Alien Penetration

by Kaitlyn O’Connor

  It was a vast room, almost more like an open apartment. At one end, chairs and short couches were arranged in an informal conversational grouping. At the other, a massive bed dominated most of the space, although there were a couple of tables and tall chests with drawers. Everything seemed to be made of a dark, glossy material. She couldn’t tell if it was natural fibers, like wood, or manufactured.

  “You’ll be safe enough here for the time being,” Camryn said, more as if he was speaking to himself than to her. “No one has the entry code but me, Kael, and Ean.”

  He turned to look at her. “I have to go. I have to see what I can arrange for the others.”

  Simone tried not to show how very much that disturbed her, but she felt abandoned and frightened and, from the look on his face, she didn’t do a very good job of hiding it. He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her almost painfully tightly.

  “You’ll be safe here. I promise.” He eased his hold after a moment and pinched her chin between his thumb and forefinger, tipping her head up so that she had to meet his gaze.

  “Just to be on the safe side, if you hear the code being entered, hide. Don’t come out unless you’re certain it is me or Kael or Ean.” He paused, frowning. “Ean’s in Muersin, I think. Me or Kael, then. Understand?”

  She nodded.

  He bent his head and covered her lips, kissing her lingeringly, long enough to dredge embers of warmth through her. His lips were curled upward when she managed to open her eyes. “I like this.”

  She smiled back at him a little dreamily. “What?”

  “This little mouth. Kissing. I could make love to your mouth endlessly.”

  Releasing a gusty breath, he set her away reluctantly. “I must see to the others.

  Take your ease. You are welcome to anything that I have to offer.”

  She turned and watched him as he strode from the room, listening as he keyed the lock behind him. Looking down, she saw he’d draped a dark cloak over her. Dismay filled her when she’d removed the cloak and saw the condition of her gown.

  She felt her face heat remembering the way they’d made love with such wild abandon. She’d done her best to try to maintain a semblance of cleanliness, but it was hard to do much bathing with a tea cup and keep an eye out for four legged monsters at the same time. She hadn’t had soap, just the tiny basin to hold water to splash on herself, and her gown looked like she’d used it to mop the filthy cell.

  He hadn’t seemed to notice or mind, but it still discomfited her. After glancing around, she saw an open door that looked like a likely possibility of a bathroom.

  Discovering it was, she pulled the filthy gown off, dropped it on the floor and moved to the showering unit. Her belly, she saw to her surprise, had begun to swell noticeably with the growing babies—except she hadn’t noticed it before. She might have if she’d been given clothing that touched her anywhere but at the shoulders, but then again she’d had plenty to distract her. She’d been too afraid and too focused on what might happen to her to notice. She smiled down at the mound, cupping it. “I made love to your daddy,” she murmured, feeling her blood heat at the memory, feeling a different sort of warmth invade her, as well. It made her chest feel tight.

  Anxiety arose, dissipating the brief sense of happiness. Camryn had sneaked her from the dungeon into his apartment. How was he going to get the others out? Zev had said all of them had been imprisoned. There were nearly a hundred women all told. He couldn’t sneak them all into his room! Even if only a quarter of them had disappeared into the dungeon below the palace that was still an awful lot of people to hide.

  And what good would that do, really? How long could they stay in hiding?

  Chapter Thirteen

  “I knew that it was mistake to allow the men to bring alien women upon our soil!”

  Arrek muttered. “I was against it from the start and see what has come of it!”

  Lielani studied him worriedly as he paced back and forth across her sitting room.

  She wanted to know more, but she knew better than to probe him with questions. He’d come to her because he wanted to vent his frustrations as he commonly did. She need only be patient and, eventually, she would have the entire tale.

  Unless he took the notion to lead her into the bedchamber to ease himself on her in that manner—which he did as often as not.

  She hoped not. She was still angry with him about what he’d done to Camryn—to Kael and Ean, as well, but mostly to Camryn. He hadn’t been well enough to be dragged through a hearing—even if it had been warranted, and she would never believe that it was. She did not know anything about war beyond the nightmare it was to wait in fear to learn if the ones she loved would could back broken, or not come back at all. She knew Camryn well, though. He was stronger in many ways than his father. If he had failed then it was because there was no way to succeed. He had certainly not failed from any weaknesses within himself. He had no weaknesses that she had ever seen, not even the weakness of enjoying the killing, a sickness which some developed when they had been in as many conflicts as Camryn had. He was strong, brave, intelligent, skilled in the art of war, and a man of honor.

  As far as she was concerned the very fact that he’d been so grievously wounded was proof enough that he had done all that was possible even if she hadn’t known him well enough to know that he had.

  She did not care any less about Kael or Ean—or believe they had failed in any way. She knew them to be good men, as strong and brave, honorable and intelligent as Camryn, though she had heard it said that Camryn was a true leader and that both Kael and Ean possessed a fatal flaw that made them less suitable for leadership. Ean was too prone to get caught up in his own private fight and lose sight of the battle and objective as a whole and Kael often fought more with his temper than his wits. She had simply not been quite as angry on their behalf because both of them had been well enough to defend themselves. Camryn had not been and, as their leader, he had been forced not only to defend himself for his decisions, but to defend his men for acting upon his orders.

