Claimed by an Alien Warlord

by Stella Dawn

  After I ascertained she was safe this afternoon, I returned to the colony to assist my father, but made it clear to him that I would be unavailable this evening. Eliana and I need to talk, one-on-one, about this thing between us. I need to tell her how I feel – no more beating around the bush – and I need her to do the same.

  The first thing I do is seek out the colony’s best chefs, intent on providing her with a meal of all her favourite things. I know from when we first met with Taryne and Yos that she loves something called “cheeseburgers,” so I ask the cooks to figure out how to make those – or at least something close to it. I’ve also heard her lamenting the fact that she misses something called “bacon,” so I tell them to look that up, too.

  I also instruct them to prepare a sort of buffet meal for us of all the foods she likes that are native to the colony – small fishes and clams, some of our fruits and other produce, as well as a special drink of sweetened milk from the cocoflower, which we spice with picapie, an herb that resembles Earth’s pepper. The sweetness of the milk combined with the heat of the herb is delicious and I know Eliana loves it.

  I tell the chefs to bring everything to my hut once it’s ready and set off there now to prepare for her arrival. I want to ensure everything is neat and organized, and make my space as welcoming as possible. We don’t often spend much time in my hut, so I want her to be comfortable here.

  I know she enjoyed the tribal music from the celebration a few nights ago, so I use music player to pipe some of our more traditional songs into the space as well. I keep it low but audible, just enough to create ambiance.

  The final touch is to light the torches, but not all of them – just enough to see by. I think this is what humans call a “date” back on Earth, or at least close enough to it. I know that human women are accustomed to being courted by the males who wish to mate with them, so I hope I’m doing this right.

  Once the food has arrived, I have the chefs set everything up and wait outside for Eliana to return. I approach her quickly when I see her entering the colony with her friends, wanting to intercept any offers for her to join them for dinner. Tonight is about us and no one else.

  “Eliana,” I start, reaching out to take her hand, “I was hoping you’d join me for dinner. I’ve arranged a meal for us and I’d like to talk to you.”

  She turns to face me, brown eyes blazing with heat.

  “Oh, so you want to talk to me now, do you?” she asks. “I tried talking to you earlier today and you weren’t interested, so excuse me if I’d rather just stay in tonight.”

  “Please don’t,” I ask her, reducing myself to begging. “Let me explain myself. Take this as an apology and a…date. I think that’s what you’d call it. I’ve gotten the colony chefs to make everything you like and I think we really need to talk.”

  I watch as her face softens, even though I’m sure she doesn’t want it to.

  “Fine,” she says after a few moments. “Let me change my clothes and I’ll meet you there.”

  I nod and leave her, knowing better than to protest. She’s agreed to come, so I’ll quit while I’m ahead.

  I head back to my hut to wait, happy that she only takes ten minutes. She knocks on the door and I lose my breath when I open it because she looks amazing. She’s changed into a flowing, light gown, the color of the sun at dawn. It’s nearly sheer, and makes her skin look positively luminous. She’s pulled her hair back off her face but has kept it loose and it falls down her back like a waterfall.

  She’s the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen.

  It’s all I can do to step back and motion her inside. Her eyes widen as she sees the food I’ve had prepared and delivered. I pull out a chair for her and wait until she’s seated before I situate myself right next to her.

  “I asked for all the things I know you love – even cheeseburgers? I’m not exactly sure what those are, but let me know if the chefs got it right,” I tell her.

  “Tsunis – this is too much, really. You didn’t need to go to all this trouble,” she says.

  “It was no trouble at all. I wanted to do this – for you,” I tell her.

  She lifts the lid to one of the platters and lets out a shriek of delight when she discovers what’s beneath it.

  “I take it those are the cheeseburgers?” I ask, unable to stop myself from laughing at her.

  “The true test will be if they taste the same,” she says. “And is this…bacon on them? You had the chefs make bacon cheeseburgers?”

  “Is – is that wrong?” I ask, genuinely concerned as I’ve never had one before.

  “That’s even better than a regular cheeseburger!” she exclaims, picking one up and taking a tentative bite. “Wow – they nailed it! Here, try a bite!”

  She holds it out to me and I do as requested, adding a larger bite over hers. She’s right – cheeseburgers are incredible.

  I pass her an empty plate and invite her to fill it with more food. She does so as I pour her a glass of the spiced cocoflower milk.

  “You spoil me,” she says, a hint of mischief in her eye. “What did I do to deserve this date?”

  “I want to know you. I feel like all we do is work or fuck – which are both great, don’t get me wrong – but who are you really, Eliana? Tell me about your life. What were you doing before all this?” I ask, unable to stop myself.

  “It’s not a happy tale,” she cautions, taking another bite of her cheeseburger.

  “I want to hear it anyway,” I say, and I mean it.

  “Well, you know I was working at a fish farm when Taryne and Yos found me. It was the only work I could find, even though I have a degree in marine biology. There’s not a high demand for marine biologists on Earth right now, since it’s kind of a mess at the moment.

