by Maia Starr
“Of course!” Zod exclaimed. “It’s an honor to be here, sir.”
“Yes, it is an honor to have you and your female,” Supreme Leader Aloitus said, bowing graciously.
Zod bowed deeply, and nudged me hard in the side when I didn’t bow as well. I dropped my head forward, gritting my teeth in a mixture of pain and frustration. How was I going to live with this man? Would I even survive it?
“Sit, human! Have you no manners?”
Zod barked the command at me in English, and I sat down heavily in my seat. We were a few feet away from a platform with a podium and a microphone on it, and before long, a plate of food was placed in front of me.
I looked up, hoping to thank whoever had given it to me, but they had already disappeared into the crowd.
“Well, eat!” Zod exclaimed, casting a sidelong glance at Supreme Leader Aloitus, who was making his rounds and greeting people in the crowd.
My gaze settled suddenly on the kind man from the ship. What was he doing there? Beside him was a human woman, though the Thressl’n man’s broad chest was blocking my view of her. When he bowed to Aloitus, my heart panged. Samantha.
It took all I had not to get up and run to her.
“Alexa?” Sam mouthed, catching my eye briefly before she was led away by the man from the ship.
Nausea swept over me. All I wanted to do was talk to my sister.
“I said eat!” Zod said menacingly into my ear.
I gripped my utensil, something between a tongue depressor and a measuring spoon, and scooped the first bite of food into my mouth. It tasted better than I expected, and my mouth was suddenly alive with the flavors of Thressl’n cooking for the first time. It was delicious. But I could tell from the looks of the meal that my twin would probably have a much harder time choking it down. She preferred not to eat over eating things she decided looked “funky,” so I guessed that right about then, whether she had been offered food at the handsome Commander’s house or not, she was just as hungry as I was.
“Zod, welcome!” Zod soon became swept up in conversation, and I took the opportunity to scan the room. Samantha and the Commander were placed at the table to my far right, and Sam’s head was craned toward me, her serious eyes staring me down. She looked angry about something, but there was no way to find out what it was. Perhaps the Commander, despite his gentle voice, had actually been a tyrant at heart who was just as bad as Zod.
“Welcome Thressl’n and Earthlings!”
The stage in front of us suddenly had a man in long metallic robes standing behind the podium, and he smiled genially at the three tables in front of him, ignoring the countless other tables behind them. The truth was that it was a huge event, but it was obvious who the most important people there were.
“It has been ages since the last time we got to celebrate the success of a command fleet returning to Jenal’k. I can’t remember the last time we’ve traveled outside the C’loggh galaxy! But our prizes were worth the danger. Now, we can say beyond the shadow of a doubt, that the Thressl’n will once again rise up and overcome the challenges that face us!”
The Thressl’n in the tent began to cheer uproariously, standing from their chairs and waving their hands in the air.
“I would like to bestow a special honor on one of the great men who made the success of this mission possible.”
The crowd fell silent, many of them with their hands still dangling in the air.
“Captain Zod Thassle. Would you please come up to the stage?”
The crowd began roaring with applause again and I couldn’t help but be surprised. What could Zod have possibly done to earn such an honor? I had half expected the Commander to be summoned.
I glanced at Samantha again, who looked at me meaningfully. She wanted me to go to her. I looked nervously up at Zod, who had quickly climbed the stage and was beaming smugly out at the crowd. This might be my only chance to talk to her.
I got up quickly and snaked through the crowd of cheering Thressl’n, making my way to Sam’s table. I hid behind a group of bulky Thressl’n men and heard Samantha’s voice say, “Where’s the ladies’ room. You know. Where do I pee!?”
Then the familiar feeling of her impatient hand gripping my wrist and pulling me through the crowd almost made me cry. My twin and I were nothing alike, but I had missed her terribly, and even the most irritating of her habits was welcome.
“In here,” Sam said quickly. We ducked into an opening I had nearly overlooked and disappeared from the crowd.
