by Maia Starr
A robotic Thressl’n voice began speaking, and a loud, rhythmic beeping began. It sounded like a countdown. Fear flooded my breast as the little room became hotter and hotter, and a blinding ball of white energy began to grow at the base of the weapon.
“Fuck,” I hissed. It was going to go off. And it was going to cause a lot of damage. I studied it, sweat building on my brow. I had to disengage it somehow. If Trillis got hurt it would be my fault, and the special treatment I’d been given so far would come to an end. I might never see Earth again. Worst of all, I could die.
I had no idea how to read the Thressl’n written language though, and try as I might, everything I did was futile.
“Lain!”
Zerk’k’s masculine voice made me nearly jump out of my skin. His strong arms were suddenly around me, and I was being hauled outside the closet. Zerk’k ran back inside, and I could hear machinery clicking as he dealt with the weapon.
Soon he was standing in front of me, a wild expression creasing his otherwise flawless face.
“Are you all right?” he asked, his hands roaming me as if to make sure that I was still in one piece. The fear in his voice was unmistakable, and I couldn’t fight the surge of pleasure that Zerk’k’s long fingers elicited. I felt an odd sort of relief now that he was near, as if I had been waiting to be close to him again since I had woken up.
“Yes, I’m fine,” I said, shrugging his hands off of me and taking a step back to examine him. He looked like a wreck. “What was that thing?”
“Somehow you managed to find my most powerful weapon,” Zerk’k said, sighing heavily. “If I hadn’t come home and heard it charging up, I wouldn’t have had much of a home left to come back to. Are you sure you’re all right?”
The sincerity in his eyes made me uncomfortable. Maybe Trillis had been telling the truth after all. Maybe his sole concern was protecting everybody around him. But where did that leave him any time to take care of himself?
“I’m really fine,” I said. I bit back words of gratitude toward him. There was no way I would thank a man who had kidnapped and taken advantage of me.
“Good,” he said, dropping heavily onto the bed. He put his head in his hands, and for a moment I was afraid he was going to fall asleep right there.
“Maybe you should lie down,” I said quietly, gently guiding his shoulder back onto the bed. He resisted for a moment.
“I have work to finish,” he said. But I knew he couldn’t possibly have gotten enough sleep.
“Work can wait. Try taking care of yourself for once.”
Zerk’k’s metallic eyes widened in surprise, as if I had touched on something very personal to him. What Trillis said really must have been true in his case. Still, it didn’t excuse him from the way he tried to control me.
“Come on,” I said, covering his muscular torso with one of the incredibly soft blankets. “Just rest for now, please.”
“I’m glad you’re okay,” Zerk’k breathed. He tried to fight a moment longer, but soon his eyes fluttered closed. Before I knew it, the handsome Thressl’n man was asleep.
***
I watched Zerk’k sleep, my mind roaming in a million different directions. So he cared about me to some degree, that much was clear. But it was possible he only cared because that’s the way he was programmed to care. It was his job to put others before himself. That’s what Trillis had implied to me. Still, the way he had touched me…I couldn’t imagine his eyes filling with fear over one of the Thressl’n whom it was his duty to protect.
As Zerk’k’s broad chest rose and fell lightly, my eyes roamed back to the closet. So he kept his weapons in there. That meant I would have a chance to escape. I could find one that looked easy to operate and carry it with me in case anybody tried to stop me.
But how would I get back to Earth? I would need a ship, and someone who was experienced enough to navigate the space between the planet Jenal’k and Earth. So much for that idea.
Still, the knowledge of the weapons right at my fingertips seared a place in my brain. If I ever needed a weapon, I would know where to find one. And maybe I would be able to learn how to use it from Zerk’k himself.
As Zerk’k slept, I began to feel restless and rummaged through the bags of Thressl’n clothing Trillis has bought for me. It was all clearly made for Thressl’n women, and appeared lumpy and shapeless on my much smaller body. There had to be a way to make the clothes work more in my favor.
