by Jaylee Davis
He allowed her to help him to her vehicle. Once she opened the door, he followed her instructions as best as he could. The constant stabbing pain in his head worried him, and he hated being in such a weak condition, but he needed to rest. He climbed in and collapsed onto the cushioned seat.
Her hand on his tail startled him, and when she pushed it between his legs, he instinctively hissed in outrage. It was an intrusive act, not an invitation to couple. She’s human, his pain-addled brain reminded. Still, he was insulted and confused, all at the same time. However, her response amused him. The little female was feisty, and she seemed to have overcome her fear of him.
The ride was rough, and he shifted his weight to get more comfortable. He closed his eyes. Various scents mingled with the smoke and chemical smells trapped in his nose. He slightly curled his upper lip and drew in a tasting breath that allowed the air to flow over the glands in his nose and mouth. The truck smelled of grains, leather and a heady fragrant mixture of perfume and female. The little human scented of fresh air, fruit and musk. She smelled delightful, very attractive. He wondered what he’d detect if he nuzzled her neck. Would her scent strengthen for him?
Although he realized he should never attempt such a thing, he toyed with the idea, anyway. Even in his impaired state, her smell called to him, and his body tried to answer despite his mind’s warnings. To his surprise, his cock swelled. It soon competed with the pain in his head. To ease the pressure, he pushed up to a semi-seated position and leaned his head toward the window. Fresh air rushed against his face and helped him revive. It also masked the female’s arousing scent.
Clearly he was severely injured and out of his mind for even considering such thoughts. If his skull wasn’t fractured, the commandant and Mendoran ambassador would make sure it was cracked if they found out he’d even entertained the idea of coupling with a human female.
After she spoke to him, he took his time to make sure his words would be understandable. Like all aboard his ship, he had a translator implant. Most of the first-contact personnel were taught at least one of the Earth languages. The ambassadors insisted it was the best way to communicate with a new species.
Vren had taken a cycle’s worth of teaching probes to learn English. The process was painless but time-consuming. They couldn’t teach everything, and his implant helped him understand her meaning whenever his vocabulary fell short. The more they communicated the better his language skills would become. Right now, he was glad he’d endured the teaching. He wanted to talk to this female. His first instinct was to thank her for her help. By her response, he knew he’d pleased her. Afterward, he enjoyed their brief conversation, even when there were a few lapses and breakdowns.
* * * *
Commandant Tram, captain of the star cruiser Seeker and leader of the entire Alliance taskforce, turned his back on the main screen. No one on the bridge spoke. They were all too respectful to intrude on their high-ranking captain’s personal grief at the loss of a friend and fellow officer.
“Alert me if further details become known.”
Before his emotions could overcome him, Tram stalked away from his command chair, intent on reaching his office. It was located between the engineering officer’s station and communications. He made it inside, and the door closed before an anguished yowl sprang from his throat. He slumped into his chair and propped his elbows on the desk for support as he leaned his weary forehead onto his palms.
The door swished open, then closed once more. Soft padding steps approached. His mate’s welcome scent enveloped him. Her gentle fingers started near his backswept ears and stroked through his thick mane. The tip of his tail stopped twitching at her touch.
“The fly over you requested will take place shortly. One of our shuttles is leaving the NASA facility at this very moment. They have the medical instruments on board to detect Commander Vrenden’s personal transponder signal. Perhaps…”
“At least we’ll know the exact location of his body.” Tram raised his head and looked at his mate’s concerned face. Her pale gold eyes narrowed as she gazed at him. “His striker crashed, Misha. None of our pilots would’ve survived.”
She gave him a wry look. “Vren isn’t a normal pilot, and he has a warrior’s luck. If anyone could’ve survived, it’s him.”
A shrill buzz came from a comm-unit near his elbow. Tram jabbed a finger at the voice-only button. “Tram here.”
