by Zara Zenia
"But you said this place was full of criminals," said Chera.
"We won't be going into the outpost. There are many beautiful sights on this small planet that I think you would enjoy. You will need to disguise yourself as a member of a cargo crew, however."
"Lucky, you get to change out of these boring gray clothes," said Jaia.
"I want you to come with me," Chera said to her friend. "Is that alright?" she then turned to the king and asked. "It wouldn't be fair to leave her cooped up in the ship while I was off exploring a big planet."
"It's a small planet, actually," added Thras.
Chera laughed. "Well, when you've spent your life as a servant with no freedom, even a small planet seems like a whole universe." She regretted that comment. It had the king drooping his shoulders slightly and lowering his head. It was a very subtly change in his facade that no one else seemed to notice. Am I really getting that good at reading him already? Maybe Chera had been thinking about King Thrash more than she was willing to admit.
Jaia interrupted before they could discuss it more. "Actually, I would really rather not leave the ship while we're here. Would it be alright if I finally got to come out of this room though?" It was unlike her to speak up to the king like that. She still hated and feared them from what Chera could tell.
Thras nodded. "Yes, please come and go as you please." Then he called Kenor over from where he'd been in the bridge. "Kenor, I want you to take good care of this woman. She is to be treated as an equal crew member and not a captive. If she wishes to leave to explore the planet, please escort her personally. Just avoid the outpost if you do so."
"Are you sure?" asked Kenor with a surprised look on his face.
"Yes," was all the king had to say, and that was the end of the discussion.
Once she changed and they left the ship, Chera stuck to the king like she was made of glue. This was all very intimidating, and she at first expected a bunch of angry pirates to run over and take her away to sell at the slave market. They walked down to a hovercraft that was parked beside the ship.
"We purchased some vehicles to make our work easier on this planet. There is a lot of space between some of the different buildings."
"I've never been on one of these," said Chera. But she soon realized just how much fun it was to ride in one. They zoomed along the desert landscape, which was fringed by short trees of various alien colors. The trunks ranged from browns and yellows, to deep reds and a few were even shades of green. The leaves that danced gingerly in the subtle breeze covered possibly the entire range of every color there was.
Juxtaposed against the simple, off-white sand of the rest of the surrounding landscape, they were quite striking. The sky was a light rose color that was quite unlike the one on Jatra. "This place is beautiful!" Chera exclaimed with joy as the full majesty of it all hit her.
Thras drove the hovercraft far away from the center of the outpost. It really gave Chera a nice break from the monotony of the ship that she'd been stuck in for days now. A small building came into view as they traveled over a range of sloping sand dunes and the outpost disappeared.
"What's this place?" Chera asked him. The proud smile on the king's face was enchanting, as though he was a teenage boy about to ask his crush out on a date.
"I was able to procure this hunting cabin for the day. Since this is the off season, there is no one using it. We won't be disturbed by anyone from the planet."
"Oh? Wow, that's ... very romantic." Chera felt herself blushing at her own words. Why did you have to bring up romance? You don't even know what you want from this guy.
"It is? I am glad you think so. And I have brought a small feast for us to enjoy while we are here. You spoke about how much you appreciated the humble food on the ship. Well, I was able to find something a little more exotic that I think you might really love."
"Oh, wow, that was very thoughtful of you," she said. This was completely a surprise and honestly quite touching. The food was indeed exotic. Chera tried more new things in that meal than she had in her whole life. "And what did you say this one was?" she asked.
"Gefell, a type of fruit pie," he replied.
"Oh, it's so sweet but not overbearing. I love it. And this one?" She gestured at the small pieces of fried meat.
"I, uh, wasn't able to pronounce the name of that one. It's a bird not much different to the ninis we raise on Jatra. Only these ones are flightless I'm told, and rather more plump."
"It reminds me of something we used to have back in the academy once a week for dinner: fried chicken. I miss those meals, and the company." Chera saw the joy drain from her companion's face. That look was undeniable as guilt. "I'm sorry," she said.
"Why would you apologize? You have done nothing wrong. I am sorry. You are too good to be a servant. A slave."
"Hey, I've been trying to tell everyone that this whole time," she said with a laugh. If you couldn't laugh at things like that, life just ate you up.
They had discarded their cargo ship disguises. They were dirty and uncomfortable, and the air was nice and warm. Once they had finished their meal, Thras again pulled Chera in to kiss him. She felt herself becoming instantly aroused this time. It was pretty much expected to happen at some point this time, and not a shock.
It was quite the opposite of a shock; she'd been hoping he'd make another move on her. "I'm ready this time," she whispered into his ear. With their cargo outfits removed, they weren't wearing much. Chera had a simple gray t-shirt underneath and a pair of shorts. Thras was topless, his golden body gleaming in the desert sun, and a pair of long, thin shorts. Her hand ran over his thigh and she realized how hard it was.
"I must make a confession," he said while moving his hard fingertips delicately down her slender collarbone. The tingle on her skin made her tilt her head to the side and half-giggle.
"What's that?" she asked, stopping the gentle stroking of his leg. This had to be bad.
