by Gail Koger
Chapter Six
“What are you staring at?”
Trayon pointed at my legs. “Do not move!”
I looked down and gasped. I knew I had picked up some hitchhikers, but wow. There was a brown snake with a crocodile’s head and bright blue eyes coiled around my left thigh. A baby dinosaur chewed on my right pants leg. “Merda!”
Pepe cautiously sniffed them. “Me like.”
I guess that was a good thing. I had to admit the little dinosaur was cute as a bug.
The Askole drew an enormous sword. “I will kill the vermin.”
“What? Stop!” I threw my hands out. “We don’t kill babies.”
“It is a Rodan. None can be allowed to live.”
“It’s a baby.” I stiffened as something moved in my hair. Had I picked up an alien version of lice too?
“Our law is quite specific. All must be destroyed.” Trayon advanced toward me.
The Rodan whimpered and tightened its grip on my leg.
Pepe growled menacingly. “No hurt.”
I pulled my laser pistol. “You harm one scale on that kid’s head, and I’ll shoot you.”
“The Rodan have your brother.”
“So, you think this baby is the mastermind behind his kidnapping?”
Trayon’s tentacles knotted. “I am your mate, and you will obey me. Lower your weapon.”
“I guess you haven’t heard, but Earth women aren’t good at following orders and I’m not your mate.”
Trayon tapped his gauntlet. “Your weapons have been disabled.”
I pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. Cazzo! There was no way I could take Trayon in hand-to-hand combat.
“It will be a quick and merciful death.”
Murder was merciful? My temper flared to life and I dropped into a combat stance. I knew it was a dumb move, but I had to do something.
Trayon grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth. “You cannot defeat me soft skin.” He took a step forward.
Voices in my head cried, “No hurt Tiny!”
Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Web balls hammered Trayon, knocking him back against the console. Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! His sword arm was glued to the metal. Trayon roared his displeasure.
“Who did that?” Sharp claws dug into my shoulder. “Ouch!” I turned my head. Bright orange eyes peered at me. The little guy had a foxlike face, furry black body with bat wings and a long serpentine tail. How had I missed him? “You can shoot web balls?”
“Us do.” Two small, golden tarantulas tumbled down from my head and perched on my nose. “Him Draconic. Him called Adoz. Me LooLoo and she LeeLee. We Tabors. Rodan not like others. Different. We named him Tiny. We friends.”
“Free me,” Trayon bellowed.
“Not until I have your word you won’t hurt the kid.”
“I am bound by our laws.”
“Why don’t you use this time to think about how wrong it is to murder babies.”
A deep growl rumbled in Trayon chest as he ripped the webbing with his lethal fangs.
I grabbed the can of mace off my belt. Did it work on Askole warriors too?
Trayon broke free.
Guess I’d find out. Before I could pull the trigger Adoz roared, and flames spewed from his mouth.
Snikt. Schlik. Schlik. Schlik. Schlik. A horned helmet formed around Trayon’s head seconds before the flames hit him.
“No Adoz! Fire bad on spaceships.”
Sure enough, the ship’s automatic fire suppression system kicked in, spraying a thick foam over the room.
“Cazzo.” I wiped the gunk out of my eyes.
His tentacles squirming madly, Trayon spat a bunch of guttural grunts and his furious gaze locked on me.
Merda! He looked like he was ready to kill us all. I looked around frantically. We needed a place to hide.
A gray whirlwind erupted around us. Thirty seconds of falling down an endless black hole and poof! We were standing in what I assumed was the Askole’s mess hall. Two heavily armed warriors stared at us in surprise.
“Oh no. Oh no,” the snake cried.
Guttural grunts, groans, and clucks sound from the speaker system.
A warrior lunged for me.
I pressed the red button on my mace and sprayed him in the face.
He reared back with a roar of pain, tripped over a chair and landed face first in a platter of bloody worms.
I smiled. Mace, the great equalizer.
The other warrior charged me.
Adoz blasted the Askole with fire.
