by Abella Ward
"Where is Ava?" Chapec asked.
"Sara is looking after her right now. I wanted time to speak with you. To tell you how much I love you."
"I love you, too. And I will make you proud of me. I will make Ava proud of me. I promise."
"I know." Veronica leaned into his arms. She raised her face to his, and they shared another kiss; the kiss that would start them on their new life together.
Chapec couldn't wait to see what would happen next.
*****
THE END
Story 7: Captured by the Barbarian
Description
I’ve been kidnapped - there’s nowhere to go. I’m stuck on a space ship with an insanely hot alien.
Jada Isles owns a dating agency that connects human women with the sexy T’shav aliens. But when she sees her new client’s D*rito-shaped torso, she decides to meet him herself.
Sildon has only one love in his life: The sword that was left to him by his grandfather. Until he sees Jada. Her femininity, lush curves, thick thighs and full lips drive him insane.
But there’s no time to let her beauty get to his head. Sildon is on a mission. He has to kidnap her for ransom.
All goes according to plan. Until Sildon finds out how strong-willed Jada is. But even though her mind should be focused on escaping, she can’t stop staring at the well-defined “V” below his perfect six-pack.
And soon another challenge presents itself when they come across a baby being sold on the slave market.
Does this mercenary have a heart after all? Can Jada and Sildon contain the heat slowly building up between them? Is he prepared to do the one thing that could destroy everything else?
Chapter One – Jada
Life in the Zon Sanctuary was an interesting mix of socialism and capitalism. Everybody was given what they needed to survive comfortably. Nobody went hungry or without a roof over their heads. The food provided was nutritious and tasted good. Quarters, however, were fairly cramped unless one could afford to pay for luxuries.
Jada Isles was not a girl who settled for anything less than luxury. Being abducted from Earth and kept in a stasis pod for billions of years didn't change that. When she awoke to find herself in a universe where her home planet was a dead rock and there were hundreds of alien species roaming the galaxy, she did what she always did. She found a way to improve her situation.
And that was how she found herself at a desk, sloughing through applications of clients who had contacted her dating agency. Most of the applicants were either one of the few thousand humans who had been rescued from stasis like she had been, or T'shav, their guardians here at the Sanctuary.
"Ugh," she groaned, typing in a program to separate the lists into more manageable groups. "It seems like half of the women who want to be with a T'shav are just looking for a musth hookup."
Her colleague, Amic, smirked. "Many of the T'shav men have signed up for the same."
It was true. And Jada understood both viewpoints. All the humans knew about musth, a hormonal cycle that T'shav men went through every year. During that time, they physically required sex just to stop them from turning into raging killing machines. They also released pheromones that drew women into a state of unbridled lust. Jada herself had to admit that she longed for the chance to find out what it was like to be with a man in such a state, no inhibitions between them.
But that didn't mean she didn’t also want something more.
"I get the women," she said to Amic. "T'shav are insanely hot. But they all just seem to be in it for the sex. And why do so many of the T'shav want humans? What's the big draw?"
Amic laughed. She was T'shav herself, with the species' signature devil-red skin, black hair and black eyes. "Have you seen yourself lately? Even the thinnest of your women have curves from head to toe. And you!"
The T'shav woman gestured at her with an envious expression. Jada ducked her head. She still wasn't quite used to the fact that she was the epitome of feminine beauty in the Sanctuary. On Earth, she never saw anybody like herself in magazines or on TV. She was too thick in the waist, although she was fortunate enough to have a figure that was narrower at the base of her ribcage, plus well-proportioned breasts and an ass that won her third prize in a 'chub club' her sister once made her attend. Her curves were exactly what was considered attractive in women out here.
"I'd kill for those hips," Amic said, putting her hands on her own narrow hips. "T'shav are too muscular. Men and women both. You don’t understand our men lusting for your women? I don't understand your women lusting for our men. We're like walls of muscle from birth."
They had had this conversation many times over the months since Jada set up the agency, but she never got tired of it. It was nice for both of them to see outside their own cultural beauty standards. Jada flipped through a few more profile pictures. "Listen, back on Earth you would have been the bomb. Cute, tight and fit. That's what you are. And considering that I saw yet another new guy walking you home last night, you know it."
Amic smoothed her cute strapless var'kin dress over her knees, affecting a prim look. "You know that T'shav have no taboos against taking a mate for a few weeks before moving onto the next one. Unlike your society, we don't consider casual sex a shameful thing. Except during the musth. Then it's always dirty and messy, and you never really know if it would have happened if it weren't for hormones."
"Which is why we make sure that our clients state whether they're comfortable getting together during musth or not."
Jada focused on the holoscreen as a new profile popped in. She pulled up the image of a T'shav man. He was a little older than most of the men who signed up with the agency. Rather than the twenty- and thirty-year-olds she was used to, he looked to be in his early forties. Just like her. Age estimation wasn't an exact science, especially with all the new health and beauty products available, but Jada dismissed it. This man, with his hard, unsmiling mouth and eyes that stared straight ahead, didn't seem like the kind to care about beauty routines.
