Vycon (Zenkian Warriors) (A Sci Fi Alien Abduction Romance)

by Maia Starr

  “Enough, Karan! We’re lucky to get any of the females back in breeding condition when you get your disgusting hands on them. This one is already with child. I won’t have you ruin the chances of a safe birth.”

  “But, Narei!”

  “That’s enough!”

  A masculine, booming voice suddenly made all three of us jump, and the prison door slammed open. Jaize marched inside, his eyes glowing with fire.

  “I told you not to touch her, Karan,” Jaize said, lifting Karan by the lapels of his shirt and slamming him against the wall. The rattle of the metal and Karan’s body was loud and frightening, and I flinched away from them, squeezing my eyes closed. I just wanted to be back in my bed. But nowhere on this planet seemed welcoming.

  “Jaize, the human came in here babbling about a boy. Is she talking about Max?”

  Jaize looked fiercely at me and then back at Narei with a broad but false smile on his face. “Yes, she is. I told her about how the soldiers were bullying him, and she had this crazy idea about bringing him back to my house to live with us.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Narei said with a snort. “That little krocha is good for nothing. In fact, his execution is scheduled for next week. We can’t waste resources on someone like this, and no doubt if we returned him, he would just grow into another soldier we would have to kill later. Better to think ahead.”

  My stomach sank. Max was the name my parents had told Luke to use if we were ever in a compromised position. If what this man was saying was true, my little brother was scheduled to die at the hands of the Verians. Just like our parents had.

  “Of course,” Jaize said, chuckling. “It was just a silly notion. But you know humans. Once they get an idea in their heads…”

  “Tell me about it,” Narei said, shaking his head. “I work with them day in and day out. And I never get a break since Zaine disappeared. I won’t even get any time off for when Gretchai and I get married!”

  “That’s a shame,” Jaize said, taking my elbow and leading me gently past the two men and through the prison doors. “We’re going to head back now. Pregnant humans are always so worried about the young. Maternal instincts; can’t blame her for it. I apologize sincerely for any trouble we may have caused you.”

  “It was no trouble at all,” Narei said cheerfully.

  I glanced at Karan, who was staring at Jaize with a fierce glare on his face. I was suddenly beside myself with relief. Jaize was here. He had kept the situation from going from bad to worse. He was going to take me back so that I could sleep in my own bed.

  When we were finally out of earshot of the other men, Jaize turned to face me. I thought he was going to be angry, but instead, I was shocked when he embraced me tenderly, kissing the top of my head and holding me close to his muscular body.

  “Please, never do anything so reckless again, Yula,” he said. “I thought I had lost you.”

  I lingered in his grip for a few blissful moments before it suddenly struck me. Luke was going to be killed. I pulled away from Jaize and looked him square in the eye.

  “My brother—”

  “I know,” Jaize said, shaking his head. “It’s heartless.”

  “We can’t just let him be killed!” I exclaimed. “If you mean anything you said, you will help me get him out of this. Please!”

  Jaize’s face looked troubled, and he took me by the arm and guided me to the bubble-like hovercraft he had parked haphazardly on the prison’s lawn. He must have heard me take the thuse and gone out to find me. It had been a stupid plan anyway. I hadn’t been thinking clearly.

  “It’s going to be all right, Yula,” he said, carefully avoiding my plea and helping me into the hovercraft. “Let’s just get you home. You need to rest now and save your strength. Everything will look better in the morning.”

  Chapter 9

  Commander Jaize Lorna

  Once I knew that Christina was safely sleeping in her room, I sat back against the wall and sighed deeply. It had been a hell of a day, for both of us. Now, knowing that the young man I had met earlier that day was definitely bound for execution, I had a choice to make.

  If I attempted to rescue him, it would not only be a dangerous, probably failed mission, but it would also label me a traitor to my people. It was unlikely that I would succeed, especially considering my disease, but there was something that had been bothering me since we’d come back from the prison. I had lifted Karan easily, as if he were nothing but a tiny child. It almost felt like, at that moment, that I’d gotten a bit of my strength back.