  “The warriors had the audacity to threaten the High Council!” Arrek continued, jerking Lielani back to his ranting. It startled her so much she forgot her determination to keep quiet and wait to see if he would tell her all.

  “What?”

  Arrek turned to look at her. “Yes, shocking! It has never happened before!

  Never!”

  Lielani’s mind churned, her fears divided between fathers and sons. “There was … an attack?” she gasped.

  He grunted. “Nay! I had anticipated that they would not be pleased when they had already created such a disturbance to go after the … disgusting creatures they have used as breeders! When I heard they had discovered that we had removed the breeders, I called in the city guard to protect the council chambers!”

  Lielani blinked at him in confusion. “Oh. I had not heard ….”

  His lips tightened. “I do not know how you could have failed to hear, even here!

  Those … creatures,” he spat, “had made a disgraceful display of themselves, marching, chanting the most absurd demands! Demands, mind you! Breeders! Females! As if they had more than a handful of brain cells between the lot of them ! And I can not imagine what would’ve given them the notion to begin with—except they have no discipline, no morals, no decency about them and none of the normal female graces or sensibilities!

  “That … creature that Camryn selected for the House of Jakaar that looks distressingly like a round ear—She has round ears, mind you!—is some sort of male/female cross! I am convinced of it. When I bade Camryn hand her a weapon, she fired it! At me! Spoke to me as coldly as any killer that she would have blown my head off if I were not Camryn’s father! What true female, I ask you, could do something like that?”

  Lielani could not even find her voice. She stared at Arrek in horror, which seemed to appease him.

  He smiled grimly. “It was enough to convince me that they were complete
ly unsuitable.”

  “Oh!” Lielani said, dismayed. Nay, beyond dismayed! He could not mean that he had done something to their sons! No babes? None? What had he done? Her chin quivered in spite of all she could do. “You have not … Arrek! You would not do anything to the babes?”

  His expression softened slightly. He moved to her and settled beside her, gathering her in his arms. “Of course not!” he said gruffly. “Do not weep, Lielani! I must tell you that I have grave misgivings of the spawn of such creatures, but I have seen to it that they are confined where they cannot create any more disturbances. When the babes are born will be soon enough to dispose of them. No doubt it will be a trial to us to have half breeds to deal with, but they can be trained.

  “You will get your chance to coddle the little half-breeds! You may be certain of that!”

  Lielani swallowed her tears with an effort, relieved beyond measure to know he was not the monster she had feared for several moments that he’d become. He was not far from it, though, she thought sadly if he could condemn the women so easily only because they were different. “Surely, in time, the breeders will learn our ways and behave?”

  “They do not have the gentleness of our women, Lielani,” he murmured soothingly. “I know how soft-hearted your are—I have always loved you for it—but they are hopeless—as arrogant as if they were born men! That creature that Camryn is so smitten with had the audacity to inform me that she knew that she was the equal of any man!”

  “Camryn is smitten with her?” she asked quietly.

  He snorted. “I am as certain as I can be—and Kael and Ean, as well! Young fools! I do not believe that I was ever such a fool! Nay, Camryn is not himself,” Arrek affirmed. “When she is gone, he will regain his sense of responsibility.” He stopped, frowning angrily as another thought occurred to him. “He addressed her by name, as if she was an equal! In public, mind you! I was mortified! After his disgrace in battle—and I do not mind telling you that I suspect that creature is behind that, as well!—one would think that he would be more inclined to tread lightly. Instead, he raced from the Council Chambers, in the midst of the proceedings, only to rescue her from her folly!”

  Lielani digested that, trying to decide how she felt about it. “She is behind all of the trouble that we have been having?”

  He grunted. “I suppose it’s understandable … to an extent. She is young and has a womanly body, despite her attitude.” He thought it over. “She is not hard on the eyes, although, as I said, she reminds me far too much of the round ears—the skeets.”

  “They are a blue-skinned race?”

  “Nay. Her skin is pale, but it is almost golden. Her eyes are strange—very light and very large, for she has a small oval face.”

  “The hair is colorless?”

  “Nay—there are light streaks in it, but mostly it is like the color of our skin—mayhap a little lighter.”

  Lielani laid her hand on his thigh, stroking it almost absently. “You are tense, Your Highness, from the many troubles of these past days.”

  “It is not over yet, but I believe we have taken the steps to put down the unrest.

  Given time, the warriors will cease to rampage around the Empire in search of them and remember their duties. We may have to discipline a few to bring the others in line.”

  “It is good that you took such swift, decisive steps to bring peace,” Lielani murmured.

  Arrek smiled at her and lifted her hand to brush his lips along her palm. “You always give me peace, Lani. Come.”

  She rose gracefully and followed him to her bedchamber.

  When he’d finished and gone, she went back into her sitting room to ponder everything he’d told her. It was like trying to fit the pieces of a puzzle together. Arrek never simply told her the news. He spilled forth the heart of his displeasure first and then, sometimes, she would get the rest of the puzzle, the events leading up to whatever had angered him and the steps he’d taken to resolve the problem.

