by T. S. Ryder
"The auctioneer said that you were compatible with most species. It appears that you are highly receptive to androstanol."
Androstanol. A pheromone produced in fresh, non-oxidized male sweat, proven to be highly attractive to females. Lisa's face heated further.
Zon ran his hand over his face, then his gaze focused on her. It ran over her, caressing every curve. Suddenly he jumped to his feet. His gaze darkened as he came for her. A thrill of panic shot through her, but she found herself frozen, unable to think about fighting against him, her eyes already on his lips… but when he came close he just walked past her.
By the time Lisa had regained her senses and turned, Zon was pounding his fists into the tree. She gaped, too stupefied to move. The alien's shoulders bunched and corded as he pounded again and again and again. When he finally stopped, there were streaks of blood on the bark.
He turned back to her, panting. "Please don't look at me like that."
"Like… what?"
"Like you expect me to throw you down and force myself on you. I'm a mature T'shav, I can handle my musth."
"Your… what?"
He stared at her. "You really don't know?"
Lisa shook her head.
Zon pinched the back of his neck, shaking his head. "Of course not. Lightspeed technology. You haven't had any interaction with species outside of your own planet, have you?"
"We don't have light speed technology. I was taken from my home."
"Really? You're more primitive than I thought."
Lisa flushed. "Hey, at least we have actual guns and don't go around swinging swords. They’re highly inefficient."
"We have guns." Zon smiled. "I just prefer to make sure that the men I kill are actually dead."
How many people had he killed?
"But as I was saying, the males of my species have a cycle that they enter every standard year. We call it musth. It's a time when our hormones run rampant, resulting in a drive to mate. If we do not have regular sex, we can become… unpredictable. More violent than usual. We also produce a cocktail of pheromones that arouse females."
"Oh." Oh. That explained it all, then. Why she was feeling so… She swallowed hard. He needed sex to regulate his hormones. Once again the image of them twined together occurred to her, but this time, she knew why the heat was building in her. "So when you bought me, you wanted—"
A sharp zinging sound interrupted her. Something struck the side of the tree, inches from where she stood, and it burst into flames.
Chapter Three
Lisa screamed, stumbling back. Her foot met air, but even before she had a chance to realize she was falling, Zon was beside her. One thick arm wrapped around her waist and he hoisted her up against him. He stood right in the fire. With the flames licking around his body, he had never looked more devil-like–or more handsome. Just being close to him made Lisa forget for a brief second that they were under attack.
"Pheromones," she blurted, and the next thing she knew, Zon was throwing her.
She landed on a wide branch near the trunk. She clung to the tree to keep from falling. The fire was getting larger, Zon still in the flames, but he wasn't alone. There was another alien standing next to him. They traded blows; the other alien had a knife in his hand, but Zon seemed to be holding his own. Lisa looked around wildly, searching for some way to help him.
"Get down!" he shouted over his shoulder at her.
Lisa instinctively dropped. There was another zinging noise and the trunk over her head burst into flames. An alien dropped right in front of her on the branch. A long, wicked-looking knife was in one hand, a syringe in the other. The creature looked almost exactly like the toad that had nearly bought her, only this one had purple warts over its face. She kicked at its feet. It jumped away, laughing.
There was no room to dodge the syringe coming at her neck. Lisa kicked again, rolling towards the toad. She knocked solidly into its legs. The alien teetered for a moment before falling, a terrible screech following after it. Another scream had her looking up. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. A half-dozen aliens were crowded around Zon, slicing at him with their knives. He avoided every blow and skewered three with a single thrust from his sword. The nearest survivor turned to flee, but Zon grabbed him by the back of his neck and threw him into the others, who were attempting a retreat. They all fell screaming through the foliage, disappearing below.
Arms wrapped around Lisa's waist. She screamed and the next thing she knew, Zon was beside her, ripping her away from the creature holding her. His sword flashed, and a body, neatly severed in two, tumbled from the tree branch.