  “I actually put myself through school by working at the farms. I’ve always loved the water – I was born close to the ocean. It’s hard for me to imagine living anywhere other than right next to the sea. Perhaps because of that, you and I were fated to meet,” she says, that gleam returning to her eye.

  “What about your family? I’ve seen their photo in your hut,” I say.

  “They died when I was very young – both my parents and my younger brother. I was about seven years old at the time. We lived close to a nuclear fallout site and they were all poisoned by radiation. I’ve never understood why it didn’t kill me, too. There must be a reason for it, but I haven’t figured it out yet,” she tells him.

  I can’t imagine not having my family, especially not from such a young age.

  “You survived on your own since then?” I ask.

  “I did. I went to work at the fish farms – they were the only job I could do being so small. At first it was just feeding duties, but as I grew I was able to take on more tasks. One of the overseers took pity on me and let me live in the shed behind her house. It wasn’t much, but I was fed and sheltered, so it was better than nothing,” she explains.

  She’s probably the toughest female I know – she’s not the delicate flower I initially thought she was. The females of my tribe are of hardy stock, but none of them have ever survived on their own. The Ih’il always help each other – we’d never let one of our own suffer as Eliana has. It only makes me admire her more.

  “I have to tell you something,” I say, before I can stop myself.

  She doesn’t respond, just stares up at me as I clear my throat.

  “I think you’re the most amazing creature I’ve ever met. You intimidate me and infuriate me and make me feel things I’ve never felt before. I want us to be friends, as well as…whatever we are. Colleagues. Lovers. Can we do that? Can we trust one another?” I ask her, laying it all on the line.

  “Of course,” she tells me. “I know I must be hard to get along with sometimes, and therefore even harder to feel any sort of affection for, but…I feel the same way about you, Tsunis. You make me…happy. It’s a strange feeling, but also a wonderful one. I didn’t expect this when I agreed to thi
s mission – I didn’t expect you.”

  My heart races at her words. This feeling in my chest, I know what it is now: it can only be love. There’s no denying it. It’s utterly terrifying and I didn’t mean for it to happen, but I’m so glad it’s with her.

  27

  Eliana

  This is probably the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me. I can’t stop smiling at Tsunis through the low light of the candles. He looks different somehow and I’m not sure if it’s how he’s listening to me or just how he looks in the light.

  While we told our stories, I felt how receptive we both were, and how vulnerable. I’ve never gone into detail with anyone about my early years and how hard I had to work to get where I am now. I’m touched by how much he cares.

  He certainly seems to be looking at me in a whole new way. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much respect from him and it’s clear he wasn’t expecting me to have a backstory like this.

  The music playing in the corner is a mixture of old earth tunes and some new, alternative music made with alien instruments. Its haunting and beautiful and very soothing. When he notices me swaying, he holds out his hand and asks me to dance.

  “I’ve never done it before.”

  He laughs. “Neither have I. I’ve danced tribal dances with my people, never anything like this.”

  He sweeps me into his arms, and I think that he might be more experienced than he’s letting on. We both stumble over each other’s feet, but we don’t care, laughing as we try to get our arms around each other. Eventually we just stand, pressed against each other and swaying from foot to foot.

  My cheek on his warm, hard chest is like some kind of ecstasy. I love hearing his heartbeat and the great whooshing sound of his breath. It makes me feel safe but also excited, like I’m right where I need to be. Like I never want to move.

  I look up and his dark eyes are looking down on me. We get lost in each other’s gaze for a few seconds then he leans down and touches his lips to mine.

  The moment is so sweet and tender I feel tingles flowing down my body. I open my mouth, letting him explore with his tongue as my lips move against his. My hands slip around his waist and he reaches down, grabs my ass and hauls me upwards. I laugh as He swings me up then down again. Still grabbing my ass, he spins us and drops me on the bed.

  I lean up for another kiss and this one is hot and deep. With every stroke of his tongue I feel myself getting hotter inside. When he finally pushes me back against the bed I’m almost crying out in need.

  He tugs off my loose gown, hands going around my thighs as he leans down. I keep my eyes closed and I feel him lift my feet over his shoulders.

  His tongue touches my clit and I almost scream. I’m so sensitive down there, begging and wanting I can hardly stay still. When he laps gently at my clit again, I can’t stay still and buck up and down on the sheets.

  I feel his lips parting the folds of my pussy to caress inside and I go through some kind of fit. I grip his hair tightly with one hand and my hips shift up and down against my will. I hear a moan come through his throat as he grabs my legs to hold me still so he can pleasure me more thoroughly.

  He doesn’t let me go, keeps holding me in place and increasing the attentiveness of his tongue. I feel my orgasm building and it’s far more intense than any I’ve had before. As his tongue and lips keep up their slow, rhythmic movements I feel the trembling go right through me until I’m coming all over his face.

  He doesn’t stop, pushing the orgasm on until it becomes a multiple. I’m not aware of anything except complete and total pleasure screaming through me and I can hear my voice sounding out my joy all around the hut.

