Alien Prisoner

by Honey Phillips

  She sat up, warmth flooding her as her bottom came into contact with the mattress. Memories of the previous night swept over her and she felt the heat racing to her cheeks. It had all been so overwhelming. She had never thought she would have submitted to a man like that, but she had enjoyed every minute of it. Well, perhaps enjoy wasn’t quite the right word, she thought as she got to her feet, wincing a little, but her body had certainly responded. Even now, she felt a pulse between her legs.

  Pushing the memories aside as firmly as possible, she looked for her clothes and found them stacked neatly on the trunk. The wash tub had disappeared. Pulling on leggings and a tank, she threw her mother’s cardigan over the top. A memory surfaced from long ago, when they had come here as a family. She had tripped and fallen, scraping her knee, and she remembered her mother cuddling her in the rocking chair while her father had doctored the wound. It had been easy to bury the good memories in the shock of her father’s death and her mother’s emotional abandonment, but she had been a good parent once. If only her father hadn’t died and revealed her failings.

  After making the bed, she pushed back the curtain to reveal an empty cabin. A covered plate and mug wrapped in a dishcloth waited on the table. A small piece of paper had a brief note, written in slashing black letters that she had no doubt belonged to T’chok, EAT. Shaking her head, she uncovered the plate to find a small assortment of Yehrin food. Unenthusiastic about the hard chair and anxious to find her men, she grabbed a pillow and took her plate and mug out on to the front porch. T’chok and Benji were nowhere in sight but she refused to panic.

  The snow had almost completely disappeared and the sun slanting through the trees took the chill off the air. A bird called from the top of one of the pines and took flight, a flash of brown against the deep blue of the sky. She placed the pillow on the top step and lowered herself careful onto it before picking up her plate. By the time she heard the sound of the ATV, she had finished her breakfast. Instead of contemplating her next task, she was simply sitting and enjoying the morning.

  The ATV appeared with T’chok at the wheel and Benji next to him. They were dragging a number of boards with a chain. Giving the wood a puzzled look, she walked over to meet them. T’chok bent down to give her a swift, hard kiss before gesturing to the lumber.

  “I have found supplies.”

  “It was so cool, Rach.” Benji was literally jumping with excitement. “We found one of the old cabins and T’chok knocked it down. With his bare hands!”

  “Really? That’s pretty impressive for a male who could barely get out of bed yesterday.” She gave him a searching look. He looked tired but he stood firmly on his feet and didn’t seem to be suffering from any lingering aftereffects.

  “No, not with my bare hands.” He chuckled. “My blast tube has a vibration function. I used that to weaken the remaining bonds and then applied pressure.”

  “He pushed it and the whole thing fell to one side,” Benji added. “All at once. You should have seen it.”

  “I’m sorry I missed it. But why do we need the wood? Is this for the fire?”

  “No. T’chok’s going to make me my own room? Isn’t that awesome? I’m going to go sketch out what I want.” He whizzed off to the cabin, ignoring her shocked expression.

  “You’re building him a room? Why?”

  “He is a growing male. He will need privacy.” T’chok pulled her closer, reaching down to squeeze her butt. “And I need privacy to do all of the things I plan to do to your luscious little body.”

  Ignoring her immediate response to his touch, she frowned at him. “Do we really need to do that? Are we going to be here that long?”

  “I do not know,” he confessed, then smoothed a finger across her furrowed brow. “Do not worry, my zuzu. This will be a good project for B’nji and I to work on together. And I like that I am improving our home, even if it is only temporary.”

  The nagging worry that they would be trapped here hiding from the other Yehrin still haunted her, but she managed to push it aside and give him a smile. He obviously needed to do this, and the idea of additional privacy did appeal to her as well.

  “Did you eat your breakfast?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Good girl.” Every time he said those words, a small part of her quivered, and she leaned into him. “I placed the other stores that I brought in the cabinet.”

  “Thank you.” She looked down, hesitating before she asked. “Do you think it will be enough?”

  “No. But I will hunt and obtain more.”

  Despite his lack of experience, he seemed quite confident of his ability. Looking at his massive form in the morning light, she found it hard to doubt him.

  “Now I will return to get more wood.” He studied her face. “I do not want to leave you alone. Do you wish your brother to remain with you?”

  “Yes, I think so. I suspect he would rather go with you, but I want to go over his books with him. I want to make sure that he isn’t too far behind if—when—he returns to school.” She bit her lip.

  “We will make sure that he has everything he needs to complete his education,” T’chok promised. She noticed that he didn’t specifically mention school but nodded anyway. He gave her another kiss, squeezing her bottom again. She winced and pressed closer at the same time. He lingered over her mouth before finally pulling away. “You tempt me from my purpose, little girl. I look forward to tonight.”

  By the time Rachel finished lunch preparations, T’chok had hauled two more loads of lumber, stacking them neatly to one side of the cabin. Benji had pouted about being excluded from the trips but had shown her where he was in each of his books and they had worked out a schedule of lessons. He was doing math problems when T’chok appeared, but he stopped as soon as the tall figure entered the cabin and jumped up to greet him.

