by Maree Dry
“I’m not afraid of you.”
He looked pointedly at the way she pressed back into the cushions.
“Why wouldn’t I be afraid? I’m held here against my will by an alien that haunted me for months.”
“You are my breeder. I would protect, never harm you.” She should be hysterical, screaming in fear. Instead, she was intensely aware of him. Of his masculine smell, his warrior’s body so close to her, his voice that seemed to ruffle all the pleasure points in her body. He moved back and picked up the bowl again. “You will eat.”
It was like seeing a very dangerous predator leash its own power. If he was trying to appear unthreatening, he’d failed.
She allowed him to feed her. “So are you from a different galaxy?”
“Yes.”
“Are there many different planets that can sustain life there?”
“Yes.”
She waited for him to expand on that and when he didn’t and continued to feed her she searched for another topic.
“Why have you come to Earth?”
“All you have to know is that Earth is now a colony of Zyrgin.”
“Oh really? I think the governments of quite a few countries might disagree with you.”
“We will inform them of their new status in time.”
She shook her head when he wanted to feed her more. “I can’t, my stomach seems to have shrunk to the size of a microchip.”
He left with the empty bowl and she fell asleep wondering where he kept her TC and her stuff. If she would ever get away from him...
Did she want to get away from him?
She woke again and didn’t know if it was day or night. How long had it been since they escaped the reverend? She had to get away before the family visited the wrath of Benzoni on her and the alien. He had protected her and looked after her, and he didn’t deserve that.
“Do you feel stronger?” he asked and she nearly jumped out of her skin.
“Make some noise before you approach a body, won’t you?” He stood with his feet planted wide apart and his muscled arms crossed over that wide masculine chest that she did not admire. At all. She narrowed her eyes at him. “How long have you been standing there, watching me?”
“A few hours.”
She didn’t have a response to that. “I’m hungry again.” Maybe that meant she was getting stronger.
He brought another bowl of soup and fed her but she couldn’t manage more than a few spoonfuls.
“I need to freshen up. It’s weird, I’ve slept the whole day but I’m still tired.”
“The doctor said you will feel like this for another three days.”
She washed, used the facilities, and brushed her teeth. Another silver T-shirt-type garment was neatly folded on the vanity and she put that on. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at her legs. This shirt was much shorter than the other one.
“Men,” she muttered and left the bathroom. She came to a dead stop. Clad in loose fitting pants and peasant style shirt he lounged on the bed. And she did not have a good feeling about that at all. “What are you doing?”
“Lying in my bed.”
Chapter 10
The air in the bedroom changed, turned sultry. Her heart hammered, her breath changed, became too thick for her throat.
He sat on top of the blankets, his back against the cream wall. Unlike her, his feet reached the bearskin at the foot of the bed. His pants reached mid-calf and she could see five toes like hers, but his feet looked like dangerous weapons. The nails were vicious claws. His clothes were so thin she could almost see through them. His muscled calves flowed into tough-looking knees. She didn’t know knees could look tough, but his did. Powerful thighs and--and she shouldn’t be looking at him. She should be running. Julia quickly glanced down at her bare feet.
“I am a strong warrior.”
She wanted to look at his beautiful body. She was curious but afraid to let him think she was interested. Something about the way he said it tugged at her.
“I am scarred but a strong warrior,” he said, stressing the word warrior.
Julia lifted her head and looked at him. Really looked at him. Beyond the alienness, at the almost overpowering, well-built body to the scars covering almost every inch of him not covered by clothes.
The scar on his cheek could have been from the slash of a sword. The scars on his arms and calves told a different story. A terrifying story.
“You think my body ugly.”
“No. You must know you are very well built compared to most human men.”
The scars crossing his body only made him seem more dangerous, the ultimate warrior male.
“You prefer human men.” It was a statement, almost an accusation.
“I don’t--” She threw her hands up in the air. “I do not have to defend or explain myself. We are not in a relationship. You’ve been terrorizing me in my own home for more than a year now. In spite of that, I’m grateful that you looked out for me when the reverend captured us. That you saved me from the reverend, but that does not make us a couple.” She put her hands on her hips and glared at his erection straining the thin material of his pants She had to admit, privately, that she was impressed. “And cover that thing, for heaven’s sake. Get under the blankets or something.”
He drew up one leg, crossed his arms over his chest, and stared at her. In spite of his brazen pose, she had the strangest feeling that he was not comfortable having her see him without his uniform. The scars seemed to be a big deal for him.
“You are my breeder.”
“I know I told you I wanted children while we were captured but I will not be bred like an animal.”
He got up. Muscles rippling, he stalked over to her in that predatory way that she would, never in a million years, admit she found extremely sexy.
He looked at her as if he saw the ultimate prey. “I have earned the right to take you as my breeder.”
“Please, I just want to go home.”
Except she didn’t have a home anymore. She hadn’t had a home since the day she turned twenty. A part of her had hoped that she’d be able to stay in No Name Town and raise a family. Live a normal life. Now she’d have to settle somewhere else and start all over.