"Now, he's yummy," she mumbled to herself, leaning forward.
His skin was a darker red than most T'shav she had met, with a triangular face shape and sharp cheekbones that made his devil-like appearance even more pronounced. The picture showed him shirtless, wearing only a kilt-like var'ki. His face wasn't the only triangle. His torso had that Dorito shape she loved so much, and a well-defined 'V' was sculpted below his perfect six-pack. On Earth, she would have never had a chance with a guy that looked like that. Here she actually outclassed him.
"Sildon. Nice name," she continued. "New to the Sanctuary. Looking for some one-time fun to see if a human woman can really take a T'shav male at full musth."
A swirl of heat made Jada shiver. A tight feeling started in her core and she pressed her legs tightly together to try to dispel it. Normally, it was a bit tricky for her to tell when she was aroused. In her younger days it wasn't so difficult, and while forty wasn't old, especially in this world, her body had begun to change on her. But right now, what it wanted was as plain as a pimple on a debutante's face.
"You can't match him with any of our girls," Amic protested, leaning across Jada's desk to peer at Sildon's application.
Jada pulled one of her tight black curls straight along the side of her face as she considered Sildon's image. Even the semi-scowl he wore was something she liked to look at. Okay, maybe she had a bit of a Savior complex – she could never resist a romance where the good-hearted woman saves the bad-boy cad – but having a bit of fun with this guy didn't seem to be that dangerous.
Amic waved a hand in front of her eyes. "Are you listening to me?"
"Why can't I match him with one of the girls?" Jada turned off the holoscreen. "He's forthright about what he wants. He's had his testing done. If a girl wants to have a one-time with him, what's the problem?"
"He's new to the Sanctuary."
Jada sighed. Humans had long since evolved into other forms, everything from the devil-like T'shav to the
tentacle-faced, gray skinned, Wlobqs with their white eyes that had no pupils. As such, humans were a rare commodity that was sought after by everybody from private collectors to religious orders. The Zon Sanctuary was founded to protect humans from the forces that would cut them up for experience or gawk at them in a cage.
"Yes, he's new to the Sanctuary. So what?"
Amic gave her a stern look. "He hasn't had a full assessment and we don't know if he's got ties to any of the corporations that are petitioning the United Species to take away humans' status as sentient beings. Or any of the various criminal elements that could cut a woman up and sell her parts on the black market."
Jada groaned. Amic was probably right. But it had been so long since she had been properly rebellious… "My mother always said that about the guys I met on Tinder. The Sanctuary is well-defended. Even if he's not an honest guy, it's not like Zon would let anybody actually chop me up. Besides, a warlord like him demands so much respect and fear that nobody would dare to go against him."
"Don't tell me you're going to meet this Sildon yourself!"
It was like she hadn't even heard Jada. The human shrugged and pulled the holoscreen back up. She typed out a quick note to Sildon asking for a date. She grinned as she waited, although she knew it could take days for the T'shav to reply.
"You aren't being serious, are you?" Amic asked. "You're not actually going to go meet him! You could get pregnant and not have a mate to help you raise your child."
"I thought it was common for T'shav women to end up raising children on their own," Jada muttered, ducking her head. She tried not to let Amic see how much her words had stung.
"But it's not common for humans."
Jada held up her hands. "It's not going to happen. I'm infertile. That's why my first husband divorced me. I couldn't have babies, so he thought I was useless."
Amic's face fell into horror. She pressed both hands to her mouth. "Jada—"
"I don't want to talk about it. But I am going to go see this Sildon, and hopefully, have a great story to tell you when I get back. We're in the Sanctuary. What could go wrong?"
Chapter Two – Sildon
She was late.
Sildon polished a nick out of the edge of his sword. It had once been a broadsword, crafted by his mother's father, but over the years it had suffered so much damage that Sildon had had to reshape it into a thinner, shorter blade. That was just fine; it suited his fighting style better. He had never been trained in the traditional T'shav ways, after all.
But why was his human female taking so long to get here? Perhaps he should have arranged to pick her up. Maybe she had gotten lost in the docks. Or maybe she had decided not to come and stayed on the planet that housed the Sanctuary. If that was the case, she could have at least let him know.
Oh, well. If this human didn't show up, he was certain he'd be able to get another soon enough. The women here threw themselves all over T'shav men. The way it was going, humans would be extinct again within a few generations since they all seemed to be having T'shav babies rather than mating with other humans.
A sharp click on the hard floors had him looking up. A human woman walked towards him. His sword clattered to the floor.
He'd seen images of Jada Isles. While pretty in the pictures, she was the epitome of beauty in real life. Sildon didn't even have anything to compare her to. Her body was the first thing he noticed. Her shape was all femininity, with lush curves that narrowed at her waist, emphasized by the dress she wore. The neckline plunged in a way that let just the right amount of cleavage show. She had nice thick thighs and lips that were just as full and curvaceous as the rest of her. Tight black curls haloed her face.
"Sildon?" she asked when she got to him.
The T'shav cleared his throat and picked up his sword. "Jada. I was beginning to think you changed your mind."
