| |
EARTH DATE: JUNE 21,
Sol Star System, Starship Exanthus
––––––––
BROOKE WHIRLED AROUND, nearly tripping over the trailing ends of the sheet. A huge dark haired alien male she hadn’t seen before stepped inside. There was a hardness to his purple eyes and a grim set to his jaw. Her head tilted up as she looked at him and her eyes widened. Wow. She swallowed, suddenly conscious of how much bigger than her, he was. Warrior! Danger! Her brain shouted and she took an unconscious step back. And yet despite the danger signals, or maybe because of them, Brooke felt a very feminine awareness of him.
He never said a word, simply watched her, and she tightened her grip on the sheet wrapped around her, wondering what he was thinking. He carried himself like a military man, his stark black uniform with its red insignia lending to that impression. Their eyes met and held, and in those purple eyes, she could see an internal battle taking place. Unnerved by the connection she felt to this man, she tore her gaze from his, her arms crossing over her chest. What did he want? Why was he here? She wondered as she chanced another glance at him. His left hand was closed over the butt of the weapon holstered to his hip, and her breath caught in her throat as she realized the hard unnamed emotion that she had seen lurking in his eyes was death.
She took another step back, terror filling her, and her eyes jumped back to his. She bumped into the wall behind her and stopped. There was nothing she could do, nowhere for her to run, nowhere to escape to. She lifted her chin, determined if he killed her, he would do so with the full knowledge that he was killing a person who had done nothing to deserve death. As they stared at one another, she saw the moment he decided to let her live.
She was beautiful, extraordinary, and he fucking wanted her. His cock had hardened the moment he had walked into the cell and caught her scent. Her eyes, an exotic green color, sucker punched him right in the gut. It took all his strength to push aside the totally inappropriate fantasies of tearing that sheet from her hands and taking her right there against the wall. He was supposed to kill her, not fuck her.
Her pale ivory skin almost glistened under the lights in the room, and her lips were a beautiful shade of rose that he’d once seen on a flowering plant his sister cultivated on the planet of Giastea. It was the thought of his sister, who looked so much like his mother, that made him realize that he could not kill this woman. She was not guilty of any crime except being in the wrong place at the wrong time and capturing the attention of an evil man. He swore mentally. He had a duty to protect the Emperor. How the hell was he going to prevent this woman from being used to destroy so many? One thing he knew, he was going to have to stay close until he knew she was no longer a threat.
His eyes drifted over her again. Gods, she was all lush feminine sexuality. He inhaled the exotic scent that was uniquely hers, and he could almost taste her. His cock throbbed, and he took an unthinking step closer. A craving to taste her hit him hard. He paused as a thought struck him. If he could forge a telepathic link with this woman, he would be able to find her anywhere. He took another step closer, his tongue sliding over his sharper eye teeth as he felt them pulse again. Having a telepathic link to this woman, would help him to protect the Emperor, and that was his priority.
Brooke stared into the man’s eyes as he moved closer to her. Her heart was beating hard in her chest, and she licked her dry lips. What was he doing?
Theiv braced a hand on the wall by the woman’s head, caging her in. This close her scent seemed to flow all around him. Even his skin seemed to absorb the wonderful fragrance. He leaned in closer, fought the urge to tear the sheet from her tightly fisted grasp. “What’s your name?”
“Brooke.” Her voice was shaky, and she put a hand on his chest to hold him at bay. This close she could smell the wild clean scent of him, and it was doing crazy things to her. “Are you going to kill me?”
“No.”
She felt his breath against her neck, and shivered. She could feel the heat of his body under her hand, could feel the rapid beating of his heart. She wondered what he would look like without his uniform and bit her lip as an image of rock-hard abs flitted through her mind. Oh god, what was happening to her? Her nipples peaked, and she could feel the heat building between her legs. His big body pressed against hers and she inhaled, her eyes fluttering closed. She should be screaming. Why wasn’t she screaming? She inhaled his scent again and everything in her sighed. He smelled so good, so right.
His mouth moved over her neck and she tilted her head giving him better access, as her other hand found its way under his shirt, the heat of his skin enticing her to slide her hand up his skin.
Theiv felt the sheet as it slipped to the floor, and he looked down at the body of a goddess. His breath rushed out of his chest and he groaned, a harsh sound that jerked his attention back to the task at hand. He needed to establish a telepathic link to the woman, not fuck her. But gods, he wanted to. Badly. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to not look at that beautiful body again. The glide of her soft hands over his skin, as she pushed up his tunic, was killing him. He swore his dick had never been this hard. Focus Theiv, he told himself as he hesitated. One hard bite will do it.
