Brianna

by Judy Mays

The peace of the universe was at stake. If Bakom weren’t curbed soon, he’d start a war that would reach all the way to her side of the galaxy anyway.

  Char closed his eyes, remembering how smooth the woman’s skin had felt, how soft her hair. She was so exotic, so beautiful. His cock stirred. He wanted to lose himself in her glorious body. He wanted to feel her melt around him as he buried himself as deep as he could. But once they reached Drakan, the Academy would claim her. The law was on their side, and his clan would not, could not begin an insurrection over the fate of an alien woman. Their allies would never support them. How could he protect her, keep her in his possession? How could he thwart Bakom—legally?

  Lorilana’s voice broke into his thoughts. “Maybe Dadon will have some ideas.”

  Char pulled his thoughts away from Bakom’s downfall and concentrated on Lorilana’s words. Dadon… Lorilana’s husband. Husband… Wife?… Marriage… Temporarily? The Academy could not take a wife from her husband even if she wasn’t a Drakian.

  Before he had a chance to think over the ramifications of that particular thought, Char said, “Marriage. She’ll have to marry me.”

  Lorilana choked on the wine she was drinking. “What!”

  He turned around and leaned back against the window. “Intermarriage among human species is recognized by the Academy. By marrying her, I will have the full weight of the Alalakan clan and the government to support her classification. Bakom’s Tests of Humanity don’t address marriage to an unidentified species. And, more importantly, he will never consider that I’d marry her. Once the council knows that you, Dr. Sendenton dem al’ Lorilana, have no doubts as to her humanity, she’ll gain that status not only for herself but also for the inhabitants of her planet.”

  Lorilana shook her head. “Bakom will seek to block any such move by the Council, and have you given thought to what this will mean to you and, especially, to your family?”

  He crossed his arms. “Father and Rodane will support me.”

  Lorilana set her glass on the table and stepped towards him. “Why are you doing this, Char? I understand why you want her in your bed. Her coloring alone titillates. But marriage?”

  An unfathomable expression in his eyes, he locked gazes with her. “She saved two members of an Alalakan crew from certain death. For that reason alone, I won’t allow Bakom to use her as a sexual experiment. As my wife, both Drakian and Federation law protect her. If making her my wife is the only way to save her from Bakom, so be it.” Then he smiled. “Besides, terminating a marriage is no difficult task. She can free herself whenever she chooses.”

  Lorilana leveled a gaze at Chardadon. Termination. So that was his plan. “As long as she doesn’t go beyond the first phase of marriage. If she accepts a clan tattoo, the marriage won’t be terminated as easily as you think. What’s more, Bakom will accuse you of marrying her just to spirit her away from him.”

  Char grinned. I certainly hope so. “He can try.”

  “He’s more powerful than you think.”

  Char walked back to his wine cabinet. “The Alalakans don’t underestimate Bakom’s power, Lorilana, but he’s become too impatient. If he had waited to begin his quest for power and control a few more years, he’d be much more firmly entrenched. As it is, his support isn’t as solid as he thinks.”

  “Maybe, but that’s months and years into the future. Bakom makes a very powerful enemy.”

  Char poured her another glass of wine and grinned when he handed it to her. “Lori, do you really believe he could hate the Alalakan clan any more than he already does?”

  Her smile was weak. “No, but he’ll have reason to be more public in his condemnations. People will listen to him simply because he is First President of the Academy.”

  Char refilled his glass. “If he becomes too outspoken, there are certain indiscretions of his own which can be revealed, though we’d rather wait.”

  Lorilana changed her tactics. “What if Brianna refuses?”

  He shrugged. “She seems to be rather intelligent. She’ll see that it’s the only possible way to save herself and her planet.”

  Her eyebrows rose. “Is that how you plan to broach the subject?”

  Char lifted his glass and threw its contents into his mouth. Time to nip Lorilana’s romantic thoughts in the bud. She didn’t have to know just how much he wanted this woman in his bed, on the floor, or against the wall, for that matter.

