“Why can’t we do it here on Plasius? The sooner, the better,” Amelia said. She frowned at the lake outside and added highlights to the waves in her painting. Only tiny details remained for the canvas; otherwise, she called the work complete. Indeed, she’d created a work beyond her own hopes. Without the threat of pain rushing her, she thought the extra attention to this painting made her earlier art look like a child’s scribblings.
“The ceremony must be conducted by the clan’s—” Flencik paused and looked to Breft for help.
“Priest,” the Nobek supplied.
“You are already our Matara,” Rajhir said. “The ceremony celebrates our union and tells others we are a unit. Ours will be of great importance to Kalquor. You are the first Earther Matara and the revival of hope for our world.”
“You need a gown for the ceremony,” Flencik said.
Breft’s eyes gleamed. “I liked what you wore the first time we met.”
Amelia chimed laughter. “You did a good job of showing that, you fiend!”
“You should wear another like it.”
“Only if you promise not to rip it off me this time.”
Flencik chuckled and said, “No promise. When you wear clothes, I want to uncover you fast.”
That earned laughter all around. When the hilarity subsided, Rajhir said, “Plasian clothes are prettier than Kalquor’s. More flattering for one shaped such as you. It would be good for you to get a gown here for the ceremony.”
“All right, I will. I’m not very good at choosing formal attire though. Maybe Vrill will help me.”
“Vrill chooses good clothes?”
“She chose the gown you saw me in that first night.”
Rajhir grinned. “Vrill chooses very good!”
The looks the men exchanged woke Amelia’s desire. It seemed a good opportunity to ask her most important question. She put her paintbrush down. “How long after the ceremony do I have to wait before I can get pregnant?”
“There is no need to wait,” Rajhir said. “If you were pregnant now, there would be even more reason to celebrate with the ceremony. Of course we are all right with you waiting a little while. We do not need to hurry the childbearing.”
“But your people are dying out. Earther women only have so many fertile years.”
Flencik patted her head as if she was a child herself. “You are young yet with much time to have many children. I have means to extend your fertility in later years. It is a matter of managing your cycle.”
“Managing my cycle? You mean you can control my ovulation?”
He nodded. “I can delay it to save the eggs until we are ready for them. When you wish to start a child, I can give you medicine to make you ready for fertilization.”
Amelia stood. “Can you do it today? Now?”
The men stared at her. She wondered if she’d said something wrong until Rajhir came to her, his eyes bright with emotion. He enveloped her in his arms and crushed her to his body.
His voice trembled with feeling. “You would do this for us so soon? Are you truly ready?”
She reached up to caress his cheeks. Breft and Flencik crowded close to them. “It’s what Kalquor needs. More importantly, it’s what my clan wants.”
“Do you want this, Amelia?”
Amelia felt so good inside she thought she might burst with joy. She truly had made the right decision. There was no doubt remaining on that count. “I thought I would never be able to become a mother. It was too dangerous for me to let anyone know I wasn’t a virgin, so I couldn’t hope to marry. This is a dream come true for me.” She felt tears come. She let them fall. “I want us to be together and happy forever. I want to be the mother of your children. Take me back to our quarters now and give me this medicine. Give me a child.”
Chapter 14
The marketplace near the clan’s quarters buzzed with activity. Every Plasian seemed to be out shopping or socializing despite the blazing suns’ glare. Amelia watched the slow but steady bustle as she sat at a table beneath a broad-leafed tree’s shade outside an eatery. She nibbled nellus and sipped cool shel with quiet satisfaction. Despite her overall contentment, it felt odd to be alone after so many days and nights with the Kalquorians. Without them in sight, she had a sense of nakedness.
At a table nearby, a Plasian couple forgot their lunch in their ardor for each other. The male slipped the strap of his companion’s top off one silky shoulder to expose her breast. He massaged the flushed mound, teasing its stiffening tip with his thumb. The woman reached out of sight beneath the table. The rhythmic flexing of her arm told Amelia all she needed to know. The pair moaned into each others’ mouths.
