by Piper Stone
“Your father is a piece of work,” he said in a sympathetic manner.
“I don’t know him any longer.”
“Your father doesn’t look a day over forty. How is that possible?”
His question was just as haunting as the realization hit that my father hadn’t aged a day since I’d last seen him. “I honestly don’t know.”
“I find it difficult to believe a word that man says, Katarina.”
He moved around the room, snarling at seeing the expansive bar complete with what appeared to be bottles of liquor, the leather-like couches and chairs and some kind of an entertainment center. The concept that everything had been brought from Earth was mind-boggling.
I was still trembling as I walked into the second room, a bathroom off to the side. The oversized bed was more inviting than I wanted to admit. Everything about this was off kilter, wrong on several levels. The closet was small but held various clothing and boots. What disgusted me the most was the fact there was a dress hung in the middle of the other attire.
I knew appropriate meant I was required to dress like a girl.
Fuck that.
I’d become a true warrior.
“I’m taking a shower.” At least I could rid my body of the grime covering every inch. My mind I wasn’t entirely certain I would ever be clean again. I didn’t bother waiting for an answer as I walked into the brightly lit, expansive space. Skylights allowed the ugly tangerine sky to shower the entire room with sunlight, the faucets gleaming. Towels were positioned on a single shelf and the moment I brushed my fingers across them, I jerked my arm away.
Plush.
Soft.
Expensive.
And meant for royalty. I couldn’t get over the feeling like a fraud or that I was an accomplice to a crime against humanity. Others wallowed in filth and I was being treated like a queen.
Still, the warm water felt good to my hand, steam rising almost immediately. I couldn’t get the tattered clothing off fast enough, moving behind the thick panel of some kind of plastic and reveling in the feel. Even with the extreme and almost scalding stream, I was still shaking, my stomach churning.
What evil deeds would be required of us? What horrors were we still to face?
I remained under the cascading water, slapping my hands against the marble like tile over and over again until my fingers were numb. There would be no way to dull the pain in my heart. I closed my eyes, attempting to remember times from the past when a memory surfaced that hadn’t before.
A cold winter’s day in front of a fire. I was sitting on my father’s lap as he read one of my favorite stories. Then he’d started to cry. I’d never seem my father buried in such sadness before. I was only five or six at the time, but I felt the anguish for seeing my strong father weeping even today. When I asked him what was wrong, I remembered the way he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me so tightly against his chest that I had difficulty breathing.
Then he told me a story of his own.
While the memory wasn’t perfectly clear, his words garbled in my mind, I would now never forget at least some of them.
“Everything we know is about to end, my child. No longer are we safe. The burden is too much. I can’t do this any longer. I can’t lie to your mother or pretend. What am I supposed to do?”
Now I knew that his words meant a deal made, one that would allow him to forsake his family for a different life. I was heartsick. I was crazed with anger. I felt hopeless.
Even though I did my best to cover my mouth to keep my cry of agony from being heard, the despair was evident, my wails like that of a small child.
One who’d been forgotten.
I was ready to scream when arms grabbed me, muscular hands that refused to let me go.
“Shhh... Everything is going to be all right.”
I didn’t want to care for anyone, but the way Xander’s arms felt, the protection and love was overwhelming. I slumped against him, allowing myself to weep fully and openly, something I hadn’t done before. There was no sense of purpose, no bright light of hope. As he held me, rubbing his fingers down my arms, tension finally eased, my determination rekindled.
I shifted until I could face him, pressing my palms against his chest. “I don’t know you, Xander, not really, but I do love you. You’re my rock, my salvation, and the only man I feel safe with.”
He was a hard man, a true warrior, his expression almost never softening, but in that moment shared between us, he was nothing more than a gentle lover. As the water flowed down over us, he used both hands to slide hair from my face, allowing his fingers to trail down both arms.
Every cell in my body was on fire, the need for him like a raging firestorm. I slid my hands around his neck, intertwining my fingers in his hair as I rose onto my tiptoes. I was the one who captured his mouth, allowing the building lust to bolster the electricity shared. There was no time to waste, no sense that there would even be a tomorrow.
There was only the here and now, our needs becoming desperate.
He fisted my hair, holding me in place as the moment of passion turned into a wild roar, growls pushing up from deep within his system. He dominated my tongue, twisting and turning his head as his actions became more intense. Nothing mattered any longer but our closeness.
I threw one leg around his, undulating my hips until he cupped my buttocks, lifting me off my feet. With my other leg curled around his thigh, I drank in his intoxicating scent. He was all male, reeking of testosterone and the forest. Stars floated in front of my eyes as our teeth gnashed together, his actions becoming brutal.
Feral.
When he shoved my back against the tile, he jutted his hips forward, his cock pushing past my tender folds easily. I was so wet, so hot, and I straddled him, using the power of my upper thighs to hold myself in place.
And the kiss was even more manic.
