by Jaylee Davis
“What?” Pam’s head shot up from her hiding place, and she jammed her fists against his chest to push away. He allowed her to retreat a few inches, but there was no escaping his massive arms. Instead of wasting energy, she glared at him. “We didn’t start anything,” she said, keeping her voice low. “And when we get to your ship, you can sleep in the hallway with your friends until I’m returned to my family on Earth.”
To her dismay, a broad grin spread across his face. He looked thrilled about something, and she had a good idea it wasn’t about the possibility of him sleeping in the hallway with his buddies. What the devil had she done to make him look so happy?
“Why are you smiling?”
“You’re feisty, not like Tauran females. I like a challenge.”
Huh? He looked at her as if she were the one and only chew toy left in the universe.
At a complete loss, Pam stuttered, “Who…or what are you?”
His grin subsided a bit.
“We’re Taurans.”
“All of you? Even the shorter guys? Do they have sharp weapons hidden in their arms too?”
“No. Thoren and I are different, because we are warrior born. Our Tauran males are very similar to human ones.”
Pam thought for a few moments, trying to recall more of the conversation she’d overheard. Kord took advantage of the silence and shifted her on his lap until she sat upright and sideways with her legs draped across his sturdy thighs. She grabbed the hem of her baggy shirt and tugged it down over her knees. At that moment, the lighting flickered in the cabin, once, twice, then it changed colors to red. She noticed Thoren had found a seat up front and had buckled a harness around his chest. Kord released her and did the same, then he reclaimed her with his arms. He held her even tighter.
“Should I move to one of the seats?”
“No, I have you. As we approach for a landing, the gravity fields between our ship and the shuttle fluctuate. It can get rough before the Defiance’s control system takes over. Don’t be afraid. I won’t allow any harm to come to you.”
The shuttle lurched, shook slightly, then leveled off. The strangest sensation came over her. Her hair floated up and away from her shoulders. She felt light as a feather. The feeling only lasted for a second or two, but it was long enough. Any longer and she would’ve lost the contents of her stomach. A more urgent need made an untimely request. She needed to pee in the worst way. Pam clenched her teeth along with her thighs and slumped against Kord’s chest.
“Is there a bathroom on this thing?”
“Yes, but the discomfort will pass once we’ve landed.”
“I really have to… Um…use the toilet.”
“After we land, if you still feel the need, I’ll show you.”
The ship lurched sideways, stabilized and seemed to hover before it settled to a smooth, gentle landing. Pam gritted her teeth the whole time. The entire experience wasn’t something she wanted to repeat anytime soon. She’d never liked flying. Now she could add space travel to the list. Then she realized how ridiculous her thoughts were. She wasn’t on Earth anymore. The shuttle had landed on another ship, apparently a much larger one, if her suspicions were correct.
The lighting returned to normal, and Kord released her to unbuckle his harness. Pam glanced toward the front of the shuttle. The Taurans were out of their seats and milling around. Thoren stood beside the exit door.
“How do you feel now?”
Kord’s question prodded her to evaluate her condition. The urgency to urinate was gone. Sure, she could go, but it could wait. She’d always been able to hold it longer than all her friends. He’d been right about her feeling better after they’d landed. Her stomach wasn’t threatening to revolt anymore.
She smiled weakly, and said, “I’m fine now.”
Kord let her slip off his lap and made sure she stood before he did the same. In the short time it took to travel to his ship, she’d forgotten how tall he was. She wasn’t considered a short woman, by any means, yet he towered over her.
“Remember what I told you. Don’t speak. Stay beside me and do as I say. There are no females on our ships so the males will be curious about you. I don’t want to kill any of them, but I will if they try to approach you.”
“Why would you do that?” She gaped at him, shocked by his words.
“Instinct. You’re mine.” He stated the fact so nonchalantly, as if it were an everyday occurrence.
She wanted to disagree, but shelved the idea for the time being. It just seemed like the best thing she could do was go along with his delusion. She nodded meekly and waited for the doorway to open.