  He began to pace. “What do you expect me to do, Lori? She saved two of my crew from certain death. The clan owes her. As their captain, I owe her. I’m taking you at your word that she’s human. Can you think of another way to save her life? You’ve read the Alalakan reports on Bakom. You know what he’s capable of, all in the name of science. Do you really want him to get his hands on her?”

  She sank down onto a chair. “No, I don’t, but this marriage idea… Events are moving too rapidly.”

  Char stopped pacing and stared out the window again. Was Lori right? Did he really know what he was doing? Marrying an alien? How would his parents react? How would the clan react? Thank goodness Rodane was already married. He and Crystas would provide the heir soon.

  Straightening his shoulders, Char quashed his uncertainty ruthlessly. He would destroy Bakom! And he would use this alien woman to do so. First, though, they would pleasure each other in his bed.

  He turned his attention back to Lorilana. “There’s no other way and no time to waste. The ceremony must be performed before we get home, the sooner the better. What’s more, it must be secret from everyone except the necessary witnesses. The longer we can keep Bakom from learning about it, the less time he’ll have to formulate plans. Right now he’s sure he’ll be able to take the woman as soon as we get to Drakan. The longer he thinks that, the better.”

  “Her name is Brianna.”

  Char frowned. “What?”

  “You keep referring to her as ‘the woman’. No one will believe in this marriage if you don’t even use her name.”

  He cocked his head and studied Lorilana intently. What plans was she formulating in that lovely head of hers? “Brianna, then. You will perform the ceremony, of course?”

  Her smile was genuine. “I’ve been waiting years to perform this particular ceremony. I just wish it could be under different circumstances. What reason for this marriage will you give those not privy to your plans for Bakom?”

  Char shifted his gaze away. “The only reason anyone who knows me would believe because it’s the least believable.”

  An elegant eyebrow rose. “And what would that be?”

  He glanced back at Lorilana and grinned. “Why, that I fell madly in love at first sight, of course. Why else would the most eligible Alalakan left in the Clan marry a nobody from an unknown planet?”

  “Madly in lust maybe,” Lorilana answered with a chuckle.

  He shrugged. “Lust, love, what’s the difference?”

  Lorilana’s lips twitched. For such an intelligent man, Char could be such an idiot. Then she chuckled again. “Do you know how many mothers with eligible daughters have plans of action in place for the moment you return to your family’s estate? Do you know how many ‘eligible’ friends your sister-in-law has invited to the Solstice celebration? Or have those plans helped you formulate your own?”

  “I must admit that the thought crossed my mind,” he acknowledged with a grin. “As long as the…Brianna agrees, we’ll both be able to avoid difficult situations. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must get back to Command. Are you staying here?”

  “No, I’m tired, and with the sedative, Brianna should sleep approximately eight more hours. The guard you’ve posted, not to mention Meri’s Aradabs, will be sufficient protection.”

  “That and the fact the door is keyed to open only to you or me,” Char said as he prepared to exit the room. “Do you want me to escort you to your room?”

  She shook her head. “Go on. I want to make sure she’s resting comfortably.”

  Lorilana waited unti
l Chardadon left. Then she slipped into the other room.

  Brianna slept unaware of the conversation that had decided her fate. Her glorious red hair was draped about her, spilling over the side of the bunk onto the floor. The blanket had slipped to reveal firm white breasts with rosy pink nipples.

  Lorilana regarded her dispassionately. This woman had touched Char in a way that she, for one, was glad. And the stubborn fool didn’t even realize it yet. “He’s lying to himself, Brianna,” she said to the sleeping woman. “Oh, he thinks he just wants you in his bed. He may think of this as a marriage of convenience, but I think you’re more than an end to the meddling of Crystas and revenge on Bakom.”

  Bending, Lorilana tucked the blanket back around her patient’s shoulders. After brushing the hair from Brianna’s face, she smiled. Then she turned and left the room.

  * * * * *

  Dressed in a loose-fitting robe, Rodak don al’ Bakom relaxed in the cramped quarters assigned to him. He’d shrugged off this insult to his status, more than willing to tolerate poor food and quarters to gain knowledge of his opponents. Captain Alalakan don al’ Chardadon was no more than he’d expected, a member of a social group that reveled in what they considered their superior non-hermaphroditic sexual nature and four-syllable clan names. What fools!

