by Cara Wylde
She laughed, took a couple of steps back to find something to lean her weight on, and yelped in pain when her red bum hit the edge of a table.
“Auch!”
“I… I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
The thought that he had done something which had made Allie uncomfortable was killing him inside. She was in pain because of him, and that was much worse than his wounded ego. Ark wanted to rush to her side, take her in his arms and soothe her, but she didn’t look like she wanted to be touched by him any time soon. He bit the inside of his lip and tried to keep it together. He had screwed up. Again. His twin flame would never want to have anything to do with him. She wouldn’t trust him a third time, that was for sure.
“It’s fine, don’t worry about it.”
“You’re in pain.”
She waved him off.
“Honestly, it was worth it. When you give me such a good laugh, it’s easy to forgive you.”
She smirked, then smoothed down her slightly crumpled dress and approached him seductively. As she stood in front of him, she lifted her head to look him straight in the eyes, and placed a small, tender hand on his big chest.
“Captain, I never wanted to be the one to give you this bad news, but I see no other way. It is time.”
Ark took a sharp intake of breath and steeled himself for what was to come.
“You know nothing about Old Earth. Or human women.” She sighed dramatically. Deep down, she hoped he could take a joke. Messing with him was too entertaining to refuse herself the unique opportunity. “It seems I have to do all the work. Are you ready for a real lesson in seduction?”
He gulped and nodded. This was no time to play Alpha and show stubbornness in doing things his way. Or, actually, the human way, but through his Unxendi perspective.
“Yes, Fifty Shades is one of my favorite books, and I’ve been known to have a fantasy or two about Christian Grey, but that doesn’t mean I’d ever want him for a boyfriend. If a guy made it his mission to stalk me like that, I’d restriction-order his ass in minutes.”
Ark wasn’t sure what “restriction-order one’s ass” meant, and he figured it was better not to find out. Ever. So, he kept silent.
“This is what we’re going to do…”
As the words left her lips, Allie let down her walls again. She went back to the romantic date she had imagined two hours before, while soaking in the hot tub, and made sure Ark could see every detail through her eyes. There was no way he would misunderstand a thing of what she was showing him when she offered him full access to her mind and emotions. The feelings of joy, attraction, and safety were the most important bits, so she lingered on them, allowing him to feel every rush of excitement and flutter of nervousness as if they were his. The effect was instantaneous.
Ark leaned in and captured her lips in a passionate, demanding kiss. She parted her lips to give him access, letting out a small moan which went straight to his cock. He grew so hard that it was impossible to hide his erection through his uniform pants, but since Allie was kissing him back just as fiercely, he realized he didn’t care if she saw just how much she aroused him. The sheer power she had on him was mind-blowing, and a little scary. No other woman had messed with his head and emotions like Allie did on a daily basis. For the first time, he was thankful for the walls she kept in place. If he had access to her thoughts constantly, he would be a lost man.
“Whoa there cowboy,” she pushed him away gently. “Patience is a virtue.”
He got a small glimpse of what a cowboy was before she raised her walls again, and the image left him confused. He didn’t dress like that. Why would she call him a cowboy? Also, why would a man ever herd cows?
“I believe you know what you have to do.” She cleared her throat and composed herself. “I’ll leave you to it. Now, please excuse me as I go tend to my sore backside.”
Her last words stabbed him right through the heart. Deep regret was painted all over his features.
“You’re adorable.”
She laughed, then pecked his cheek and walked out of the playroom, leaving him alone and hard as hell, surrounded by whips and dildos.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The next evening, Alison wasn’t disappointed. Not only had Ark prepared everything as she had showed him, but he’d also gone the extra mile. This time, with the right research.
“You look ravishing.” He bowed slightly as he handed her the immense bouquet of rose-like flowers.
Allie blushed and smelled them. To her surprise, they kind of smelled like the hot pink roses her great-grandmother used to boil with sugar to make jam. A pang of regret clouded her features. A time long gone… people and places she’d never see again…
“Is there something wrong?” Ark bit the inside of his cheek. “Did I mess up again?”