Chapter Seven
As soon as the shuttle door opened, Thoren stepped aside to allow the Taurans to leave first. He and the last one exchanged conspiring looks before the smaller male walked down the ramp. Afterward, he shifted his stance and took up the entire opening. Curious, Pam looked on as he surveyed the area just out of her sight.
“If you want to live, leave the landing bay and clear the corridors.” After a few seconds, he bellowed, “Now!”
Startled by the vehemence in his tone, Pam jerked. Apparently, whoever was outside wasn’t obeying fast enough. She was grateful Kord kept a protective arm around her waist. Shouts and running noises came from beyond the doorway. Swishing sounds that she associated with doors opening and closing could be heard. Moments later, there was silence.
“The landing bay is vacant and the corridors are clear, Thoren!” The strong authoritative voice came from outside.
“You and the general are still here.”
“I’m the captain. It’s my ship, and General Jernick is your superior. We aren’t leaving.”
Thoren glanced back at Kord and shrugged. “It’s hard to disagree with him.”
Kord heaved a great sigh. “I’m in control. How could you think to banish them?”
“The temptation was too great. I gave it a shot.” He grinned.
“If I were captain, I’d shoot you.”
“Good thing warriors can’t command space vessels.” Thoren’s pleased expression turned serious. “Flyn and Draven are waiting near the bottom of the ramp. Are you and your female ready?”
Kord nodded and headed for the door with Pam scurrying along right beside him. She wanted to reassure him by staying glued to his hip. Confronted by the biggest unknown of her life, she was more than willing to follow his orders. In fact, she felt so nervous she feared her knees might give out, which would send her crumpling to the floor in a frightened heap.
“Don’t be afraid. I won’t let anyone harm you,” Kord said.
His calm assurance bolstered what remained of her courage.
As she walked beside him, she kept her head bowed, eyes focused on the center aisle until they reached the open doorway. She only intended to take a swift glance just out of curiosity, but the instant she looked up, she froze. The sight of the immense landing bay brought her to a complete standstill. Vehicles of varying sizes crowded the interior. Spaceships? Shuttles? It’s real.
She squinted against the brilliant lights, trying to focus clearly on the two large men standing at the foot of the ramp. Both were deeply tanned, one much darker than the other. They resembled Kord and Thoren—tall brawny males with long hair. Except she saw right away that they were dressed differently. The two warriors wore black uniforms that differed in style from the Tauran spacers and soldiers. Their shirts looked similar to the tank tops human men wore, but the slender straps fit closer to their necks, revealing heavily muscled shoulders and arms. Their shirt tails were tucked neatly into belted, formfitting trousers that molded to thick, muscular thighs. They wore black boots, the same style as Kord’s. Their forearms were covered by the familiar gauntlets. Pam was well aware of what they concealed. The memory was permanently seared into her mind. She tried not to gawk at their arms or even think about the strange weapons.
A firm, warm hand pressed against the small of her back and nudged her forward. She shuffled
down the ramp beside Kord, each step taking her closer to the giants who stared at her with blatant curiosity. The darker skinned one had shiny, copper-colored eyes and the other’s irises were the palest tan color she’d ever seen. Didn’t any of them have normal eyes? In unison, they inhaled sharply, nostrils flaring.
Kord growled, low and menacing, and the two giants quickly shuffled backward. They turned and hurried to an open doorway while exchanging hand gestures. They stopped in the opening to wait, and by that time she and Kord had reached the end of the ramp. Pam didn’t notice the other two men standing off to the side until one of them spoke.
A gruff voice drew her attention. “Draven and Flyn will escort you. Don’t make trouble, Kord. You know what will happen.”
Kord came to an abrupt halt. He looked over at the other man and snarled. Pam followed his gaze. An older Tauran man, about mid to late fifties was her guess, stood nearby. His uniform was dark brown. The intense determination showing in his expression gave her a chill. Another man stood beside him. She saw that this one wore the same blue-colored uniform of the spacers. Since Kord wasn’t actually growling, she figured the Tauran men stood just on the outside edge of her barbarian’s comfort zone. No matter, he stepped in front of her, shielding her from them. Curiosity made her peek around him.
