by Mary Auclair
Resentment shone in the alien’s pink eyes and his mouth was contorted in a cruel grimace. That one, she remembered well. Anger and dislike welled inside her at the memory of his long fingers closing around her breast. Whatever that one was, he didn’t have Kamal’s moral qualms about taking a female by force.
If she hadn’t awakened when she did…
“You.” Aliena straightened, locking gazes with the alien. “How was your sleep? Feeling refreshed?”
She gave the alien her best and brightest smile, and was rewarded by a convulsive shrinking of his pupils inside the pinkish purple of his irises. Satisfaction came, sweet and vindictive as he pinched his already thin lips into nothingness. She got under his skin, all right. She knew she shouldn’t be making any more an enemy of him than he already was, but she couldn’t help it. What he’d done—or rather, tried to do—made her want to rip that smooth, pale skin off with her nails, and not in a sexy way.
“Wyol is our medical technician.” Kamal paused at the foot of her bed. His face remained stern, but she could swear there was a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. “He will scan you for any remaining injuries or infection, then you will be allowed to enjoy your personal quarters.”
“Enjoy?” Aliena lost all her humor. “There’s nothing enjoyable about being a prisoner.”
“Maybe you should use your imagination more,” Kamal countered, lifting his brow in blatant mockery. “After all, you had enough imagination to think you could escape me.”
Aliena clenched her jaw and her eyes reduced to slits, but she didn’t answer. There was nothing more to say anyway. She had lost her bid for freedom, but she wasn’t about to give up the fight.
“Wyol, proceed.” Kamal gestured with his chin to the other male.
The alien advanced, holding a pressure gun between his fingers. Alarm bells ran inside Aliena’s brain like a cacophonous flood.
“Stay away,” she shouted, pushing back on the bed until her legs were folded underneath her and she was squatting, ready to spring into action. “You’re not drugging me just so you can run your filthy hands all over me again.”
Wyol froze, his pink eyes darting to Kamal, his stun gun still clasped in his hand.
“What is she talking about?” Kamal turned to Wyol. His tall frame towered over the other’s six feet, and his muscular body eclipsed the leaner male to no more than a mouse running along the wall. In a physical contest, there was no doubt as to who was the superior one.
“I have no idea,” Wyol answered fast. Too fast. His eyes darted between the door and Kamal in rapid succession. “She’s a wild human, a savage. Maybe she mistook a medical examination for something else.”
“Liar.” Aliena spoke loudly, anger at the memory of the abuse giving her strength. “You said you’d fuck me while I slept.”
“I ordered the female safe and unharmed.” Kamal took a single step forward, and Wyol almost dissolved into a puddle on the steel floor. “You disobeyed me.”
“Captain, you can’t believe the female.” Wyol tried a pathetic, weak smile which morphed into a whiny grimace. “She was sedated, she misunderstood. The translator might have not functioned properly. It does take a few minutes to map the neural sequence. Please, I would never disrespect you.”
Kamal glared at the smaller male for long, tension filled seconds, then his chin lifted in a universal male gesture of agreement. Aliena stared, her mouth hanging open. He was dismissing her word, just like that?
Reassured that Kamal wasn’t going to kill him on the spot, Wyol approached her slowly, his repulsive eyes set on her with open glee. He lifted the stun gun, stepping closer with a smug expression on his face.
“No sedative,” Kamal cut in, his voice like a blade cutting through the air. “Scan her now, in front of me.”
Wyol paused, his face stricken with surprise. The stun gun lowered, but didn’t entirely drop.
“It’s protocol for an uncivilized specimen to be sedated before a complete scan.” Wyol turned back to Aliena, and the stun gun lifted by a hair. “One false movement, and the radiation might injure her.”
“If you do not lower that gun right now,” Kamal’s voice was as dangerous as a velvet-covered blade, “I will personally forfeit your life.”
