Alien Slave

by Tracy St. John

  Only the brothel owner could unlock Dani’s collar. So the open window, more than large enough for her to wriggle out of, remained only a tease of the wide world outside her room.

  Room? Try closet.

  The tiny space wasn’t even the size of her walk-in closet at home in Wilmington, Delaware. The soft golden light filtering into the slave dorm couldn’t gentle the cramped space that afforded all the privacy Dani possessed. She slept on a thin bed mat on the stained nap of the flooring. Over her head hung four identical gray slave outfits in varying states of cleanliness. Laundry costs came out of Dani’s earnings, and she was careful to keep the clothing as unsullied as possible. She could usually stretch her outfits to last almost two weeks.

  A small mirror and wash basin completed her lodgings. The showers and toilet facilities were shared amongst the slaves.

  Dani stretched, noted slight aches and the aroma of cinnamon all over her body and sat up with a gasp. The night before returned, its hours and hours of pleasure with the Kalquorians replaying in detail in her mind.

  Dani swallowed. Her body warmed with the memory of lovemaking beyond any she’d known before. With the enemy, no less. How far she had fallen to have entertained members of the race that had rendered Earth uninhabitable for who knew how many decades!

  But they’d been so solicitous despite making no bones about being in absolute control over her. Kind, even. Her pleasure had seemed as important to them as their own. More important, perhaps.

  “What strange men,” Dani whispered to herself. Where were the monsters, the evil demons they were reputed to be? She’d seen nothing of that, not even from the ferocious-seeming Wynhod. Had the Kalquorian invasion that ended in the nuclear

  holocaust of Earth’s major cities really been as benign as they said? Had her own government been behind Armageddon, destroying the majority of the populace rather than accepting enemy occupation?

  “Or is it just a story they told to gain sex?” Perhaps Earthers and Kalquorians weren’t so dissimilar after all. Scheming, lying, and throwing money around, just to get what they wanted. Dani snorted. Different planet, same song.

  At least she knew the dance. She took comfort in that.

  And the Kalquorians were great sex partners. The best she’d ever known. Dani shrugged off the guilt she felt at hoping they’d hire her again. She had to lay with clients anyway; they might as well be ones she enjoyed even if it made her a traitor to her people.

  Hope got Dani to her feet, got her dressed. Maybe they’d already booked her for tonight. If they planned to see her again, they should have taken care of it before leaving at daybreak this morning. Her schedule filled fast. It was the blessing and curse of being such a rare commodity, a female Earther willing to have sex with anyone who paid her fee.

  Dani left her cramped space, looking for breakfast, a shower, and to check tonight’s schedule. Like a child, the fingers on both her hands were crossed.

  * * * *

  Wynhod traipsed the hot, humid jungle on the outskirts of the Dantovonian city of Ler, the current home of a very succulent Earther sex slave. Danielle Watson had not left his mind for a second since they’d departed the brothel that morning. He’d been amused at his body’s repeated response. The crotch of his black formsuit kept betraying the erections that swelled when he thought of the Earther’s scent, her warmth, her deliciously long body with those wide welcoming hips. Fucking her over and over had counted as one of the best nights of his life. Maybe the best night ever. He couldn’t wait to do it again.

  As he trailed behind Gelan, Wynhod mentally shook his head. He’d never been so distracted. After one intoxicating night with Dani, he suspected Kalquor’s threatened extinction alone didn’t account for his race’s obsession to clan Earther women. He wondered if Dani was a typical example of her kind. If so, it was a wonder Kalquorian clans weren’t fighting to the death to gain Earther childbearers.

  Wynhod made himself concentrate on making noise. Hunting down Dantovon’s monstrous sheclir demonstrated how silent he’d been trained to be. It took effort to not move noiselessly, even in the dense undergrowth. One of a Nobek’s first lessons was to stalk prey quietly. Capturing the brutal sheclir Gelan prized so highly was not like most big game in that you killed it as it came to kill you.

