by Viola Grace
Hiding her compatibility with her alien abductors comes to a halt after acting to save lives and leaves Lianne as a registered Breeder to the Rrassic.
Like thousands of humans, Lianne works for the Rrassic on a world she didn’t know existed. A friend stuck her neck out during registration and hid Lianne’s compatibility with the Rrassic under the guise of an existing allergy to cats.
An accident at a public event made Lianne run into the action, and a few small cuts left enough of her at the scene to give the Hunters a trail to follow.
Sorrok selected Lianne as a possible mate back on Earth, but he wasn’t the one to collect her during the final extraction, so he was sure that someone else would have found their way into her bed.
His delight meets feral possessiveness, and while he changes her life, he makes sure that there is a place for him in it.
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Untrained Fascination
Copyright © 2016 Viola Grace
ISBN: 978-1-4874-0874-9
Cover art by Angela Waters
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
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Untrained Fascination
Brace for Humanity Book 1
By
Viola Grace
Prologue
The attack didn’t come from space, didn’t stream down from the skies, didn’t even blow anything up.
That was the problem.
Across Earth, thousands of shadowed gateways opened up and forty thousand humans disappeared. A moment later, it was over.
Waking on a new world with alien captors, the taken humans were informed that they were the hostages for their people’s wellbeing. The Rrassic were in need of workers to support one of their colonies, and they needed humans to man the city and run the transport hub. They were counted, categorized and organized.
The empty city was filled with humans and the Rrassic who oversaw their labours. Languages were melded, and every human had images in their quarters of those whose lives were on the line for lack of good behaviour and dedicated work.
Additional options had not been offered. Humanity would cooperate or disappear.
Chapter One
“Lianne Whelling, forklift driver with a commercial license.” The cataloguer looked up from her files and smiled.
“Correct, Bella.” Lianne looked at her high school friend and waited to be catalogued and given her ident band so she could work for the invaders. The air felt different on this new world, and she was relieved to see a familiar face, even if Bella was working for the aliens.
“Cataloger Thems, please. I have to keep this professional.”
“Of course. Yes, I am a driver.” She waited.
“Are you aware that your DNA may be a match for the Rrassic?”
Lianne’s palms sweated slightly. “How unfortunate. I am not interested.”
Lianne watched Bella’s hands move over her keyboard.
Bella smiled coolly. “I understand. It is not a situation that many human women would rush toward, though several that I have processed were content to become Breeders.”
“How many of your own have you sentenced to be Breeders?” Lianne couldn’t stop the growl in her voice.
“I did not sentence them, their DNA did. All I did was interview them for psychological compatibility with the position.” Bella smiled tightly, flicking her eye toward the cameras stationed around the room.
Suddenly, Lianne wasn’t sure that her old friend had turned on her people. It seemed that being pressured into work wasn’t something that was exclusive to the mass populace.
Bella had gone to work for the mayor three years before the abduction. She had always been good at reading people, and working in human resources had been a perfect match for her temperament.
It seemed that her alien overlords agreed.
Lianne sat and waited while Bella performed a second scan.
Lianne had to sit still while Bella frowned.
“Weird.”
“What is weird?”
“You might be compatible, but you have a feline allergy. How strange. You are definitely not suitable for the position as Breeder. I guess you are stuck driving for a living.” Bella’s expression was bland as a small machine burped out an ident band.
Lianne could barely keep a straight face. She was about as allergic to cats as she was to hamburgers. It was an excellent out, as most of the Rrassic had feline characteristics. It would firmly keep her out from under one of the horny fuzzballs.
She extended her left arm, and the band was snapped around her wrist.
“You can report to the Alder Docks tomorrow and begin your work. Have a busy career, Lianne Whelling.”
“Thank you. I believe I shall.”
Lianne got to her feet and left the offices where dozens of other men and women were going through the same process of being categorized and assigned to duties that would expedite the processing of grains, meats and materials to other worlds.
Lianne was now a cog in the machine that the Rrassic had created. It was a situation that none could escape from. The Rrassic just hunted down dissenters and sent them to colony worlds where survival triumphed over rebellion.
Everyone had wanted to think that the humans would eventually be able to defeat their kidnappers, but there was no way to fight superior training and bodies that were weapons even when they didn’t carry armament.
She had seen the claws of the Rrassic in action, and she didn’t want to see them up close and personal.
Lianne used both hands to steer the lifter into position, and with the lightest touch, she eased the pallet onto the forks. A slight bit of pressure slid the forks home, and she tilted the forks up five degrees before backing the lifter up and lowering the unit and its cargo to the floor.