Lisa clung to him, trembling.
"Are you injured?"
Lisa had to laugh at that. He was asking her? "You're the one who was fighting."
"Amateurs." Zon snorted. "They might as well have jumped from the tree without my help."
The bitter smell was stronger, more alluring. Lisa looked up into those black eyes and felt a surge of gratitude. He had saved her life. He had fought off all those aliens for her. Without even realizing what she was doing, Lisa threw her arms around his neck and crushed her mouth to his. The moment their lips touched, heat flared through her whole body. Adrenaline surged, and a giddy feeling filled her head. Zon gripped her hips, thrust her against the trunk of the tree and kissed her back fiercely.
Lisa opened her mouth, inviting him in, and fumbled with his clothing, trying to find him. Before she could, though, he grabbed her wrists and pinned her against the tree, taking a step back. His eyes were bright and he was panting, but he shook his head.
"It's the musth."
"I don't care," Lisa said, trying to reach him again.
Zon made a frustrated noise and threw her over his back. Lisa clung to him, kissing his neck while she ground herself against him. It took a moment for her to realize that they were scaling back down the tree, but she didn't care.
"You saved my life," she purred. "I want to show you my gratitude."
"Saved your life?" Zon snorted. "More like put you in danger."
Lisa paused in her efforts to seduce the handsome warrior. "What do you mean?"
"They must know why I'm here."
He didn't say anything else until they were back on the ground. The sight of the broken bodies scattered around the base of the tree made Lisa lose any amorous intentions she had, and what little her stomach contained. Zon put her back in the car, which was practically invisible in this setting, and began driving away. Lisa crouched down, feeling sweat break out on her forehead. The adrenaline was wearing off and she shook violently.
Darkness fell quickly, but when they stopped, Lisa saw they were back in the city. Zon climbed out, then picked her up. She glanced around. It wasn't the city, after all, just a collection of a dozen buildings. Zon carried her to a large building that reminded her of a hotel and ordered a room. Both of them were given a stamp on the backs of their hands by the receptionist and told what room to go to.
On the second floor, Zon waved the stamp on his hand in front of the door to open it. At any other time, Lisa would have been curious as to how it worked, but the horror from the attack was warring with her desire for the alien who carried her, leaving no room for scientific inquiry.
Zon put her on the bed. He began hiking up his skirt. Lisa moaned, happy he was making this decision for her. Until he opened his leg and pulled out a small flask.
Lisa's jaw dropped, and she shot up into a sitting position. In the opening of Zon's leg, she saw various gears and beams of energy working. Her eyes widened until she thought they were going to pop out of her head. Science overrode passion and she reached for his leg, fascinated.
"You're a robot!" she blurted out.
Zon chuckled. "I have a robotic leg, but I'm T'shav, made of flesh and blood just like you."
"Then why…"
"When I was a young boy, my family was attacked and my parents killed in front of me. My leg was crushed and I was left for dead."
"Because we were T'shav." Zon smiled wryly. "My people are known as mercenaries and killers. My parents were gentle people, but they were blamed for a death in the village we lived in. I have long wanted revenge. And it's why I've returned here."
Lisa's eyes widened. "This is your home—"
"No. I lived here once, and the man who led the attack on my parents remains here. And I'm going to kill him." Zon tossed her the flask. "This is a nutrient drink. It's not satisfying, but it will give you the nutrients you need. Try to sleep. I'll be back. Stay put."
He turned on his heel and marched from the room, leaving Lisa alone. She shakily drank from the flask. It tasted like liquid oatmeal, but she sucked it down eagerly, given that it was the first thing she had had to eat or drink in who knew how long.
Her mind churned with all the events of the day. Despite everything, she knew she still had to get back home. But learning a little more about this world, maybe gathering a few trinkets here and there, couldn't hurt. The tiniest piece of technology could be reverse-engineered and used to accelerate human development.
