Erena was confused for a moment, then glanced at the balcony again and realized what he was saying, blanching at the idea. No, she was never going to do that. She shook her head, and then regretted it as vertigo struck her again.
"Hey,"
Shang was still standing over her, now frowning in concern.
"I don't exactly know what your species is supposed to look like, but I'm guessing it's not this," he commented, raising an eyebrow, "What do you need? What does your species eat? Do you need silicon? Heavy metals? Carbon? What?"
Erena considered not answering, not wanting to give him anything to use against her, but she was pretty sure she was going to pass out soon without something to drink.
"Water?" she asked, hopeful. He squinted at her, not answering.
"I can give you the chemical breakdown of what's safe for human consumption if you-"
"Don't bother."
He turned away, disappearing into another room. He returned a moment later with a square device the size of a toaster with a wide opening in the center.
Shang waved his hand and a section of the floor near her shifted, rising into an end table so suddenly that Erena fell back in surprise. He plonked the device down on it, then grabbed her wrist and shoved her hand inside.
She felt a prick like a diabetic blood test and squeaked in surprise at the unexpected pain. He let go of her wrist at once and she pulled back, eyeing the device suspiciously. It hummed thoughtfully for a moment, and then a light came on. As Erena watched, a foil packet materialized in the center of the device.
"Eat that," Shang ordered.
Erena picked the packet up suspiciously, noticing there was a small straw attached, and a little puncture hole like a children's drink.
"What is it?" she asked, not convinced it was safe.
"It's food," Shang replied with a huff, not looking at her. A small holographic screen had appeared above his wrist and he was scrolling through it like a bored teenager on their phone. She continued to stare at him until he looked up.
"The machine took a sample of your DNA and compiled a supplement that will meet all your nutritional needs," he explained, clearly aggravated that he had to, "Just eat it because I told you too, damn it."
Still somewhat wary, but too desperate for water to argue, Erena stabbed the straw through the hole and took a sip. She pulled away quickly, coughing and sputtering.
"It's guaranteed free of allergens," Shang almost seemed amused by her revulsion, "It's not guaranteed to taste good. Eat it anyway."
He glanced at his wrist again and made a sound of annoyance.
"Stay here, eat your food," he ordered, "I'll be back in a minute."
He waved his hand at the balcony doors and Erena saw them turn suddenly opaque, making a clicking sound that she didn't have to work hard to guess was a lock. By the time she looked back, he'd already vanished through the opposite door, locking it behind him and leaving Erena alone.
She stood up at once, determined not to waste this chance. Her legs wobbled dangerous underneath her and she took another sip of the revolting drink reluctantly. It was at least satisfying her body's screaming for food and water. She could get used to the taste if she needed to.
In the meantime, she began exploring the apartment. She tried the balcony doors first and found, unsurprisingly, that they were locked, and didn't break even when she swung at them with the metal fire place pokers.
She tried the archway at the other end of the room next, finding it was some kind of entryway or coat room. She found what she thought was the front door, but there were no seams and the handle was withdrawn into it, flush with the surface. She was definitely not getting out that way.
There was only one other room in the apartment besides the spacious living area and the entrance way and she couldn't figure out what it was for. There were lots of counters and Shang had brought the little food machine out of this room, so she assumed it might be a kitchen. Either way, there was no exit there either.
She took a shot at waving her hands at the floor and doors to see if they responded to her the way they did to Shang, but they ignored her entirely. Wrapped in her blanket and sipping on her nutritional supplement she wandered back and forth over every inch of the apartment until she eventually gave up on finding a way out this way.
Besides, now that she wasn't dying of dehydration, she was even more aware of the weird, fluttering heat that was spreading from her stomach and across her body like a slow fire. She felt restless and weak, her skin itching. The weird fever grew more powerful with every passing moment.
She figured out how to make the food device produce more packets and drank two more as she wandered the apartment, unable to settle down or satisfy the weird itching craving that was nagging at her, unable to even figure out what she wanted.
She knew she should be focusing on getting out of here, making a plan to find her crew and get home, but she couldn't seem to keep her scrambled thoughts straight. Her brain just kept insisting there was something she needed, something she had to find...
She didn't have enough sense of time in this windowless place to tell if it had been an hour or a day before Shang returned to find her lying on the floor, shivering in the violent clutches of fever, clinging to her blanket like a life line. She heard him swearing as he picked her up, moving her to the couch platform.
"Son of a bitch," he grumbled, "I knew that old machine was busted. I shouldn't have-"
But Erena wasn't listening to him. She couldn't focus on anything but the warmth of his arms around her and the scent of him flooding her senses. It was a strange, spicy scent somewhere between sandalwood and cloves, strange and warm and intoxicating.
She released the blanket without thinking in order to put her weak, shaking arms around his shoulders and bury her face in his throat, groaning as that scent overwhelmed her, sending shivers down her spine.
"Oh."
Shang stopped muttering abruptly and his grip on her loosened for a moment, as though he wasn't sure how to react. Erena couldn't think straight. All she knew was that her skin was burning to be touched and she was drowning in the scent of him.