“This is your home. You will be honored to be my breeder.”
“No I won’t and I want to know exactly what that means. And don’t try to put me off again.”
He was an alien so, for all she knew, it simply meant woman.
“It means that you belong to me.”
“No, I don’t and, please, just answer me. What does being a breeder mean?”
She’d spent so many years running from her family, determined to live her life according to her own rules and not some psychopath’s vision of the future. After dodging marriage to John, she certainly wouldn’t be claimed by this alien as if she was some kind of commodity.
“You will please me in all things, never try to escape, and maintain your roundness.”
“Maintain my roundness?” she gritted through her teeth. “I’m getting real tired of your obsession with my weight.”
He continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “I will be a good fucker.”
“Excuse me?” She couldn’t have heard him right. If he was trying to use English slang, he certainly didn’t get it right. Please let him be trying to use slang.
“Some of your primitive databases are still functional and I have studied the sex manuals. I can assure you I will be a good fucker.”
Julia bit the inside of her cheek but even that pain didn’t kill the need to burst out laughing. This could not be happening--enforcers coming for her, the reverend capturing her, yes, but not standing here talking to an alien telling her he studied sex manuals. “Uh...that is very...uh, industrious of you.”
“I will not bargain about hours.”
“Yeah, whatever. You still haven’t told me what breeder means and why me?”
“I saw you and decided you will be mine.” He reach
ed out and stroked her hair. It was so much like a patronizing pat that she had to resist the urge to break his fingers. “Your bravery impressed me,” he continued.
“And what about what I want?”
He cocked his head. “What about it?”
“Don’t you think I should have a choice who I shack up with?” She glared at his erection poking her in the stomach. “And please put that thing away.” She could see the head of his penis over the waistband of his loose trousers.
He calmly adjusted himself. “I have killed the Eduki for you and brought you the pelt to prove I have mekrin bar gera.”
“Mekrin bar what?” She had to get as far away as fast as she could from this caveman, or she was going to end up some sex slave popping out little alien babies.
“Mekrin bar gera.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I earned the right to take you as my breeder. I will protect you and keep you round.”
A red film covered her sight, her ears rang, and she couldn’t feel her hands and toes. When she could see again, she had him by the arms, or rather by the bulge on his upper arm--her hand wouldn’t go around his whole arm--and was shaking him. Except he didn’t move and she ended up shaking herself, poking his penis into her stomach with each attempted shake. She didn’t care.
She went higher on her toes to shout right in his face. “You call me fat one more time and I swear I will, I’ll--” She stopped screaming, unable to think of a dire enough threat.
He leaned closer, loomed over her. Stared her down. There was no anger, no fire on his face. Eyes like cold boiling tar pits looked down at her. “What will you do to me, tiny human?”
It was almost a caress the way he said it.
She had the strangest feeling that he enjoyed her fighting with him. Julia felt him poking her again and, blushing, she released his arms and stepped back. “I’ll teach you about a human custom. It’s called sleeping on the couch.”
She tried to say it with as much conviction as she could manage. She could’ve bitten her tongue right off. What was she doing? She had to convince him she needed her own room. That she was not breeder material, whatever that meant.
He took her hands in one of his huge hands. “A puny human female cannot harm me when I sit on the couch.”
“That’s not what it means. Oh, never mind just stop calling me fat. And let go of my hands.”
“No.”
“You are talking to a Benzoni.” In most parts of the country saying those words would provoke fear. At the very least caution.
“Why should I fear Benzoni?” the alien asked.
“I come from a family of the most vicious criminals on Earth. Their blood is in my veins. I could kill you in your sleep with no remorse.”
She tried to channel her father. To look capable of beating him to death but that made her feel so sad.
She cocked her head. Up to now, things had been so crazy, she’d never stopped to think how he knew to disguise himself as John.
Once again, she felt a pang for the John who had looked after her in the reverend’s basement. Logically, she knew it was the alien in front of her that was in that basement with her.
But her emotions kept telling her if John could come back, she would be safe again.
“How did you know to look like John if you don’t know about the Benzonis?”
“We heard that John was coming to meet with the reverend.”
“How?”
“That is not for a breeder to know.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. Was he in for a rude awakening? She gave him a deliberate scornful up and down. Not easy to do when he stood in front of her, obviously aroused, looking ready to devour her. “Let me guess. You’ve got some nifty alien surveillance going. So you disguised yourself like him and got there first. An undercover alien.”
“Yes.”
“Why not simply go invisible, invade their privacy, and listen to their conversation like you did with me? Weren’t you afraid they would see through your disguise?”
“Humans are gullible. They only see what they want to.” He leaned closer. “We kiss now.” Something flashed in his eyes before they evened out to black again.
