Warrior Forever

by Amber Bardan

“That’s well and good, but I want to know exactly what’s been done to me.” I squinted. A blue glow radiated up ahead. Great, hopefully there was another light hole. “So, what else don’t I know?”

  “Obviously, it was necessary to install a retinal camera.”

  I blinked and touched my eyelid. Of course. That’s how Macca had been able to see what I saw outside of the spaceship. A shiver ran over me. But there was something in my eye that I hadn’t known about.

  So creepy.

  “Anything else?” The light grew brighter as I approached. “Macca?”

  “It was only logical to insert the microchip to your cerebral cortex.”

  I froze. “There’s something in my fucking brain?”

  “A standard adjustment. All Crestonian’s receive the integration in adolescence. This is how you could be programed to fight, and that knowledge saved your life.”

  My hand dropped from the wall. Programmed . Like a machine. I staggered toward the light. “Please don’t tell me I can be programmed to do things…”

  The sound of water reached me.

  “The chip allows for the rapid imparting of large volumes of knowledge. There is no effect on free will, thought, or emotion.”

  The tunnel opened wider.

  “Lucky for you, or when I got back to the ship the first thing I’d do is dismantle your orb.”

  Another spring trickled from rock.

  “I cannot be dismantled, human.”

  I snorted. Macca and sarcasm. I couldn’t figure out which would be more entertaining, trying to explain the concept to her—or not.

  Something crunched under my foot.

  I looked down. Pieces of clear plastic scattered the ground. The lantern…

  My head snapped up. Oh, shit. The tunnel had made a loop. The Baratican stood against the wall, feet braced apart, arms crossed over his chest like a sentinel. He looked at me and his mouth kicked up in the corner—an utterly human expression that blazed smugness.

  My pulse rushed. He’d sat back and waited for me to run right back to him.

  This cave was a freaking trap.

  He pointed to the cloak. “Bet en et brook mein broom broom.”

  I inched sideways away from him, closer to the spring. “Make the noise again, Macca.”

  “It will have no effect on him now.”

  His tracked my movements.

  “Why the hell not?” Water sprayed against my calf. I stepped around the hole.

  “Now he knows you have the ability to make those sounds he will have shut down vulnerable frequencies.”

  “He can do that?”

  He pointed at the cloak again, insisting on his broom broom.

  “Baratican’s have control of all their senses and functions. Aside from one.”

  “ Let me guess.” I backed into the waterfall. “It’s the giant function currently aimed at me like a broadsword?”

  “Correct, if you refer to his penis.”

  Warm water flowed over my back. “Well this sucks balls.”

  “You need not stimulate testicles, but submit and mating will be bearable.”

  My chest quivered. Fuck . I’d have laughed my ass off if this situation were any different.

  He frowned, then came for me.

  I glanced at the tunnel on the floor. Water trickled into it, but light emanated from it.

  Alien words reached me over the trickle of water.

  I looked up, and held his gaze—then dove forward and plunged toward the light.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  I shot down the universes most painful slippery-dip. Rocky bumps knocked against my back. Nicks pierced my skin.

  I plunged uncontrollably toward light.

  Crashing water roared ahead. I took a deep breath and held it.

  I plummeted out of the tunnel, free falling through air then hurtled into a stream. Warm water closed above me. A current tugged at my limbs. I kicked my legs and broke the surface, gasping.

  I struggled against the pull of current, kicking towards an embankment, caught onto a rock and dragged myself out of the water, and collapsed onto spongy moss.

  A blue glow radiated overhead like an eerie sky.

  Twisted, knobby trees surrounded the stream.

  I caught my breath, my whole body one big bruise. “There’s a forest down here.”

  “You have been excessively foolish, human.”

  “Didn’t you want me to find vegetation?” I tugged a clump of moss out of the ground. “Looks pretty freaking vegetated to me.”

  “The drone will not fit down that tunnel to retrieve you so I suggest you discover another way to access the surface—with haste.”

