"If pirate means big mean bastards who fly around space attacking weaker ships and stealing things, then yes."
"Yeah, that's about right."
"The planet we just left is a major pirate port," Shang closed his star chart with wave of his hand and a sigh, then stood up, "One I'm now banned from most likely, thanks to you.
There's no weapons allowed on the surface specifically to prevent things like that from happening. The planetary government lets the pirates do what they like on the surface as long as they keep the violence to a minimum. So the pirate lords have some very severe consequences for people who mess that up."
"Well then, why did you throw him off the balcony?" Erena asked, unbuckling to follow him as he passed her chair, leash tugging at her, "I mean, wasn't there a better way to dispose of the body?"
"You're surprisingly casual about corpse disposal," Shang commented, stopping and reaching up to unhook the leash from her collar, though he left the collar itself on, "I thought that was frowned upon in most rural planets."
"He tried to eat me," Erena replied flatly, relieved to have the leash removed, "I'm not exactly sympathetic. But mostly I'm just curious."
Shang knelt to open the hatch on the floor, shrugging off her concern.
"He wasn't dead yet."
Beneath the hatch was a small bunk area hardly high enough to kneel in, just wide enough for a queen size mattress. The sheets and plethora of small pillows were in brightly colored warm jewel tones, and a strange decoration like a wind chime made of thin gold chain and colored glass hung in one corner.
Shang, still kneeling by the hatch, offered her a hand to step down. Distracted, she took it and started to step in before he held up his other hand.
"Wait. Shoes first."
"Oh, right."
The shoes were part of the fabric of the rest of her outfit, so she just stared for a minute, wondering what to do to take them off. Shang rolled his eyes and pulled out a small device, running it around her ankles.
"So he was still alive when you threw him off?" she asked while he peeled the black material away.
"Insectoids tend to be more resilient than you'd expect," Shang explained, "He was hurt, playing dead. But a fall like that is probably the only thing that would kill him. Probably."
"Only probably?"
"Insectoids are very resilient."
Once her shoes were gone, Erena took Shang's hand again and stepped down into the bunk, pausing as she realized something.
"Wait," she said, staring at him with a frown, her feet on the mattress and her head still above the hatch, "Does that mean you're a pirate too?"
"Yep."
Shang's reply was deadpan, and he followed it by shoving her head down and closing the hatch.
"Now go to sleep," he called through the door as Erena struggled to push the hatch back open, but despite all her shouting and banging, it remained shut.
Eventually she gave up and lay down, wishing he'd at least given her something to do. Through poking around in his bunk she found little to entertain her. Somehow she'd expected a diary or dirty magazines, but she supposed he kept those on his computer.
There was some kind of colorful puzzle toy, or at least she assumed that's what it was, but fiddling with its bright sliding tiles could only amuse her so long. She couldn't even stand up and pace in here. She flopped back onto the pillows with a sigh of irritated resignation, and looked up.
From this angle, the strange wind chime like decoration was not a random jumble of colored glass and gold chain. When she looked up at it from here, the pieces lined up into the shape of a tree, its branches filled with color. It was beautiful, the way the glass shifted like the leaves of the tree moving in the breeze, chiming softly in the quiet.
If she closed her eyes a little, she could almost see a second shape inside the tree, like a woman, almost as tall as the tree trunk, reaching up into the branches...
Chapter Six
She woke to the sound of the hatch opening.
"Move." Shang ordered, and Erena obeyed without thinking, getting out of the way as he climbed in after her.
"Why are you coming down here?" she asked, rubbing her eyes, "Have we landed?"
"No." Shang replied, adding nothing else as he lay down, rolling over with his back to her.
"Then shouldn't you be up there flying?" Erena frowned, a little concerned.
"Haven't you ever heard of auto pilot?" Shang muttered, his voice edged with exhaustion, "I've plotted a course for us. Just go back to sleep."