Her thoughts scattered and reformed like a flock of nervous birds, struggling to hold on to a coherent thought. She was afraid, but the desperate neediness clawing at her gut kept pushing that fear down in favor of making her cling to him harder, hungry for something she was afraid to name.
"You're burning up."
His voice was as soft as his hands as he brushed her hair from her forehead, touching her feverish skin and sending sparks dancing across her nerves.
He was laying her out on the couch and she couldn't even think straight enough to be embarrassed of the fact that she was naked and exposed to him. She could only reach for him desperately when he pulled away.
"Try to fight it," he said, taking her hands when she reached for him and pushing them back down towards her chest, "You don't really want this. You'll regret it in the morning."
"Want..."
Her own voice surprised her, rough with need, shaky and aching. Shang turned his head, his lips pursed tightly, and she was suddenly certain that she absolutely had to kiss him. It was the only way to soothe the burning in her veins, she knew it.
She reached for him again, and when he turned, she caught him by the back of the neck and pulled him towards her. Her lips met his in a messy clash, teeth clicking together as he tried to pull away and she only clung to him harder.
Then suddenly, he seemed to give in, the kiss softening as he returned it. He surged forward all at once, a hand tangling in her hair and another catching her waist to pull her flush against him. She gave an airy moan of delight as he took control, moving into his touch and kissing him hungrily as the heat consumed her entirely.
Chapter Three
She woke the next morning feeling dehydrated and tired, not to mention in need of a shower, but the fever was gone. She blinked blearily, trying to remember what had happened last nigh
t.
She remembered exploring the apartment, she remembered the weird heat. And then nothing. Had she passed out? She reached up to rub her eyes and felt someone shifting beside her. She jumped and then sat up at once.
Shang was resting beside her, only just waking up thanks to her movement. He was naked, and she could see quite plainly that, anatomically, he was not at all different from what she was used to. She was suddenly seized by a paralyzing fear. Had he-? Had they-?
"Good morning," he mumbled, rubbing at his face with a clawed hand as he sat up.
Erena, still gathering her senses, shouted and flung herself clear of him, scrambling to hide behind her blanket. Her face was scarlet with embarrassment and her eyes were wide with fear as she stared at him. He stared back, expression deadpan.
"Are we back to this again?" he yawned, "Get over it already."
"Did you-," she stammered, trying to figure out what to say, "What did you do?"
He sighed in annoyance and got out of the bed, waving a hand at the window. It turned transparent again, letting in the morning sunlight.
"If you're asking what happened last night," he stretched as he spoke, clearly not self-conscious about his nudity, "It was a 'parting gift' from the auction house. To make you more pliable for our first night together."
He glanced at Erena, who was huddled in the middle of the floor, the blanket tight around her shoulders and tears beginning to shine in her eyes. He clicked his tongue and turned towards her.
"I didn't ask for it," he said defensively, "And I didn't take advantage, either. I'm not into that kind of thing. I did the bare minimum to get you to calm down and go to sleep, that's all."
He wiggled his fingers at her illustratively. Erena blushed, then looked down at herself, examining her own body for evidence. She wasn't sure if she trusted him entirely. But it didn't feel like she'd had sex. And she felt like if she had she would remember something.
Even when she strained to remember the previous night, all she could recall was a vague memory of a kiss. She touched her lips as she thought about it and they tingled at the memory. Her heart sped up a little.
"You kissed me," she said, pointing out the hole in his story, "Was that part of the bare minimum?"
He looked at her evenly, unbothered.
"It was just a kiss," he promised, "That's all."
Erena looked down at herself, considering what she remembered. She supposed she had to believe him. Weird as this situation was, he seemed trustworthy, if nothing else.
"Could I have some clothes?" she asked.
He was staring off out the window, still naked himself, and wrinkled his nose as he looked back at her.
"Why the hell would you need clothes?" he asked, "You're a pet."
"That still doesn't mean I want to be naked!" she protested, "I'm a person!"
"You're a pet," he repeated, "You won't be leaving this apartment anyway. As long as I'm stuck taking care of you, I think the least I deserve is a nice view."
He grinned, sharp toothed, and Erena took back her thought about him being trustworthy. She wished she had something in arm’s length to throw at him.
"I'm not going to stay in this apartment the rest of my life," Erena insisted, standing up to face him with the blanket still wrapped around her, "And I'm not going to be treated like an animal! I'm a scientist! I'm a god damn astronaut! I'm one of only five people in the whole world chosen to go on the very first manned mission outside our solar system! I refuse to be reduced to your plaything!"
Shang stared at her, clearly caught off guard.
"Whatever else happens," she swallowed a lump in throat as tears threatened her again, "Whether I get home or not, I won't ever accept that!"
Shang moved closer suddenly, surprising her, but all he did was reach out to pat her head, ruffling her hair, still mussed from sleep.
"Calm down, Fluffy," he spoke seriously, despite the terrible nickname, "I'll get you some clothes. So just relax for now, okay?"
Erena sniffled, still too close to tears to argue with him. He wandered off towards the wall he had found the first aid kit in the day before and opened another panel, pulling out a black suit similar to what he'd worn the day before. He tossed it at her.
