Taken by an Alien Shifter: A sci-fi alien romance (Scouts of Somtach Book 2)

by Pascia Thrall

  “For how long? Have you been up here since before the zombies? Or did you come up because of the zombies? Are there any other people here? Or is it just you?”

  Daezoth blinks at me a few times.

  I sigh. “Okay. Sorry. That was probably a bit much.”

  He nods. “Too many questions at once. Some I cannot answer. There are more people than me up on the main ship. That is where we are going. The situation on your planet is not what I was trained for. I lost communication with my next-in-command, and I need to return to explain what has happened, and to receive my next instructions.”

  Situation, training, instructions? “So… are you, like, some sort of military?”

  “Military?” He’s silent for a moment and then nods. “I am a scout.”

  “You said that before, but what does it mean?”

  He shrugs. “It is my role to seek information.”

  My heart races in my chest. “Like a military scout?”

  He shakes his head, but now the idea is in my head I can’t shake it.

  I’ve always loved reading romances with some strong beefy military guy, and here he is, not quite as beefy as I envisioned, but close enough.

  “You’re taking me back to the main ship?”

  “That is correct.”

  “To the other people?”

  “Yes.”

  The hair on the back of my neck rises, but I dismiss it. There are no people on Earth. If I have to go to some billionaire’s space-ship to find other people, then that’s what I have to do.

  Daezoth’s comments about aliens skirts the edges of my thoughts but I brush it away. There are no aliens. There are, however, billionaires, with too much money, and too much time on their hands. And I’ve read the stories in recent years about how they were trying to open up space travel to everyone. They must’ve made some headway into that, or else there wouldn’t have been the news articles.

  So. A billionaire’s toy, that’s what this is. But if Daezoth is in the military, why is he here? Because billionaires have enough money to buy military personnel for themselves, right?

  Right. That’s the explanation. And it’s the one I’m going to hold onto until evidence proves me wrong.

  “So….” I hold his gaze. “How long will it take us to get back to your main ship?”

  He shrugs. “A day or two.”

  “Okay. A day or two.” I lick my lips. “And what do you have planned for us to do in the meantime?” My heart races at the possibilities, while my brain shouts at it for being so reckless.

  He’s already said we need to build our relationship. I highly doubt a week together during which I was unconscious for most of it is enough to do that.

  Still, his eyes catch mine and his pupils dilate. Is he thinking what I’m thinking?

  He closes his eyes and takes a breath.

  When he opens them again he seems to be more under control. “Perhaps you’d like a shower?”

  The bathroom is tiny, basically the same size as the room I slept in, but with a shower instead of a bed. The shower is huge, easily big enough for two people, and has a glass screen that swings open, and a slight step down into it, and a single knob on the wall that I twist to get an instant spray of hot water straight in my face.

  I cough and splutter, and fumble with the knob to turn it off for a moment. When I turn it on again, I’m much more prepared for the blast.

  The water pressure is amazing.

  The last time I had a shower this good was when Clay and I flew to Melbourne to see Clay’s favourite band, live in concert. I went because he asked me to, but really, the best part of that trip for me was absolutely the hotel’s shower.

  And here’s another one, right here.

  For the first five minutes I just stand under the spray, my head tilted back, letting the water run over my face.

  It feels so good! There’s a cloth hanging from the knob, and a small hard oval that lathers up when I rub my fingers over it, so I give my whole body a good scrub with my fingers, massaging my scalp and scratching my shoulders and the itchy places I can reach on my back.

  The water at my feet turns distinctly darker. How much dirt have I been carrying around?

  When I’m done I can barely see across the other side of the room, the steam is that thick, and I step out and wrap a thick warm cloth around me.

  I deliberately focus on each individual movement as I wipe the towel down my legs, drying between each toe, and then working my way back up my body, between my legs, beneath my breasts, under my arms.

  I finish by pulling the towel vigorously side to side across my back, giving it a good scratch even as I dry it.

  Bliss.

  I pull on the tunic Daezoth had dressed me in, but leave off the dirty bra and underwear he, gentleman that he is, didn’t remove.

  I have another pair of knickers in my pack, and when I’m dressed I duck across the hallway to retrieve them.

  I haven’t felt this clean in such a long time, and it’s so refreshing, like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I think of all the dirty water swirling down the drain, and laugh. Maybe it has been.

  Too soon it’s time to face Daezoth again, and I take a deep breath, and push aside thoughts of space-ships, and aliens, and next-in-command-ers, and anything outside of my reality as I know it, and focus on this moment. Here, now, with an incredibly sexy, caring guy, who seems to be, fingers crossed, attracted to me.

  Chapter 12

  Back in the kitchen Daezoth is at the bench, slicing vegetables. I can smell caramelised onion, and garlic, and possibly… beef?

  “What are you making? That smells amazing.”

  “Slow-cooked beef stew.” He looks up at me. “It is to be our evening meal. Do you like it?”

  My mouth is watering. “I love it.”

  “I am glad. I have not cooked this recipe before, but I had the ingredients on hand, from food I found in the abandoned houses we passed, and I thought I would cook it for you.”

