Owned by the Alien: A Scifi Alien Romance (Fated Mates of the Titan Empire Book 1)

by Tammy Walsh

  Horn Tusk approached the stew pot and sniffed the remains with his wet snorting nose. “This is for the captain?”

  “It always is,” Maisie said. “And you’ve had enough. We don’t have enough ingredients for everybody to have a second bowl.”

  “Yeah,” Rattigan said. “And if Horn Tusk gets a second bowl, I want one too!”

  Rattigan looked remarkably like a rat with his pinched features, quivering nose, and long tail.

  As Maisie turned to Rattigan, I kept my peripheries focused firmly on Horn Tusk. He checked over his shoulders and pulled one of those black poisonous creatures from an inside pocket. He dropped it in the stew pot.

  “Off with you, now!” Maisie said, shepherding the lumbering hulk out of her kitchen. “You might be an agent of war, but not in my kitchen!”

  Horn Tusk raised his hooves in surrender. “My bad.”

  “You ladle what remains of the stew in a bowl for the captain,” Maisie said.

  I did as she asked, and was surprised when the black creature Horn Tusk dropped inside appeared not to be there. I knew it could adapt to its surroundings, but this was ridiculous. Maybe it’d fallen out?

  I waited as Maisie added some bread on a small dish. She raised her elbows to take the tray.

  I pulled it back. “I’ll take it.”

  “All right,” Maisie said. “When you get back, I could use a spare pair of hands.”

  I hustled out of the canteen. The crew’s eyes followed me as I went. All eyes on me… except for Horn Tusk’s. His were firmly on the bowl of stew.

  I moved down the hallways, passing a pair of crew members headed for the canteen. They turned to watch me leave. I felt like a piece of meat in this place. Given the choice between no men taking any notice of me, and suddenly being the center of attention of all these aliens, I preferred to remain anonymous.

  I swore I would never complain about my hot friends getting all the attention ever again. It was more trouble than it was worth.

  A long hallway stretched away from me. I glanced over my shoulders and hustled into the room I’d been given. It was cramped—even smaller than my room back home—with a single bed and a rickety desk. I was only there for three days. It didn’t matter how comfortable it was.

  I placed the tray of stew on my desk before bending down and retrieving a second tray from under my bed. I removed the lid. Steam billowed from it. I’d placed a large candle underneath to keep it warm and it appeared to have done the trick.

  And, most importantly, there was no poisonous black creature cloaked inside it. I placed the poisoned soup under my bed and shouldered my door open. I backed out and continued to the captain’s quarters.

  I didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until I knocked on the door. When he didn’t answer, I tried again. I put my ear to it and heard him snoring inside.

  I shoved the door open with my boot and placed the tray on his large desk.

  The captain didn’t hear me enter. He was still fast asleep, tossing and turning, blankets already drenched with sweat.

  “Mom…” he groaned. “Mom… No… Don’t leave me… Please…”

  He repeated the mantra over and over again. He was having a nightmare—a bad one by the sound of it.

  I poked him. “Hey.”

  He didn’t wake. I tried again.

  “Hey!” I hissed.

  His foot snapped out as he kicked at open air.

  I grabbed him by his undershirt and shook him.

  He howled and pulled his other arm around, bringing a razor-sharp blade within an inch of my neck. He moved so fast, it was over in the time I could blink.

  He opened his eyes and found me crouching over him. Then he glanced at the blade and retracted it. “Sorry. Force of habit.”

  What sort of habit was it when you had to look out for attackers while you were sleeping?

  He leaned back, his head still heavy and groggy. He sniffed.

  “Is that Maisie’s stew?” he said.

  “The one and only,” I said. “With help from a talented vegetable chopper.”

  Nighteko clapped his hands and sat up like a little kid on his birthday.