I groaned as the fire suppression system immediately spewed a thick white foam over the room. To make things even more fun the spinning vortex from hell appeared again. There was a flash of black and we appeared in a small storeroom.
My knees threatening to buckle, I leaned against the wall. “Who? How?” I took a deep breath and tried to calm my shattered nerves. “What just happened? Who did that?”
“Me.” The snake slithered up my leg and wrapped around my waist. “My name is Chiara. I am a Shani from the planet Derak. I thought he was going to eat us like the Rodan ate my friends,” she wailed. “I opened a worm hole to take us to safety, but I am not strong enough to port us to your world or mine.”
I carefully stroked her dry, scaly skin. “It’s okay. It’s okay. You did good.”
“I did?”
“You were awesome. How did you end up on Threll?”
“The Rodan attacked my planet. They took us younglings and destroyed our lair. My mother was badly hurt in the fight. I must go home. She needs my help.”
“We want our momma,” LeeLee and LooLoo cried in unison.
Adoz chirped mournfully.
“No die,” Tiny pleaded.
I closed my eyes wearily. Adam still needed rescuing and now I had to get all these children home too. How was I going to pull that off? I couldn’t fly a spaceship and I had no clue where the Rodan base was or where their families were either.
The storeroom door slid open and there stood a foam covered Trayon. How had he found us so quickly?
“Our minds our linked and your unique lifeforms show up on the ship’s sensors,” Trayon answered.
Chiara hissed at him like an enraged python.
Pepe bared his fangs and barked, “Go away. Go away.”
Tiny shivered violently.
I grabbed Adoz’s mouth. “No fire!”
“We bite. You die,” LooLoo warned.
“Tabor poison doesn’t work on Askole warriors,” Trayon said, keeping his hands in plain view. “Are you ready to surrender?”
“Are you going to let Tiny live?”
“What you ask for is impossible.”
If I remembered correctly, Askole man parts were like humans. Reaching out with my mind, I mentally grasped Trayon’s balls and twisted them viciously. “Wrong answer. Earth females might be small, but we make up for it in pure meanness.”
Trayon let out a wheezing gasp and dropped to his knees. “You are a cunning and ferocious female.”
“You bet I am. The kid lives or I unman you.” I tightened my grip.
“As you wish.”
“What?”
“You have my word I will not harm the child.”
I released him. That was a little too easy. “I want it in writing.”
“I will add it to our mating documents.”
I groaned. I knew there would be a catch. “How do you propose to keep the rest of your people from killing Tiny?”
“I will adopt him.”
I gaped at him. “You would do that?”
“To keep you happy. Yes.”
Whoa. I wasn’t expecting that. “Once he’s legally your son, they won’t try to kill him?”
“They will not.”
“And if I refuse to mate with you?”
“I cannot protect him or the others.”
“That’s blackmail,” I protested.
Trayon’s rather toothy grin
was alarming. “It is.”
“You’ll still rescue Adam?”
“I gave you my word.”
“You sure you want a human female as a mate? We’re a lot of trouble.”
“Of that I have no doubt,” Trayon replied, getting to his feet.
The sneaky Askole had me over a barrel and he knew it. To save Adam and the kids, I would do what was necessary. Even sharing a bed with him. I held out my hand. “We have a deal.”
“You will not regret your decision.” Trayon gently shook my hand.
A giggle escaped me. Trayon looked like the marshmallow man in that American horror movie. Ghost something or other.
“You find me amusing?” Trayon flashed me an image of myself. I was coated in the sudsy foam too and only my eyes were visible.
I smirked at him. “This is like a bubble bath gone wild.”
“You bathe with bubbles?”
“I do.”
Pepe shook his fur, flinging the foam in every direction.
Adoz launched himself into the air and spun wildly. Large flakes of foam rained down on us.
“How do we get rid of the stuff?” I batted at the foamy crap.
Trayon tapped his gauntlet. A bright blue light rolled over the room. The suds vanished.
