by Liza Probz
Her eyes shot up and she dropped the braid. "No, it’s just one. I made a statement about the seaweed and you agreed. It technically wasn't a question."
Xivthar laughed. The female was clever, and far more beautiful than he imagined them to be.
His brother had worried that he might be distracted by this creature. How right he was to worry. She could have stepped out of his fantasies. An exotic female, small but shapely, with pale skin and fair hair, and eyes the color of the giant jellies his people revered. Her hips were curved and breasts heavy and beautiful shaped.
He'd always been attracted to the idea of mating with a human female, but had always considered it a dream that had little chance of coming true. Their planet's policy was never to interfere with less advanced races, and that rule applied to even the Supreme Regent. They could watch from afar, but never touch.
Oh, but to touch this female again, to feel her smooth skin. To see if those tingles traveled from his fingertips to his cock. Something told him that they very much would.
"Well?" she asked, her cheeks blushing red, and he realized he'd been staring at her. It seemed her species' skin was also sensitive to mood changes. Interesting.
"Why did your people send a ship to Zanthar?" It was a leading question, and one he hoped would help him determine her level of honesty.
"We'd sent out probes to this system years ago, hoping to find signs of life. Inhabited planets. One of the probes entered your atmosphere and took samples. It returned with evidence of certain microorganisms. Evidence of the life we'd been waiting for." She fixed her green gaze on him. "Looks like we got much more than we bargained for."
Indeed. She appeared genuine, and her answer was plausible. He had received reports of an Earthling probe entering the upper atmosphere a couple years ago, but he'd instructed his forces to keep the probe above their defense shield in the thermosphere where nothing lived. Someone must have made a mistake and never come forth with the information, or the pretty woman was lying.
"My turn. What have you done with my ship?"
Xivthar leaned back in his seat. His proximity to the Earthling was unsettling. He could smell her. It was warm and musky, and like nothing he'd ever experienced. She smelled of sky and sun, of the soil. He reined himself in as his skin color darkened to deep purple.
"Your ship has been pulled up from the depths and is currently locked away in one of our laboratories. The staff at the Ministry of Science are attempting to determine what could have caused the shield malfunction."
Her small ship should have been deflected by the shield. It should have been spotted long before it ever made it to the shield. Instead, it had crashed through the shield, disabling it, but how?
"And I suppose that means they're tearing it apart?"
"Not yet. Right now they're attempting to restore power so they can question the main computer."
"Poor Magnis. You won't be able to woo him with a warm meal. He doesn't eat."
Magnis? He opened his mouth to ask what she meant, but snapped it shut before speaking. There were more important questions that needed asking, and he couldn't afford to waste one. Time to shake things up and watch her reaction. "Are you working with the Hareema?"
The professor looked momentarily disappointed. Was she upset that he hadn't taken the Magnis bait? "I don't know who, or what, the Hareema is."
Could he believe her? She didn't seem to be lying.
"So you expect me to believe that you just happened to sneak up without my advanced defense net picking you up, then you blasted through the shields, managing to completely disable them by accident?"
"You can believe whatever you want, but the events happened exactly as you just described them." Her expression was placid, her eyes bright. Her words seemed genuine. Could he trust her?
He wanted to, wanted to believe that she was the plucky young scientist out on her first adventure, who had fumbled her way into a situation outside her skillset. Not only would it mean that there was no Hareema invasion force parked behind one of Zanthar's thirteen moons, but it would also leave him free to explore his connection to this female.
Chimes sounded from the console on his desk. What a time for an interruption.
He pulled up the display and frowned when he saw his brother's face. "What do you want?"
"Our security team orbiting Cnidaria has stopped a Luthurican freighter."
The Luthuricans had rocklike skin that could withstand extreme temperatures and harsh conditions. They hailed from a binary system several light years away from Zanthar, but their trading routes ran through this system.
"A scan revealed that it was carrying traces of Hareema DNA. Major Ontarii questioned the captain and crew, and according to his report, they found one of their crewmen dead and shoved into a storage crate. The body had been decaying for weeks, but the problem was that the captain had seen the same man that very day."
"A Hareema infiltrator."
"Exactly. The captain thought the stowaway had to have come on board during their last shore leave on a gas giant in the same solar system as Earth."
"Did Ontarii capture the infiltrator?"
"No. He'd disappeared two days before the security force stopped the freighter."
"Or he'd started posing as another crew member. Maybe even the captain himself."
His brother scowled. "Ontarii initiated strict confinement protocols, and ordered his men to remain in pairs at all times, per standard protocol."
"No DNA tests?"
Drake's coloring was a mixture of yellow and orange. Anger and fear fought for control of his brother's demeanor. "The Luthuricans' exoskeletons are too tough to penetrate. They're working on a way to take a sample, but until they figure it out, no DNA testing is possible."
"Dammit," Xivthar growled softly, his complexion turning yellow. "Institute standard protocols planet-wide. No one is to be alone, and hourly electrical exchanges are required."
"Understood." The Minister of Defense hesitated.
Xivthar lost his patience with his brother. "What?"