He swallowed and a second groan tore from him as he felt the brush of hard nipples against his chest. The scent of her arousal filled his senses, and he couldn’t help breathing deeply as if he could fill himself with her essence— A sensory memory he would never forget. Somehow forcing his mind back on the task, he crowded her against the wall, his body preventing her escape. Not that she seemed to want to escape he thought as he felt her leg wrap around his and her hands stroke his chest. He had to do this now, or he was going to end up fucking her. With a harsh growl, he dipped his head and bit down on the smooth muscle where her neck joined her shoulder. The copper taste of blood flooded his mouth as she stiffened, then to his shock, she bit him back. He growled and his arms closed around her as he felt her slender body shudder and convulse. Had she just come?
Releasing his hold on her neck, he licked the small puncture marks his teeth had made and fought the need to take her hard and fast against the wall, as he felt her lick the bite on his chest. Information poured into his mind from her, and he knew the link had been established. He had to get out of there. He had to get out of there right now, or he was going to fuck her, and consequences be damned.
He eased back from her, his eyes traveling over her naked body once more before he turned and strode across the room. It was all he could do not to turn right around and take her. No. He gave his head a shake. He was a Dragon Warrior. He would behave with honor. Pausing for a moment at the doors, he adjusted himself and straightened his tunic, then he activated the door and stepped through it. The door slid silently closed behind him and he took a deep breath of the clean sterile air outside that room.
Theiv walked over to Havyn and released her hands. She whirled on him and slapped him. He stepped back, his eyes watchful, but he did nothing, said nothing about what had transpired in the holding cell he just exited. Havyn was a wife and not used to being treated with harshness. Finally, he spoke. “Havyn, what is your plan? I did not kill her, but I need to know about this plan. I cannot allow her to be used to harm the Emperor.”
Havyn narrowed her eyes and stared at Theiv. The son of a bitch had handcuffed her, but she knew that, if he helped, her plan had a much better chance of working. “It’s simple. We take her to Earth. To a military installation near her home, then we tell them what has happened. They will provide her two males to bond with, and she will no longer be of any use to Drace. The biggest problem we have is that this might be a one-way trip for us. We cannot come back to the Exanthus, and we have no means of communication with the Emperor.”
Theiv nodded. “Get the woman to the ship. Yes, I saw Riak Valkor and T’lain Netron skulking around. You science class are not made for clandestine escapes.” He shook his head and started to turn towards the door to the main corridor. “I will take care of finding a way for us to communicate with the Emperor. I will meet you in the shuttle bay.”
Havyn watched the man leave and sighed in relief before she stepped over to a small nook and opened it, taking out a simple science tunic and pants, she walked into the cell holding the prisoner.
Another swoosh and the wall opened again. Brooke looked up from tucking the ends of the sheet in so it would not fall. She was mortified. The first orgasm she’d ever had that hadn’t been from her own hand, and it was with an alien stranger who hadn’t even touched the correct parts. What was he thinking? What had she been thinking? She’d never behaved like that in her life! She rubbed her neck where the man had bitten her, puzzled why there was no pain. The woman from earlier walked into the room, a curious look in her eyes as she examined Brooke. Swallowing the fear that wanted to overwhelm her, Brooke summoned all her anger and stood to her full height, glaring defiantly at the alien female. “Let me go.”
“This is what I am here to do.” Havyn answered calmly.
Brooke paused, startled. “Oh...” She sagged against the wall, tears burning her eyes. Thank God.
The woman stepped closer and held out a bundle of clothing. “Take this.”
Brooke hesitantly took the bundle, her fingers trembling as she understood how close to death she had come. It was a uniform, just like the one that the aliens wore. Black with a green symbol on the tunic. “Why...”
“Put it on. Hurry, there is not much time.”
Deciding to trust the woman, Brooke dropped the sheet and dressed quickly. “Why are we hurrying? You said you were letting me go.”
“I am letting you go. My husband, Drace, is not.” She glanced at a small tablet in her hand, keeping her gaze off the woman as much as she could. The medical results on the screen confirming what she could already feel about this new breed of Zemyneah. They were designed to be irresistible, their bodies completely bent to the will and preferences of their masters. The potency of the enhanced pheromones was undeniable. And the full scale of the evilness of Drace’s plan struck her. He would not only enslave women, but he sought to find a way to control those in power. Havyn swallowed. If he succeeded... they would all suffer.
Havyn tapped the screen, this Zemyneah was not what Drace had expected. Her initial levels were much higher than any other test subjects, and where the other Zemyneah affected only men, she could feel herself responding to the peripheral views of Brooke’s body and the pheromones that perfumed the air. The possibilities with this Zemyneah were too great, too horrific to even consider. It was why she’d decided to risk everything and free her. If Drace realized...
