Loved by 3 Aliens

Loved by 3 Aliens C. Y. Croc Copyright © 2023 by C. Y. Croc It is illegal to make digital copies of this book to down or to sell without the author’s written and signed consent. All events, places, businesses and characters in this publication are clearly fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead will be purely coincidence. They are all a product of the author’s imagination. Table of Contents Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Dedication To those of you who are greedy for more. The ones who don’t want to choose. Chapter 1 Odessa A branch scrapes across my cheek and it’s probably broken the surface of my skin but I ignore the pain and continue to run, pumping my arms and legs with everything I’ve got to increase the distance between my trackers and me. I leap over a felled log like a cop sliding over the hood of a car and crouch down behind it whilst taking hold of the rifle hanging from a strap slung over my shoulder. I rest the barrel on top of the tree and peer through the scope whilst holding my breath as I listen for movement. But all I can hear are the powerful thuds of my own heartbeat resonating in my eardrums as adrenaline spiked blood is forced past them. That is until I hear a twig snapping underfoot over to my right. I flinch and hunker down, hoping my green jumpsuit will camouflage me against the forest’s foliage. But then there’s a rustle of a branch over to my left too and I swing the gun barrel that way instead, now unsure which direction to point it anymore. The smell of rotting leaves is turning my stomach, and I almost gag and lose concentration. These early pregnancy hormones appear to be having all the adverse effects on my body that I’ve read about. Sore breasts, mood swings, and worst of all, sensitivity to smells, and all at the most inappropriate times. My head twists from left to right as I search for more movement and a glimpse of who is tracking me. Who is going to emerge from the dense foliage surrounding me? My hands are shaking and my heart feels like it’s thundering against my sternum, desperate to get out of my chest. To my surprise, it’s more than one, and they push through the dense foliage towards me simultaneously. I don’t know which one to shoot first. My stomach churns over with indecision. Unable to decide, my best chance is to get away from here. I sling my gun back over my shoulder, turn around, and skulk away with my head down low. But I don’t get far before I run smack into Saren. It feels as though I’ve run straight into the trunk of a tree. His hard body immediately halts my retreat. That’s when I realise all three of them are tracking me—not fair! It must be my hormones that fuel my reaction because I’m annoyed and frightened at the same time. I stand ramrod straight with my feet astride and my hands resting on my hips. “Saren. Either shoot me or get the fuck out of my way!” A high-pitched whizzing noise followed by a pop rings out, swiftly followed by another and I instantly feel stinging pains spread through both cheeks of my ass. “Aahhh!” I place a hand on either side of my butt cheeks mortified, and feel wetness. With my jaw hangs slack as I bring them up in front of my face to inspect the palm of each hand. One is covered in blue paint and the other is covered in yellow paint. I spin around on the spot and see both Jude and Kristof aren’t far behind me. They are leaning on each other and laughing hysterically. I rip my safety goggles off and cross my arms in front of my chest with a pissed-off smirk. “Okay, you guys. Whose idea was it to gang up on me?” They both feign innocence, stifling giggles as they point at each other, before doubling over and laughing uncontrollably again, just as the siren blares out to signal it’s the end of the paint-ball game. Saren reaches his arm around my body and snatches the goggles from my hands. He carefully covers my eyes with them and swiftly pulls the strap over my head. “Hey. Put these back on and keep them on until you’re in the safety of the lodge!” He gives Jude and Kristof daggers. “We don’t want any jokers firing off paintball rounds accidentally and taking out one of your eyes, now do we?” Kristof walks over to us. Whilst giving Saren a death stare, he slips my rifle from my shoulder and puts it on his own. “I’ll carry this for you Odessa, now that you’re injured.” I bat his hand away and snatch my rifle back from him, suddenly irritated by them all. “It’s a bit late to start fussing over me now, boys. The damage is done.” I snort my displeasure, flick my hair over my shoulder, and march off in front without them, pushing past leaves and disappearing into the bushes I just came from. Jude calls after me. “Hey, Odessa! Don’t be such a sore loser!” Spinning around to face them all, I continue walking backward so I can flip Jude a double birdie, then I turn back around, narrowly missing a tree and head for the lodge. I expect Kristof and Jude to come running after me, pleading for my forgiveness, but they don’t, and to my astonishment, I feel really put out by it. On the other hand, Saren’s sudden compassion has shocked me. Especially since he’s shown very little interest in me since we slept together three months ago. By the way, that was a big mistake—huge! He might be tall, dark