by Maia Starr
I felt guilty using her in such a way, but it seemed I had no choice. There was more at stake than my personal feelings for this Earthling. And it would do her planet good, too, to learn the true motives of the Thressl’n and the Vellreq.
“Supreme Leader Aloitus,” I said, bowing deeply. “Greetings to you.”
“Commander Chaz’z, this is quite a surprise. Welcome.”
“Thank you,” I said, perching on the seat across from the Supreme Leader’s desk. His frightening attempt at a smile appeared on his face, and I tried my best to return it.
“What is it you seek from me, today? Zod tells me you have been quite interested in the people of Kalron; is that right?”
“That’s right, sir. That is why I am here today. I thought perhaps you could use more ground forces. Men who might put the Kalron at ease despite the war raging around them. Docility may make our mission easier to accomplish, don’t you think?”
“Well, Commander, the fact is—”
A sudden alarm blared throughout the palace, and Aloitus’ eyes widened.
“Supreme Leader Aloitus, you will have to come with me. It seems there is danger and your life may be at risk.”
I was surprised that the small diversion I had organized had escalated to such a fearful event for the Supreme Leader, and Aloitus looked pleadingly at me.
“Please, accompany me to my chambers. I shall feel safe with you there.”
“Of course, sir,” I said, taking my laser gun out and leading the way out of the room. “As you wish.”
Chapter 9
Alexa Thomas (Investigative Journalist)
I watched quietly, slinking into the background as all of the guards bustled about the palace and headed to defend it. Soon, Chaz’z and the Supreme Leader rushed past, neither even noticing I was there, and the guards outside the doors were suddenly creating a wall around Aloitus and leading him up a grand stairway.
I waited until they were out of sight before I crept inside the office. In all the panic, Chaz’z had slyly disarmed the security system by planting an override device on the door. He said it was one of the many gadgets he had requested from Laike, the brilliant but humble man who had been responsible for building my camera.
I clutched it tightly as I walked through the doorway, my blood like ice as I glanced around the room. It was highly organized, and I’d been instructed to remove the override device and use it on the drawers of Aloitus’ office.
I had gotten myself into a lot of sticky situations in my days as an investigative journalist, but nothing quite so terrifying as exploring the office of an extraterrestrial leader who may have been responsible for the colonization of my species. It was a whole new level of work.
And yet, I was thrilled to be doing it. I had always known there would be a day when my skills would come in handy to me personally, but I hadn’t realized that I would actually be working to try and save the world.
The override device worked quickly on the drawers of the Supreme Leader’s desk, and I quickly took out the classified documents. Many of them were stored in projectors I had no idea how to operate, but luckily Chaz’z and Laike had kept that in mind and given me a little port, kind of like a USB stick, that would copy all electronic information and save it.
As it copied, I busied myself taking as many photos as I possibly could of every single document that looked important. I had to trust my instincts and my limited knowledge of the written Thressl’n language.
My heart lurched when I heard heavy footfalls coming toward the office, and I scrambled to put everything away as I had found it and get the override device back on the door before I was discovered.
The door hissed open, and I nearly cried out in fear when I saw the dark silhouette of a body in front of me.
“Did you get it?”
Chaz’z’s comforting, masculine voice electrified me, and I ran out of the room in tears, grabbing the override device as I went.
“Yes, let’s get the hell out of here.”
Chaz’z nodded and before I knew it, we were back in his hovercraft and heading for home.
***
“Are you okay?” he asked me gently when we were nearly back to his dwelling. I was surprised by the concern in his voice. He had been so angry and hurt by the betrayal, I almost wondered if I was imagining things.
“Yes,” I said. “I hope I was able to get enough information for you.”
“You did your best,” Chaz’z said, glancing at his rearview mirror. He had been doing that a lot since we left the palace. It was almost as if he didn’t trust that the surveillance had been cut off; another nifty trick Chaz’z had received from Laike.
