The Complete Alien's Bride

by Yamila Abraham

  "What are you doing?" Jaximor said.

  "He wanted to know how I speak your language."

  Jaximor harrumphed without malice. "Tell them if any of them deceive us one of the men will be beheaded. Right now. In front of them all."

  Her eyes bulged. "What?"

  He nudged her. "Go on."

  "Oh my God."

  She scrubbed her hand over her face and relayed the terrifying message. The colonists looked appropriately rattled.

  "Tell them to separate into two groups. Males on the right. Females on the left. Babies of either gender may stay with their mothers."

  Meredith told them. After brief hesitation the group dispersed as ordered.

  A passage opened in the back of the bay with a whirring noise. Three dozen of the tank robots rolled in to line the alley separating the two groups. There were gaps between each robot large enough for people to cross onto either side.

  "Any female who is currently married may cross to the right side. They may take their young children with them."

  Meredith relayed the order.

  The colonists shuffled as ordered. Several wives embraced their husbands. All of the children and infants were now on the right. One girl looked too old to accompany her mother to the right. She hid behind her father. (Jaximor ignored this.)

  "All women too old to menstruate may go to the right side. Remind them that if any of them deceive me, a man will die."

  Meredith drew a deep breath. She now understood what he was doing. She gave the order along with the harsh reminder. Twenty more women filtered to the right. What remained on the left were all the adult single women still young enough to breed. Meredith estimated there were sixty or so.

  Jaximor looked them over. "So few. What a pity." He gave her elbow a soft squeeze. "Tell those women not to resist the robots. They will not be harmed."

  Meredith felt like crying again. She looked toward the frightened women. "He says not to resist the robots...they won't hurt you."

  "What?" a dark-skinned girl cried out.

  "Sentinels," Jaximor said, with his voice carrying through the bay. "Collar those women."

  "Do what to them?" Meredith said.

  The robots lifted their metal arms toward the women. Pink force field collars appeared between their pinchers. Their tank treads started rolling toward the huddled crowd.

  The women backed from them in unison. One screamed. The rest started running for the far wall. The colonists on the right side began yelling.

  "Stop Sentinels!" Jaximor said. He glowered at Meredith. "Didn't you tell them they wouldn't be harmed?"

  The panic quieted below them.

  "I did," Meredith said. "But those huge ugly robots are terrifying, and the women don't know what they're going to do to them. I can tell them they won't be hurt until I'm blue in the face. They're still going to panic when those things come lumbering for them."

  Jaximor examined her for a moment. Then he looked out at the crowd. Colonists were gasping with flushed faces. They all looked toward them with eyes wide with fear.

  "The Sentinels are going to put force field collars on them. It will allow us to separate them out later. The collars are only visible when they're turned on. They won't even feel it. It doesn't hurt."

  Meredith swallowed. "You want me to tell them that?"

  "No." Jaximor eyed her. "Go down there and let a Sentinel put the collar on you."

  "Me?" Her face filled with dread.

  "You've nothing to be scared of, Meredith," Pret-Dorno said.

  "Ah, geez." She marched down the metal steps. She didn't let her feet stop until she was in front of one of the robots. They weren't that scary, she supposed.

  "Collar her," Jaximor said.

  The robot wrapped the pink glowing collar around her neck. It vanished when the two ends connected. Then the robot lowered its arms.

  Meredith looked at the women. "That's all they're going to do to you, okay? It doesn't hurt. I didn't even feel anything."

  "Good work, my bride to be!"

  Meredith glanced up. Jaximor was shining his mischievous smile down at her.

  "Well what the Hell is it?" A former bunkmate of hers recaptured her attention.

  Meredith shrugged. "A slave collar. I mean--what difference does it make what it is? We don't have any choice about any of this."

  A large-boned woman Meredith did laundry with stepped forward. "So what's going to happen to us? How come we were separated out?"

  Meredith turned her palms up. "You already know what's going to happen to you, Bronzey--come on. We all knew how it would go down. I'm just glad the guys aren't going to be castrated."