  “For me?”

  He smiles. “I am used to rationed food. I do not need anything special. But I thought that as I have a guest, I could make it for you. Then I would have someone to share it with.”

  I watch him for a while, deftly slicing carrots and celery and sweet potato. He’s taken his shirt off, and the way his muscles move as he cooks makes my mouth water for a completely different reason.

  “Do you enjoy cooking?”

  “I do.” He glances up at me. “There is something very soothing about the process.”

  “Right.” Not how I see it, but I keep that to myself.

  “What else do you enjoy?”

  A smile plays at the corner of his lips. “I have recently discovered the joy of watching movies.”

  “Watching movies?” I think of the one playing in the room at the fast food shop. “Haven’t you seen a movie before?”

  He shakes his head. “Such technology was not permitted.”

  “Ah.” I was right, he’s had a super sheltered life. “Your parents limited your screen time?”

  There’s that furrow in his brow. “Yes. That is a sufficient explanation.”

  “Do you have any movies here?”

  He nods. “I do. When I first landed I borrowed the devices and the disks from a nearby house, so I could learn as much about your people as possible.”

  I push aside his last comment. He’s talking about the cultural differences between my country and his. That’s all. “Then shall we watch a movie together?”

  He nods. “I would very much like that.”

  Chapter 13

  We sit on the couch, and I deliberately shuffle up close.

  He seems unsure, but then relaxes as I move his arm around my shoulders and snuggle in.

  The movie starts, and I have to suppress a laugh.

  It’s a romance. Does Daezoth realise what he’s doing to me?

  We sit through the couple meeting, and watch their growing attraction.


  Daezoth expresses confusion as they fight even though it is clear they want to be together, and then frustration when she insists the relationship isn’t going to work because of a misunderstanding on his part.

  “If they wanted to be together, why did they simply not bond to start with? Why do they not speak plainly to one another? Why all this anger?”

  He shakes his head.

  “Do you prefer it when people speak plainly to you?” I ask.

  “Yes.” He nods.

  “I have not been… intimate with anyone for a very long time, and I miss it.”

  He purses his lips. “There are rules, Chayya.”

  “So you said.” I run a finger down his thigh. “But you have urges, right?” I lower my voice, just a little. “You want to be intimate with someone, too?”

  “Of course I have the urge to be intimate with someone. It is a natural state of most of the beings in the universe. But—”

  I bring my hand right up to stroke between his legs, his cock twitching under my touch. He gasps and places a hand over mine to pull it away. “But there are things that have to happen before we can engage in such acts.”

  “Is there someone you have in mind?” I ask. “Someone on your ship?”

  Daezoth shakes his head. “There are no other women on my ship.”

  No other women? My heart plummets. I don’t even have competition and he doesn’t want me.

  But I’m not giving up yet.

  “So what are the things that have to happen before we can be intimate?”

  Daezoth shakes his head. “If things were as they should have been then we would only need to bond.”

  “Bond? What does that mean?”

  “Bond to each other. Commit to each other.”

  “Okay.” That seems weird. “Surely with life the way it is you don’t need an actual commitment, though? I mean, either one of us could be taken by zombies in a moment’s notice. And it’s not like there’s anyone else to share affections with anyway.”

  “And that is my point.” Daezoth holds my gaze as he brings a hand up to brush the hair from the side of my face. My heart pounds as he leans in close, pressing his lips softly against mine.

  I close my eyes and kiss him back.

  He still smells of cinnamon and spice, and his touch is so light it sends a tingle all the way to my groin.

  “Chayya.” His voice is husky as he pulls away. “You are a beautiful woman. And if things were how I expected them to be I would’ve joined with you in an instant. But things are not how they should be.”

  I grit my teeth, and take a breath.

  “Sometimes things are never as they should be.” I put my hand back on his thigh. “Sometimes we think there will be a better time in the future, and we put aside the time we have now. But the truth is, none of us know what the future might bring. If you’d told me two years ago my world would be overrun with zombies, I’d have laughed in your face. And yet here we are, a world overrun by zombies. There are almost no survivors. Who knows when you will actually find someone to join with. Maybe this is the only chance you’ll have, right here, right now.”

  When I first met Dirk, I was still mourning Clay. I didn’t want anyone but Clay. But as Dirk pointed out, our lives had been turned upside down. Who knew how long we had to live, or what the next day might bring? Better to make the most of the situations life throws at you.

  Dirk was sweet, and gentle, and he fulfilled needs I’d forgotten I had.

  And when we carelessly pushed through a pack of zombies, and they swarmed him, and he screamed at me to run, well, run I did. And I lost him. But those few nights with Dirk woke up that need in me, and now I’m desperate to have it fulfilled again.

  Daezoth seems to be contemplating my words, and I bite my lip and pray he sees my point.

  He reaches out to cup my cheek.

  “Will you bond with me?”

  I frown. “What?”

  “Will you bond with me?”

  His face is so open, so sincere.

