Galactic Inferno

by Mel Teshco

  “No. I…I brought you here.” At her obviously shell-shocked look, he gathered one of her hands in his and said hoarsely, “I had no choice. You needed help.”

  Something inside her chest tore. She’d been wrong about Renate. He was no different to the other men she’d had in her life. She snatched her hand free. “You lied to me.”

  He frowned but didn’t deny it. She wasn’t even sure if that was a good or a bad thing. Tears threatened. She willed them away. Even if it killed her she wouldn’t allow him to see the depth of her hurt.

  Another alien stepped close. She stiffened, unconsciously shrinking back. His eyes, the color of a cold, mysterious sea, narrowed as he studied her, before he looked to Renate and back to her again. He was more finely boned than Renate, and his honey-colored hair drifted to the shoulders of his orange coat.

  This was undoubtedly the man…alien, she’d heard as she’d come to.

  She lifted her chin and glowered. He was beautiful. And yet he did nothing for her. He didn’t sing to her soul.

  Renate…he’d been her everything.

  The alien turned to her former lover. In impeccable English he said, “You should leave. She needs to rest.” Renate opened his mouth and the other alien interjected, “She won’t be seeing anyone else.”

  Anyone else? As in the other alien men I’m apparently promised to?

  She pressed her hands to her face, but it didn’t stop Renate’s fierce voice from penetrating her numbed mind.

  “Ally, I did what I had to do to keep you alive. Maddox has a gift with plants, a gift with healing.”

  Even with her voice muffled by her hands, none would mistake its note of bitterness, even self-pity. “You should have let the dogs finish me off.”

  His shock pressed against her senses like a heat wave. Her hands locked harder over her face as she repressed a stupid need to appease him. She was so not going there.

  When she heard his heavy tread moving away, her hands dropped and she looked up, watching his rigid shoulders push through a throng of broad, leafy plants.

  Her heart skipped a beat. “Wait!” As Renate paused, her eyes scanned the room, with its huge domed ceiling and enormous orb of light high above, like an artificial sun. Though a wall of plants prevented her from seeing too far, behind her some sort of transparent substance revealed the drop to another floor below. Aliens moved beneath, in and out of her field of vision.

  She turned back to Renate, a sick feeling churning in her gut. “Where is Bonnie?”

  He turned slowly to face her, his posture stiff.

  She glowered, but her voice cracked when she repeated, “Where. Is. She?”

  “I had to leave her,” he conceded gruffly.

  She shook her head. “No.” Tears welled, then slid down her cheeks. She didn’t have any strength left to block them. Not anymore. “No. Please, no.”

  He took a step forward. The other alien held up a commanding hand. Renate’s eyes glistened. “I’m sorry.”

  When he turned away and retreated through the plants, she couldn’t stop the shudders of betrayal racking her body. She’d lost her beloved dog. And now…now she’d lost all faith in the one man she’d thought had been different from all others.

  The alien cleared his throat. “I will have our queen pay you a visit.”

  She froze. “No!” She shook her head. She’d lost everything and everyone she’d ever cared about. No amount of persuading would ease her pain. “I don’t want to see anyone.”

  Maddox stiffened. “Renate didn’t inform you our queen is human?”

  She wilted a little under his stare. “Yes. I guess he did. I…I just want my dog back.”

  The alien male stared at her as if she was mad, and who could blame him? She’d dismissed the idea of meeting another earth survivor with an even greater urge to find Bonnie. What this male didn’t understand was that her dog had kept her sane, kept her going when some days she wondered if she could.

  Bonnie had been her best friend.

  The alien’s face settled into an inscrutable, beautiful mask. “That isn’t possible. We are far away from where your dog was left behind. The craft is set on course for another earth woman who was detected by our sensors.”

  Ally struggled to her feet but staggered back. “No!”

  The alien crouched beside her. He pressed a round cup to her lips. “Drink this, it will help you to sleep, help take away your pain and your single-mindedness on everything negative.”

  I’ve just lost everyone I’ve ever loved and he calls it negative? She glared. “I don’t want it.”