Working eighty feet in the air had taken some getting used to, but after five months of being in the warehouse, she enjoyed the challenge to her skills.
Her manager stepped toward her, his scaled body dressed in the standard Rrassic black. “Thanks, Lianne. Call it a day. I will see you after your rest day.”
She got one day off every five and could spend it as she liked. If she got drunk, there were med treatments to flush away her hangover before she worked again.
“Thank you, Mrtok. I will see you in two days.”
He grinned, showing frightening teeth. “Yes, you will.”
She headed for the lockers, showered and changed her clothing. She clocked out and walked toward the centre of town.
There were some perks to working for the invaders. She got paid every day. She didn’t have to carry a wallet; she could go from work to any o
f the recreation spots and simply enjoy herself.
Crime was no longer an issue. Anyone violent was removed permanently, and humans were allowed to police their own if they could manage it. If not, the Rrassic were willing to step in. It had created a strange community vibe that many, including Lianne, were still getting used to.
Lianne counted five of the nine species of Rrassic out in the market area that day. She chose one of the teashops that catered to humans and went in to place an order, out of the public eye.
She got a croissant with a multi-berry jam to go along with her tea and took a seat in the corner with her back to the wall as she enjoyed unwinding from a day of prepping pallets to leave Imrahl.
The humans in the shop were talking quietly, and each of them was wearing one of the silver bracelets. It took some getting used to, but Lianne had found a certain peace with it. In the long term, she didn’t know if her opinion would change, but now, she was fed, sheltered and had medical attention when she needed it. With the rest of her family safe on Earth, she had to make the best of what was left of this world.
She sat and ate her pastry and jam, letting the slow and relaxed atmosphere of the teashop unclench her mind.
Lianne nodded to a few of the faces she recognized. The Rrassic tried to stagger the time that the humans left work, but they ended up pooling in places that had food. The teashop was no exception.
With a smile, she finished her tea and pastry before heading home. The Rrassic had put old television programs onto the vid archive, and it was a great way to spend her day off.
“I really don’t want to go.” She scowled at Lisa’s face in the com unit.
“Tough. You are just staying home and stuffing your face while you watch vids while there is a concert in the park featuring alien performers that haven’t been seen before.”
Lianne groaned. “I am no good with crowds.”
“We can get a relay unit and sit in the park. Come on. We have enough time to scavenge a picnic and grab a good spot. See you in five.”
Lisa disconnected the call, and Lianne got up, heading for the shower. Getting clean with a light flare took some getting used to, but the Rrassic were cautious about indigenous bacteria, and it was one of the changes that those employed and housed near the warehouses had to get used to.
Scented body treatments were not allowed for workers near the aliens. The antiperspirant had been a hard sell, but they had grudgingly allowed it.
Lianne picked a pair of silky trousers and a matching top, slipping into her leather flats and reaching the door just as Lisa knocked.
Lisa looked her over. “Put your hair up, and put on some bracelets or something.”
Lianne sighed and went back to her bedroom. She slid on some jewellery and pulled her hair up into a loose bun.
“Why don’t I just rub myself with catnip?” she muttered it as Lisa came in to supervise.
“Remember, we are not trying to attract them, just look like we are comfortable. Running around in coveralls would bring more attention than just looking at ease.” Lisa wandered to Lianne’s closet and came out with a narrow scarf. She wrapped it around Lianne’s waist and pulled it tight.
“Are you trying to cut me in half?”
“I am trying to make you look like you can enjoy a day off. Ready?”
Lianne looked at the pretty and festive image of herself in the mirror. “Ready. Shall I grab a shopping basket?”
“Please. I was so eager to get over here, I forgot.”
Lianne grinned and pushed her friend out of her bedroom and into the kitchen. She grabbed the collapsible basket and waved her hand. “After you.”
Lisa lifted the blanket she had carried in over one arm from its huddle next to the door. She opened the door, and they walked down the halls of the single-workers’ dorms.
The women were on one side of the block, and the men were on the other. It made for quite the activity centre in the courtyard.
The sun was bright, the sky was clear and only a few of the locals were out and about. It was too nice a day to remain indoors.
Vendors were in full view of the gathering crowds, so Lianne and Lisa did their shopping quickly. Lianne carried the full basket to the checkout and set the basket down for scanning.
The sales clerk smiled. “Taking in the concert?”
Lianne swiped her arm over the payment pad. “Yep. Nothing like fresh air to wake up the appetite.”