  But that was impossible. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling. The whole situation had given me a rush, a taste of the impossible. I couldn’t dare to dream of it being a permanent state, but the possibility of being cured left me feeling elated. It would be nice to feel like a real man again.

  “Luke…”

  I tensed up at the sound of Christina’s voice. She had been suffering deeply all night long, tossing and turning in a fitful, fever-like sleep. If I could rescue her brother, it would show her that I truly cared about her. That I would rather raise my family on the run from the powerful Verian government than I serve as Commander any longer.

  Truthfully, living with Christina had been eye-opening. I had never known that humans could be so…charming. The same was true of young Lucas, who had proven to be quite endearing. The idea that I might have a son like that myself, someday soon, filled me with pride and giddy anticipation.

  But the thought of the boy being executed put those feelings to a halt. I couldn’t just let him suffer like that. It was cruel and needless. Surely there was something I could do without compromising everything I had on planet Helna!

  But what was it that I had, really? A wife who would be better off without me, a boss who hated me, and a thankless job for a government that worried more about mining resources from innocent people than promoting a peaceful way of co-existing with them? We had anti-human propaganda that had left me feeling, from a young age, that humans were vermin. I had worked hard to reach the top of the military’s career track so that I would have a chance to protect my people from the human enemy once and for all.

  And now, I had fallen in love with one. But to love her also meant to love her family. A family my people had viciously torn apart and continued to harm, even as I sat protectively outside of Christina’s room.

  I got to my feet, a growl lodged deep in my throat. I couldn’t let them execute Luke. He had done nothing wrong. He was just a child, in the wrong place at the wrong time. A child, not a casualty of war, or some kind of spy with intel on an ambush. And certainly not just a waste of space and resources. That was what was wrong with my planet. Everything was focused on the utilitarian aspect. So rarely were Verians focused on the non-material aspects of life. Aspects like love, or loyalty. The things that Christina needed from me that I wasn’t sure I knew how to give her.

  But I knew one thing: I wasn’t going to make the mistake of letting her go so easily. And I wasn’t going to let any young child of mine be forced into a system of oppressive bondage to the Verian army. I was going to fight for the freedom of my family and win Christina’s heart once and for all.

  ***

  I woke up early, after only an hour’s worth of rest, my plan fresh in my mind.

  “Please, look after the human,” I asked the Pelin.

  “Of course,” he said, with a low nod.

  “I need you to drive her to the bay, later in the day. Make sure she’s there waiting for me by 2:00, Earth time. Use this.”

  I slipped the watch off of my wrist and handed it to the Pelin. It looked huge in his little hands, and he knelt in acknowledgment of the request.

  “You can’t let Malnia know where you have taken the human. She isn’t to do any further damage to her. Understood?”

  “Yes,” the Pelin said seriously, and I knew by the sound of his voice that he took this job seriously. It had been unbelievable for Malnia to risk the life of Christina and the
child the way she had, and a sobering event for the Pelin, who had taken quite a liking to the human.

  I knelt to him, unsure of whether or not this would be the last time I would see him, and then stepped inside the cool guest bedroom where Christina was slumbering soundly.

  I gazed at her for a moment, pain wrenching my heart. I lowered my lips gently against her temple.

  “I may die trying,” I whispered, “but I will do everything in my power to bring your brother back.”

  I left quickly, before Christina could stir and ask what I was doing hovering over her in her sleep, and headed for the prison. My heart tremored nervously as I made the trip. It was one I had made a thousand times before, but this time, I was terrified. Whether the place was understaffed or not, the Doyan was very particular about who worked there. It was under the supervision of some of the most experienced fighters on all of Helna, and the idea of confronting any of them, with the mysterious disease that continued to weaken me, was disturbing, to say the least.