  He raised a brow. “Renate brought you to us just in time. You suffered major blood loss and serious bite wounds. My plant tonics have already helped you to heal and regenerate your blood, but you need more.”

  Her lips pressed tighter.

  He sighed. “Drink the tonic willingly or have it poured down your throat by force. Your choice.”

  “No mind games, then?” she asked with bitter-sweetness. At his inscrutable expression, she muttered, “Fine.” She glared up at him as he tipped the cup into her opened mouth. Citrus and sour melon, bursting on her tongue as though fireworks before they became something else entirely. Something that burned down her throat like whiskey set alight.

  Then her eyelids grew heavy and fluttered closed, darkness immediately descending.

  * * * * *

  Renate shoved through the orange shield and leaned against the corridor wall with his chest heaving and everything inside him screaming to race back into the Ak ‘ Bella, gather Ally into his arms and escape.

  Where to, fool? Another part of the mother ship?

  He pushed back the selfish needs arising within. Ally needed to rest, to heal fully before he came up with any more wild ideas. Besides, there wouldn’t be any escape now the kings knew of his planned defection. He had little doubt Ezra would take that fact by the balls and squeeze hard.

  He closed his eyes and released a slow breath. Ally hated him now. But it paled in comparison to never seeing her again, never hearing her gentle voice, touching her soft skin or seeing her face light up with her smile.

  If she ever smiles again.

  He thrust an outspread hand through his short hair. He had to trust the kings—even Ezra—with Ally. Trust that they understood just how far he was willing to go to protect his woman.

  Because she was his woman. His alone. And he’d do everything in his power to win back her love, her respect.

  A soft tread along the corridor warned him of Lillian’s approach. His eyes opened and she paused right near him at the doorway. “She’s going to be okay,” the queen said softly. And somehow her compassion and understanding was almost his undoing.

  He jerked out a nod. “I hope so.”

  “The kings know you love her, but they doubt her human love is strong enough in return to resist her other chosen ones.” Her voice lowered. “And I have to say, I have my doubts too. I thought Dar was enough, then I met Ezra and Maddox. I couldn’t resist who I was meant to be with.”

  Pain lanced through his skull at the thought of Ally succumbing to the other four men of worth. He shook his head. He couldn’t—wouldn’t—go there. “She’s strong. I’ve seen her resist my mind control.”

  Surprise flickered across Lillian’s face. “Really?”

  “Yes.” He straightened. “You know I’ll kill any one of those men if they even attempt to go near her and test my theory.”

  “We thought that might be the case. Which is why Dar had the four chosen escorted to his earth base until a decision is reached.”

  “But…?” Renate prompted, knowing any relief crashing through his body would undoubtedly be short lived.

  “Ezra has requested other strategies to test your earth woman’s loyalty and love.” Lillian put a reassuring hand on his taut forearm. “There will be no alien men, I promise.”

  “Then who?” His eyes widened. “You?”

  She nodded. “The stage is set f
or you and the kings to oversee.”

  “Then Maddox is fermenting sasquatweed,” he murmured. It was an aphrodisiac few Carèche people had need of, but it was rumored to make a person forget everything but their most primal desires.

  How fitting that Ezra would use the one tonic that Renate’s mother had used on Ezra’s father to bring him to ruin and disgrace.

  He could only hope Ally found the strength to resist its potency.

  Bloody hell.

  If Ally did fail the test and succumb to the queen…he stood to lose her forever.

  * * * * *

  Ally placed her briefcase on her desk and sat at her leather chair, aware her movements were on autopilot.

  Just this once work wasn’t high on her list of priorities, her finger not on the company’s pulse. She had more important things occupying her mind.

  In less than a week she’d be moving out of the house she’d come to see as a home, moving away from the stepchildren she’d come to love as her own.

  She’d bought an apartment with million-dollar views of the harbor. Yeah, and with absolutely no one to share it with.

  She stretched, clicking her stiff neck. One just never knew what was around life’s corner.