Watching their sex play, Amelia felt her own wetness. Why wasn’t she with her Kalquorian mates, touching and being touched? She knew she needed a dress for the clanning ceremony, but right now she ached for the clan’s attentions. She felt almost bereft without her men, though they were only a short shuttle’s ride away.
“Here’s the troublemaker at last.” Vrill folded herself into the chair next to Amelia’s.
The Earther threw her arms around her friend. “Vrill! How have you been?”
Vrill returned the embrace. “Fine, but I want to hear about you. I’m glad to see you looking more gorgeous than ever.”
“I’ve joined the clan.”
“Wonderful!” Vrill looked relieved.
“That’s not all.” Amelia felt her face flush. A smile spread over her face. “I’m pregnant with their child.”
Vrill squealed and hugged her again. “I’m so happy for you!” She sat back and regarded Amelia with the brightest of smiles. “I’m glad you came to your senses and stopped letting rigid Earther values dictate your life. Where are those yummy Kalquorians of yours?”
Amelia sipped more shel and glanced towards the amorous Plasian couple. The female now bent over her partner’s lap. The back of her dark furred head bobbed in and out of view as she suckled his flesh. Her skirt rumpled at her waist, exposing her bronze buttocks which thrust up at the sky. The male’s hand cupped one globe, and he dipped a long finger in and out of her anus. His eyes were closed as he shut out the world to revel in sensation.
Amelia dragged her eyes away from the delightful scene and answered Vrill. “They let me come here alone. Rajhir said it’s to show their trust in me, but if Breft isn’t somewhere near I’ll kiss a Tragoom.”
Vrill grimaced at the mention of the thick hided, warty race that had a bad habit of eating enemies and occasionally their few allies. Not even the most sympathetic could find anything pleasant in a Tragoom’s appearance. “Ugh. There’s being uninhibited and then there’s insanity. I’m surprised your clan has let you out at all given the uproar around here lately.”
Vrill had Amelia’s undivided attention with that statement. “What do you mean? What’s going on?”
“You haven’t heard?” Vrill chuckled. “Innocent Amelia, the center of conflict between Plasius and Earth, and you don’t even know it!”
A chill trickled down Amelia’s spine. “What are you talking about?”
Vrill plucked a nellus from Amelia’s plate. “Earth demands Saucin Israla send the Plasian police or military to rescue you from the Kalquorians. I guess they don’t realize we require no law enforcement here.” She popped the fruit in her mouth and chewed with obvious delight before continuing. “Earth says you’ve been kidnapped. This is an unspeakable crime against all Earthers, and if Plasius doesn’t help recover you, we’re guilty of abetting this injustice.”
Amelia’s stomach churned. “What is the Saucin doing about it?”
“She’s mediating between Dramok Rajhir and Earth. The clan claims you’ve joined them of your own free will. As their Matara, your welfare is no longer Earth’s concern.”
“Why hasn’t Rajhir told me about this?” Amelia said.
Vrill patted her shoulder with no outward appearance of concern. “If I remember Kalquorian custom, the Matara is not to be troubled by any
conflict outside the clan. More importantly, a Matara expecting birth is never exposed to stress.”
“But I could tell Earth myself that I’ve willingly joined the clan. There’s no need for problems between our planets.”
Vrill nodded, looking suddenly relieved despite her earlier attempt at nonchalance. She’d been worried after all. “If you can convince your clan to let you speak to Earth, perhaps hostilities might be avoided.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” Amelia set her jaw. “Rajhir must allow me to speak.”
Vrill stood. “Good. First we have to take care of a more important matter.”
“What?” Amelia steeled herself for more bad news.
“Your gown for the clanning ceremony, of course! You can’t wear those lumpy clothes you brought from Earth. In fact, you need a whole new wardrobe. I trust your Dramok provided the account information you need?” Vrill tugged Amelia to her feet. “Let’s go.”
Amelia groaned but allowed her friend to drag her along. “Only a Plasian would be more concerned about fashion than the possibility of war.”
Vrill laughed. “We all must die sometime, but we can look good doing it!”
