Ajos: The Restitution - A Sci-fi Alien Romance, Book 1

by A. G. Wilde

  “So that’s how you do it.”

  Eyebrows high on her forehead, she stepped into the stall and the door slid shut, but as soon as the water hit her, she screamed.

  It was freezing cold.

  “Fuck!” She jumped back. “Goddamnit!”

  Fanning her hand in front of the door, she tried to get it to open but it wouldn’t budge.

  “Um, um,” goodness gracious, it was cold, “computer, make it hotter!”

  The temperature of the water changed almost immediately, and Kerena grinned, her shoulders rising and falling with relief.

  However, she realized quickly that it was getting much too hot for her to shower comfortably.

  “Goddamnit,” she murmured. “Computer! Make the water warm enough for me, a human, but not too hot!”

  “Confirmed.”

  Kerena’s lips formed a thin line, but the water changed to a comfortable and even relaxing temperature.

  Glancing around the stall, she realized something else though. There was no soap.

  “Um, computer? Soap?”

  “Do you wish to add cleansing products to the spray?” the computer asked.

  “Um, yes?” Kerena looked up into the ceiling, her eyes moving over the whiteness. “Yes.”

  “There are three cleansing products loaded. Which one would you like to use?”

  Kerena bit her lip. Why was this so complicated?

  “Can I see a sample?”

  It seemed the computer obliged because a slot in the wall beside her slid forward with three small teardrop packets on a tray.

  The first one smelled like coconut, and she found she quite liked it.

  The second one made her close her eyes and she inhaled it twice.

  Fresh winter air.

  She was about to inhale the scent again when she caught herself.

  Her cheeks burned with realization immediately.

  Ajos.

  This was the scent he liked to use.

  It smelled exactly like him.

  Clearing her throat, Kerena put down the packet and tried the last one.

  It didn’t have a scent.

  “Computer, is the green one unscented?”

  “Affirmative. Would you like to load the unscented cleansing agent?”

  “Yes.”

  The slot slid back into the wall and soon a soft foam was forming on the water as it rained down on her.

  As she showered, Kerena smiled.

  The water felt good and as the minutes ticked by, she could feel herself slowly relaxing.

  This wasn’t so bad.

  If she wanted, she could pretend she was at some futuristic hotel on Earth on a vacation or something.

  Ajos’ place was…nice.

  And the computer. Wow.

  It was some high-tech shit.

  If the bad guys had technology that was even better than this, then what the fuck did they have?

  A thought crossed her mind.

  “Computer, tell me about this place.”

  Kerena bit her lip as she waited for a reply. It was just a hunch, but she hoped the computer was a bit like Siri and she could “alien-Google” things.

  “These quarters belong to Ajos Khattull. Species: Shum’ai.”

  Oh…

  Kerena paused and froze. She hadn’t intended to ask about Ajos, she was asking about the Restitution as a whole, but now that the computer was talking, she couldn’t help the fact that she wanted to know more.

  The way he’d frozen up when she’d asked why he’d left his planet was still on her mind and she knew she was prying, but her survival was at the forefront of her mind.

  What if she was mindlessly trusting him and it would lead to her demise?

  Clearing her throat, she asked, “Was there some kind of disaster on the Shum’ai home world? Like something that forced them to leave.”

  There was a pause and for a moment, she thought she had probably asked the computer too much.

  “No such disaster is on the record.”

  Wiping the water from her face, Kerena frowned.

  “Then why did he leave?” she murmured to herself. “He said he ‘had to go.’”

  “That part of the commander’s records is classified,” the computer said.

  Kerena felt a surge or slight shock. “Oh, I didn’t mean to ask—” Letting out a breath, she shook her head. “Nevermind.”

  She was just about finished showering anyway.

  Telling the computer she was finished, she watched as the water shut off. The pole disappeared into the ceiling, and the water at her feet seemed to seep into the floor itself.

  The door to the stall slid open and Kerena stepped out, hugging herself.

  Shaking as much of the water as she could from herself, she headed back to the bedroom only to realize she was no longer alone. Kerena yelped, one arm covering her breasts as the other flew to cover her crotch.

  Ajos turned at the sound, and his eyes visibly widened.

  “Um, I—” Kerena stuttered.

  Fuck. It.

  This was the second time she’d shown him her nakedness without intending to.

  “I didn’t know you were in here.”

  He was crouching over the bed and she realized he’d been setting something on it that looked like a mattress.

  Something inside her melted a little.

  He’d gone to look for bedding for her? He’d even placed a blanket on top.

  It was obvious he didn’t sleep with those things, so he’d gone out of his way without her asking.

  “A mattress?” She smiled. “Thank you. You didn’t have to.” Just looking at it, she knew she was going to sleep like a log and God knew she needed the rest.

  These past few days had just been mad.

  That’s when she realized that he wasn’t saying anything.

  And, when her eyes fell on him again, she became aware he was simply staring at her.

  And…he looked different.

  Something about him was different, and she couldn’t quite tell what that thing was.

  For what felt like long seconds, he just stared at her, and he was looking at her as if he was some wild thing that was about to pounce.

  Shit.

