The Zoran's Touch (Scifi Alien Romance) (Barbarian Brides)

by Luna Hunter

  The Zoran inspects his body for any scratches or wounds, but it seems the worm’s narrowly missed him.

  “What made you change your mind?” he growls. “Didn’t want to die alone?”

  I swallow the lump in my throat. “I don’t want to die at all.”

  “Tough luck.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Beast sits down on a large rock, resting his elbows on his upper legs. “It means that survival is all but guaranteed, human. This planet seems hellbent on killing us both.”

  “I have a name, you know,” I say. “It’s Miah Dorsey.”

  The Zoran warrior doesn’t respond. Instead, he gazes out the cave’s mouth, at the sand dunes. They look so idyllic from here.

  “I bet that wasn’t the only wildlife.”

  “That’s bad. Right?”

  The alien shrugs.

  “Means there’s water. It means we can survive. For now. Doesn’t matter though. We’re stuck on this rock.”

  “Not necessarily,” I say.

  This draws the Zoran’s attention. His radiant eyes snap up and look at me. His intense gaze makes heat rush to my cheeks.

  “Explain yourself.”

  It’s not so much a question as a threat. I scrape my throat. Finally, the ball is in my court.

  “Have you heard of Onyx?”

  His purple eyes narrow. “I know them well, yes.”

  “Well, Onyx sent out several million research pods to just about every planet that’s relatively close to Earth and showed the slightest hint of natural resources,” I explain. “If we can find one of those pods, we could send out a distress call. It’s a big if, I know, but still. It’s the best lead we have.”

  “How do you know all of that?” he growls.

  “I work for Onyx,” I say.

  He jumps up as if a bee stung him, his eyes opened wide.

  “You work for those criminals?!” he sneers. He points an accusing finger straight at me. “Traitor!”

  “Funny, that’s exactly what Hudson called me after I saved your life,” I say, crossing my arms.

  “You have no idea what you’re talking about,” he sneers. “Onyx are criminals, the worst of the worst.”

  “I thought you were the criminal here,” I snap.

  His brow furrows.

  “Is that what you think of me? A criminal? A monster? A beast?”

  “Well, that is your name, isn’t it?”

  “That’s the name you people gave me,” he says. “I should have let that worm devour you. If I know you were an Onyx stooge, I never would risked my life for you.”

  The look he casts me is pure disdain.

  “I regret saving you.”

  “Same here!” I sneer, my cheeks red from anger. Who the hell does this Zoran think he is?!

  He storms towards me and grabs the collar of my shirt.

  “Do you want me to throw you out there? Or do you want me to choke the life out of you? That’s what you expect of me, isn’t it? What you think ‘Beast’ will do? I’m a cold-hearted killer, right? RIGHT?!”

  His thundering voice hurts my ears, his amethyst eyes filled with anger — and pain.

  “I-I…” I stammer, but I don’t know what to say.

  I don’t think he’s a murderer, a killer, a beast. Even though that is what the media have told me for months. After what happened at Pazar, how could I think any different, right?

  Yet, this man doesn’t seem like a killer to me. Yes, he did kill Hudson with a single, breathtaking punch, but to be honest, that guy did kind of have it coming. When I think of a killer, I think of a heartless man, someone without emotions, without morals, someone egotistical.

  Beast — or whatever his name is — saved my life. He didn’t need to do that. And he’s anything but emotionless.

  The seven foot tall Zoran lowers me to the floor and turns away, exposing his broad shoulders to me.

  “What is your name, then?” I ask.

  “I was Egon. Once. A lifetime ago.”

  “Okay, Egon, I’m sorry if—”

  He whirls around again, his face filled with fury. “Don’t use that name. You haven’t earned it.”

  I hold my hands up defensively. “What do you want me to call you then?”

  “Beast,” he sneers. “It’s what I am to you people.”

  He’s really not going to let this go, huh?