I set to work rummaging quietly through the large house as Trillis hummed, obliviously cooking food, until I stumbled upon a repair kit for the hovercraft. Inside were a needle and thread suitable for puncturing the durable Thressl’n fabrics, and I returned victoriously to the bedroom, where Zerk’k was still sleeping deeply.
Careful not to wake him, I lifted the prettiest of the Thressl’n gowns from the bag. With a few minor alterations, I would be able to wear it with pride, rather than feeling like a scrawny alien from another world. And so, I made myself comfortable on the floor and set to work, hoping I would be done by the time that Zerk’k awoke.
Chapter 14
Commander Zerk’k Arkti
I opened my eyes in a panic, wondering where I was and how I had gotten there.
“Shhh,” a beautiful voice said, stroking my forehead gently. In all my years of life, I had never felt so soothed.
My gaze focused on Lain’s face, and I was stricken by her beauty. She smiled at me, and I swear, both of my hearts were seized momentarily.
“Were you dreaming?”
“Dreaming?” I asked, sitting up. “What is a dream?”
Lain frowned and looked upward as if attempting to retrieve a thought.
“When humans sleep, we dream. Dreams are like stories we tell ourselves in our sleep to make things more interesting. Sometimes the dreams help us to figure out problems we’re having when we’re awake.”
“That sounds useful,” I said, sitting up to study her. I had never heard of anything like a dream before. When Thressl’n slept, we just slept a dark, black sleep that allowed our impressive muscle mass to heal from the toils of the day.
“I guess so,” Lain said. “Some people don’t think it means anything, while others think dreams mean everything.”
“What do you think?” I asked, fascinated by this beautiful human and her customs.
Lain laughed and looked down at the bed. She seemed embarrassed to answer. Eventually, she met my eyes again.
“I think sometimes it’s useful, while other times it’s not necessary. Human brains are very active, but we don’t use all of our capacities at once. It might be that it’s the brain’s way of getting the exercise we don’t give it ourselves.”
“Hm…” I said thoughtfully. Humans seemed more creative than the Thressl’n gave them credit for.
“I’m glad you rested,” Lain said as I sat up and took a look at the time. I wasn’t due anywhere anytime soon, but I still liked to be prepared. As Second in Command, I was always on call. “You looked tired.”
It was strange for the human to be showing any caring toward me at all. I had been expecting the total opposite. I knew she hadn’t been ready when we had shared the bed together, and it was my fault. How was it that she could be so kind to me even after that? Perhaps it was because I had saved her life.
“The meal is ready!” Trillis called from deep in the kitchen.
“The Thressl’n eat a lot,” Lain said, quirking her eyebrow.
Lain stood from the bed and stretched, and I suddenly realized that the outfit she was wearing was of Thressl’n origins, but it had been tailored to fit the perfect contours of her body.
Lain’s eyes settled on me, and a wildfire erupted inside of me. She looked more beautiful than I had ever seen another living being look before; even the depictions of the Thressl’n deities didn’t hold a candle to Lain in the elegant satin, wrapped snuggly around her perfect features.
She stared at me as I rose from the bed and her cheeks darkened
into an attractive pink when I reached out to touch her.
“What are you doing?” she asked, not meeting my eyes. But she didn’t move away.
“I’ve never seen anybody so beautiful,” I said. And it was the truest thing I had ever said.
“You hardly know me,” she whispered.
“But I’d like to,” I said, moving close to her and burying my mouth against her hair. God, she smelled good. “I want to know everything about you.”
She pushed me away and looked me hard in the eye. The determination on her face just made her look all the more attractive. But I held back from touching her until she said her piece.
“You have to show me more respect. I might be stuck here for now, but don’t treat me like some little toy who has to obey you. I have my own mind. My own needs…”
Lain’s cheeks flushed dark pink again, and I was consumed by the electricity between us. I could tell what she wanted without her having to say so. I didn’t know what she meant by respect, but if it was what she wanted, if it was what it would take for me to make her mine, I would let her teach me all about it.
