Devoured

by Stone, Piper

  And they were laughing.

  My senses had been purposely dulled, an action that deserved retaliation.

  I remembered very little, except a portion of the attack.

  Men with masks had thrown a cloak over my head, grabbing me from my quarters. I would never forget the agony as blows had been given.

  I dragged my tongue across my lips, my throat parched and nearly suffocating me. Very little made sense, except...

  I closed my eyes again, unable to keep my head aloft. I just needed rest. Rest...

  “Commander Draziak. We have an issue.”

  I stretched, hissing from being released from my slumber. As I glared at the lieutenant, I could see fear on his face. “What’s happening, Lieutenant Brozak?”

  He seemed in a state of shock, shaking his head several times.

  I shifted my legs, allowing the blood flow to return. I’d been in a stasis state long enough I was moving slowly. As I finally crept out of the pod, stretching my limbs, he took a decided step backwards.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, darting his eyes to the other pods. “We need to awaken your warriors.”

  For the lieutenant to be making a claim of this magnitude meant something drastic had occurred. “What is the reason?”

  When he hesitated, I resisted snarling. There was no sense taking my lack of knowledge out on one of my soldiers.

  He swallowed before answering. “The systems are failing one by one. We have no recourse but to land.”

  “What the fuck happened?” Failing? While we’d certainly taken several direct hits, our battleship was solid, able of withstanding fusion blasts. “Tell me!”

  “I... I don’t know exactly yet, Commander. I’ve awakened the secondary engineers, but we have no choice but to seek refuge. Come see for yourself.”

  Refuge? While my mind was still foggy from the elongated period of hibernation, my hackles were raised. Still, I followed my officer, curious as to what the fuck was going on.

  As I was led to the Com station, I could feel the odd vibrations coming from the massive fuel injectors. I hunkered over the screen, narrowing my eyes. The numbers didn’t lie, although I found them difficult to believe. Every single one of our systems were failing, including our cloaking device. That wasn’t possible. We had the finest battle-star ship within several galaxies. “How the hell did this happen?”

  The lieutenant was taken aback by my vehemence, his eyes opening wide. “The main thrusters were damaged in the last attack from the Prodkerins, but they had a time-released secondary weapon. Unfortunately, it remained hidden for several weeks, eroding the various systems one by one. By the time anyone realized what was happening, it was too late.”

  Too late. The Prodkerins were brutal maniacs, capable of eating their young, but their technology wasn’t near the quality of our own. However, it would appear I’d underestimated their skills. “How long have I been under?”

  “Seven months, sir.”

  Seven months. That was exactly three months longer than had originally been determined.

  I snarled, directing the Com station to a clear picture of the galaxy we were in. In close proximity was a solar system I’d seen only in our educational sessions. I’d heard my father mention it in passing. “We veered off course.”

  “We had to, Commander. I’m sorry. The navigation systems continued to show we were on course until zero-one-thousand hours. There are several habitable planets, but we need to get to the closest one. Bellenia.”

  Bellenia. Now I remembered the entire galaxy was been claimed by the human race, the two dozen planets overtaken by their species. Anger boiled deep within, a sickening feeling gnawing at my gut.

  Veering off course to this degree meant the lieutenant had been well aware of issues for some time. I glared at the giant orb, shaking my head.

  Too much time had passed, allowing the situation to become more severe. When we were secured I would deal with his infraction, but at this point, we had no other recourse. We were going to be forced to land on a distant land mass, one controlled and inhabited by the human race.

  The vile planet harbored even more primitive people than any we’d fought so far. However, there was no way of knowing what weaponry they had in their possession. We could easily be ambushed and slaughtered. I was disgusted, incensed that our own systems had failed us. “Wake the others and prepare for a crash landing, and Lieutenant Brozak, do not fail me again.”

  “Yes, Commander. I’ll do my best at making certain we stay in one piece.” After saluting, he walked away, leaving me very much alone.

  The vision was startling, dragging me out of my influx state. If only I’d known what to expect, perhaps I wouldn’t have led my own people into total destruction. I reared my head, howling as I attempted to move. Everything was damp, the stench of decay horrific. I struggled, fighting with whatever held me in place, every move slamming my back against something hard and cold.

  It was at that moment I realized I’d been bound against a cement wall, my wrists shackled by thick pieces of forged iron. Snarling, I glanced from right to left as I flexed my hands, completely aware there were humans watching me, studying me as if I was a specimen in a glass jar. In truth, that’s exactly what I and my soldiers had been for months now.

  And I’d allowed it to happen.

  My keen vision was still cloudy, unable to decipher details, but I was able to make out several figures.

  I should have considered humans hostile, but time had been needed in order to repair our vessel. Still, my choice meant the end of our civilization if I couldn’t get off this wretched planet. The repairs had been completed, all instruments functioning within normal operational standards, even though some of the various materials used had been questionable.

  At least in my mind.

  Yet our senior engineer had signed off, assuring me that we had the capability of making it back home within two years. Unfortunately, the stasis pods had taken the brunt of the crash landing, the living quarters of our ship receiving the most damage. Given the repairs that had already been accomplished, the trip home would be arduous but doable.