  He moves his mouth away, watching me with a smile on his face. He seems content to go slowly but I’m not. I grab him by the arms and pull him towards me, making him fall on top. I grind my hips like crazy and he laughs, a sound full of male pride. He grips me around the hips and leans back on his knees beside the bed.

  As he tugs me over, he watches where our bodies meet. He lets out a series of excited cries as he watches his cock slide into my pussy. I can feel every single inch and I’m screaming again, feeling the hard slickness just going on and on.

  The first few strokes are incredibly slow. I feel myself twisting against him, desperate for more friction and pressure. He teases me, thrusting with just the head until I thrashing and begging.

  Finally, he slams himself in all the way. We both go still for a second, feeling his cock hit that soft place deep inside. He stays still, hips pressed forward and leans over to kiss me.

  I wrap a hand around his neck and kiss him back, working with my lips and tongue to devour him. I start wriggling against the blankets, making friction between us. He raises his head and laughs, looking down on me with intense satisfaction.

  I’m dewy eyed, breathless, sweaty. He looks like the picture of calm and I wonder at how lucky I am, to find a man with so much strength and stamina, who pleasures me so thoroughly.

  He sits right up and watches my body move. He runs a hand over my breasts, taking me in.

  Then he starts thrusting hard and fast. He watches my breasts moving up and down at his movement. I feel his cock getting harder and thicker and I can hear myself screaming again as my pussy grips him and starts to clench with more orgasms. He breathes out a ragged sigh and I feel him coming at the same time.

  For a few seconds there is nothing but our combined cries and the magic of our bodies. When I can think again, I’m pressed against his chest, listening to his heartbeat and riding on his breath.

  He slips out of me and gathers me in his arms. We snuggle together in the bed, bringing up a blanket to cover us both. In our private, darkened world, we look into each other’s eyes and reach out with gentle fingers to caress each other.

  His eyes are wide with wonder as he touches me all over. He seems enchanted, like he can’t move until he experiences every inch of my skin. I trace my fingers over him as well, enjoying the rough parts that would bloom into scales as soon as he began to swim.

  We look into each other’s eyes and our smiles are identical. I let him pull me closer and snuggle against his chest again. Truly, there is nowhere I’d rather be than right here. I never thought I could feel as safe and as comfortable as this.

  I feel his arms tighten around me and his face falls into my hair. I have the sudden feeling that just as leaning on him is my favorite place, maybe it’s his too.

  I snuggle closer, determined not to think about anything for the rest of the night. I just want to enjoy these sensations with my lover, remember this perfect night. The rest of the world and its problems can just wait for me.

  All I want is my lover and this endless night, where it feels like we’ll be together forever. I know how unlikely that is, but a girl can hope. Loving hearts always do hope for the impossible.

  We very rarely ever get it.

  28

  Tsunis

  The next morning, I bring her melon and cooked grains for breakfast. We sit in front of her hut and watch the sun coming over the far ridge.

  We don’t say much but I feel the connection that sweeps between us. Every time we look at each other there is a moment of warmth and a secret smile. I feel our love, but I’m still not sure of it.

  “Eliana?”

  “Yeah?” She uses a piece of brown bread to scoop up some sweet grains.

  “I need you to know that I really care for you. This isn’t something casual for me. I…”

  She looks into my face, smiling. “It’s not like this is casual for me either, Tsunis. Did you really think I would share my body with just anyone?”

  “Well no… I hope not!”

  She laughs. “You had an effect on me. More than any man I’ve ever met.”

  I feel a surge of pride. “Really?”

  “Really.” Her eyes are amused and her face soft. I love it when she looks at me like that, so warm and yet teasing at the same time.

  We go b
ack to eating and watching the women at their early morning weaving. They are always weaving the local fibers, some for walls or screens, others for mats. Soon they’ll start making the big nets we need for our floating fortresses. Kiara is going three times as fast as the others, with her four arms.

  “Eliana…”

  “That’s the second time you’ve started a sentence with my name. What’s the deal? You act like you’re going to break it to me that I have cancer of the puppy.”

  “What?”

  Eliana laughs. “It’s a stupid Earth joke. Supposed to be a euphemism for the most terrible news ever.”

  I’m not sure how the puppy fits in but I do know cancer is a deadly threat. I decide to ignore her joke. I put my food down and take her hand. She puts down her own breakfast and turns to face me.

  “Eliana. I love you.”

  She smiles, so soft and sweet. “I love you too, Tsunis.”

  She stares into my eyes and I believe her, I do. It doesn’t help though. I feel lost, hurt, frustrated. Love won’t stop her from going away. How can I get her to stay with me? I can’t stand the thought of her leaving me.

  She breaks off the embrace and heads inside, whistling as she collects her equipment. She seems so happy. Is that because she is going home soon? She just said that our love was important to her. But not important enough to stay?

  I get up and take a few steps away from the hut. I’ve never felt like this before and I don’t like it. My guts feel too hot and there’s fire under my skin.

  I just can’t accept things as they are, and I don’t know what to do about it. I don’t think I’ve ever felt powerless, not ever. There was always a way to muscle any circumstances around to my advantage.