The statement, spoken with smooth, soft words, had the effect of an electrical shock on Wyol. His pink eyes widened and he opened his mouth, then closed it with a sharp, dry sound. A heartbeat later, the stun gun hit the floor with a hollow metallic bang. Wyol glanced at it while it clanked until it lay still, then looked up at her. In this new stare was something darker, deeper than the resentment from before. There was true hatred in those eyes, and it sent a ripple of dread down each cell in her frame.
She had made a deadly enemy of that one.
“Yes, Captain.” Wyol nodded, then stepped over the stun gun in his hurry to get to the table filled with equipment, almost tripping over his own feet.
He fumbled with a few items, then settled on a wand-looking metallic device that immediately came to life as he pressed the handle.
“Lie still, human,” Wyol said the last word with a deadly softness. “Any movement and the radiation will resonate within your body, damaging it permanently.”
Aliena watched, mesmerized by fear, as Wyol ran the metallic wand over her body. The wand shone with a cold blue light, but made no sound, and she felt nothing as the radiation entered her body, then bounced back to the device, from her toes to the top of her head. Wyol kept his eyes fixed on his task, never once looking into hers.
“She’s all clear.” Wyol turned to Kamal. “A bit thin, needing more protein rich nutrient, but healthy.”
“Leave.”
Kamal’s words lashed like a whip, and Wyol flinched before hurrying out of the room. As the door slid shut behind him, Aliena and Kamal were alone once more.
“You don’t believe me.” Aliena snapped her head to Kamal, surprised at how much hurt she felt by that. “That filthy bastard tried to rape me.”
“I do believe you.” Kamal took a deep breath and shook his head. “Wyol is the only medically trained member of my crew. I need him—at least until I reach a large city where I can recruit another one. Avonies make good medical technicians, so he’s not easy to replace. But be assured that he will not be allowed to be alone with you under any circumstance. I will personally ensure your safety from now on.”
Aliena took this in. Kamal watched her reaction, his stony features giving nothing away. She swallowed. This was a defining moment, she could sense it. He was offering her his personal protection from a member of his own crew.
It was an offer she couldn’t refuse.
“Thank you.” Her throat clenched and the last word came out as a choked whine.
“Now, Little Bird, the time for games is over.” His tone didn’t change, but there was steel underneath. An ungiving edge that made her shiver. “Tell me where the humans are.”
“I’m sorry, but no.” She held still as Kamal tilted his head, peering down at her with a new expression. The expression of a man who wasn’t accustomed to being denied, and didn’t like it one bit. “You can do whatever you want with me, but I’ll never tell you anything about them.”
“What do I have to do to make you understand I am here to protect you and the other humans?” Kamal walked up to her side, his tall, frighteningly strong figure towering over her.
“Why would you?” Aliena chuckled, a sad little sound, bitter and hopeless. “Why did you come here, if not to turn a profit by selling us? No one ever helped the humans before, so tell me, Kamal, son of Enlon, why should I trust you now?”
Kamal’s mouth twitched and he pursed his lips, then bent down over her. His pale eyes turned a shade darker as he got closer. Aliena was mesmerized, unable to look away from him, unable to move a muscle in her body. She was under his spell. His breath caressed her lips, hot and inviting. Dangerous.
“Would you trust your blood? Your own eyes?” His eyes slid down to her lips, and a quiver
of fear-filled excitement traveled across her body at the speed of nerve impulses. “Tomorrow, you will talk to my brother’s mate. She’s human, and she claims you are her cousin. Her name is Rose.”
Aliena stared, wide eyed. Her blood hummed and her vision blurred as hot tears filled her eyes.
“She’s alive?” She breathed out, relief and disbelief battling inside her mind. “Rose is alive.”
“She’s alive and well, and she needs you to tell me where the human village is.” His eyes were still fixed on her lips and it was hard to concentrate.
“Let me talk to her. If you’re telling the truth, then I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”
Kamal kept looking down, inching imperceptibly closer until their mouths almost touched. She stayed still, afraid to move. A long time later, he pulled back, then exited the room in silence.