“Be at ease, Kord,” the other man said. “The general trusts you. It’s just a reminder.”
“I’m in control, Captain Bane. May we proceed?” To her ears, Kord sounded calmer, but still impatient.
The captain’s curious gaze shifted to her. “Welcome aboard the Defiance, human female. Do you have a name?”
“Her name is Sandra,” Kord blurted, giving her no chance to respond or correct the lie.
Pam shivered involuntarily. Under normal circumstances, she’d have been furious if a man spoke for her, but right then, she was just relieved when Kord ushered her away from the two officers and out of the huge spacecraft hangar. The steady tread of Thoren’s booted feet pounding after them added to her relief. Wherever Kord was taking her, she hoped there’d be a warm shower. A comfortable bed would be nice. Hiding under a blanket for the rest of her life sounded like a good idea too.
Pam scurried to keep up with the large men, taking two steps to their one. Kord stayed by her side as they traveled down a broad corridor. The two warriors in the lead stopped in front of a doorway, which was wider than the others she’d seen. One pressed his palm against the surface and the door-sized panels parted.
An elevator of some kind, was her first thought. Like an obedient sacrificial lamb, she followed Kord inside. The floor of the confined cubicle was round, the walls cylindrical. He gently shoved her against the wall before he turned his back on her. Without making a sound, the chamber shot upward at an incredible speed. Caught off guard, Pam yelped and threw her arms around him to steady herself. She held on tight. A couple of the men chuckled.
Kord twisted his upper body around to look at her. Not loosening her grip, Pam gazed at him. An eager grin from her barbarian greeted her. “The lift is fast. We’re almost there,” he said. “Patience.”
His explanation confused her until she realized where her hands had landed. Her arms surrounded his hips and her palms were spread across his groin. She immediately shifted her hold higher to grip his waist. Shame faced, she groaned, too humiliated to speak in front of the others.
More laughter erupted from them until Kord snarled, and ordered, “Enough.”
To her relief, they stopped. More than anything, she wanted to bitch Kord out for being such an overbearing ass. It wasn’t as if there was anything poking out of there for her to grab. Dickless barbarian.
The lift came to a stop a few seconds afterward. Kord blocked her way until the other men exited. Then, to her surprise, he turned around and picked her up before stepping into the corridor. Without a word, he carried her down the passageway. She watched the other warriors back far away from an open doorway. Kord came to a halt in front of the opening, and Pam noticed three cot-like beds lined up against the hallway wall.
“We’ll take shifts guarding the door. No one will enter until…” Thoren’s gaze shifted to Pam, then back to Kord. “Until you’re done.”
She might be tired and brain addled, but even she knew Thoren was being evasive. And there should be four beds in the hall, not three. Apparently, these guys took Kord’s claim about her being his mate as fact. This can’t be real, this can’t be real… No matter how many times she repeated the mental chant, the situation remained the same. Kord believed they were mates.
“I’m grateful,” Kord muttered before carrying her inside the room.
He pressed a button on the wall and the door snapped shut behind them.
Once they were alone, Pam wiggled in his arms. “Put me down,” she demanded.
Ignoring her, Kord carried her across an open area and into a smaller room before he released her. As soon as her feet touched the hard floor, Pam scurried away. Since the room was small, she only distanced herself by a few feet before slamming into a wall. She turned and plastered her back against it as she warily looked at him.
“You should leave,” she said, hating that her voice trembled.
Kord cocked his head and studied her. His lips curved up slightly into a kind smile. “You should relax.” He pointed to a control pad on the wall next to her. “This is our bathing area. Press the white pad if you need to relieve yourself.”
Pam gave the pad a quick glance, then shook her head. “I’m fine now,” she lied. She had to pee in the worst way.