***
“This is so unfair!” Sam exclaimed.
I was a little taken aback. I guess I had hoped that my sister would have embraced me or asked me if I was okay. But it was true. Being abducted was unfair.
“I know,” I said. “I—”
“What do you mean you know? I’m the one with the raw deal here. You get the handsome guy who’s getting awarded? I bet his house is like, way bigger than the one I’m stuck in. And it probably doesn’t smell any better, but at least the draft might make it a little less obvious.”
Samantha thought Zod was handsome? Now I had heard everything.
“Samantha, what are you—”
“Seriously, Alexa. Switch with me. I cannot stand another minute living with this guy! He’s such a freak!”
“You don’t want Zod, Sam, really. He—”
“This is just like you!” Samantha cried, her diva voice shining through. “You always get everything better than me and act like you’re the victim here. Well, I’m not going to take it, Alexa. Switch with me! Or I swear to god, I will never speak to you again.”
“Samantha, seriously, stop. You don’t want to switch with me. Just stay with the one you’ve got. Zod is not what you think. When I was there he—”
“Just shut up, Alexa. I should have known. You’d rather keep him for yourself than keep your sister in your life. I see how it is.”
“Fine!” I suddenly shouted, surprising both of us. “If you want Zod so badly, you can take him!” I stripped the gown off and threw it at Samantha, and she grinned, the self-satisfied look on her face nearly making me want to punch her in the face.
“I knew you’d come around. After all, what are sisters for, right?” Samantha said, shrugging her gown off and handing it daintily to me.
I put it on quickly and glared at Sam.
“Just don’t forget to call him, ‘my lord,’” I said darkly. “I wouldn’t want you to regret this or anything.”
A brief, puzzled expression flickered across Sam’s face, but she shrugged and beamed at me.
“I won’t,” she said. “My guy’s name is Chaz’z.”
I waited for any other information that might help make our transition into the other household a little easier, but none was forthcoming until Sam finally sighed.
“Oh, I forgot. I kind of accidentally told him that my name is your name,” Sam said with a giggle and a shrug. “That’s usually what I do when I’m scared I’ll get in trouble or something. Oops. But that should make it easier for you.”
“Seriously, Sam?!”
Samantha beamed at me.
“Come on, Alexa. We should get back before ‘my lord’ thinks that I ran off on him.”
Sam winked and trotted off through the crowd to take my place at the table. I hated the way she acted when she bullied me into getting her way. She acted almost buoyant, as if nothing could get her down when things were going the way she wanted them to, and I was left to suffer.
What she didn’t realize though was that never once in our lives had I wanted to see her suffer. In fact, as the older one by six minutes, I had always done everything I could to protect her. Not only from Zod, but from everything that might hurt her. I would have rather died than subject my sister to what Zod had done to me. But that infuriating whine of hers…
I couldn’t think any more about it. What was done was done, and Samantha had brought whatever happened to her from this point on, onto herself.
**
*
“That took a while,” Chaz’z said, his silver eyes resting on me. An involuntary jolt of fire coursed through me as I got lost in the flecks of gold and bronze in them. I opened and closed my mouth, looking for a response, and I tore myself away from his gaze and focused on the table in front of me. Unsurprisingly, Samantha hadn’t touched even a bite of food on her plate.
“It was a little hard to find the ladies room,” I lied, hoping not to have to look back up at Chaz’z.
“I understand,” he said, his voice low and kind. “These events always have been kind of crowded. All of the Thressl’n are invited to attend. Though most don’t make it past the partition. Only the honored receive tables.”
“The honored…” I said, glancing over my shoulder at the crowd of Thressl’n men and women who were still cheering for Zod. Chaz’z, however, remained glued to his plate with a deep-set frown on his face.
“Yes. Right now they are honoring Captain Zod. He seems to be favored by the Supreme Leader for some reason. I fear the worst…”
Chaz’z trailed off, and he took a deep drink of the sparkling liquid in his clear glass. I glanced at my own glass and saw that it was empty.