  “We hardly know each other, Daezoth. How can we commit to each other without truly getting to know one another, properly, inside and out? What if we find another woman, and you decide you like her better than me? What if there’s another man? Why not just jump at the opportunities presented to you?”

  He sighs, and gives me a sad smile.

  “You are a beautiful person, Chayya. I would join with you in the single beat of a heart. But if it is found that we joined and were not bonded then there would be dire consequences for me, and possibly even for you. And I would not wish those consequences on either of us.”

  He slides along the couch away from me, and gets to his feet.

  “I am sorry, Chayya. What I am doing is risky enough. Taking you with me to the ship will be frowned upon. But I know if I’d left you on your planet you would have died, and I could not bear even the thought of that outcome. To join without a bonding… I do not think it is worth it to risk such a thing. I hope you can understand.”

  There’s a lump in my throat. I can’t answer him, because I’m pretty certain if I say anything I’ll cry.

  “You have had a rough time. Go and rest, and see if you feel better when you wake.”

  I nod, and push myself to my feet.

  I refuse to look at him. The corners of my eyes are burning and I don’t want him to see that.

  In the room I throw myself on the bed and stare at the ceiling, my arms crossed over my chest.

  I feel like I’m sixteen again, or maybe three, and I just missed out on getting that thing I really, really wanted.

  Argh!

  I stand up and pace the room.

  Why am I feeling like this? Why am I so keen on pushing him? We’re heading to his ‘main ship’, where there is at the very least a ‘next-in-command’. With a bit of luck there’ll be plenty of other men to chose from. So why am I so hung up on him?

  Because he saved my life, and he’s everything I’ve ever fantasised about, and he’s here.

  Yes, he’s a little odd, but then there’s something endearing about that oddness. And I don’t know what I’m going to find when I get to this ‘main ship’ of his. Maybe they’re all odd.

  The word alien floats across my thoughts, and I dismiss it, flopping down onto the bed again.

  There’s no such thing as aliens.

  Chapter 14

  I can’t sit on my bed for long.

  That kiss has set my body on fire, and now I feel the lack of touch even more keenly than before. I need to feel loved, and Daezoth is the closest I’ve got to someone who can do that for me.

  I stand, and begin to pace the tiny space; two steps to the door, spin, two steps to the wall, spin again.

  He saved my life, twice. He could have left me for dead with those zombies, on either occasion, and he certainly didn’t have to carry me all the way back to his ship the second time, when I’d been bitten and was bleeding everywhere, slowing him down.

  For all I know when we get to this ‘main ship’ of his, I’ll be rejected and sent back to Earth, to face goodness knows what sort of future, running from zombies, struggling to survive day to day. I might never find another living person again.

  What does it matter if I agree to bond with him? What could it possibly hurt? Maybe it would be better for me, safer, if I arrived on the main ship already bonded with Daezoth.

  I rush out of the room to find him.

  He’s not in the main room, and I burst through the other door to find him sitting cross-legged on the floor, staring out at the universe.

  He jolts as I enter, spinning around to gaze at me with wide eyes.

  “I will bond with you.”

  His mouth drops open. “Are you sure?”

  I nod. “You’ve saved my life twice, Daezoth. I don’t know what the future will bring when we get to your ship, but one thing I do know, if I don’t take the most of this opportunity now I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”

  “
Chayya.” Daezoth is across the room almost before I can blink. He takes my hands in his, his eyes searching out mine.

  “Are you certain? You would bond with me?”

  I hold his gaze as I bring a hand up to brush his hair from his face. “If it’s the last thing I ever do, I will die happy.”

  Daezoth’s brow furrows.

  Not the reaction I was expecting. I take a deep breath as he turns and points out the ship’s window.

  In the distance there is the distinct shape of a space ship, just above the curve of the Earth.

  “Is that your main ship?”

  Daezoth nods, his adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows.

  “They have realised I am no longer on the planet, Chayya. They have sent queries as to my status, and have requested I dock, instantly.”

  “Instantly?” They look miles away. “How long do we have?”

  He shrugs. “A couple of hours, at the most.”

  “And what will happen then?”

  Daezoth shrugs. “That is a question I cannot answer.”

  I stare at the ship that could ultimately be my death. My heart pounds as I reach up to touch the side of his face, and pull his gaze back to mine.

  “Then will you join with me, before they come?”

  He grabs a pen from the nearby table, and takes my left hand.

  “I understand that for your culture, a bonding is confirmed with a ring on your finger.” He slides the pen across the top of my finger, drawing a rough line across it. “I do not have a ring. But perhaps this can be sufficient, for the meantime?”

  I nod as his gaze sweeps my face and he presses his lips against mine.

  For the first time I feel the hunger his gaze only hinted at, as he presses his tongue between my lips.

  His arms are around me, one across my back, the other clutching my backside as he swings me up to carry me through the ship to his bedroom.

  He rests me on the bed, climbing up to straddle me as he kisses along my jaw line and down my neck, his hands pulling at the bottom of my tunic.

  His fingers skim their way up my torso to cup my breasts, thumbs and forefingers squeezing my nipples as I throw my head back in response.