Stolen and Seduced

by Christine Pope

  I untied my traditional kartus from my waist and folded it, placing it on the bed. I recalled not freshening after we engaged in practice battle earlier, because Gobi had me summonsed to meet Virginia. I had doubts about my cleanliness, after recalling that I worked up a high sheen during my battle maneuvers.

  I moved to the container where I kept freshened kartus', removed a new one, and strode out of my room towards the fresher.

  I had just entered when I heard noise in the mister. I peered around to the inside and found a sea of Terran flesh, and a tailless bottom bent towards me.

  Her hair was down, a long sheet of dark brown waves cascading off to one side of her shoulder. She appeared to be scrubbing at material that she had piled on the floor.

  I had not expected this scene but it was beyond my abilities not to take in the sight. I had never seen a Terran up close before. Her stature was short and her shape was well-curved, with a rounded bottom I longed to stroke for extended periods of time. She was crouched, and between her thighs I could sense her heat and see a light downy fur lining her underside.

  I barely contained my growl as I backed up, realizing how badly I would frighten her if she did not know I was there, like in the sleeping room. Especially when my body was quickly thickening in response to her. I moved further back out of her sight and held the clean kartus in front of me to block sight of my hard length.

  "Gin, may I advise?" I spoke carefully, and from near the entry of the room.

  Her head poked from around the corner of the mister.

  "Should I not be in here?" I could hear her worry.

  "You can do as you wish. I had come to use the mister as well but I see you are there first. I just wanted to tell you how to access it, and that there is a separate cloth fresher unit on the ship. In case you wish your skin protectors cleaned."

  "Really?" Her face lit up, and that was also when she realized I was no longer wearing my own skin protectors. I watched as her surprised eyes flitted over me, so I stood still while she looked her fill. At the end of her perusal she looked away and color came to her cheeks.

  "Worry not. I know you have not met one of my kind before. I take no ill regard in your curiosity of me." I looked down at myself wondering what she saw, hoping it helped ease her fear. "Maybe now you will not be as frightened of me." She met my gaze and I immediately recognized her regret.

  But it was not her fault she was scared of me. It only takes one bad person to assist in defining an entire group. It also did not help that part of the mating changes in my people were a severely heightened protective nature. We were heavily family and socially oriented to begin with, but finding ones mate, having offspring, made us willing to protect what we valued to any extreme. When you disrespected a Sitor's mate, you truly disrespected the entire family line. This did not mean that there were not petty squabbles, or that some Sitor mates were not trouble in their own right. We did not protect brainlessly. Poor behavior was still poor behavior, and it tarnished a family's code of ethics. It was everyone's responsibility to help care and protect the family unit, but fairly.

  What would my parents think of Gin? I wondered…

  I snapped back to the present and explained the wall panel behind Gin, and what the misters' options were for refreshing. When she seemed to understand, I nodded at her, turned, and left to return to my sleep chamber. I would have to wait to refresh, and I did not think it was a good idea to wander around undressed. I did not know if such was normal for Terrans. My own people valued privacy, which made me wonder: Why did I want to show my body off to Gin?

  Gin

  Tonakk was… a beautiful specimen of Sitor. Hell, he was a beautiful masculine specimen of pretty much any species.

  His body was surprisingly similar to a Terran. The only differences I really noticed were that the skin of his upper chest appeared textured, his body looked like it was chiseled from a block of stone, and his fingers and toes ended up darker colors, with thick curved talons.

  When he turned around his back was just as beautiful as his front. I had no idea what was beneath the clothing he held in front of him but I wondered if that area was similar as well.

  I could feel my body heat rise while he stood there letting me see him. Thank Aylef that the wall curved and that I was short enough to hide behind it, because my nipples were hard enough to stab someone. And that scent was there again, the spicy flower scent, which I swear seemed to make me a little wetter between my legs. What was it about that scent?

  I used a cleaning setting on the fresher, alternating with a deep clean. It had been a very long time since I properly bathed, unless you count soaking in the ocean until the opia began circling me, or standing out in the rain storm. Those helped to rinse dirt but not so much with actual cleaning or scent.

  For the first time in a very long time, I felt clean. I smelled clean. I worked my comb through the length of my hair, not realizing how long it had gotten. Seeing myself in a reflective surface was an experience as well. I no longer looked like a youngling. The curve of my hips and breasts, despite being a little thin due to food scarcity, were rounded and nicely formed. I had no idea what I looked like to others before now.

  I didn't get to change into my short clothes because on the fresher table I saw folded cloth which was not there when I first entered. It was laid next to my own set. I opened it to find a column sheath, a pair of short pants vaguely similar to my own, a wrap top, and a thick body wrap to wear over my skin for modesty. I chose the body wrap and secured the cord around the waist, carrying the rest of the items out with me.

  "Tonakk?" I paused at his open portal.

  He came, wrapped in animal fur bottoms again. I noticed this set was different skins, and that I could see his sides through the sheer panels beneath the skins. I decided it was sexy.