“Oh, would you like a drink?” Chaz’z asked, standing quickly to retrieve a bottle from the center of the table. I didn’t have to answer; he was already pouring me a glass of the bubbling pink liquid. It delighted me in a way; it was like the drinks I always imagined I would be having as an adult when I was a little kid.
“Thank you, my lord,” I said impulsively.
Chaz’z furrowed his eyebrows.
“Don’t call me that,” he said sternly, studying me closely. “Why do you seem so different? Did something happen to you on the way back from the washing room? Was somebody unkind?”
“No!” I said quickly. “I’m fine. It’s just…it’s a lot, you know. Coming to another planet and everything. It’s just a big adjustment…please don’t be angry.”
I couldn’t endure any more of the horrifying Thressl’n temper. But to my surprise, Chaz’z’s face broke out into a pleasant smile.
“Mad?” he asked. “Not at all. But I would feel a lot better if you ate something. I haven’t seen you touch a bite of food since you arrived.”
Yup, I could always stand firm in my knowledge of my twin. She would die before she put the colorful mush in her mouth.
I snuck a glance at her, worried what I’d find. But to my surprise, Zod and Sam were actually laughing together. I gasped out loud.
“What? What is it?” Chaz’z asked. I tore my gaze away before he could catch on to what had made me cry out like that, but he was too smart for me.
“I must be hallucinating,” Chaz’z said, his teal face lighting up. “Is Zod actually having a good time? What kind of human would actually enjoy his company?”
A mixture of agreement and resentment washed over me. On the one hand, of course only a person like Samantha could schmooze her way into Zod’s good graces. On the other, shouldn’t I be offended that a man who was responsible for abducting hundreds of women from Earth was questioning the moral character of my twin sister?
“Wow,” Chaz’z said suddenly. “She looks a lot like you.”
I paled, and turned frantic eyes to him. But before I could defend myself, he continued. “I guess I’m more racist than I thought. Please forgive my rude comments.”
And with that, he continued eating.
Chapter 4
Chaz’z Wyl’es (Commander of the Fleet)
Alexa was very quiet on the way home from the event. I had been shocked by how much food she had managed to put away, even after the third course was finished. The bubbling elixir had brought out a cheerful, carefree side of her personality that I hadn’t known was there; especially after spending the night before tossing and turning as I contemplated ways to address the concerns she had with my home.
“This is beautiful,” Alexa breathed when we walked through the door. I was shocked.
“That isn’t what you were saying last night,” I said, raising a brow at her.
“It’s just…well, when humans are stressed, I guess everything looks terrible,” Alexa stammered, smiling nervously at me. “But after a while, we adapt, and things start to look a little bit brighter.”
I nodded. “That makes sense. Well, I hope you like your accommodations better tonight.”
“Better than the cellar?” Alexa said. Her cheeks reddened suddenly, and she looked into my eyes, a bright, beautiful smile on her face. Why hadn’t I noticed how beautiful her eyes were the day before?
“The cellar? Wait, that is a joke, right? Human humor. Very interesting.”
I laughed stiffly.
“I’m sure whatever you give me will do,” Alexa said.
“What changed in you tonight?” I exclaimed. “All you did last night was complain, and now you are saying you will accept whatever I give you. Maybe I should give the elixir to you every day.”
Alexa grinned, and my hearts thudded involuntarily in my chest. She was stunning.
“Well, I will try not to be so hard on you from now on, all right?” Alexa said.
“All right…”
I walked to the kitchen, and Alexa stayed in the place where I left her. I glanced back at her and raised a brow. “Is something on your mind?”
“I just…no, nothing.”
“All right…are you hungry?”
My stomach was growling. It was already time for another meal.
“I don’t think I’ll need to eat again for a year,” Alexa said, her beautiful eyes boring into me as she smiled. “Thank you for the offer though.”
