by Mary Auclair
Alarm rippled along her spine at the sight of him.
“What’s the matter?” Aliena took a step back. “Did you follow me here?”
“You’re going to meet him?” Martin spoke, his voice laden with anger, his words sharp.
“Yes.” She nodded, darting short, fearful glances around at the same time. No one was there, no one was remotely close enough to hear her if she screamed. “I’m going to ask them to help us raid the Breeding Facility. If there’s half a chance that Markus and the others are still alive, we’re going to have to act fast. As soon as they see the Eoks’ ship, they could kill everyone inside.”
“Still with this? Markus is dead. My cousins are dead.” Martin stepped closer, close enough for her to see the red in his eyes, the telltale signs of lack of sleep on his face. “You will not go anywhere near those pirates. I forbid it.”
Aliena stared at Martin, her mouth hanging slightly open. She was numb with increasing shock and rage, pushing the awareness of danger further and further away.
“How do you figure you can order me to do anything?” Her voice rose, shaking with fury. “Kamal is our best chance at—”
“Again with this Kamal?” Martin gripped her arm, his fingers digging in to her flesh as she struggled to get free. “Is that what this is all about? You can’t wait to be an alien’s little whore?”
The sound of the slap cut through the silence of the forest as Martin’s head snapped to the side. Aliena stared in shock as his eyes locked with hers, his head slowly moving back forward. Fear coursed through her veins at the sight of his expression, of the anger and hurt, and something else entirely. Jealousy, a jealousy so primal it made every fiber of her being scream with alarm.
She had to get away, and fast, or this wasn’t going to end well.
“Let go of me.” She pulled back but Martin’s grip remained strong, turning painful as he squeezed her arm.
“Let go of you?” He repeated her words, his face twisted with rage as he grabbed her other arm and pulled her close to him. “You’re mine, Aliena. Don’t you know this by now? You’re mine and I’m not going to allow you to humiliate me.”
“You’re being ridiculous and you’re hurting me.” Her mind raced to find ways to escape him before things really went downhill.
“I saw you,” he seethed, speaking through clenched teeth. “I saw you with him.”
Aliena stopped struggling to glare at him. He’d spied on her? Seen Kamal kiss her, seen her respond to him? Anger flared white hot in her guts. He had no claim to her, no right to judge whom she chose to spend her time with.
Then his mouth closed over hers.
For a second, she was too shocked to react. Martin’s mouth crushed hers, his tongue slipping over her lips, trying to force its way in. A hand left her arm, sliding down to grab her ass, pressing her against his erection.
Aliena struggled, trying to get free.
Martin’s hand moved up, sliding under her clothing, to the front of her pants. His intent flashed clear in her mind, his ultimate reason for following her to this remote part of the forest.
He wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
As hard as she could, she brought her knee up into Martin’s crotch. A heartbeat later, she pushed against his chest with flat palms, sending him toppling backwards in the snow. A pained whine came from his mouth as he twisted to one side, clutching his groin with both hands.
Aliena stared at the man she had known her whole life, swiftly taking a few steps back. Fury coursed through her veins and her eyes stung with hot, bitter tears.
“I will never be with you,” she told him as he turned his hateful, angry eyes on her.
She turned, walking away from him.
“Then you’d better hope your uncle is still alive,” Martin called from behind her. “Because one day you’ll find yourself in need of help, and on that day, I’ll be way less forgiving than today.”
Aliena paused, turning her head just enough to glance at him.
“Then let’s hope for both our sakes that Markus is alive, because if you ever try again what you tried today, I’ll kill you.”
He sat in what could only be described as a throne, staring down at her with his pale, light-reflective feline eyes. Kamal was shirtless and the sight of his muscular chest, the skin taut and smooth, marked with the hundreds of tiny scars proving his worth as an Eok warrior, would usually be enough to make her mouth water.
But not today. Not after Martin had made it clear that her life, and the lives of her family, would turn into a living Hell should she fail to return her uncle to her village.
Kamal watched her from his seated position, surrounded by his crew in the large common room. The walls, floors and ceiling were of unpolished steel, and the dim light came from round spots sprinkled across the ceiling, casting a yellow glow on the alien’s eyes. Hostile faces watched her walk toward Kamal, gazes sliding over her body in lustful assessment.
She was painfully aware of how vulnerable she was, alone and unarmed, literally walking into the belly of the beast that was the Mellark. Her heartbeat was fast and her palms cold and slippery, but she held her head high and her back straight as she walked in the midst of the pirates.
At least fifty males of different species looked down at her. Some had fur clinging to every inch of available skin, some had scales like a reptile’s. Most were much taller than her, and one male had a beard made of tentacles similar to those of an octopus, moving and prodding the air constantly as two pitch-black eyes set on her.
A long shiver traveled up her spine, igniting sparks of alarm along the way. Her calm composure was a shell around her body, and she knew it wouldn’t take much to break it.
Aliena stopped right in front of Kamal.
Two fog-colored eyes set on her, his alien features unreadable.
Aliena swallowed, then shifted her weight on her feet, unsure where to begin. All those words she had rehearsed were stuck in her throat, refusing to come out in the careful order she had planned.
