Claimed By The Alien Warrior Kezon

by Eden Ember

  "I am Hjott warrior, trained for space travel and in protecting the ones in the royal family. Aside from a visit to see Earth quickly, I would never be able to stay. Earth is not a place for a being like me," Kezon said as he turned away.

  A few moments earlier, they had been kissing each other and rubbing each other's bodies while pressing against one another. Why did Kezon have to ruin everything with his talk of Blaire staying with him? Couldn’t they just be in the moment? Maybe she could change his mind, but she doubted as much. All the young woman knew was that her heart longed to be in his embrace once again, yet she wasn't convinced that she could live a life with an alien warrior. It seemed an impossible feat. Blaire stood quietly and looked at him.

  "I guess I'm confused about what I'm feeling right now. I'm thinking that perhaps this shouldn't happen because we are far too different," she told him. Blaire leaned into Kezon again, their lips meeting in a sweet kiss before she backed away and walked away from the bench. She disappeared quietly into the wash closet for a few moments. When she returned to the bench, the ship commander was gone. Blaire wondered what had just happened. She was conflicted about what was happening between the two of them and felt bad that she could not give in to Kezon’s request to stay in the Vada System with him. Unfortunately she was from Earth and couldn’t see being anywhere else once the mission was over. Blaire wished he would not take her decision so harshly, but he had. This fact saddened her as she sat back down at her work station.

  Chapter 11

  Kezon

  Kezon walked out of the laboratory once Blaire had disappeared into the wash closet. He had too much on his mind to sit there and feel his uxormea burn behind his tunic. Hearing her talk about returning to Earth made him want to give up everything and follow her there. Earth, however, was not the sort of place for a Hjott warrior and Kezon didn’t think he’d ultimately be happy there even if Blaire was with the one who made his uxormea burst.

  Arthexei came into view once they took the ship out of hyper-speed. The sight of the planet provided enough of a distraction to keep the ship’s commander from thinking about Blaire so much. He needed to keep his mind on mission and not on his personal feelings for the Terran woman. Kezon pulled the comm down from the radio and hailed Jatra on a secret channel.

  A voice on the other end responded. “Sir, a few more cyborgs have filtered into our system, all testing their ability within the masses. What makes them so dangerous is how they are disguising themselves as regulars among our people,” Abinga told him.

  “I have the solution on board,” Kezon replied. “The Terran scientist has served us well in this mission.” Kezon intentionally avoided saying Blaire’s name as he tried to keep his mind on the mission.

  “Kezon, you sound strained. I think we might have a bad connection,” Abinga replied.

  “Yes, perhaps,” Kezon answered as he cleared his throat. He couldn’t hide his thoughts on the whole situation with his guest, even from the outskirts of the Vada System. “We’re closing in on Arthexei. I’m going to cut communications so that I can increase the shields and land undetected. I will check in later.” Kezon returned the comm and it receded into the ceiling. His heart pounded behind his chest, the uxormea burning increasingly hotter as he struggled to keep his mind off the Terran female. Even Uza’s eyes looked down to his tunic when he returned to the bridge.

  “Closing in on Arthexei, shields are up, and we have reduced speed,” Uza reported. Out of respect, the Hjott didn’t mention his commander’s glowing uxormea.

  Kezon peered out the window at the small planet before them. It held beautiful hues of green and blue, much like Earth. His heart sank at the thought of his reaction when he first saw Earth. He had no clue the planet held the one who would cause his uxormea to burst. Many Hjotts went through life with their chests never glowing. Why did his uxormea have to burst for an alien Terran? Only one thing made any sense and the sooner he came to terms with it, the sooner he could overcome the repercussions of it. Kezon had to let Blaire go. The two of them were far too different, as both wanted different lives for themselves. He could no sooner become an Earthling than she could be happy on Jatra or on any planet in the Vada System. The thought of releasing her from his desire to have her caused Kezon to pause and take a deep breath. He needed to rely upon his training and forge ahead as if he’d never met a Terran named Blaire. Besides, Earth only allowed aliens to live there who served diplomatic purposes. He wasn’t a diplomat; he was a warrior. He couldn’t thrive in that kind of environment. Though it pained Kezon, he had entertained the thought for a moment to actually try going back with Blaire. Maybe he could talk Blaire into a traveling relationship, where they spent equal time at each other’s home systems? He wasn’t certain that he could ever be happy in the Terran System, just as he wasn’t certain that she could ever be happy in the Vada System.