  “Jaize, hello!” Narei said, walking toward me when I crossed into the entrance. “I was just—”

  “I’m sorry, Narei,” I said. His face flickered with confusion just before I struck him hard. He fell to the ground fast, and I studied my fist in disbelief. It hadn’t just been my imagination. Ever since Christina had gotten pregnant, it seemed I had been regaining my strength again, little by little.

  And now, when I closed my eyes, I could almost feel the heartbeat of my tiny son or daughter as their strength urged me forward. I opened my eyes again, thrilled and determined to accomplish exactly what I set out to accomplish. With strength on my side once more, there was nothing to stand in my way.

  I knelt beside Narei and dug through his pockets until I found the ring of keys and passcodes. I would find Luke and get him out of this place if it was the last thing I ever did.

  ***

  I could hear the heavy snores of human men once I opened the door to the corridor, and knew immediately that I was in the right place. Narei had led me here once before, to his detriment, unfortunately, and I crept through the hallway as quietly as I could, peering in each cell until I found the one where Luke was sleeping.

  “Max!” I hissed. One of the men stirred, but Lucas stayed asleep. Finally, I lost my patience and unlocked the door carefully. If I was too loud, the men would end up charging out of the cell all at once, and I would lose my advantage.

  I crept inside until I was standing just over the sleeping boy. I nudged him.

  “Lucas,” I whispered. “Time to go.”

  His eyes shot open, and he sat bolt upright, staring into my eyes fearfully.

  “Please don’t hurt me!” he whimpered.

  I clamped my hand over his mouth and lifted him up. “I’m here to save you, little Yul!”

  His brow furrowed in confusion but he stayed silent until we were outside the cell. I sat him down on his feet and fumbled with the keys, peering at the lock.

  As I attempted to lock the door behind us, a strong hand gripped my wrist and wrenched the key ring out of my hand.

  “You shouldn’t have done that, Jaize!”

  Narei shouted from behind the line of hulking Verian warriors, retired from battle and content to work the graveyard shift at the prison.

  “Stay down!” I growled to Lucas. He nodded, his brown eyes wide in terror, and I turned to the group of men. They clearly hadn’t seen a good fight in years, and they were ready. I braced myself for the impact, and soon my fists were flying.

  It had been almost four years since I had felt like myself, and with every connection my fists made to another Verian man’s flesh, the more alive I felt. Soon, I was giddy with the adrenaline and had knocked out three out of my seven opponents. Narei was watching from the sidelines with fear etched all over his face, occasionally trying to talk some sense into me.

  “Think of your ranking!” he would shout, running behind the wall to avoid getting splashed with blood from one of the older men’s teeth getting knocked out. Or, “You have a hybrid on the way! What if their career is jeopardized because of your own foolishness?!”

  But I was immune to his words. There was nothing left on Helna for me. Verian society had far more wrong with it than it had right at this point, and until they learned to compromise and appreciate humans, and vice versa, I couldn’t see myself taking either side in the war. There had to be somewhere that we could coexist without having to live in fear. And I was going to find it.

  “Krocha!” the last man shouted in fury as his head hit the ground hard. I grinned. I had never felt so alive in my life. Narei cried out and backed away toward the wall with his hands raised in the air.

  “Don’t hurt me!” he pleaded. “I didn’t want to do this!”

  I shook my head at him and tossed him the keys.

  “Don’t try to stop me next time,” I warned him, pointing my finger at him.

  “I won’t!” he promised.

  “Come on,” I said to Lucas, taking the boy’s hand. “We’re going to get out of here.”

  “Where are we going?” he asked. He was clearly afraid of me, and really, I couldn’t blame him.

  “I know where your sister is.”

  The boy gasped, and I couldn’t help but smile. I was doing the right thing. Finally. And nothing was going to stand in my way.

  Chapter 10

  Dr. Christina Evans (MD)

  I looked out over the murky green water pensively, the Pelin man standing silently beside me. He refused to tell me what we were doing here, and all I could think about was Jaize. He had promised to help me get Luke out if I helped to heal him, but I hadn’t. I didn’t know anything about the disease. And now, my little brother was doomed because of one man’s selfishness. How was I ever going to live with myself after this?