  Wynhod looked at his Dramok’s wide back as Gelan stomped rhythmically through the jungle. He couldn’t see his leader’s face, but the Nobek knew the expression he wore; a vicious, fang-baring smile. One could almost feel sorry for the great burrowing creature the clan stalked. Gelan lived for the hunt, tracking and killing with a

  ruthlessness that impressed and terrified all at once. Wynhod often wondered if his clanmate hadn’t been mis-classified. Gelan was a fine leader to be sure, but he certainly would have made a hell of a Nobek.

  Krijero stomped behind them, his heavy tread not an attempt to lure in the sheclir. He stumbled occasionally, his muttered curses easily discernable to Wynhod’s sensitive hearing. The awkward Imdiko liked the outdoors as well as they did, but he preferred much quieter pursuits like fishing or hiking, which was on tomorrow’s itinerary. The vacation had been planned for all three to enjoy their hobbies of choice. Wynhod’s love for mountain climbing would be addressed later in the week. Dantovon’s Mount Trud was far steeper and a better challenge to his skills than the mountain the clan lived in back on Kalquor.

  But first they had to catch and kill the sheclir, which swam the earth beneath them like a fish swam water. The sooner they accomplished that, the sooner they could return to the bright lights of Ler and the other delightful activities available.

  A furred winged critter no bigger than his pinkie fluttered in front of his nose. As he batted it aside Wynhod griped to himself, “I hope this damned thing shows up soon. I’d like to get back to the city in a few hours.”

  Gelan’s chuckle let him know the Dramok had overheard him. “Your impatience wouldn’t have anything to do with an Earther, would it?”

  Wynhod couldn’t help the grin that spread over his face. Dani had been a revelation. He’d had the good fortune to bed one of the rare females of his own race, and even she hadn’t felt so good. Not so soft and clingy on the insides. “I admit, I’m reconsidering our decision to not clan a Matara.”

  They reached a small clearing where the underbrush was only ankle-deep. Gelan halted forward progress, but he kept stomping in the monotonous rhythm that supposedly attracted the sheclir’s attention. Wynhod matched him.

  Krijero’s attempts weren’t quite as precisely timed as his clanmates’ but Wynhod didn’t think the sheclir would mind. It would only care that a meal awaited it above ground. If there was a sheclir within twenty-five miles, it would find them, and the fight to kill or be killed would commence.

  Krijero looked unhappy, and Wynhod knew it had nothing to do with the bloodthirsty beast that might be bearing down on them even now. The Imdiko’s protest proved him right. “There are too few Earther females to go around. I don’t see why we should drive ourselves crazy competing for such an unlikely prize.”

  Wynhod found his most soothing tone. “No other clan is sniffing around our little fighter. It was only by accident that we found out she was here.”

  “She doesn’t like us. What’s more, it would be prohibitively expensive to buy her contract.”

  Gelan’s growly voice strove for gentleness. “We have the funds. It’s a thought, but let’s see what tonight brings us.”

  Wynhod was secretly thrilled Gelan seemed agreeable about perhaps purchasing Dani from the brothel. But with Krijero looking unhappy, he kept his pleasure to himself.

  He felt sorry for his Imdiko, clumsy not only physically but socially as well. It had taken over ten years of working with the psychologist to appreciate the man’s strong points, and even then it had been Gelan who recognized how perfect Krijero was for their clan. It took another three to prove themselves to the reluctant Imdiko, but it had been worth it.

  Wynhod tried to fi
nd the right words to calm Krijero’s fears, to let him know potential rejection from Dani wouldn’t be the end of the universe. Before he could, a thrum of vibration traveled from the soles of his heavily booted feet to the top of his head. He froze, and so did the other two.

  As one they resumed stomping, all slowly drawing their blades. A sheclir was coming fast to judge from the now shuddering ground. At Gelan’s nod, all three spread out in a triangle. The earth quaked, and a low roar announced the sheclir’s arrival within seconds. Wynhod trained his gaze on the ground in the space between the clan, but also made sure he could keep an eye on Krijero. He wouldn’t allow the Imdiko’s clumsiness to get him killed. No trophy was worth that.