  Demanding transport on the Alalakan ship had been a stroke of genius, even if he had missed the Council voting session. The captain had provided the one thing he, Bakom, had been unable to acquire, a non-identified humanoid specimen for his Tests of Humanity. And Captain Alalakan could do nothing to stop him. True, he should have anticipated the captain bringing a halt to his initial tests, but even that was for the best. When he got the woman back to Drakan, he’d have the Academy’s entire staff and facilities to initiate and complete the testing, certainly a facility much more adequate than the cargo hold of even the most advanced interplanetary ship. He had to give the Alalakans credit. Their ships were the best.

  Much as the captain’s highhandedness irritated him, the theft of his specimen had been in his own best interest. The interfering Dr. Sendenton dem al’ Lorilana would do her utmost to coddle the female back to perfect health, assuming the captain would somehow keep him from reclaiming her. Fools! He was just coming into his power. There weren’t enough members of the Ruling Council willing to oppose him. As for the Federation of Planets? Bah! They were totally inept and ineffective.

  He half reclined on his bunk, absentmindedly stroking his tail. That Aradab girl three years ago had been a nobody. What difference would one less brat make? How was he to completely catalog the effects of mithrin if he wasn’t permitted to experiment! The Alalakan clan would pay. Before he was finished with them, they’d be no more than a third-rate transport company relying on him to keep them afloat financially. That form of revenge would be much more satisfying than destroying the clan completely. To have Alalakan don al’ Jamiros and his two stiff-necked sons in his power was more heady than any aphrodisiac. The haughty daughter-in-law and wife would become his for the asking. And the daughter, Alalakan dem al’ Sheala, young and nubile, was just discovering her sexuality; it would be a pleasure to introduce her to mithrin.

  The imagined picture of the captain’s sister naked before him dissolved into the much more real image of the humanoid specimen as she had lain on his examining table, her wrists tied securely above her head, her legs spread wide, and her thick, auburn hair falling about her body in waves. Bakom’s pulse quickened as he imagined what he and others would do to her lush body. Damn Captain Alalakan for stealing his specimen. If only they were back on Drakan, he would be enjoying that lush body at this moment.

  His tail moved sinuously as if it had a life of its own, and he moaned deep in the back of his throat. Gasps and sighs of pleasure deepened as his tail disappeared beneath his robes. He did not acknowledge the door opening with a quiet hiss.

  Odam’s breath quickened as he watched his superior. “The communication probe has been sent, Doctor.”

  Bakom turned his head. “Good!” he gasped as his hips jerked. His hands moved to his belt. “Would you care to join me?”

  Odam didn’t need a second invitation.

  * * * * *

  Brianna struggled wildly against her bonds. She could feel hands groping and pinching her body. Something probed between her thighs. “No!” she sobbed.

  “Shhhh, you’re safe.”

  The soothing voice penetrated her hysteria, and her struggles ceased when she realized she was held in strong arms. The hand tenderly stroking her hair eased the tension in her body and she relaxed. Sighing, she snuggled closer, seeking the safety of dreamless oblivion.

  Cradling her against his chest, Char relaxed his hold but continued to murmur quiet platitudes and stroke her fiery hair—hair that clung to his hand and wrapped itself around his body with what seemed to be a life of its own. It was as soft and silky as that of his own people, but no one on his planet had any this thick or this long. And the color! Red such as he’d seen only once before on a planet halfway across the galaxy. Red that was a mixture of the rich, earthy auburn of the forest loams on his family’s estate, the shiny, burnished red copper of Gattan gold, and the deep, dark orange of the Varcian sun. The thick waves fell to her hips, and it fascinated him. Visions of the fiery locks wrapped around his aching erection appeared in his mind. He groaned and shifted as his cock stiffened, responding to his fantasies.

  Brianna’s hair tangled about Char’s hand, and it was inevitable that he pull it.