I couldn’t help myself any longer. There was a fire engulfing my entire body, and all I could think about was just how good it would feel to touch Lain again. It had been all I could think about all day long, and it was exhausting. Especially having no clue when my next chance would be…and thinking that Lain would rather die than be near me again.
But she was holding my gaze, even as I tested her and touched her, the deep flush on her face turned to soft gasps of pleasure. I continued to stroke the silky contours of her body, pressing my lips firmly against the soft nape of her neck as I selfishly explored the female who had been haunting my memories all day.
Finally, Lain’s brilliant eyes closed and she grew weak against me. I could feel her making room for me, her many icy barriers giving way to the heat of my heat of my body against her. There would be no stopping me at this point. I was thinking purely with my senses; with the deep, all-consuming longing that had continued to bring Lain into my thoughts, again and again, since the moment I had laid eyes on her.
I carefully guided her backward, until her back was pressed firmly against the wall of the bedroom. I gently pried her legs apart and explored the opening with my middle. There was a strange cloth blocking my way inside of her. I gazed at her curiously and the flush on her cheeks deepened. She hurriedly pushed the cloth down, and it fell delicately to the floor, leaving her open for the taking.
I didn’t waste any time and left her gown in place, quickly freeing my member from the tight confines of my armor. She gazed down at it with a soft gasp. It was the first time she had seen me in the light, and I’m sure the first time she had seen a Thressl’n male’s appendage up close.
Lain finally tore her gaze away and looked up at me, her eyes softly pleading. It brought a surge of fire to my loins, and an aggression that couldn’t be helped overpowered me. I pushed her against the wall, holding off all pleasantries in order to submerge myself immediately inside her. I was embarrassed by my animalistic display, but quickly forgot my reservations when Lain groaned loudly in pleasure. Her fingers gripped my shoulders tightly, and my mouth searched the gown, moving it out of the way just enough that I could bring the soft mound of her erect nipple into my mouth.
Lain threw her head back in pleasure, her body shuddering as I thrust deeper inside of her. I was enveloped by her incredible heat, and I could feel every muscle inside of her tightening around me. I grunted, tightening my mouth’s grip on Lain’s nipple as ecstasy coursed through me.
She cried out, moving her body against mine and wrapping one of her legs around me. She used it to push me against her. Lain’s every tiny movement brought me untold bliss, and she soon began moving of her own accord, pleasuring herself on the length of my shaft. I had never experienced anything so ingratiating, and soon my abdomen was tingling with a hot pressure to release.
I refrained as long as I could, until Lain gasped loudly and suddenly, her eyebrows furrowed and she gritted her teeth. I could feel her body contracting tightly around my member, and I wasn’t able to hold back any longer.
Lain’s body quaked hard, and I had to support her with my own as an explosion testifying to my desire erupted inside of her. She moaned deeply as I filled her completely, thrusting until every drop was spilled.
We panted quietly for a moment before looking at each other. I was hoping for some sign that she had grown to approve of me, but when I searched her eyes, I was let down.
“Trillis called us for dinner,” Lain said softly. She groomed herself briefly in front of the mirror and then left the room without another word.
***
The next week was very hectic. The human females in the camps were beginning to wind down in their rebellion, but it was a matter of time before the agitated Thressl’n men would stop demanding complete control over them and blaming me for my poor choice in potential mates for the continuation of our species.
Every night I would be out for many long hours, and upon returning to my home, I would eat and fall into a deep sleep. On occasion, I would wake up to Lain’s irresistible body draped over mine, and sometimes it would lead to late night flings that left both of us hungry for more. Still, she didn’t seem to be warming up to me, and would avoid my gaze whenever we were together during the daylight hours. Frankly, it was maddening.