“No, no. Thank you. These are wonderful.”
She manifested a vase, arranged the roses, added water just by thinking of it, then placed the bouquet on her bedside table.
“Alright, I’m ready.”
Ark offered her his arm, and Allie wrapped herself around his strong biceps. She knew the way to the bar even when the corridors looked so different through the Captain’s eyes. Bent on enjoying the whole experience, she had decided to keep her walls down just a bit, so they could form a connection and work together to make this night memorable. Truth be told, Allie herself was tired of waiting. Her midnight dreams now only revolved around Arkvar and the feel of his heavy body pushing her into the mattress as he claimed her as his own.
As she allowed him access to her mind, Allie focused on the present. One step at a time. Her heels clicking on the floor, the soft fabric of her red dress against her skin… Oh, her skin! She bit her tongue to suppress an unwelcome grunt. For a moment, she lost her focus.
Ark tensed and threw her a concerned glance.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, yes. Fine. All’s fine.”
Great! So, concentrating on the present wasn’t a good idea, either. Not with the teensy-weensy issue she’d been struggling with since morning. It had to go away on its own. It just had to.
Happy thoughts. “Think happy thoughts, Allie.”
Ark smiling down at her as he sneaked a finger under the thin strap of her lace panties.
The low growl vibrating through his chest told her she wasn’t doing a great job at not anticipating the future.
“Present. Stay in the present.”
The sole of her right foot itched so badly that she stomped on her heels, in a very much unladylike manner, startling Ark.
“Let’s walk faster,” she grinned. “I can’t wait.”
The bar had been turned into a proper fancy restaurant. Warm lights, candles flickering here and there, rose-like petals on the floor, and the soothing Unxendi music barely audible through the walls. Because no, The Hesperia didn’t have anything even remotely resembling speakers. There was only one table by the largest window, and two chairs waiting for them. Keiv, the bartender, was sporting an elegant suit that made him look more like a prince from a faraway land… err galaxy, than a waiter.
Allie and Ark ordered the first course, then spent long moments in silence, simply enjoying each other’s presence and the potent red wine. Yoniphant Blood, the label on the bottle read. Allie thought it was better not to ask. It warmed up her insides in mysterious, delicious ways, and that was all that mattered.
She couldn’t tell whether Ark was shy or simply giving her a break. Initially, she had intended to wait for him to start the conversation, but after a few minutes of sipping wine and smiling seductively, Allie had to say something, anything, to take her mind off the horrible itch which had started on her lower back and felt like it was making its way up her spine. She couldn’t possibly scratch it. She shifted in her seat, changed the position of her legs, and discreetly scratched her left wrist as she crossed her fingers on the edge of the table.
“The Hesperia…�
�
“Marvelous, isn’t it? More wine?” Ark poured before Allie had a chance to answer.
“Oh yes, but I was wondering… where does the name come from? It sounds oddly familiar and… Terran.”
The Captain furrowed his brows. On the one hand, he was surprised Alison hadn’t asked sooner. On the other hand, though, he wasn’t eager to tell her.
“Hmm…” She scratched her chin as if she were thinking. Her hand moved to her neck, and she scratched there, too. “Greek mythology. I’m sure I heard this name, or a word similar to it, in middle school. History. The Greeks. Has to be it.”
Ark nodded. “You’re more of a history buff than you think.”
“Good memory, that’s all. So, what is The Hesperia? I mean, not the ship.”
“The Ancient Greeks thought the Hesperides were the nymphs of evening and the golden light of the sunset. There were three of them, and they guarded a beautiful garden. The name itself comes from the word ‘hesperus’, which means ‘evening’. Compared to other known nymphs in the Greek mythology, the Hesperides were more like embodiments of various qualities and gifts. They were quite impersonal.”