  It dawned her after a little while why she felt so hollow inside.

  Arrek was jealous of his son, Camryn. She thought she’d always known that he was. She’d excused it because she knew that it bothered him that he was no longer fit to be a warrior. It was difficult growing old, having to accept that you could not longer do the things you’d once done so easily.

  What made her feel truly ill, though, was the realization that he was jealous of the woman Camryn had brought back with him. He desired her. He didn’t want to admit, mayhap even to himself, that he did, but he hated her because he wanted her and he knew that she wanted Camryn as much as Camryn wanted her. Mayhap he hated himself for his desire, hated her because she made him feel it, because in his mind she was not worthy of consideration.

  The mighty House of Jakaar—her house was falling down around her ears, mayhap even her world was crumbling. Nay, there was no mayhap about that. It was

  crumbling. It had been falling slowly into decay for generations. The women from Earth had been their last hope, the last chance to redeem any part of themselves, the Empire they’d built, their civilization—their race.

  And it seemed this one woman would destroy it all!

  Fear and anger churned in her. She couldn’t simply cower in her apartment and let everyone and everything she’d ever known and loved be destroyed. She had to do something. She’d never thought that she was brave, but she knew she had to find strength and determination within herself, somehow, to save those she loved.

  * * * *

  Simone was trying to rub her hair dry when she heard the distinctive sound of the keypad being punched. Her eyes widened in horror. She knew it couldn’t be Camryn, not so soon. She hadn’t even looked for a place to hide! Throwing a panicked look around the bathroom, she sailed out of the door and dove for the bed, scrambling under it.

  The door opened and closed again. Covering her mouth with both hands, Simone studied the black boots that crossed the room, paused, turned first one way and then another.

  “Simone?”

  The voice sounded familiar, but her heart was thundering in her ears so loudly she wasn’t certain. She was sure it wasn’t Camryn.

  Easing to the edge of the bed, she was about to peer out when she saw the man turn abruptly and head straight toward the bed. Kael’s face appeared about three inches from her nose. She stared at him for a split second in wide-eyed horror before recognition dawned. Relieved, she inched out from under the bed.

  Before she could do more than get to her knees, he caught her in a tight embrace that made several bones along her spine pop ominously, burrowing his face against her breasts. “Gods! I could not believe it when Camryn said he had found you! Here!

  When we had searched the city and moved on to begin searching the others! Thank the gods he thought of the old prison beneath the palace! I’d forgotten it.”

  Kael’s embrace thoroughly rattled Simone, not the least because she was keenly aware of her nakedness in a completely sensual way because she’d always been acutely aware of her attraction to him. She had never believed that any of them were responsible for her imprisonment. They’d made it very clear how important their sons were to them, but it had also seemed clear that she meant nothing to them herself. She was a necessary evil because they needed her body, her womb, to carry and nurture their sons.

  It didn’t help that she was still more than a little off kilter and confused about what had happened between her and Camryn. Akule had made it clear that she could take as many lovers as she wanted as long as she was already bred and there was no danger of an ‘accidental’ pregnancy. He’d seemed to imply that it was expected, in point of fact, and that she—all of the women—should be generous with their favors, but she couldn’t look higher than his class and she’d seen nothing in Kael’s demeanor toward her to suggest he even thought of her as a woman, let alone wanted her. Neither Camryn nor Ean had seemed to suggest it, for that matter—not by word or look. They’d taken great care, in point of fact,
never to get close enough for even an accidental touch.

  She’d thought that was because of their rigid class system. She was beneath them and they not only hadn’t been tempted to touch her, but they’d been repelled at the idea.

  She hadn’t considered, before, that they might’ve avoided coming near her because they were trying to avoid temptation—because that implied they were afraid they would have trouble controlling themselves and she just couldn’t grasp the possibility that they might want her enough to worry about it.

  And yet Camryn had said just that—that he’d wanted her desperately, but he’d been struggling with his belief system, maybe even worried about what might happen to her if anyone noticed interest in her his culture found unacceptable.

  It was almost more unnerving that Kael’s touch was less lover-like and more like someone who truly cared about her, who’d been worried sick and needed to feel the reassurance of holding a loved one. Even the things he said seemed to imply that.

  But was it her? Or was it profound relief that he’d found his son safe and sound?

  It mattered, a lot. She was glad his son meant so much to him, but she wanted, had always wanted, to matter to him, too. Was it safe to assume she did? At least a little? Or would he be brought instantly back to a sense of wrongness at her touch?

  Would it remind him that she was beneath him?

  She didn’t know, but she found that, despite her uncertainty, she couldn’t resist the temptation to touch him. She settled her hand a little tentatively on his head, stroking his hair soothingly.

  He stirred at her touch, dragging in a deep breath and releasing it against her breasts. His heated breath instantly diverted her from the desire to sooth to sexual awareness again and discomfort wafted through her, sudden anxiety that she’d found herself in a situation, or might, and didn’t know what to do.

  Wouldn’t Camryn fly into a rage if he discovered them together just as he had when he’d caught her with both Akule and Zev? Or would he?