Claiming Their Mate

by Kallista Dane

  The alien grunted and made an adjustment so the two probes worked in tandem. First the one in her pussy pulsed against her vaginal walls, then the other one, as it worked its way deeper into her ass. Delta let out a low moan. The holographic screen lit up with bursts of color like fireworks in the night sky.

  The assistant massaging her clit took it between two fingers, stroking faster. She tried to resist, but an unnamed hunger clawed at her belly. Dark desires she’d never felt before filled her mind. The sensations built, carrying her higher and higher…

  It ended. Every source of stimulation suddenly ceased, leaving her trembling and covered in sweat. She stifled a moan.

  “The subject shows peak responsiveness in both lower portals. Lord Axum will be pleased.” The boss man stripped off his gloves as he headed for the door. “Get her a robe and call for the harem attendants to take her away. Our master will want this one locked away safely until he is ready to claim her.”

  Chapter Four

  Zandyr

  “I say we go. Thousands of females from every alien race? I heard he gives his distinguished guests their choice every night.”

  “Quit thinking with your little head, Brother,” Zhynn replied. “First of all, what makes you think we’re going to be considered distinguished guests? If Axum finds out why we’re really there, he’ll probably feed us to his Gornian dragons. The Galactic Zoo on Borvaan is nearly as famous as the harem.

  “And, second,” he went on, “have you seen some of those alien races? I’d rather fuck a norendaal stag in the ass than dip my manhood into any of the honey pots I’ve seen from the Krion Sector.”

  “Then you should have no problem with this assignment,” Zandyr shot back. “Based on the shit-eating grin you had on your face after our last leisure rotation, I figured you already did fuck a norendaal stag in the ass.”

  Zhynn let out a roar and charged at his twin.

  “Enough!” Rhom’s voice boomed through the ship’s helm. “By the Sacred Ones, do not make me wish I had chosen another pair of warriors.” Even though he was there only in holographic form, the brothers snapped to attention.

  Zhynn shot a dark look at Zandyr. “I apologize on behalf of my brother and myself, Commander. I know how important this mission is to you and Commander Rhynn – and to your mate, Cass. We are humbled by the trust you’ve shown in us and honored to have been offered this opportunity to serve.”

  “You’re right about one thing, Zhynn. I do not want to downplay the danger you’ll be facing. No Tharan has ever set foot on Borvaan. All we know of Axum’s world is what we’ve heard from other alien races. Even if we discount most of it as lies and exaggeration, there’s no denying it’s a bleak world. If you don’t die of heat stroke on the grueling journey through the desert from the space docking station to the citadel, you’re still going up against a ruler with absolute power and complete control over his entire world.”

  “My brother and I are aware this is a hazardous mission, Commander. But if we can rescue the human female as well as obtaining knowledge about what Axum may be plotting, we are willing to take whatever risks are necessary.”

  And the farther away we can get from Vana, the happier we’ll both be. Am I right, Brother?

  Zandyr gave a slight nod. Commander Rhom glanced at him sharply, as though he guessed the twins had just exchanged a silent message. Every pair of Tharan twins had the same ability to communicate with each other, one advantage of the essence they shared.

  “The Cosmic Conclave has no firm knowledge of any plans by beings from the Krion Sector to invade our worlds,” Rhom replied. “Only suspicions due to increased interactions between planets in that sector that have historically been at odds with each other. Chancellor Kal and the other rulers in the Conclave believe that gathering knowledge of the customs and beliefs of worlds beyond those in our galaxy is vital to maintaining the safety and well-being of all sentient beings. The Borvaani may be a peaceful race, finally ready to break from untold millennia of self-imposed isolation and embark on their own voyages of exploration and information gathering.”

  Rhom’s voice took on a somber note. “Or the rumors we’ve heard may be true. Axum may be a power-hungry warlord preparing to annex other worlds into his empire. With or without the consent of their citizens.