  "That's enough, Meredith," Jaximor said from the platform. "Rejoin me up here."

  She ascended the stairs. The robots continued toward the women. This time the sixty were collared without a panic. Jaximor waited until they were done.

  "Tell them that everyone on the right will be placed in the slave colony on Earth. The collared women will be matched with Dak-Hiliah husbands. The brides have until the ship arrives on Earth to say their goodbyes to the others."

  Meredith gave a soft groan.

  "Kindly stop pitying them." He gave her a sharp look. "The slave colony isn't terrible, nor is marrying a Dak-Hiliah. Our new Druid ensures that wives are no longer abused."

  They used to be abused?

  She relayed the final message.

  The robots rolled out of the bay through rear door. Once their boundary was gone the slaves intermingled again. Several were crying.

  Jaximor and Pret-Dorno headed out the door. Meredith lingered.

  "Can I ride in here with them?"

  "You're not riding anywhere," Jaximor said. "You and I are staying on Europa."

  Her brows came together. "We are?"

  "You don't think I've forgotten about the ones you helped escape, do you?"

  Meredith was given an hour to say goodbye to the other colonists. Since she'd presumed that they were going to get dragged away in chains shortly after the Dak-Hiliah landed, she'd already said her goodbyes.

  "That alien up there--the good-looking one. He told me he's taking me as his wife," Meredith said. Her two younger cousins were beside her with her aunt and uncle.

  "What's the slave colony like?" her aunt asked.

  "She said she doesn't know this stuff, Delor." This was their most useful mechanic, Song-Yu. "Give her a break."

  "Well, how did things go with that guy when you met him?" Bronzey asked. "Is he an asshole?"

  Meredith screwed her lips. "I don't know. We barely talked. He fed me though--and the food was good."

  This caused a dozen people around her to pipe up.

  "Yeah, it was good."

  "That slug thing in the brown sauce--"

  "Mm-hm."

  Smitty stood from where he'd been sitting on the floor. "Look. We're not going to starve to death. We're not going to get our jimmies hacked off. I'm saying this is a pretty good day."

  Several gave murmurs of agreement.

  "There's more than that," Riley, their second-in-command and father of two said. "From all indications they're not taking married women and forcing them to become their brides. They're not tearing apart families. They don't have to give us any consideration like this, but the fact that they are tells me something."

  This observation garnered several hopeful nods.

  Meredith dropped her voice to a whisper. "They know some of us got away."

  Riley frowned at her.

  "That Jaximor guy says I have to help him find them." She started to scratch at her cuticle. "What do I do, Riley?"

  "You don't know anything," Riley whispered with conviction. "Just play dumb. The longer you hold out the more time they have to get away."

  Meredith's expression grew pained. "This will be hard. That guy is going to be my husband. I don't want things screwed up between us. This is the rest of my life here."

  Riley reached out and gripped her hand. "
You have to hold out. They could be the last hope for humanity. He'll give up eventually. He probably doesn’t want things screwed up between you either--and they're not used to dealing with women. Charm him. Act wounded when he doesn't believe you. Choke up a few tears."

  Meredith fumed through her nostrils. How easy for you to say.

  "I'll hold out as long as I can. Just remember--these aliens can zap your brain and make you learn a whole new language. I have a feeling they can probably dig the answers out of my brain the same way."

  Riley picked up his toddler son and turned to go. "Assume that they can't, and keep your mouth shut."

  A robot escorted her out of the bay when her time was up. She was brought to the other side of the massive ship, to a hangar where a fleet of smaller ships was housed.

  Jaximor stood beside a sleek triangular craft that was easily 20 feet tall and four times as long. A large machine with a long mechanical arm looked to be doing some welding on the nose cone. Several of the boxy robots that moved around on casters were rolling into the open hatch with supplies.

  Jaximor tipped his chin at her. "Ah. Good. You're here. We can disembark." He gestured to the ship. "This will be our residence while we remain on Europa."

  "Huh." Meredith looked over the vessel. The Shanghai was smaller and managed to house 38 people.