“It’s weird.” She held his gaze and studied him carefully as she continued: “I would have expected you to give your ship a different name, one that is… I don’t know… unpronounceable. One that has to do with your home planet, Unxendio. Which, by the way, is a word that doesn’t exist in any language on Old Earth.”
“I guess it makes sense.”
“And a lot of it, too. So, tell me, Captain Arkvar… why is your ship named after some nymphs of Terran origin?”
Ark set his glass down and leaned back in his chair. He kept a straight, yet honest face.
“Protecting your planet was my first and only mission since the day I was promoted to the rank of Captain. I was free to choose my spaceship, my crew, and six other Captains with their own ships and crews. The day we set for Terra, we all decided to honor your planet by choosing Terran names for our ships. It was our way of paying tribute to a foreign planet and a foreign race we knew we’d spend most of our life protecting no matter what. We also knew that if we failed, the inhabitants came first. Not the planet, not the physical form of its people, but all the spirits living, growing, and evolving there.”
Allie cleared her throat. “I see.” She didn’t dare say more, lest she’d burst into tears. “And what are the names of the other ships in your fleet?”
“Captain Theren is commanding The Khepri, named after an Egyptian god, and Captain Kaelen has The Zorya, after the goddesses of the Morning Star and the Evening Star in Slavic mythology. They are brothers. Captain Veekerg commands The Anshar, named after a Sumerian sky deity, and Captain Makkal has The Huldra. The Huldra is a Scandinavian forest spirit. The Chantico, named after the Aztec goddess of fire is under Captain Koovak’s command, and finally, Captain Razaal has The Surya, – a Hindu solar deity. As you see, we tried to acknowledge and honor all the various cultures and beliefs of your species.”
It couldn’t be helped. Alison sniffed and wiped a small tear from the corner of her eye. She furrowed her brows at the slight hint of blue she was left with on her fingers, then shrugged. It was her makeup, probably.
“Excuse me for a minute.” She stood up just as the waiter was bringing the first course. “I’ll be back.”
She rushed to the restroom, slammed the door behind her, and went straight for the sink. She briefly studied her makeup in the mirror, nodded when she saw it was perfect, then washed her hands. The blue on the tips of her fingers didn’t seem very willing to go away. In fact, if she looked more closely, she could say the skin on her hands, wrists and arms had a subtle hue of blue.
“That’s just silly.”
She shook her head, and headed for one of the stalls. It wasn’t an emergency, but since she was there anyway, she could pee. Anything to get some alone time. As she sat on the cold toilet, Allie thought about what Ark had just confessed to her. Why had it made her so emotional? Did she miss Earth? Sure. Did she think the Captains choosing Terran names for their ships was a nice gesture? Kind of. Absentmindedly, she scratched her ankle. When she realized what she was doing, it was already red, almost prickling with blood.
“Damn it…”
She stood up and flushed the toilet, but not before catching a glimpse of the blue liquid in the water.
“This isn’t happening,” she moaned in despair.
She took a few more minutes to fix her hair and put a smile on her face, then went back to her date. Allie had been waiting for a perfect evening like this for a long time. She was determined to enjoy it. No matter what. A romantic dinner at a restaurant which looked exactly the way she had pictured it, with a tall, handsome man who treated her like a princess… What more could she ask for? That his skin wasn’t blue? It didn’t bother her anymore. After spending almost three weeks among the Unxendi, blue skin had become the norm.
“Welcome back.”
“Oh, this looks delicious!”
They made some small talk, Allie asked him about the food, and Ark was smart enough not to bring the name of his spaceship again into the conversation. However, when she went back to the restroom after no more than ten minutes, he started to have his doubts about whether she was truly feeling alright.
“Sorry. Girl stuff… you understand,” Allie apologized upon returning.
“Is everything okay?”
“Oh, yes! Time for the second course, right?”
“You haven’t finished your first one…”
She chuckled awkwardly and shifted in her seat. “I’ve had more than enough. I… I want to make sure I get to taste everything on the menu.”