* * * *
“Why won’t you let me talk to Earth?” Amelia heard the frustration in her own voice.
The clan had been waiting in their quarters when she returned from her shopping trip. They exhibited visible relief when she walked in the door. That canceled Amelia’s suspicions that Breft had followed her. Fortunately, no Tragooms lurked in the vicinity to kiss.
She had immediately insisted on calling Earth. Rajhir responded by thundering, “No!”
Breft’s tone was quieter but still tense. “This is not your problem, little one. Earth’s claims on you are our concern alone. We will handle it.”
“How can it not be my problem? Earth is threatening Kalquor and Plasius because of me!”
Rajhir’s eyes sparked purple fire. “We take care of you. You are not to be troubled by events outside your clan now that you are pregnant. Vrill should not have spoken.”
He paced the floor, his hands clenching and opening, clenching and opening. The tendons stood out in his neck. Rajhir in full fury seemed every bit as ferocious as his Nobek. Wide-eyed, Flencik hovered near Amelia as if to protect her from their leader’s wrath. Even Breft thrummed with tension, his dark eyes following Rajhir.
Amelia walked into the Dramok’s path, forcing him to halt. He stood over her, glaring down. She fought off a stab of fear along with a sudden rush of desire. Damned stupid masochistic tendencies.
She said, “I am troubled, Rajhir. I don’t want hostilities between our races because of me.” Amelia ran her hands over the planes of his torso, up his corded neck, up to his face. She pressed her palms against his cheeks. “I can put a stop to this nonsense. All it would take is telling them I am with you by my own free will.”
Amelia pressed herself against him. Did he relax just a little? Did she dare to hope this furious colossus might yield to her? “Please, my love. Let me ease their worries, and therefore mine.”
Rajhir pulled away. “I will not allow you to be bothered with Earth’s nonsense.”
Amelia’s eyes pricked with tears. “Then Earth is right. I’m no more than your prisoner, only a slave for your sexual appetites.”
Rajhir’s eyes widened, and his face darkened with renewed fury. She heard Breft hiss and Flencik’s warning, “Amelia!” She acknowledged neither, keeping her gaze locked on Rajhir’s face.
The Dramok’s hands clasped her shoulders. He squeezed, stopping the pressure just short of pain. “We kept you against your will in the beginning, something that caused me no end of grief. But in the end you chose to join this clan. You are here by choice now.”
“Then prove it by giving me this chance to speak to my home world. Otherwise you’re taking away my freedom and proving them right.”
“I prove them nothing! This is our way, Amelia.” He gritted his teeth together. “You live among Kalquorians now as a cherished Matara. That means we protect you from all harm, physical and emotional.”
“I know you believe you’re doing what’s right, Rajhir. But if you do not let me speak, it will only hurt me. I need to do this. I need you to trust me.”
For a moment his grip tightened to where she did feel pain. Amelia verged on crying out when he relaxed his hold. It seemed to take monumental effort for Rajhir to let his arms fall to his sides.
“Call.” The Dramok nodded towards the vid.
His sudden acquiescence surprised Amelia so much that she simply gaped at him for a few moments.
Go! her mind shouted. Hurry before he changes his mind.
Moving in slow motion, Amelia approached the vid. She really didn’t want to talk to those in power on Earth. Their revulsion would be scathing, but she couldn’t be the reason peaceful Plasius suffered.
“Earth Liaison Jack Frank,” she said. The vid beeped acknowledgment. A series of clicks announced its compliance.
A shadow fell over Amelia. Rajhir stood at her shoulder, frowning. Breft and Flencik joined them.
Frank’s face appeared on the vid screen. Amelia watched his eyes widen in shock.
“Amelia! Where are you?”
“With my clan.”
Frank’s mouth opened and closed like a gasping fish. His pink face deepened to red, alarming Amelia. She thought he might have a heart attack right in front of her.
“Jack! Are you all right?”
“Am I – am I—” His eyes bulged. “Are you all right? We heard you’d been taken prisoner.”