  Clinton, her bald-headed, bespectacled co-worker and possibly the company’s biggest brown-noser, banged on her door. She frowned as he barged in before she’d called out for him to do so. But her frown dissolved at seeing his flushed face, his bright, disbelieving eyes. “What is it, Clinton?”

  “Have you heard the news?” His voice sounded breathless, bewildered.

  “No.” I’ve been a little preoccupied. “Should I have?”

  “Yes! UFOs have been sighted around Australia, around the world!”

  She rolled her eyes. Office pranks weren’t uncommon, but this one was beyond ridiculous. She didn’t have the time or the patience for this sort of bullshit. “If this is your idea of a practical joke—”

  He shook his head. “No way. This is…it’s fucking incredible. Come take a look.”

  His too-earnest expression had her push to her high heels despite herself. She followed him out of her office. And stared. The room beyond was empty of its workers. Shit. The chief executive would have everybody’s scalps on a silver platter.

  Clinton turned. “They’re all in the conference room, watching live footage on the big screen.”

  “Of course,” she said wryly, even as her pulse picked up speed, the palms of her hands beginning to sweat. This didn’t feel like a prank. Not one bit. She followed him into the conference room at an almost run, then froze. Her stare came to rest on the live coverage that flashed across the screen.

  Fucking hell.

  * * * * *

  She woke quickly this time, instantly attuned to the fact Renate wasn’t by her side—and wanting him there with a desperation she didn’t want to feel.

  Her eyelids flicked apart, the bright orange of the alien’s coat the first thing to come into focus.

  Maddox smiled. “How are you feeling now?”

  “Where’s Renate?” Her breath caught and she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. “And Bonnie, I…I want my dog.”

  He ignored her questions. “You should be feeling back to normal now—better than normal.”

  She sat up gingerly. No pain hit at her with the force of a sledgehammer. No vertigo. “How long have I been asleep?”

  “In earth time, four hours the first time.” He pressed a hand to her brow. “Twenty minutes just now.”

  She jerked away from his touch. He backed away, giving her some space. Only then did she realize someone had removed her jeans, her top. And as she’d borrowed no underwear to begin with, she was left completely naked.

  She covered her breasts with an arm, but knew it mattered little now. She’d been asleep and exposed to anyone who happened to be around. Her face flushed. She could only hope she hadn’t slept in her favorite position, on her back with her thighs splayed apart. Swallowing back mortification, she peered down at her legs.

  Holy shit. All self-consciousness fled, replaced by stunned disbelief. No deep wounds, no cuts, scrapes or bruises. Not even a scar. All that remained was a smear of dry blood. She looked up at Maddox. “That’s impossible.”

  He raised a brow. “My plants make many things possible.”

  “I nearly died—”

  “Very nearly.”

  “I—thank you.”

  He smiled again, his ice-blue eyes warming. “You’re welcome.” He lifted a cup to her lips and she automatically swallowed. She frowned at the peculiar briny taste. “This isn’t what you gave me earlier,” she spluttered, tasting the foul brew all the way to her belly.

  He nodded. “You have no need for physical healing now.”

  “Then what—?”

  He stepped back, the cup still in hand. “Let me introduce you to Lillian. Our queen.”

  The earth woman stepped through the leafy plants in an almost sheer dress that fell mid-thigh, made of the same alien substance the males wore as pants. Her long gold-brown hair swung forward and curtained her face as she twined slender arms around Maddox’s neck. The cup thudded to the floor as they kissed with tender, loving restraint, their eyes clinging for a moment before Lillian turned her attention to Ally.

  Ally felt her eyes bulge. No. Way.

  Though her memories were fuzzy at best, she knew the beautiful woman who stood before her. Queen Margaret Belgrave.

  Earth royalty.

  She sucked in a breath, pushing aside the need to bow. She wasn’t on earth, those rules no longer applied.

  Queen Margaret—Lillian—stared at her. “I can hardly believe it, another earth woman.” She smiled, delight sparkling from her eyes. “I hope we can be friends, yes?”