"I've been sleeping for ages," Erena scooted closer to him, reaching for his shoulder to try and make him face her, "At least give me something to do. Your species must have books or movies or something. I'm going to die of boredom before the pirates catch us."
"You wouldn't be able to read my books," Shang rolled over to glare at her, "And I don't know what the hell a movie is but I don't have any."
"There must be something you do when you're bored!"
"I sleep."
"Well I can't sleep anymore!"
Shang huffed in annoyance and grabbed her hips suddenly, dragging her body against his.
"If you're really that bored," he grinned at her, "You could always serve the purpose you were bought for."
Erena knew he was baiting her, just trying to make her angry and embarrassed so she'd leave him alone, but she couldn't help blushing anyway, irritation flaring.
"As if you could entertain me that way," she huffed, trying to get back at him, "I know your type. You just take what you want and roll off again. I might as well go to sleep now."
She felt a cruel little thrill at the way his eyes widened in shocked annoyance.
"The hell did you just say to me?" he tried to sound threatening but his voice broke, making her grin widen.
"I said you're terrible in bed," she taunted, inches from his face as they lay side by side in the tiny bunk, "No wonder you had to buy a slave at auction to get any. With the difference in species, you probably wouldn't even know where to put it!"
Shang’s grip on Erena's hips tightened and her heart raced, strangely excited.
"You've never even been with anyone outside your own species before," he snarled back, pulling her closer and shoving a leg between her thighs, "How would you know anything about sex? I could do things that would make your fluffy little head fly off!"
"Prove it."
The words were out before Erena could think better of it, her hands clenched in the front of his shirt, her heart hammering. She saw the surprise in his eyes darken suddenly with lust.
Before she had time to have second thoughts, he was kissing her, hard and hungry, his lips warm and rough as he pressed her down into the mattress.
Her hands were shaking but she was pulling at his shirt, trying to find her way through to skin. Maybe it was because she was bored. Maybe it was just because she was alone, the only human for light years, and he had been kind to her and was pretty nice to look at.
Maybe it was because, since the first time she'd met his eyes that moment on the stage, she'd felt like she could trust him. Whatever the reason, her body warmed at his touch and thrilled at the thought of having him, in spite of everything.
His hands found their way through the deep neckline of her suit to squeeze her breasts. A claw like finger flicked at her nipple, making her gasp into his kiss. Despite their fearsome appearance, those claws were dull, as soft as her own touch, not sharp as she'd anticipated.
Her hands slid lower, palming him through his clothes, still curious if his anatomy would prove to be the same as what she was used to. She almost purred with delight when she found him already hard. He must be as eager for this as she was.
He pulled her suit down over her arms and as she wriggled to get free of it as he tore impatiently at the front of his own, shredding it to bare his chest down to his navel. He stopped when he saw her discarding her suit, thoroughly distracted by the sight of her naked beneath him.
"What?" she muttered, looking away, her cheeks pink, "It's not like you haven't seen me naked already."
"That was different," Shang bent to press kisses to her throat, trailing down to her collar bone and making her breath catch. His hands explored her like he needed to memorize every angle, every dip and swell, so that he would know her blind.
"How?" she gasped as his kisses reached her breasts and his fingers slid across her mound.
"It just was," he growled, annoyed, and she squeaked as she felt his teeth on her skin, not hard enough to hurt, just enough to excite her. She forgot her question as the heat of his tongue teased her nipple and his fingers just barely brushed her outer lips.
She felt him pressing into her, fingers sliding through her cleft, spreading the wetness she was already slick with, and she made a high, needy noise sound in response, moving into his touch.
"Before, it wasn't for me," he said, confusing her as he nipped at her throat, his fingers delving deeper, "You were just naked."
She looked up at him with hazy eyes as he leaned over her, his piercing gaze intense, focused on her like she was the only thing in the universe that mattered.
"Now, you're naked for me."