His Sauren communication officer’s baritone voice came from the speaker. “Explorer requests permission to send a retrieval squad to the planet…again, sir.”
Tram snarled in anger while inwardly he mourned the loss of such a fine officer. He knew how the Explorer’s crew felt about their captain. Most were D’Lyrian, and all were unwavering in their loyalty to their commander. It was no surprise to him that they wanted to ignore all the regulations placed on them by Earth’s government in order to find Vren’s body. However, his hands were tied.
“Denied, again. Send a warning to First Officer Theral. If he tries to crack open a shuttle bay door, I’ll personally fire on the Explorer. There’ll be no unauthorized landings on this planet.”
“Acknowledged.” The comm-unit fell silent.
“Do you think the Earth government tracked the striker’s descent?” Misha asked.
Tram shook his head with certainty. “No, but NASA has the upgraded scanners. They can detect something so small, and they’ll send a search team. I’m not sure we can avoid an incident with the NWG if they find him.”
“I’ve been in contact with a xenobiologist at NASA. Her name is Marisella Grainger. She’s very curious about the biological differences between the various species in the Alliance.”
Tram huffed out a cynical laugh. “Several lifetimes of study ahead for her.”
“She seems trustworthy and eager to learn. Perhaps she can help?”
“No, my love. The human female might be more inclined to slice up what’s left of Vren’s body in to tiny pieces.”
The comm-unit buzzed once again.
“Yes?” Tram’s patience was quickly eroding.
“Commandant,” the Sauren’s voice was spiked with excitement, “the shuttle has detected a signal. It’s Commander Vrenden’s, sir. They’ve located his position, and according to the readouts, he’s alive.”
“Can they tell if he’s injured?” Misha interrupted, as was her right as medical officer.
After a brief silence, the comm officer reported, “Life signs within normal range and stable. They’ve sent the coordinates for his location.”
Grafton, his senior security officer who was also a D’Lyrian warrior, broke into the conversation. “Sir, the commander is located in an area the NWG has declared as hostile to the Alliance. I recommend we send an armed rescue team for him.”
“Denied!” Tram snarled at the comm-unit. What part of the Earth prohibitions does mine and the Explorer’s crew not understand? “Unbelievable,” he muttered while his mind churned with possibilities. After a few hard thought moments, he swiveled his ears forward and stared up at Misha. He didn’t even try to hide his sly, calculating grin. “I have an idea that won’t violate our agreement with the NWG.
* * * *
Since he was alert for the most part, it didn’t take Bethany long to help him out of the backseat and into the house. He leaned on her for balance the entire way. Once she’d flipped the light switch on and maneuvered him into the living room, she stopped to think. Her friends from Houston might drive down for the weekend. In anticipation, she’d stripped the sheets off the beds in the two guestrooms. She hadn’t washed them, and there were no spares. He couldn’t stay on the couch. Anyone who came to the front door would see him. That left her bed as the only logical choice at the moment. Her bath had a huge walk-in shower, and the big alien guy most definitely needed a bath. He smelled awful—a mixture of blood and acrid smoke. She could just imagine how her ranch truck would smell in the morning. Damn. It was just one more thing she had to worry about.
She’d take care of it tomorrow. Right now, she had to hide the alien.
“This is my home. There’s a large bath in the next room if you feel up to taking a shower.”
“I would like to clean.”
Thank god.
On the way through her bedroom and into the bath, Bethany avoided looking at him for as long as possible. She let go of his arm, and he grabbed the countertop to brace himself. One look at his big hand made her gulp. Four fingers and a thumb rested on the granite top, human-looking, except for his fingertips. Where fingernails should’ve been, he had long, raised ridges of thick skin. She didn’t want to think about what they might be hiding. She looked away when she realized they were glazed with blood.
While he waited, she started the shower and then adjusted the water temperature. She had no idea if he preferred hot or cold so she decided on warm. Come to think of it, she didn’t know if he’d like to bathe in water at all. Her barn cats certainly hated to get wet, but he hadn’t protested when she’d turned on the water.