  “Are you getting more this afternoon? Can I go with you?”

  She hid a smile at how excited her brother was to see the alien. Whatever they had discussed the previous day had certainly changed his attitude. T’chok smiled and ruffled Benji’s hair the way that Rachel did but looked at her before answering. She noticed with concern that he was looking even more tired and he unconsciously raised a hand to his head to rub his temple.

  “I’ve got a better idea,” she said. “Why don’t we all go up to the lake and see if we can catch some fish?” It was an easy walk up there and it would give T’chok a chance to rest.

  “I should continue working,” he protested.

  “We have time.” Perhaps too much time. “I would feel safer if you went with us, at least this first time.”

  He looked torn for a moment but, as she suspected, gave in to her appeal for protection.

  “Very well. Do you require assistance with the meal?”

  “No need. I’ve already made lunch, such as it is, but I used one of the old cans again. Can you scan it?”

  “Of course.” He joined her at the stove, giving an appreciative sniff. “What is this?”

  “I suppose you could call it chili.” She had chopped up some jerky sticks and simmered them with the rest of the French onion soup, a can of tomatoes, and a can of beans, along with some of her limited supply of spices. Since she had a lot of rice, she’d also made a bowl of rice to go along with it figuring that it would help to supplement the main meal.

  “It would be better with cornbread or even regular bread. I’m trying to see if I can get a sourdough starter going.” She cast a doubtful look at the mixture of flour and water sitting next to the stove. “I just wish we had more supplies.”

  T’chok opened his mouth to speak but she placed a hand across his lips. “I’m sure you’ll be a great hunter, but you aren’t going to find bags of flour sitting in the woods. Or eggs. Or butter.”

  He looked thoughtful but didn't say anything as he helped her carry the dishes to the table. Both T’chok and Benji dug into the food with every evidence of enjoyment so Rachel decided her experiment had been a success.
Benji discussed his plans for his room in great detail and she hid a smile as they began to sound more like the Bat Cave than a small addition to a log cabin. T’chok was unusually silent but he didn’t seem to be in pain, so she left him alone.

  “I have considered…” he announced as they finished the meal.

  “Yes? And what have you decided, oh great one?” She couldn’t resist teasing him for such a solemn pronouncement.

  “I like that title, little one,” he said with a gleam in his eye. “Perhaps you should call me that henceforth.”

  Benji giggled and she rolled her eyes. “You considered?”

  “I believe that we could visit a place which sells food supplies.”

  “You mean a grocery store? Really? Is it safe?”

  “I believe so. I doubt that anyone would be searching for us in this vicinity. If we can locate an establishment without cameras, I believe the level of risk is acceptable.”

  A glow of excitement filled her. “That would be terrific. Even if we could just get some staples, that would help. We could look at the map and see—” She stopped abruptly at the memory of the truck, abandoned on the edge of the creek below.

  “I forgot about the truck. We could probably take the ATV, but people would notice that more. You’re pretty distinctive.”

  “I have a personal cloaking device,” he said calmly as they both stared at him.

  “You never mentioned that on our drive up here.”

  He flashed sharp white teeth at her. “I enjoyed my hiding position.”

  “A cloaking device? That’s awesome!” Benji said in an awestruck voice as she rolled her eyes at T’chok. She could see that T’chok had risen even further in her brother’s estimation.

  “However, the small vehicle would not be an optimal choice,” T’chok continued. “I shall see if I can repair the vehicle.”

  “I think we can get it running. The engine was still working; it was just the metal that crumpled against the wheel.” She briefly described the problem, then gave him a worried frown. "I should have thought about it before. I don’t expect anyone would be on the road but if they were, finding a wrecked truck would probably cause them to report it.”

  “You are correct. I—”

  “We,” she interrupted.

  “Very well. We should go this afternoon.”

  “No fishing?” Benji asked.

  “I’m sorry, bug. I think this is more important.”

  “I could go by myself, you know. I’m not a baby.”

  She automatically looked at T’chok, experiencing an unexpected pleasure at having someone to share this type of decision with her. He tilted his head and studied Benji. “Is it far?”

  “Nah. Just a few minutes away. Right, Rach?”

  “More like ten minutes but there is a trail. I tell you what. Why don’t we walk up there with you and check it out? Then T’chok and I will go work on the truck.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Once the lunch dishes were washed and put away, they followed R’chel’s plan. T’chok was glad to see that the trail to the lake, while somewhat overgrown, was easy to follow. They would not have to worry about the young male getting lost. The trail ended in a meadow sloping down to a small lake. While nowhere near as impressive as the lake behind the Earth facility, the pool of blue water nestled amongst the trees with the slope of a mountain rising behind it had a gentle beauty all its own.

  B’nji ran ahead, searching along the edge of the water for small insects to use as bait, in addition to the scraps of lunch he had brought along. T’chok reached for R’chel’s hand as they followed at a slower pace. She curled her small fingers into his and contentment filled him. His L’chka at his side, their child safe and happy, the beauty that surrounded them—he could not ask for more.

  “I am glad that we are in this place together,” he said.