  “Arthexei has a secret landing zone, sir. It is one that’s unknown to the rebels,” Uza said as he read through the encoded signals from the surface. The Jatra warriors used an encoded messaging system from the areas near the enemy encampments to communicate with their allies.

  The small agricultural planet boasted many hiding spots and Kezon wanted to show Blaire a new place while enjoying some fresh air. She was hesitant about the idea, though.

  “I could use this time to finish preparing the virus. I mean, that’s why I’m here, right?” she said to him.

  “True, but you’ve been closed inside the Gamma for weeks. A little fresh air would do you good,” Kezon replied as he held out his hand. He was set on not taking no for an answer.

  Blaire nodded and placed her small hand inside his before he led her to the hatch. She glanced around nervously. “How can a ship this huge land undetected?” she asked.

  “Shields. The shields hide us from enemy eyes. We have built the entire outer hull out of a material that allows the ship to be very much like the chameleons you have on Earth,” he told her.

  Blaire’s eyes widened as she stepped from the hatch and onto Arthexei for the first time. “I’ve never stepped foot on any planet besides Earth.”

  Kezon delighted in the Terran woman’s excitement of seeing a new planet for the first time. The indigo mountains framed their hiding spot nicely. The soft orange glow of the sun loomed overhead, casting a golden light that created eerie gray shadows around the ship. Beneath their feet, the indigo grass crunched as the pebbles beneath their feet glittered.

  “Breathtaking,” Blaire remarked as she moved ahead of Kezon, watching her feet occasionally as well as peering up at the oddly dark gray sky. It was a clear day, but the atmosphere created by the deep lakes gave it a gray hue.

  “Come, I’d like to show you the precipice and the lakes below,” Kezon said as he led her up a trail that climbed ever upward to the great cliffs of Arthexei. She gasped when the lakes came into view, as far as the eye could see. Lakes surrounded by small indigo mountains and shrouded in gray shadow.

  Blaire kept eyeing Kezon. “I’ve been thinking. You said that we needed to find a way to get the virus into the mainframe. Since the rebels aren’t expecting me, I thought I could disguise myself as a native Arthexien. I’ve studied them a little over the last couple of weeks and I think such a plan could work. I could become one of them and seek employment with their cyborg laboratory. I’ll put on a ruse about how I’m an escaped slave, since you’ve told me that some of them capture slaves. I’ll tell them how I studied AI science at the school on Prorr and can help them with their cause. I’ll get them to trust me and then I’ll transmit the virus to the mainframe.”

  “Absolutely not. That would be a suicide mission for you. I won’t allow it,” Kezon said as he puffed out his chest.

  “A suicide mission? Honestly, I don’t think it would be that dangerous, Commander. You’ve flown me how many light years away from my home planet just to tell me to stay out of the way? You need my help here and I hold the element of surprise. They would never suspect someone li
ke me of infiltrating their facility.”

  Kezon shook his head. “No, and that’s final. I’ll not risk your life for this, Blaire. If you did go, it would only be with me protecting you,” he told her.

  “I don’t see that working. You’re Hjott; they’ll recognize you immediately. They won’t recognize me, though. I’m perfectly capable of defending myself, Kezon. You can keep at a safe distance behind me to offer some protection. But let me do my job. Don’t be an overbearing brute about this.” There it was; the brute comment once again. Did she truly see him only as a brutish warrior?

