Disclaimer: Predator isn't mine, we know.
He was here because he had no where else to go. There was a price on his head. The combination of desperation and instinct was urging him to leave his mark on the world before the other hunters picked up his trail and came for him. He was steadily monitoring their progress and they were still far.
No female Yautja would ever touch him in his exile. He as well as the other clan members knew this. His only option now would be the unthinkable. Something less than him. Something... human. He sighed. He had never wanted a human. Not like that, but he was willing to go through with this.
As long as someone could carry his title, his life will have had great meaning.
It was better than greeting his fate with the knowledge that all he ever was would die along with him. There were no guarantees on the chance of it working...
Yet there was no evidence that it had never occured in the past.
None of that mattered anymore. He had to try. His genes, his memory, the survival of his very essence depended on the outcome.
His greatest challenge lay ahead he realized with a certain amount of unease. He had never done this before and knew not of anyone who had. Gathering his nerves, he held carefully onto the small item in his right hand, fastening the little note to it. It had taken him all of one month to learn the written language and to write it to the point that it was legible. His current interest could read it and understand.
He realized that he was tiring of leaving them, but never tired of recieving them.
It was all just a game to lure her in.
In order to court a human female he had to play by their rules. He crept around the dark cautiously until he came upon the spot, camoflauging and kneeling to place the item tenderly in the light.
He then cloaked himself in darkness as he retreated back into the surrounding foliage to watch.
It was quiet, very quiet on this deserted path. One lone dim street lamp shone overhead, illuminating a patch of grass and crumbling pavement. Four feet by four feet was not a lot of room, but the light was already out on a limb and could go no further.
Park maintenance seemed to have forgotten all about this path.
Perhaps that was why he had chosen it.
A woman in a long dark dress walked placidly toward it, warm breeze lifting her thick raven waves that fell mid-back, dark inch heels clicking softly as she crossed the path. Her heart beat fiercely beneath her flesh as her gaze focussed on the meticulously placed item in the center of the spot light.
The smell of damp foliage was still thick in the humid summer air as she walked carefully toward the light, reminding herself that she had her spare hand-held mace should anything other than intended happen.
So he had come, she noted with relief, kneeling. Carefully, her right index and thumb pinched the stem of the dark red rose, lifting it and bringing the fragrant petals beneath her nostrils, eyes closing as she inhaled its perfumed scent.
It was a perfect rose at the climax of its existence, bold and flawless. She gently peeled back the note attatched to it, unfolding it as she stood.
The writing was delicate and small, but legible nonetheless.
"I'm not what you think..."
She had been entranced since the first letter had arrived, calling her out. His cryptic messages served only to heighten her interest. They had been communicating this way for many months now. With every message she found herself drawn closer to her mystery.
The manner with which he wrote combined with his border-line sultry intuition was beginning to make her anxious. In the last letter he had explained his need, his desire for her... and she had clung to every word, yearning to know the form behind it all. From her point of view, she had seen it all. Back in her wild years when she'd donned the purple hair, the spiked collars and the black lipstick... Back before she had accepted society and traded in the black vinyl for a briefcase and a suit...
She thought she had seen it all.
What harm could being involved with one more person that didn't fit into society's category of normal do. It didn't matter. She just wanted to be closer to him. He who...
she trembled at the recollection of his last letter...
...yearned to hold her...
Who could possibly write the way her mystery interest did? She wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't human.
If only she knew how true that was...
Smiling, she tucked the note into her purse, turning to face the darkness.
"I don't care..." she spoke to the shadows. She looked down at the note once more before flipping it over, eyes scanning the message on the back.
Follow the back road until it is dirt. You will find me...
After nearly a season of pious study of human mating rituals, he had finally gotten everything in order. His scent was not exactly his own, but he planned to be close... very close to the female tonight and donning a bit of this strange stuff was noted after cleansing. At least he wasn't allergic to the soap. He had run everything through the scanner once, even the potent scent from the small glass bottle.
About all he was willing to dawn was his loin. He would not make himself uncomfortable by sporting the strange suits he had watched them wear. His trophies he had stored away though. There was nothing a human female found potentially attractive about a mate wearing bones. That, he knew. The armor had to go as well.
Satisfied with himself, he turned to the room. A lot of stealth-like preparations had gone into the room's appearance. Of course he had stolen the candles that lined the entrance, as well as the dark satin that he had used to cover the mattress that he had made. He pulled a string and the curtain closed around it..
He stepped back to gaze at his handy work. The room no longer resembled the sleeping quarters of the small hunting ship he had stolen for his journey here. Thick dark drapery hung over every wall. It was more to cover the symbols engraved in the interior than for the lush effect it had.
He had crafted the table and two beautiful chairs in the corner, illuminated by the soft light of the jasmine-scented candles that were placed over the dark table-cloth, drink cold and waiting. He sniffed the liquid once more before backing away from it.
It was like nothing he'd ever encountered. It smelled so strange. Would she even drink it? He hoped so. He had seen others ingesting it over dinner or at parties. From what he could tell, it was going to make her warm and relax. He needed to loosen her up. From his observations, no male had successfully courted an uncomfortable female.
His upper mandible twitched as his eyes fell over the lone scented candle in the center of the table.. Jasmine was an odd smell to him, but the book he'd translated boasted of it doing wonders for the mood of the female.