  “Okay… Beast… why does me working for Onyx upset you so much? I mean, they’re just a normal power company.”

  He laughs, but there’s no joy in his voice.

  “They’re anything but normal. They’re the reason for all of this.”

  He spreads his arms wide, gesturing at the dark tattoos that cover his shoulders and upper-arms. I’m not quite sure what they mean, but they do look menacing to me.

  “Explain yourself,” I demand.

  “No,” he says abruptly. “You are human, you work for them, you are too close to the fire to see that the whole world is burning. Talking to you is a waste of breath.”

  My eyebrows raise. I don’t think even Davenport or Miller has ever been this mean to me.

  “Yeah, well, you need me get off this rock, big green guy, so I’d check that attitude if I were you.”

  Beast whirls around again, his purple eyes filled with fury. Within two seconds he’s so close to me I can feel his breath on my skin, his body so big he blocks out all the light. The only thing I see is his massive frame, no matter where I look.

  One hand moves around my neck. The touch sends a jolt of electricity straight through me.

  “I ought to kill you right now, human, for your insolence, your betrayal, your crimes.”

  “But you won’t,” I say defiantly.

  And I pray that I’m right.

  “Why not?” he growls. He leans down and places his forehead against mine, his amethyst eyes demanding all of my attention.

  “Because you’re not a killer.”

  “I killed that human male.”

  I can feel his hot breath on my skin, tickling me, my heart racing so fast I’m sure he can hear it.

  “He had it coming. He’s the reason we crashed; he shot the pilot and rammed the other ship like a madman.”

  Beast’s pupils widen.

  “There was another ship?”

  “Yeah, they wanted us to surrender.”

  “The Resistance,” he whispers. “They’re real.”

  “Wait, they wanted you? We are down here because of you?”

  “No,” he growls furiously, and his hand around my neck tightens. “We’re here because of you, Onyx.”

  “I’m Miah,” I croak.

  “You are Onyx to me.”

  He lets me go, and I gasp for air. My pulse is racing, and I’m filled with fear, anger, and other more… sordid and confusing emotions…

  “You need to me to find the research pod,” I say as I rub my sore throat. “And I need you to protect from those… things.”

  “Why don’t you just tell me where the pod is?” he says. “I’ll go find it while you wait here. Much quicker.”

  “And be abandoned by you? No way. I may be blonde, I’m not that blonde.”

  “Fine,” he roars out of frustration. “We must go deeper into the cave first. I sense water down there.”

  I peer into the darkness. “In there? It’s pitch-black!”

  “I can see just fine,” he growls. “Be right back.”

  The warrior walks into the darkness, and like that, he’s gone.

  “Beast?” I cry. “Beast?”

  My own voice echoes back to me.

  Fuck.

  Chapter Six

  Beast

  I head into the darkness. My eyes adjust quickly to the dim conditions. The cave splits into several different tunnels. I listen closely; on the left I hear the faint rumbling of rushing water.

  Behind me, Onyx calls out my name. My alias: Beast. I ignore the human female, but I can’t suppress a smirk at the desperation
in her voice.

  She plays tough, but she needs me as much as I need her. I can’t believe she works for Onyx. Just my rotten luck.

  Freed from my chains, only to crash-land on some godforsaken rock with one of my captors, my tormentors, my enemies. On some level, I’ve always known the Onyx Corporation employed millions. After all, it’s a megacorp, one of the most powerful entities in the galaxy. There’s more to them than the masked soldiers, dressed in all black, who orchestrated my downfall.

  Still, I never thought that anyone of them could be so…

  Beautiful.

  So shapely, so curvy, so defiant and yet so… naive.

  Her protests felt genuine. As if she truly didn’t know what heinous crimes her corporate overlords have committed in the name of profit.

  Could she truly be so trusting? So innocent?

  I chuckle to myself. She won’t be so naive and innocent when she gets off this rock. Not when I’m done with her. I’ll make sure of that.