Chapter 4
Kamal
Aliena. Such a proud name. It was befitting of her.
The communication with Earth—and with Aliena’s cousin—ended a few hours ago, but being in her presence for so long made him feel like a war was being waged within his body. The Mating Venom ran through his veins, muddling his thoughts, making him ache with a wild desire to go back into the room and take the female, make her his. Possess her.
I resisted the call.
He wouldn’t be able to do so much longer. His only chance at escaping the urges of the Mating Venom was to distance himself from the female. He had to finish his mission for the Eok nation, then leave Earth behind. Leave Aliena behind.
Never.
As soon as the thought formed, Kamal knew it was impossible. He could try, but he could never leave her. The link had been made, at least on his side. His body had recognized a mate in Aliena, and it would never let go.
He finally had what he needed to conclude his mission for his brother: the location of the human village, somewhere under that vast frozen landscape, in an intricate network of caves. No wonder his scans didn’t pick up their trace.
Kamal stared at the expanse of white snow outside the ship, falling like a thick curtain over the frozen landscape. It was a place of undeniable beauty, but harsh and unforgiving. It was incredible that humans, such a fragile species, had evolved on this world.
This isn’t a place for her.
She was small and delicate, with skin so soft, the slightest blow bruised and battered it. She should be kept safe and warm, well fed. She deserved it.
The door to his command post slid up behind him and light footsteps resonated on the steel floor. Kamal turned to the slimly built, pale green skinned Cattelan female who walked up to him at a brisk pace.
“We’re ready. The crew you asked for is geared up and waiting for you.”
“Good. We should reach the humans before high sun.”
The female hesitated, putting her weight on one foot, then the other. She averted her golden gaze, looking straight at the floor.
“What is it, Tailan? I don’t have time for play.”
“It’s the human, Captain.”
“What about her?” Kamal answered with a harsh, sharp voice, and Tailan recoiled. He seldom snapped at his navigational expert, and immediately regretted his moment of bad temper. “Does she need to go back to medical?”
Tailan bit her lower lip, then finally looked at him. “She insists on coming with us.” She stifled a little smirk, but he was observant enough to see it. “She says she doesn’t care about your orders, and that she’ll make you take her. She also said that you’ll regret it if you try to keep her here.”
“Did she?” Kamal’s mood darkened even more. “Where is Aliena now?”
“Waiting for you, in her personal quarters.” Tailan lifted her brows. “She made me give her a full cold-climate gear set.” A wide grin spread across the female’s thin lips. “She’s feisty, that one. I like her.”
“Out,” Kamal snapped, and was rewarded with Tailan’s quick nod and hasty retreat.
Anger mixed in his blood with the remnants of the Mating Venom. The feelings coiled and grew until he was seething with the dual urges to kiss and spank the little human.
That was it. He had to take back control over his emotions, and for that he had to establish his control over the infuriating little female. She had defied his orders for the last time.
He inhaled sharply, then moved. He walked in the direction of Aliena’s private quarters with a single-minded purpose. The few crew members he passed in the hallway looked at him with wide, terrified eyes, pulling out of his way as fast as they could. Finally, he arrived in front of Aliena’s newly assigned private rooms.
He stopped in front of the wall panel, then flattened his hand on the optic reader. A second later, after reading his palm and identifying him as one of the only three people allowed access to the room, the door slid up, revealing a pissed-looking, dark-haired beauty wrapped in layers of ultra-insulating foil and synthetic leather.
“You took long enough.” Two dark eyes settled on him, brimming with fury. “I’ve been waiting in this room for at least an hour.”
Just like that, his anger was replaced by an all-consuming lust, one he could barely hold under control. His fists clenched into balls at his sides as he stared at the dark velvet of her hair. How he would love to grab a fistful of it, bring it to his nose and take in her intoxicating female scent.
Grab a hold of yourself. You’re the Captain of the Mellark, not a lovesick youngster.
“Is that so?” Kamal stepped inside and the door slid down behind him. “I don’t remember putting myself at your command.”
