“A trader just landed, and I saw the captain get off the ship. He is a Cire.”
“What does that mean?” she asked as she watched him rummage through one of the drawers.
“I am working with members of their race—they are the ones who are waiting for my signal. Perhaps he can get a message to them. Here, put this on.”
He handed her a long dark cloak with a hood and she frowned at him even as she obeyed and pulled it over her clothing.
“Why am I putting this on?”
“Because I’m going to take you off the ship with me. This is the perfect time. Everyone not on guard duty has already disbursed.”
“What? Why?” Hurt and betrayal filled her voice. Was he going to abandon her here?
“I hope that if the Cire can make contact with the ship with which I am working, they can take you to Trevelor. They have all the records we were able to recover from Commander Khaen.”
Part of her was excited that she might be one step closer to finding Judith and Charlie, but she dreaded the thought of leaving Kwaret. She had grown to trust him over the past week, and she was not at all sure about leaving his protection.
“Are you sure you can trust him?”
“The Cire have a strong reputation for honor and responsibility.” Sadness washed across his face. “Their race lost all their females to the Red Death.”
“How horrible. Does that mean they are dying out?”
“Perhaps not. They have found that they are compatible with a few other races.”
He gave her a speculative look, but before she could ask any additional questions, he told her to conceal herself in her hood. As soon as she was covered, he hurried her out the door and off the ship, moving at a pace that kept her at a jog.
When he stopped her alien in the food market, she had almost protested. The male and his companion made an intimidating display and she wasn’t at all sure that she trusted them. But then that curious tail tugged at her cloak in an oddly endearing gesture and she found her fear disappearing into amusement.
Now she realized that the tail was back, this time sliding around her wrist.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked, trying to sound indignant even though it felt strangely comforting. The surface of his tail was not smooth but covered in small nubs that teased her skin. Was he like that all over, she wondered, and darted a glance between his legs before she could stop herself. Oh my. He was apparently very pleased to meet her.
Her cheeks flushed pink and she hastily snatched her gaze away, but her nipples had tightened, and she could feel an ache low in her stomach. Flustered, she looked over to find Kwaret eyeing her with a strange expression on his face.
“As I mentioned before, we need your assistance,” Kwaret said, turning back to her big alien.
“I am Captain Cestov Tok’Laren, at your service.” He bowed deeply, his previous objections seemingly forgotten. “You said that you needed me to contact a ship?”
“Yes. My name is Kwaret and this is my… friend, Mariah.”
He sounded so uncertain about using the term and she gave him a warm smile. Cestov made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a low growl, but Kwaret ignored it and continued.
“As I said, I have been working with a Cire ship, the Defiance. We are trying to prevent the Vedeckians from raiding the planet where Mariah is from to obtain females and infants. As a result of the most recent raid, there are three other females and two infants on our ship now.”
Cestov snarled, showing a rather impressive set of teeth. What would those feel like nibbling on her neck, she wondered, feeling the color creep back into her cheeks.
“That is completely unacceptable,” Cestov said.
Kwaret nodded. “I agree, however, I am but a single voice.”
“We should rescue them,” the young male said eagerly.
“I saw your ship,” Kwaret said patiently. “It does not appear to be a military vessel. It will take superior force to convince Commander Kadica to back down. With my assistance, the Defiance can take the ship with minimal harm. Can you contact them?”
“I have every intention of doing so,” Cestov said grimly. “How were you told to get in touch with them?”
The conversation turned technical and Mariah found herself watching Cestov as discreetly as possible. His face was so different from a human face and yet she had no difficulty in recognizing the expressions that flashed across it. Despite the intensity of the discussion, his gaze frequently flickered in her direction and his tail had once more come to rest on her, around her ankle this time. She didn’t protest. It seemed harmless enough and the warm touch was curiously reassuring.
“Very well,” Cestov concluded. “We will be on our way as soon as we have procured the supplies we need. And what of you?” He spoke to Kwaret, but he looked at her.
“I must remain in order to ensure the safety of the remaining females.” Kwaret shook his head. “I am especially concerned about the troublesome female. I cannot let her be sold.”
“Do you require our assistance to prevent it?”
Kwaret tilted his head as he considered the offer, then shook his head. “I have a plan. I think it would be best if you summon the ship as soon as possible. But there is one more thing.”
“Yes?”
“I cannot protect all of the females and I do not believe that Mariah will be safe on my ship. Can you take her with you and arrange to have her transferred to the Defiance?”
Chapter Seven
Take her with him? Yes. Cestov’s body responded immediately and his tail tightened around her ankle. The thought of having her on the Wanderer, her delicate fragrance filling the air, her soft body so close—everything about it felt right. His cock had never really subsided and now it sprang back to a full aching erection at the idea of her at his side. But he did have another mission…
“I would be happy to take her, but I am headed for Trevelor,” he said reluctantly. “I am searching for someone and unless he is on board the Defiance, I will simply pass along the message to them and continue to the planet.”