  "I just wanted to thank you, for the clothing. The um… skin protectors?" I nodded to myself like an idiot, stopping when I realized. Did he get the chance to use a fresher somewhere else? Because damn he smelled good. That spicy floral scent seemed to trail after him now, filling rooms with his scent. It was intoxicating.

  He was staring at me again, taking in my hair, the details of my face. "I hope they fit you well. I was unsure about sizing for you but I did not wish you to wear your skin protectors again until they were properly cleaned. I will show you where we take them, when we continue our tour. Would you like to finish seeing my craft?"

  Was he nervous? He seemed nervous. That was a first.

  "Sure, l will change and we can go." I retreated to my temporary space, excited to have a soft sleeping platform for the evening. I removed the body wrap and decided to wear the wrap top and the short pants. I looked closer at them, realizing the shirt had a light pattern of pale red flowers, and the short pants had thin pale red stripes.

  I looked around for my foot covers, only to find them gone and a replacement pair near the door. These were… different. They were red and made to slip a foot into. Covered in soft cloth they looked to be as thickly cushioned like the sitting benches in the entrance room. I inserted my feet and took a few steps. Birther of Aylef, it was like walking on air! I nearly moaned at how nice they felt on my feet.

  I grabbed my clothes that needed cleaning and met Tonakk near the entry to his suite of rooms. My shoes were dangling from his talons, which made me snicker. His face was scrunched at them and he looked highly skeptical. On his own feet were a pair of something similar to the slip-on shoes he left for me. They paired interestingly with his animal skin crotch and butt cover, and he wore nothing else.

  "I have seen the cloth freshers work miracles before, yet I make no promises for your foot covers."

  Did he just... did he make a joke?? I could not help but smile at him.

  It turns out the clothing fresher area is on the middle of the three decks, surrounded by living spaces for his crew. Do you know what else was on this level? Childcare.

  My initial count of forty beings was doubled, if not tripled
. Away from the business end of working on the craft, there were families. Partners, mates, children. Play areas, sporting areas, indoor plants and flowers, animals, educational classes.

  I was completely at a loss for words, and Tonakk simply watched me. He did this? It was like a traveling city. When I asked him why families were here, he seemed surprised at the question.

  "Beings work harder and feel more stable if their families are nearby. It is better for the mates and children not to be separated, as well." The logic was more than sound, I was just completely stunned that he made this happen.

  But you don’t really know him, do you Gin? You saw a Sitor and you panicked. This was a much-needed wake-up call for me.

  We dropped my clothes and shoes off with a being that looked distressed at the condition of my owned clothing. I couldn’t blame them, I was no happier having to wear these things.

  Gin

  We made our way to the lower levels of the vessel, starting with the same drop-down cargo hold Gobi found me in.

  No, he didn’t shove my lifeless body through an air duct to dispose of me. Yet. But this time I was able to see that the hold contained different areas, had built-ins to hold supply, and even had ceiling storage. There was a rack for tools in case something needed fixing or adjusting, along with a sturdy table to do such. It was actually very interesting.

  "I always wanted to do trade." I was wistful. I had no idea why I just admitted that to him, let alone for the second time. I had never spoken such aloud before, it was always a secret I kept inside of me.

  "Was there something you wished to sell that you have discovered?" He was moving some boxes while he asked, paying me little mind though the interest in his voice was sincere.

  "I hadn’t really decided yet. I never had money to invest in a product so in the meantime I worked on honing my other skills."

  "Other skills? What kind?"

  "Networking. I know, it surprises me too, but I actually have a hidden talent that I have honed." I could not hide my smile. "Everyone knows my face and my reputation is incredibly solid. Anyone that has landed at my port at least once before knows to seek me out. They know they can trust me, and that I am a hard worker." I walked between crates, exploring the room a bit.

  "I remember each of their names, and I have learned the official greetings of seventeen different species so far. I know details about their customs, and their family, and I make sure to use that knowledge each time we meet. That's how they remember me," I smiled to myself. "So if there are several of us bidding for work, they will choose me over the others. If they land and do not see me, they will call out for me, or ask others where I am," I could hear the note of pride in my own voice. "They recommend me to others when asked. And they tip me on top of paying me for work, or they will give me food credits so that I can eat."

  I rested on a crate and swung my feet gently. "I use most of what I earn to feed the others though. I must take care of my people. Some of them, like Raff, are too old to work. We let him rest in his spot, and we assist him with food and care. Coryn, who is too young to beg for food like the rest of us. I can beg sufficiently, but on port days it is best to have the smaller young ones beg in groups with a protector, and have the strongers, like me, work." Or steal, if times are very harsh. "Meryk is blind and he can beg well, but he risks being stolen from or harmed unless other strongers go with him. That can defeat the purpose, since they need to be in different areas to make enough to help feed us. Sometimes it takes quite the balance to make sure everyone is fed and safe, but I take care of my people as best as I can."

  I was unsure when Tonakk had stopped moving things but he was now standing there watching me. His next words shook me.

  "You are a very good leader, Gin. You yourself have a crew, but without a craft."

  I was dumbstruck by his words. He made me sound important, even though I was disposable, just like the rest of my group of misfits. I wasn’t a leader, by any means. But to me they were some form of family, I supposed.