“We had a deal.” Aliena flipped her hair and swallowed. “I give you the location of my people in exchange for their protection. I can’t protect them if I’m locked in here.”
“You had a deal with my brother.” Kamal tilted his head, taking in every movement of her expressive face. “He’s more concerned about making his mate happy than about ensuring your safety. I’m not.”
“No, you’re all about making sure I stay in… what’s the word you used? Yes, your custody, isn’t that right?” Aliena stepped closer to him, close enough that he could see the landscape of shifting brown velvet in her large eyes. “Well, I’m not interested in becoming your pet. I’m going back to my family, whether you agree to it or not.”
Kamal lifted his brows at the barely disguised threat. If any member of his crew were to answer him with half this attitude, he would make sure his death was a shattering example of what awaited those who challenged him.
For some reason, he not only allowed her willfulness but found it tremendously enjoyable. She was strong, smart and quick-witted. She was perfect.
“And what if I refuse?” He allowed his smile to broaden, showing off his fangs. She widened her eyes but remained still. “What are you going to do, Little Bird? You plan on putting me to sleep with a stun gun, or just beat me in a fair fight?”
Aliena swallowed. Her eyes filled with something he recognized. Something at her core, hard and relentless. Something worth killing for, worth dying for.
“No,” she said, pursing her lips to stop them from trembling. “A fight with you is nothing fair. But you can bet your blue ass that I’ll be doing my very best to undermine you at every turn, and I’m damned good at finding weak spots, wherever they are. You’ll never sleep peacefully again.”
He locked gazes with her. Before he realized he had moved, he was standing right in front of her. His hand reached out, grabbed her nape in a stronghold. His fingers closed around her slender neck and he felt the crazed beat of her heart under his fingertips. She was scared—terrified—but still, she didn’t give in.
She resisted his pull, her face set in defiant lines. With a grunt, he closed the distance between them, taking a single step, and finally his body was touching hers. Her small breasts brushed his chest through the heavy fabric, heaving to the rhythm of her fast breathing. Her female scent invaded his nostrils, light and sweet, like flowers after a rain.
>
His seed stem stirred to life at her closeness, pushing against her stomach. On his tongue, the tingling of the Mating Venom spread its insidious whispers.
Take the female. Make her yours.
“So defiant, so full of passion.” His thumb slid along the side of her jaw, tilting her chin up. “I can’t let you come to danger, Little Bird. Not even if I wanted to, and I definitely don’t want to. Stay here, stay safe. I’ll find your people, give them your message. Then, when it’s safe, you’ll be with your family.”
Her dark red lips opened slightly and he felt her breath on his mouth, hot and sweet. Inviting. He lowered his head until his lips just brushed hers. She was panting now, and her pupils were dilated. She didn’t withdraw, the smells of her arousal coming off her in waves of female want.
She wants me. Midnight God, help me.
So female, so lush and ripe. No wonder humans were plucked dry due to the lust of other, superior species.
His blood boiled with a scorching impulse and his thumb dug between her lips, touching the wet inside of her mouth. Aliena closed her eyes.
Suddenly, without thinking, his mouth closed on hers. Her lips were soft and pliable under his own and he held her head as he kissed her. Two small hands flattened against his chest and Kamal closed his other arm around her waist, pulling her into him, pinning her in place. Her mouth ceded, inch by inch, as he massaged her lips, forcing her into submission, into the lust he so desperately felt.
His fingers grabbed her as he felt it rushing through his bloodstream, the Mating Venom, with its imperious command.
She’s yours.
He pushed his tongue out, passing it along her lips, and Aliena opened her mouth, giving in to his will easily, so easily. Her taste invaded his mouth, his mind, his soul. His tongue tickled with the Venom, his fangs dripping with it, mixing it with their saliva. Aliena’s hands trailed over his body, first his chest, then to the back of his neck, her light fingers running along the sensitive skin on the back of his skull. His kiss deepened until they were breathing the same air, molded together as one.
