by Sara Fields
Zac and Xandaar sat at the table, going over some spreadsheets on their holographic projection screens together. They talked quietly amongst each other about different clinical studies, new weapons upgrades, and other things I didn’t recognize.
With a sigh, I looked down at my thighs.
Oddly, I realized certain places on my skin was sparkling. I brushed my fingers against them in wonder, trying to wipe the random glitter off of me, but to no avail. I then remembered that I hadn’t had to clean myself off in the morning. It was as though my skin has soaked up all semblance of my captors’ seed. Each and every last drop.
Weird.
“Taraik?” I asked, pointing to my skin.
He leaned in and studied me closer. His smile grew in size, but he didn’t explain what it meant. Instead, he just said, “That’s a good thing.”
“We need to go soon,” Roan commanded and Taraik took my chin in his fingers.
“Remember, little dove. Do not leave this tent, no matter what. We will come for you when it is safe,” he demanded, and I nodded.
“Yes, Master,” I said, entirely sincere. I wasn’t going anywhere. I had no desire to be caught by this infamous Commander Nix, just to catch a glimpse of him.
Taraik grinned, proud of me for my use of the word master. He pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head.
Roan was next to pull me into an embrace, although he lifted my chin and kissed me instead, letting me go with a solid smack on the ass. I yelped, and then Zac seized me next. Zac gripped both cheeks in his hands, squeezing softly.
“Go get all pruned for me,” he joked, and I laughed.
“I’ll get so wrinkled you won’t even recognize me,” I replied, and he grinned.
“Even better,” he said, sticking his tongue out at me. He kissed me softly, taking control then and I let him. His kiss gradually became harder, more dominating by the second until I was sure he was going to fuck me right there. When he finally pulled away, I was left breathless with want.
Xandaar was last. He took my hand and pulled me to him, bringing my fingers to his lips. He kissed them softly.
“I can’t wait to come back to your beautiful face, here waiting just for us. I’ll miss you in the meantime,” he said.
“I’ll miss you too,” I said softly, and I moved forward, kissing him next. He brushed his lips against mine gently, sweetly and when he pulled back, he gazed at me with a certain kindness I hadn’t expected.
I watched as my four Vakarrans turned and left me in that tent, all alone to wait for them. I rushed to the door and peeked through the slit, watching as they walked off down the dirt trail, toward the great big white tent at the center of the camp. For a while, the camp was quiet, and I grew tired of watching.
I decided then to take a bath, just like Zac had suggested. Quietly, I climbed into the water and sighed at its perpetual heat. I washed and conditioned my hair first, brushing out the tangles when I was done. Next, I soaped up my body, noticing that even when I scrubbed my skin, the glittering spots didn’t go away no matter how hard I scrubbed. I stared at the spots for a long while.
Finally, I laid back in the water and rinsed myself, letting the hot water relieve my sore muscles. I ran my hands over my breasts and my thighs, happily remembering the events of the past twenty-four hours. I considered myself lucky then.
I sighed happily, splashing gently in the water and then my skin did something weird. It flashed purple for a long second, before changing back to its original pale color. I blinked, convinced I was losing my mind.
That didn’t just happen, right?
But it did again, only this time it flashed a silvery gray, almost the same color of the tub. It lasted longer this time until I shook my head, blinking rapidly and then my skin color returned to normal. I closed my eyes and submerged myself under the water. When I came up for air, I shook my head and climbed out, concerned that maybe the heat was getting to me.
I picked up one of the fluffy white towels on the side table and wrapped it around me. I headed back toward the bed and sat down.
My skin flashed once again, this time white, like the towel. I wasn’t losing my mind, right? What the fuck?
I placed my hand on the towel again and thought about the white color of it and watched in astonishment as my skin turned the same color. Like a chameleon. I looked around, dropping the towel and running over to the wooden table. I laid my forearm against it and concentrated, and as before, my skin quickly morphed to match the color of it. Sitting down in the chair, I struggled to make sense of it.
Then I remembered the night my Vakarrans had rescued me.
I’d been able to see them, but just barely and only if I concentrated on specific spots in the woods. I hadn’t been able to identify them until the very last moment. I’d been numb, lost in the recesses of my own mind, but now that I had some clarity, I was able to really analyze what happened. They were Vakarrans and they probably had abilities that I hadn’t known about before. Chameleon skin might have been one of them, but why was I, a human, showcasing one of their abilities?
I brushed my thumb across one of the spots on my thighs that still glittered.
Maybe, just maybe, their seed was doing something to me. Changing me somehow so that I was becoming something more Vakarran while still existing as human.
I’d have to talk to Xandaar about it. He might have some sort of explanation or know something I didn’t. If this was even normal or if I was some sort of freak.
For a solid hour or two, I practiced concentrating, changing my skin to match my surroundings. Before long, I felt like I had a solid handle on my newfound ability. A short while later, I was happy to see Xandaar enter the tent. He had brought me a plate of food and I grinned in excitement.
“Xandaar!” I exclaimed. “I need to show you something!”