I raked my nails down his back, reveling in the feel of his muscles. He was hard-bodied, as regal as the warrior he’d become. The moment he thrust the entire length of his shaft inside, the extreme force knocking the wind out of me, I slipped into pure bliss.
He was like an animal, rolling onto the balls of his feet as he drove in long and savage plunges, filling me completely. My pussy muscles tightened, pulling him in even deeper. I couldn’t get enough. I wanted every inch of him.
I planted my feet on the shower door, switching the angle until I was ready to lose my mind from the raging pleasure. There was no stopping him, his hips swiveling, his actions brutal. When he broke the kiss, he bit down on my lower lip, issuing a series of husky growls. He dragged his lips across my jaw, moving down to my neck. The bite was barbaric, a man marking his woman for the world to see.
And still, I wanted more.
I was almost mad with desire, kneading and caressing his back, opening my legs even wider.
He pulled back, staring into my eyes, his filled with a wild look, nothing more than a beast mating. A slight smile curled on his lips as he pressed his hands on the tile just inches from my head, his whispered single word filling my empty heart.
“Mine.”
And I knew I belonged to him for as long as we both remained alive. I clung to him, one hand tangled in his hair, the other caressing his face. The sensations were scintillating, the electric hum buzzing through every tendon and muscle. I was on fire, so damn alive. So much in love. Nothing seemed real, but this was definitely right.
Harder and faster he thrust into me, the same barbaric smile remaining on his face as he tossed me into ecstasy.
“Oh. Oh. Oh. Yes...” There was no stopping the climax, no way to hold back my own desires. I exploded, my pussy clenching then releasing in a way that left me unable to breathe.
Or to think.
One turned into a giant wave pulsing over me, leaving me weak and wet.
He made guttural sounds of satisfaction, his hips still moving, his muscles straining. When he allowed my legs to fall to the floor, he slipped his hands
under my buttocks, his large fingers digging into my skin. “I do love you, Katarina. May God help both of us, but I do.”
I was tingling all over from the utter bliss as well as his affirmation of what I’d already known. The love shared between us was beautiful yet damning in every way, a weakness that could be exploited. But who the hell cared. We would fight for each other.
To. The. Death.
He turned me around, kicking my legs apart, forcing me to plant my hands against the tile. I twisted my head to watch, arching my back as he positioned the tip of his cock just inside my pussy. On this day, he would fill me with seed.
I closed my eyes, languishing in the emotions and the joy of our coupling as he slipped his cock back inside. There was something even sweeter this time, a moment that no one would ever be able to take away. I was his.
His possession.
His lover.
His mate.
As he rode me, lifting me onto my toes with every hard drive, I remained in sweet nirvana, no longer struggling with my emotions. His animalistic sounds were beautiful music, filling my very soul. I knew he couldn’t hold back for long, his actions and ragged breathing a telling sign.
And so I squeezed, a smile beaming on my face as his entire body began to shake.
Xander tossed his head back and forth as he planted his hands on my hips. When the savage roar eclipsed every other sound, I could only smile.
“Mine!”
We held each other, remaining quiet, both trembling. Nothing made sense any longer.
“You asked what happened to me,” he said in such a quiet manner. “My anger. The sadness.”
“You had a family.”
Sighing, he pulled me more tightly against him. “I guess you can read me pretty well. My wife. She meant everything to me.”
“What happened to her?”
“She was killed in the great battle with the Zatans. I wasn’t able to save her. So many of our women were killed. The brutal bastards. Losing her destroyed my entire world. I swore I’d never love again. Then you came along.”
“I’m so sorry. I understand why you hate them so much.”
His heavy sigh was haunting.
I turned to face him. “What if our attraction is based on lies? What if whatever drug they gave us wears off in time?”
His features softened, his eyes full of the kind of emotion I hadn’t seen before or expected. “Beautiful little human, we may not be able to figure out what the hell is going on or why, but there is one certainty. You are everything to me. There isn’t a man or beast that is going to tear us apart.”
I’d once dreamed of a handsome knight, a strong man wielding a sword to keep me safe and sweep me off my feet. And I’d found him, a mighty warrior known as Thor.
* * *
Instead of the dress that had been expected for me to wear, I selected a battle-ready uniform, prepared for anything the people of this compound might throw at us.
When we’d finished dressing, Xander stood behind me, his warrior appearance and attitude having returned. I knew the time was coming that we’d be escorted to whatever damning celebration my father had in mind.
He took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving mine. “Whatever happens, pay attention to everyone else in the room. Their reactions will be telling. Observation will allow us to get the upper hand.”
“What do you think is really going on here?”
“Whatever work these people are doing with the Zatans has come at a high price. We need to find out how far-reaching the king’s control is. I don’t like the attitudes of these humans or their arrogance.”
He pressed his hand against my back, the touch even more protective than before.
“Mated. What exactly does that mean?” I asked.
He chuckled in an evil fashion as he stepped away from the mirror. “You weren’t imprisoned in the Zatans’ world for long enough to realize that they do take mating very seriously. It is an important custom, much like on Cryton.”