“Trevelor?” Mariah interrupted. “But that’s perfect. I’m also looking for someone and I hope that I can get some additional information there.”
Before he could respond, there was a knock at the door. His hand immediately went to his blaster and he noted that Kwaret also had his hand on his weapon. Mariah paled and pulled her hood up over her head as he instinctively stepped in front of her. He nodded at Maldost to wait behind the door, then cautiously opened it.
The Drigueran stood outside, accompanied by a young male servant bearing two platters loaded with food while balancing two oversized mugs of ale.
“Your meal, sir,” the host said obsequiously.
Without removing his hand from the hilt of his weapon, he gestured the servant inside. “Put everything on the table.”
The young male nervously obeyed, keeping his head lowered. The Drigueran started to step inside the room as well, but Cestov blocked him. As soon as the servant scurried back past him, he shut the door in the innkeeper’s face.
“I apologize,” he said to Mariah. “When I ordered the food, I did not think to take your preferences into consideration. But please help yourself to anything that you would like.”
He ignored Maldost’s muffled protest. The young male would not be harmed by missing a meal and his instincts demanded that he feed his—the female first.
She still had not pushed her hood back down and he found himself impatient to see her face once more. As if in response to his desire, his tail once more tugged at the cloak. She laughed and he couldn’t help but smile at the infectious sound. His admiration increased. She had been taken from her planet, surrounded by beings who were no doubt strange to her, but she had the courage and spirit to find humor in the situation.
“Please be seated,” he urged.
“If you insist.” She threw back the hood and this time she did not stop there but shrugged out of
the cloak completely.
His mind ceased to function at the sight of soft lush curves barely contained by a Vedeckian uniform and all he could do was stare. He bit back his instinctive objection to the fact that she was obviously dressed in another male’s clothing. The arms and legs had both been rolled up many, many times to accommodate her tiny frame, but despite her small size, everything about her was perfect. Before he could call it back, his tail wrapped around her waist. She jumped and blushed and he reluctantly brought his unruly tail back under control.
“Please sit down,” he said again.
She looked a little uncertainly at Kwaret, then curled up on one of the low seats. He could no more have stopped himself from sitting next to her than he could have stopped himself from breathing. The Vedeckian and Maldost slid into place across from them.
“There are only two servings,” she said softly. “This is your meal, isn’t it?”
“We are delighted for you to have it. Aren’t we, Maldost?”
His junior gave a somewhat reluctant nod and she laughed again.
“What if we all share it?”
“You will satisfy yourself first,” he insisted.
“I don’t really know what any of this is,” she said with a rueful glance at the platters.
“Then I will assist you.”
Despite his nosiness, the Drigueran had provided an excellent—and very large—meal. Cestov carefully chose small tidbits for Mariah, always checking to make sure that she enjoyed something before he urged her to take more. When it was apparent that she would eat no more than a small portion of the food, he indicated to Maldost that he could eat. The Vedeckian refused to partake, although he sipped the ale with an expression of pleasure on his white face.
Mariah also seemed to enjoy the ale, her face flushing a delicate pink and her laughter rippling frequently through the room. It wasn’t until she leaned close to him and whispered confidentially in his ear that he realized she had become inebriated.
“You’re very big,” Mariah whispered to Cestov as she leaned closer to the big green alien.
Mmm, he smelled really good, like fall leaves and pumpkin spice. She leaned even closer, then yawned. That big arm looked like the perfect spot to rest her head. Surely, he wouldn’t mind if she just rested her eyes for a minute. She let her head fall against his arm and his tail came up around her waist to support her. She patted it sleepily.
“That’s a nice tail.”
She could have sworn that she heard him moan but she felt too warm and comfortable and sleepy to worry about it. Her eyes closed and she nestled closer and for the first time since she had climbed aboard the alien ship, she felt truly safe.
The next thing Mariah remembered was waking up alone on a large bed. The mattress was soft and the sheets smelled clean and spicy as she snuggled into them. Heavens, that had been a horrible dream. Sneaking aboard an alien spaceship? She couldn’t even imagine doing such a thing, although if it would have given her the chance to find her sister, she wouldn’t have hesitated. The thought of her sister and little Charlie brought the familiar wave of sadness, and she was no longer content to snuggle into her bed. With a deep sigh, she sat up—and froze.
This wasn’t her bedroom; this wasn’t even one of the inexpensive hotel rooms where she spent so much time when she was on the road. Curved white metal walls surrounded the bed, forming a cozy cabin. On her right, there was a desk and what looked like an oversized recliner, but on her left… On her left was a huge window and through the window all she could see was stars.
The memories came rushing back—the park, the spaceship, Kwaret, and then Cestov.
How had she ended up here? And why was she wearing only half of the Vedeckian uniform? The oversized top reached the middle of her thighs, but she still felt uncomfortably exposed. And where was Cestov?
