by S. L. Hadley
John was half-surprised the alien lacked hooves and a serpentine tail.
"Back off," he growled, struggling to keep the laspistol trained on the creature. He clutched the hilt with both hands just to be sure. "I'm warning you."
The alien hissed again and John's legs nearly gave out as a second, virtually identical one crawled into sight along the roof of the pod. Its fangs were bared as well, though it stayed a half-meter back, partially concealed behind the first creature's wings.
Swallowing, John glanced nervously over his shoulder to ensure there were no more of them behind him.
The split-second distraction was all the alien needed. It leapt off the roof of the pod toward him, clawed fingers reaching for him. John squeezed the trigger, firing half-blind, and was almost surprised when the creature cried out. It tumbled through the air, hit the ground hard, and flopped once before going still a . A round, bloodless hole the width of John's thumb had been burned cleanly through its chest.
The remaining alien screeched and pounced as well. This time, John was ready and even had time to aim down the sights. Two shots in quick succession and the creature dropped as well, crashing less than a meter from its partner. Neither moved.
Moving as slowly as he dared, John crept toward the aliens. His heart pounded harder than it had in, well, forty years, making it a challenge to keep the laspistol trained on the stationary carcasses. Swallowing, he nudged one carefully with his boot. The body was surprisingly light and flipped easily onto its back. He did the same to the second alien. It wasn't until he'd knelt and confirmed both were dead that he made an effort to calm down.
It didn't work. If anything, it only made the nauseous churning in his stomach grow worse.
Shaking, John doubled over and heaved. His stomach was empty, but he still managed to retch several times before getting a hold of himself. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was dimly aware of his growing hunger but he pushed the thought aside. He wouldn't be able to keep anything down for a while, in any case.
Struggling weakly to his feet, John stumbled past the dead aliens and back into the pod. He shut the door behind him, plopped down on the floor, and did his best to slow his racing heartbeat.
It was a long time before he succeeded.
***
John wasn't sure precisely when he'd fallen asleep, but when he awoke, he discovered his hunger had returned with a vengeance. He lurched upright and stumbled his way to the open crate of packaged meals. The two minutes it took to rehydrate and cook were the longest of his life and he tore into the food so voraciously that it surprised even him.
This proved to be a mistake. No sooner had he begun devouring his second helping, then nature called--loudly and with some urgency. Muttering a curse, John rose to his feet once more.
As far as he knew, he was the first human ever to set foot here. Even more likely the first to kill one of those aliens. It only seemed fitting that he be the first to piss here, too.
Grabbing the laspistol, he palmed open the door without so much as a glance through the window. As a result, he was caught completely off guard when it opened to reveal a third alien crouching curiously over the bodies of its fallen kin.
Scrambling back, John lifted the weapon and aimed. As he did, the alien's head snapped toward him and their eyes met.
This one was slightly larger, though its limbs were equally slender and its wings noticeably smaller. It crouched low to the ground on all fours, clawed wings stretched out in front of it as if bowing. Though its large, golden eyes never left his, as the staring contest dragged on the alien ducked its head closer to the dirt. It almost seemed to be bothered by his gaze.
"Get out of here!" he growled, tightening his grip on the laspistol.
The alien's head perked up at the sound of his voice and, for the first time, John realized this one had large ears, like a bat. They pointed straight up, flared toward him, then slowly sank back down to lie flush against the creature's skull, nearly hidden within a tangled forest of dark red hair. The head dipped down a second later to resume the nervous, submissive posture it had donned since noticing his stare.
"Go! Get out of here!" he repeated.
The alien watched him for a second, then cocked its head.
"Here!" it chirped, bouncing a little as it spoke. "Here! Here!"
Though he didn't lower his laspistol, John couldn't quite bite back an incredulous laugh. Sure, the alien could probably rip him to shreds in the time it took to blink, but hearing its enthusiastic mimicry was still endearing somehow. Plus, to be fair, it was the first friendly conversation he'd had in forty years.
As soon as it heard John's laughter, the alien's head bobbed up. The large, cavernous ears perked up as well, twitching attentively.
"Get out of here," he repeated yet again, chuckling under his breath.
The irony was almost tangible and made his skin crawl as he gestured with the laspistol, keeping the barrel trained on the creature.
Slowly, the alien settled back on its surprisingly human legs. Though the disobedience made him tense, John's scientific side delighted in the chance to study it.
Or study her, as it turned out. John's face grew hot as his gaze traveled down the alien's body. her chest and collar were covered in small, downy feathers that did little to conceal a pair of petite, all too human breasts. Continuing lower, there was even less concealment to be found. The alien's exposed hindquarters were almost entirely humanoid and entirely unclothed. The only alien feature to be found were her feet, which were little more than scaly, taloned claws like an eagle's.
John's attention snapped upward as quickly as it had descended.
Unless he was quite mistaken, he could have sworn the alien's held a glimmer of comprehension. His suspicions were confirmed a moment later as she yawned and made a show of stretching her winged arms. Wriggling slightly, the female smirked.
Smirked!
John squeezed the trigger. The female yelped as the warning shot split the air above her. She immediately scrambled a half-dozen loping steps away, breathing hard. Her gaze flitted from John to the motionless bodies of her kin, then back. Stooping back into the same submissive crouch as before, she eyed him warily.
"Here!" she chirped, a bit less enthusiastically.
John watched the female for a long minute, then sighed and cautiously lowered his weapon. He retreated slowly, never taking his eyes off of her. Crouching, he scooped up the tray of food he'd momentarily abandoned just inside the door of the pod.
Once again, the alien's head rose. Her eyes shifted from John's face, to the laspistol, and then to the still-steaming tray.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he murmured. Taking small, non-threatening steps toward, he held the meal out in front of him.
The alien tensed as he approached, looking as though she might bolt away at any second.
"You," she echoed quietly.
Continued in The Reluctant Lover!
Table of Contents
Captured Alien Comfort Women Volume One By S. L. Hadley
Disciplined Alien Comfort Women Volume Two By S. L. Hadley
Domesticated Alien Comfort Women Volume Three By S. L. Hadley