LooLoo and LeeLee scurried down to my shoulder. “No like him.”
I gently stroked their fur. “Are there any more of you on Threll?” I flinched as tremendous power flooded the room.
“An excellent question,” Zarek growled. His body armor literally bristled with weapons.
The Tabors hid in my hair and LooLoo whispered, “Others sold. Only us left. You find our mommas?”
“Yes, I promise you we’ll find your mommas. What’s your momma’s name?”
LeeLee bounced happily. “She called Uma. Our father is Bono.”
I looked at Zarek. “Do you know them?”
“No, but Bey will.”
“My mother’s name is Timbu. I need to know if she still lives,” Chiara said sadly.
Pepe licked her head. “My momma take you home.”
“I’m sure Trayon will do his best to get you back to your mother and we’ll help her however we can,” I promised.
Trayon’s tentacles squirmed about his head. “No one knows the location of the Shani’s home world.”
“I bet Zarek knows,” I stated.
His deadly amber gaze settled on me. “What makes you say that Jia?”
“You’re the Overlord, you know everything,” I replied.
A laugh broke from Zarek. “Not everything.”
“I thought the Shani were able to create mini worm holes and travel wherever they wished,” Trayon said.
“Chiara is too young.” Zarek shook his head in disbelief. “You have quite a menagerie here, Jia.”
“Babies and critters are drawn to me,” I said with a shrug.
Trayon watched Adoz fly around the room. “Once the Draconic hatchling has been properly trained, he will make an excellent scout.”
With all their technology, they still used animals as scouts? A sudden thought hit me. “Merda! You left Loki and Ivan back on Threll.”
“My warriors retrieved them, and they are sitting in the brig,” Zarek advised.
“Oh.” Adoz landed on my shoulder and started purring like a cat. Stroking his soft fur, I tried to figure a way out of my predicament, but I couldn’t come up with anything. Me? Mated to an alien. Never in a million years had I seen that one coming.
“My father gave the Overlord six times the bride price for you. The contract has been signed and you are now legally mine,” Trayon said out of the blue.
“What?” My temper ignited and I spun to face Zarek. “You sold me like I was a horse? You can’t do that.”
“I can do whatever I wish,” Zarek shot back.
Pepe buried his head under my arm. “He scary.”
Adoz wrapped his wings around my neck and chirped in agreement.
“The higher the bride price, the more honor for the female,” Trayon quickly inserted.
My hand dropped to the butt of my laser pistol. “There’s no honor in being sold. If you wanted a slave to fuck you should have stuck with the pleasure houses.”
Trayon’s tentacles stood straight out from his head. “You are not a slave! You are my chosen.”
“And what about adopting Tiny? Was that in the contract?”
“It will be added,” Zarek interjected.
“How do I know you’ll keep your word?”
“You doubt my honor?”
A jolt of raw fear shook me at the expression on Zarek’s face. “No sir, sorry sir. I meant no disrespect.” If I wasn’t careful, he’d mind wipe me.
“I have found your birth father,” Zarek announced suddenly.
My jaw dropped. “You have?”
“You are a Jones,” Trayon crowed.
“I’m a Jones?”
“You are a genetic match to the Jones clan.” An amused smile touched Zarek’s mouth. “Any lingering doubt was erased after you destroyed Threll. Blood always runs true.”
I felt almost giddy with joy. I had a family! A real family. “What’s my father’s name? Is he still alive? Why didn’t he come for me?”
“Your father is Derek Jones. He has command of Earth’s civilian police forces. Your mother, Viola Dragos, never told him she carried his child. She died in the avalanche that destroyed San Martino.”
I stared at Zarek in utter disbelief. “Derek Jones? Isn’t he Saul Jones’s brother?”
“He is.”
I had always wanted a family, but wow. The legendary Jones clan? How could I measure up? My mental powers were insignificant compared to theirs. Maybe this was all a dream, and I was still back on Threll. I pinched myself. Ouch. Nope. “When do I get to meet my father?”
