Vukan (Scifi Alien Romance) (Galactic Mates)

by Luna Hunter

  “What do we have here?” he says.

  Captain Price shakes his head. “Damn it, Olivia. Can’t you ever just follow orders?”

  “I guess not. Put me down!”

  “Only when you promise to behave,” Vukan says.

  I glare angrily at the Zoran general. If he thinks he can domesticate me, he’s got another thing coming! I don’t play by any man’s rules, no matter if he’s a warrior general or a military commander. Not even if said warrior general has got an iron will, a panty-melting stare or the cock of a blue god.

  “Never!”

  “Why did I have to take you along?” Price sighs. “You’ve only caused trouble so far.”

  “Have not,” I retort. “Without me you two would have shot each other — twice now!”

  “She has her uses,” Vukan says.

  Is that a playful smirk I detect on the general’s lips?

  His icy-blue eyes narrow as he looks at me. He has uses for me now, does he? Like filling my pussy with his Zoran cum?

  I hate myself for being turned on by that thought.

  I’m an independent woman… so why does Vukan’s promise of using my body for his please arouse me so damn much?!

  “Put! Me! Down!” I say, swinging at the Zoran, but he keeps me right out my arm’s reach.

  “What have you heard?” he asks.

  “Enough!” I bellow. “If you think I’m letting those poor Ypes suffer, you’re dead wrong!”

  Captain Price shrugs. “I don’t give a shit about them, to be honest.”

  If I wasn’t already exasperated I’d gasp.

  “How can you be so callous?”

  “I just lost a lot of good men, excuse me not caring as much about some damn monkeys,” he snaps.

  I stop fidgeting for a moment. Vukan lowers me to the ground, and I dust my overall off. “Their lives have meaning too,” I say softly. “In fact, they could hold the key to both your missions.”

  This catches Vukan’s attention. “Explain,” he growls.

  I unfold a copy of the message the Ypes handed Cindy when she was here. I kept it on me this entire time, to remind me of the promise I made. Now, with the FM Zeta in ruins, I’m glad I did it.

  “Here.”

  The two commanders lean forward and study the scribbled note.

  “What does it say?” Captain Price asks. “All I see is gibberish.”

  “This is why I’m here,” I say. “This is a call for help from the Ypes, and look, if you turn it sideways, it looks like a map of sorts. According to Nora, this could very well be a map to an elaborate underground tunnel system.”

  “Tunnels?” Vukan says.

  “Yes, tunnels! The surface is nothing but swamps and marshland, correct? What if what both of you are looking for — this Tyk’ix base and this rogue AI — can be found underground?”

  “Interesting,” Vukan says.

  That’s about the closest thing to a compliment I’ve heard the Zoran commander give. I’ll gladly take it.

  “But,” he continues.

  There’s always a but, isn’t there?

  “Why didn’t it show up on our scans?”

  “I don’t know,” I shrug. “Why did both our ships crash here in the first place? Maybe there’s some kind of shielding. All I know is that this is our best bet, and the Ypes are the key to leading us there.”

  “I don’t buy it,” captain Price says. “This looks like gibberish to me. Too convenient. We should be focusing on surviving first and foremost, not playing zookeeper.”

  I stab my finger into the captain’s chest. “I can survive for the rest of my days on this planet, Price. I know how to filtrate water, how to test what plants and fruits are eatable and which ones are poisonous. I don’t ridicule your job, so how about a little respect for mine, before I mix my berries up?”

  The captain’s eyes go wide. First with shock, then with anger.

  “Are you threatening me?!” he says. “I tolerate a whole lot from you, Booth, because you have tenacity in spades. But now you’re toeing the line!”

  “It’s not a threat,” I say. “Just a friendly reminder of my skill set. I’m not some ditzy blonde who loves playing with animals. I’m a professional. I have skills. And I’m going to use them to break this whole thing wide open, and you’re going to eat your words.”

  He narrows his eyes, a cold fury settling in.

  “For all of our sakes I hope you’re right, Booth, but forgive me not believing it for a second. I’m going back to my troops. Vukan?”

  The Zoran general watches our exchange with a bemused smirk.

  “I take it her behavior is not accepted on Earth either?”

  “Oh hell no,” Price grumbles. “If she was one of my soldiers she’d be cleaning latrines for the rest of her life, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. She’s a ‘special guest’, and that comes with certain privileges, like having your own opinion… but I’m dangerously close to revoking those privileges. Vukan, you coming with me?”

  “No,” he says resolutely. “I’ll accompany Miss Booth.”

  He’ll what?

  His icy blue eyes land on me, his lips curling up into a mischievous smile.

  What does he have planned for me?

  18

  Vukan

  “No!” Olivia says decisively. “No no no! You hurt that poor Ype! They’ll catch your scent a mile away!”