  I sat up with groan. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “Again, I am not a child.”

  Macca and her goddamn literal interpretations.

  “Any suggestions on which way I should go?” I stood. The trees thickened, giving no indication of how enormous this cave actually was.

  “Begin walking, I will monitor your direction and ensure you do not travel in circles.”

  Macca could do that? My teeth snapped together. “You knew I ran a loop before?”

  “Of course.”

  The screaming muscles in my shoulders drew tight. “And you didn’t care to tell me?”

  “There was no advantage to disclosing information that would increase your agitation.”

  Fury twisted through my stomach and shot into my hands, curling my fists. “How do I turn my ‘adjustments’ off?”

  “They cannot be turned off.”

  “Fine.” I started into the trees. “How do I turn you off?”

  “You most certainly cannot turn me off.”

  “Hmm.” I weaved between shrubs. “I bet your little Crestonian can though, can’t she?”

  Silence rang in my ears.

  “How about this then—you are banned from speaking unless spoken to.” I walked faster across the soft mossy ground. “I don’t want your sneaky manipulative voice in my head unless I ask for it.”

  “I am beginning to question your qualifications in assessing your own mental health.”

  “Is that so?” I burst into a bright clearing.

  “You have access to a far superior intellect to your own, and a vastness of knowledge you cannot fathom, and yet you attempt to silence it. This is illogical, irrational, and reckless.”

  “I’m sure your knowledge is way vast, Macca, but here’s the thing about the superior intellect talking in my head.” I paused. “So far it has tricked me into physical adjustments I was not aware of, sent me out on an extremely dangerous mission while withholding information about the planet I’m supposed to be exploring.” I pointed a finger at the empty space in front of me. “And I think it not only expected that I’d run into a horny alien warrior—it was happy to let me receive an inter-species raping for some agenda unknown to me.”

  “Human, this is precisely why I choose to selectively disclose. You are ruled by emotion, unable to focus with your rational—”

  “Be quiet. You’ve persistently withheld and manipulated information that interferes with my ability to make informed decisions. You’ve broken my trust, Macca.” I dropped my hand. “And if I can’t trust you, I don’t want to hear you, and I’m certainly not going to follow your instructions.”

  Macca didn’t respond.

  Ha. Looked like the sneaky orb bitch was capable of obeying an inferior human.

  I glanced around the clearing. What the hell was I going to do now? My energy seemed to crash all at once.

  Naked in a cave forest without supplies…

  A deep sigh flooded my chest. Sweetness rushed across my taste buds. I spun around. Yellow bulbs hung off a tree branch. I leaned up on my toes and grabbed a fist full of waxy leaves and dragged the branch lower.

  A rich ripe sugary tang wafted from the bulb. I tugged one off the branch and inspected it. I no longer had the testing device to see if it were safe. The round fruit had oran
ge and yellow soft skin similar to a banana.

  I held the fruit closer and sniffed it.

  My mouth flooded with saliva and my stomach clamped in hunger. Damn, I’d only had gruel since being taken.

  I peeled back the skin and sniffed the insides. A citrus-like tartness tingled my nose. “Nothing to say about this, Macca?”

  The super computer remained quiet. Macca would be ticked off with me for sure but I doubted she’d let me die when the possibility of finding fruit for her Crestonian kid was at stake.

  I poked the fruit with a finger then tasted the juice.

  Sweetness burst on my tongue. A little tart, but no bitterness that made me think poison. I took a small bite and chewed.

  A moan tugged out of me.

  I sunk my teeth into the flesh. Oh god, if a lime and a mango had a fruit baby… Juice ran down my hands and trickled down my arms.

  I finished the fruit and took another, and feasted in the cave forest like a space queen.

  A giggle snorted out of my nose. Butterflies danced in front of me. I laughed again, my stomach cramping with the pain of having laughed too much. A purple butterfly tickled my cheek. I took it by its powdery wings and shoved it into my mouth.

  Grit ground between my teeth.