He kissed her hard, his fingers curling within her in a way that made her shudder, flickers of memory returning to her of her first night after the auction. Flashes of clinging to him, feverish and needy, and being held so close it almost hurt, a rough voice whispering in her ear, "Mine."
His index and ring finger were deep within her, his thumb on her clit moving in slow circles that stirred her into a near frenzy of desire.
"Hurry," she gasped, hips rolling to ride his hand, "I want you."
She heard him groan into the kiss, but he hadn't even removed his suit yet. She reached out to encourage him, running her fingers down the torn open gash in his suit and beneath it to where he was straining against the fabric.
He was hot and firm in her hand and larger than she'd expected and when she squeezed him gently she felt him shudder with desire.
"I shouldn't," he gasped, taking his fingers from her to clutch her hip and pull her close, burying his face in her throat.
Embarrassment forgotten, she stroked him, pulling him out of the shreds of his suit into the air.
"Please," she begged, unashamed, and he throbbed in her touch, will breaking.
He planted a hand beside her head, the other guiding himself into her. She bit her lip as she felt him pressing in, her heartbeat thundering in her ears. He was big and the stretch stung in the satisfying way that Erena craved. She whimpered as he surged forward almost too quickly, spreading her open and filling her to her limit.
She'd always loved the sensation of being stuffed this way, but it had never quite felt as good as this. Something about him in particular, about the heat and the weight of him inside her, was better than anything she'd felt before.
She had a feeling from the way he was swearing under his breath and clinging to her that he was experiencing something similar. Maybe, she thought a little deliriously, maybe their species were just extra compatible. Soul mate species. She wondered if such a thing could happen.
He pushed into her deeper and all her thoughts disappeared as he sank into her to the hilt, sending bolts of pleasure like electricity running up her spine every time he moved.
She moaned his name without thinking, her thoughts too scrambled to find the words she wanted in order to beg him to move. But he got the idea anyway, shifting into a better position as he slid out of her halfway.
She clung to his shoulders, bracing herself as he thrust back in, pleasure rushing through her too powerful to resist, a tide sweeping her away. He squeezed her hips, pulling her into his thrusts to strike deeper, harder, making her feel him in places she'd never felt anyone else.
She was stretched open by him till she could feel the outline of him branded into her and knew every inch. His thrusts were rough, wild and almost bestial as he drove into her, taking her like he wanted to break her, leave his mark on her forever.
"Mine," she heard him gasping as he pinned her arms to the bed, his teeth sharp against her throat, "mine!"
She felt his rhythm stutter as pleasure crashed over her, leaving her nearly blind as it surged like electricity through every nerve in her body. He was throbbing within her and she felt the spreading warmth of his seed, a soothing final note to the dizzying orgasm still rocking her.
He seemed to stay inside her forever, pouring into her until every spare inch that was not filled with him was filled with his issue, overflowing around them. When at last he pulled out she still felt overfilled with what he'd left behind.
There was a low rumbling sound almost like a purr coming from Shang's chest as he separated from her, nuzzling into her throat.
"Well?" he asked after they'd rested for a moment, "Did I entertain you?"
Erena snorted as she remembered their argument.
"You didn't exactly blow my fluffy little head off," she replied, quoting him, "But I guess it wasn't completely boring."
"I'll just have to try again," he decided, pulling her closer, "And again and again, until I can make you come just by saying your name."
"Sounds like a bet," Erena laughed, "You're on."
They kept at it until they both passed out, exhausted. Erena succumbed to sleep wondering what this meant for the two of them. She didn't love him. She was fairly certain he didn't even like her. Was this just going to be how they passed the time from now on?
Chapter Seven
She woke sore, wrinkling her nose at the stench of sex which now permeated the small bunk. The hatch was open, trying to air it out presumably, and Shang was not beside her. Groaning at the complaints from her back, she sat up and climbed out, pulling her discarded suit out with her.
Shang was in the pilot's seat. There were holographic star charts and some sort of silent news feed open on floating screens before him, but he was staring past them vacantly at the stars.