  While the sudden tug on her hair did not hurt Brianna, it did force her back towards consciousness. Once again she registered the soothing voice and gentle hands. Tilting her head back, she opened her eyes. Not yet fully awake, she smiled contentedly as she gazed into velvety, brown eyes. She closed her eyes as he continued to stroke her hair. This must be how a contented cat feels, she thought to herself, snuggling closer in his arms.

  Then her eyes flew open. She wasn’t dreaming! Gasping, she sat straight up, pushing herself out of his arms and then clutching the fallen blanket back to her breasts.

  With amusement and wonder, Char watched the pink blush that stole rapidly from her breasts to her face. He chuckled and said, “I’ve already seen you naked.”

  She lunged from his lap to stand half a room away. “I didn’t know you were there! You didn’t know I was…” she babbled. Then she stopped. She grasped the blanket firmly with one hand and threw her hair back over her shoulder with the other. Locking her eyes with his and raising her chin, she demanded, “What are you doing here?”

  “I heard you cry out. You refused to quiet until I held you.”

  Her nightmare returned, vividly.

  Compassion appeared on his face. “Bakom?”

  She nodded.

  “He can’t hurt you here, and no one else on this ship would seek to do so,” Char stated firmly as he rose from the bunk. “I’m Alalakan don al’ Chardadon, captain of the Restoration. My clan—and I—owe you a debt of honor that can never be fully repaid. We—I will protect you.”

  Brianna gazed into his dark eyes, searching for the truth. “Dr. Sendenton told me about the Academy and their Tests of Humanity,” she said finally. “How do you propose to protect me from those?”

  Char sighed and clasped his hands behind his back. Glancing into her expressionless face, he said, “I had hoped to explain under different circumstances, but—there’s one sure way to protect you, and I ask you to listen to me fully and think carefully before you answer.”

  After her curt nod, he continued. “Citizens of the five known planets are exempt from the Tests. There are a number of different ways to gain citizenship, but the one way that all the planets have in common is marriage.”

  Char waited for some reaction, but her face remained closed to him. Raking the fingers of both hands through his loose hair, he continued, “If you marry a citizen from one of the five planets, you’ll immediately be accepted as a member of that society. You’ll be ackno
wledged as human because no one would marry you if you were anything else.”

  “So,” she interjected flatly, “I only have to find someone from one of these planets willing to marry me, and I’ll be safe from this Bakom person.”

  “Yes.”

  “And you and the doctor have already determined who this will be.”

  “Yes.”

  Her nostrils flared. “Am I permitted to know, or is yours a culture that delivers its brides to a preselected, unknown groom?”

  Char cocked an eyebrow. He hadn’t expected anger. “We aren’t barbarians.”

  “Not barbarians!” she shouted, one arm flailing as the other clenched the blanket to her breasts. “One of your so-called scientists plans to inject a powerful aphrodisiac into a wounded, unconscious woman for the express purpose of some ridiculous sexual rite, and you say you aren’t barbarians! Exactly how would you describe yourself, Captain Alalakan don den del al’ whatever Chardadon?”

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “And your people are more civilized? One of my crew was scheduled for dissection.”

  Brianna chose to ignore that statement and his growing irritation as she began to pace the small room. “You’ve kept me locked in this room with nothing but a blanket to save my modesty. How do I know you aren’t seeking to lull me into a false sense of security until I am fully recovered so that you can then perform these sexual experiments, Captain?” she snapped as she turned to face him. “How do I know that’s not the true situation?”

  Char’s eyes narrowed, but he kept a tight rein on his growing anger. Never had the word of an Alalakan, especially his word, been questioned so caustically.

  Green fire sparkled dangerously in her eyes. “Why bother waiting?” she challenged. “Call this Bakom person and get with this damn testing over with. I’m tired of waiting!”

  Char took a step towards her. “Woman, you try my patience!”

  Brianna was past caring about physical danger. Her body had repaired itself, but mentally she was exhausted. Lorilana’s revelations about the Tests of Humanity had unnerved her more than she admitted even to herself. She needed an emotional outlet, and the captain had provided it with his plan of marriage.