by Lynnea Lee
Zey positioned himself on his back and pulled her over to lie on top of him, her head pillowed on his powerful chest. Ashe closed her eyes, listening to his heartbeat. She knew she was in big trouble. Trouble with a capital T. Ashe had admitted that she needed him; vocalizing it made it more real. And while the sex was nothing short of mind-blowing, it didn’t escape her notice that he never returned the sentiment. He never voiced his need for her.
Maybe he didn’t need her beyond the pleasure of the moment. She no longer looked forward to snuggling with him. It would be so much easier for her when they parted if he didn’t hold her after sex, or while they slept. The last thing she needed was to fall in love with a man who didn’t need her again.
She pushed off of him to look around the tent. There was definitely no room to sleep separately. She sighed and placed her head back on his chest.
“So, what’s it like being a deep space swashbuckling pirate?”
The translator struggled with one of her words, but Zeylum got the general idea.
“I guess I do some pirating here and there. We may commandeer a Dominion shipment as part of a mission, so I guess that makes me a pirate in the Dominion’s eyes. But I captain a mercenary vessel. Colonies and planets outside of Dominion rule hire us to complete missions or to keep their citizens safe, either from the Dominion or actual pirates. Though recently, I’ve specialized in smuggling goods or people through Dominion controlled space. And I’ve been known to take a well-paying assassination job here or there.”
Sensing her apprehension regarding his ability to kill, he changed the topic.
“You need to meet my crew. You will like Moira. She joined us when she mated our medic, Sidas.”
“I didn’t know pirates, I mean, mercenaries get married, er, mated.”
“It’s rare, but we have families and loved ones just like everybody else. Most of the females stay at the compound, though, especially if they have little ones to care for. My ship and crew are part of a large alliance of mercenary vessels. All our family and retired members live inside a fortified compound.”
Ashe looked confused. “An alliance? I thought it was every man for himself when it came to mercenaries.”
“Not within the alliance. Most alliance members either have a bone to pick with the Dominion or have blacklisted the Dominion as a potential client for various reasons. My father was one of the original founders. The alliance is like an extended family. We help each other out, and it stops the Dominion from picking us off individually. There is strength in numbers, especially when it comes to keeping the compound safe from attack, well-stocked with provisions, and updated with the newest technological advances. Aside from keeping our ships and shuttles in good shape and staying current with weaponry, the money we make goes towards the upkeep of the compound.
“I was raised in the compound. My mother refused to be my father’s mate because of his line of work, even after having me. He developed a mating bond, but she never returned it. She only stayed until I was weaned. He was never the same after.”
“I’m sorry.” She placed a hand on his chest and absentmindedly stroked in lazy circles.
“Don’t be, the people at the compound were my family. I spent the rest of my childhood in the compound’s crèche system. Many of the children there share my story. Two of the young males I was raised with are now a part of my crew. Calix is my second in command, and Sidas is my medic.”
“Sidas, that’s the one with a mate, right?”
“Yes, Moira. She’ll probably be all over you once we get you on the ship. She’s the only female aboard, and she misses female company.”
“And why is she the only female?” Ashe asked, her voice taking a slightly defensive tone. “What? Are we not good enough for you to hire?” Her hand stilled.
“It’s not like that,” Zey protested. “There just aren’t many females who are willing to live a life aboard a mercenary vessel, whether as a crew or as a mate. It’s a hard life.” She started rubbing his chest again, and he closed his eyes, enjoying the feel. “That’s why we have the alliance compound, so there is a safe haven for our mates and our young. Sidas is really lucky to have Moira. Finding a good female in our line of work is hard enough, finding one willing to stay trapped in a confined space for months on end with a crew of crass, rowdy, violent males is—,” he trailed off.
He had convinced himself from a young age that love and life mating was not for him. Satisfied with finding release in frivolous flings, his status as a renowned mercenary brought him many females eager to chase him for a thrill. Sure, a few had tried to latch on for longer than desired, Selene came to mind, but he never felt anything for those females. Not to mention, those females were obsessed with his infamy and status. They wanted to say they ensnared and tamed the bad boy. True mates share a genuine love. The obsession had to be mutual.
Ashe’s reaction to him, on the other hand, was genuine. There was no artifice in her passion. Her hand was still trailing loops on the muscles of his chest. She was completely relaxed against his body, her head using the other side of his chest as a pillow.
Would she be willing to stay on board his ship with him? No! He was dropping her off at Reka 5 once they are free of Dominion pursuit. That had been the deal. And what type of life could he offer her? He imagined her fretting on the ship while he was on a mission, unsure if he would return in one piece or in a body bag.
Her voice disrupted the negative thought, “So is your father retired now that you’ve followed in his footsteps?”
“My father died securing a shipment of vital medicine. I saw his distress signal but was too far away to help. Another allied vessel got there on time to save the shipment, but my father was already mortally wounded. The medicine saved a lot of lives. Many of the children in the compound were very sick. We found out that the Dominion had intercepted a shipment of children’s clothing bound for the compound and infested them with a genetically engineered virus that laid dormant until awakened by body heat.”
“Geez, that’s disgusting! Why would they do such a thing?” Ashe was genuinely shocked.