The fact that she knew so little about him made her nervous, especially since she was all alone with him. He’d killed the dogs that had attacked him. Would he decide she was dangerous and kill her too? Did he understand she wasn’t his enemy? They’d exchanged pleasantries, and he’d thanked her. That had to count for something, right? No matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise, a tiny bit of anxiety slipped in and made her doubt her decision.
“Do not be afraid. I will not hurt you.” His rumbling voice gave her a start.
“Okay,” she blurted, then looked at him. It was a mistake. She drew in a sharp gasp.
He cocked his head. Curiosity shone from a set of the most exotic green eyes she’d ever seen. They were a little larger than a human’s and almond shaped with very un-cat-like long black eyelashes that swept out sideways. His pupils were vertical slits, slightly oval shaped at the moment since the bathroom lighting was dim. He blinked and broke her out of a trance.
Her field of vision expanded to take in his whole face. For a second, she wondered if a Bengal tiger had escaped from a zoo and found its way into her shower. Bethany identified familiar features while she struggled to comprehend the rest. They were a mixture of feline and human. The coloring and striped patterns were almost identical to the tigers she’d seen.
His chin, jawline and mouth looked human, especially his very attractive full lips. She was a bit surprised to see he didn’t have whiskers at all. His nose was slightly flattened and somewhat cat-like, from the tip all the way to the bridge between his eyes where it joined his forehead. Much like a cat’s, his brow was almost non-existent. It seemed to start at the juncture where the upper part of his nose flowed above the most luminous eyes imaginable. At that point, his brow line faded into the thicker fur on his forehead. A narrow strip of skin, which formed an eyelid of sorts, moved in unison with his lower one when he blinked. The movement was startling and very un-human-like.
Strong feline features took over from there. Perfectly proportioned cat ears stuck out from his head, but their tops weren’t rounded like a tiger’s or like most of the large cats she’d seen in zoos and in pictures. The lynx sprang to mind. At the moment, the two tufted tips were turned directly at her. She couldn’t tell how large they were since the bases were embedded in a mane of hair, which consisted of long and short strands in a mix of colors. Most notably white, black, gold and a few strips of orange.
To her amazement, the skin on his face and neck appeared suede-like, as if he had a micro-thin pelt of hair on the surface. The tiger patterns were most pronounced on his forehead and the sides of his face and jaw while his central features were colored a solid tannish-gold shade. Near the back edge of his jaw where a human’s ear would normally sit, a matching short ruff of multi-colored hair grew and blended into the rest of his very lion-ish mane. His overall appearance was reminiscent of Cats, an old Broadway musical whose performers wore cat costumes and makeup.
Except he’s not an actor, or a lion or tiger. He’s a living, breathing, intelligent alien male, and he’s standing in my bathroom.
Determined to banish any fear, she cleared her throat and swallowed nervously. She had to focus on the most important things right now. First, get him cleaned up and then try to see if he had any other injuries.
“I think the shower is ready if you want to undress. There’s soap and shampoo on the shelves and plenty of towels on the rack.” How she managed to speak so calmly she’d never know since her heart raced in a frantic rhythm as she stared at him. She had to look away simply to take a breath. “I’ll get a bag for your clothes if you want to save them.” Bethany sidled around him, trying to avoid touching him. As she passed, he shuffled around. He just wants to keep an eye on me, she thought. She tried to convince herself she didn’t want to bump into him, but in reality she feared her own reactions if she did. His eyes and lips did crazy things to her, gave her urges she thought had died long ago. “Call me if you need anything.”
“What is your name?”
His very logical question halted her retreat. Mortified by her own bad manners she turned back to face him. “I’m sorry. I should’ve introduced myself. I’m Bethany Montgomery. Just call me Bethany.”
“Bethany,” he said. His lips curved up into a very human smile. “My name is Vrenden. If you wish, you may call me Vren.”