“I don’t have long, but I wanted to make sure you got to eat today,” he answered.
I popped over to him and took a piece of cheese off of the top. I grinned, seeing a selection of meats as well. My stomach growled in anticipation.
He sat down at the table with me, motioning for me to join as well.
“Can I ask you something?” I ventured. He nodded, sitting back, watching me.
Out of the four, Xandaar was the calmest. He liked to gather all the data before making a conclusion. I knew that he wouldn’t freak out over my odd new ability, until I explained everything. He might even know what was happening to me.
“Can you change your skin color? Is that normal for a Vakarran?” I ventured.
“Yes. Our skin is naturally purple like this, but if we concentrate, we can change it to what we wish. I can look human in tone or I can hide in my surroundings, which becomes especially useful during secret missions or during wartime,” he replied. I watched in wonder as he did just that, first changing to a tanned tone of a man who’d spent a fair amount of time in the sun and then, he almost completely disappeared before my eyes. The only thing that remained the same was his copper-colored eyes, rimmed in black.
Instead of explaining my new discovery, I just placed my arm on the table and concentrated, matching the tones of the wood.
He gasped.
“I’d only heard rumors of this,” he began. He reached for me, gently brushing his fingers against the surface of my skin.
“What’s happening to me?” I asked nervously.
Leaning back, he took my fingers, a thoughtful expression on his face.
“I had thought that what I’d heard was only gossip, but now seeing you do that, I think there’s something to them. You see, there are whispers of humans taking on Vakarran characteristics, whether it be our ability to communicate telepathically or change our skin in order to hide. There are claims of other abilities as well, but those are much rarer,” he began.
“But why is it happening to me?” I pushed.
“That’s the part I’m not quite sure about, but I think it has something to do with this. I’
ve noticed that your skin is extremely receptive to our seed. Sometimes, without even cleaning you off, it seems your flesh soaks it right up. As our mate, your body is receptive to our genes. I believe, and I’d like to test this in my lab as soon as I can, but our DNA might possibly be intercalating with yours, which might be giving you access to some of our abilities, like changing your skin color at will,” he explained.
“You guys can communicate telepathically?” I asked, and a sheepish look crossed over his face.
“Well, yes. I probably wasn’t supposed to tell you that,” he replied, and I punched his arm playfully. I smirked and giggled.
“Probably just a bunch of dirty talk anyway,” I muttered, and he laughed.
“That’s possible,” he replied with a wink.
He was the slowest to open up to me, but the longer I knew him, the more I respected his opinion and the more he let me in. He was an intelligent man and he never looked down on me. He always would explain things to me if I had a question or I didn’t understand something, whether it be how I should behave around other Vakarrans or about their society or culture. He was an incredible source of information and I was happy to know him.
“How’s it going out there?” I asked.
“Nix arrived an hour or so ago. He demanded some Vakarran delicacies and he’s preparing for some sort of speech soon. He’s hinted at some information about an additional source of humans, but he hasn’t said anything else yet,” Xandaar said.
My blood ran cold.
“Other humans? What do you mean?” I pressed.
My sister was out there. Kira and Alaina had disappeared long ago, but my youngest sister Kaela was still free of Vakarran captivity. If she was in danger, I had to do something about it.
Xandaar shook his head.
“I don’t know anything else, little dove,” he replied, his eyes searching mine. He narrowed his gaze, likely sensing my distress.
I took a deep breath and sighed, trying to hide my anxiety.
“Sorry. This skin-changing thing is a bit unsettling is all,” I lied. I rubbed my fingers up and down my arms and his expression softened.
“I bet it is. I want you to tell me if it intensifies over the next few days. When Nix finally leaves, I want to perform a few tests in order to verify my suspicions,” he said as he stood up from the table.
“Eat up. We still need another pound or two on the body of yours. Doctor’s orders,” he winked.
“I will,” I replied, watching as he left me behind and I was alone once again.
I tried to eat more, I really did, but all I could think about was my sister’s safety. If Nix found her, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. Kaela was just a little younger than me, but she was sweet-natured and kind. Underneath that layer though, I knew she was just as strong as the rest of us, but she very rarely showed it.
I’d been lucky to find a group of Vakarrans that weren’t like the rumors, but I’d seen the mistreatment of humans by some of them. I’d seen the marks on some of the women. I knew some Vakarrans used the whip to make their point. I’d heard the screams and shivered, forever thankful for the fact my four captors wouldn’t do that to me.
The longer I sat there, the more worried I became. I peeked out of the small hole in the wall, noticing that some of the shadows had begun to lengthen and the sun was beginning to set. It would be dusk soon.
My skin flickered in color. I needed to get into the woods behind us. I needed to get back to Kaela. I had to warn her of what was coming.
I waited a bit longer, watching as the shadows grew even longer, till I was sure it was dark enough to sneak away. I took that time to search the tent, trying to find anything I could to cover my body. I found a long, dark-colored wrap dress hidden away in a chest and pulled it over my head. In one corner, I also discovered my boots and pulled them on, knowing the terrain in the woods would be rough on my feet. When I was ready, I lifted the side of the tent and knelt down, careful to be wary of my surrounding.
