by Lynn Best
“Tork,” she moaned, swiveling her hips, wanting him deeper.
“Is it mine?” he asked, plunging one digit into her before adding another.
The throbbing heat of it was burning her up. She could barely speak. “It’s yours.”
“Good.” His voice was a low satisfied grumble.
He shed his clothes, giving her a quick view of his amazing body before lowering himself again. She felt him angle toward her, and she knew what she’d been longing for was about to come to fruition. How many times had she thought about the sex with him and wanted it again? Over and over, she’d pictured it—his massive arms on either side of her head, his pecs and abs slick with sweat as he readied himself, and his face as he felt the pleasure her body was giving him. Brandy gripped his arms in anticipation as he hovered above her.
Slowly, he lowered himself until the tip of his erection pressed against the outside of her core. Bucking her hips up, she tried to encourage him to enter her, to scratch the itch that had been building, but he hesitated. His intense dark eyes stared into hers.
“I know the others may please you. There’s nothing I can do about that,” he said seriously. “But they won’t make you feel like I do. I want you to remember that.”
She nodded, holding onto his arm. “Make me feel good, Tork.”
He grinned.
He sank down, his cock sliding home. It was like every nerve ending inside her was dialed up to eleven as he thrust into her. She clutched him, holding on for dear life. The heat of him, the size, felt so good she could barely hang on.
But then he began rocking his hips, moving up and down with a friction that doubled the pleasure. She dug her fingernails into his shoulders, throwing her head back as wave after wave of undulations sent her building to climax.
The wave that radiated out to all parts of her body was more than she could’ve expected. Tingles upon tingles made her legs shake and her mind melt. She came screaming his name.
When Tork cried out, stiffening, she rode that wave of ecstasy with him, feeling him convulse inside her.
He let his bulk hover over her without crushing the air from her lungs. She felt perfect and satiated beneath his wall of muscle. Like nothing could ever be as good as this.
She loved the fact they never had to worry about protection. Aliens didn’t carry human diseases, and she’d long since stopped worrying about getting pregnant. It was just not going to happen.
He kissed her neck where it met her shoulder in a very tender way she hadn’t known he was capable of. Then he rolled off her and started to dress.
She watched him, the muscles of his back rippling as the fabric slipped over them. “Don’t get dressed so soon,” she begged.
He scanned her naked body, but his expression was sad. “I’m only allotted an hour, and that time is almost up.”
“An hour? Why?”
“It’s the new agreement we have. How we managed to do this without killing each other. For now.” He stood and grabbed his pants, giving her an excellent view of his toned backside.
“An hour? Really? That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
She gripped her clothes, not ready to dress yet. She’d had visions of her and Tork wrapped in each other arms as they watched the sunset over the valley. That was certainly not going to happen now.
And what was worse was Tork was back to his morose self, stuffing on jeans and not meeting her gaze.
She stood up and reached out to grab his arm. When he turned to her, a scowl flashed on his face before he seemed to think better of it and hid his emotions from her. “When will I see you again?”
“I don’t know,” he said darkly. “It’s not up to me, is it?”
Turning, he strode back down the mountain path.
10
Dressed and cleaned up, Brandy made her way carefully down the path and found the door. Tork had been kind enough leave it open. This was the first time she’d been allowed to roam free. Glancing down the hallway, she slipped out and started exploring.
Han’s ship had long since stopped being a mystery to her. Even though rooms could morph and change in a way that made it feel like the ship was never ending, the space inside was relatively small. She had grown to think of it like a flying shopping mall; that was about how many rooms and areas there were to explore. It helped to change rooms up, but after a while, that wore off and all that was left was a constricted, trapped feeling.
Drake’s ship seemed to be the same thing, long hallways with no markings, rooms that people could “feel” if they knew what they were doing. Brandy pressed her hand to the hallway wall, trying to tune in to its frequency.
This room was larger with several alien workers inside. She walked away a little faster. Farther along, she found a large area that was currently empty. She suspected it was used for gatherings and debriefings, though she couldn’t be sure. Drake had a different way of dealing with his crew than Han did.
Soon, she found another of those terrible jail cells for the aliens who had taken place in the mutiny. It was all she could do not to sprint in the opposite direction.
When she turned the corner, the rooms were smaller, though she couldn’t be sure what was inside. Sliding her hand over each, she got a little bit of the flavor of what was inside. This space was messy and disheveled. Moving down, she found an alien room that had two males inside.
The next room was occupied by a tidy person. It was filled with lab equipment. Slowly, she began to recognize a familiar feeling. The owner of this room was someone she knew.
Pressing her hand flat against the wall, she called inside. “Wrek? Are you in there?”
In a few seconds, the wall disintegrated and Wrek stood on the other side, seeming preoccupied.
“Brandy?” he said, looking confused. “Is it time for our date?”
She smiled at his tousled hair. “I don’t know. I was just wandering around and found your room. Sorry if I’m bothering you.”
“No, no. Come in.” Wrek stepped back, allowing Brandy to enter.