  The ground bucked and cracked, and suddenly the sheclir burst through the earth’s crust in an explosion of dirt and foliage. Its eyeless head blotted out the thick canopy of flora overhead. The maw of the monster stretched wide, capable of consuming all three Kalquorians in one bite. A ring of daggered teeth in its thinner throat gnashed in preparation of its meal. One claw, built more for tunneling than grasping, scrabbled at the edge of the hole it had created. Its soft, gray-green body was still buried out of sight.

  As luck would have it, the sheclir scented Krijero first. Whipping its great head towards him with blinding speed, it homed in on the Imdiko with deadly accuracy. Wynhod yelled and launched himself at the creature.

  As he landed on top of the thing’s head, it slammed into the ground where Krijero had stood. Fortunately, the Imdiko had been smart enough to run towards the sheclir, not away. The beast was used to prey trying to escape, not assault it. It had adjusted its attack to cover the ground it thought Krijero would flee towards. Instead of a mouthful of Kalquorian, the sheclir got a throatful of his knife. It shrieked loud enough to make Wynhod’s ears pop.

  It took an hour for the clan to kill it. Sweating and cursing, the three were continuously bucked off the furious creature. Wynhod and his clanmates would spring back upon it, avoiding the hungry mouth by mere inches. They slashed at the meter-thick layer of fat that made up the sheclir’s skin to get at the vulnerable parts beneath. They were soon covered in greenish-yellow fluid that made hanging onto the monster even harder. Unused to being the prey and stupid beyond belief, the sheclir never tried to retreat into its tunnel. It battled them with mindless rage, its instincts as an unconquerable apex predator leading to its destruction.

  At last it succumbed, mostly due to Gelan’s concentrated attacks on one spot midway down its throat. The massive head thudded to the ground, and a wheeze announced its final breath. The three men bellowed victory, their cries as animal as the sheclir’s had been. Gelan slapped a locator on the top of the thing’s head with a flourish. Dantovonian recovery crews would descend on the carcass, rendering the massive fat stores into needed fuel and butchering the meat to feed Ler’s inhabitants and tourists. The bones of the beast had too many uses to be catalogued. Nothing would go to waste.

  Wynhod grinned at his clanmates, his heart still pounding from the glorious fight. It had been an amazing battle, one to be remembered for a long time. Before last night and Danielle Watson, he might have said it was as good as sex.

  * * * *

  Dani couldn’t help but grin when she saw her schedule for the evening. Not only had Gelan’s clan scheduled a visit, they’d booked her entire shift. Her insides fluttered. The anticipation killed off the guilt of sleeping with the enemy. Well, mostly.

  Pob’s irritating buzz interrupted happy thoughts. “I thought you didn’t like Kalquorians.”

  Dani turned to face the owner of the brothel. With his skinny limbs and segmented face, he was no prettier to look at than his bitch of a sister. His lidless eye glared at her. She wasn’t impressed.

  The Earther shrugged. “Husta booked them without my say-so, but I made the best of the situation. They paid a lot, so I’m letting it slide this time.”

  Pob’s tongue flicked out. “I’m glad to hear you’re finally embracing practicality. They paid twice your rate for a whole night.” He buzzed, as if angry to be pleased with her for a change. “Make sure you prepare accordingly with pain inhibitors. I’m not losing your services for an entire day because those oversized beasts have worn your girl parts out.”

  “Of course.” Dani had already treated herself for general soreness. She’d emerged from the night before uninjured, a testament to the care the clan had treated her with. She’d never been with such well-endowed men.

  Switching subjects, she issued Pob his daily dose of complaints. “The last ration of fruits was spoiled.”

  The Dantovonian jittered with irritation. “It’s always something, isn’t it? I was warned Earthers were more trouble than they’re worth.”

  He’d found her to be high-maintenance, much more so than the other girls. Dani took pleasure in aggravating him with her needs. “What are you complaining about? It comes out of my earnings anyway.”

  “It takes longer to get a return on my investment. Your needs are prohibitive.”