“They try to hit us wherever they can. We now thoroughly inspect and decontaminate all products arriving at the compound that we did not bring in ourselves. We invest heavily in safety measures, and the compound is safer than it has ever been.”
“But why would they target children? Because of the cargo you smuggle?”
“No. It’s because we rebel against them.” His voice sounded bitter. “The ruling class of the Dominion are the ultimate hypocrites. Our planet has two races of intelligent life, we are the same species as we can interbreed, but we have obvious physical differences. The Tallean, like myself, is the most populace race on Tal. We are built heavier with thicker bones, larger claws and fangs, and the ability to extend our jaws in combat. We are the warriors. Our ancestors lived on the larger continent, where we needed our adaptations to survive. We pray to the Stars. We are now considered the working class.
The ruling class called themselves the Favored, they have more delicate bone structure, and their cheek creases are vestigial. Their ancestors lived on the island continent and prayed to the Goddess.
In the past, the bigger and stronger Tallean ruled over the weaker race with brute force. But over time, the two races mixed until a few centuries ago, a revolution gave all residents of Tal equal rights, whether you are a Favored of a Goddess or a common Tallean. What followed was a century of peace. The races mingled, and for a while, it seemed as though the two races would merge slowly into one, and we would be one people.” Zeylum paused and took a deep breath.
“And then?” Ashe prompted. She seemed interested in this impromptu history lesson.
“It happened so slowly that we didn’t know until it was too late. When we started expanding out into other planets, we chose leaders to run each colony. Somehow, over time, every planet was run by a Favored. They became the new ruling class. The tab
les had turned, and the Dominion was born.
Now it is prohibited to mix the two races as the Favored believe that Tallean genes would sully their own, and they would no longer be blessed by the Goddess. Every child in the Dominion is indoctrinated with the teachings of their Goddess, and blasphemy is punishable by death. One of the beliefs they teach is that the Goddess made the Favored in her likeness and created Talleans to work for them.
Young Tallean males trying to escape poverty join their military, sacrifice their lives, and make the ruling class rich. You’ll never see a Favored on one of their military ships. While their army of brainwashed Talleans dirty their hands with blood, the Favored enjoy the spoils from the gilded inner planets.”
Zeylum didn’t want to waste any more of their time together talking about the Dominion. It only made him angry. Instead, he wanted to know more about Ashe.
“Enough about the Dominion, they take enough from us already, let’s not give them our time as well. Tell me about you, Ashe. What was your life like on Earth?”
“There’s not much to know. I was raised by my parents in a small town. I moved out of the house when my job as a freelance graphic artist started bringing in enough money. Two years ago, my parents divorced.” She paused and bit her lip with the memory. “My mum was devastated. Apparently, my dad had been sleeping with one of his co-workers. She won the house in the settlement, I suggested moving home to be with her, but she refused. Instead, she sold the house; the house reminded her too much of my dad. She’s been moving from place to place since. She says she’s trying to find a place that felt ‘right.’”
Zey was shocked. Her mother and father had dissolved their mating bond because her father chose to seek sexual gratification from another female behind her back. That was unheard of in his culture. If one did not want to stay with their partner, they simply left before they could form a bond, as his mother had done. Once both sides formed a mating bond, couples stayed loyal to each other. A one-sided bond was considered a curse. Once a male finds his mate, the thought of sex with another female just didn’t appeal.
Even among couples who choose to stay together for life without a mating bond, it was taboo to share sex with others unless the other half was involved.
Some couples seek sexual variety by spending time with another mated couple, but it was always done with everybody’s approval and always with the mate’s enjoyment in mind. If one of them did not enjoy sexual contact with another, that was the final word. A mated couple only needed each other to be happy. Was it common for human males to seek sexual release from someone other than their mates? What was the point of being mated? Obviously, it was looked upon in a negative light as Ashe’s mother had chosen to dissolve the bond.
Ashe spoke again. “It got lonely sometimes with my mum moving around so much. We chatted a lot online, but it’s not the same. I had a few friends, but no one really close.”
“You lived alone? Who took care of you and kept you safe?” Zey needed to know if there had been a male in her life.
“Yup, I had a tiny little one-room condo. It was more like a shoebox, but it was all mine.” Pride lit her eyes. “And I took care of me. I don’t need anyone, especially after—” She paused and went silent.
“After what?”
She ignored his question. “I wish I had more interesting things to tell you, but my life is pretty boring.”
“You call being abducted from your home planet, fighting off Dominion scumbags, and running around the forest of Vosthea boring?”
Ashe laughed. “Let me correct myself. My life was pretty boring. You know, Zey, despite all that has happened and the threat of an uncertain future, I feel safe. Thank you.”
She made a small satisfied sigh and closed her eyes. He wrapped one arm around her waist, and the other came up to stroke her hair. She fell asleep with her head pillowed on his chest, her rhythmic breathing calming to his ears like a lullaby. The gentle swaying of their shelter rocked them to sleep.