  Even with his sickness, he was incredibly handsome. At least, by human standards. Maybe he was a complete troll to his own species. His eyes were hooded, giving them a smoky appearance, as if he was always looking at you with a beast’s intentions in mind. His body was big, bulky, and muscular. He had some kind of tribal tattoo up one arm and across his chest, visible through the gap in his sagging bedshirt.

  He dug into the stew hungrily, slurping, and smacking his lips. He dipped the bread in the soup and sucked on the crumbs. He looked sad to leave the crusts to one side. He ate like a man on the brink of starvation.

  Once the bowl was empty, he leaned back and looked up at me. “I’m always hungry when I wake. You must think Titans are terrible beasts.”

  “I don’t think anything of your species,” I said. “I don’t know anything about them.”

  “Few people do these days. There aren’t many of us left. For example, there’s a ceremony my people perform that helps make them stronger, virtually overnight.”

  “Well, if there’s any way I can help, you just let me know,” I said.

  “We call it the bond,” he said.

  “The bond?” I said. “As in James Bond?”

  He frowned at me. “I do not know who this James Bond is. Among my people, it’s a spiritual as well as a physical coming together of two souls merging into one.”

  “Okay…” I said, sensing where this conversation was heading.

  “The warrior joins with his female to prepare him for his journey into the jungle to bring back food,” he said.

  “You’re talking about sex, aren’t you?” I said.

  “A crude translation, but yes. To stand the best chance of making a good recovery, I should perform this joining ceremony.”

  “With me. That’s what you’re building up to, isn’t it? You’re saying we should have sex so you’ll fight better at the Challenge.”

  He smiled. “That’s right.”

  “This is amazing,” I said, shaking my head. “I travel halfway around the galaxy and end up with a guy obsessed with sex. What is it with men? Can’t you guys think of anything else?”

  He looked confused. “It’s a spiritual ceremony—”

  “As well as a physical one,” I completed. “I know. You already said. So let me get this straight… You abducted me, were going to sell me, and now you want to have sex with me… And you don’t see any problem with this?”

  “I’m a male and you’re a female—”

  “Hold it right there, buster.” I gritted my teeth and formed fists at my sides. “I’m not your property. I’m nobody’s property. I decide what I want to do and when I decide to do it. I won’t sleep with you just to make you ‘stronger.’ Even if my life is on the line! Do you understand?”

  “I understand.” He took no insult from my outburst. “It’s an option is all I’m saying.”

  I seethed.

  He has a streak of honor in him, Maisie had said.

  If he did, where was it? I guessed it must be buried deep.

  Very deep.

  “Why do you abduct innocent people?” I said.

  “Nobody’s innocent,” Nighteko said.

  “I was.”

  Three days, I told myself. Just three days. Then I would be back with my friends, on home soil. I could put up with anything for that long. Nighteko had made me a promise.

  He would keep it. Wouldn’t he?

  The truth was, I had no way of knowing if he would keep his word or not. I didn’t know him. I didn’t even know anything about his species.

  I shook my head. I might not trust Nighteko yet but I did trust Maisie. She knew these smugglers better than I ever would.

  “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Nighteko said. “Why didn’t you leave when you had the chance? You were in the shuttle. Yo
u had a translator strip. I checked the records. You told Computer where to take you, but instead of leaving, you chose to stay. Why?”

  “Because my friends are still out there. You kidnapped and sold them to strangers. If I can help them, I will.”

  “If it were me, I would have jumped in the shuttlecraft and taken off. Nothing could stop me from returning home.”

  I shrugged. “Then I feel sorry for you.”

  Now it was his turn to blink. “Sorry? For me? I’m the captain of one of the best smuggling ships in the galaxy. What do you have to feel sorry about?”

  “You might be the captain of this ship but there’s nobody among your crew you can trust,” I said. And yes, I did enjoy twisting the knife. “Any second they see you’re weak enough, they’ll Challenge you for leadership. The only people you can trust are a pair of human females And you don’t even know one of them at all! I’m a stranger here and yet you still trust me more than your entire crew.”