  A miracle since so many of my people had succumbed to a horrible death.

  That is, if I could break free of my chains. Our remaining warriors and technicians had been rounded up in the middle of the night, tossed into a basic prison cell. Had I suspected? Yes, but I’d been rendered powerless. Given the recent atrocities, the odds of survival were against us.

  I heard the buzzing and zapping sounds of bugs, their hunger almost as voracious as the assholes who’d brought me here. I took a deep breath as beads of sweat rolled down both sides of my face. While I wasn’t human, there were certain aspects of my bodily functions that performed just like that of homo sapiens. Blood, sweat, and tears, although our species rarely experienced any kind of emotions leading to sadness. We were warriors, taught early on to fight our aggressors, killing them as necessary. There were no social graces, at least not in the terms of another species.

  Then I’d been forced to land on this godforsaken planet, the soldiers who’d greeted us pretending they gave a shit. My instincts had been on point, ready to annihilate every one of them, but we’d had no choice but to partake in their so-called hospitality.

  My own soldiers had fought against initiating a war.

  I issued a harsh growl, jerking at my bindings, the ragged metal biting into my skin. The nasty scent of one particular human assaulted my senses, fueling my anger. “Scorpion!” I hissed through clenched teeth, searching the darkness. Finally, the fog began to lift. The Volkodans had keen abilities, including night vision. I could see the fucker hovering in the shadows, watching every move I made.

  And he was smiling.

  I’d learned of the truth behind the project two days before, confronting the asshole on his intentions. Had I once considered him honorable? Perhaps. Now I knew the exactly what to expect. The bastard would use the skills he’d gleaned from us to build his ow
n kingdom.

  My head was still fuzzy, uncertain what had occurred over the course of several hours. However, the scent covering my body was strong and very feminine, as if a mating session had occurred. Breeding. Monsters had attempted to breed our kind with humans. That wasn’t possible.

  I twisted my head back and forth, glaring at the others in the humid space.

  The man known as the Scorpion was a confident human, believing his own hype. I’d heard enough from those working for him, nasty comments regarding his demeanor and savagery, yet he didn’t give a shit what others thought about him. He’d found an alien race, convincing the prince of another species of his good intentions. Had I been cautious of the offerings extended? Absolutely. Had I taken precautions to ensure that our ship wouldn’t be confiscated, even in its broken state? Yes, as my training required. Unfortunately, my people had been lured into false security after months of camaraderie, tempted by more lush surroundings than we were used to.

  Plied with food and drink.

  Given the opportunity to enjoy life as a human.

  We’d let our guard down given our weakness, so many of my people dying from battle wounds and a mysterious illness.

  Now I doubted their deaths were accidental.

  “What. Do. You. Want?” I asked in a husky voice, roaring as I jerked at the chains once again. He’d stolen the item that was most precious to our species, the very core of our planet and the one that we’d fought for years to obtain from a fierce enemy. He’d shown me only one day before, gloating over the fact he’d managed to break into the secure vault. The Quantum Unit was little more than a massive and ornately cut sapphire in appearance. However, the capabilities were entirely different than that of a bobble meant to adorn a human female.

  It meant life and death, boundless energy, and a source of power greater than humans could ever understand. The Quantum Unit had been worth fighting for.

  Worth dying for.

  As thousands of our species as well as other had.

  “How did you enjoy your... treat?” he asked, a smile curling on the corner of his lip.

  I issued a series of growls, yanking hard at the chains holding me in place. “What are you talking about?”

  “Oh, come now. While the drugs may not have worn off, I can’t imagine you don’t remember any details. I have a feeling your attributes are far superior than our drugs. In fact, I’m counting on it.” The Scorpion’s smile was trite, his eyes glistening even in the darkness.

  With every struggled breath, I tried to remember. A few flashes formed in my mind. A human female. What had...

  “Come to me, little human.” As I gathered her into my arms, my cock throbbed, aching to be deep inside of her sweet pussy. There was nothing that could stop me from taking what I craved.

  What belonged to me.

  The moment I yanked her down, thrusting the entire length of my shaft past her swollen folds, she released a guttural moan. I expanded inside of her, filling her completely. Her head lolled, her fingers digging into my skin.

  The image faded but the series of electric shocks the vision had given me jetted through every cell and muscle. He had forced me to mate with a human. While I had been told human births were almost impossible, I doubted this monster gave a shit about continuing the human race.

  He was power hungry. In his mind, he was already a king.

  “What. Did. You. Do?” I demanded, stretching as far away from the wall as possible, every muscle screaming as I attempted to free myself.

  “I merely encouraged your primal needs, a requirement of my... superiors.” His smile was practiced. “I think you will find the experience one of your fondest memories of our time spent together.”

  Another flash rushed through my mind, an almost desperate need absorbing any concept of clear thinking. I was shocked at the level of raging desire erupting from deep within. A female.

  A human.

  My mate.