“Will Laike get in trouble if anybody finds out about this?” I asked. He had been so helpful. And although I’d never met him, I felt like I owed him a lot for making my job easier.
“We would all get in trouble,” Chaz’z said distantly, gazing at his window again. “But don’t worry about him. He’s planning an escape from here. Most of the underappreciated are recruited in the cursed war. But he is leaving with his Earth female, and they will not be looking back. They will be all right.”
“We could leave too,” I said. “If things got too bad, then…”
“They won’t,” Chaz’z said, turning his serious eyes onto me. A tremor coursed through me. I had forgotten just how sensual his gaze could be.
“All right,” I said, shifting uncomfortably and looking away. I couldn’t let myself get caught up in my attraction for Chaz’z. Not when there was so much at stake and he had to sort his feelings for me out. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us.
We arrived at Chaz’z’s dwelling, and I was alarmed when Chaz’z shouted, “Oh Gods!”
I looked out the window, and my stomach dropped. Zod and Samantha were standing in front of the doorway of the house, Zod with his hands crossed over his chest. Sam was wincing at the ground, her cheek swollen and bruised.
“Zod, what is the meaning of this?” Chaz’z demanded, leaping from the car. I followed, impulsively running toward my sister.
“You have my female!” Zod exclaimed, stomping toward me and grabbing me by the hair. Pain and fear coursed through me and I dropped the bag on the ground. Chaz’z eyed it briefly before his eyes flickered back to me.
“Let her be, Zod!”
“These two thought they could pull a fast one on us, Chaz’z. They need to be punished!”
I cried out in agony as pain flooded my every nerve ending. Zod had pressed a cold bar against my neck, and a painful electrical current was coursing through my body, leaving me dazed.
“Enough!” Chaz’z barked.
Zod shoved me forward, and I fell to the ground in front of my sister. She knelt down and scooped my limp body in her arms, and we cowered in fear together on the ground.
“Do not dare to harm a hair on either one of these humans!” Chaz’z growled. “Unless you want to live to regret it.”
Zod sneered, and I could see the control break from Chaz’z’s face as he lunged forward.
“Don’t!” I cried. I couldn’t bear the thought of Chaz’z going through the agony my body was in.
He didn’t listen to me, and I winced as a sickening thud filled the air. Zod’s face had been struck by Chaz’z, leaving it a bleeding mess. Who would have thought that the Thressl’n had such purple blood?
“You are going to pay for this,” Zod said, getting to his feet and launching at Chaz’z. Chaz’z avoided Zod’s staff and dodged behind him, pushing him forward onto his face.
“Remember your rank, Captain!” Chaz’z warned.
Zod growled in fury and stood again, running toward Chaz’z with the staff out in front of him. It connected with Chaz’z’s skin, and he cried out in pain.
“Chaz’z!” I shouted.
But miraculously, he didn’t drop to his knees. Instead, he glared at Zod through the pain and gripped the staff, thrusting it over his knee and breaking it in half.
“Com
mander!” Zod whined, looking down in shock at the broken pieces of his weapon.
I was flooded with desire as I watched Chaz’z move his powerful body. He leaped in front of us, standing between Sam and me and Zod’s fury.
Zod ran forward again, this time a high-pitched sound emanating from his lips. He landed a blow on Chaz’z’s broad chest, but Chaz’z had had enough. He unleashed his full power on Zod, striking him again and again until he fell back on the ground, purple blood pouring onto the ground.
“If you ever harm either one of these females again, I won’t go easy on you,” Chaz’z said darkly into Zod’s face. “One of these females is mine, and the other is yours. And my rank is higher, so I choose which one I want. Not you!”
Chaz’z stalked toward me and Sam and knelt down in front of us. He lifted me gingerly from Samantha’s protective grasp and glared down at Zod.
“And if you mistreat this one, then I will keep them both. Do you understand?”
Zod’s face filled with fear and he nodded frantically.
“Get out of my sight,” Chaz’z said.