“Just give her time,” Trillis would tell me whenever she saw the look of frustration on my face after Lain would retreat to the bedroom. “She’ll come around.”
I wasn’t so sure. As much as she seemed to crave me physically, there was something missing. Something I wanted from her more than I had ever wanted anything in my life. What was it? Commitment, maybe. I had even given her safety training for the weapons in the closet, now that I knew she could get inside. I wasn’t going to risk another incident like the one before.
But I knew I couldn’t fully commit to a human. Or maybe I would be able to talk to Aloitus about it. He liked to think we were friends. Perhaps I could use it to my advantage.
Even if he would accept the unfavorable union between myself and Lain, would she? That was the question that kept me up at night, long after she had fallen into a light sleep beside me. How much longer would I have to wait?
“Zerk’k, what are you doing?”
Lain’s voice broke my thoughts, and I turned away from the window. I had been doing a lot of thinking there lately. It was rare that Lain would actually engage me in conversation, and I had to find a way to keep my mind off of her when I was at home. I wanted to throw myself more into my work, but patrolling the camps just filled my thoughts with her more than ever.
“Nothing. Is everything all right?”
“I want to go home,” Lain said, bypassing my question.
“I’d like you to try to think of this as your home,” I said quietly. The more often she brought up thoughts of Earth, the more it stung me. All I could do was think of ways to get her to stay with me, while all it seemed she cared about was leaving me. It was a one-sided relationship. I was tempted to give up, but I never gave up on what I wanted.
“You know I can’t do that,” Lain said, looking hard at me. “This isn’t what I want.”
I sighed. “Did you ever hear about the Goddess Kel’lach?”
“No.”
“She’s one of the main Thressl’n deities,” I said, nodding toward a chair. Lain sat reluctantly.
“What about her?” she asked dubiously.
“Kel’lach is said to have made the structure of the Thressl’n society. Her word is our law.”
“You guys really love your laws,” Lain grumbled.
“There’s a reason,” I continued, not letting her jabs at my people deter me. “Kel’lach was a nomad, and came to Jenal’k to find it in chaos. The world was untamed, but full of great potential. Unfortunately, it was ravaged by wars and greed, and the Thressl’n people were lost in the mires of our own ambit
ion.”
“It’s not a bad thing to be ambitious,” Lain said. My story obviously wasn’t impressing her.
“It’s a great thing,” I agreed. “But the thing about the Thressl’n is we are single-minded when we choose a task. When left to our own devices, we get nothing done because we are too frazzled trying to figure out what our strengths are.”
“That sounds a lot like humans.”
I smiled.
“Yes. Well, Kel’lach saw the lost people and suggested focusing our energies, but nobody knew what to focus on. That’s when she taught us about fate.”
“Fate,” Lain repeated. I supposed by her tone that the doctors on Earth must not think very highly of fate.
“Kel’lach was gifted by some of the greatest powers in the universe to be able to follow the threads of fate, and recognize them in others. She promised to always stand by the Thressl’n, and guide us when the time was right. That’s when the system was devised; we are given our focus at birth so we can fixate all of our energy on the ambitions that serve us, and others, the most.”
Lain was quiet as she mulled this over. “I wonder why Kel’lach passed up Earth. It’s prime real estate.”
She smiled at me, and although I didn’t know what she meant by real estate, I was filled with warmth before she turned her back on me and left the room.
Chapter 15
Dr. Lain Brousseau
“Of course, Supreme Leader Aloitus, in three revolutions. I understand.”
Zerk’k hung up the phone and glowered at the floor.
“What’s the matter, Commander?” Trillis asked. I was burning with curiosity, but I had made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t engage in any conversation with Zerk’k.
Although there were times I couldn’t resist my feelings for him, it didn’t mean that we had to be friends.
“Aloitus has decided that there aren’t enough humans…he wants me to lead another mission to Earth. We’ll be leaving soon.”