  She tipped her head up toward him. "The colonists want to know what's in store for them. They want to know about the slave colony, and the women want to know what their lives are going to be like." Her eyes strayed from him. "I want to know this, too."

  Jaximor curled his nose. "It's pointless to explain things to them. They'll see the colony for themselves tomorrow. The women will all have different situations depending on who they're paired with."

  Meredith lowered her gaze. "It would still be nice if someone could talk to them. Maybe that Alyona woman?"

  Jaximor moved in front of her. He placed his hands on her shoulders. Meredith forced herself to meet his eyes. His thickly muscled body was even more imposing up close. Meredith became aware of how vulnerable she was.

  "You must feel very comfortable with me to be badgering me with these tedious requests."

  Her eyes narrowed. "No. I feel bad for my people. They're frightened and worried. They had a lot of questions for me and I didn't have any answers."

  He smirked. "Ah. I see. This is that incredible compassion I've heard humans are capable of." His eyes traced over her body. "I kind of like it."

  Meredith cleared her throat to shirk some discomfort. "So will you--"

  "If I send Alyona down there what will you give me in return?"

  Meredith blinked at him. "What?"

  Jaximor waited with the beginnings of his mischievous grin.

  "What could I give you?"

  "My General Hern told me that humans like to hug. Not just in moments of extreme emotion, but frequently, as a means of sharing affection. I'd like to experience this with my bride to be."

  She blinked a few more times. The request struck her as incredibly sweet, but they were bargaining. She hid her delight. "So, you'll have Alyona talk to them if I hug you?"

  He grinned in full.

  Meredith opened her arms. "Sure. Deal."

  Jaximor drew closer. He brought both large arms around her and pulled her against him. Meredith was compressed against his powerful frame. He was holding her with measured strength. She wrapped her arms around his back and squeezed. He stayed joined with her long enough for his body heat to mingle with hers. Meredith closed her eyes.

  She'd needed a hug.

  As the embrace continued her shoulders grew slack. She felt a swell of tearful emotion. Someone needed to reassure her in this tender way. The fact that it was the alien she had to marry made the hug something poignant. She felt protected in that moment. It was a fantastic thing for Jaximor to be able to draw up these feelings in her.

  "Are you enjoying this as much as I am?" Jaximor said softly.

  Now she felt a euphoric warmth in her middle. His breath touched her neck as he spoke. There was a flutter of something more inside her. Jaximor's voice was sexy, and his body felt wonderful against her.

  "Yes. I really am," she said.

  "How sweet of you to admit it." He soothed a hand down her back.

  "You don't have to barter with me to get a hug. I'm going to be your wife, right?"

  "Mm--you're bewitching me."

  Meredith smiled.

  The hand that had been soothing her back dropped lower and squeezed a buttock.

  Meredith's eyes opened wide. "Hey!"

  "Hmm?" He continued kneading the soft flesh.

  "Get your hand off my ass, you pervert!"

  Meredith wrangled herself free. She stood back from him with a look of outrage.

  Jaximor had a pleased expression. "Pervert? But, as you said, you're going to be my wife."

  "That doesn't mean you can grab my butt where everyone can see you."

  His smile grew smug. "You think I was indiscreet? There are no other Dak-Hiliah here, Meredith."

  "What about him?"

  She jabbed a finger at Pret-Dorno who had been standing inconspicuously beside the open hatch of the ship. His dull eyes were fixed on Jaximor. Meredith was almost sure she saw some exasperation in his glare.

  Jaximor glanced at him. "Oh. Pret doesn't count."

  Meredith groaned with exasperation.

  "The welding machine is finished," Pret-Dorno said. "Shall we go, Master?"

  Jaximor headed into the ship. "Sure. But first go tell Major Delexor that his wife has to go into the holding bay with the slaves and answer their questions."

  "Right away, Master." Pret-Dorno speed-walked toward the moving sidewalk.

  Meredith let her posture slacken. Well...at least he kept his word.