I could tell he was holding something back. “As long as that female can have children. Right?”
“You were paying attention,” he said, smirking. “That’s not the only thing going on.”
“They’re dying.” I said the words frankly and without any inflection.
“How do you know?”
I eased away from him, wringing my hands. “I wasn’t entirely truthful with you and no, I’m not certain of anything.”
“What is it, little human?”
I rubbed my forehead. “Look, my father had a theory that every disease that had been cured was only lying dormant. After realizing that my parents’ death was suspicious, I knew that I had to follow in his footsteps. I wasn’t the only person who believed the same thing. After writing a thesis paper at school, I was contacted by the very group of scientists that I mentioned and offered an internship. I was allowed to work with them, performing various tests while still in school.”
“Tests. On what?”
“Tissues, various samples that had been preserved with almost one hundred various diseases.”
“I’m very surprised these scientists would allow something of such great value to be easily accessed.”
“Trust me, access was almost impossible, and what is called the Centers for Disease Control kept samples for decades, not just after each one had been cured. Only those with top level security were allowed in the locked-down compound.”
“But you were allowed to work side by side with them.” He walked around to face me. “In exchange for?”
“In exchange for the journals my father had hidden away, ones I’d found right before I inquired about his death when I was a teenager. I kept them hidden even from my aunt, never trusting anyone.”
“What the hell was in these journals?”
“Mostly his theories as well as a few formulas, compounds that he’d been working on before his death. My father was terribly afraid that if the cells within the dormant diseases mutated, the strains could be modified.”
“And used like chemical warfare, destroying other species.”
I nodded, trying to gauge his expression. “A distinct possibility, but I had no way of knowing any member of the government were working on a project of that magnitude. While I wasn’t privy to anything but certain experiments, my father’s worries weren’t taken lightly.”
“Was there ever a breach in the security, samples taken?” he asked as he gazed out the window.
“Not that I know of. As I mentioned, only a few people had access, everything documented, all the testing done in foolproof procedures.”
“Except certain government officials,” he said under his breath.
I thought about what he was saying, a cold shiver trickling down my back. “Absolutely.”
“All right. We know the Zatans visited Earth long before my people were asked to arrive, which would indicate the leaders asking for our help were in the dark.”
“That makes some sense, yes.” I didn’t like whether this was going.
“Imagine if any two or three strains of a known killer disease was introduced to any other species.”
“My guess is that particular species would have no immune system, no way of knowing what was happening.” I shook my head. “The Zatans may be considered monsters, but they’re not a stupid species, Xander. If what we suspect is true, once they identified the source, they retaliated.”
Xander snorted. “The experiments, the need for scientists and the fact King Rajah’s removal from his own planet was necessary. I was right in that their people want the king protected. They need him alive.”
“Then that could mean the experiments we stumbled onto were not only condoned but approved by the king. Maybe the early tests failed and they had no choice but to use their own people. I will admit, I’m surprised they aren’t technologically advanced in the areas of medical applications.”
“From what I’ve learned these last three years, every one of the technologi
es is lightyears ahead of those on Earth. But if your assumptions are correct, they were caught off guard, little or no understanding of what they were facing.”
“Especially since the diseases were human driven. Maybe you’re right in that my father and the others were abducted many years ago, the beginning phase of finding a cure. Unfortunately, you and your soldiers fell into a trap that the majority of Earth’s government leaders weren’t aware of.”
“Yes. Perhaps the Zatans learned what a powerful weapon these diseases could be at the same time. If that is the case, King Rajah could have also made a deal with members of Earth’s government, planning all along to annihilate them after a cure for the Zatan people was discovered,” Xander suggested.
“Terrifying, but true.”
He tilted his head, giving me a slight nod. “What we need to know is who is behind the shared collaboration. I have the distinct feeling that time is running out.”
“If their race is dying, they’re working on two levels. One; trying to find cures and two; ensuring their race will survive in some capacity.”
Xander groaned. “You’re meant to work alongside your father, using the latest technology and findings. They’re dying at a faster rate than originally suspected.”
A rapping on the door took us both by surprise. For some reason, I would have expected direct entrance, as if my father had no intention of allowing us privacy.
“Let’s see what we can find out, little human.” Xander kept his voice low.
We were led down several corridors, every inhabitant that we passed by watching. There was no way to gauge their expressions, but their eyes held caution, resentment.
“How long have you been here?” Xander asked the rather young woman. She couldn’t have been more than twenty-five.
She didn’t slow down, her steps reminding me of a military march. “Since the beginning.” There was no additional explanation and there was also no possibility it was the truth. Everyone was hiding something.
As we moved into what appeared to be several working areas, only a few doors were open. There were dozens of computer systems, many of them much more sophisticated than anything on Earth. The areas that drew my curiosity were closed, the same kind of console unit positioned on the right-hand side. No one was gaining access without authorization.