  "Maybe my craft… is the bottom level of the Stavis concrete factory," I cast a shy grin his way.

  He studied me. "Every leader needs their own quarters, to center themselves for each coming day."

  "I have my own. It's the middle far right concrete beam, closest to the wall. Technically two beams from the right. It's at an angle enough that I can jump off if I need to protect anyone, but just flat enough that I can rest on it." I showed him the angle with my hand. "It gets a nice cross breeze sometimes too. Yah, nothing but prime real estate for me," I grinned at him.

  "It is a leaders due," his eyes danced with mirth.

  "Nothing but the best for us leaders!" I tugged at my clothes, nodding and pretending to oversee my invisible underlings. I pointed at a crate, nodding approvingly. Gave a thumbs up approval to a pry bar. Wagged a scolding finger and shook my head at a piece of wood.

  A deep rumbling sound erupted in a sharp bark from Tonakk, making him seem to practically vibrate.

  Holy crap, was that a laugh? Did I make him laugh?

  Sure enough his eyes sparkled royal blue as he grinned wide at me, flashing elongated upper canines.

  Were those there earlier? I stared at his teeth. I didn’t recall seeing them before now. Maybe I just didn’t notice.

  "I made you laugh! I'm glad," I beamed at his response to me. Finally an emotion from him that I could recognize. "I don’t know much about Sitor, so I have to ask… Were you hiding those or do they only come out when you laugh? I didn’t notice them before when we were talking," I leaned forward to try and see his fangs better.

  His face froze and his fingers went to his teeth. His mouth slammed shut and he turned away muttering that we should see the rest of the ship.

  He turned and left the cargo hold without me. I remained on my crate, my legs no longer swinging, my smile faded, my head lowered, wondering how I managed to screw up this time.

  Tonakk

  I just left the female in the trade room. I needed to separate for a moment and clear my head. When did my primal teeth elongate? I could feel the skin around them tugging and itching a bit. What sorcery was this? What toxin of evil-doing?

  Sore primal teeth roots, itching horns, fingertips sore, muscles sore, some sort of swelling, as my armor and skins were feeling tighter now. I did not feel harmed, but I did feel off set, somehow. I made note into my comm sensor to remind me to speak with Vamish if I did not feel better by morning.

  The portal to the trade room opened and Virginia exited from it. I could sense her unease – likely because I left rudely.

  "I meant no offense, Gin. I hope you will forgive me for leaving suddenly. I required time to access myself medically."

  "Medically? Are you unwell? Should we visit the being I spoke with earlier on your comm?"

  "I made note to consult him if there are no changes by morning," I pointed at my communicator. "He is on this level as well. His space is next to the laboratory my friend Tura prefers to occupy. My friend Dak prefers the greenery seedlings, and the hatching area. If you like animals we can see if the qaf have begun to hatch. I picked this shipment up on my last trip to Arvak Prime. We also have some in the animal area for the young ones to learn more of them. They are quite friendly," I assured her.

  She nodded her agreement yet somehow it did not feel like I wished it did. She liked my Greater Gobi, clearly. Why does she show no interest in me at all? It leaves me feeling bereft.

  I brought her to the secure part of the rear lab, where the incubators were. We moved through the area with my pointing out different species and their details. All of the ones in this room were in the process of birthing themselves. Our batch of qaf had begun trying to break free of their shells, so I thought she might find that of interest.

  The sound of the entrance opening and closing barely caught my attention but I did manage to grunt a greeting in response to Dak. I was closest to him and to Tura, the three of us having known each other since we were young. They w
ere as brothers to me though surely I was Greater Gobi's favorite, of us all.

  I introduced Dak to Virginia, and found myself eyeing Dak's wings for any sign of extenuating flutter, or his tail for lashing too much.

  What was happening to me? He was one of my oldest friends. Since when was I leery of him?

  I rubbed my upper arms and the back of my neck, my skin feeling a bit tight. Maybe I should not have lifted that large crate by myself earlier, as I was now feeling sore. Tura had offered to assist me, had I waited. Next time I would agree and allow him.

  A soft gasp from Gin was all the notice Dak and I had to the birthing of the first qaf. We each picked up a soft cloth, demonstrating to Gin how to hold it, and we waited. A moment later a soft, downy white length of a creature slowly maneuvered its way out of a shell and into Dak's cloth. He rubbed it gently, cradling it close. Its tiny wings attempted to flutter but it was too new to know how to use them just yet. Instead it snuggled to the warmth of his shirt and rested.

  After watching Dak intently, Gin assisted the next one in its bid for freedom from its shell. This one was furrier than the first, and strong enough to wiggle one of its two wings. Gin giggled and when I looked at her face, the sheer joy nearly robbed me of my breath. The qaf settled against her, wrapped in the cloth it birthed itself into, and fell asleep against her. The downy rope-like creature looked blissful with all five of its eyes closed, and I suspected Gin would eventually wish to keep this one for herself.

  We remained a bit longer before relinquishing the newly born to Dak. He moved to greet Gin farewell and I omitted a sound I did not recognize.