by Rena Marks
We giggled for a minute, and then sobered.
“How did it happen?” she asked. “How did you know when you loved Miack?”
“I’m not sure. It just sort of snuck up on me. I’ll be honest, having that instant strength was addicting. Powerful. After it faded, all I wanted was more. On the battlefield, however, I wanted him to take it back. I wanted him to be able to protect himself. Miack says we were mates from the first time, when his power transferred to me. Normally they lose their strength, but it doesn’t actually transfer unless you’re that once-in-a-lifetime mate.”
“So the only way to find out is to do the nasty?”
“I guess. I mean, you could do the nasty and just drain his strength. If you don’t gain it, I imagine you’ll know you’re not mates at that point.”
“Then you would have a life of no strings attached? Just fucking?”
“Yes. If that’s what you want. Is that what you want?”
“I—I don’t know. I mean, I’d want to have a night. Here. Or there. But what if we find out it’s so much more? What if we’re tied together for life? We’re strangers.”
“I imagine you’ll deal with it when it arises.” I shrugged, because so were we. “Once we were mates, there was a connection. Love just happens.”
“That’s why I’m avoiding him. He looks at me like he knows something I don’t. It freaks me the hell out.”
“Maybe just be honest with him. Tell him you have no intention of tying yourself down, so he may want to stay friends. Especially as we’ll have a trip coming up to their planet. That could be awkward to be stuck on the same ship together as exes.”
“You’re right. And even if we don’t go, he and I still have to work together here on the planet. No point in having things awkward. Or even worse, what if we’re going at it like space monkeys, and his true mate comes along? I get kicked to the curb by those bastards.”
“Bastards,” I echoed, though I’m not sure what they’ve done.
The men were noisy when they came back, whooping and hollering, and stomping their boots. Turic was in an especially good mood, grabbing Ria’s hand and dancing around with her out in front of everyone. She didn’t seem to be protesting as he led her off to the trees. The fathers went into the ship with the rest of the men, leaving Miack outside with me.
“Did everything go well?”
“Smooth as expected,” he said, kneeling down. He blinked, and his eyes were blue. “There was some difficulty in taking over a post located where you used to call the Middle East, but another ship arrived to help. There were more Praydians stationed in that location than in these States. It was strange that Piehelock didn’t make it his headquarters.” He shrugged.
“Lucky us. I would never have met you.”
“We will start farming communities to feed the planet. Community shelters will be built. In order to obtain a house, one must volunteer to work on his own home and that of another. We will work our way throughout the planet doing this. Our people will show yours how to process meat correctly. Those raising cattle will go back to basics—no longer will you work for a monetary system. Work will be for trade. Someone may want to trade beef for vegetables. Or beef for a helping hand on their ranch. We will modernize your methods of farming, namely the genetic modifying of plants. Humans will return to enjoying quality over quantity, and you will find many diseases that have not been eradicated as yet, will be in the next few decades.”
“No money? But it’s all we know.” I felt a brief panic over the change.
“It has not worked for your planet, correct? The corruption of a money system is wide. There are those with too much, and those with too little. It creates an imbalance of power and promotes ignorance and laziness. We have straightened out countless planets. Trust me, it will be fine.”
“It’s so much to think about.”
Miack smiled at me. “You have not had money for nearly a decade now.”
He was right.
“You will find a pleasure like no other in learning to help others. We think nothing of giving food to those in need, or teaching a planet how to survive.”
He leaned between my knees, and I opened them wider to accept his body. He leaned in, kissing me lightly. “You look beautiful today.”
I’d loosened the tiny braids of my hair and the blonde strands flowed freely over my shoulders. “Thank you,” I said.
To my surprise, he leaned in and sniffed me. My eyebrows shot to my hairline.
“You’re pregnant,” he announced.
“Excuse me?”
“Our kind produces a pregnancy hormone that gives off a perfume like the scent of flowers. Apparently the fetus produced the hormone for you.”
“I’m pregnant?” I wasn’t sure if I was ready for that. But hell, I hadn’t been sure I was ready to settle down with a green, multi-eye colored alien, either.
“Are you okay with it? I would love to have a tiny daughter.”
Once the shock was leaving my system, I found I was okay with it, too. I placed my hand over my abdomen. “I think I’d like a handsome little boy who wants to mimic his daddy.”
His lips touched mine. “Even if no one else knows, I’ll need to notify Turic. There are steps he has to take, logs to be kept, medic records to be sent.”
“I think he and Ria wandered off into the forest,” I said.
Miack rose and gave me his hand, pulling me up from the chair. We walked down toward where I last saw them disappear.
The birds were chirping and there was a slight breeze in the air. It would take a while to undo the temperature damage the Praydians had done, but the fleet of Nisibians had managed to at least stir up our atmosphere.
Miack stopped me, and then dropped to his knees. His arms were clasped around my hips and he held his ear to my belly.
“Thank you,” he whispered. “For my child. You have made me the happiest male alive. I never thought to have so much.”
I ran my fingers over his scalp. His hair was soft, but coarser than mine. His spikes were thick, but pliable as they bent to my touch.