“I’ve chosen to join the Kalquorian clan.”
Frank’s face edged towards purple. “You chose … impossible! Mixing with another species is blasphemy against God! Sex without marriage is a sin!”
Amelia sighed. She’d be glad to have this interview over and done with. “I’m married in the eyes of Kalquor. I’ve become this clan’s Matara, and I’m going back to their planet to live with them.”
“It’s all right, Amelia. We know they’re forcing you to say that, but an Earth transport is on its way to rescue you. It’ll be there by tomorrow and everyone who had a hand in this travesty will pay.”
“I don’t need rescuing. Listen to what I’m saying. You have to stop threatening Plasius because they have nothing to do with this. I’m with the clan of my own free will.”
“That’s what two other women said before they escaped the Kalquorians who kidnapped them.”
Amelia’s heart plunged to her stomach. “What are you talking about?”
For once, Frank’s pomposity was nowhere to be found. He looked terrified. “Most of our women who were abducted and taken to Kalquor contacted Earth and said it’s what they want. However, two of the women changed their minds. When they told the clans they’d joined they wanted out, the clans refused to let them leave. Those two women managed to escape, and now the truth is out. Who knows how many other females decided to leave the clans and were prevented from doing so? And how many were forced to send messages saying they wanted to go to Kalquor when in fact they didn’t?” He leaned forward so that his anxious face filled the vid screen. “Amelia, whether you think you’ve chosen the Kalquorians or not, you are nothing but a sex slave to them! This situation is an affront to God! You must escape and renounce your sins!”
Amelia swallowed. Behind her, the clan stayed silent. She felt their eyes on her, waiting for her reaction.
Why had she insisted on making this call? She didn’t want to know others had been forced to Kalquor. She didn’t want to know her happiness was hell to others. She didn’t want to acknowledge that her own clan kept her a prisoner until she finally admitted she wanted to be with them.
“Amelia?” Frank’s voice trembled.
“I have to go to Kalquor. I love these men, and I – I’m pregnant with their child.” By the end of her statement, her voice had tapered to a whisper.
He heard her anyway. “You don’t have to give
birth to that monster, Amelia!” His voice rose to a earsplitting scream. “For your eternal soul, get away from them! We’ll get you out of there, we’ll tear that thing out of you, we’ll—”
Rajhir roared. Flencik swung Amelia out of the way as the Dramok lunged at the vid. “You will not threaten our Matara or her child!” he shouted at the gaping liaison. “She chooses us! She goes to Kalquor!” He smashed his fist on the vid controls, breaking the connection. Jack Frank’s face disappeared.
Rajhir twisted around to face Amelia. “Our child is not a monster,” he said. “You know this!”
“I know, Rajhir.” She hugged herself, crossing protective arms over her belly. “Please don’t be angry. I’d never let anyone take our baby from me.”
The Dramok’s face abruptly softened, and he gathered her in his arms. “Matara, Matara,” he breathed, kissing her face. “You made the right choice to go with us. We will love you always.”
Flencik stroked her hair. “The two women your Liaison Frank mentioned did not escape. They were released by the clans that took them. They were lesbians and could not be happy with the men.”
Breft added, “Even for the sake of having children for Kalquor, we could not force such an unnatural state on those women.”
“And they claimed they escaped?” Amelia asked.
“It is not known what they told Earth,” Breft growled. “We only know what your government officials say. No one has heard from the women since they returned to their planet.”
“If Earth learned they were lesbians, then their lives are better over.” Amelia’s voice caught. “Homosexuality is a capital crime. They could be dead now — or worse.”
“Perhaps they lied to keep themselves safe. It is understandable given the circumstances.”
“They’re still in for a bad time, especially if they’ve had sex. If the clans that took them drugged them or bit them—”
“They most assuredly did.” Rajhir said. “They would take every advantage to seduce Earther women as we did with you.”
“Then they’ll wish they died. They still might.” Amelia felt tears roll down her cheeks. “But not before suffering horribly. Unmarried, nonvirginal women are intolerable.”
Alien Embrace Page 21