He stood like that, holding me gingerly, until Samantha and Zod had made it inside Zod’s house down the street. Chaz’z knelt down swiftly and picked up the bag with all of the research in it and carried me inside.
***
Chaz’z carried me carefully through the halls of his home and laid me down on his bed, caressing me gently.
“Are you all right?” he asked, concern apparent on his handsome face.
“Yeah,” I said, smiling up at the face of my savior. “Thanks to you.”
“That is good,” Chaz’z said, stroking my cheek. The tenderness in his eyes made me feel overwhelmingly guilty.
“You didn’t have to do that, though,” I said, turning my eyes away from him. “I can’t forgive myself for hurting you like that.”
To my surprise, Chaz’z laughed heartily. “Oh female. You still don’t know how I feel for you, do you?”
“Um…angry?” I guessed.
Chaz’z smiled at me.
“I was angry. But feelings are fleeting, female. All but two. Care, and hate.”
“And you don’t hate me?” I asked, propping myself up on the bed. The feeling of Chaz’z’s strong hand stroking my cheek and moving down to the soft, sensitive skin on my neck was almost too good to be true.
“Of course not,” Chaz’z said.
His face was inches from mine, and I studied the beautiful flecks of gold in his silver eyes. How had I been lucky enough to find such a perfect being, when men from my own planet had left me wanting? I had never been more grateful to meet someone in all my life.
Chaz’z seemed to sense my sentiment, because his face creased in a handsome smile. He slowly bent his head down and kissed me lightly on the lips. The feeling of his body near mine filled me with heat, and soon his lips were pressing more urgently against mine, our need for each other awakened in a sudden, fierce wave of longing.
I cried out as his hands circled under me, and he sat in front of me on the bed, sitting me up in front of him holding me close to his muscular torso as his hands roamed every inch of me. I gasped as his lips found their way to the sensitive mound of my nipple, and he lifted my shirt eagerly, the heat of his mouth suddenly enveloping it and sending a shiver of pleasure down my spine.
He broke away just long enough to strip us both fully, his long, strong fingers sending wave after wave of bliss coursing through my body. I couldn’t help but gaze at the perfection of his sculpted muscles, and he grinned at me as if he could sense just how aroused his body made me.
I cried out in pleasure when he pushed me gently back on the bed, gripping my hips gently in his big hands as I lay on my back. I could feel the deep, hot thrill of having his member so close to my middle, and he showered me with hot, passionate kisses as he slowly made his way inside me.
I could feel myself opening for him like a flower as my desire for him canceled out anything else on my mind, and he hissed in pleasure as my body closed around him. I closed my eyes, basking in the feeling of his manhood pulsing inside of me. Chaz’z kissed me again, long, languid laps of his tongue, making me forget the world around me and focus only on the pleasure of our bodies intertwined.
Chaz’z looked into my eyes and thrust suddenly inside of me. I could feel his power parting me in half, and writhed under his touch as pleasure surged through my body. I could feel every inch of his impressive muscle inside of me, and gripped his shoulders as, again and again, my Earth was shattered by his blissful force.
“I never want to be with anybody but you,” Chaz’z said, turning his majestic eyes onto me and touching my face. His powerful thrusts stopped momentarily, leaving me suspended in anticipation.
“I love you,” I whispered, unable to keep the words from spilling from my lips. “I’ve never loved anybody like this before.”
“Love…” Chaz’z said, as if testing the flavor of the word. He then smiled down at me, a shockingly beautiful smile that I got momentarily lost in. “I love you as well, Alexa.”
His smiled broadened, and he buried his face in the nape of my neck, sending little shivers of ecstasy coursing through me. My body was shocked as he resumed thrusting inside of me, and I felt myself beginning to quake beneath him. I had never been so close to such a powerful climax before, but as Chaz’z continued to push inside my body, I could feel myself coming closer and closer to something powerful.