Climbing hastily out of the bed, she searched for her missing pants. The pristine room showed nothing out of place, but she discovered two concealed doors. Behind one she found a small closet, but her pants weren’t included in the neat array of clothing. The next door revealed a spotless white bathroom, including—oh joy of joys—an actual toilet and shower. Even though she didn’t know how long she would be alone, after a week of sponge baths, the shower was too tempting to resist.
A few minutes later she had managed to figure out the controls and was standing naked under a flow of hot water. Had anything ever felt better? She had a sudden flash of memory, of being cradled against a large, warm chest as Cestov had carried her to the ship. That had felt surprisingly good. In fact, she had a faint, uneasy recollection that she might have started kissing his neck. Even the distant memory caused her nipples to tighten and when she ran the cleansing cloth between her legs, the slippery heat was from more than just the water.
She couldn’t remember ever feeling so instantly attracted to someone before. Even though she lived the nomadic life of a performer, she’d always had the rock-solid foundation her sister had provided to ground her carefree hippie image. Over the years she’d had a few casual relationships—usually with a fellow musician—but on the whole, she slept alone in all those empty hotel rooms. And yet here she was, her body warm with desire for an alien who she had met only hours ago. Perhaps it was just because it had been so long, perhaps she just needed to take the edge off…
She moved the cloth more slowly, teasing the rapidly hardening pearl of her clit while she tugged at her stiff nipples with her other hand. Mmm, that felt good, but she needed more. Her alien’s image came to mind and she imagined him stepping up behind her, cupping her breasts with those big strong hands before sliding one down between her legs, circling her throbbing clit until she exploded.
“Cestov!” she cried as her body shuddered into a brief, hard climax.
The door flew open.
Chapter Eight
Cestov threw open the door to the sanitary facility when Mariah cried out his name, prepared to defend her from any threat. Instead, he froze at the sight of his female, naked in the shower, her pale skin flushed pink while one hand plucked at a swollen red peak and the other dipped between softly curved thighs. Her fragrance filled the room, sending his cock into an immediate throbbing erection. He took a step towards her before he realized that she had not invited him to join her.
“Do you need assistance?”
His words seemed to shock her out of her frozen position, and she gasped, trying to cover her lush breasts with one arm and her delightful little cunt with the other.
“No! Turn around. Please.”
He obediently, if reluctantly, turned away from her. “You are sure that you do not need my help? You called for me.”
“I… I…”
Her voice stuttered to a stop and he suddenly realized why she had called out his name. She had been thinking of him while she pleasured herself. His cock jerked at the thought and he came close to embarrassing himself.
“Do you have a towel?” she asked, her voice shaky.
“Behind the panel to your right.” He knew he should leave the room, but what if she had other questions? What if she slipped on the wet surface? And she had not asked him to leave.
He heard the panel close and risked a glance over his shoulder. She had wrapped the large white cloth around her body, but her bare shoulders rose above it, her delicate skin still flushed and glowing. The wet mass of her hair tumbled down over the tempting swell of her breasts. She looked up and met his eyes and the color on her cheeks deepened, but she gave him a tremulous smile.
“Thank you for the use of your shower.”
He forced himself not to offer her the use of anything on his ship and merely nodded.
“Perhaps I could trouble you for a few more things?”
“Of course,” he said eagerly.
“Do you have a comb?”
“A comb?” The word did not translate.
“You use it to untangle your hair.” She took a peek up at his head and smiled again, more genuinel
y this time. “Well, if you have hair.”
“Ah. I’m afraid… No, wait a minute. I may have something.”
He hurried back into the main room, kneeling against the far wall to search through the one storage space he had set aside for personal mementos from his travels. She followed him, leaning against the wall and raking her fingers through her hair as she watched. He forced himself not to pay attention to the long bare legs beneath the towel or the knowledge that she was naked beneath it.
“I do not have many personal possessions,” he explained as he searched. “It is difficult to accumulate much when you are always—”
“—on the move?” she finished. “I know what you mean. I travel light as well.”
“You are a traveler?” A delicate female? Who accompanied her? Who protected her?
“I’m a singer—that means I have to go wherever there is a gig, a job. It requires a lot of traveling but it’s all I ever wanted to do.” She gave him a rueful smile. “I never really minded moving around.”
“I understand,” he admitted. “I always enjoyed the traveling life but Bratan grew tired of it.”
“Bratan?”
“My brother. He is the one for whom I search.”
“I remember you said he might be on the ship Kwaret was trying to contact. Were you able to reach them?”
“Yes. As it turns out, they were already on their way. They received Kwaret’s signal but apparently the return signal was not transmitting. They should have landed on Driguera only a few hours after we left.”
“And your brother?”
“He was not on board.” Despair washed over him. It would have made perfect sense for his brother to have joined the crew of another ship—this was the only life they had ever really known—but the captain had never heard of him. The best he could offer was to suggest that he check the records on Trevelor. Because so many refugees traveled to the planet, either to put down roots or on their way to another destination, they had an extensive database of information on the visitors.
A Son for the Alien Warrior (Treasured by the Alien Book 2) Page 4