"Has the Earthling female given you any information?"
So his brother knew he was with her, and he obviously didn't approve.
"I was questioning her when you called."
"Has her DNA been tested?"
"Yes, the scientists confirmed her species when they first took her into custody."
"That was nearly six hours ago. If the Hareema have infiltrated us, she could have been replaced by now."
Xivthar frowned. "You're right. I'll have her tested again."
"We need to know how she took out our defenses. If she doesn't talk soon, we'll have to resort to other means. And if she's Hareema..."
"I'll deal with it."
Xivthar waved the display away and focused his gaze on the female. The display had been set to his ears only, so she wouldn't have heard the exchange. There was no time left for back-and-forth. Perhaps her tactic had been to delay him all along so the Hareema forces could gather.
They couldn't have sent a more suitable agent, he thought. She was made for me.
An exotic Earthling female. It appeared his fetish for human females was the worst kept secret on Zanthar. And maybe the whole system. If Sylvia was really Hareema, it would be easy to find out. All he had to do was shock her.
She'd held up her palms earlier to show him her burns, which had disappeared. Maybe they had healed quickly, or maybe she'd been replaced by one of the Hareema who hadn't replicated the burns.
The Hareema were insidious. They hailed from a planet on the outskirts of the system, a planet that wasn't too different from Zanthar. In its real form, a Hareema was a seven-foot tall rectangular jelly. Not very threatening.
However, it was rare to see a Hareema in its real form. The jellies had the power to replicate any living creature for short periods of time, usually between six and eight hours. The Hareema then had to return to gelatinous form for several minutes before it was able to transform ag
ain.
This special skill made the Hareema especially adept at defeating a civilization from the inside out. Many planets had fallen to the Hareema Empire, but not Zanthar.
The Zantharians' ability to emit powerful shocks of electricity worked against Hareema physiology. It forced them to return to their original form. This ability, and a strong planetary defense plan, had kept the Hareema at bay for centuries.
But now it seemed the Hareema had discovered Earth. They planned to use its people as a means of penetrating Zantharian defenses. And Xivthar planned to stop them. By any means at his disposal.
Chapter 8
The tall alien stalked toward her, causing her to reflexively swallow. This regent guy makes me so damn nervous. Nervous and... curious.
She hadn't expected to be taken to his quarters and fed. Nor had he seemed the type to answer questions, and yet that is exactly what he had done.
The Supreme Regent was a handsome creature, she had to admit that now. His eyes were striking, his body in peak form. His smile caused her stomach to flutter.
Snap out of it, Doc, she told herself. You're mixed up in something big here. You've got to keep your wits about you.
He moved back toward her, his skin yellow as a canary.
"Your time’s up," he said, bending to lift her up by her shoulders.
"Put me down!" Her legs dangled, but this time she didn't bother trying to kick him.
"Are you working with the Hareema? Yes or no?"
"For the last time, I don't know any Hareema!"
His features tightened, and his hands gripped her harder. "This is going to hurt."
"What?"
A wave of light started at his chest and flashed down his arms. Before she could blink it was flowing through her. A burst of electricity.
Sylvie screamed, her body twitching as the shock burned through her. She went limp, her head lolling on her shoulder as her mind rebooted. Pain lanced her, running along her nerve endings and burning the tips of her fingers and toes.
"I'm sorry," she heard when she was able to focus again.
"Bastard," she managed to whisper. She felt herself being lifted into his arms. She watched the ceiling as he carried her through an opening into another room. The chamber was a series of purple stripes that again reminded her of a seashell.
He placed her on a soft surface that moved ever so gently, like the smallest of ocean waves. His hand pushed back the hair that had fallen into her face, his action gentle and almost loving. It was too much.
"Go away," she muttered, having only the strength to bat at his arm ineffectually.
"I had to be sure," he said. "Now I know you're not Hareema."
"Of course not. I told you my name was Sylvie."
She caught his smile and wanted to curse him for being so handsome and so cruel. He was no longer yellow, but a dark green, almost blue – like the ocean or the sky.
"The Hareema are able to impersonate any living creature, including humans. I had to make sure you hadn't been replaced."
"You could have just asked me."
The bastard laughed. "This was the quickest way. I don't have much time, so expediency was required."
He continued to stroke her hair, his eyes moving along her face as if memorizing her features.
"Now that you know I'm not a replica, will you let me go?"
The muscles in his face grew tense. "Not yet. Just because you aren't Hareema doesn't mean you and your species aren't working with them."
"I swear to you, I know nothing about these shape-shifting aliens. My flight was perfect until we hit the atmosphere of your planet. Something happened, and my ship crashed. Your men picked me up and put me in a cell, and that's all."
"I wish I could believe you," he said, leaning closer. His voice was smooth but firm, like polished stone.
"Then believe me." The words were whispered because of his closeness. It was so damn hard to catch her breath with him staring into her eyes.
"How can I risk it? The fate of my planet depends on my actions here. If you're lying to me..." He sounded conflicted, an emotion at odds with his normal demeanor. It showed in his skin, which was swirling with greens, blues, and purples.