“I love you. Always and forever,” I whispered. We stayed like that for countless minutes. Off in the distance, the faintest whisper of voices penetrated the lull.
Miack rose and pulled me toward him, kissing me softly before we headed toward Ria and Turic.
Ria was sitting on the ground, her knees pulled up to her chest. Turic was on all fours, crawling toward her.
“Trust me, gorgeous girl,” he whispered, his voice a seductive shiver. “Just trust.”
Ria held perfectly still, as still as Miack and I were from where we watched. Turic inched toward her, carefully giving her ample time to push him away. He nuzzled the side of her neck, and then turned his head to slant his mouth over hers. They locked together for long minutes before he moved his hand to her leg, pulling it prone. She released the other leg also, parting them. So slowly, he leaned her back without ever breaking the kiss. Then, with his body between her legs, he lowered himself to cover her.
I turned to see Miack watching me carefully. He knew, I realized. He knew Turic was interested in Ria, and intended to seduce her in any way he could. But Miack was worried. He wasn’t sure how I’d react.
I smiled, bringing my hand up to cup his cheek. He turned his head to kiss the center of my palm. Then he brought it down, lacing his fingers with mine, and we quietly slipped back to the ship.
Turic and Ria would find out the news of our pregnancy last.
Space Babies
Rena Marks
An antiquated ship, rotating through the galaxy of a deserted planet, bears immediate investigation.
Helian Six boards the abandoned vessel to find the long-lost inhabitants in a state of stasis. But the systems are failing, and half a dozen have woken up. The planet below shows long dead bodies, poisoned by the scum of space, a species known as Gorgians.
Strangely, the few who have awakened are much smaller than their planetary pr
edecessors. And not very intelligent. Determined to believe the cute, tiny beings are not pets, the crew of Helian Six decide to train the small warriors to defend the planet. They become the laughingstock of patrol, however, after they commit and realize it will take twenty-two cycles to “rear” the inhabitants.
So they do what any intelligent males would do. Kidnap teachers. And if the females can’t manage to avert their eyes from their buff physiques, well, score!
Excerpt:
“Forward…march.”
“I gotta potty.”
“Halt.” The voice of his commander sounded exasperated. “Someone get that one to the waste station again.”
Tristan groaned. Several of the tiny warriors sat on the ground to…play.
“Attention, men. And…women. Stand at attention.”
Several of the tiny creatures stood up—and held still. For all of three seconds.
“I’m booored now. Can we go play?”
He ignored that one and looked down his nose at the tiny creature he knew instead. “Mark time, march!” he bellowed, loudly now.
She made a small movement, not a march in place but a half-dance wiggle.
“What is that?” he asked, exasperated.
Bajoc, his commander, held a stiff face. He did not want to insult that one. She was Tristan’s responsibility, and Bajoc would be smart to avoid insulting his leader. “That one cannot seem to get the concept of walking without going anywhere.”
Tristan released a long, deep sigh. They called her that one frequently. “This is not working. How are we to train these creatures to protect themselves if they are unintelligent?”
“I do not think they are necessarily unintelligent,” his first mate and commander said. “My research indicates they are perhaps a race that does not mature quickly? Hence their short stature.”
“What? Explain yourself.”
“There are certain races that take eighteen cycles to mature. Others take twenty-two. We are unsure of this one.”
Twenty two cycles? Good Lord. They’d been alive for so many centuries, the concept of rearing someone for that long was foreign. Warriors from their planet were grown in laboratories, and emerged full grown. He had never been an inch smaller than he was today.
“What have we taken on?” he murmured.
“They’re cute,” Bajoc said, as he picked up the one he’d claimed.
His warriors had grown soft. After decades of flying through the skies, repairing the damage that the dreaded Gorgians had dealt, they’d petitioned for some much needed time off. They’d each chosen an orphan from the lone, floating spaceship to adopt. However, when they discussed that plan, they had no idea how long this break would be. The possibility of twenty-two cycles? No wonder headquarters had snickered when they’d petitioned.
“We need females,” Tristan said, suddenly slapping his thigh. “That’s what other species do.”
“Up.” His own tiny female humanoid held out her chubby, purple arms. He sighed, doing as she requested, well aware of the wails she would let out otherwise. The loud shrieks would trigger the others. There was something wrong with his adoptee, she was half the size of some of the small creatures. The smallest there was. He’d wanted to balance out the power. It seemed fitting that the strongest warrior should have the weakest to care for. But he’d taken to tying thickened, padded short pants on his, because she couldn’t seem to understand basic needs. Or didn’t care. He hoped her intelligence wasn’t compromised by the three hundred years in stasis.
“That is a great idea,” Chastien said. “A humanoid species would be warm and nurturing. Perhaps that one we’d come across a decade ago.”
Tristan snorted, and his small creature mimicked the sound. A decade ago, that humanoid species had taught his men all the intricacies of the pleasures of the sack. Then, they’d decided to base their profession on selling those services.