  “My answer is no and that is final,” Kezon replied. He turned and escorted Blaire back down the trail toward the Gamma Revolution. Her eyes kept flitting in the direction of the cyborg factory. She’d studied the intelligence gathered concerning the facility and the population of the planet. She knew she could be of help if the Hjott commander would simply relent.

  “You can’t tell me what to do. I’m here to do my job and that’s final,” Blaire growled angrily as she squirmed away from his grasp.

  Kezon flinched at the Terran scientist’s sheer will and her reasoning. Though he thought her crazy for such a plan, he could understand such drive to complete the mission.

  Blaire pulled a small box from her pocket. “See this? It’s pretty much ready. It’s the viral code and the nanobots that will deliver it. I need to be the one to get it into their central command, not you. This is not within the scope of your expertise, Kezon. Now, stop being a savage and let me do my job,” she spat.

  Kezon shook his head at her. “You have it ready?”

  “Yes, and I figured that you’d try to stop me. That’s why I wanted you to leave me behind, so that I could sneak off and do this. But I thought, apparently very stupidly, that you might see the reasoning behind my plan and help me instead of being a hindrance to me,” Blaire admitted as she stared into his eyes.

  The Hjott warrior shook his head. He watched as Blaire dropped the tiny box into her outfit, right between her two breasts. She smiled wickedly at him and shook her head. Turning, the Terran female suddenly took off in a run and began to scream.

  “Help! I’m a slave! Help me get away from my captor,” she yelled as she ran toward the road that would lead to the factory.

  Kezon thought quickly as he pulled out his stun blaster and set it to stun. Blaire kept running and screaming about being a slave. He pointed it at her back and fired, hitting the target, rendering her helpless. The scientist fell to the ground, incapacitated. He lifted her to him and carried her back to the Gamma Revolution to place her under lockdown to keep her from doing something he considered to be both stupid and reckless.

  Chapter 12

  Blaire

  Blaire woke up feeling groggy and sore. She sat up on her cot while trying to recall what had happened to her. Scratching her head, she looked around the small room. There was no way to tell what time of day or night it was. Glancing at the watch on her wrist, Blaire noted that it was several hours later than what she had thought. Shaking her head, she strained to remember what had happened. After she swung her feet to the side of the bed, she saw that she still wore the same clothing she had on the previous day. Or maybe it was the same day; she really couldn't tell. The scientist would have never gone to bed in her clothes like this. Blaire had always had a bedtime routine and a specific set of clothes that she wore to sleep in. This was only because it helped her to relax by having soft material next to her skin rather than the scratchy flight suit that she wore all day on the ship.

  Blaire’s parched mouth had her searching for water. She reached around inside her shirt along her bare back and felt a few strange bumps. The bumps were itchy and a little painful. What happened? Her brain was foggy, as the events prior to her coming into her room remained a mystery. The Terran female made her way to the washroom within her little room. Peering into the small round mirror, she noted that she looked a mess, as if someone had beaten her.

  Anger washed over her as Blaire began to recall the events prior to blacking out. She had been outside on Arthexei with a plan in mind. She only wanted to help Kezon and his people,not cause them any trouble. He wanted to take the long way around to advance their mission, but her plan was simple and more direct. What better way than to pretend as if she was a slave running from her captives? She remembered that Kezon yelled for her to stop as she tried to run from her. He had something in his hand; she saw it when she had turned slightly. That was her last memory. Blaire’s hand came up and felt the raised sore area behind her back again. She wanted to slap him for stopping her. How dare he! The scientist strode to the door of the room and found it locked from the other side.

  The panel lit when she stepped back after a few moments and she waited frowned. Kezon strode inside and closed the door behind him. He approached her. Blaire reached out and slapped the Hjott warrior across the face and then reared back ready to strike him again before he stopped her, his hand coming forward swiftly and grabbing hold of her. He pulled her over to her bed and forced her to sit down.

  "Enough!" he said angrily.

  She thought it was unfair how he was using his size and strength to bully her. Blaire’s mouth opened but she couldn't force any words out and she merely glared at him while waiting for an explanation.