She snapped herself out of her thoughts, beginning the sequence to delete all the files on Brooke off the system's hard drive. “We need to get to the shuttle craft before he awakens and discovers what I have done.” Looking up and seeing that Brooke was dressed, Havyn took the woman’s arm and ushered her out of the room. “Do not look at the crew, keep your eyes down.” She whispered sharply as they entered the lift, and seconds later they disembarked on another floor.
Brooke hurried to keep up, fear pounding an unwelcome rhythm throughout her body. Her stomach churned, her hands grew clammy, and her pulse rocketed through her veins. Damn it. Of course, they weren’t just letting her go. That would have been too easy.
“Pay attention.” Havyn spoke in a low tone as they headed down another corridor. “We will enter the launch bay and then enter the craft. You must do as I tell you. There is no room for error,” she said emphatically. “You will keep your eyes down at all times. You will not speak to anyone but me. If you don’t want what Drace has planned for you, you must do exactly as I say. This is your only chance of escape.”
Brooke glanced at the woman and met her golden gaze, nodding her understanding as she saw the stark truth painted in those unusual eyes. Havyn was deadly serious. As they walked down the halls at a brisk pace, she started to ask Havyn why she had been taken, but Havyn shook her head and brought them to a direct stop in front of a door. Putting a finger to her lips to signal for silence, she touched a dark metallic plate on the wall.
A section of the wall slid away with a silent swoosh and they slipped inside to a large, cavernous space with several sleek black shuttle crafts. The front one had the hatch open, and Havyn drew Brooke over to it.
Freedom was so close, but part of Brooke was terrified at the thought of stepping into a metal box that was going to hurtle through space. The hesitancy she felt didn’t stop Havyn from pulling her up the ramp, nor did it stop the blue-skinned alien from pushing her into a seat.
The door sealed with another of those silent swooshes and Havyn moved to the front of the craft to speak to the man at the controls. “Are you sure you can fly this?”
The man turned and looked at Havyn, his expression sardonic. “I’ve been flying ships since I was a young teenager. There are few ships I can’t handle.”
Brooke caught her breath. It was the man who had come into the room she’d been held in. The two male scientists from the lab where she had woken up the first time, came from the back and took seats in the cockpit beside the big man.
The men started to touch symbols on the console in front of them. “You can take your seat, Havyn. We have all been trained to fly the shuttle crafts in the event of an emergency. You have no need for concern. Whether we will be able to evade Drace is the real issue. We are not warrior pilots. We are scientists.”
The big man beside them shook his head. “Speak for yourselves.” He touched a few more symbols and sent an encrypted message to the Captain of the Exanthus, warning him of their departure. If not for that man, the Dragon Warriors would not have known about the experiments being performed on the Exanthus.
Havyn looked annoyed, “Theiv, just go to the coordinates that I have given you. Drace should not awake for several hours. Make sure that you have disabled the tracking programs,” she ordered, picking up the tablet from where she had temporarily discarded it. A percentage reader wound around and around as data was deleted, her fate and Brooke’s sealed with one press of her finger.
Havyn returned to Brooke’s side. “Do not look at them.” She snapped quietly.
Brooke looked away from the two aliens and met Havyn’s eyes. “Why?”
Golden eyes shifted away, breath becoming shallower as she focused on the answers the other woman would need. “In our language Zemyneah means essence. Zemyneah women are the essence of sexuality. From your eyes to the pheromones you produce, you are designed to be irresistible. We cannot trust their ability to resist you.” She took a seat across the aisle and buckled herself in, tablet on her lap. “They are not warriors like Theiv.”
Theiv, the man about to pilot this spacecraft. Brooke took a deep breath trying to calm herself. Somehow, she had more faith in his ability to fly this machine than the two scientists. She snuck another quick look at him. He was built much differently than the two scientists Havyn mentioned, the control in every movement of his body reminding her of the soldiers she had seen throughout her life. The struggle she’d seen in his eyes suddenly made terrible sense. Zemyneah. A tendril of dread worked its way down her spine, and she remembered Drace calling her that, his eyes filled with an animalistic lust.
There was a slight shudder as the shuttle lifted off, and she jerked her head up in time to see the wall of the ship simply disappear and then they were hurtling into dark space. Looking out the small, rectangular windows, she frowned in confusion as they flew farther away and, as bright colours came into view, she suddenly realized they were flying over a massive planet. She looked down at the planet, her eyes as round as saucers as she saw swirls and dots of blue, gold, and orange. It was magnificent and so utterly alien.