"I have been infatuated with you for some time. My customs dictate that I must never associate with servants, especially aliens."
"I thought I'd caught you staring, but then I figured you were merely curious or something. You always seemed so ... put off by me."
"It was for show, and I am sorry. My people would have lost faith in me if I was caught ogling you. There are more ways than one to be a prisoner I suppose."
Chera smiled. "So, you were ogling me, were you? What exactly, were you trying to see?" She leaned back on her chair and pushed her chest out."
"Well, everything. I have never seen such a stunning woman." His hand had worked down to her breast now. His hand could easily eclipse her breast. He fondled it briefly before beginning to lightly tweak and rub her nipple.
"Mmm, that feels amazing," she said. The sensation went straight to her pussy. She wondered how he knew what turned a human woman on, or any woman. "Is it true that, tell me if this is too forward—are you really a virgin?" She tried to catch the words as soon as they rushed out.
"Yes, of course. I have no mate. Hjotts are never with a person until they find their mate."
"Oh, you poor thing," she said.
"Are you, a virgin?"
"Well ... it's usually not a good thing in my culture to be so inexperienced by my age. But yes, yes I am." She didn't feel the need to mention heavy petting that she'd done in the academy. Chera really was still a virgin. Having been a slave her whole adult life, that was a good thing really.
Their kissing became more heated. He placed his free hand behind her, just at the top of her neck. Drawing their hot lips closer, pressing himself into her, their saliva mixed and become one single flavor. It was divine. Chera felt herself growing wet and noticed the bulge in his thin shorts was getting larger.
A lot larger. "Wow," she exclaimed, withdrawing from making out to look down at it. Her hand had wondered over to stroke it tentatively and made this impressive discovery. "I don't even know how that would fit inside me," she said.
"With a great
deal of foreplay," he answered.
"That's a good answer," she said with a sly smile, biting her lower lip and pulling the leg of his shorts up to reveal the monster. "Oh my..." was all she could say about the beautiful cock her eyes had fixed on.
"Are you pleased?" he said.
"You have no idea." She began to stroke it. A line of viscous liquid dribbled from its hole and lubricated the head. She wondered if it would all be able to fit in her mouth. Just as Chera was thinking about trying, Thras stood up before her. His dick slipped back through the leg hole of his shorts.
Thrash knelt before her and slid her shorts down her smooth thighs. His hands made her body seem so small, but oh so safe. "There is something I have wondered," he said as he did it. Then, when his eyes caught sight of her pussy, he let out an elongated gasp. His face was full of wonder. "Stunning," he said with pride.
He moved his head between her thighs and began to kiss around the edge of her labia. Chera had never received oral before nor given it. She was nervous but not self-conscious about her body. It was hard to worry about that kind of thing when you didn't really have your own private life. Plus, she shared living quarters with three other women.
"Mmm, that feels so nice," she said, placing her hands on his golden head and holding him closer to her. He moving his wet tongue over to her clit and began to lick up and down. He was gentle and didn't use much pressure. Except, every now and then he would press down with surprising strength as he licked upward.
That made her squirm in her chair, but he held her thighs to keep himself on target. After several minutes of bliss she had never imagined, she felt herself getting close to the edge. "Wait," she said.
He stopped immediately and looked up at her. "Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing in the universe. I want you inside of me. If I'm really to be your mate."
His eyes lit up and he smiled at her. "Are you sure that is what you want?" he asked with some hesitation, as though he expected her to change her mind.
"More than anything. Yes."
Before they had a chance to go any further, they were interrupted by Thras' radio from the Vada Shadow's crew. It was something urgent, and it was the biggest mood killer ever.
Chapter 11
Thras
He could not believe this awful timing. Finally, the woman who awoke his uxormea had asked to be with him. After all this time watching her from afar. There better be an excellent reason for calling us back to the ship, he thought as he steered the hovercraft back to rest by the Vada Shadow.
He was certain Chera would have been his if only they had been allowed some more time. While it was best not to rush their first time together, it would have been better than not doing it at all. What if she changed her mind now? Women could be flippant, and the Terran woman had already proven that she was indecisive. Especially when it came to this matter, evidently.
"I hope you have something very important to tell me," he said to Kenor when they boarded the ship.
Seeing that his king was flustered and in a potentially bad mood, Kenor bowed his head. "Please accept my apologies for interrupting your, uh, meal. There is a very urgent matter that I could not divulge details of over the radio. That would have given any potential spies a chance to listen in on our conversation."
"Very well. What is the problem?"
With an excited tone, Kenor explained. "Our two crew members on the Vada Scout have contacted us with news about the ship containing your sister and the other humans."
"Are we certain they are still aboard that ship?" he asked. He noticed Chera's look of worry as she stood beside him. Some of the crew were giving her odd sideways glances, and he noticed a few smirks. It must have been obvious that he had set up their little venture as a date. He wondered if the scent of sex—or almost sex anyway—was easy to detect on them both.
"Yes, they have to be. The fleeing ship did not land anywhere but here after the attack on Jatra. And now it has landed!"