"I was unexpectedly delayed at work. I thought about sending you a message, but it's also an Earth woman custom to keep men waiting a little bit at the start of their dates." She winked at him.
She smelled fruity and sweet. Maybe he should find another woman for this. Sildon put his sword away, well aware that he hadn't put much effort into his own appearance. After all, he had just wanted to get her on his ship at the time.
But now, looking at her, smelling her, he couldn’t help but want to take this where she thought it was going. Go out for a dinner where they'd make some idle chit-chat to decide if they really wanted to sleep together. And then when they decided that they did, to go back to either her place or his and go at it like he was full-on musth. He nearly groaned as he thought of holding her tight to him, her legs gripping his hips—
Get hold of yourself.
He had a tight deadline. His application to join the Sanctuary had passed scrutiny so far, but his lies were certainly going to be found out sooner or later. If he was going to do this, it had to be with Jada Isles. Part of him wanted to go along with the ruse anyway because he was honestly curious about what it would be like to be with a human, but he was a better man than that. He would not bed Jada under false pretenses.
"Would you like to come onto the ship for a minute? I've decided not to take my sword with us."
Jada's brows arched but she shrugged. "That's fine with me. Lead the way."
Sildon smiled at her, gesturing her up the gangplank. He followed, heart hammering. The Sanctuary had stringent security with its humans. He half-expected guards to burst out from every direction to stop him. But they must have known what Jada was here for because nobody appeared.
"This is nice," Jada said, glancing around the ship once they were inside.
"It satisfies my needs."
Other than the cockpit, the ship had only two rooms. One contained a bed that folded itself into the wall and a cooking unit that produced lukewarm food that tasted passable most days. It didn't have much of a fuel tank, though. Short hops between close star systems were the best it could do.
"So, are we really going somewhere?" Jada sat on a stool, crossing her long legs at the ankle.
Sildon swallowed hard as her yellow dress rode up her thigh. "Well, we could if you wanted. Or we could have drinks and talk here."
"I could use something to drink." Jada tugged the hem of her dress. "It's been a while since I've done something like this, so I'm a little rusty. What's your usual sequence of events?"
"Talk and drinks for a few minutes. We decide if we're actually compatible enough to go further. If we're not, you leave and I mope for a while before looking for another woman." He flashed her a brilliant smile as he poured some cactus wine into two cups. It was a powerful drink, banned in three star systems, but he'd done his research. Humans could take the effects. They'd found some of the humans with far more potent drugs in their systems. "If we decide that we do like each other, then the rest happens naturally."
He offered a glass to Jada. She took it, flashed him a sexy smile and sipped at it. Her eyes widened and she looked down at the glass in surprise.
"That's delicious. What is it?"
"It's—"
Jada gulped down the rest. Sildon stared at her, slack-jawed. Most species would be flat on their backs after a couple swallows. Maybe he shouldn't have poured so much. The human's smile grew and she giggled, holding her glass out to him.
"Ooh, this feels like the sexies," she slurred. "I mean the sixties. You're cute. You're smoking hot, but you're also—"
Sildon caught her as she slumped over. He picked her up, marveling for a moment at how beautiful and soft her body was, before he shook his head and took her to the bed. It unfolded itself and he laid her down, careful to put her in a position where she wouldn't suffocate on the pillow or on her own vomit if that happened.
The T'shav rushed to raise the gangplank and start his engines. The comm buzzed and a voice rang through the ship, warning him to power down at once. He ignored it. They wouldn't fire on him while he had a human on board. The docks were in an open space on the station that
circled the planet, shielded to prevent air from escaping but not against ships coming or going. He lifted off, gunning for the opening. In the three-sixty viewscreen he'd installed, he saw other pilots scrambling for their own ships. He had to time this just right in order for it to work.
Stealth technology was always evolving. The older models were easily detected by the scanners that came installed these days. But the Sanctuary wasn't the first place he had infiltrated. The Ruizers Corporation was in the middle of developing a new stealth technology, one that didn't require new materials, but rather could hide any vessel.
"Unauthorized ship, you will shut down your engines at once and allow our operators to board," he was ordered as the ships surrounded him. "The human you have abducted is under the protection of the Warlord Zon, and if you do not allow us to reclaim her at once, you will suffer for it."
"I'm sure I will," Sildon muttered to himself.
He slowed his ship to almost stopping, then abandoned the cockpit to head for the escape pod. Inside was filled with various explosives. He set the timer and waited. His heart pounded, adrenaline flooding his system. All of his planning rode on this moment. If he jettisoned the pod too soon, they'd be able to see through the ruse. Too late, and he wouldn't have to worry about what Zon planned for him.
A thud hit the outside of his ship. He jettisoned the pod and rushed back to the cockpit. His hands flew over the controls, too focused on his work to fear any miscalculations. He jerked the ship to the right, breaking free of the tether that clung to his hull.
The escape pod exploded. The flames licked the thin oxygen shell that he had programmed about his ship, surrounding his vessel. He activated the stealth tech and threw the ship forward. The Sanctuary ships stayed where they were. His comm was disabled to help hide their escape, but he could imagine their shock and dismay.
