by Maia Starr
“I know this is all very different for you,” he said, his handsome face contorted with the effort to word his thoughts well enough to me. “I’m sorry that you are in a situation you do not wish to be in. I felt there was no other choice. In time, I hope you are able to forgive me.”
Before I could answer, Zerk’k turned away and continued walking down the narrow hallway. I sighed in frustration. What was with this guy? And why was it I found him to be, in ways, so irresistible? Maybe it was something in the drugs they’d been feeding me over the past day or so. Something was probably messing with my hormones. Whatever it was, I wished it would stop. My body couldn’t take much more of this push and pull feeling. I didn’t want to be attracted to my captor. It seemed so inappropriate.
“And here is the bed chambers,” Zerk’k finally said. “It is the most private room in this space. Everybody has utmost privacy here. We will share this space until further notice.”
My stomach dropped. He seriously expected me to share the bedroom with him? No way.
“Don’t you have a living room or something?” I stammered, backing away from the door. “I’ll just sleep on the couch.”
Zerk’k’s face darkened, and suddenly his hands were on my shoulders. It happened so quickly that I barely had time to register the way he carried me, as if I were light as a feather, and shoved me against the wall in the bedroom. The door closed with a quiet click behind us.
“What did I tell you?” he hissed. “This is the only way. Do you think you would be here if there was another choice? Do you think I want the other Thressl’n men to lay their hands on you?”
I was shocked by the prospect, and the passion in his voice when he spoke. I almost wanted to believe him.
“This is where you are safe. This is where I can protect you. And,” he added, his face hovering close to mine, “this is where I will make you mine.”
My body was on fire. His display of power should have scared me. Maybe even prompted me to fight. But somehow, my brain was locked on only one thing, and I had to keep myself from surrendering to the overpowering desire that was begging me to give in to this mysterious man’s power.
If he would have held me there a second longer, I don’t know what would have happened. But thankfully, he let go of my wrists.
“I understand that you are not ready yet,” Zerk’k said, his beautiful eyes gentle and understanding. “I will not force a family upon you. But in time, I am confident that you will see, as I see, that this was meant to be.”
Zerk’k broke eye contact with me and headed for the doorway. My legs were like jelly, and I couldn’t bring myself to follow him. He didn’t seem to expect me to, though. As he crossed the threshold of the door, he seemed to think better of it and turned back to me.
“The Thressl’n believe in destiny. We are given roles that are fated for us. And just as every job on the Planet Jenal’k is predetermined, so must be the loyalty of my hearts.”
And with that, he walked out the door.
***
“Meal time, dear,” Trillis said cheerfully over the intercom in the bedroom.
I looked up from my notebook, reluctant to leave my work. I had been consumed in outlining every experience of my ordeal in detail, and had been so busy doing it that I’d almost forgotten I was capable of feeling hunger.
I stood up, my heart pounding at the thought that I would have to face Zerk’k again. I was furious at him, but another, secret part of me was thrilled by the thought of encountering him again. But I had to stay composed. It wasn’t my real feelings speaking for me. It had to be the chemicals in my body that were being altered by Thressl’n drug compounds. I had to stay strong. I refused to be just breeding machine for Commander Zerk’k’s degrading mission.
“It is nice to meet you!” Trillis said, bowing deeply at me when I arrived at the table. It was elaborately decorated, and filled with foods I had never seen before.
“Hi,” I said, wondering if I should correct her. But it seemed like a nice spin on an old greeting from Earth. I chose not to say anything and sat down in front of one of the plates.
To my surprise, Trillis sat down at the other.
“Where is Zerk’k?” I asked, frowning.
“He had business to take care of,” Trillis said, spooning the foods onto my plate. “Poor boy is always so busy. His job takes its toll. But it is as destined.”
“Thank you,” I said, looking down at the food on my plate. I couldn’t help but feel disappointed that Zerk’k wasn’t there to share my first meal on his planet. He was the one who had brought me here after all. But it couldn’t be helped. And anyway, I couldn’t stand him. Even if I missed him when he was away, as soon as he was around I wished he would disappear.
