling vanes inside the existing radiator body, so the coolant circulated twice instead of only once. The first working ‘Hot Core’ radiator offered an eighteen percent improvement on the standard rad, and was a bargain at only forty thousand dollars, plus five thousand for all subsequent units.  

And now the secret was out—already.

Heads were going to roll, but later.

The pack roared past, led by Tick in eleventh place. Suzie grinned and curled her hand into a fist. Nearby, McNamara cursed quietly. Suzie was cheered by the gain. Tick was now pulling clear of the pack, gaining precious feet with every turn, but he had a long way to go before he caught the tenth place guy—Rob Chester of Team Dysart.

Unexpectedly, a camera zoomed in on Neptune’s car. Tick’s eyes, narrowed in concentration, filled the center of the screen. Suzie couldn’t hear the commentary, but watching those eyes took her back to the day she’d first seen the handsome driver.