  She could almost feel herself go pale as she took a step backward.

  Had he heard her? Had he heard her asking about him in the bathroom?

  Shiiiiiiit.

  Kerena blinked, trying to find the right words.

  What should she say?

  She’d been a horrible guest by being so nosy, but she’d done it because she also didn’t want to be that idiot who got killed because of their own ignorance.

  Before she could even think though, Ajos moved toward her, and with her stupid ass, she couldn’t move.

  She was frozen like a deer in headlights.

  He stooped when he was almost upon her, so close she could smell that fresh winter scent of his, and reached forward.

  His arm brushed her naked leg as he took hold of her dirty clothes, his large hand fisting the fabric in such a way that made her gulp, her mind moving to some dirty, dirty thoughts that had nothing to do with laundry.

  He paused there, so close to her body, and the entire thing was suddenly so intense, she didn’t know what to do.

  What’s worse, there was a tingle—a tingle deep inside of her that wasn’t supposed to be there.

  She opened her mouth to speak, but Ajos spoke before she could.

  “I will clean these for you,” he said, slowly rising to his full height.

  The air stirred and every hair on her body stood on end, her skin tingling as if there was unseen energy charging the space between them.

  When his eyes met hers, they looked feral and even his voice had come out like a growl.

  Still, she wasn’t afraid.

  She fucking should be. Some long-lost instinct was telling her that. But it seemed it was being trampled by something more powerful.

  “Sleep well, Keh-re
h-nah.” Ajos jerked as he moved away from her, almost as if he was forcing his limbs to move. Even the tendons in his neck looked taut.

  What was happening?

  “Ajos, I…”

  At the sound of his name, Ajos blinked and his throat moved.

  Without another word, he moved toward the door and stepped out.

  Kerena’s mouth remained open, even though she didn’t know what she’d been about to say.

  He left her staring at the closed door and it took her a few moments to realize the last image she saw was Ajos’ hands grasping her clothes—her dirty clothes, filthy drawers included.

  Fuck. Her.

  10

  Sleep was eventful.

  The nightmares that had her waking every other hour ranged from images of being taken to images of Cindy Clawford meeting an untimely demise in her apartment.

  The cat was all alone and she really could only hope and pray her neighbor visited and took Cindy home.

  As she opened her eyes for probably the seven hundredth time, Kerena stared up into the white ceiling.

  The bed was comfortable, but despite her exhaustion, she wouldn’t be able to sleep properly.

  This was probably how her mind was sorting through this life-changing experience—with nightmares. She probably just needed time for everything to settle.

  Releasing a breath, she stretched underneath the blanket Ajos had provided her.

  What now?

  What would today bring?

  She guessed she was going to head back to the hospital and offer any help she could.

  Damn, if she’d known she’d have been placed in this situation, she wouldn’t have specialized in botany, she’d have become a medical doctor like her father had wanted her to.

  It’s not like she even had any plants here that she could study. She wasn’t in the pharmaceutical business anymore.

  But there must be some way she could help.

  Easing up on her elbows, she yawned. The light had been dim, but now that she’d moved, it brightened, illuminating the room.

  Her gaze fell immediately on the clothes placed at the foot of the bed.

  Her dress was spread out and her bra and panties were placed to the side of it.

  Kerena blinked before moving fast to grab the items.

  He’d come in here while she was sleeping?

  Not only that, but the clothes were clean.

  Sniffing the dress, she couldn’t get any sense of sweat or dirt from the fibers. It was the same for her panties and bra.

  Kerena squeezed her eyes tight, a cringe and a giggle developing within her.

  Of all the things to allow her host to do, washing her intimates hadn’t ever been on the list.

  Anyway, she shrugged and slipped the clothes on.

  Raking her hands through her hair, she hoped she looked presentable enough.

  She moved to slip on her boots when she noticed that they looked clean too.

  He must have come in and done them while she was sleeping.

  She wasn’t sure how to feel about that—the fact that he’d been around her while she’d been unconscious—but it seemed he really had come in just to complete her laundry.

  Straightening her dress, she moved toward the door and slipped out of the room and into the corridor.

  She could hear voices coming from down the hall, so she headed that way.

  As she reached the room, she saw the source of the voices.

  Ajos sat with V’Alen at a counter, facing away from her.

  With their backs turned, they didn’t see her approach, but she was sure V’Alen was aware of her presence.

  He didn’t turn to look at her, but as soon as she came to the room, his head angled a bit in her direction, as if he knew she was there.

  “You are awake, Kerena,” V’Alen said.

  At the sound of her name, Ajos noticeably stiffened and whatever he was eating paused halfway in his hand on the way to his lips.

  “I am,” she answered. “Good morning.” She stepped into the room, her eyes on the minty-teal alien.

  He was still pissed. He’d definitely heard her asking the computer about him then.

  V’Alen slipped off a seat. “Sit here,” he said before brushing past her to move to the other side of the counter.

  Her eyes remained on Ajos as she moved forward and took a seat.

  As she sat, Ajos slipped the food he was eating into his mouth, but he still didn’t look her way. She could hardly see his face under the hood he wore.

  It didn’t seem as if he was chewing either.