  I’ve spent months in captivity — my muscles aren’t the only things I haven’t been using. When I had my hand around her neck, I could have easily torn those flimsy clothes off her curvy body. There’s no one here to stop me, she’s at my mercy…

  I find the underground river. The sound of rushing water is like music to my ears, and I hold my face under the cool, refreshing water.

  The ice-cold water helps calm my nerves. I drink as much as I can and fill up the flask I took from the human male, and as I stare at my own reflection in the water, I suddenly realize what a fool I’m being .

  What would the others say if they saw me now, plotting to force myself on an innocent human female?

  No — not innocent. She works for Onyx; there is blood on her hands, whether she knows it or not.

  Still, it is wrong. I ought to control my urges, my base instincts. No matter how hard it is. And by god, it’s as hard as a rock right now. Her scent still seems to linger, my fingers still aching to touch, to take, to hold and grab and choke and spank and punish.

  All the pain, the frustration, the torment — I want to take it out on her. I want to choke her and fuck her and slap her ass until she can’t walk straight, until she’s bruised and blue and begging for mercy.

  And I will say no.

  I dunk my head into the ice-cold water and scream in frustration. I scream and scream until my lungs are sore, until I’m begging for breath, until my hardness has subsided.

  I will control myself.

  I will be strong.

  I will not prove her right.

  I am not a beast.

  Chapter Seven

  Miah

  “Here.”

  I open my eyes to see the tall Zoran towering over me. I must have dozed off. I’m surprised he even returned — I thought he was going to abandon me for sure.

  “Drink.”

  I now see there’s a flask in his hand, and I suddenly realize how incredibly, unbelievably thirsty I am. I gratefully accept and chug the water down, emptying the entire container in one go.

  The cold, fresh water feels fantastic. When I’m done, I see Beast is shaking his head.

  “I’m sorry,” I stammer. “Was I supposed to save some?”

  “You drink like an animal,” he says.

  I follow his line of sight to see that copious amounts of water has dripped down my chin, and my top is now soaked. Luckily I’m wearing a bra, or else I’d have given the alien warrior an eyeful.

  “Yeah, well, you smell like an animal,” is my weak retort.

  “You are correct. We must bathe.”

  A shiver runs down my spine. To see him completely naked… I don’t think I could resist taking a peek. I shake my head and try to get the thought of a naked, dripping wet Beast out of my mind.

  It doesn’t work.

  “We should get out of here,” I say. “We need to get to higher ground so I can orient myself.”

  “The sand is not safe,” Beast growls. “I can only run so far. The worms would eat us.”

  “We could try to scale the wall outside, try to get up to higher ground?”

  “Too risky,” Beast says. “One slip and the worms devour us, and the cliff’s face is incredibly steep. I have a better idea: We go into the tunnel.”

  “Into the darkness?”

  “Yes. There is river there, and I saw fish in it as well.”

  “But does the river lead outside? Or just deeper into the ground?”

  The Zoran shakes his head. “I do not know.”

  I swallow the lump in my throat. Small spaces make me nervous, and while I can keep it together most of the time, I’m not completely cool with the idea of heading into a cave to nowhere.

  “You can try the outside,” Beast answers, gesturing at the sand. “Try your luck with the worms.”

  “No, thank you.”

  “Good. This is our best option. It has food, water, and shelter, and if the river doesn’t take us outside, we can always travel back.”

  “Okay,” I say, taking a deep breath. “Okay. But you have to promise to stay close. I can’t see a damn thing in here. I can barely see you.”

  Beast turns around and places my hands on his lower back. I can feel his hard muscles, and it makes my heart beat a bit faster.

  “Don’t let go,” he says as he wanders into the darkness.

  Beast

  The way the water slipped down her chin, right towards that perfect bosom of hers… it’s as if she was tempting me.

  Testing me.

  Teasing me.