“It must be very different for you,” Trillis said, demonstrating how to use the strange utensils on the table. She was very intuitive, and a kind teacher.
“Yes,” I said, my mind flashing back to the bizarre feelings I was having toward Commander Arkti. There was nothing normal about this. I had never even felt so aroused near the men I’d dated on Earth. Whatever the Thressl’n were giving me, it must have been strong.
“He’s really not a terrible man,” Trillis said. “I can only imagine what you must be thinking. Being stolen so callously from your own world. He truly does have your best interests at heart.”
“My best intentions?” I scoffed. “What would he know about that?”
“You do realize that sooner rather than later, you will have no home planet to speak of?” Trillis said, taking a spoonful of a bright orange substance and chewing it pleasantly. “You were chosen to survive that catastrophe and aid in the creation of a superior race. A race that, perhaps, will turn out to be superior to the Thressl’n.”
“I don’t care about any of that,” I grumbled. “I’d rather die with my own planet. He had no right to kidnap so many women from our homes. They have families!”
“I assure you, they don’t,” Trillis said quietly. “We do take these things into consideration.”
My cheeks burned and I bit into one of the foreign substances on my plate. It was true that I didn’t have much family to speak of. Perhaps the same was true of the rest of the human women on Jenal’k.
When I began to chew, a shocking burst of flavors erupted in my mouth.
“This is really good,” I said, smiling for the first time since my abduction.
“Thank you,” Trillis said with a small bow. “It’s a favored recipe.”
We chatted a while longer, until I finished the meal. I was eager to linger behind and see how Trillis managed the dishes and kitchen upkeep, but she hurried me out of the kitchen for a tutorial on how to wash myself in Zerk’k’s home. It was fairly self-explanatory, and she excused herself as I stripped my clothing off and stepped into the shower area.
When I emerged, I was shocked to find that my clothes had disappeared. I was horrified and embarrassed, and ran naked through the narrow hallway to the bedroom, hoping I’d find something to cover up with in there.
I found a gown made of impossibly soft material on the bed. There were no panties or bras or anything of the sort. Just a gown.
I put it on, feeling more humiliated than I’d ever felt in my life, and lay back on the bed. It was slightly softer than the metallic benches we’d been forced to sleep on in the ship, and I suddenly realized just how exhausted I was. Before I could help myself, I slipped into a deep, sound sleep.
***
A few hours later, I was roused from sleep by the sound of the bedroom door opening. At first I was too tired to care, but when I opened my eyes, my body was overcome with the same, unwelcome desire that had kept me in Zerk’k’s thrall.
I quickly pretended to be asleep, but couldn’t keep my eyes from following Zerk’k across the room. I was shocked to realize that he had just showered, and had walked to the bedroom naked, just as I had. I watched slyly as he began rummaging through a closet I hadn’t known was there for somet
hing to wear. Fire engulfed my whole body as I caught a glimpse of Zerk’k’s muscular torso, with nothing between my eyes and the full impact of his startling body.
Zerk’k didn’t notice, and slipped on a pair of loose pants made from the same material as my gown. He faced the bed, and I realized that he looked completely exhausted. I found myself wondering when the last time he had actually slept had been. He hesitated and stood rigidly at the end of the bed, studying my body. He seemed to think better of it, and leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. Soon, his chest was rising and falling rhythmically, and I realized that he was asleep.
I lay in Zerk’k’s bed, agonized. He had chosen to respect my space, oblivious to the fact that, despite myself, what I wanted more than anything was to have the obnoxious longing he inspired in me satisfied.
I surprised myself by sitting up in the bed.
“Zerk’k,” I whispered.
He was immediately awake, his metallic purple eyes boring into mine intensely. It only escalated my irrational desire for him. But it wasn’t him that I cared about, surely. My body was having a physiological reaction to an otherwise unforeseeable experience. I shouldn’t be too hard on myself.
