Argurma Monster (The Argurma Chronicles #2)

Chapter 18

Beverly’s feet were killing her. After surviving on the island for so many weeks, she’d began to consider herself in relatively good shape—or better anyway. Now it was simply laughable. She didn’t even have the energy to try to run anymore if they needed to. Perhaps she should have let Talech carry her for a little while, but she strongly suspected that if she did, the overprotective male wouldn’t have let her back down again. And while part of her did want to be carried around like a princess, it was absolutely impossible for her to do nothing. Especially not when her neck was on the line.

She winced as she took another step. Maybe it was time to swallow her pride and tap out. She had no idea when they were going to stop and rest, and it wasn’t like she could see clearly. The sun had set and the only light they had was the soft glow from the Argurmas walking on either side of her. She cursed softly as she stumbled, the rocks scattering from beneath her feet, and slipped down a short incline. The drop was startling, knocking the breath from her when she landed on her back, but not hard enough to hurt. She blinked up at the starry sky, listening to the crunch of the males’ feet as they hurried down the incline after her.

Wincing, she sat up gingerly, her hand rubbing at the back of her head as she pushed to her feet. She froze in place and squinted ahead as the soft light from the males lit up what looked like something fleshy. That expanse grew as they got closer until she saw that she was looking at a bare back, the spine visible through the skin, and a pair of narrow shoulders. Biting back a scream, she reared back, stumbling into Zoreth and sending more rocks scattering out from under her feet so that several of the aliens turned in her direction. Talech gripped her arm, tension running noticeably through him as all three of them stiffened.

That tension slowly drained from all three of them when they noticed that the Kaze didn’t move other than to sway a little before leaning into one another once more. The zombies were practically looking right at them, and yet they appeared to be completely blind to their presence.

The Argurmas exchanged a look, clicking softly as Talech drew her between them. Beverly glanced over at the zombies and swallowed, not at all mad about being tucked safely between the two large males. There was something especially eerie about the way they stood there, their heads slightly bowed. Other than being dirty and shabby-looking in general, they seemed like any other person except for those vacant, downturned eyes that clearly shouted that no one was home.

It was more how she imagined ghosts of the dead might appear to people who have claimed to see them—if a little too solid to really pass for a ghostly apparition. In any case, she found them a lot more frightening because they looked like actual people... not animated decaying flesh. Logically she knew that was because the parasite was keeping their bodily functions going, but it still sent a shiver up her spine.

Zoreth took a step back, and then Talech followed. Together they shuffled her slowly between them as they gradually gained ground. It wasn’t until they had lost sight of the zombies altogether in the darkness that Talech dared to scoop her up into his arms, his lower two spinal limbs curling protectively around her. Zoreth didn’t miss the movement, but she saw his glowing eyes and cybernetics bob so that she got the idea that he was nodding his head in approval. He didn’t waste time speaking but instead silently set course down another road.

Beverly shifted in Talech’s arms as she peered into what little she could see of the surrounding darkness. “As long as we keep an eye out for any congregation sites, we should be okay,” she whispered, knowing that both males would be fully capable of hearing her. “They seem to have an acute lack of night vision. If they can’t see or hear us, they seem to be unaware of our presence. I can’t even say if they possess a sense of smell. It seems debatable given that I was right there and they only twitched in reaction to the sound of my arrival.”

Zoreth grunted in what she assumed was agreement. “We will move at night so that we do not attract attention.”

Beverly grimaced. It was logical, but she hated being so completely night blind and dependent on them.

“I can’t see in the dark,” she hissed. “Your cybernetics may not be bright enough for them to notice, but I guarantee that if I start walking around with a flashlight or something, that would be enough.”

“You do not require it,” Talech grumbled. “I will carry you.”

She scoffed but leaned into him, grateful to spare her feet despite her words. But she was also concerned. As strong as he was, it was impractical for him to carry her throughout the night. Then there was the other issue. She bit her lip as an inappropriately timed curl of heat descended through her belly at the thought of being pressed up against him for hours and the subtle friction of his body against hers. Fuck, with his sense of smell there would be no hiding her arousal. Nor would she have a reprieve to cool down.

“A division of labor is wise,” Zoreth put in with a distracted note in his voice as he peered ahead into the darkness.

Talech seemed to silently mull that over for a moment before he grunted, and his eyes briefly dropped to her. “We will both carry you,” he rumbled, correcting himself.

Beverly’s eyebrows flew up, her surprise interrupting her thoughts. That was quite a concession. It wasn’t too long ago that Talech would have been hissing at the other male for even daring to offer to carry her—or touch her at all for that matter. Something had changed enough for him to have gone from seeing Zoreth as an ally getting them to safety to a male whom he found trustworthy to share her care with. It was sweet, in a way—if she didn’t feel like she was being passed around between two males dictating her life. That it made that heat pool deeper and sent a pleasant tingle through her in anticipation of being carried by both males was concerning.