  “We know he has stepped up the purchase of female aliens for his harem,” the commander went on. “The Conclave fears he may be procuring them to gain knowledge of worlds beyond his own. Your mission will be to gather as much intelligence as you can about any plans Axum may have for conquest of other worlds then leave with the human Delta Greystone.”

  Rhom paused, looked the twins up and down. “We have heard the Lord of Borvaan often gives harem slaves to visitors as a token of his esteem for them. I trust the two of you are capable of behaving in a fashion that will move his lordship to do the same for you,” he added drily.

  “My brother and I can be quite charming, sir,” Zandyr assured him. “Flattery is our specialty.”

  “Really? I heard it was shoveling jambora shit.”

  Zandyr grinned. “That is one component of all successful flattery, sir. And it happens to be the specialty of my brother,” he shot back.

  “Save the banter for your fellow warriors.” Rhom’s expression grew serious. “I need you both to be at the top of your game. You’ll be dealing with an alien race, an unknown quantity, with no backup or resources other than your wits and your strength. There’s one more thing I must warn you about…”

  He stopped, and Zandyr sent another wordless message to his twin. Unknown alien races, mortal danger, the possibility of exposing a plot to wage galactic warfare. What more could there be?

  “The female,” Rhom said. “The Earther. Her species and ours have a unique physiological similarity, one we have not found in any other alien race. You may discover that proximity to her stirs your gyron. Our races seem to have evolved the same method of ensuring the survival of the species. Human females give off a blend of pheromones and chemicals that can awaken a powerful mating instinct in Tharan males. Rhynn and I experienced it firsthand when we found Cass wandering through the Great Swamp on Tharon. Though we thought she was an enemy, our bodies recognized her as our true mate. Eventually, over time, we developed the Bond with her.”

  “Congratulations, sir. We heard you recently celebrated your Mating Ceremony,” Zhynn replied.

  Rhom inclined his head to acknowledge the remark. “The Sacred Ones have blessed our union. But you’ll find you don’t have the same reaction to all human females,” he explained. “Though all the ones I’ve met so far are appealing, only Cass stirred our gyron. The human Delta Graystone may not have the right physiological makeup to cause that overwhelming urge to claim her. But if she does, you’ll need to keep your wits about you and keep your objectives in mind.”

  “Don’t worry, sir,” Zhynn said. “My brother and I have sworn off any serious involvement with females, no matter what species they are. We look forward to sampling many of the exotic delights of Axum’s harem… to obtain as much information as possible about plans he may have for invading other worlds,” he added, when Rhom gave him a disapproving frown.

  “I’m not sending you two off to whore around the Universe using espionage as an excuse,” Rhom warned. “You’re Tharan Warriors, and I expect you to conduct yourselves with honor and dignity.”

  Zandyr and Zhynn both snapped to attention, with an arm crossed over their chests and the fist over their hearts. “Yes, my lord.”

  Zhynn

  I still don’t understand why we’re spending a full day trekking across a desert hotter than the seventh hell on the back of this stinking beast, when we have a transport vehicle in our cargo bay that could make the journey in minutes.

  We’re supposed to be goodwill ambassadors, cultural envoys eager to immerse ourselves in the total Borvaani experience, Zandyr replied. So shut the fuck up. “This trip through the Kalian d
esert is an extraordinary way to be introduced to the world of Borvaan,” he said aloud for the benefit of their companions. “My brother and I thank you for this opportunity to honor the customs of our host’s world, just as Lord Axum honors the ways of his forefathers.”

  One of their escorts nodded. “As cultural envoys of the Borvaani, we humbly accept your thanks. Our master is a good and wise ruler. We are honored to do his will in all things.”

  Cultural envoys my ass, Zhynn declared. I can smell another warrior when I run into one, even over the stench of this huge creature we’re riding on. I have a feeling if we act the least bit suspicious, they’ll have no qualms about slitting our throats and leaving us here in the desert to fry.

  Zandyr gave their escort a polite smile as he sent the silent response to his twin. Maybe that’s the reason Axum requires this hellish trip. His representatives have plenty of time to size up every visitor before he or she gets near the citadel. We know all alien crafts that breach the security border are shot out of the sky without warning.