“Good. I’ll go first,” he said.
“Oh!” She gasped as he removed his loincloth.
In seconds, the small scrap of leathery material hit the floor. His boots joined the pile next along with his forearm gauntlets. Too shocked to protest, she gawked at him. A completely naked Kord was a magnificent sight to behold. Before she could turn away, she discovered that he did, in fact, have a penis. A long, extremely impressive, but very flaccid one dangled between his legs. Pam closed her eyes and buried her face against the wall in embarrassment.
She sensed movement beside her. He’d pressed the control pad. Out of the corner of her eye, a toilet-shaped object emerged from the wall next to her. He went to stand beside her, and she shuffled sideways to give him more room. Pam wanted to disappear into nothingness when she heard the telltale sound of a man relieving himself right next to her.
She whipped around, intending on running out of the room, but she couldn’t locate the exit. Somehow, the doorway had disappeared or so it seemed. Pam had to be satisfied with escaping to the opposite wall where the door should have been.
“Why are you so nervous? Have you never been with a male before?”
“What?” Pam was too stunned to comprehend his questions at first. “I don’t… I’m not nervous,” she stammered. “I just… I mean, a man and woman on my planet don’t just go to the bathroom together, especially if they aren’t…uh…don’t know each other very well.” She refused to look at him.
Kord’s gentle laugh at her jumbled explanation left her speechless once again. Pam hated how she acted. What the hell was wrong with her all of a sudden? She wasn’t a shy, timid little virgin. Being alone with a naked man in a bathroom or a bedroom shouldn’t bother her in the least. She was experienced, by god. Two ex-boyfriends and one ex-fiancé proved she was less than virginal. Besides, she’d seen them pee, had even helped them with the act, and no, she didn’t have penis envy. It was just fun to write her name in the snow. Get a grip on your courage, dumbass.
“Are you certain you don’t wish to relieve yourself? I’ll leave if you need privacy.”
The unexpected offer caught her attention. She looked over her shoulder and caught sight of his muscular backside as he finished up in a very human-like way, giving his penis a quick double tap. He turned his head and gave her a boyish grin.
“I would appreciate some privacy.” She turned to face him, but kept her distance. “Thank
you.”
His grin faded into a slight frown of disappointment. “After you’re done, press the red pad and the container will retract into the wall for sterilization.” He punched the red button, and she watched in amazement as the toilet contraption slid back into the wall. Kord took a few steps sideways and shoved his hands into a rectangular opening in the wall. A pink light glowed for a few seconds before winking out. He removed them and displayed them for her approval. “For sanitation,” he explained. He pressed a button beside the hand sanitizer and a miniature sink-type container slid out of the wall. A small cup, about the size of a shot glass, sat in the bottom of the sink. He grabbed the glass and showed it to her. It was filled with red liquid.
Pam gasped and stared at him, wide-eyed with shock. “Blood?”
Kord laughed. “No.” He heaved an indulgent growl and shook his head. “It’s a cleanser for teeth. Use it like this.”
He tilted the rim to his lips and poured the thick contents into his mouth. He dropped the empty glass back into the container. After a few seconds, he bent over and spit into the sink. Another press of the button sent it back into the wall. He swiped his tongue over his lips to remove any remaining liquid before completely turning toward her. He gave her a broad smile, showing his pearly white teeth along with both sets of glistening fangs.
“See?”
Pam shrank back against the wall. If he bit her throat out, at least he’d do it with clean teeth. In a strange way, the idea gave her some consolation.
“Try not to swallow the chemical. It isn’t poisonous, but your digestive system might revolt if you ingest too much. I’ll leave now.”
Pam nodded, staying silent while Kord approached. He stopped in front of a full-length mirrored surface next to her on the wall. He pressed a button near the edge and the entire mirror slid aside, revealing the doorway. Before he left, he gently caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, then trailed his fingers down her neck, leaving a hot trail that sizzled across the tender skin. His warm palm came to rest on her shoulder.