“Well, Little Bird? I assume you didn’t come back for my hospitality.” Kamal lifted his brows, then cast a slow, circular glance around. Snickers traveled across the assembly, cruel grins spreading on their faces. “Unless you want to join my crew?”
“Not really.” Aliena flipped her hair back, refusing to show fear. These pirates were like wild dogs, ready to pounce on the first easy prey to cross their paths. “I have a business proposition.”
Around her, the males quieted, amusement deserting their faces. Some shot cautious, assessing looks at Kamal, waiting to see his reaction.
Standing on each side of Kamal were Marmack and Tailan. Their faces were carefully neutral but Aliena caught the glint in Tailan’s eyes, the warning plain in the female’s beautiful, pale golden gaze.
In a flash, Aliena understood her mistake. She should not have come like this, challenging him in front of his men. It was too late, though. She was here, and she needed his help.
“Is that so?” Kamal’s mouth split into a wide grin, his fangs in full view. “The Eok nation will compensate me and my crew for the cargo we lost to save your village, so your people are not in our debt. What could you possibly offer me that I don’t already have?”
Snickers gave way to amused chuckles, and a few crewmembers shouted crude expletives. This wasn’t the way Aliena had intended the exchange to go. She was losing control of the situation.
“I need you and your crew to raid the Breeding Facility before the Eok ships arrive tomorrow.”
“Attack Minister Knut’s facility?” Kamal blinked, visibly surprised by her demand. His amusement fell flat and he looked at her with a serious face. “Why would you ask such a thing?”
“Humans are still held there.” She sustained Kamal’s gaze, ignoring the men around them. He was the only one she needed to convince. “If we wait for the Eok warship to arrive, Knut’s men will kill them all, just to avoid any possibility of any testimony about what really
happens in there.”
Kamal braced his elbows on his knees, his face set in hard lines, his gaze intense. She suddenly saw it. The pirate in him, there in all its cunning, self-serving glory. She had been a fool to think she could rely on his feelings, on his honor. He was a man who took what he wanted, then discarded the rest afterward. She was that rest.
For a long time, Kamal stared at her, then he straightened.
“Our mission is to keep your village safe until Khal arrives with the Eok contingent, this is what my crew is being paid for.” He shook his head. “Minister Knut is still too powerful, his reach is too long. If I cross him, no one in this crew will be safe ever again. It’s not worth the risks.”
The crew moved, all fifty heads drawing a sharp breath at the same time. She couldn’t tell if it was relief or surprise that made them react this way. Maybe a bit of both.
“Spoken like a true pirate,” Aliena muttered through clenched teeth. She knew who he was. What he was. Then why the hell did she feel like this? “If it’s payment you need, then we will pay you.”
“And how do you plan on compensating us?” Kamal lifted his brows and a sardonic grin pulled at his mouth. “Until two days ago, your people were starving in a cave.”
It was a cruel thing to say, and the laughter that came from the pirates was just as cruel. She felt her cheeks burn with shame and anger but refrained from lashing out. She didn’t have the upper hand, there was no reason to pretend otherwise.
“We have more than you think.” Aliena kept her tone under control, but underneath, Kamal’s mockery left wounds. It hurt more than she wanted, and way more than it should.
“You bet your sweet ass you have,” a male voice interrupted, high-pitched and familiar. “You’re a human female. You’re worth ten times more than that entire cargo we had.”
Aliena turned to see Wyol, his pink eyes shining with malice. Somehow, the medical technician had pushed to the front of the crowd, his thin frame setting him apart from the bulkier males around him.
“I say we take a handful of human females in payment before the Eoks arrive.” Wyol turned around, speaking directly to the crew. “We’ll be rich enough to each buy our own ship.”
Shouts and exclamations exploded among the pirates. Fear rose in Aliena’s chest as she turned her head, meeting avid, greedy eyes. Already, some of them were inching closer, their gazes dangerous, their minds already filled with riches, riches bought with the sale of her body.
“There will be no slave trade.” Kamal’s voice cut through the voices of his crew, loud and clear without effort.
Kamal got to his feet, his tall, muscular stature eclipsing the others. A current of fear traveled through the assembled outlaws, their faces tightening with caution and their eyes widening. Whispers were exchanged, resentful faces fixing on Aliena, then Kamal. They were scared of him, of Kamal’s superior strength, but that didn’t mean the situation wasn’t dangerous. Pirates weren’t known to fight fair, and Kamal was only one male.
Aliena’s heartbeat was so fast and uneven, she was scared her heart would leap out of her chest.
“If any one of you wishes to challenge me, I’m ready to answer them.”
A deafening silence answered Kamal’s words.
“Do not promise what you cannot deliver.” Kamal turned to her, his expression and voice neutral, but the warning underneath clear.
“We are all that’s left of our species, and we’re about to regain control of Earth’s natural resources.” The words left her lips, those words she had rehearsed so carefully. Her tone was even and calm, even though she felt anything but. All she wanted was to run away, away from those pirates who would sell her and the other girls in her village without losing a night’s sleep over it. Away from this alien she thought would help her, or at least show some semblance of feelings for her. She couldn’t. Couldn’t run away. What she had to lose was too important.