  His eyes burned with fire. He ground his teeth, preparing to spit a retort but I grabbed his blanket first and yanked it off him.

  “What are you doing?” he spat.

  “You’ve had your lunch,” I said. “Now you need to exercise.”

  He snorted and, self-satisfied, folded his arms, and looked out the window. “Titans do not need to exercise. We are constantly in peak condition—”

  I slapped him across the face. The sound cracked and my palm stung like crazy but I kept my eyes focused on his. “And yet for all your species’ perfection, you didn’t see that coming.”

  “You should not strike a superior officer,” he said, eyes turning dark and hard.

  “I’m not a member of your crew,” I said. “We made a deal and I expect you to be ready for when you fight.”

  He got out of bed and towered over me. On Earth, he would have been a tall man. Compared to me, he was a giant.

  And still, I didn’t take my eyes from his. I refused to back down. Not when my life was in his hands.

  Those huge, powerful hands.

  The space between us crackled with energy.

  And, Goddammit, I was turned on by it.

  By him.

  I cleared my throat and spoke evenly. “If you’re going to stand a chance in beating your crew, you need to be strong. Yes, I know you’re already strong. But you’ve been sick for weeks and it will have had an effect.”

  He cocked his head to one side and then—finally—turned away. I blinked and rubbed my eyes. They were sore from lack of moisture.

  Still, it was worth it. I won.

  And then he took his shirt off.

  I gasped and immediately tried to cover my surprise with a cough. My gasp-cough caught my lungs off guard and I choked.

  “Are you all right?” he said.

  I tried to tell him I was fine but the words caught in my throat. I waved a hand for him to carry on and that I was fine.

  “Very well,” he said.

  The guy’s body was ridiculous. Titans were these badass gods of the old world, ancestors to the Olympians. I wondered if these Titans had visited Earth long ago and that was how the mythology had come about. If Nighteko was any indication, it was certainly possible.

  His entire body was muscle, a solid wall of unbridled power. He was Dwayne Johnson on steroids… on steroids.

  My cheeks flushed red and I suddenly felt very stupid for telling him to exercise… I mean, who was I to tell someone to exercise more?

  He went into a handstand against the wall and performed a series of push-ups. Impressive, I thought, especially for a sick guy. But he’ll soon fall flat on his ass trying to show how strong he was.

  I took a seat and got comfortable.

  He got to fifty before I starting losing count. He was a machine. He only began to pant once he reached around one hundred.

  He straightened up and clenched his hands open and shut. “It appears you were right. I’ve grown a little weak with the sickness.”

  This was weak?

  “I would have exercised before but the pain was unbearable,” he said. “I couldn’t move without experiencing a bolt of pain through my brain.”

  “That’s how I get with migraines,” I said. “I’m lucky though. I get an aura before they attack, so I can take medicine to reduce the pain.”

  He looked me over and nodded. “Yes. These migraines sound similar.”

  I tore my eyes away from his bulging muscles and focused on his face. Fortunately, it was a very handsome face. “You have to stoop over, flinch sometimes, like you’re in pain.”

  “Why?” he said. “I’m getting stronger.”

  “Because we want your crew to think you’re weak. If they think you’re weak, they’ll Challenge you. When you fight, you can beat them and remain as captain.”

  Nighteko snorted and smiled in surprise. “Good idea.”

  What? Did he think I was stupid or something?

  I cleared my throat. “What were those black things they put into your food? It looked like it was some kind of creature.”

  “It is a creature. It’s called a—” He spoke but the translation strip took a moment to translate the word into English. “Black Pudding.”

  I chuckled.

  “What’s so funny?” he said.

  “The translator,” I said. “It translated the name of the creature to something we already have a word for in English. It… doesn’t quite sound right. What’s its original name?”

  He spoke to the device. “Translator. Allow original pronunciation and replace it in your system files. It’s called an Absor.”

  “Absor,” I said, trying the word out. “That’s much better.”