  A loud whirring noise filled the sky, and I looked up, afraid and confused about what was going on. The Pelin hopped up and down excitedly, and I frowned as the huge craft landed on the sand beside me.

  “Christina!”

  My heart nearly burst, and tears sprang immediately to my eyes as Lucas wrapped his small arms around my neck and clung tightly to me.

  “Your friend is so cool! He got me out of jail! We’re going home!!”

  I looked at Jaize through the tears in my eyes, my entire body electrified by the handsome smile on his face.

  “It’s true,” he reassured me, crossing the sand to help me to my feet. Apparently, I had collapsed as soon as Luke’s voice reached my ears. “But we have to move fast.”

  “Are you coming?” I asked, turning to the kind little Pelin. He seemed surprised and looked at Jaize.

  “Well?” he asked.

  The Pelin ran onto the ship, as if afraid we were going to change our minds, and Jaize laughed.

  “Come on. We don’t have much time.”

  I boarded the ship, the same stealth craft that I had bumped my foot on before, and before I knew it, we were flying through space at the speed of light.

  I held Luke tightly, and suddenly he touched my stomach.

  “I’m going to be an uncle?!” he exclaimed.

  I nodded. “Yes,” I said, kissing his forehead. “And you’re going to be the best uncle there ever was.”

  ***

  Several hours later, Luke and the Pelin were sound asleep, and we landed safely on Earth, far away from the Zones or settlements. Jaize had packed us enough resources on the ship to last us for years to come, and we camped out in the darkness quietly.

  We were alone in the bunker, Jaize sitting quietly across from me, gripping my hand tightly as if he were afraid I might disappear.

  “I didn’t know if I would ever see you again,” he whispered. “I thought that because of my disease, succeeding at this would be a long shot.”

  I held his hands to my lips and kissed them tenderly. I had heard him, somewhere in my sleeping mind, that morning, and I had woken up wishing dearly for him to be beside me.

  “Pleas
e promise me you’ll never do anything so reckless again,” I whispered. “I don’t think the baby and I could take it if anything happened to you.”

  I had been trying so hard to deny my feelings for Jaize that I had completely missed the part where I’d fallen head over heels in love with him. But now that he had risked everything he had ever known, including his own life, to bring my brother and me back to Earth safely, I knew there would never be another man I wanted more in my life than him.

  “I’m really sorry, you know,” he said awkwardly, looking down at the ground. “For everything I put you through.”

  I laughed quietly. “I’m sorry for that too. But it worked out. We should try to forget the bad and focus on creating more of the good.”

  My eyes caught his, and our gazes lingered for a moment. Suddenly, rapid heat surged through my body, and our lips were touching. I kissed him passionately, his lips generating fire all throughout my body. I had never wanted a man so badly in my life. Now that all was said and done, and I knew exactly who he was, nothing had ever felt more right.

  Jaize seemed to feel the same way, and I gasped as the urgent mound of his erection pressed against my thigh. We kissed languidly for a few more moments before he pulled away, his brow arched in concern.

  “Is this safe? For the baby?”

  I laughed and pulled him down to continue the kiss.

  “Yes,” I whispered, my hands roaming the broad muscle of his chest and the soft skin of his face. “Don’t you dare stop.”

  He grinned and lifted me easily, and I was shocked by his strength. He truly had made a miraculous recovery: one he attributed entirely to our baby.

  Jaize stripped me quickly, his mouth settling over the sensitive ring of my nipple, and my back arched involuntarily as pleasure surged through me. I helped him to strip his clothes off and took in the deeply gratifying sight of his completely naked body. Men on Earth would kill to look the way a Verian man did naturally, and I relished in the firm muscles brushing against my skin and the impressive size of his member as it teased and caressed the hypersensitive nerve endings between my legs.