  Ally smiled lopsidedly in return, half-aware the brew she’d swallowed was making her feel…woozy. “I…yes. I think I’d like that.”

  Lillian interlaced her hands and tucked them beneath her chin, prayer-like, as she studied her. Apparently pleased, she dropped her hands and held one out. “So would I,” she said huskily. “Come, let’s get you clean, comfortable…relaxed. Then later, you can tell me your story.”

  She accepted Lillian’s small, feminine hand. All too conscious of the queen’s soft skin, her fragrance…

  What is wrong with me?

  Ally cleared her throat. “The aliens have a shower?”

  The queen smiled a secret smile. “Something like that.”

  When Lillian spun around and tugged her to follow, Ally squeaked, “I don’t want to go anywhere, not without Renate.”

  Lillian turned back, a brow raised. “He won’t be too far away, believe me.”

  Ally paused perhaps a second or two longer. But really, what choice did she have but to follow this human? Besides, she needed a friend in here. And a powerful friend at that. She managed a smile in return. “Then I’m all yours.”

  Lillian giggled, an almost girlish sound. “Oh I am so glad to hear you say that.”

  The queen led her through a jungle of leaves, exotic-looking fruits, vines and shrubs, but Ally scarcely noticed. Her body was thrumming with ever-increasing need. Her breasts had hardened, nipples tight and engorged, her pussy sensitized and clit tingling.

  What had that Maddox bastard given her?

  Needs were taking over, stark and wanton.

  Renate. Bonnie. Despite herself, right then she could scarcely dredge up their names.

  She repressed a groan. Lillian’s fragrance smelled of ambrosia, shooting shockwaves of lust straight to her cunt.

  She tore her stare away from the queen’s swaying ass and slender rearview, forcing herself to notice everything but the woman in front.

  A huge crimson butterfly with six jagged wings flittered past, its extra-long antennae that was speckled with fleshy knobs, seemingly a dead weight it had to lug around. Little wonder it needed an extra pair of wings.

  She brushed against a plant with fluorescent yellow leaves wit
h the appearance of long, leathery porcupine quills. It quivered and then abruptly whipped into itself, leaves twisting around one another to form a knot. Self-protection?

  Lillian turned back and smiled at her. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. The Ak ‘ Bella houses some incredible things.”

  “Ak ‘ Bella?” she asked, voice breathless and heart skipping beats. She could only hope the effects going on with her body weren’t apparent to Lillian.

  “Yes. It’s the mother ship’s hothouse. Maddox is the genius who looks after all the plants and their companions. Not only has he kept many otherworldly species from extinction, he helps supply food for the crew and tonics for all their ills.”

  The tinkling of a waterfall reached Ally’s ears even before they broke through some spiky greenery. A large pool gently bubbled and steamed before them. Ally’s eyes widened. “Wow. It’s beautiful.”

  The other woman dropped Ally’s hand to peel the dress over her head. Ally’s pulse jumped, her cunt squeezing. Speaking of beautiful. The queen’s slender body could have graced the cover of any number of beauty magazines. Her full breasts and pink, puckered nipples were made to be sucked, her pussy made to be tasted and fucked.

  Three kings would see to that. So what does she want from me?

  Lillian slipped into the steamy water with a luxurious sigh, but it was only once the queen had swum out to the middle of the pool that Ally’s lust dimmed.

  She drew in a steadying breath. She’d never felt this way about a woman. Ever. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. It took every bit of her restraint not to push a finger into her cunt and satisfy even a little of the lust overtaking her body.

  Water splashed. Ally’s eyelids flipped apart. The queen was on her back, thighs opened, the soft pink folds of her pussy in full view. “Don’t ask me how all this works,” she called out, sweeping a hand to encompass the pool and its surrounds. “All I know for sure is that the steam coming from this hot pool is vital for many of the plants survival.”

  Ally swallowed, her throat dry and her pussy wet. What would it be like to taste her majesty’s cunt? To make her vibrate with pleasure and sample her essence as she brought her to orgasm with her tongue?