Ark cocked an eyebrow and telepathically called the waiter. While Keiv was clearing the table, the Captain could do nothing but stare at Alison and the eagerness with which she was gulping down her third glass of wine. He reached for the bottle, but she was quicker than him.
“I love this thing,” she said as she poured herself a fourth glass.
“I can ask for more…”
She nodded. Scratched her ear. Crossed her legs. Uncrossed them.
“Alison, are you sure you’re okay? Maybe you’ve had too much wine.”
“No. I haven’t had enough, actually.”
Allie was trying. She was trying really hard, but she couldn’t hide it anymore. Her smile was gone, her brows were furrowed, and sweat was slowly gathering at the roots of her blonde hair. Unexpectedly, she yelped, moaned, and frantically started scratching her left shoulder.
“Okay, screw it! I can’t take it anymore!”
Ark stood up and rounded the table. His gaze ran up and down her body.
“The itching is driving me crazy! It began this morning, I thought it would go away, but it only got worse and worse. I thought it might be some sort of allergy, but it’s not. Two hours ago, I caught one of those little pests that were all over Skippy three days ago. I hoped that was it. Clearly, it wasn’t. I think they’re all over me.” She started sobbing while her sharp nails went to alleviate the evil itchiness on her thighs and calves. “How the hell do I get rid of them?”
Arkvar took a step back and started laughing wholeheartedly. He was relieved it was just fleas. He could deal with fleas.
“It’s not funny, you heartless moron! Not funny at all.” Tears of frustration ran down her cheeks. She wiped them with the back of her hand, which she then shoved into Ark’s face. “And my tears are blue! I’ve been peeing and pooping blue for the past few days, too. How does that sound? It was just light blue at first, I ignored it. Turns out, I’m not very good at lying to myself. I’m pretty sure my skin is turning blue, now. Your stupid Unxendi food, and drinks, and everything are making me blue! Literally! Friggin’ blue! And, oh my God, these alien fleas of yours…” She ran her hands through her hair, pulling at the strands. “Great! Now my head is itching.”
Ark knelt beside her, still chuck
ling.
“First of all, they’re not our alien fleas. Your pet brought them with him from planet Lyra. They’re not affecting us, you see? Only you and Skippy. But Skippy is free of them.”
“Oh, of course! Why would they latch themselves onto a bunch of Unxendi when they have sweet Terran blood to feast on?”
“We’re immune to them.”
“How do you even know that?”
“To rid Skippy of fleas, I took him to the science lab. Ran some tests, figured out our race is immune to the pests, then simply inserted Unxendi DNA into your pet’s DNA.”
“That sounds awfully complicated. Couldn’t you have made an antidote?”
“The Chief Scientist thought about that, but concluded it would have been a temporary solution. Don’t worry, it doesn’t affect Skippy at all.”
“Awesome! Then take me to the lab and give me some of that DNA, or whatever… Just fix this!”
Ark sighed. “Impossible. We’ve studied your species. You’re very complex, and it’s best not to mess with your codes. The results would be unpredictable, and most likely dangerous.”
“What are you talking about? I’m already turning into one of you. Want to see the color of my pee? I’ve drunk enough wine…”
“Drunk enough to… pee, or to show me the color of your pee?”
“Smart-ass…” Despite itching all over, she did manage a chuckle.
“There might be one solution, though…”
Allie waited for him to continue. When he didn’t, she rolled her eyes and scratched her nose.
“Oh, the suspense… The mystery… Just spit it out already!”
The Captain stood up and cleared his throat. He smoothed down the sleeves of his uniform, paced a bit, then sat down across from her. He took a sip of wine, cleared his throat again, fidgeted in his chair, and all the while made sure to avoid her impatient gaze.
“Arkvar,” she almost growled. “The solution. Now.”
“Did you know that females are capable of absorbing a male’s DNA?”