Lisa was certain she would not be able to sleep, but as soon as her head touched the pillow, she was proven wrong.
***
She dreamt of Zon. More specifically, of Zon and her, twined in passion, naked bodies contorting with pleasure. She woke shaking and breathless, feeling the aftereffects of the dream pulsing through her. For a long moment, she couldn't contain her disappointment at finding it only a dream, though she tried to tell herself over and over it was only because of the pheromones.
There was a separate room that she assumed was a bathroom, but other than a toilet that dissolved her waste with steady vibrations, she couldn’t figure out how to use any of it, and gave up trying to shower. Everything was so different from what she knew. There was a large part of her that wanted to explore, to compare the genetics of the various species, but as she curled into a ball on the bed, she just felt homesick. She missed her job, her coworkers, her brother.
I don't even know what Zon wants with me. If he was planning on using her during his musth, he would have acted on it already, wouldn't he? Lisa shook her head. I am not disappointed that he hasn't had sex with me.
She didn't even know when he would return… Lisa sat straighter. Her heart pounded. He wasn't here, and she wasn't somewhere where a giant insect-cat was going to eat her. She was in a settlement. Maybe, just maybe, she would be able to find a way back to Earth. She had to give it a try. Her attraction to Zon was just because of the musth, and she had a life to get back to. There was a sting of disappointment at the thought of leaving, but she strode out of the room, trying not to think of the gentle way Zon had looked at her when he had laid her down on the bed the previous night.
Lisa wasn't sure where to start looking for her way off the planet, but after looking around the buildings for a few minutes–it was some sort of outpost or refueling station–she headed into what looked like a bar.
"Chip?" the bartender asked her when she slid onto a stool.
"What?"
The alien, skin vivid with orange and pink stripes, rolled his eyes and grabbed her hand. Flipping it over, he passed a small silver device over her wrist and frowned when it beeped. "Does your owner know you're here?"
Lisa stared at her wrist, where a slight mark glowed blue against her pale skin. She remembered that Zon had also been scanned on his wrist at the hotel. There must be some sort of identity card embedded there. "I need to get back to my home planet."
The bartender coughed and shook his head. "I'm not getting involved. You're a registered pet, and if you try to leave without your owner, you'll be put in the pound. If your owner doesn't claim you in three standard days, you'd be put down."
"But I'm not a pet! I'm a person!"
"You're a pet," the bartender repeated. "You had better go back to your owner. You don't want to get stolen."
Lisa stared at him. Anger welled in her and for a moment she was tempted to break his nose. Instead, she sat herself firmly on the stool and glared at him. "I want a drink."
"I can't serve—"
"I want a drink! If I can't go home, at least I can get drunk. Besides, my… owner isn't here. He's gone off to kill the people who killed his parents." Her shoulders slumped. "He's a T'Shav."
The bartender stared at her, the orange stripes on his face turning a sickly yellow. "You're Zon's pet?"
"You’ve heard of him?"
"Who hasn't?" The bartender shook his head. "Out. Out, now. I am not going to mess with him."
"Not until I get my drink!" Lisa glared. "You don't want me to tell him that you mistreated me, do you?"
The yellow turned white, and the pink went red. The bartender shook his head, eyes wide. Hesitating a moment, he pulled a bottle from under the counter and set it before her. "Nutrient beer. On the house. At least if I say I was giving you nutrients, he might not kill me," he added in a mutter.
Lisa ignored the bartender, holding the beer in her hands. All of a sudden, she just didn't feel like drinking anymore. What was she going to do now?
Chapter Four
After a day of struggling to find a way back to Earth, Lisa decided that even if she was stuck in this outpost, the least she could do was indulge her scientific curiosity. As such, she spent most of her time at the bar, asking questions to anybody who would answer her. She learned that the chip implanted in her wrist not only was an identification tag, but it also linked her to Zon's charge account and contained her genetic information so that the bartender knew what was safe to give her. The bartender once asked her if it was true that she had 'universal DNA', but she didn't know what that meant and so told him it was a lie.