“Wait you have to explain what--”
He kissed her, his lips slightly harder than a human’s. Slowly, almost as if he tested the texture of her lips, he rubbed his over her. Still staring at her, not even blinking, he forced her lips open. His tongue dueled with hers, as if he wanted the kiss to be a hard won battle. The way he kept their gazes locked was scarily hot.
He lifted his head and stared down at her. He had his hand curved around the back of her neck to hold her still for his kiss. She could feel the taut muscles of every inch of him pressed so tightly to her. And, yes, his erection stabbed into her again.
“We will do a lot of human kissing,” he said with such arrogance she wanted to hit him.
The strange need for his kisses dissipated. “You arrogant alien b--”
He bent and kissed the words back into her throat. His tongue invading her mouth until she thought he might stroke her tonsils.
Desperate for air, she choked and slapped his chest until he drew back. “You don’t just push your tongue down someone’s throat.” She drew in deep gulps of air. “Is that how you aliens kiss?”
“Zyrgins do not kiss.” He stressed the word Zyrgin.
“I suppose you read how to do it in your manual.”
“Yes, it is very detailed.”
“Well, the manual can’t tell you everything. Everyone has their own way of kissing.”
“You will learn mine.”
“It wouldn’t be right for me to kiss you when I’m going to marry a sweet wonderful man. A human man that loves me. We will have four children and a dog and maybe some chickens in the yard.” Somehow the future she had always dreamed of seemed hollow. Unattainable.
“Where is this man?”
Menace dripped off every word. He leaned over her and she had to remind herself that she was a Benzoni and didn’t scare easy. His hand tightened on her neck. Not enough to hurt, just enough to make her aware of her own vulnerability.
Briefly, so fleeting she thought she imagined it, a long claw scraped against her throat. “Nowhere. I mean some day I’m going to marry a man like that.”
“If you find such a man, I will kill him.”
“What?”
“Your human male cannot protect you.” She opened her mouth to tell him the hypothetical man did not need to protect her, she could look after herself, but he continued. “Zyrgin men are not as puny as humans males. When you are well I will give you many hours of sex making.”
It should have been a threat to her but, instead, she was tempted for one brief moment. She weaved on her legs. He picked her up and laid her down on the bed, covering her with blankets.
He lay down next to her and loomed over her. “Do you require the doctor?”
“No. I’m feeling heaps better. If not for the poison, I’d be on my feet already. I was just a little woozy for a moment.”
His eyes, briefly, very briefly, flashed red. “You are small but strong.”
He leaned down and kissed her. Julia put her hand on his shoulder and followed the curve down to his upper arm. They sure grew them well on planet Zyrgin.
He kissed her again and she moaned with pleasure. She enjoyed kissing and had kissed her fair share of men, but never before had she felt as if she would explode with pleasure from one brief kiss.
He moved down, kissing her neck and her shoulders, slowly, as if he savored each inch of her skin. Zurian moved the blanket down her breasts and she moaned at the friction over her nipples. He kissed the top of her breasts, nuzzled the loose neck of the T-shirt away, and she briefly felt teeth. Even with the strange ecstasy she experienced, she stiffened, remembering the frightening fever dream she had. He stilled and then lifted his head. Inky black eyes, that seemed like a well without a bottom, stared down at her.
“I have honor. I wait for the first knowing.”
“The first knowing?”
“When I claim you as my breeder. Prove to you that I can satisfy you.”
He drew the blanket up to her neck, grunted, and the room went dark. He lay down next to her and she half expected him to pull her closer, use the opportunity to try and touch her. Instead, she could see him on his back with his hands at his side.
She wanted to demand her own room but it was comforting having him there. With him next to her, she didn’t fear going to sleep and seeing one of the enforcers holding a gun in her face.
She fell asleep wondering how Zyrgins proved they could satisfy their women.
***
The next day, she woke alone and so much stronger that she managed to get up, take a shower, and wash her hair. It was a blissful feeling to be clean again, but she trembled with fatigue and that was getting old fast. She needed to be strong, to find Sarah, talk to Natalie, and make sure her friend was okay. After rinsing, she shut off the water and reached for a towel. Zurian handed her a large silver towel. She screamed, grabbed it from him, and quickly wrapped it around her, her whole body burning under his intense gaze.
“I do not wish you to scream like that.” He touched his ear. The most human motion she’d ever seen him make.
“Then stop scaring the life out of me. Don’t creep up on me like that.” She’d noticed before that he made no sound when he walked. “And don’t come in here when I’m taking a shower.”
“I am your warrior.”
“Don’t start that warrior and breeder business again.” She tightened her hold on the towel. “Where’s my stuff?”
“If you tell me what you need, I will bring it to you.”
“I need my clothes.”
She expected him to refuse but he left and came back with a silver sack bulging with clothes. She could see her favorite red sweater peeking out. He set it down next to her.
“Why don’t you wait for me in the living room?”
“Why?”
“I want to dress and I’m not getting naked in front of you. How would you like it if I went around walking in on naked warriors?”