  Zhynn mopped the sweat from his brow. Right now, I’d say they’re the lucky ones. There’s nothing but blistering hot sand and hunks of rock as far as the eye can see. I’ve never been in a place more devoid of life. If we were in the seventh hell, at least we’d be among friends.

  Zandyr choked off a laugh. “Do all Borvaani live in the capital?” he asked their escorts.

  “There are a few isolated settlements in the outer reaches of the kingdom,” one of them replied. “Mining camps inhabited by slaves and their Borvaani overseers.”

  Zandyr gave him a conspiratorial grin. “I’ll bet that job pays well.”

  The Borvaani stared back at him impassively. “The positions of overseer are always filled by members of our military, sworn to do our master’s bidding. The honor of serving him is reward enough.”

  “Of course.” Zandyr nodded solemnly. There’s a pile of jambora shit if I ever heard one, he telegraphed to his twin. Axum must have his troops brainwashed.

  Zhynn sized up their escorts. Two scrawny figures shrouded in full-length beige robes sat across from him and his brother under the white canopy. They could have been taken for twins as well, since the unrelenting heat had baked away all distinguishing features on their faces, leaving only leathery brown skin pulled tight over the bones. Their hands were tucked deep into the sleeves of their robes, but he’d seen how narrow and fragile-looking their fingers were when they met the Tharan ship at Borvaans’s docking station and handed traveling robes like the ones they wore to him and his twin.

  He may have the military under his thumb, but if these two are the best of the Borvaani warriors, when it’s time to go we’ll have no trouble fighting our way out if we have to. They’re skinny as twigs underneath those long dresses. I could snap their necks with one hand, Zhynn declared.

  Chapter Five

  Delta

  Hours later, she was still shaken.

  The faceless creatures had unstrapped her and pulled a grey robe over her head. They half-carried her down a maze of dimly lit passageways, finally ending at an ancient wooden door with massive iron hinges. Two Borvaani guarded the door, standing at attention. They held long spears tipped with lethal blades made from a black glossy material that looked like obsidian.

  One of the guards knocked on the door. It was opened by a pudgy female roughly five feet tall with a filmy sarong tied around her ample hips. A veil covered her head and lower face, leaving only a pair of emerald green eyes showing.

  The upper part of her body was bare, except for layers of necklaces that crisscrossed over and under three pendulous breasts. Some were beaded, some made of gold links, some strung with gemstones.

  “Come in, come in, my dear! We’ve been expecting you.”

  She waved off the aliens and shut the door firmly. “Those terrible Dejorrans! I hope they treated you decently. You know our master only employs them for the medical procedures because they’re all impotent. He doesn’t have to worry about them taking liberties with the new additions to his harem. Horny little things, but they can’t perform. Not a one of them. They all have tiny members, shrunken by too many millennia of exposure to all those machines of theirs. Their race procreates mechanically now, growing their young in labs.”

  She paused for a breath. “I’m so sorry! I haven’t introduced myself. I am Lady Sylla, mistress of Lord Axum’s harem. And you are Delta Graystone, our new human. We’re so pleased to have you join us! We haven’t had anyone from your vector of the galaxy in our midst. I’m sure the other girls will want to hear all about your world.

  “You’ll be locked up with the other new arrivals until after you’ve been presented to our master. It’s for your own good, you see.” She lowered her voice. “There are some girls here, mind you I’m not naming names, but they’d love nothing more than having a go with a fresh one. Wild they are, ready to get it on. Male, female, doesn’t matter which. And if you’ve been used, our master will simply discard you. Give you away to a random visitor. You could end up in some desolate outpost in the galaxy, passed from one filthy alien to another.”

  The harem mistress prattled on like a sweet old auntie, but her emerald eyes regarded Delta shrewdly, checking to see if she recognized the warning. You belong to Lord Axum, Sylla was saying. Fooling around with any of the other harem girls will get you into trouble.