“I doubt they’d be willing to give up the money they earn for the meager salary we could pay them.” Plus, he didn’t want his sweet, little, simple humanoid learning about how to service men for a living. He wanted a strong offspring, one who could someday command her own vessel, much like he had. That was how they learned to think of the new planet’s inhabitants—as offspring.
“It would be nice if we could petition for a master trainer. I believe most of these simply need basic training…not soldier training, but basic survival instincts. Ouch!” Bajoc stopped suddenly. His tiny humanoid—a male—tugged his ear, and then giggled.
“Bad Reese,” Bajoc mumbled.
It was that giggling that convinced his team the tiny humanoid species they’d discovered was helpless and needed training on how to defend their practically new, cleaned up planet. He had no idea how the smaller creatures were shot off into space in stasis. There were larger bodies on the planet, reduced to bones now, showing that the creatures used to be much larger than these leftovers. It made no sense that they would send their small ones into space. They had a much lesser chance of survival. No, the strong, large ones should have left instead. But perhaps there were other factors involved. Maybe a lack of nourishment on the stasis vessel for the larger bodies. Who knew?
“Let’s go petition the council for master teachers. And, keep this under the radar.” They’d again be the laughingstock of headquarters if it would be found out they couldn’t train these simpletons.
Chasing Violet
Rena Marks & C.L. Scholey
Violet Knight is tired of men hooking up with her for her money.
She caught the latest loser pants-down and rump-up one week before the wedding. Now she’s upgraded her honeymoon cruiseship for a pampering space-cruise that caters to females only. That’s exactly what her burnt heart needs. A hunky serviceman whose job is to worship the female patronage aboard the month-long trip. Little does she know a pampering space-cruise ship looks awful similar to a mail-order bride ship.
Cadoc of Docadia finds the girl he’s always dreamed about all grown up and looking to be a bride. To his surprise, she asks him to stay the night. But consummating their relationship comes with a small problem. Turns out she’s the tiny female he rescued all those years ago. Now he has to tell her they’ve been mated.
Excerpt:
This was fun, being pampered and courted by all the men at the table. She didn’t miss Joshua one bit. Just as she didn’t miss the amounts of money he spent. Her money.
Most everyone was done eating, and talking amongst themselves at the dinner tables. Speaking of the different planets they came from, and where they’d like to visit. Soft music began to pipe from the speakers.
“Dance with me?” Cadoc rumbled, his leg again pressing against hers.
Next to him, Draconis stood, his chair clattering behind him. A bot scurried to pick it up. Draconis opened his mouth, clearly about to argue.
“I’d love to,” she murmured, slipping her hand in Cadoc’s and shutting that stuff down.
Then the horned demon next to her opened his mouth to argue, but she simply reached out and patted his head, letting her fingers trail over his horns. They were oddly soft-skinned, though they jutted like steel from the top of his head. They were pointed, but not sharp.
Strange, now that she thought about it. They had an odd curved shape. Since he didn’t seem to mind, she continued to caress, then patted his head. His breath caught in his throat, and he sunk lower in his chair, as if he’d pass out from her touch. The rest of the table grew perfectly still. There, she’d calmed them all.
The horned demon moaned, long and low, leaning back in his chair. Odd creature. She happened to glance down, noticing a stain had spread across his lap. The poor man must have spilled his drink there, in his crotch of all places. But he was happy now, not even noticing his dirty pants. In fact, they all seemed strangely stunned, so it was a good moment to make a getaway with Cadoc. She tugged on his hand, and—while he seemed as bemused as the rest of the men—he led her to the dance floor.
&nbs
p; Abducted
Book 1 in the Blue Barbarian series.
Alien abductions are real.
I was the third female awakened aboard the spacecraft that specialized in kidnapping females. Their mission? To sell us to other galaxies.
Human female Numbers One and Two didn’t make it, but I was lucky. I was able to comprehend the instruction from Drakar, a caged abductee from the planet Blaedonia. I live only because of his warning to me not to fight the aliens who have me on the table. Together, we formulate a plan for escape for both us and the ten other unawakened Earthlings.
Lucky for Drakar, the spaceship crash-lands back on his planet. Unlucky for the Earthlings, we’ll never be able to travel back home.
We’ll have to learn to adapt.
Niki’s Story:
Suddenly my shackles tingle, the sensation shooting down my arms like a spark of electricity. But it doesn’t hurt, or feel uncomfortable. It feels kind of…nice.
In a strange way.
“I can see you, though, little human. I have night vision that your species does not.”
I lick my lips. It doesn't seem fair that I've never seen Drakar, but then he blows warm breath on my neck, and suddenly it no longer matters.
“How do you like to be touched?” His touch skims across my lower abdomen.
Goosebumps race across my skin and it’s not from cold. It’s instantaneous and it’s weird, but it's sexy. Either he’s a master seducer, or the shackles on my wrists are doing something strange to my libido.
I writhe. “Drakar.”
“Niki.”
“These bracelets are doing something to me.”
“I know. I feel it, too.” His voice exudes sex. “I want you.”
“What’s happening?”
He groans. “Your arousal seduces me.” His breath is heated, and his body temperature feels suddenly warmer.
Stranded