  Jaximor offered her a hand. "Come, Meredith."

  She placed her hand in his.

  They entered into the cockpit of the ship. Jaximor sat at the controls. She took the empty seat next to him. He tapped some buttons to bring up information on a view screen embedded in the football-shaped steering wheel.

  "We're waiting for Pret," Jaximor said.

  Meredith nodded.

  "That's an affirmation, right? When you bob your head like that?"

  "Yep." She'd crossed her arms again.

  He placed his hand on a flat sensor. Meredith heard an engine turn on. "General Hern told us you Earthlings use a lot of nonverbal communication. You'll have to teach me all your gestures."

  "So that's your foible, huh?"

  He eyed her.

  "The butt grabbing."

  "What are you talking about?" He made a new screen of data appear on his steering wheel.

  "Pret-Dorno warned me that you have some 'foibles.'"

  "He did, did he?" Jaximor sounded amused. A third screen came up before him.

  "I'm starting to think what he meant was that you're a pervert."

  A broad smile formed on Jaximor's lips. He scrolled to another data screen while laughing to himself.

  Meredith's brows rose. "Oh my God."

  Jaximor tapped a communicator button. "Bring on fifty more deftion crystals for tank Jeda."

  "Tank Jeda is at capacity," a robotic voice replied.

  "I want extra."

  "Confirmed."

  He pressed the button to turn off the receiver and then leaned back in his seat.

  "Just how extreme does it go?" Meredith said.

  "Hmm?"

  "Your perversion."

  He shot her his mischievous smile. "I suppose you'll find out, won't you?"

  She took a deep breath. Jaximor reached over to reclaim her hand. He gave her a darker smile now.

  "A wife was just what I needed."

  She made a look of trepidation. A deviant husband would have been a concern if she was marrying a human. With Jaximor she wasn't even sure what that meant. What was an alien pervert going to be like? There was already so much that boggled her mind abo
ut the Dak-Hiliah. She couldn't fathom what he might be into.

  Pret-Dorno entered the cockpit behind them. "Fifty extra deftion crystals were just loaded, Master."

  "Ah. There you are. Excellent." He released Meredith's hand to clasp the steering wheel.

  Jaximor maneuvered the ship through an open aisle, past several similarly sized crafts. A wall was open in front of them, leading down a ramp to the outside. He parked the ship below her control tower. Then he took his communicator.

  "We're clear."

  "Confirmed," a robot voice said.

  Meredith heard a WOOMPH noise that made the ship bounce. She saw from the corner of windshield that thrusters were powering up on the gigantic black warship they'd just exited.

  "They're just going to leave you here?"

  "With a small army of Sentinel robots, yes." He began switching off the controls. "I have a mission to complete."

  The engines from the warship grew too loud to talk over. Meredith covered her ears. She saw the ship rise out of view. After a minute the roar of noise dissipated enough for her to speak at a normal volume.

  "But by yourself? I mean...just you, Pret, and some robots?"

  He turned his chair to face her. "And this yacht, which can easily overtake any of your human ships."

  Her brow knit. "It seems like too big a job for one commander."

  Jaximor stood. "Meredith, there are barely 5,000 Dak-Hiliah left in existence. Only half of those are active in our military. We're accustomed to getting things done with few men."

  She gaped. "There's only 5,000 of you left?"

  Jaximor stepped toward the back of the cockpit. "Besides that--it was part of my mission to get our warship out of here as soon as possible. I want your escapees to think we've left so they'll decide it's safe to come back."

  Meredith frowned.

  Jaximor glanced over his shoulder. "Put that aside for now. Let's get you acclimated in your new home."

  A domed sliding door in the back of the cockpit led directly into their living quarters. Meredith expected more of the austere black décor she'd seen on the warship. Instead she entered an elegant sitting room with lush dark violet carpet, long overstuffed couches that were attached to the walls, and a floor to ceiling centerpiece that looked like a gigantic lava lamp. The walls and cushions were all deep reds and violets. The lava lamp thing gave off the only light in the room. It was dim...soothing.