In spite of her misgivings she smiled, and said, “Nice to meet you, Vren.”
He gave her a tiny nod and then shifted his attention to the shower. “To bathe in water is a great luxury for me. Thank you, Bethany. You are kind.”
“You’re very welcome. I hope you enjoy the shower.”
Bethany hurried out of the bathroom to give him some privacy while she dashed to the kitchen to retrieve two large trash bags. One would hold his boots so she could hide them in the back of her closet. The other she’d use for his uniform. If he allowed it, she wanted to toss his shredded clothes into the fire pit on her patio as soon as possible. She hoped the material would burn. If not, she could dig a deep hole and give the soiled, incriminating evidence a proper burial.
Along the way, she had to pass through the living room. The sight that greeted her made her realize just how vulnerable they were. She gawked at the row of floor to ceiling windows spaced across the back of the room. A set of double french doors with clear panes divided the collection. They opened out to a stone-covered patio. The view, which was usually so breathtaking during the daytime, turned inward. Until now, she’d never considered the possibility of someone using a high-powered scope to spy on her in the evenings. There were no interior window coverings in the room, and never had been. Only exterior storm shutters.
She recalled her father’s words. Who needs privacy shades in a living room when their house is built smack dab in the middle of three thousand acres, high fenced and located in remote south Texas?
I do, Dad.
For tonight the storm shutters would have to do. Tomorrow, to avoid suspicion, she’d have to figure out some reason to keep them closed. Bethany hurried to the control panel on the wall and hit all the buttons to bring the shades down. Luckily, the windows on the opposite side of the room and the ones in the kitchen had blinds and they were closed. She scanned the interior once more to make sure everything else appeared normal. The widescreen televid monitor mounted above the fireplace displayed the time—a few minutes after ten. She hurried to the kitchen and then grabbed two large trash bags from beneath the sink.
Until Vren was back with his own people, they were both in danger. Surely, his friends would come for him soon. The alternative was for her to take him to NASA in Houston where he’d be safe and could receive medical attention. The only thing she had to offer was basic first aid. Like an ice pack.
Bethany grabbed a quart-sized zip bag and filled it with ice. She was dying of thirst so she took a bottle of cold water out of the fridge and downed half it. She grabbed another one, then headed back to her bedroom. Her guest m
ight want a drink also. After she placed the ice bag and the waters on the bedside table, she hurried to the bathroom. The door was still open, and he’d left his clothes on the floor alongside his boots. Apparently, some things were universal when it came to males.
Unable to stop herself, she glanced at the closed shower door. The frosted glass panel obscured her view, but she could see his form as he moved around inside. The enclosure was extra-large, but he took up a great deal of room. The guy was huge. At the moment, he stood beneath the spray while he rinsed his hair. Bethany turned away and kneeled to collect his clothes. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as he rubbed soap over his shoulders, across his chest and down his stomach. She couldn’t help but wonder what his body looked like. The blurred image didn’t reveal any details. Occasionally, she’d catch a glimpse of his tail as it swayed back and forth.
Stop peeping at him. How could she stoop to stealing glances at a naked alien? She was being ridiculous.
A loud hiss came from the shower. Alarmed, Bethany jumped up and clutched the two trash bags to her chest. Had he caught her spying on him? He hissed again, softer this time. It sounded as if he was in pain.
“Are you okay?”
“The soap burns where my skin is cut. There is a large one on my hip.” He hissed again, an angry tone this time. “Does all the flora and fauna on your world have thorns and sharp teeth?”
Bethany couldn’t hold back a chuckle. “No. This is south Texas. You just picked the wrong place to land.”
Another loud hiss came from him. “I had no choice. I crashed.”
“I wondered about that. What happened?”
She waited for his answer. He growled, and the threatening sound gave her the shivers. Maybe she shouldn’t have asked. She was about to leave after she decided he wasn’t going to talk to her.