  They’d taken her away from me. Mine. She was mine. All mine. The bastard had known exactly what this would do to me, the need that would furrow deep inside until there was little I could do but hunt her down. “Where is she? She belongs to me now.”

  “No, sadly, she doesn’t. That was just a mere taste, an experiment. If you’d like, you can call it payment for services rendered. However, I assure you, she is very safe and unlike you, she’s already forgotten about the duty she performed. You see, you meant nothing to her except as an experience. She is a very good little follower, a loyal subject you might say.”

  “You will die!” I hissed, continuing to struggle until a fierce level of exhaustion settled in. What the hell had the bastard given me? I had to think, to ascertain exactly what had occurred. I remembered the room, the uniformed men and... I did everything I could to calm my anger. The asshole wanted me rattled. Whatever game he was playing wasn’t over yet. I exhaled, narrowing my eyes and giving him a practiced smile. “Tell me, Scorpion, what else do you want from me? I know you far too well.” The fucker paced back and forth in front of me liked a caged animal.

  “Truthfully, I want nothing else from you, Prince Zecon. I have everything I need,” the Scorpion chided as he moved closer, allowing me to see the sneer on his face. “The Quantum Unit will come in extremely handy, unbeknown to the majority of my colleagues or the great Earth Federation. I will bask in the glory of learning then controlling its expansive powers. Then I will rule Earth and beyond.”

  The bastard was cunning, feigning friendship while attempting to steal every aspect of our power. Rage boiled within me, adrenaline rushing into every cell and muscle.

  “You have no idea what you have in your possession. You will never learn the secrets or gain the ability to use the kinetic energy. That’s far too advanced for your species.” All the years of fighting, waring against our greatest enemies in an effort to obtain what had been stolen from our planet had come down to this. Greed. Our mission had been successful, until our systems failure. How the fuck did this piece of garbage find the electromagnetic power unit? I’d told no one outside of our own of the unit’s secret location, and I doubted any of my soldiers would talk for fear of losing their life.

  If the unit wasn’t brought back to Tretonia, the remaining water source on our world would dry up completely. What was left of our race would die out within twenty Volkodan years.

  “You allow me to worry about what I can and cannot do with the unit.” He walked even closer until he stood merely inches away.

  I gathered a scent of his rage as well as anxiety. The man was uncertain of what I could do.

  “What have you done, Scorpion?” The man reeked of blood, the stench filling my nostrils.

  “What was necessary.” He chuckled darkly, tilting his head back and forth as he smacked a metal pipe against his hand, the whooshing sound echoing in my ears.

  Wham!

  The hard crack into my abdomen was sharp, the rush of pain intense. I sucked in my breath, wheezing as I stared him in the eyes. I’d learned much about the human culture, including the meaning of the word evil. I’d known many a traitorous monster in my life, but his particular brand of treachery was barbaric.

  He turned his back, taking a few exaggerated steps away. “What have I done, he asks?” His rhetorical question was directed at the officers he considered his top officials. “I’ve begun the final extermination of your kind, good Prince Zecon. Well, the majority of you anyway. I believe you’ve provided all the information about your planet, your people, and your strengths that I need. What a shame.”

  I roared, the clanging of the chains creating fear in the others.

  “I don’t want to be forced to subdue you again, so I suggest you calm down,” the Scorpion chortled. “I have a very special treat for you, however, one I think you’re going to appreciate very much, but that comes after a show. From what I remember, you certainly enjoyed many of our human aspects, including live shows. Now, didn’t you?”

  As he jammed the steel in
to my stomach, I had the opportunity of locking eyes with his.

  The fucker was hiding something.

  Although the pain was blinding, I refused to allow the human to eradicate any more of my people. I closed my eyes, struggling to catch my breath as I infused every ounce of violent rage, my muscles tingling. I flexed my hands, leaning forward. “You. Will. Die.”

  As the Scorpion began to laugh, taking two steps away, I continued straining and pulling until the sound of crumbling cement echoed in the dense space. I heard the frightened gasps of the others as they scuttled away like rodents.

  The popping sounds that followed were from the bolts being ripped from the blocks. I wasted no time, taking a hard swing at Sampson, the iron cuff catching him across the face. Shifting in a full circle, I lunged forward toward two of the others, able to jam my boot into one man’s chest and a hard punch to the other’s kidney. They went down just as I threw out my arm, prepared to attack. As I lifted my hand, exposing my palm, I heard the sound of clapping behind me, and knew instantly that my weapon was completely ineffective.

  “Nice try, Commander. However, the drug you were given has a wonderful side effect. That special attribute of yours, laser beams coming out of your hand, was rendered useless. Although I must admit I’d love for you to teach me how you do that.” The Scorpion continued laughing. He struggled to his feet, wiping blood from his mouth.

  I glared at my hand, unable to feel the electricity my body generated in order to produce kinetic energy. Every Volkodan had been born with a range of special attributes, including the ability to protect ourselves and to fight off our enemy without the need for external weapons. I lifted my other hand, realizing it was no use. The Scorpion had done what no other enemy had yet been able.

  He’d beaten me.

  For now.

  However, he had no way of knowing what manner of revenge I could still enact.