“What?” he asked.
“Lie down,” I told him, scooting off the bed. “I can sleep somewhere else.”
I was startled by his strong hands on my shoulders, and the fire in by body grew beyond taming. I was losing my self-control. Fast. But I would hate myself if anything happened between us. Just as much as I hated Zerk’k, despite this inexplicable attraction I was feeling.
“Don’t,” he said. His large hands moved down my arms, sending a forbidden thrill through me. I could follow the line of his eyes as he took me in. I must have been as strange to him as he was to me.
“But…” I breathed. I didn’t want to sleep anywhere else. In fact, I didn’t want to sleep at all. I was energized by a powerful force as he carefully, gently, took my hand in his own. I wanted him to tell me I could go. I was afraid of what might happen if I stayed. I couldn’t give in. Not even to myself.
He traced the lines of my palm with one of his long fingers, and then flipped his own hand over as if to compare. The feeling was highly erotic, though I wished I could be experiencing these feelings with someone else. Even sharing these alarmingly strong feelings with Brighton might have been better.
“Please lie down. We should get used to this arrangement,” he said. “The choice has been made. There is no taking it back now.”
The way Zerk’k spoke, so sure of himself and our destiny, made my defenses weaken. If I was stuck here anyway, why not resign myself to my fate? I might as well accept these unwanted feelings and satiate the burning desire I was feeling. What would it matter in the long run? I don’t know why his matter-of-fact attitude was comforting to me then, when every other time we had spoken, it had only infuriated me.
“Lie down,” Zerk’k said again. It wasn’t a request this time. He expected full obedience from me. I’m sure he was used to everybody around him doing as he asked. He had apparently been bred to give orders. And while any other time of the day I would have been furious, he was giving me the permission I needed to surrender.
I lay back in the bed, my eyes focused on Zerk’k in the darkness. He climbed over me, his powerful frame sending an electric thrill through my body. I groaned despite myself when my middle, completely naked beneath my strange gown, made contact with the firm muscle of Zerk’k’s groin. Even without seeing him erect, I could tell that there was one biological difference between Thressl’n men and humans that males of my own species would be jealous of.
But I shouldn’t let myself think these things. It was totally wrong. Wasn’t I stronger than this?
“You don’t have to fight it,” Zerk’k’s masculine voice rumbled in my ear. His soft breath against my skin unleashed a whole new wave of longing in me. Why was he telling me exactly what I wanted to hear? “You are safe with me.”
He pressed his hips firmly against me, and ground up, slowly and agonizingly. My breath caught in my throat as an explosion of pleasure rocked my body. I closed my eyes. I wouldn’t be able to fight it much longer. Whether I liked it or not, this was what I wanted.
Another gentle thrust of Zerk’k’s powerful hips, and a gentle, completely unexpected kiss on my temple completely did me in. I caved in to the sweet seduction of Zerk’k’s body, and gripped his muscular biceps as he carefully used his body to elicit pleasure within me I hadn’t realized was possible.
He paused for a moment to lift the gown from my body so he could examine the slope of my breasts, and I cried out in ecstasy as the hot trail of his touch roamed from my neck to the soft mound of my nipple. Zerk’k’s dark eyes settled on mine, and a serious expression settled on his face.
In a quick flash, the cloth covering his body was gone, and there was nothing between my body and his. I moaned softly as his impressive member found its way between my legs. He took his time with my body, exploring every little detail of it with his own. Most men would have been halfway done by then, but not Zerk’k. His careful precision drew the whole experience out, and I was so overcome with pleasure that I could barely remember my own name.
“Lain,” he said softly, as if testing out the word on his lips. He seemed to decide that he liked the way it tasted, and lowered his soft mouth against my clavicle. Another explosion of bliss rocked my body, and was intensified as he began to gently push himself inside of me. I was shocked by how much pleasure I was receiving; none of the experiences I’d had on Earth could even compare.