She walked into his dark abode, feeling like she was peeking into his life. The dwelling was small and had low ceilings. On the far wall, a mattress on the ground was covered in a nest of blankets. The rest of the room was dedicated to one form of study or another. The left side had stacks of books and a lit-up wall with alien text glowing on it like the smart boards she’d seen in fancy office buildings in Vegas.
The other side held scientific equipment, but the likes of which she’d never seen. She had no idea what the tubes, beakers, bins, and electronics did, but she suspected something miraculous.
Turning around, she met Wrek’s gaze. He was holding the back of his neck in a sheepish way that made her suspect he was embarrassed by the nerdiness of his room.
“I was working,” he stuttered.
“I see that. What were you working on?”
“Oh, many things. Let me show you.”
He took her hand and led her over to the smart board, where he moved the symbols around by touching them. “I’m trying to recalibrate the defense shields by diverting power from unessential systems. It’s touchy because this whole ship is one symbiotic being. Taking something away from a system it needs could cause the whole thing to malfunction.”
Brandy nodded like she was following what he was saying, but she didn’t have a big science background. She wasn’t stupid. Had actually gotten straight As in high school before she was forced to drop out and start working the streets. But she’d never been scientifically inclined.
“What about that?” she asked, pointing at the table full of lab equipment.
“Oh, that?” His face brightened. “That is something very special.”
He strode over, picking up a vial of what appeared to be blood. He rolled it gently, letting the liquid coat the sides and then slide back down. “I’ve been working on solving our reproduction problem for a while now. It’s kind of my passion project.”
“Yo
ur reproduction problem?”
He nodded, his face morphing into something serious. “Our people have long life spans, but it doesn’t matter if we can’t repopulate. Once someone dies, there’s no one there to replace him. The population is precariously low. Which is why we’re all clustered around your planet abducting human females for the chance to pass on our DNA and save our race.”
“I knew it was bad. I just didn’t know how bad.”
He nodded, setting the vial down. “That’s why everyone is so desperate. Males are fighting over human women who can produce like they’re starving and women are the last bit of beef. Frankly, I find it disgusting.” He softened his tone. “Not that we don’t love having human women around.”
“I get it,” she said in an understanding tone. “Most women don’t want to be thought of as pieces of beef either.”
“Right,” he said animatedly, jabbing his finger in the air to annunciate the point. “So, what if every woman, every female, could carry a Cartharian child? What if we didn’t have to hunt and steal for reproductive rights?”
“Every woman?”
He was getting excited now. “Yes. And not just human women. Any species that was compatible with us. We could broaden our search.”
“You mean leave here,” Brandy said, suddenly realizing what this meant. “You mean to go away from Earth.”
He set his hands on the table, regarding her with sympathy. “I am sure Han wouldn’t leave.”
“But he’s king. He could go back. If his crew could reproduce, they could go back to your planet.” And take Charis with them. What would Brandy do then?
“It isn’t working yet. There are things I still need to test.” His eyes flicked up to hers and then to his work. With a sweep of his hand, he seemed to try to divert her attention away from a topic that was clearly upsetting her. “But now, it’s time for our date.”
“Our date?” She’d nearly forgotten. “One hour, right?”
“Tork told you?” Wrek asked, straightening his shirt and ushering her toward the door.
“He did. Brothers learning to share their toys.”
“What?”
“Nothing,” she murmured. She didn’t know why, but what Wrek had said upset her. Han could leave. They could all leave. And then she’d go back to Earth and be just an ordinary girl. Unless… unless she could take the serum and bear one of them a child.
Now that was a thought she’d need to piece over. How did she feel about being a mother? Her own had never been what she’d would call nurturing, choosing her own selfish desires over Brandy’s. Their relationship had gotten so bad Brandy left before graduating high school. How did Brandy think she could be any better with the role model she had? She had her own selfish tendencies, after all. Plus, it would be a child of a different species. How would she feel when the child didn’t look or act like her?
No, none of it was ideal.
Her mind snapped back to attention as Wrek led her into one of the simulation rooms. She was expecting either something bold like Trek or something traditional like Drake, but she got neither. Ahead was a simple grassy park. There was nothing particularly interesting about it—trees, grass, concrete sidewalks, and a fence that could be seen in any park around America. Maybe something interesting was going to happen when they got inside.
Wrek led her over to a wrought-iron bench. He sat down heavily and gestured for her to do the same. But the minute she sat, it was clear nothing else was going to happen. It was also clear Wrek’s mind was lost in his work.
Brandy sat, staring out at the grass in an attempt to focus her attention. The silence lingered, this simulation not even equipped with sound or wind. Wrek probably hadn’t thought about it. And silence was something Brandy did not do well with.
“Do you like parks?” she asked.
“Hmm? Oh, yes.” His eyes lingered on the grassy knoll off in the distance, but she could tell he wasn’t really seeing it.
“We used to have a park by my house as a child. You know, that house you had replicated for me?”
“Right.”
“Also, I’ve grown an extra set of limbs. They’re great. Do you want to see?”
“Sure.” He didn’t even notice her ridiculous comment.
“Wrek,” she said, putting her hand on his thigh. “If you want to go back to your work and take a rain check on our date, I’ll understand.”