Well, he would see about that.
Gradually... he would make his presence known to her before allowing her to see him fully. A strange emotion fluttered beneath his conscious at the thought.
She needed to accept him for it to work. The muscle where his brows would be drew down in thought. He had a plan for that. He just hoped it worked. He could go through with this. He had to.
No sooner had he thought it, there was a soft knock on his door.
She had dutifully followed his every instruction, a note at every turn, a clue.
It was all very exciting. After entering his rather strange dimly-lit dwelling she had come to the second and last door, bringing one slender wrist up, soft knuckle swinging forward and knocking audibly.
To her surprise, the door did not swing open, it slid open, lifting from the floor and disappearing into the top of the frame.
She swallowed, walking in carefully, eyes adjusting to the candle-light as she looked around. It was very warm in here she noted as she tugged at her collar, gaze falling upon the set table off to the right. There was another note and she lifted it carefully to read.
Drink first...then...
She flipped the note over.
Come to the corner at your right. Slowly..
Her breath caught in her throat as she looked up quickly into the dark corner, unable to see.
"Hello?" she asked in the dark. There was no answer. She looked down at the crystal glass that was filled halfway with the strong liquid before reaching forward and lifting it off the table.
The glass was ice-cold as she put it to her painted lips, tilting it and swallowing quite a few gulps in an attempt to drive away the heat. Almost immediately she caught her breath as she licked her lips.
The alcohol was strong.
Very strong.
That glass had to have been worth more than a shot right there. She could feel her body warming in response, damning her haste to use the cold liquid to drive away the heat when it would inevitably make her feel warmer. Already her body was beginning to react to it. She then turned her attention back to the shadows before creeping towards the corner slowly.
"Eugene?" she questioned. He frowned at the title. He knew he had named himself something a little more native to her tongue, but giving her his real name might have provoked too many unecessary questions.
A hand extended from the shadows very slowly toward her, index curling back in a come-hither motion. She smiled softly as she walked toward the corner. The hand was withdrawn and she saw the glint of a long dark nail. If he was one of those super-gothed humans or dark pleasure seekers, she could handle that. The people that split their tongues or pierced their nipples didn't frighten her. Dark sharp nails wouldn't either...
. "It is you isn't it... I know you said you wouldn't speak... but... can't you at least say something...Aren't you pleased to see me?" she inquired, just inches from where she'd seen the motion. She lifted her hand towards the dark corner and he reached out, claw closing slowly around her wrist and he drew her closer to him.
"Yes..." he whispered as best he could.
She smiled. Judging from the sound, his voice would be very deep if he raised it. She sighed, leaning forward and resting her head against the cool bare skin of his chest, vision lost to the dark. He felt her smaller hands glide from around his back, down and around his waist. She could explore him with touch before he allowed sight to play a role.
He could smell her better now that she was against him. She almost smelled like the rose he had given her. Her hands began to massage gently, and his eyes fluttered. He might just be able to work up the drive necessary to court her.
Her hands came back up and she slipped an arm about his neck, tugging a little until he bent down.
That was when his eyes had widened in the dark at the feel of her very warm lips against his neck and he purred as she planted gentle kisses along the skin. A female from his own species would have bitten him by now... but that was alright.
A growl was caught in his throat as she pushed herself against him, nails pressing into his tough flesh. His grip on her shoulders tightened and he grunted, immediately cursing himself.
He needed to stop making those inhuman sounds before he inadvertently frightened her, but he hadn't expected her skin to feel so warm, even through the clothing. She was burning with this human desire... a desire for him and only him.
She was puzzled for a brief moment as her right hand came back up to caress his hair, brain unable to translate the long wiry locks her fingers found. She was anxious to pull him back into the light. The flesh beneath the tight skin was muscular, but there was something unique about the texture that she couldn't quite place. His scent was unique as well. There was a certain defining strength behind it. She moaned softly as one rough hand slid down her back and she arched against him.
"Please... let me see you..." she whispered. His breaths were a little deeper now, his body reacting to her. Her desire was strong. He could smell it... her sweat, her phermones... she was ready for him.
He sighed.
"Eugene... please..." she persisted. Arms gliding around to his as she led him carefully away from the shadows. He swallowed, dreading the moment of truth as he slowly followed her into candle light. He watched as her heavily lidded eyes slowly widened, chest rising and falling faster as she beheld his body. He took the final step after a moment, light flickering across his face, his mandibles and her smile slowly faded. Wordlessly, she walked back over to the table on the side and finished her glass of wine before turning to him.
Slowly, she walked back toward him, taking a little effort to keep her balance. Her right hand came up to his face and she caressed the side his mandibles dazedly.
This couldn't be real.
"Eugene..." she questioned. His right mandible twitched, mouth parting alittle.
"Yes..." he whispered.
A slight smile spread to her face as her eyes went back, body falling limp as she fainted.
He walked over to kneel beside her curiously before lifting her gently.
Well... that had gone about as well as he could have hoped for a first meeting. Shaking his head, he turned and deposited her on his bed. Pulling the cold damp cloth from out of a bowl of ice he'd had waiting just in case.
Carefully, he dabbed it across her burning face and neck.
So far... so good...