This wasn’t quite the direction she’d imagined her life off Earth would take. She’d pictured the years unfolding in which she was dedicated to research, increasing her education and perhaps eventually gaining respect from intergalactic peers. She’d also imagined that she would be the one taking care of Talech in every way, and in doing so, she would have put her demons to rest. And she would have been happy to do that for him too. It had been painted so vividly in her mind—helping him find his way around the space station and finding a way to adapt to civilization once again despite his amnesia and the torture that had scarred him in more ways than one.

And Zoreth? She really didn’t know. Despite her best intentions, while traveling on Garanga , she’d begun spinning fantasies in which he refused to leave her side. What she’d initially seen as an inconvenience that would hinder her pursuits had quickly become something she enjoyed while sequestered on Garanga . It had been hard not to when, on the ship, they had almost seemed to exist to make her happy. And so she’d been content to enjoy it. She’d been haughty with her newfound control over her fate and new life. But she was quickly coming to realize, now that they were forced to truly depend on each other, that she’d taken it all for granted. It had all gone to her head that she was someone valuable to them without taking the time to really get to know them. She could admit it now—she had been floating high on the illusion of having control over her life that was suddenly made easier by the convenience of having both males attentively at hand.

But she had no control. And coming to realize that in such a short span as they made their way across the alien city was humbling. She was completely dependent on both males, unable to do anything truly helpful for their situation. No wonder they insisted on carrying her from the outset. She couldn’t even be depended on to walk safely on her own.

Beverly sighed heavily as she morosely rested her cheek against Talech’s chest. She didn’t feel like a brilliant addition to the universe who simply needed to update her education. She didn’t feel like someone with something to offer who was an attractive and desirable option for a partner or mate. She felt... less , infantile even, in her dependency on Zoreth and Talech. She had proved that much when she failed to kill an ambrek by herself. She could do nothing against a horde of Kaze. Beverly snorted quietly to herself. Hell, she didn’t even have the basic survival skills of human women who had been forced to live on Earth while she had slept in stasis.

Her mood sank with the realization that she was in fact a burden. Worse, she had come close to getting them all killed with her carelessness by nearly blundering into the nest of zombies. Even Talech and Zoreth wouldn’t have been able to save themselves, much less her, from a triggered attack—not with a nest of that size. The truth was that they were better off without her.

Beverly winced at the thought as she sank deeper into Talech’s arms. She didn’t try to peer around for clues or information. It was the middle of the night. She wouldn’t be able to see anything anyway. It didn’t even matter. Her curiosity about the world wouldn’t help them get off the planet or survive. As things currently stood, she was more likely to get both males killed as they tried to protect her.

With that in mind, she remained quiet and pliant as they walked carefully throughout the night, one of the males carrying her at all times and the other on guard. They stopped every few hours to trade her between them, slowing only when proximity to the zombies forced them to proceed with more caution. Their combined cybernetics gave off just enough of a faint glow for her to make out the bodies standing clustered tightly together, unmoving as they stared vacantly at the ground.

It was only toward the end of the night when the faintest streak of color lit the horizon that the males began to look earnestly for a safe, defensible place where they could rest. Beverly was pressed against Zoreth’s chest when he came to a stop in front of a sturdy little building with few windows and gestured to it. Talech gave an affirmative click of his mandibles and opened the door to step into darkness.

Lights brightening, the males made a quick visual scan of the entryway, their bodies turning slowly, looking for hidden danger.

“ Garanga , proceed with lifeform scan,” Zoreth rasped wearily.

Beverly frowned. He didn’t sound good. Was the AI starting to drain his resources already? Why did he insist on carrying her. She wanted to demand that he put her down but held her tongue as she recalled that it was pitch dark in the building. If she accidentally hurt herself, she would only be even more of a liability.

“One infected life form detected trapped in the lower level,” the AI responded mechanically as a holographic image popped up of the building’s layout. The infected’s position was clearly marked by its low heat signature. “Structural containment and safety it optimal,” Garanga concluded.

“Acknowledged.” Zoreth nodded to Talech, and the larger male turned and began barricading the door with rapid movements of his metal limbs.

It was only after the males had assured themselves that the barrier would hold that they began to ascend the stairs. They bypassed many doors, going up floors before pushing a door open and entering. She couldn’t see much of her surroundings except basic furnishings illuminated by the Argurma that revealed it to be some sort of domicile. There was the standard appearance of what she assumed was a kitchen to the left to the entrance. They walked past it, their lights briefly flicking over it as they passed to walk through a room with furnishings for sitting.

At last, they opened a door to a bedroom, and within short order Beverly found herself lying in a strange oblong bed while Talech fussed with blocking out as much of the light as possible from the windows. She blinked blindly against the impenetrable darkness, utterly helpless as she attempted to follow the glow of Zoreth’s movements as he went to help Talech. With no way to be useful, she curled on her side as the males fortified the room.

A heavy sigh escaped her.

All of her goals and plans, they felt... pointless.