  “Your pronunciation is very good,” Nighteko said. “Are you a cunning linguist?”

  Cunning linguist. Why could I not stop thinking he’d just said cunnilingus?

  “Uh, I’m not sure,” I said, scratching my head. “You’d have to ask, uh, someone else.”

  He frowned in confusion. Thankfully, he shrugged and continued with his description of the Absor.

  “They enter your digestive system before breaking down,” he said. “They infiltrate your blood via osmosis to gain access to your entire body. They attack your brain, forcing you to have nightmares about things you’d rather forget.”

  His expression shifted as if he was reliving such a nightmare right now. I could imagine what it entailed…

  Mom… Mom… Please… Don’t leave me…

  A terrible event had happened to him in the past involving his mother. But what? It didn’t feel like the right time to ask, so I dropped it.

  He picked up his bedshirt and put it back on. I wished he wouldn’t. I enjoyed looking at his body.

  “Why do you transport slaves?” I said. “There must be lots of other things you could do.”

  “Not if I want real freedom,” he said.

  “So you get your freedom by taking it away from others,” I said.

  “Why not?” he said. “It was taken from me and I earned it back.”

  I blinked at that. He picked up on my surprise and regretted telling me that about himself.

  “I was trained to fight in the pits at Tordal, my homeworld,” he said. “I turned out to be very good at it. Good enough to please the crowds and win the prize money. I used it to buy my freedom.”

  I waved a finger at him. “So, you admit it! Freedom was always your goal—after it’d been taken from you.”

  His eyes moved to the side in thought. Then he looked me over. “Your species is not nearly as stupid as we’re told.”

  I laughed out loud.

  “Did I say something funny?” he said, confusion ruling his emotions once again.

  “That’s probably the most backhanded compliment I’ve ever received,” I said. “But coming from you, I guess it might mean something.”

  I grinned at him. He smiled back. It was a handsome thing that made my throat dry and my heart thumped harder.

  We shared a look.
>
  It kept going.

  And going.

  And now it became uncomfortable.

  “Ahhm…” I said, turning away.

  “Human females are also more beautiful than I realized,” he said, stepping closer to me. “Far more beautiful.”

  Oh my God. What’s going on? Why was he turning on the charm? And why was I responding to it?

  And why did I want him to get closer?

  I didn’t know where to look, what to do.

  A knock came at the door.

  “Come in!” I said, my voice two octaves higher than usual.

  Stryder entered hesitantly. He’d heard the voice before realizing it hadn’t come from his captain. He looked between us, at how close we were standing. If I were to start away now, it would add credence to what he was already thinking. I wanted to deny it, but anything I said would sound like lies.

  So, I decided to fold my arms. I read once it conveyed ‘control’ in a body language article. It failed to mention if it was universal across all alien species. I might accidentally be gesturing a completely different meaning.

  “What is it?” Nighteko said.

  Stryder cleared his throat. “Captain, we received a distress beacon. Do you wish to answer it?”

  Nighteko gave it a moment’s thought before nodding. “I’ll get dressed and join you on the deck.”

  The Stryder cast one more look at me before shutting the door behind himself.

  “I’ll get dressed?” I thought. “I’ll get dressed?” What on Earth—sorry, off Earth—had made him think that was a good thing to say? His whole crew would be thinking we slept together! They’d think I was an easy target. And then they’d all come for a piece!

  Nighteko opened his wardrobe and selected a uniform.

  I gritted my teeth. “I’ll, uh, let you see to my duties.”

  “Your duties?” he said. “Your duties are here.”

  I was confused about what he was referring to. Then I spied the tray and empty bowl. I snapped my fingers. “Right. Good call.”

  I scooped it up and made for the door.

  “Not the tray,” Nighteko said. “Here.”

  And he extended the uniform to me. What did he expect me to do with it? Wear it? Inspect it? Utilize my legendary origami skills and turn it into a floating yacht?