  Dani clucked her tongue, shaking her head in mock disapproval. “I see. You’ve been betting on the Arena games again.” She fluffed her hair, dismissing Pob’s concerns. “Not my problem, boss. I’m not going to be much good to you when I’m down with a case of scurvy.”

  She turned her back on him, sashaying out of the lounge before he could say something to wreck her good mood. She’d let him off easy today. There was so much more to whine about, but she preferred to spend her time getting ready for her clients. Dani had the urge to look her best for the Kalquorians.

  Pob’s grumble followed her out of the room, brightening her day even further. “Damned needy female. Last Earther I put under contract.”

  Dani smirked, happy to have put him out even just a little. If the men he owed for his bad wagers showed to rough him up, so much the better.

  Chapter 4

  Dani didn’t know whether to laugh or groan at herself for counting down the seconds until her shift began. Back on Earth, sex had been for rebellion’s sake, because she was bored, or to pretend she really mattered to someone else. Except for the first time, after which she was left feeling so that was it?, she’d never been so turned on.

  Enemies or not, the Kalquorians had woke her body in ways Dani had never imagined. But the glorious climaxes had only been the icing on the cake. More than anything, with their focus on her pleasure, she’d felt cherished. Important. Cared for.

  That more than anything brought her into the big playroom two minutes early. They were already waiting for her.

  Dani made her smile casual, hiding how her pulse sped up to see the three men. “So here we are again. How is your vacation going?”

  They bowed, as courtly as any Earther gentlemen she’d ever been introduced to. Gelan spoke first. “We are very well. You look beautiful, Matara Dani.”

  “Matara?”

  “That’s what we call women on our planet,” Krijero supplied. “The literal translation is ‘childbearer’. May I also offer my compliments on how lovely you are tonight?”

  His praise sounded clumsy, but to Dani it seemed all the more sincere for its awkwardness. If a nearly seven-foot musclebound man could be a cutie-pie, Krijero fit the bill. His wavy hair was clean but rumpled, his eyes peeking through a cowlick that fell over them. He looked like he might trip over his own feet on occasion.

  How sweet, Dani thought before remembering the firmer man the Imdiko had become last night when she’d tried to do things her way. He might be inept in the social niceties, but she’d be stupid to underestimate him.

  Caution dampened her ardor for only a moment. Giving Krijero a genuine smile, Dani said, “Thank you for the kind words. What is your pleasure for this night, gentlemen?”

  Wynhod’s velvet voice claimed her attention. “Let’s try this out.”

  Dani saw he was fingering the harness hanging from the ceiling. It was a web of black straps and silver buckles, something akin to what a spider would catch a fly in. Da
ni’s mouth went dry and her heart sped up. She somehow managed to keep her voice light, points for her. “As you wish.”

  The men crowded around her, pulling her bra and skirt off faster than she could comprehend. Dani gaped to see herself naked in a matter of moments. Before she could comment on their supernatural speed, they were lifting her into the harness and strapping her in.

  She’d never been in the harness before, had never seen it used. It had seemed a confusing mass of hanging binds that she’d never hoped to figure out. However, the three aliens knew exactly what they were doing. They strapped and tied and wound until she really did feel like a fly in a spider’s web. Soon Dani lay horizontally in the network of leather-like straps, her wrists bound behind her neck, elbows outstretched and her thighs trussed wide with her knees bent almost to her shoulders. She pulled against the snare that held her trapped, testing as she always had to when tied up. She couldn’t move a muscle.

  The men lowered her to the level of their groins. Dani shivered to see how ready they were. Their erections pushed hard at fitted pants as if the eager cocks would break through to get at her.

  Gelan caressed her tiny breasts, lifted brazenly because of the way her arms were bound. He soon had the rosy tips erect and swollen tight, the calloused pads of his fingers rasping against the sensitive nubs. Occasionally he’d gently tweak them, making her jerk as sensation bolted from her nipples to her sex. He seemed to enjoy fitting the whole of her breasts in his palms, rubbing in slow circles. Dani liked how hot his hands were on her, the warmth spreading throughout her chest.