The tiny craft they flew in was traveling unbelievably fast, and as they gained more distance from the planet, she saw a huge red spot along the planet's curve and realization dawned. Jupiter. They were flying past Jupiter.
The shuttle seemed to hesitate and then space disappeared into a swirling vortex. She gasped and grabbed at her harness, her stomach trying its best to leap up into her throat.
“It is safe.” Havyn said calmly as she looked across the aisle. “You are safe. We are taking you home. Now, you must obey me.” She said in a tone that brooked no argument. “Look down.”
Brooke met the woman’s eyes, finding compassion and pity in that golden gaze. She swallowed and obediently looked at her feet. What had they done to her? She licked her dry lips, afraid to ask the questions that she needed to ask. Afraid to know the answers.
“We don’t have much time. We will be entering earth’s atmosphere in just a few minutes.” Havyn’s voice with its exotic accent was quietly determined. “We cannot return you to the exact place where you were taken from. That will be the first area that Drace will search-”
“Then where am I supposed to go?” Brooke demanded.
“I have determined the safest location is a military installation.” Havyn looked at Brooke, tapped a finger over the map on her tablet. “We have pinpointed one with a bunker hidden in a mountain. It should be a sufficient location to hide the presence of our craft.”
There was a slight shudder as the craft rapidly began to lose speed, then a flash of light created as the craft slowed. The black endlessness of space surrounded the craft, and she raised her head to look out the window, gasping as she saw a blue planet floating in the darkness. Tears stung her eyes as she stared, her hands clutching the armrests. Earth.
Home. She was almost home.
The craft shook as they entered the atmosphere and Brooke tightened her grip on the armrests, terrified that the spacecraft was going to break apart.
“Havyn. We have armed aircraft approaching.” Theiv announced as if it were the weather he was discussing.
“From our studies of this planet they have a multinational, civilian bandwidth for emergency communications.” Riak said.
“It is an archaic system, but our computers should easily be able to find it.” T’lain added.
Theiv opened a channel, and they heard some static before he spoke. “We come in peace with an urgent message for your leaders.”
If Brooke wasn’t clutching the armrests, her heart racing and staring at the armed fighter jets flying alongside them, she might have laughed. We come in peace, she thought with a touch of hysteria. Instead, her stomach tightened, lurched as she watched the jets. In this day and age, they were more likely to shoot first and ask questions later.
A crackle of static sounded, then she heard Theiv speak again. “Earth aerial craft, we are on a mission of peace.”
A long static filled pause, then a Canadian voice spoke. “Unknown vessel, identify yourself.”
Theiv glanced back at Brooke for a long moment then finally answered, “This is the craft Sun Seeker, from the United Universe Accord. We are on an urgent mission. We carry critical information, and we have on board an Earth woman we have rescued. May we land?”
This was followed by another long silence, the static filled seconds ticking by and Brooke felt her chest getting tight. Please, please, she thought. So close to home. Just as a small whimper was crawling up her throat, the Canadian voice came back and cut it off. “Sun Seeker. You have permission to land. Follow my aircraft down. Do not deviate from the flight path or you will be fired upon.”
They followed the jet in and as the first aircraft landed, the Sun Seeker hovered then gracefully lowered to the ground. Brooke watched as two more jets taxied in, on adjacent runways. The differences in the sleek black alien craft and the most advanced fighter jets that earth had were unbelievable. Earth had a long way to go before they were anywhere close to developing the technology these aliens had.
The door to the craft opened with a hiss, and the safety harnesses released. Brooke stood on shaky legs and looked towards the open doorway. She took a step and then another, terrified that the aliens were not really going to let her go. Havyn touched her arm and Brooke looked at her, seeing the compassion in her golden eyes. “You are home, Brooke.”
“Wait.” Theiv commanded and they all turned to look at him. “I am Brooke’s protection. I will be right behind her. The rest of you go first. Keep your hands in plain sight and do what they say.” He waited while Riak and T’lain moved ahead of Havyn. He knew the risks, but he needed a moment with Brooke. He put his hand on Brooke’s shoulder and leaned down to speak in her ear. “Brooke, it’s going to be hard over the next few days. I can help. If you have need of me, just let me know. I will come.” She started to twist to look at him, but he spoke again. “They will separate us. We’ll all be examined by their medical staff, and they will perform tests. Cooperate with them. Perhaps they will be able to find a cure.” He hesitated, then used the newly formed bond between them to speak to her telepathically. “You can always talk to me like this, the telepathic bond will work both ways. Try it.”
Brooke froze. He was speaking in her head. Numbly, she accepted that real life was stranger than fiction. “How are you doing this?” She thought at him.
“There is no time to explain right now, but just know you can contact me if you need me.”