I grabbed Zerk’k’s shoulder, moaning deeply as he made his way fully inside me. Every small movement he made sent a new thrill coursing through me, and I had to bite my lips to keep from crying out too loudly. All my life I had lived in apartments where I had to be mindful of every little noise I made, and seemed to carry the habit with me to the planet Jenal’k.
Suddenly, Zerk’k began to unleash his power on my body. He plunged hard inside me, removing himself slowly and deliberately before thrusting inside again. My entire body was shaken to the core, and I cried out loud. So this was what bodies were made for. Leave it to an alien to help me figure it out.
Zerk’k seemed to have unlimited stores of energy. Even though I had been convinced he was about to fall into a dead sleep just a few moments beforehand, now he was spending a huge amount of time building up my body in a way I’d never experienced before.
As suddenly as it started, I could feel myself tightening around the hard muscle inside of me, and Zerk’k paused. I panted as my orgasm overpowered me. I looked into Zerk’k’s face, and saw that he was completely enraptured. With one, final thrust of his powerful body, a hot explosion burst from him, and my climax reached a new height. Zerk’k held me tightly as our bodies responded to each other, and quickly withdrew from me when it was clear that both of us were completely spent.
“Sleep in peace,” he said quietly.
I didn’t know how to respond, and couldn’t possibly begin to describe the mixed feelings it gave me when Zerk’k turned his back to me on the bed and immediately fell into a fast, deep sleep.
Chapter 12
Commander Zerk’k Arkti
When I woke up, the human had already risen from the bed and left the room. I cringed, furious at myself for the night before. My plan had been to let her come to know me of her own accord. Now, I was certain that things would become even more strained than they were before.
“Good morning, Commander,” Trillis said, smiling brightly when I entered the dining area. The human was sitting at the table and glanced up at me. I caught her eye for a brief moment before she looked back down at her plate, her cheeks a deep red color. I knew I had messed up.
“You should eat something before you go,” Trillis said. She was always pestering me about food.
“Thank you,” I said, sitting down awkwardly across from Lain. She refused to meet my eyes again, so I focused on eating as quickly as I
could. If I didn’t get at least 5 meals daily, I was a wreck.
I was grateful for Trillis’ intervention. Most of the time I was too busy to eat properly, despite the fact that Thressl’n bodies required a lot of fuel to keep up our massive stores of energy and maintain our muscle mass. It was strange to see the human pick at our foods and seem satisfied after only a few bites. She ate about the same amount as a small Thressl’n child might have been expected to eat.
“Trillis, would you mind taking Lain to get appropriate attire? She can’t be mated to the Second in Command and look like such an outsider.”
“Of course, sir,” Trillis said, barely able to hide her sly smile. She was quietly rooting for me to embrace my feelings for the human. Even though everyone else on the planet would have been horrified to know that my interest in Lain was anything but a necessary evil required to keep our race from becoming extinct.
“I like my clothes,” Lain said. Her voice was quiet but resolute.
“What?” I asked, prickling. “I’m not asking if you like your clothes or not. Human clothes are not appropriate for this planet.”
“I didn’t ask to be here,” Lain retorted. “In fact, if I had any say in this at all, I never would have left Earth. So the least you can do is let me wear the clothes I like.”
“Those rags will not do,” I said, raising my voice despite myself. I had never been so challenged by anyone before. I wasn’t sure why she managed to get under my skin so much. “If you spent any time outside at all, you would know that. Why do you insist on questioning me all the time?”
“I’m not questioning you! I’m telling you I want to keep my clothes. Why do you insist on trying to control me all the time?”
I glowered and stood from the table. I didn’t have to go on bantering with this woman. She obviously wasn’t going to let this go, and neither of us was feeling particularly comfortable with the other. Especially after the night before. It seemed pointless to argue.
“Where are you going, Commander?” Trillis asked, hardly able to keep the panic out of her voice. She didn’t like to see me angry. She knew what I was capable of.