I cried out, trying my best to hold back, but Chaz’z hissed in rapture as his powerful orgasm began to erupt inside of me. I moaned deeply, my body succumbing to the force of his hips, and a sudden explosion of pleasure left me quaking beneath Chaz’z’s powerful body. I held tightly to his strong biceps, bracing myself as wave after wave of ecstasy filled me.
Chaz’z slowly brought me back down from the height of my pleasure by gently lessening the fervor of his thrusts, emptying the final drops of his desire inside of me before we parted. He scooped me up into his strong arms, and we lay together on his bed, panting deeply.
“Thank you for coming back to me,” Chaz’z said, kissing my forehead.
I held him tightly and smiled. “Thank you for letting me.”
We laid like that in a pleasant silence until, before I knew it, I had fallen into a blissful sleep beside the man I loved.
Epilogue
Chaz’z Wyl’es (Commander of the Fleet)
“You mean it’s true?” I asked in shock.
Supreme Leader Aloitus sighed and nodded his head.
“I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this,” he said, his voice low.
“I’m sorry, sir. I had no idea…”
Aloitus pushed the documents back to me and sighed deeply.
“The Vellreq are such a powerful force. The only way to fight them has been to work smart, in secret. If they think we are helping them, it will make it easier for us to help ourselves. I know you understand.”
“I know now,” I said quietly. “I am sorry for doubting you.”
“It’s all right,” Aloitus said, smiling brightly. “I am proud to have a man like you on my team. If I truly was working with the Vellreq, it would be a disaster. As it stands, this is the only way to keep them from invading Jenal’k. You know we are low on manpower. It would be a genocide.”
“Fate truly chose you as Supreme Leader. Only you could navigate us through such a crisis.”
“It’s not easy to be detested, but it was what the oracle suggested. For Zod and I alike are meant to be seen as fearful, and silently go about our roles as leaders of men without any of the credit.”
“It’s hard to believe Zod’s personality is all an act,” I mumbled.
Supreme Leader Aloitus grinned. “It’s not an act. That’s why he was chosen. But there is good in him, too. A strong drive to do what is right. He has been most useful in the diplomatic matters. The Vellreq believe in his dark side. I choose to believe in the light.”
“I see…and you’re s
ure there will be no repercussions? The men will be relieved to know the truth. Why have you kept it from us for so long?” I asked.
“The fewer who know, the better. It is safest. But don’t worry, Chaz’z. There is a plan. Fate has a way of handling these things, and the situation is more in our favor now than it ever has been before. Trust me when I say, the Thressl’n will rise, greater and more respected throughout the universe than we have ever been before. The Vellreq will be defeated.”
“Yes, sir,” I said, standing up and bowing deeply. I felt so foolish for ever doubting my faith. Fate always had a reason for the way things were. And now, it was more important than ever that I play my part.
***
“That’s incredible,” Alexa breathed, embracing me tightly. “You mean Earth isn’t doomed?”
“No,” I said, smiling broadly at her. “Earth isn’t doomed.”
“I have to tell Sam!” she exclaimed, running to the door. She paused before she opened it and turned to me, her beautiful face bright. She grew more beautiful every day. “I love you, Chaz’z.”
“I love you, Alexa,” I replied. “You’d best go now! Zod is still working. I know he has turned over a new leaf and all, but he still doesn’t like people visiting when he isn’t home. His work is very sensitive.”
“Right!” Alexa said, bounding off.
I smiled to myself and walked to the back of the house, to the little room that used to be Alexa’s. I walked inside and gazed down at our beautiful little baby boy. He was the first hybrid to be born, and had my skin and his mother’s beautiful eyes.
Together, Alexa and I were beginning a legacy. One that would ultimately provide the Thressl’n with the esteem we deserved and restore our people’s faith in the government, and in Fate.
I lifted my son, and we smiled at each other.
“Looks like it’s just you and me,” I said, kissing his soft head. “But I have a feeling your Aunt Samantha will be over soon.”