by Amber Bardan
I dunked the strip then stuck it in to the slot as Macca had described on the ship.
Colors and symbols flashed on the screen. “What does this mean?”
“It means you’ve done well. This water is pure, untainted, and suitable for consumption.”
I let out a sigh. “Thank god. Send the drone.”
“Water is excellent, but there are signs of vegetation. Persevere and see what more we might find.”
“Easy for you to say. You’re not sweating your tits off in a space suit.”
“The air is breathable if you wish to remove your helmet.”
“Oh, I do.” I unclipped the base and took off the helmet. Sweet air filled my lungs. There was an almost piney tang to it. Like rain forest air. I swiped sweat off my face then eyed the spring. “You said the water was safe, right?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” I put the lantern on a rock then yanked down the space suit and tugged off my boots.
“What are you doing?”
“ I’m going to rinse the freaking space sweat off.” I tore off my jumpsuit. “Those reptile bastards only gave us moist towelettes. I haven’t washed since they took me.”
“You are becoming distracted.”
I folded the suit and set it on a rock, then eased around the tunnel in the floor and ducked under the stream of water. “I’ll be super fast, relax.”
My skin tingled. Yes. Warm water streamed over me. I scrubbed myself. Almost orgasmic energy, lit up inside me. Oh, how we take for granted the small blessings, like running water and cleanliness.
Until those blessings are gone.
Fatigue melted out of my muscles.
The roar of water grew louder.
“Don’t move.”
I froze, hands buried in my hair.
That wasn’t the spring roaring…
My eyes flew open. Pouring water obscured my vision.
A shadow moved in front of me.
A monstrous shadow.
I gasped. Water flew down my lungs. I choked, stumbling out of the stream of water, and only just missed a plunge down the hole.
I fell against a wall. The thing moved closer, growling.
“I said don’t move, fool human.”
I stilled, bare back pressed against moss. Horns rose out of the creatures head like a bull. Thick fur covered its body. “What the fuck is it, Macca?”
I blinked. The light . Only the gentle glow from the water tunnel lit the cave now. I glanced at where I’d left my things. The lantern lay smashed on the floor.
My clothes shredded. The creature tore them…
“This appears to be the secret home planet of the Baratican warriors.” Macca’s voice took on a semblance of emotion. “ This is a tremendous discovery.”
The creatures head rose. The top half of its head was sheathed in fur, with curling bull horns.
I clamped a hand over my mouth silencing a scream. The bottom half of its face gleamed smooth and almost human. A brutish square jaw, and a man shaped mouth.
“That’s not a warrior, that’s a beast,” I whispered through my fingers.
It rose up, taller, and taller.
My head spun looking at it.
A growl rumbled through the cave. The aliens top lip curled up. My heart back-flipped. Extra-long canines overlapped on its bottom row of teeth.
“Oh my god, Macca, it’s a fucking Minotaur.” My vision blurred.
“Remain calm and still. I assure you it’s not a Minotaur it’s a Baratican.”
The creature tilted its head, studying me.
“Please tell me Baratican aren’t dangerous?”
The growling dropped an octave, and something about the change in tenor made me shudder.
“Baratican are extremely dangerous. They are the most feared warriors in the known Universe.”
My skin seemed to shrink around me. “Not helping.”
The thing moved again, dropping onto all fours.
“Remain perfectly still. The Baractican do not harm females. You must allow it to identify you as female and you will be fine.”
“I’m freaking naked.” I drew my arms up, and shrank back. “What more can I do to prove I’m female, open my legs and show it my cervix?”
“This is the best suggestion you’ve made so far.”
“Remind me to explain sarcasm.” Then I lost my breath.
The Baratican monster reached my feet.
Fur swept across my shins.
My skin puckered with shiver.
“Still, Leila. Remain still. It won’t intentionally hurt you but it’s best for you if it doesn’t become aggressive.”
I shut my eyes, and clasped my hands under my chin. My whole body clenched tight. A feather-light caress brushed my knees. “It’s touching me…”
“Remain calm.”
Something gripped my thigh. I cracked an eye open. An arm protruded from folds of fur, and clasped my leg with frighteningly human fingers.
Oh, thank god, the fur seemed to be a coat . It wasn’t furry. It just had a Minotaur head.
It’s face hovered inches from my skin. “Oh god, help—it’s sniffing me.”
“Be calm. You have creatures on earth who do this.”
Yes, dogs. Not giant warriors who look like Mythological monsters.
The sniffing moved over my thighs. The growling sunk lower and lower morphing into a buzz. Then he stopped directly in front of me, and his face plunged between my legs.
I let out a squeal. A rough face rubbed in my crotch. “Oh shit, what do I do? It’s nuzzling my privates.”
“Just remain still. It’s analyzing your scent.”
I covered my face, chest heaving. Something wet delved between my folds— no!
“Fuck, it’s licking me.”
“Your heart-rate is dangerously elevated, human. Do try to calm yourself.”
I couldn’t look. The creatures mouth pressed to my privates. Something unimaginable happened—a vibration flowed from its mouth and streaked sensation into my vagina.