  "Excuse me, but you deserved the slap across the face," she replied angrily.

  "There are no excuses for what you tried to do, Blaire. I was simply trying to protect you from a situation in which you could have gotten yourself killed," he said, his tone filled more with concern than anger. She wanted to cower from Kezon as he loomed over her while she sat on the bed.

  "You left me no choice, Kezon. Had you allowed me to do what I am here to do, I could have gotten the job done. You would have been close by to rescue me if anything had gone wrong. Instead, you have been a bully." Blaire turned her head away from him as she scowled.

  "You keep referring to me as a savage and a bully, Blaire. I'm not sure what a bully is, but I'm not a savage. I brought you here under my protection and so protect you I shall," he declared. Kezon knelt before her. Even then, he was still taller than her. He gathered her hands into his; she seemed so tiny and small. His expression softened as he looked her in the eyes.

  "Look, I need to explain something to you. My uxormea glows because of you. It's something that took me by surprise when it happened after I met you. I tried to deny it for a while, but it wouldn’t stop. You are a difficult Terran to get to know, but I can't deny what you've done to me. Blaire, you are my destined mate." Kezon’s eyes stared into hers as he declares as much.

  "What? You mean your chest tattoo? That thing that’s glowing on your chest? I caused it?" Blaire replied with surprise.

  It was almost more than the scientist could bare to hear as the Hjott commander explained what the uxormea meant for his kind. She thought about the humans that had come to the system before her, including those who had mated with a Hjott just like him. It had made no sense to her before and was still difficult to understand now. She had done nothing to cause it to happen. Kezon kept insisting that it happened because it was destiny or fate. Blaire wasn't certain what she thought about that, and she was even less certain that she wanted him to claim her like that.

  “Look, you caused it to burst. In my culture, if a Hjott female causes this the male Hjott would claim her. We’re more careful with other cultures and their kinds, which means that I won’t try to claim you without your permission.”

  “Oh, that’s so nice of you,” Blaire replied sarcastically. “Now I need to worry about this on top of the mission.”

  “You’re being irrational. I’m not telling you this so that you have to worry about it. I’m telling you so that you’ll understand my need for protecting you. Not just anyone can cause my uxormea to burn, Blaire. I feel very protective of you. As a biologist, surely you understand biological urges,” he added.

  Blaire’s lips pressed together as she shook her head. “
I cannot deal with this right now. Stop being all caveman and let me do my job, Kezon.”

  “Caveman?”

  “Oh, nevermind. It’s an Earthling saying,” she said with a wave of her hand.

  “Look, Blaire, please don’t fear me or worry for yourself. I know that I’m larger than you and stronger, but I would never claim you against your will,” Kezon promised. He looked down at the floor, his face drawn in sadness. She didn’t look up at him as she focused on her own breathing while trying to calm it.

  Kezon stood to his feet and quietly left the room, the door locking behind him once again. In anger, Blaire laid back on her cot and glared at the metal ceiling. Being angry always sucked the energy right out of her and this time wasn’t any different. As her eyes grew heavy, she fell into dreams. These dreams gave her peace as she realized her true feelings for the alien warrior. In her mind, her willingness to come together with him proved easy as he carried her away and showered her with his love. Blaire’s hand lovingly caressed his chiseled jawline as he proclaimed his devotion to her alone. Never before had she felt so complete and so loved as she did now in his arms.

  Hours later Blaire stirred under the covers of her cot and sat up, stretching. What did she dream? Her eyes flitted to the door, and a sense of shame washed over her. Kezon only wanted to protect her, not harm her. If she ever hoped to have trust between her and the alien, she needed to start at this moment. The scientist’s legs wobbled as she made her way to the washroom. Time no longer made sense while in space. How many days had it been since they left Earth? After washing her face and cleaning up, Blaire dressed in a fresh outfit and brushed her hair, pulling it back into a ponytail. She had work to do, and today she’d see to it. No longer did she feel any animosity towards Kezon. In fact, much to her surprise, she felt quite the opposite about him.