His eyes finally settled on her. “That would be great, Brandy.” He smiled, but suddenly his eyes widened at something behind her.
“Get down!”
She felt the bench lift. Tilting forward, she fell into Wrek’s arms as they spilled onto the ground. Was it an earthquake? Another attack? She peeked over her shoulder.
An alien stood over them, seething. She recognized it from the fight with Drake, the one who’d attacked and nearly killed him. Large greenish scales, a huge lion-like mane, red slitted eyes, and dripping fangs that pushed a growl in her direction. Claws cut into the wood of the bench, splintering it.
It was angry.
Wrek scrambled up, putting himself between the beast and Brandy.
“Run!” Wrek yelled as the beast punched him in the chest.
The thud of fist on ribs echoed through the room. She thought she heard bones crack as Wrek crumpled backward, slamming into the ground. Grass sprayed up as his body dug a trench into the turf. Brandy scrambled to get out of the way.
“Wrek!” she said, reaching for him. His body skidded to a stop, but Wrek did not get up.
The beast turned red eyes on her and strode forward. Her eyes locked on its six-inch claws.
Wrek lurched up just in time to stop the beast from striking Brandy. The long-clawed hand bashed into his shoulder with another horrible crack. Wrek cried out in pain, but then gritted his teeth and pushed up from the ground, wrapping his big arms around the beast’s middle to stop him from advancing on Brandy. Veins on his neck popped out as he struggled to contain the beast.
She watched, terrified, as the beast slashed nails down Wrek’s back. Blood sprang up from the furrows in his tattered shirt. Though Wrek must be in agony, he held on for dear life.
“Brandy, go!”
She scrambled up, her heart hammering. She hated to leave him, but how could she stay? She wavered between running for help and staying to fight. But one more look at the beast and she knew there was nothing she could do.
“I’ll be back, Wrek.” But he either couldn’t hear her or respond. He had the beast in a bear hug, gripping his own forearms to bar the beast from wrestling free. But it seemed like the beast was not as interested in tearing Wrek apart as it was in trying to get to her. Red eyes flashed as it watched her back way. Its nostrils sniffed in her direction. The creature roared and slashed at Wrek, more blood spraying into the air.
Brandy ran. The wall was part of the simulation, making it hard to find. Once her hands slammed into the membrane that separated her from the hall, she pressed her palms to it frantically “Open, open, open.”
It didn’t comply.
“What’s happening?” She pressed her palm to it again, but nothing happened. She smacked it and punched it, screaming. Still, it stayed closed. Maybe the beast had locked her in. Noises behind her made her whirl around. The beast had broken free, and it was tearing across the park toward Brandy.
Fear broke out like goose bumps over her body. The beast would tear her to shreds. She crouched low, wondering if she could run, but she knew it was much faster.
Wrek popped up, gaining on the creature. He was bleeding heavily from multiple places, slashed and scratched until shreds of his skin were hanging in chunks. “Wrek!”
Brandy gasped as he jumped on the beast’s back. Wrek punched with the strength she didn’t think he was capable of. His fist pounded into its ribs with swift well-aimed thuds that echoed through the simulator. The creature turned to Wrek, roaring and driving its claws into his chest like a set of steak knives. Blood seeped onto his already-soaked shirt.
But Wrek didn’t seem to notice. He fought like a wild man, all punches and elbows. His teeth were gritted. The veins on his neck pulsed as he hit the monster under the jaw and pounded him in the skull. The beast staggered, bumping into a tree before stabbing Wrek in the ribs. Wrek winced, but he used that moment to pull his arm back and deliver a terrible punch.
His knuckles smashed into the creature’s jaw, snapping its head up. There was a crack of bone on bone. The beast dropped to his knees. Its arms sagged. Then it fell forward, settling into the grass. The bloody claws furrowed into the dirt as it gripped for purchase once before falling for good.
Brandy gasped, a sound of relief, triumph, and pure shock. Wrek had won. She inched carefully in Wrek’s direction. He was staring down at the beast as his blood continued to drip onto the grass.
“Wrek, are you okay?” she asked, hovering over him.
He raised his head with a weak smile before he fell to the ground.
11
Brandy cried out, falling to her knees beside Wrek. He seemed unconscious, not dead, but there was so much blood. She shook his arm desperately. “Wrek? Oh, God.”
She put her hand to her mouth as tears welled in her eyes. Wrek had saved her by allowing one of his people to slice him into a bloody pulp. He’d fought so bravely, defeating a beast much bigger than himself. And it had all been for her.
She gripped his arm, crying. The wounds were so severe, so numerous. Blood was everywhere.
Unable to wake him, she ran back to the wall and pressed her hand on it, willing it to open. This time, it obeyed. Running blindly, she tore out of the room and down the hall. The first non-beast alien she saw, she grabbed his arm desperately.
“Wrek is hurt. One of the simulation rooms. Please!”
He followed her to where Wrek still lay. Relief filled her when the guard handcuffed the beast who’d attacked them. And reassured when they got Wrek on a floating gurney and began carrying him out of the room.
“Where are you taking him?” Brandy asked one of the medical staff tending to Wrek’s wounds.