It was two full days before she heard from Zon again, although it felt like the days were longer and nights shorter than on Earth. She got a call from him in the bar but didn't actually know that she was getting a call. All she saw was a red light flashing in her wrist and she thought her hand was going to explode. The bartender explained what it was and how to answer. Lisa retreated to the bathroom to take the call.
"Where are you?" Zon asked, his voice tense, as soon as she answered. A holographic image of his face extended from her wrist. Lisa stared at it, fascinated. How did they get the projection to go through her skin?
"I'm at the bar," she said. "Where are you?"
"Out," he replied vaguely. "I want you to get back to the hotel at once."
"Why?"
"Word of you has spread. I doubt most people would be stupid enough to try to steal you from me, but you're a rarity and I would prefer you to remain in the hotel, where you have less chance of being seen."
Lisa shivered. "Are you coming back, then?"
Zon hesitated, a pained look coming over his face. "It's been two days since we last saw one another. Am I correct in assuming that you are no longer affected by the pheromones?"
Heat rushed to Lisa's face. She had continued to dream about him every night, though she didn't have the same burning need to be with him she had when he was near. She cleared her throat. Two days was more than enough for the pheromones to stop messing with her head, and she could answer with relative certainty–she wanted Zon, and it wasn't just because of his musth.
But he was an alien. She shouldn't want him.
"I can think clearly, if that's what you mean."
"Good. But just to be safe, I want you to stay in the hotel. I'll be back in a couple of days. My musth is reaching its climax and, without sex, it's hard to control the aggression."
Heat surged in Lisa's body, making her gasp, until she realized what Zon was saying. He wasn't coming back for her. Wherever he was, he was going to find a different way to ease himself.
"So you're going to find some woman out there?" she blurted, unable to keep the tinge of jealousy from her voice. "While I sit around hoping that I'm not abducted again?"
To her surprise, Zon's expression darkened
and he bared his teeth at her. "What sort of man do you think I am? I have never had a woman while I was in musth! With my pheromones influencing their decisions, it might as well be rape! No, not ‘might as well’–any man who seduces a woman who has not previously given her consent to have sex during his musth is raping her!"
His eyes burned with aggression, mouth set in a tight line. Lisa found her hand slipping between her legs–if she had been turned on by him before, she was radioactive now. A man who would fight his own needs to make sure that the woman he was with gave him consent… that was very attractive!
"But the pheromones have worn off on me," she blurted. "So that's not an issue anymore."
Zon's eyes widened.
Her heart pounded and her mouth was dry. She had had boyfriends in the past but they had always ended up making the first move, both to jump into bed and to leave her at the side of the road. Maybe sex without expectations of forever was exactly what she needed. When she got back to Earth, she could find a boyfriend who wouldn't destroy her when he left her. Maybe she would even leave him this time.
"You said that your aggression is hard to control without sex. Well, I'm right here and I have nothing better to do." Lisa dug her fingers into her thigh, pinching her skin to try to keep her mind calm. "And the pheromones have worn off, so I'm fully aware of what's happening."
"We can't know that for certain." Zon's voice was strangled. "Our species… we don't know how much it affects you. You could still be in the thrall."
Lisa hesitated, contemplating her own senses and body for a moment. Was it possible that what he was saying was right? "Maybe a little," she admitted. "But it's not like I'm so drunk on you that I can't think about it. I want you. And you need this. I know what I'm getting myself into, so no harm, right? Besides, I'm a scientist. I need to learn how similar our biology is. Unless you don't want me."
"That is not an issue, I assure you."
"But if you're in musth—"
He barked out a laugh. "I wasn't in musth when I first saw you. The pictures of you that the auction house spread… I came to that auction for you. I wanted you from the first moment I saw your image. It has nothing to do with musth."