"We must finish the necessary repairs immediately then! I want every single crew member working tirelessly until it is done. Anyone caught being lazy will be punished. Is that clear?" he said with a loud voice so that everyone on the bridge would hear him.
A resounding affirmation of "Yes, Sire!" was the only response he wanted to hear, and that's what he got.
"Very well. We will rescue my sister and make her kidnappers pay dearly."
While the repairs were being finished at record speed, Thras later went to visit Chera at her room. The door was open, but he was about to knock when he heard the two women talking quietly.
"I'm sure this will get us our freedom," said Chera. "Don't worry about it. The princess wouldn't just let me go and make the rest of you stay slaves, not after all that we've been put through."
"That would be more than I've ever hoped for. I just don't want to get those hopes up too high in case you're wrong. I'm sorry if I can't be as excited as you are."
"If the princess gives us our freedom, we can head to one of the moons in the Vada System and look for other settlements of humans. It will be a whole new life for us, all four of us!" said Chera, her voice filled with glee.
She wants to leave you. The thought hurt him, but that was the only explanation. His idea for their future was incompatible with her own. He tried to ignore what he had overheard but letting go of his emotions was impossible. Thras needed to come up with a plan to make sure that she would be his no matter what. Chera had told him that she wanted to be with him, to be his mate. If she couldn't make up her mind about what she wanted—he would be forced to do what was best for her, best for them both.
He hurried back to his quarters to think about a plan. Once he was happy with his idea, he called Chera to come to him.
"Hello there," she said warmly. Since their intimate moment out in the desert, she had been acting like she did want to be with him. Her words to the other Terran had betrayed her true intentions, however.
"Please come in," he said with a formal tone. "Chera, I want to make a deal with you. Please don't get upset, it's nothing bad." Her face became waxen and she looked as though she wanted to run from the room.
"Oh. Sorry if I'm hesitant," she said. "Usually when a man with power wants to make a deal with a woman who has none ... it doesn't end well for the woman."
"This is a good deal, so please hear me," he assured her. "If I were to make rescuing your fellow Terrans a top priority—on the same level as rescuing my very own sister and the princess of my planet—would you agree to be mine?"
Chera laughed a little. "Silly, I already am yours. You literally own me."
"Was that humor?" he asked.
"Unfortunately, yes it was. You want me to be your mate, yes?" she asked. Chera had been standing by the door but now walked into the room more. The awkward stance of fear left her, and she came over to stand before him. She placed her small hands in his large ones. "I am really the one you want to be with, aren't I?"
"You are the only one I have ever wanted as my mate. He squeezed her delicate hands lightly and inhaled a slow breath, closing his eyes briefly. The scent of her body was intoxicating and made him feel for a moment like everything was perfectly good. Then he crashed back to reality as he opened his eyes and looked down to see a face of worry.
"You do understand what a big decision this is, don't you? It's not every day that a girl is asked to devote herself to someone like that, and someone she hadn't even spoken to less than ten days ago."
"I want to have you by my side as my queen. Can you imagine a better life?"
"I'm not sure..."
"Well, that is the deal I am offering. If you want your friends to be a priority, you know what choice to make."
Chera became angry and slitted her eyes, glaring at him. "So you're giving me an ultimatum? You just want to take me by force like those kidnappers did with Pari and the women. Is that the only way you know how to act?" She yanked her hands free of his grip and stormed out of the quart
ers in a huff.
Chapter 12
Chera
She was fuming with rage. How could that jerk think bribing her with his so-called 'deal' was the way to win her heart? His talk about fated mates was a bunch of shit!
After leaving Thras' room, Chera went back to her small room in a terrible mood. It was lucky that Jaia wasn't there, or the poor girl might have seen quite a display of anger. With no one to talk to about her emotions and nothing much to do, she paced back and forth in the tiny room.
It was a good half hour before she finally calmed down enough to let herself stop pacing. Working off some of her excess energy was indeed needed though, obviously. All the excitement, and then getting so close to having her first sexual experience but being clam-blocked by the Hjotts—it was too much.
She lay down on her bed on her back and hugged her pillow in front of her. No, she squeezed it hard like it was full of all her pent up frustrations and she could somehow squash them all. It helped a little. Then she punched the pillow, not very hard. That felt better, so she punched it again. And again. Soon she was beating the literal stuffing out of her pillow. Well, the material was very well made, as it was machine sewed together with advanced machinery. But she liked to imagine she had the punching force to just obliterate it and send the internals flying all over the small room.
"Damn it," she said. Sweat was starting to form on her brow and that pissed her off too. Wiping it away, Chera sat up and thought about her situation some more. This was nothing but bribery. And since Thras had all the power, it was just downright playing dirty. He could have just acted like a normal person and asked her to dinner instead of trying to force himself on her.
"Wait," she muttered. He kind of had done just that. He'd never actually forced himself on her. What was he so worried about that he needed to make a deal just to get her? This fate thing was all just a myth, right? There was no real internal drive in him to choose her and only her. It couldn't' be true...