  Alien butterflies were so crunchy…

  The bugs scattered. A giant red devil leaned over me. I grabbed it by its curling horns.

  “You can’t fool me.” My voice warbled like underwater.

  I burst into a fit of giggles.

  The beast lifted me up, holding me against its enormous chest like an infant.

  “I know you’re not really horny.” I tugged off its helmet. More laughter rattled through my chest. “Wait, you are horny.” My belly ached, but I couldn’t stop the giggles. “You’re a really, really, horny alien.”

  He began walking. Tree leaves fanned out like streamers. My head rolled on my neck.

  Uh, oh . Everything spun. My skin shivered. I held onto him. He was so freaking warm. The light dimmed. I buried my face in the fur cloak.

  “I want this cloak.” I patted his chest. “You ruined my things. You should give it to me.”

  We entered a tunnel.

  “Is this the way back up?” I rubbed my face on his shoulder and closed my eyes. A yawn stretched my jaw.

  Soft words hummed in my ear. I opened my eyes. He took the helmet and set it on a table in front of us.

  We’d arrived somewhere.

  “Is this your house?” I looked around with swirling vision, then grabbed my head. “Oh, no…”

  He held me in his lap and pulled my hand free then pushed something into my grip. A wood cup. So thirsty. I brought the cup to my lips and drained the contents. My tongue clucked to the salty roof of my mouth. Well, that was fucking nasty.

  My saliva foamed. I lurched forward. He held me around the middle and slid something in front of me. I hurled into a carved bowl. More words yabbered behind me.

  My stomach heaved. He scooped my hair up behind my head.

  I emptied everything there was to empty into the bowl, then sagged against him, shivering.

  He tugged the cloak out from underneath me and wrapped it around me then clutched me against him.

  I closed my eyes. “Who’d have thought the first guy chivalrous enough to hold my hair while I puke would be a horny, rapey, alien.”

  His skin seemed to grow warmer and cozier. At least he wasn’t growling right now.

  “Maybe you’re not so bad when you keep it in your loincloth.” I yawned again and snuggled deeper. “Just don’t go getting any ideas.”

  His deep graveled words flowed over me.

  Too bad I couldn’t understand a damned thing he said.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  My fur covered tongue scraped my cracked palate.

  Shit—hangover from hell and a mouthful of Satan’s asshole. I covered my eyes. I’d been roofied for sure.

  What messed up dreams I’d had.

  Spaceships. Talking computers. Alien planets. Space caves. Horny yet oddly chivalrous barbaric warriors…

  “Bet en et brook mein broom broom.”

  My eyes flew open.

  Nooooooo.

  This couldn’t be—wasn’t possibly…

  Real ?

  And yet the warm toned, brutally masculine features of an alien hovered inches above my face.

  I shoved my palm against his forehead. How long had he been hovering over me like that?

  Creeper .

  This alien had no concept of personal space. He reminded me of a Saint Bernard my uncle had growing up that’d always try and sit on me when I fell over—and thought it was helping.

  “Bet en et brook mein broom broom.”

  A groan escaped me. Not the god-damned broom broom again. I pushed harder, hoping he’d take the hint.

  He remained unmoved.

  “Seriously, dude?” I dropped my hand from his forehead. “My skull is about to split open and I feel like I ate a camel. Need me to breathe on you right now to teach you a lesson?”

  His face tilted a little and he peered down at me, then leaned back.

  I let out a breath and scooted upright on the pile of furs topping some kind of flexible mattress that dipped with movement. I glanced at the ceiling. Cool daylight seemed to fill the cave—but it wasn’t actually daylight. I squinted and caught a glimpse of something up above. Like stalactites.

  Interesting …

  Then the rest of the room sunk in. A table. Shelves full of strange objects. Tapestries and ornaments draped the walls. All very freaking civilized for someone who wore a loin cloth, fur cloak, and horned helmet.

  “Hmm…” I tugged a woven blanket up my chest and tucked it under my armpits.