  R’chel stopped and looked up at him and he was struck once again by her beauty. The sunlight gleamed in the dark fall of her hair and highlighted the golden tones of her skin. She had abandoned her sweater on the walk through the woods and he could see the swell of her breasts beneath the thin top. His shaft began to stiffen, and he saw her nipples peak against the soft cloth. Her eyes darkened as she followed his gaze and she swayed toward him. He cupped a hand around her hip to pull her closer and—

  “Gross!” B’nji yelled. “Do you have to do that in front of me?”

  His zuzu flushed and laughed but gave him a quick hug. The press of her body against his did nothing to lessen his erection and his hands lingered when she tried to pull away

  “The joys of parenthood. We have to wait,” she scolded with a laugh.

  “I do not wish to wait.” Making sure that his body concealed hers, he cupped her breasts and rolled the tight peaks firmly between his fingers. Her color deepened and he could smell her arousal as she leaned into him, her soft body cradling his aching cock.

  “I don’t wish to wait, either,” she panted. “But we have to.”

  “Come on, you guys.” The impatient young voice made him release her, however reluctantly. He let her go ahead of him while he adjusted his cock but followed immediately. No obvious danger presented itself, but he would not relax his vigilance.

  “Look, T’chok.” B’nji grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the water’s edge. “See all these tracks?”

  He followed the boy’s gaze to the soft mud that lined the bank and saw the different animal prints. One of the books he had reviewed the previous evening had diagrams of various animal tracks, but he had not studied them. “I see. This is a watering area. Tonight, we can review the guidebook and see if we can identify any of them.”

  “Cool.” B’nji pointed to a fallen log that jutted out into the water. “I thought I could fish from there. What do you think?”

  “It is a wise choice. But you must be careful not to fall in.”

  “It’s not deep—and I can swim.”

  “Cold water is dangerous to humans. Your sister is now aware of that.”

  His little human gave him a withering glance, but her eyes softened as she turned to her brother. “He’s right, bug. Promise me you’ll be careful.”

  “Sheesh. I’m not a baby.” R’chel only looked at him and finally B’nji sighed. “Fine. I promise to be careful.”

  “Thank you.” She hugged him. “I only just found you again. I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to you.”

  He hugged her back and T’chok saw the gleam of emotion in his eyes before he ducked his head and picked up his fishing equipment. Once the boy was settled, he turned to R’chel. “Do you wish to stay with him?”

  She looked around the peaceful location and shook her head. “I guess not. Do you think he’s in any danger?”

  “No, but I am not yet familiar with the wildlife in this area.” Her brow furrowed as she cast a worried look in the boy’s direction and he considered his options. The young male was at the age when those who chose to pursue the Way of the Warrior would enter a training house. He had already proven himself to be intelligent and resourceful.

  “I do not believe that there is any reason to be concerned but I could leave my blast tube with him if you are worried.”

  “But—” She stopped. “No, that’s a good suggestion. I have to remember that he came all this way by himself. He’s proven he knows how to take care of himself.”

  “B’nji.”

  The boy put down his rod and came over. “What’s up?”

  “Your sister and I are going to recover the vehicle. Since you will be alone, I wish you to carry this for protection.” B’nji’s eyes widened. “I am trusting that you will treat it as a young warrior should.”

  “A warrior? Me?” His voice squeaked but he threw back his shoulders with pride.

  “Yes. Now remember, this is only to be used for defense or for the protection of those weaker than yourself. Do you understand?”

  “I do.”

  “Very well.” He gave t
he boy a quick lesson, emphasizing that it should be kept on the stun setting. B’nji paid close attention, nodding solemnly when T’chok handed over the weapon.

  “Thank you.”

  “You deserve it, B’nji.”

  R’chel’s eyes were bright but she nodded in agreement. “T’chok’s right.” She sniffed and attempted a lighter tone. “Now be careful. We’ll meet you back at the house, okay?”

  “Sure. Don’t worry about me, sis.” Placing the tube carefully in his pocket, he returned to his fishing.

  T’chok took his female’s hand and led her back the way they had come, waiting patiently when she paused as the edge of the meadow to look back at her brother.

  “Why do I suddenly feel as if he’s already grown up?”

  “He is on his way, but this is not a bad thing.” He coaxed her gently along the path. “My mother struggled with this as well.”

  “Your mother?”

  “Yes. She did not wish me to pursue the Way of the Warrior because it meant I would have to leave her to go to the Warrior House.”

  “I can understand that. I would hate to send Benji away.”

  “I delayed for two years but in the end, she loved me enough to let me go.”

  “Where is your mother now?”

  “She died while I was on my first campaign.”

  “Oh, T’chok, I’m so sorry.” She squeezed his hand.

  “It is one of the reasons I always took a breeding contract.” Her hand tensed in his, but he kept hold of it, stopping on the path so that he could face her. “My mother had much love to give; she would have had many more children if it was permitted.”

  “Permitted?”

  “Because the majority of Yehrin children are born male, we are restricted to one child in an attempt to ensure that the balance does not become more uneven. If we do not find females who can bear us female children, we will become extinct. Do you understand why that drove my actions?”