“Of course.”
She stood awkwardly in the doorway for a moment, and I got the impression that there was something she wanted to ask, but felt afraid to.
“You don’t have to be scared of me,” I said, pulling a chair out at the table. “Please, sit. I enjoy company while I cook.”
“Thanks,” she said, sitting down at the table shyly. “It’s just…do you remember me?”
“Remember you?” I asked incredulously. “How could I forget you? You squawked at me about nearly breaking your ankle, snubbed my home, and nearly made me think you had been kidnapped or had run off at the event. You’re pretty fresh in my mind.”
“I don’t mean those things,” Alexa said with a sigh. “Never mind.”
The blood rushed to my face, and I was drawn back into the moment that had kept me awake all night the day we had delivered the humans. I knew exactly what she was talking about. The way our eyes had locked and I’d felt like I had never seen a more beautiful female in all my life. How it didn’t even seem possible for anyone else so perfect to exist anywhere in the universe.
But how could I have those feelings about someone so unbelievably rude?
Still, the evening had been going quite well so far. Maybe Alexa was right. Perhaps stress just made humans do some really strange things.
***
After my meal was done and I was ready to sleep for the night, Alexa was still lingering nervously outside the kitchen. It was as if she were afraid to move.
“What’s wrong?” I finally asked her. “Is something bothering you?”
“I just don’t know where I’m supposed to sleep,” she whispered.
“I thought you said you were over the weird smell,” I said, sighing irritably.
“I am!” Alexa said quickly, a smile brightening her worried face. “It’s just…I don’t remember where the room is. I need you to show me.”
“All right,” I said softly. I took her by the elbow and walked her as respectfully as I could down the hallway to the room I had set aside for guests. “This door. The third down. That is your bedroom. And if you don’t like it, I can remodel it for you soon. But I am about to leave for work on a mission that may take me a few revolutions to complete, so try not to let it bother you too much if you can help it. All right?”
Alexa nodded, and I tried not to focus o
n the warmth of her skin under my hand. She had looked good that morning after trying on the dress, but somehow it seemed to fit her even better now. The intricate Thressl’n fabrics clung to her body in all the right places, and a surge of warmth washed over me. There was no way I had chosen the wrong female. Even if she had been a little bit difficult at first, if things stayed this peaceful between us, it was possible I had finally found my mate. All I had to do from there would be to woo her.
“Here it is,” I said gently, keying in the code slowly enough for her to remember. “You get inside like this. If there’s a code you’d prefer, just tell me and we will re-set it when we’re remodeling.”
“All right,” Alexa said softly.
I had the absurd urge to kiss her then, a parting kiss as we went our separate ways down the hallway to sleep. Her gaze lingered on me for just a few moments longer, a shy smile bright on her face, before the door closed between us. Would my hearts be able to take much more of this female?
The hallway of my home had never felt more lonely than it did the moment Alexa was out of view. I lingered by the doorway for a few moments longer, wishing I could go inside and show her how I felt. Would she believe that I meant no harm? That of all the things I wanted in my life, she was quickly becoming the top of the list?
No, I couldn’t tell her a thing like that. It was alarming enough to be feeling it. Hearing it out loud would just be unnerving, probably for both of us.
I made my way miserably down the corridor until I finally reached my bedroom and keyed in the combination.
I washed in my private bath and changed into my sleeping clothes before I finally collapsed on my bed. Spending time out in space was the thing I loved more than anything in the world. Flying was always something I had been passionate about, and the fates had been kind enough to assign me as the commander of the fleet. I got to spend every day of my life doing what I loved.
But the mission to Earth had taken something out of me. We had traveled so far, for such a long time, only to invade a planet that didn’t know we existed and steal females from it. Sure, the reasoning made sense. Who knew when the Vellreq were finally going to push Earth’s leaders into detonation? According to our calculations, it was likely to happen at any moment. In truth, we had saved all of these women from a terrible demise.