  “Woomph kan et mik?”

  I looked back at the Baratican. Whooph seemed to go hand in hand with broom . “How about you try getting a thirsty girl a drink before launching right into dirty talk?”

  His heavy brow wrinkled.

  I made the shape of a cup with my hand and took an imaginary sip. “Drink. I need water.”

  His brow softened and he smiled. “Kerr sun.”

  Those extended canines of his flashed. Shivers shot down my spine. He stood then crossed the cave and disappeared into an alcove, returning with a wooden cup.

  He handed me the drink and sat at my side.

  “Thank you.” Relief flooded me. I peered at the clear contents and sipped cautiously. The taste was pure but with a mineral tang. I gulped, grateful it wasn’t the salty stuff he’d given me earlier.

  He shifted closer and his face lowered into my hair, sniffing. I leaned away while drinking. Not that I’d want to be sniffed even if I were clean, but there was no way I smelled anything other than revolting. A grimy sensation clung to my skin.

  The drink eased my scratchy throat.

  “More please.” I pointed in the cup. “More water.”

  He rose and fetched another water.

  I sipped this cup slowly.

  His heat blazed beside me, almost as insistent as his attitude. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling sharply. Water sloshed down my chest.

  A low growl rumbled through him.

  Oh, crap.

  I shoved at the top of his head. “Stop.”

  He tugged at the blanket. The fabric wrenched from my fingers.

  He nuzzled my chest, growling intensifying.

  I dropped the cup. “I said no.”

  An unwelcome warmth flared in my middle, as though my system experienced some psychic repercussion to the sound. I remembered the sound from when he’d had his vibrating tongue pressed on my pussy…

  My nipples tightened.

  No . I gasped. This was weird, crazy, and wrong.

  I shoved him harder. “No.”

  He tossed the blanket away, his attention turning to my thighs.

  I drew them closer together.

  He pressed a palm to my chest and pushed me down on the bed.<
br />
  This can’t be happening.

  My chest tightened.

  This really couldn’t be happening…

  “Please don’t…” I squeezed my eyes shut. No point fighting it this time. He was unstoppable. Like Macca said—fighting would make it worse. Who knew how terribly alien sex would hurt.

  His rumbling face brushed my quivering belly. The vibration hummed right to my core.

  I couldn’t even fight my owned damned body. What hope did I have?

  This can’t be happening…

  A sob tore through me. I clamped a hand over my mouth. No, don’t cry. But this was too much.

  My chest jerked with a snorting cry. I couldn’t contain any of it. I erupted into tears.

  Something touched my face.

  I opened my eyes but it didn’t stem the flow. He touched under my left eye. I sobbed.

  The Baratican hovered over me.

  He turned his hand between us and stared at it, leaning closer. His heavy cock nudged my thighs.

  Holy shit.

  Broken noises burst from my mouth. My chest shook.

  The Leila I thought I was might be the furthest thing from hysterical, but right here right now, I didn’t just lose my shit—my shit went nuclear.

  He dropped his hand, and his expression seized. “Oohtch?”

  I kept on crying. On some still sane level, the part of me that had practiced psychology, knew to let it out. I hadn’t cried once since I’d been taken.

  Not for the people I’d left behind. Not for the world I longed for. Not for the life I wanted back. Not for the horrors I’d learned.

  “Whoomp oohtch?”

  My ears rang. The sobs increased the pound of my headache. Highlighted the ache of my joints. The tenderness of my scraped and battered body.

  He rolled me over.

  I didn’t even try to stop it, just sagged in the furs. If he raped me from behind at least I wouldn’t have to watch.

  Fingers pressed to my spine, then moved to the tense muscles screaming in my shoulders.

  He touched the enormous tender section on my hip from sliding down the tunnel.

  I shrieked, pain shooting through my side.

  He flipped me over and held me against his chest as though I were a human toy.

  I curled into myself.

  Softness surrounded me.

  He covered me in the blanket and hugged me.