Chapter 7
They didn’t break camp until the sun was high in the sky. In the light of day, Ashe exclaimed when she saw just how high up they were. Leaving her sitting at the crook of the branch dangling her feet like a little kid on a stool, Zey brought down their pack and shelter. He sniffed, scenting something in the air that had his hackles up. Just as he’d thought, a stalker had been circling the area while they slept. He didn’t sense any immediate danger now, but still, he needed to make sure Ashe understood the dangers that lurked. They talked while he made his way back up the tree.
“I want you to stay close to me. There are large predators here that have sharp claws and fangs and would love nothing more than to make a meal out of a delicious female like you.”
“A predator, with fangs and claw bent on getting at my body? Gee, are you sure you aren’t talking about yourself?”
Zey laughed. “Maybe I am.”
“If there are scary beasts in the forest, then why didn’t they attack during the night?”
“They usually only hunt during dawn and dusk, but for you, they might make an exception. Also, they hadn’t scented us yet then. One was prowling around here earlier. Its scent is still strong. This is why we use arboreal shelters, the stalker smelled us, but couldn’t find us up there.”
“Becoming stalker chow before I have the chance to explore the galaxy? Nope! Ain’t happening,” Ashe said as she wrapped her arms around herself to rub away the prickle of goosebumps. “So as long as we stick together and get into a tree at dawn and dusk, we should be good, right?”
Zey was back up the tree now, ready to bring her down. “Don’t worry, little one. I will keep you safe.”
She climbed onto his back, and they made their way down to the ground. He set her on the soft peat, turned around, placed both hands on her shoulders, and bent his head to meet her eyes.
“Any stalker foolish enough to attack us will find itself skinned alive. As you said, I’m a predator as well, and I intend to have your body to myself.” He snapped his teeth mockingly at her before cracking a rakish grin.
“I’m glad I have a beast of my own!”
They started on their way, following the creek downstream. The goal today was to put as much distance between themselves and the port as possible. Ashe didn’t slow him down as much as he had thought, but still, they were moving much slower than Zey could have on his own. He kept his wits about him, listening for any signs of danger. A stalker he could deal with. He wasn’t kidding about skinning alive any beast short-sighted enough to attack them. Ashe was thin-skinned and had trouble staying warm in the cool nights. She could use a fur wrap.
Stop! This is fucking insane. First, he got the urge to protect her. Then the need to fuck her brains out and keep her in his arms. And now he wanted to clothe her in the furs of a beast he’d taken out himself? Talk about repressed cavemen instincts! What was next? Thumping his chest and yelling “mine” at every male that looked at her? He needed to get a hold of himself.
“Wow! I can’t believe how familiar yet different some of the plants in this forest look. If I squint, I think I can convince myself we are back on Earth, maybe in a rainforest or something. But when I look closer, everything is alien.”
Ashe’s eyes were wide as her gaze darted all over their surroundings. Last night had been too dark for her to see, and she was just now taking in the sights of a new planet.
“Don’t inspect too closely. There are poisonous plants in this forest, and I’m not well versed enough to recognize them. Avoid touching anything with bright colors. Bright color either attract pollinators or warn of poisons.”
“That’s how it is on Earth too. The creatures here use sight, after all. I guess when a design works, it works, no matter which world you are on.”
“You got that right, and you’ve only seen two planets!” Zey loved her enthusiasm and wanted to keep her talking. “That’s why viruses, bacteria, fungus, and plant life are staples in a
lmost all the worlds that support life—the same reason why cultures light-years apart manage to come up with the same basic technology. A wheel works the same here as it does on Tal. We try everything, and whatever works stays and whatever doesn’t gets replaced.”
“You know,” Ashe said, “I was really surprised when I saw my first alien. I was expecting lizardmen, or a big bug-eyed monster, or floating clouds of sentient entities. But Tallean’s are humanoid. You are bipedal. You have two eyes, two ears, a nose, and a mouth. Sure, you have a cheek crease, crazy night vision, your features are too angular to be human, and let’s not forget the feet are completely different. But most of the parts match up. You even have opposable thumbs!”
Zey brought his hands up and wiggled his thumb. “What’s so special about opposable thumbs? Most animals, predator or prey, on Tal have at least one opposable digit.”
“On Earth, it’s not as common. Primates have opposable thumbs, and birds have an opposable digit on each claw. And I think I read somewhere that opossums do too. But most animals don’t.”
“Must be hard to manipulate their environment! I wonder if the stalkers on this world have thumbs. Primates, is that what humans are?”
“Yup! That’s right. We evolved from early primates. How about Talleans?”
“We descended from predators that hunted in packs. Somewhere along the way, some of our ancestors developed a mutation that allowed them to produce an enzyme to digest carbohydrates and were able to add fruits and other vegetation to their diet. These omnivores out-competed the strictly meat-eating packs, and we came from those survivors. We still require a large amount of animal protein and fat to survive, though, and we retain our predatory instincts.”
“Those sure are coming in handy. I wish I had night vision. Then I wouldn’t be tripping over no damn roots! But I’m glad I don’t have claws on my feet.” Then quickly as if worried that he might find offense, she added, “I mean there’s nothing wrong with them, I bet they come in handy too. But knowing me, I’ll probably tear up my pants every time I tried to get dressed!”