“Help. It’s doing alien things on me.”
A long, thick vibrating tongue dragged over my pussy. My nerves activated, tingles flooding my extremities.
I moaned. Oh, no. This was so wrong. It nudged my thigh wider and went at my pussy like it was its birthday feast. Pleasure burst over me.
Oh, shit. This was very, very messed up.
The vibration grew stronger, electrifying my clitoris. My hips jerked. I couldn’t wiggle away from the vibration.
Tension gathered inside me.
Don’t come!
He ran his tongue in a long swipe over my pussy. The vibration zinged through me.
I erupted with a shout. My body convulsed. I grabbed his horns for support, tremors raking me.
The Baratican grew more determined, licking up the orgasm.
I sunk to the floor, horns still gripped in my hands.
My breaths rang in my ears.
Oh, well, now that was next level fucked up. There’d been a lot of fuckedupness lately but this just outdid all former outer space fuckery.
I blinked, still gripping his horns, but somehow the Baratican remained kneeling where he’d been.
I raised the horns and skull-like thing. A helmet —the horns were part of a freaking helmet.
I stared at the Baratican. He didn’t look like a Minotaur, but he wasn’t exactly human either. The helmet had covered the top half of his face and head. The jaw underneath was just as strong and brutish as it’d been before. His forehead broad and bony, but significantly less monstrous. Dark reddish-brown hair flowed from his head.
“Geez, Macca why the hell didn’t you tell me this was a helmet?” I placed the helmet cautiously on the floor.
“What possible relevance does that have?”
The Baratican watched me, hungry and very human gaze flowing over my sprawled body.
I scooted back. “I thought I was receiving vigorous magical cunnilingus from a mons
ter.”
“Would the knowledge have made you more amenable?”
The Baratican tugged at his neck, unfastening his swamping fur cloak.
I let out a rushing breath. “No, but maybe it’d have been less horrifying.”
“Interesting. Humans place much emphasis on physical appearance when it comes to mating.”
“That’s more than appearance. And we’re not mating.” I sat up. “Now he’s verified I’m female, he’s going to leave me be?”
Macca remained silent.
The Baratican tossed the cloak. Oh, my . His body was an exaggeration of human masculinity. Too broad shoulders. Too thick arms. Enormous pectorals. But no fur or body hair of any kind. His skin was a little too red to be considered tan.
Not bad, buddy.
His hands went to a loin cloth.
I scrambled backwards. “Right, Macca?”
“It is in your interest to submit to mating.”
Mating ? My breath ceased. Submit ?
He removed the loin cloth. Holy crap. Yep, everything about him was exaggerated masculinity.
I averted my gaze, but my vision still throbbed with an image of a giant arching alien cock. “Even if I were willing, we are not physically compatible. That absurd dick would kill me.”
“There’s that human imagination again. Baratican’s only produce male offspring, and must mate with other species in order to procreate. Their reproductive system is designed to adapt to their mate’s anatomy.”
I rose to my feet slowly. “I can’t imagine how that works but the answer is still a hard no.” I kept my knees slightly bent. “You seem to be quite comfortable with this situation…I don’t know what you’re up to Macca, but it’s not going to fly.”
The Baratican frowned. “Woomph kan et mik.”
Its voice was as low as it’s growl had been, and made my skin prickle again.
“Not sure what you’re saying, big buddy.” I held out a hand. “But vibrating cunnilingus is about as much as I’m willing to put out on a first date.”
He took the massive fur cloak and spread it on the floor, then gestured to it. “ Boon bet woomph.”
“ I’m sure that’s a wonderful cloak, but mating just isn’t on the cards today.” I kept my attention above his neckline. If I caught sight of that thing of his again, I may just feint like a maiden and find myself unconsciously alien boned. “Since I know you don’t want to hurt me, there’s not going to be any submitting either.”
The frown that rippled across his large brow would be comical if my heart weren’t thumping like a death march.
“Dispatch the drone to my location, Macca, and make sure it has another space suit.”
I took a slow step backwards. Hopefully the drone would be able to make its way this deep into the cave.
“I’m afraid you have not yet completed your mission.”
I froze. “What the hell you talking about?”
“Does it not occur to you that if the Baratican reside here, then there must be edible resources on the planet?”
I licked my lips. “Yeah, but I’m not going to bang an alien to get to his pantry.”
His head tilted again. As though he knew I was no longer speaking to him.
“Foolishness, human. You enjoyed the cunnilingus, did you not?”
A flush burst over my face. “It wasn’t like that; his tongue vibrates for heaven’s sake.”
“Bet en et brook mein broom broom.” He pointed to the clock again. Even foreign to my ears that sounded a lot like “get your ass on my cloak and prepare to be mated, woman.”
Dammit . He might not be human but I knew impatient man face when I saw it, and this one did not look like one that received no for an answer.
I spun—and sprinted the way I’d come.
CHAPTER SIX
Enormous arms closed around my waist and jerked me off my feet. Macca’s “adjustment” kicked in.
My system reacted without prompting. I lifted my legs and swung my body back, leveraging my weight.
My head connected with his face.