  Maybe he was upset with her, but he also wasn’t a morning person.

  Still, his whole demeanor seemed strange.

  Different.

  This wasn’t the same alien who had helped her yesterday. This wasn’t the same alien who had saved her life.

  “Is everything all right?”

  Ajos seemed to stiffen even more, and he even adjusted the hood he was wearing.

  “Ajos is…ill,” V’Alen said.

  Kerena’s eyes widened a little.

  Was that what it was?

  “You are?”

  “I’m fine.” It was a growl, but Ajos was glaring in V’Alen’s direction and not at her.

  “He—”

  “Drop it.” Those words also came out as a growl, and Kerena felt the vibration down her spine.

  V’Alen seemed to drop the argument, Ajos obviously didn’t want anyone worrying over him, and slid something toward her in a bowl.

  It looked like a bowl of couscous with some kind of sauce on top.

  Her stomach growled.

  “What is this?”

  “Your fellow humans prepared it. It is rai cooked strangely with alae sauce.”

  V’Alen passed her a curved utensil that could work as a spoon, and she dipped it in the food and brought it to her lips.

  The food had a strange texture but not strange enough that she wanted to spit it out and the sauce…the sauce had a sort of lemony taste.

  Chewing quickly, she took another spoonful.

  “This is,” she chewed, “this is good.”

  As she dipped the spoon again, she paused and glanced at Ajos, only to find that he was looking at her with the same intensity with which he’d been looking at her the night before.

  For a moment, she forgot what she was doing, but as she brought the spoon to her lips, his gaze followed her movement and held there.

  He watched as the spoon slid into her mouth and she suddenly felt self-conscious as she chewed.

  She didn’t know what to think of the way he was looking at her.

  Did aliens not eat the way humans did?

  Was the way she was using the spoon strange to him?

  The way she chewed?

  Ajos groaned—she was sure of it—and turned away from her a little, adjusting the hood of his clothing some more.

  He must be in pain.

  “Is… I don’t know if I’m crossing any cultural boundaries here. I mean, a few days ago, I was just a regular girl on Earth and today I’m eating breakfast with aliens, but…you sound like you’re in pain.” She studied Ajos. She could hardly see his face because of the hood of his clothing. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  She reached toward him, touching him lightly, and Ajos hissed. Kerena’s eyes widened, her hand jerking away at the speed of light.

  Ajos groaned and stretched the muscles in his neck as a deep rumble left his throat.

  “Actually, Ajos, the female could help with your—”

  “Qef, V’Alen! Drop it!” Ajos slammed his fist into the counter and the thing must be made from the strongest material on that planet because it didn’t crack from the pressure.

  Kerena was surprised she, herself, didn’t jerk and fall off the seat in shock at the sudden outburst. V’Alen didn’t budge.

  Seconds that felt like minutes dragged by.

  “As you wish,” the robot man finally said. “Should we cont
inue our conversation later, brother?”

  Ajos loosened his fist, but he didn’t answer his friend.

  Kerena cleared her throat. She’d made him furious. It was evident.

  “Did I interrupt something?”

  V’Alen studied her. “No, but what we were discussing is classified.”

  Ajos let out a breath. “Classified, yes, but the entire base is probably discussing it already.” His voice sounded different. Deeper. Raspier. “It doesn’t matter if she hears it now or later, the worry will reach the humans soon.”

  “What worry?” Her spoon balanced in her fingers as her gaze moved from one alien to the next.

  Ajos seemed to sigh and set down what he was eating—something that looked like a wonton.

  “We do not know how the sky towers didn’t alert us of the fighter ships approaching. Almost four days and they still have not figured it out.” He took a breath. “The sky towers are there for this purpose. They monitor everything that comes into orbit close to us. It’s how we’ve kept safe all these years or the Tasqals would have bombed us to the ground already.” His eyes finally met hers. “Now we know they can. But we do not know how.”

  Kerena blinked a few times and put down her spoon.

  “So…” she began. “The Tasqals. You’re saying they managed to just…turn up? The sky towers didn’t pick them up at all?”

  V’Alen spoke. “Correct.”

  She must be dumb or something because it seemed obvious to her.

  “Stealth? Could they have used some sort of stealth?”

  V’Alen spoke again. “That would be the first assumption, but it is not that simple. The ships that attacked…”

  “They jumped into the troposphere, then exited the same way.”

  Kerena frowned before her eyes bugged out. “What?”

  She glanced from Ajos to V’Alen then back.

  “They entered from hyperspace so close to the surface, then exited the same way,” Ajos murmured, turning over another maybe-wonton between his fingers.

  She was no rocket scientist, but she’d watched enough sci-fi movies to know that the discharge from doing that would have caused major damage.

  Had that been what had happened?

  Had it been the result of the enemies’ ships entering hyperspace and not the effect of bombs that had killed so many and destroyed so much?

  “No,” Ajos answered, and she realized she’d asked the questions out loud. “But you are right, Keh-reh-nah. What they have done…what they did is theoretically impossible. They entered, bombed us, and left. They jumped into hyperspace right on top of us, but it had no effect. The bombs did.”