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It shifted from foot to foot, its head tilting as if sensing something amiss.
A low, deep rumble emanated from its throat, a warning or perhaps a sign of its inner conflict.
Why is it hesitating?I wondered, silently berating myself.
Had I left the snares too visible?
Or was there some scent, some marker that betrayed their presence?
A burst of impatience surged within me.
I needed the creature to take just a few more steps.
The sight of that swelling in its pants, grotesque as it was, also hinted at the beast’s vulnerability.
Its primal urges were overriding its caution.
If it could be enticed closer to Riley, it would surely become ensnared.
As if sensing my thoughts, the beast began to shuffle forward, driven by its unrelenting lust.
Its tentacled mouth twitched, reaching out towards the ground, tasting the air, drawn inexorably closer to the source of its desire.
“Come on,” I muttered under my breath, willing the creature to take just a few more steps.
Just a bit closer to where the snares lay hidden, waiting to snap shut.
Every part of my body tensed, ready to spring forward.
The beast was almost there.
Almost. Just another—
Suddenly, a rustle to the right of the clearing made both me and the beast freeze.
Another creature emerged, similar in grotesqueness but with a brighter hue to its mottled skin and more pronounced spines.
Its appearance complicated the situation even further.
I gripped my blade tighter, recalculating our strategy on the fly.
The first beast seemed momentarily distracted, its attention divided between Riley and this new arrival.
The tension was palpable.
The clearing, once a theater of our tactical design, now felt like a powder keg, just waiting for a spark.
* * *
As it drew closer, I could see the second alien male was as different from the first as day is to night.
This one stood more upright, its spine lined with a brilliant neon blue that pulsed with every movement, possibly a communication or mood indicator.
Its skin was slick and reflective, almost mirrored in some places, giving an eerie sheen in the ambient light.
It was devoid of eyes, like the first, but had three gaping maws, each situated triangularly around its head, filled with rows of luminescent, serrated teeth that twinkled like deadly stars.
The creature had six limbs — four used for walking and two that acted as manipulative arms, which instead of ending in claws, ended in tentacle-like fingers that moved with an eerie grace.