"Trust me. Please." That's all she could think to say. His nearness made her weak.
"You tempt me so. I just have to--" He leaned in the rest of the way, pressing his lips against hers.
His kiss was soft, so soft. He teased hers lips, coaxing her to open her mouth just before his tongue slid across hers, setting off little sparks that made her moan. Without realizing it, she'd reached up a hand on the side of his thick neck, his skin smooth like a human male. Her fingers tangled in the tendrils that flowed down his back past his shoulders, which was softer than she could have ever dreamed.
The regent deepened the kiss, his tongue probing farther. She closed her eyes and sucked on it softly, not sure if her willingness to let him kiss her was in hopes of surviving or to fill her own sensual curiosity. He pulled back and nibbled softly on her lip, a groan leaving him that sent desire straight into her core. She'd never experienced a kiss so right, so good. It was over much too soon, the effects of it leaving her panting like a silly schoolgirl.
Opening her eyes, she watched as the regent's color shifted. Deep purple flashed into yellow before she could blink. He pulled her hands from around his neck and flung them to her sides, then pulled her up once again by her shoulders.
"They sent you to do a job, and by Marivagia, you're gonna do it."
"Mary who?" Her brain wasn't working after the kiss.
"Marivagia, goddess of wandering women." The regent scowled at her. "Never mind. You're going back to your cell."
The seductive timbre of his voice had become cold steel. She'd upset him, and she didn't know how. Had he hated the kiss?
"Look, Your Majesty, I'm sorry."
"Stop calling me that. My name is Xivthar."
"Ok, Ziffer, I'm sorry."
"Xivthar. X-I-V-T-H-A-R."
"Right. How about I just call you X?"
He ignored her, pulling her behind him, out of his chambers and into the rounded hallways. Once again she was being dragged along to the lab. She wasn't eager to return to staring at the opaque walls.
"Look, X, I think I've upset you. I'm sorry if you didn't like what we did back there."
He snorted. "It wasn't that I didn't like it, Sylvia. It's that I liked it too much."
Liked it too much? "Then why are you doing this? And it’s Sylvie. Stop using my full name!"
He stopped suddenly, spinning around to grab her face with his overly large hands. "Fine, Sylvie. If I were the Hareema and I got word that the leader of my enemies has an attraction to Earthling females, don't you think I'd use that information to my advantage?"
"But you can't mean me? I volunteered for this mission. No one recruited me."
His eyes narrowed. "A human female, the object of my wildest fantasies, is dropped into my lap and I'm supposed to believe she doesn't have an ulterior motive? That she's so willing to seduce me right after I just shot five milliamps through her?"
Sylvie's jaw dropped. "You kissed me!"
"And you responded. You can't deny that."
This conversation couldn't be more surreal. Sylvie pushed past the regent and stalked down the hallway.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Back to my cell. Four blank walls are better company than you."
She heard his footsteps behind her but didn't slow down. It didn't take long for him to overtake her.
"I wouldn't be so eager to return if I were you," he muttered, his black eyes glowing against yellow skin.
"Why is that? Are you gonna lock yourself in there with me and keep pestering me with your amazing Taser trick?"
"I didn't expect human females to be so sarcastic. It isn't an attractive trait."
Sylvie almost stopped, but decided not to engage. She wouldn't give the Supreme Shithead the satisfaction. Soon the m
embrane comprising the laboratory door came into view.
"Home sweet home," she said as the regent pulled her into her cell.
"You still have questions to answer," he said, his lips pulled back in a scowl.
"I suddenly don't feel like talking," she said and walked to the cushion, sitting down and picking at her nails as if he didn’t matter in the slightest.
"That's too bad, female, because--"
"Xivthar, I need to talk to you." Another alien had entered her cell. A familiar alien. The Minister from earlier.
With the Supreme Regent and the Minister of Defense crammed into her space, the cell felt exceedingly tight.
"What is it, brother?"
The Minister eyed her with distrust. "Not in front of the Earthling."
He jerked his head toward the cell opening then proceeded to exit. The regent looked her over, his skin producing another swirl of colors before settling on a lime green.
He's still upset.
Sylvie was learning to read Zanthar mood cues, and yellow definitely meant "bad mood."
His mouth opened to say something, but before he spoke, he closed it again, giving his head a shake. He turned away from her and walked out of the cell as she let out a big exhale. Being in the Supreme One's presence was stressful. Yet, now that he wasn't here, the cell felt very empty.
It didn't stay that way for long.
The scientist that had first taken her captive entered the cell. His coloring was the lightest purple, like a lilac that almost verged on pink. When last she'd seen him, after her thwarted escape attempt, he'd been aquamarine.
Sylvie's heart rate increased at the sight of him. He'd been the one who'd gotten permission to do his tests on her. Did that have anything to do with why he was in her cell now? Best to find out. Not knowing was worse.
"Here to run your experiments on me?" she asked, hoping her voice came out as flippant as she wanted it to.
"Afraid not," the scientist replied.
"Why not? Lost interest in me?"
"Hardly."