  It took all the willpower in the world to stop myself from reaching out and tearing her wet top right off. Now, her hands are resting on my naked lower back, and every second that passes I feel the heat radiate from the tips of her fingers to every bone in my body.

  I lead her into the darkness, going as slow as I can, deeper and deeper underground. I feel her hot breath against my back, hear the rhythmic thumping of her heart, and all of it makes my cock swell once more.

  Luckily, it’s so dark in here that the human can’t see. I could take out my hard cock right now and stroke myself to completion, and she would be none the wiser.

  That thought makes my member throb even harder.

  I resist, though I can’t help but chuckle at the thought. We reach the river and I am glad, for it can give me a moment respite from my wanton thoughts.

  “We’re here,” I tell her. “As I’m sure you can hear.”

  The water is traveling at a rapid pace, the sounds of the many small waves crashing on the wet stones echoing off the walls.

  I guide the human’s hands into the water, and I fill up the flask. A fish darts by, and in a flash I’ve caught it and smack it dead against a stone. The female recoils in surprise at the harsh sound.

  “Eat,” I say, thrusting the dead fish into her hands.

  “H-how,” she stammers. “Raw? Like this? Shouldn’t you cook it first?”

  “How do you propose we do that?”

  “Fair point.”

  “You need the energy. Eat.”

  The both of us eat in silence. It’s not a great meal, but it’s something of substance. Once we’ve regained some of our strength, we continue our journey downward into the bowels of the earth, the human’s warm, welcome hands on my back…

  Miah

  To my surprise, Beast is quite a considerate guide. I’m starting to feel safe with my hands pressed against his naked, muscled back, the heat from his body warming me. We head deeper and deeper into the caves, slow and steady. I’ve never been anywhere so dark. The only sensory input I have is the sound of our breathing and the rushing water of the underground river, and the feeling of his naked skin on my fingertips.

  Our argument seems a distant memory, though it’s only been a few hours. It’s hard to tell how much time has passed in this darkness.

  My foot gets caught behind a rock, and I tumble over, preparing myself mentally for the hard smack — but the Zoran warrior scoops me up befo
re I hit the hit the ground.

  “Careful,” he says.

  I can feel his hot breath on my neck, and it sends a shiver down my spine. He lowers me down to the ground, and to my surprise, a tinge of regret passes through me. I liked the feel of of being in his arms.

  “Th-thank you,” I stammer. “Sorry.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, just a bit tired,” I admit. My muscles are starting to ache, but I don’t want to admit it. We’re in deep trouble; sore muscles are the least of my worries. “It’s been a long day.”

  “We need to press on.”

  “I know.”

  “I will carry you.”

  “What?”

  Heat flushes to my cheeks. If he could see me now, he’d know my face is as red as a beet… wait… he can see in the darkness.

  Does the alien warrior have infrared vision?

  If so, I’m lighting up like a Christmas tree.

  “No,” I say. “I can walk.”

  Beast doesn’t wait for my answer. Of course he doesn’t. No, the Zoran scoops me up in those big, strong arms of his. I feel as light as a feather as my arms, instinctively, wrap around his neck.

  Before I know what’s happening, we’re on our way, Beast — a famous criminal, a murderer, the Federation’s number one enemy — carrying me like a groom carries his bride.

  Fighting it is useless. Where would I go?

  The safest place for me is right here.

  In his arms.

  As crazy as that sounds.

  I rest my head against his naked chest, the rhythmic beat of his heart soothing me. I close my eyes, and just like that, I sink into a deep, deep sleep.

  Beast

  The human sleeps in my arms. I sensed she was at the end of her rope, but still, she persisted.

  She has character.

  What would the others think if they saw me now? Carrying a human — one who works for Onyx, at that?

  They are the very reason I’m down here.

  The reason why Zorans were deported.

  The reason why I will never see the rest of my pack again. No matter where we go, the humans will hunt us down.