Read Online Dark Side Of The Moon (BBW Paranormal Were-Bear Shifter Sci-Fi Romance) by Catherine Vale - Free Book Online
Authors: Catherine Vale
Ads: Link
didn’t really know, didn’t really care. In one hand it held a
slingshot, looking remarkably like something a kid would buy at any store. In
the other hand—or hands, because the thing had at least six more—it held rocks.
It wasn’t a bunch of aliens; it was only one fucking alien. It was the same
color as the sand around it, and in panic she looked for others, but no, there
was only the one alien.
She
faltered for a second, but in that second a barrage of rocks pelted her. One
hit her hand, fingers springing open, and she dropped the metal weapon. Another
hit her shoulder. The pain was immediate and intense, her arm going numb. Then
she had the presence of mind to duck, and then dive behind a pile of sand,
spitting out with a mouthful of grainy stuff that tasted really bad. So much
for the great warrior.
There
was a deep growl, and she pushed up to look over the dune. Taso crested the
dune, teeth bared, eyes blazing. He charged, sand flying as he barreled down
the dune. The alien shrieked, a high-pitched sound that sounded like it could
cut through steel. It dropped the slingshot and rocks and went after Taso with
all of its hands. She saw it was covered with scales, at least from the
shoulders over the head. The rest…it was hard to tell. It reflected the sun,
almost like it was metallic. Maybe armor? Although in this heat, the
thing would cook in metal armor.
It
landed on Taso’s back, tearing at his shirt, the alien small enough to ride
between Taso’s spikes. She saw claws now, tiny flailing pieces of some material
that was obviously razor sharp. Pieces of fabric and mesh came away from Taso,
and with those, she saw tufts of dark fur. At this rate, and with that many hands
times that many sharp-clawed fingers, Taso would be de-furred and skinned in
minutes.
She
scrambled through the sand, slipping, getting back to her feet. Taso spun
around, snapping at the alien, who kept just out of reach. His growls and roars
began taking on an edge of pain, and she could see blood staining the uniform
where the fur had been torn away.
With
a roar of her own, she jumped onto the back of the alien. It reached back with
one set of hands, grabbing her hair, pulling her braid. It hurt like hell, but
she didn’t let go. She reached around its head, groping for eyes, any of them.
She found one of them and drove her fingers upward, toward the back of the
alien’s brain.
It
screamed, and even in an alien scream, she heard its pain. There was a
nauseating little pop as one eye ruptured, and then her hand was covered with
something sticky and hot. She adjusted her hold, searching for another eye. The
second popped like a grape under her finger. Her skin started to burn where the
liquid ran over them.
But
the thing was still holding onto Taso, although it had stopped pulling and
ripping fur and cloth. And from her brief glimpse of the alien’s head, there
were at least three more sets of eyes. She wasn’t sure she had the fortitude to
poke all of them out. She needed to do something else, and do it fast.
Letting
go of the alien’s head, she wrapped an arm around its neck. It was the standard
approach any mugger would take to attack someone. She’d learned how to defend
herself from a choke hold; she had to hope the alien didn’t have access to a
women’s defense class. She also hoped it had a trachea and carotid arteries. It
was hard to tell. The thing had a neck, but it was covered in scales.
She
pulled her arm back, the alien’s neck caught in the crook of her elbow. She
squeezed, grabbed her wrist with her other hand, putting pressure where she
hoped the thing had some kind of circulatory system. She wanted to hold her
breath, forced herself not to, took a deep breath, let it out. And squeezed
with all her strength.
For
the longest time nothing happened, except that her arm began to burn from
exertion. And then something changed. The alien’s hands tearing at Taso
loosened, it started to relax, and then it
slingshot, looking remarkably like something a kid would buy at any store. In
the other hand—or hands, because the thing had at least six more—it held rocks.
It wasn’t a bunch of aliens; it was only one fucking alien. It was the same
color as the sand around it, and in panic she looked for others, but no, there
was only the one alien.
She
faltered for a second, but in that second a barrage of rocks pelted her. One
hit her hand, fingers springing open, and she dropped the metal weapon. Another
hit her shoulder. The pain was immediate and intense, her arm going numb. Then
she had the presence of mind to duck, and then dive behind a pile of sand,
spitting out with a mouthful of grainy stuff that tasted really bad. So much
for the great warrior.
There
was a deep growl, and she pushed up to look over the dune. Taso crested the
dune, teeth bared, eyes blazing. He charged, sand flying as he barreled down
the dune. The alien shrieked, a high-pitched sound that sounded like it could
cut through steel. It dropped the slingshot and rocks and went after Taso with
all of its hands. She saw it was covered with scales, at least from the
shoulders over the head. The rest…it was hard to tell. It reflected the sun,
almost like it was metallic. Maybe armor? Although in this heat, the
thing would cook in metal armor.
It
landed on Taso’s back, tearing at his shirt, the alien small enough to ride
between Taso’s spikes. She saw claws now, tiny flailing pieces of some material
that was obviously razor sharp. Pieces of fabric and mesh came away from Taso,
and with those, she saw tufts of dark fur. At this rate, and with that many hands
times that many sharp-clawed fingers, Taso would be de-furred and skinned in
minutes.
She
scrambled through the sand, slipping, getting back to her feet. Taso spun
around, snapping at the alien, who kept just out of reach. His growls and roars
began taking on an edge of pain, and she could see blood staining the uniform
where the fur had been torn away.
With
a roar of her own, she jumped onto the back of the alien. It reached back with
one set of hands, grabbing her hair, pulling her braid. It hurt like hell, but
she didn’t let go. She reached around its head, groping for eyes, any of them.
She found one of them and drove her fingers upward, toward the back of the
alien’s brain.
It
screamed, and even in an alien scream, she heard its pain. There was a
nauseating little pop as one eye ruptured, and then her hand was covered with
something sticky and hot. She adjusted her hold, searching for another eye. The
second popped like a grape under her finger. Her skin started to burn where the
liquid ran over them.
But
the thing was still holding onto Taso, although it had stopped pulling and
ripping fur and cloth. And from her brief glimpse of the alien’s head, there
were at least three more sets of eyes. She wasn’t sure she had the fortitude to
poke all of them out. She needed to do something else, and do it fast.
Letting
go of the alien’s head, she wrapped an arm around its neck. It was the standard
approach any mugger would take to attack someone. She’d learned how to defend
herself from a choke hold; she had to hope the alien didn’t have access to a
women’s defense class. She also hoped it had a trachea and carotid arteries. It
was hard to tell. The thing had a neck, but it was covered in scales.
She
pulled her arm back, the alien’s neck caught in the crook of her elbow. She
squeezed, grabbed her wrist with her other hand, putting pressure where she
hoped the thing had some kind of circulatory system. She wanted to hold her
breath, forced herself not to, took a deep breath, let it out. And squeezed
with all her strength.
For
the longest time nothing happened, except that her arm began to burn from
exertion. And then something changed. The alien’s hands tearing at Taso
loosened, it started to relax, and then it
Similar Books