“We are about to become a nation again, and a nation who has the support of the Eok. That makes us important.” Aliena straightened, then glared at the assembled outlaws, sustaining their gazes one after the other, until she met Wyol’s sickening pink eyes. “Important and wealthy. We cannot pay you now, but help us, and you will find friends in us. Friends of the grateful kind.”
She saw the reaction in their eyes as they understood the truth of what she was saying. Earth was a rich planet, one that had been under Knut’s control for a long time. Now it was the humans’ turn to profit and manage their own planet again. This meant they were about to get their hands on wealth, and that now was the time to be on friendly terms with them.
Aliena’s eyes caught on Marmack and Tailan. Their faces were cautious and closed, but there was no hostility in their eyes. She couldn’t count them as allies yet but they were not enemies, either.
“And what would those grateful friends promise in return?” Kamal caught her attention again.
“Exclusive trade with you and your crew for an entire year.” Aliena swallowed. This was the best she could think of. If they didn’t bite, then she had nothing left to induce them to fight for her. “Whatever we need, we buy from you. Whatever we sell, we sell to you.”
Kamal’s face froze as he contemplated what she was offering. Around them, the crew had gone quiet but there was no more hostility in their eyes as they looked at her. She was speaking to them in their language, the language of profits and risks, the language of strength and power. And they respected her for it.
“And what makes you think you have the power to broker this deal with us?” Wyol called from the side of the crowd. As she glanced at him, she saw the raw hatred in his eyes, the burning desire to hurt her, destroy her. He was angry that her proposal was so good, that the prospect of braving Kamal to sell human females to the underground slave trade had no more appeal to his fellow outlaws.
“My uncle Markus is our chief.” Aliena refused to look at Wyol, choosing to gaze directly at Kamal. “He is one of the prisoners. I personally guarantee the fulfillment of the deal—in his name.”
Kamal flinched at her words but it was so fast, she almost didn’t see it. Then his eyes hardened and he inhaled deeply. Around them, the men squeezed ever closer, hanging on their captain’s next words.
“Five years.” Kamal shot a glance in Marmack’s direction. “Five years, and we will raid the Breeding Facility for your village.”
“No.” Aliena tipped her chin up in defiance. “One year for the raiding of the Breeding Facility, four more for the return of my uncle, wherever he may be.”
Kamal’s eyes flashed at her challenge, his lips pressing into a tight line. Seconds hung in the air as time felt suspended.
Kamal nodded. “Deal.”
And, just like that, her entire life became dependent on the trust she was putting in an alien pirate.
Chapter 7
Kamal
“Not now,” Kamal snapped as the door to the command center slid up.
He kept his back turned as heavy steps approached but he knew it was pointless. He could feel Marmack’s resolve like a weight on his shoulders, could feel the other male’s gaze, piercing and angry.
“You’re fooling yourself if you think I’m going to go away without telling you what you need to hear.” Marmack approached and stopped just behind him.
“There’s nothing to talk about. We leave for the Breeding Facility in two hours,” Kamal growled, showing his anger to the other male. “The crew saw how lucrative the deal is. I’ve got enough support. We’ll succeed and earn more units for it than we ever dreamed, and all that without the risk of being accused of piracy.”
“You know that’s not what I want to talk about.” Marmack didn’t back down, his tone one of irritation. “Don’t make me say it.”
Kamal turned around, aggression seeping out of the pores of his skin, seeking a target to latch on to.
“What do you want me to say?” Kamal didn’t bother to hide his fangs. “You want me to say that she’s alway
s on my mind? That I almost lost it twice already and mated her? Yes, I did. Does that satisfy you?”
Marmack stared with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open. Shock spread in his dark golden eyes and Kamal immediately regretted his words.
“Mated?” Marmack shook his head, then passed his hand through his smooth blond hair. “Since when did you know?”
“Since the day I brought Aliena back after she escaped.”
Marmack was visibly surprised, and at loss for words. “And you still haven’t done it?” he finally said. “You know this won’t keep for long. Soon, you’re not going to be able to resist. You should do it before you lose control.”
“I’m not going to mate her at all.” Kamal sat down in the command chair. Marmack’s reaction didn’t surprise him, but he had to make his friend understand. “I’m going to fulfill this mission, then we’re going to leave Earth. I’m never going to see her again.”
Kamal heard the lie in his words before their meaning even registered in his brain. Marmack was no fool, either.
“You felt the Mating Venom rise, and you figure you’re going to leave and never come back?” Marmack shook his head, then stared at him like he had lost his mind. “You’d be the first one.”
It was a fool’s errand, plain and simple. Marmack was right.
“I can’t take a mate. You of all people should know that.” Kamal immediately regretted his words, as Marmack’s back stiffened and his face closed off.
“You and Tailan are different. You taking her as mate was the right thing to do. There was no future left for her after what was done to her village. But if I take Aliena as mate, it’ll be the worst thing to happen to her.”
“Are you so sure about that?”