A thud echoed through the cave.
Pain exploded in my skull.
My vision splintered. I grabbed the sides of my ringing head. What the fuck was he made off, titanium?
He deposited me on the cloak. I rolled onto my back.
He planted his knees on either side of my thighs, and pressed his palms to the fur beside my shoulders, caging me.
His heat radiated over my chilled skin—and the alien ran hot . An impossibly enormous erection brushed my belly.
My breath froze. I linked my fingers together and swung my hands like a club, landing a blow to the side of his face.
My knuckles cracked. Agony shot down my arms. I yelped and shook my hands. My heart gave an out of beat thud.
He settled over me.
This wasn’t right. I touched his face. He wasn’t just tough—he was inhumanly solid. Warm and hard. I ran my fingers over his cheek. The skin on his face flowed smoothly under my touch but without give. I pressed. His skin remained unmoved—didn’t even flex.
Holy crap.
His skin was hard like a silky exoskeleton…
My gaze met his.
He’d stilled, watching my expression. He reached out, and touched my face in return. His big fingers squeezed my cheeks together.
I stared at him. The center of his eyes were made up of flecks of black and russet, almost pupil like. Heavy brown lashes fanned his eyes, the same vibrant shade as his hair.
He touched my mouth, and his lashes flared.
My lips smooshed flat against my teeth.
“Meh sook…” he whispered and pressed my lips again. “Meh sook, sooky.”
I withdrew my hand from his face, and jerked my head to the side.
He grabbed my jaw and turned me back.
I strained against his grip, but he moved me as easily as a puppet.
He pushed on my closed lips with the pad of his finger, obviously not done with his inspection.
I swatted at his hand.
His growl rumbled at a whisper soft frequency.
He leaned back, grabbed my right breast and squeezed.
“Hey.” I yanked at his wrist.
He grabbed my other breast and squeezed that too.
I pulled on his other wrist. “Stop that.”
He smiled and it was the most human he’d appeared yet. His gaze flicked back and forth between my breasts. “Bet sooky, broom broom.”
He squeezed my tits in turn.
“Quit it.” I tugged at his immovable wrists. “Seriously, no broom broom today.”
He released my left breast and brushed the slightly rough pad of his index finger over my nipple.
The nipple puckered, drawing tight under his touch.
His head veered back. “Biss ness.”
I tugged him harder.
He stroked my nipple. Heat flared through my poor confused body.
His growl amplified.
“How do I get him off me?” I dug my nails into his wrists and they scraped like on brick.
“When mating is complete, his curiosity will diminish somewhat.”
Somewhat?
I wiggled in the furs. “There will not be mating. Get him off me.”
He looked up, running his gaze over my face and his brows creased.
I lowered my voice. “He knows when I’m not talking to him.”
“Baratican hearing is incomparable to human. He can hear me himself.”
“From the implant inside my ear?”
“He’s extremely sensitive to vibration.”
On cue, the body above me buzzed. Arousal coursed between my legs as if commanded by the sound.
His attention turned to my thighs. He released my breast, leaned up, and took me by the back of the knee, hauling my legs open.
“Dammit.” I thrashed, then drew up my other leg, and planted my foot in his face.
Pain shot up my heel.
&nbs
p; I screamed and grabbed my foot.
He brushed my hands aside and took my foot, poking it with his finger.
Helplessness washed over me. Attacking him would only injure me.
His attention shifted to my exposed vagina.
He dropped my foot.
“Do something, Macca.” I scrambled backwards on my elbows. “Seriously do something now, or all bets are off. I’m the only implanted human you have to do your bidding.”
“There’s nothing to be done—”
He pushed at my chest, tipping me against the fur.
My pulse exploded, rushing through my body and coursing through my ears in a roar. “Do something or I swear on my fucking life—I’ll let your little Crestonian starve.”
A high-pitched squeal burst from my jaw.
The Baratican grabbed his ears and howled. I rolled out from under him and rushed across the cave.
I sprinted into the shadows and down a tunnel. A roar shuddered the walls. Adrenaline burst through my system pushing my sprint faster. Darkness closed around me.
I reached out a hand, and continued running with fingers brushing the wall for direction.
My thighs screamed in strain.
Silence and darkness swamped. My lungs burned. I sucked in air, slowing to a brisk walk.
The thud of my footsteps echoed around me. Only my footsteps.
I’d lost him.
I sagged against the tunnel wall. “Holy fuck. I’m naked, lost, and going to die in a dark alien labyrinth.”
“If you were truly about to die, I’d dispatch the drone to retrieve you.”
I panted. Being the only implanted human was obviously of some value after all. “If it can find me in here.”
“Once programed to your microchip location, the drone will find you regardless of where you are.”
Microchip? I’d agreed to a cochlear implant, but what exactly was the extent of these “adjustments” Macca had made?
“What was the sound that came out of my jaw?”
“The sound was produced from the microphone in your tooth. It’s how I hear you.”
I leaned off the wall and walked. “Any other modifications I have that I don’t know about?”
“Do not be indignant, human, two-way communication required the installation of a microphone.”