Lisa hissed. “I could have paid for part of it.”
Lianne grinned. “I make more than you do. Come on. We want to get a good spot.”
“I will run ahead and find something suitable.”
“Go on. I will show up and move it a few paces to the left.” She grinned. “Go ahead. I will catch up.”
Lisa sprinted through the walkways of the alien city, and Lianne made her way through the crowds with an easy swing in her step.
More than a few Rrassic Hunters were nearby. They were either security or here to watch the concert.
Lianne was shocked to find a gaggle of Breeders being escorted in as well. Once the Breeders were identified, they were kept from contact with other humans. The ladies looked well. Several were laughing as they moved, under guard, with the rest of the crowd.
Lisa had been true to her word, and their blanket was set out a good distance from the main crowd but on a high-enough hill to allow them a good view. It was a really nice spot.
They settled in, and soon, the crowd thickened around their position, including some of the Rrassic who obviously had a day off.
The music began, and a holographic projection sent the images of the ethereal aliens into the sky so that all could enjoy the sight of the slender, nearly transparent women who sang with the sweetness of a breaking heart.
Lianne sat, ate and let the sounds take her away from her position as a working hostage.
Lisa was flirting with the Hunters next to them, but Lianne’s eyes were on the performers. A motion to one side caught her focus, and she watched the crowded balcony overlooking the stage sway as the viewers cheered.
It wasn’t stable.
Lianne watched it, and the small shimmy of motion that she had detected as an unstable load became more visible.
She got to her feet and was running through the crowd as the motion gained the attention of those on the balcony. Several screams sounded, and folks ran away from the edge, but it only sped up the degradation of the structure.
The rising jack that had been used in the construction was on the way in, but the driver was jerking at the controls. He wouldn’t get into position in time.
Lianne ran upstream through the crowd and climbed the lumbering machine.
When she got to the nest, she kicked the driver out and took over the controls. She lined up the edge of the jack, lowered it to the minimum height and brought it up.
A crack shot through the air, and the balcony dropped, sending folks screaming and holding onto the edge. Lianne continued the controlled rise of the jack, and she got it in position, lifting the balcony and tipping the folk back, away from the drop edge.
Rrassic Hunters were getting everyone off the structure, and when it was safe, Lianne checked the area beneath her and lowered the jack, clearing the evacuees, and before the machine settled, she jumped free and ran past the performers huddled at the corner of the stage.
“Excuse me.” She smiled brightly at the ladies and left the rear of the stage, running around the vast crowd and heading up to the hill where she had left Lisa.
Being singled out wasn’t her idea of a great way to spend her day, so once she was in the gathering of escaping beings, she finally felt like one of the herd.
Lisa and the Hunters were gone. Lianne didn’t see the blanket or basket, so she headed for home.
She had work in the morning.
Chapter Two
Sorrok looked at the broken structure suspended on the jacking rig. “Someone wa
s thinking quickly. Where is the operator?”
Two of his men made enquiries, and a young human male was brought to him. He had found streaks of blood on the controls and took a sample.
Sorrok looked at the young man and smiled without showing teeth. The humans were always upset when they showed teeth.
“So, you saved all of those on the balcony? You will receive a commendation.”
The man smelled of nervous sweat and pain. “Hunter, I would like to take the commendation, but when you analyse the recordings, you will see that I was not the one at the controls. A young woman kicked me out of my seat and took over. It is a damned good thing, too. I was just going to try and rescue the folks on the balcony. I never thought of propping it up so they could get away.”
“Someone assaulted you?” Hunter Sorrok frowned. They took human-on-human violence seriously.”
The driver held his hands up. “No, she just was the better person for the job. I swear. She just wanted the controls, and I was too slow.”
Sorrok mentally sighed. It was a rumour that they had spread around that those who were violent were dispersed to other worlds. Some were, but most were simply counselled and returned to work with their pay docked.
“Did you recognize her?”
The humans weren’t supposed to socialize between the sexes, but there was always the chance that at an event such as this, they could have met.
“No, Hunter. I was just here to set up the scaffold.”
Sorrok looked him over. “You assembled this structure?”
“Yes, Hunter. I was told it would hold fifty. Five times that many were on it.” He was babbling and leaning away. The two Hunters who had brought him were holding him and keeping him from backing up.
“At ease, human. You are not in any danger. Our analysts will determine the cause of the collapse, and if negligence was involved, you will be contacted. Thank you for your cooperation. Please, have that cut on your head seen by medical.”