At the back of the tent, there was no one, only the tree line about forty feet off in the distance. The camp was quiet, the only noise coming from what sounded like a gathering in the big circus tent in the opposite direction. Slowly and as silently as I could, I slinked under the fabric of the tent and stilled, waiting for the Vakarrans to descend on me. It was dark enough where everything was in shadow and with each passing moment, blackness began to surround me. Closing my eyes, I concentrate on becoming a shadow.
When I opened them again, my skin was a dark gray, mottled with the colors of grass and dirt. When I pressed my fingers against the ground, I could hardly see the outline of my hand. I was nearly invisible.
I held that thought and rose to a standing position, turning my head, making sure that I was alone. There was no one around to catch me.
I turned back toward the tent and bit my lip. My eyes watered as the gravity of what I was about to do slammed down on me. I was about to run.
I was going to leave my four Vakarrans behind. The men who had rescued me from the terrible cruelty of Neil and his men. The alien men who had helped me to move on, to let go of the terrible memories that were holding me back and now I was throwing that back in their face. I hoped one day, they would be able to forgive me for abandoning them.
I knew I had no choice though. As much as I was beginning to care for them, my family came first. It always had. Kaela was my blood.
I should have never have forgotten that. I was a Stryke and that meant something. I had to fight to survive. We were strong and now I realized that the darkness that had surrounded me had pushed that away. It had forced me to be weak. It had made me fragile. No longer.
I was a warrior. I wasn’t going to go down without a fight.
I just hoped I could get to Kaela in time.
Blinking rapidly, I forced my tears away and turned back toward the forest. I began to run. My skin flickered between its natural color and my camouflage tone and I forced myself to concentrate. If I wanted to get away, I had to fully commit. There was no half way.
I forced my emotions far away, sprinting off into the trees, putting all my effort into the movement of my limbs, of the wind flying through my hair, of my feet pushing off against the dirt beneath them and I flew. I ran, away from my problems and toward the one constant that had always been there in my life.
I ran for all I was worth. I kept my steps light, moving as silently as I could. Using the stars high above, I ran in the direction of the caves. I knew most of the constellations, but I followed the North Star, knowing that if I just ran toward it, I would eventually find the caves once again.
Before long, my breath ran ragged and my muscles burned, but I still didn’t stop. The forest was lonely and silent, with only the chirp of a rare bug or two to keep me company. My skin eventually returned to a normal color and try as I might, I couldn’t concentrate hard enough to change it again. It didn’t matter now though. I was a fair distance away from the camp now, and I felt the likelihood of running into anyone was slim to none at this point.
I ran for a good hour, between trees, down dirt paths, and beside slow-flowing creeks meandering through the woods.
Everything was going fine until I happened upon a clearing.
And there were four strange Vakarrans staring straight at me. All four of them in heavy black combat gear and immediately, one of them lifted some sort of dart gun in my direction. Dark, foreign eyes glared down at me and when I heard the near silent click of the trigger, I saw something fly toward me.
Fuck.
The dart caught me in the thigh and I blinked, staring at the rear of it sticking out from my leg. I gasped and collapsed, my limbs quickly becoming numb and my eyes rolling back in my head. Try as I might, I couldn’t keep awake and my eyes closed. My vision wavered, flecks of gray edging in at the corners and I whimpered.
I knew no more. Only blackness.
Chapter Ten
Zac
I hated serving Nix. He
always made me feel young and untrained, despite the fact that I had far more experience on the battlefield than he did. His elitist personality made me want to deck him, more than once. Fucking rich bastard. Must be nice to not have to work to achieve power, to be born into money and gain power and riches just because you were friends with the right people. It made me sick.
I gritted my teeth as he commanded me to fill his whiskey glass once again.
He was talking with Roan, about some rumors he had heard while up on the ISS Starrider. Apparently, there was word that there might be a possible human resistance growing somewhere in the area and that it had the potential to involve some rogue Vakarrans as well. Some time ago, he mentioned the demise of the Second Battalion, but no one had confirmed their deaths. He muttered something about faulty equipment in their space pod, but that he was suspicious. I thought he had lost his mind.
I’d seen the explosion on our live satellite feed. No one could have survived that. My ears perked up though once I heard Nix utter the name “Alaina Stryke.”
I even saw Roan stiffen beside him, just a hair.
“There was another Stryke sister with them. I want to know if there are more. If she had anything to do with the explosion of that ship. I’ve been unable to get my hands on Kira; Zaavyr keeps her under lock and key. She’s one of the best-behaved humans on the damn ship, but I don’t believe it. I can’t even get close to her with the First Battalion around, and especially now with her carrying their sons. If I’ve learned anything from her, it’s to expect the unexpected and I don’t fucking believe the Second Battalion just died like that. They fucking disobeyed me, ignoring my orders to return immediately with Alaina, and I want to see them punished for it,” Nix demanded.
I stayed silent, listening for clues to what else I may learn.