“Soon. I sent a warbird for him. They will rendezvous with us at Proxima Centauri.” Zarek turned his attention to Trayon. “Your father will also meet us there. He is anxious to get to know your mate. After you have settled your family, come to my war room.” He teleported away.
Panic knotted my stomach. What if they didn’t like me?
“Have no fear. They will cherish you as much as I do,” Trayon reassured me.
“Cherish? I tried to neuter you.”
“To save the children. I have chosen well. You will make an excellent mother.”
“Oh. How wonderful and your family won’t be upset that I’m human?”
“Tihar’s mate is also a Jones. Once my father knows you destroyed Threll, he will present you with the Medal of Service.”
Seriously? “I didn’t do it alone.”
“Me hungry,” Pepe whined.
LeeLee hung from my hair. “We all hungry.”
“There is a food replicator in our quarters. You may eat whatever you wish.” Trayon picked up the little Rodan. “Tiny is not a proper name for a warrior. I think I will call you Cason.”
For a long moment, Cason stared in fascination at Trayon’s tentacles and reached out excitedly. “Wiggles. Wiggles.”
I laughed. “I think he wants tentacles like yours.”
“That can be arranged,” Trayon replied.
“How?”
“I will change his DNA. He will be a hybrid like Ziyad.”
“Who is Ziyad?”
“She is Loki’s and Ivan’s adopted sister.” The image of a female mixture of a Rodan and Askole formed in my mind. One look at her mouthful of serrated teeth and I knew she was someone you never wanted to mess with.
Cason babbled, “Owh! Owh!”
The kid seemed to be fascinated with Ziyad’s picture. One thing I had learned from the orphanage was nationalities and species didn’t matter when it came to family. Love was all that was needed. “I have no objection to you altering his DNA.”
“We will talk more after I return.” Trayon handed me Cason and left.
Balancing the kid on my hip, I asked Chiara, “Do you know what happene
d to Cason’s mother?”
“She was the one who sold him to the flesh peddlers,” Chiara answered.
“Why would she do that?”
Chiara hissed her disgust. “Her male gave her to the Yagga. She was dying and wanted her revenge.”
I could understand her anger but the only one she was hurting was Cason. “Okay, what does everyone want to eat?”
“Mealie bugs,” LooLoo and LeeLee yelled.
Pepe cried, “A hamburger.”
Adoz chirped.
“He wants Bahmi fish,” Chiara translated. “I would love some Decapod.”
“Ok, hang on.” I stared at the hieroglyphics on the keypads. Huh? It was alien gobbledygook. I linked with Trayon. “I’ve never used a food replicator before, and I don’t read Askole.”
“An error I can quickly resolve.”
A prickling sensation swept across my mind and suddenly I knew what the symbols were and how to use the food replicator. Call me amazed. “Thanks. Is there Bahmi fish and Decapod in the food replicator?”
“There is and I also programmed in your favor Italian food. Feed Cason blood worms,” Trayon said. His lips brushed mine and the link severed.
Whoa! I always thought Askole warriors were the boogeymen of the galaxy, but I never imaged they could be so caring.
Cason whined.
“I know. I know. You’re hungry.” I walked over to the food replicator and started programming the kid’s meals.
Two hours later, I was face down on Trayon’s huge bed with the kids piled on top of me. Motherhood sucked.
Chapter Seven
“Why are there blood worms webbed to the walls and ceiling?”
The shock in Trayon’s voice would have been amusing in any other circumstance. I cracked open an eye. “Whatever you do, don’t go in the bathroom.”
“Why not?”
“Bath time got a little messy.” One look and he’d probably rescind the mating contract.
Trayon’s boots made an icky squishing noise as he walked across the room. I could feel his horror when he exclaimed, “A little messy?”
“I told you not to go in there.”
“I have seen battle scenes with less blood,” Trayon groused.
“Did you know baby Tabors are taught how to program food replicators?”
“I was not aware of that fact.”