"Hey, is there a shower on this thing?" Erena asked, "And a washing machine?"
"Neither," Shang replied, shifting to look back at her as she struggled into her suit from the day before, "But we'll be stopping soon. We can shower there."
"And wash the sheets I hope?"
"Probably."
Erena ran finger to comb her hair, wishing she had a comb and some conditioner, and pulled it up behind her head, tying it in a knot since she didn't have a hair band. He suit was pulled up to her waist, the top not on yet.
"If we're going to be doing this kind of thing regularly," Erena said, "We're going to need to change the bedding. That little bunk is way too small to ignore the smell."
"You're alright with doing that regularly?"
Erena glanced up at him and saw he was watching her, half turned in his chair. She shrugged the rest of her suit on.
"Why wouldn't I be?" she looked away as she straightened her top, "It was great."
"You seemed shy before, that's all."
Erena finished dressing, her feet still bare, and padded over to sit in the chair next to him.
"It wasn't about being shy," she scoffed, "You were a stranger and I'd just been abducted by aliens and sold like a piece of meat. I was scared, not shy."
He shrugged, accepting that she had a point, and looked back at his star charts again.
"Also, maybe I'm just more comfortable up here," she finished, looking out at the stars, "I've always been kind of awkward on the ground. Things feel simpler in space."
Shang hummed thoughtfully at that, not looking at her.
"Is that where we're headed?" Erena asked, pointing ahead of them at a distant blue sphere, about the size of a grape from this far away.
"Diamat," Shang replied, eyes on his work, "We'll be there in a few hours. It's a popular vacation spot, so there are cheap accommodations and lots of people. Plus, with so many tourists, they won't look too hard at an unusual species like you. I'll probably claim you're a female from m
y race. An albino or something."
"What is your species?" Erena asked curiously, "I haven't seen anyone else who looked like you so far. Granted I haven't seen a lot..."
"Dyfedi," Shang shifted, getting the closed off expression Erena was beginning to recognize meant he was uncomfortable, "We were called Dyfedi. There are not enough of us left to be called anything anymore. We just get lumped in with the other terminarch species now."
"Terminarch?"
His jaw tightened at the further question, and she worried he was about to get annoyed at her again.
"Anyone ever tell you that you ask too many questions?" he said with a huff.
"I'm a scientist," she shrugged hopelessly, "It's literally my job to ask questions. Even if I never get home, I'm the first member of my species to meet an alien. It'd be a waste not to learn everything I could."
He nodded absentmindedly, acknowledging she was making sense, and dragged a hand over his face with a sigh.
"Terminarch, or relict when they're in small groups, are what's left of a species," he explained, "Usually after a big disaster, like colony collapse or genocide. When there's so few left that there's not even enough viable breeding pairs to maintain the remaining population. When a species is about to dwindle out of existence and go extinct, the last few individuals are called terminarch."
Erena felt a touch of sympathy as she realized what Shang was saying.
"So, the Dyfedi," she frowned as she leaned closer, "So, your species is going extinct?"
"Haven't seen another of me since my mother died," Shang shrugged, trying to act like it didn't bother him, "The Dyfed world was wiped out in an ecological disaster centuries ago. The only survivors were the ones off planet at the time in the handful of colonies and ships. They lost contact with the home world. Hell, we don't even know where Dyfed is any more. If there'd been some kind of organization, if the displaced colonies could have found each other, they might have survived. But we were scattered for too long, afraid to meet in large numbers, and it doomed us."
Erena looked away, able to imagine it all too well. She'd had nightmares about it more than once, of going into space and losing contact with earth. Of returning and finding she was the only one left. She shuddered. Then realized something didn't make sense.
Alien Romance: The Alien's Pregnant Mate: Scifi Alien Abduction Romance (Alien Romance, Alien Invasion Romance, BBW) (Celestial Mates Book 2) Page 5