  “Of course, if they’re caught, any behavior of that sort is punished. I’m not one to tell tales…” The gleam in her eyes disputed her words. “But just between you and me, I think some of them do it because they enjoy the whipping they get.”

  As she talked, Sylla led Delta through a series of rooms, each one more lavishly decorated than the last. Vivid tapestries lined the walls, and colorful seating arrangements filled the rooms. Sofas, chairs, huge padded platforms, each one occupied by a group of alien beings.

  Delta could scarcely take it all in. She’d never seen such a variety of life forms. Some were easily recognizable as females, with soft features and full breasts. Others were amorphous shapes with no discernable sexual characteristics. She saw a group that was downright frightening – clawed creatures covered with gray scales. Their dark reptilian eyes followed her as she made her way through the room, sending a chill down her back.

  Despite her bulk, the harem mistress moved quickly, and Delta had to hurry to keep up with her. She turned into a smaller room dominated by a pool of water about eight feet square.

  “Here we are, my dear. You’ll want to freshen up after being pawed by those disgusting little creatures. Then I’ll take you to the quarters reserved for our master’s newest additions.” She patted Delta on the shoulder. “I’m sure you’re a bit nervous, but don’t you worry, my dear. You’ll fit right in.”

  Delta waited till Sylla shut the door behind her then slipped the robe off and stepped into the deep pool. Silence. Silence and solitude. She sighed and leaned back with her head resting on the wide ledge, letting the warm water relax her body as she struggled to quiet her mind.

  She hadn’t been alone for months, but the latest invasion of her privacy was the worst. The aliens had probed her, violated her, humiliated her… and to her shame, she’d become aroused. She’d never responded to Lloyd that way, hadn’t thought she was capable of it. He’d convinced her of that. Told her she was flawed. Ripping away at her sexuality and self-confidence little by little until they were in shreds.

  After he stormed out of her life, she shut down completely. Swore off all men. She didn’t even try pleasuring herself when she was alone. It only left her feeling frustrated.

  Now she had to wonder. Why were they able to arouse me when my boyfriend couldn’t, when I can’t even do it myself? I must be sick or perverted. How could I have felt pleasure from the wicked things they did to me?

  Chapter Six

  Delta

  It’s a mummy!

  Delta bit back a cry as she lifted her head to meet the eyes o
f Lord Axum. The ruler of Borvaan stared back at her impassively from his seat on the throne. Had his coal black eyes not flickered, she’d have sworn he was dead. How could any creature so emaciated still be alive? She studied her new master. Unlike some of the aliens she’d encountered in the harem over the last few weeks, Axum’s body was similar in structure to that of a human. A long-dead human, whispered the voice in her head. The resemblance to an ancient Egyptian cruelly ripped from eternal rest in his sarcophagus was heightened by Axum’s apparel. He wore a short half-tunic on his lower body that barely reached his bony knees and a wide gold belt studded with jewels around his waist.

  His torso was bare, except for a heavy chain with a large disc hanging from it. She didn’t recognize the gleaming metal, but the raised marking on it was one she’d seen all over the citadel – a line that twisted and curled before doubling back on itself, like an elaborate version of a mobius strip. It was a symbol meant to demonstrate the ruler’s unbroken lineage as well as the belief that each Lord of Borvaan would be reborn time after time to retake his throne. The weight of it looked as though it would crush his puny chest.

  Axum’s bald head was elongated, like that of the ancient pharaoh Ahkenatun. Delta remembered reading that some archaeologists back home on Earth theorized the Egyptian ruler had been of alien descent. If they saw this guy, they’d have been convinced their theory was true. For all I know, he is Ahkenatun. He looks like he could be 3,000 years old.

  She tried not to stare, but dark skin the color and texture of old leather stretched so tightly over his ribs she could almost count every one of them.

  Lord Axum’s mouth opened. A shockingly deep voice boomed out, “You. Come forward.”

  She began rising from her knees, but he waved a skinny, clawlike hand. “No, not you. You!”