"Put it on," he explained as he was grabbing another for himself, "It'll adjust to fit you."
A little suspicious, Erena turned her back on him to step into the weird one piece. She watched, wide eyed, as soon as she'd pulled over her shoulders, as it shrunk, sealing to her skin.
"You can adjust it to suit your tastes," he said, appearing behind her, his own suit still adjusting to him, "Like this."
He tugged at a section and the outfit loosened, becoming more comfortable and less skin tight. He ran a claw up her thigh, making her jump, unexpected tingles running up her spine as, in response, the cloth fell away from her legs, becoming a long skirt, slit high up one leg almost to her hip.
"It only stays malleable for a few minutes," he explained, "So pick what you like fast."
"Thank you," she mumbled, trying to be grateful in spite of everything. She experimented with the material for minute, finding she could push the fabric together to remake pants legs if she wanted, fold it into itself or stretch it to make it thinner or thicker.
She couldn't help imagining how this would have revolutionized everything on earth. If she could bring this back with her...
"As for the not staying inside," Shang sighed, looking away, "I can't really make any promises there. I told you, you were very expensive. And even if you weren't..."
He eyed her, but Erena couldn't guess his meaning, just frowning back at him instead.
"I'm just saying don't get your heart set on it," he finished, "I'll do what I can."
Erena nodded, grateful he was willing to compromise that much. She could probably get more out of him with time, but this was enough for now.
"There is one rule you've absolutely got to follow," he continued, pinning her under that inescapable stare, "You do not, under any circumstances, leave this apartment when I'm not here. Understood? Try it and I'll throw you off the balcony."
She scowled, not appreciating the threat, and more or less deciding right then to leave the minute his back was turned.
A hologram appeared above Shang's wrist, flashing blue at him. He cursed quietly and swiped at it.
"I have to go," he said, turning away, waving at the window to turn it dark again, "I'll be back tonight. Don't break anything."
"Wait, where are you going?" Erena asked, following him, "Can I come with-"
He slammed the door in her face without answering, and she watched as the seams disappeared and the handle withdrew, sealing it completely. She sighed in frustration, stomping back into the living room.
"He could have at least given me something to do..."
The hours ticked past slowly. Erena had been training to go into space her entire adult life. She hardly knew what to do with free time. She investigated the apartment, learning as much as she could about the weird furniture and other knick knacks lying around.
She was almost positive some of them were supposed to serve a purpose, but like the window and the weird floor nightstand thing and the door and everything else, nothing seemed to respond to her the way it did to Shang.
By the time she heard someone at the door she was ready to tear her hair out from frustration and boredom. She was lying on the mattress, trying to think of something to do, when she heard the door knob rattling.
"Finally!" she called, "I've been waiting forever!"
A pop like a small, controlled explosion cut her statement short. Smoke drifted out of the entranceway. Erena tensed, realizing something was wrong as she heard the front door swinging open.
She reached for one of the fireplace pokers, swallowing nervously as footsteps headed towards the living room.
A man, or something man shaped, stepped through the door, his eight yellow eyes wandering over the apartment with a proprietary gleam
before they settled on her. He was big, with cobalt colored skin and insectoid jaws, which he licked as he looked at her.
"You must be the new pet," the man hissed, "Don't you look tasty?"
"Who are you?" Erena asked, pointing the poker at him, "You're not supposed to be here."
"I'm Rin'rokir," The man replied, "If you knew what that meant, you'd know I can go pretty much anywhere."
"Well, I don't know what it means," Erena tried to steady her shaking hands, unnerved by the way his mandibles clicked, "So you should leave. Now."
"Don't look so nervous," his voice was teasing as he strolled towards her, "I'm a friend of Shang's. How about I just wait here with you until he gets back? It won't be too long now. And we can get to know each other."
He was uncomfortably close now and Erena, hoping he would take the hint, swung at him with the poker with all the force she could muster. Rather than jumping back as she'd hoped he would, he caught it.
His arms were thicker than she'd expected, straining against his sleeves as he jerked the weapon from her hands and tossed it aside. A second later, he was on top of her, pinning her to the floor. His mandibles worked and clicked near her face, his body heavy on top of her.
"Ooh, you smell so good," he growled, his hands gripping her wrists tight, "I know it's impolite to play with my food but for you, I might make an exception."
Erena screamed, kicking at him with all her strength, but it only seemed to amuse him as he wrapped his dripping jaws around her throat.
Suddenly, she heard a snarl, which escalated to a roar as someone grabbed Rin'rokir and dragged him off of her. Shang, his face a mask of rage, flung the other man into the wall so hard a dozen of the little secret compartments sprang open around him.
Rin'rokir was back on his feet a second later, hissing like an angry cockroach as Shang, claws and fangs bared, stood between him and Erena.
Erena, too stunned to fully comprehend what was going on here, could only stare as the two men flung themselves at each other without weapons or the pretense of skill, just tearing at each other in animalistic rage.
Alien Romance: The Alien's Pregnant Mate: Scifi Alien Abduction Romance (Alien Romance, Alien Invasion Romance, BBW) (Celestial Mates Book 2) Page 3