  “My nose is better than theirs,” I say. “I’ll be the one to guide you to them. They’re monkeys, they have a very… distinct odor.”

  “Suit yourself,” Captain Price says. He tips his cap and wanders back to the ruined ship. In the distance I hear the rumbling of buggies, as my warriors return to help the stranded human survivors.

  Teodor and Rufus are more than capable of taking care of the situation. My focus is on Olivia.

  If what she says is true, the Ypes could hold the key to this mysterious planet… and if not, I’ll have plenty of time and opportunity to punish her for her insolence.

  Olivia rests her hands on her hips. “I won’t have it,” she says. “I work alone.”

  “It’s not up to you,” I answer.

  Her eyes narrow, her chest rising with every deep, furious breath.

  “You’re just like him, you know that?” she says. “Price, you, you’re all the same.”

  “How so?”

  “You always want to be in control, you always want to pull the strings, you can never believe for even a second that a woman like me might just be capable! I didn’t get here because of my good looks, you know.”

  I take a large step forward so that my chest is right up against Olivia. I glance down at her, my hand moving up the side of her thigh. She freezes up, but doesn’t move away.

  “I am always in control,” I say so softly only she can hear me.

  My hand moves up the curve of her thigh, and without warning, I grab a fistful of her round ass. She looks up at me, her face red, her chest rising up and down, her blue eyes filled with anger — and lust.

  “Stop it,” she hisses, but she remains frozen in her spot.

  I pull my hand away and slap her ass, a sharp, quick tap, enough to remind her what I’m capable of.

  “Don’t forget that you are mine,” I say. “I meant every word when I said that.”

  She bites her bottom lip, her eyes darting towards the ground.

  “There’s a difference,” she whispers.

  “Between what?”

  Olivia looks back up at me. There’s strength and determination in her eyes, like always.

  “Between what you can get away with in the bedroom and in the real world. If you don’t understand that, this will never work.”

  With that she strides off into the high grass. I remain frozen in my spot as I process her words. What does she mean? We haven’t ventured into any bedrooms, and aren’t they part of the ‘real world’ as well?

  After a second I follow her into the high grass and grab her arm.
>
  “What do you mean?”

  She yanks her arm away and brings her finger up to her lips.

  “Ssh! Use that big Zoran brain of yours for a change! Now be quiet!”

  There’s genuine anger in her eyes. Not the kind that’s begging for a spanking, but serious frustration. She turns around and stalks through the grass like a predator, moving without making a single sound.

  I’m a general. Breaking down information and making calculated decisions is what I do best.

  So why does this human female confuse me so?

  She wants me to take the lead — the mind-blowing orgasm I gave her is proof enough of that. When I disciplined her she became so wet that my Zoran hardness slid inside her with ease, despite my size. She begged me to make her mine, to fill her with my seed, to give her my all.

  Yet at the same time she values her independence, and seems desperate to prove her worth.

  It confuses me — how can she switch between multiple desires like that? I thought I was giving her what she wanted, but apparently, I was mistaken.

  I take a deep breath, and I pick up the unmistakable scent of the Ygg.

  “Olivia,” I whisper.

  “Shh!”

  “Over there,” I say, pointing east. “There’s a group of them.”

  She nods, drops down to her belly and crawls through the grass, I follow her lead.

  Olivia parts the grass in front of us, and in the clearing we see a group of Ypes huddled together. The green, monkey-like beings have stripped some instrument from the crashed human vessel, and are dissecting the apparatus, looking at it with wonder in their big, yellow eyes.

  I recognize the instrument as a com-device. Where did they manage to snag that from undetected?

  They tap a button and the thing crackles with static. They drop it to the floor and dance around it, crying loudly.

  From the corner of my eye I see Olivia is smiling as she watches the animals play with the device.

  “Stay here,” she whispers. “Don’t scare them.”

  She slowly rises into a crouching positions and walks into the clearing very deliberately, taking one step at time, keeping her palms open. I can see she’s trying to appear as non-threatening as possible.

  The animals freeze up the moment they spot here, their cries muffled.

  “I am Olivia,” she says slowly. “I am here to help.”

  The Ypes stare at her, their yellow eyes glistening.

  She reaches into her pocket very slowly and pulls the note out. She unfolds it and shows it to the closest Ype.

  “Help,” she repeats again.

  With a lighting quick reflex the Ype snatches the note from her hand and jumps into the bushes, crying out loudly while he does so. The others follow suit, their screeching dying off as they race away.

  I climb to my feet and wander into the clearing. To my surprise, Olivia still has a big smile on her face.

  “What are you smiling about?” I ask. “They ran off.”

  “To their leader, yes,” she says. “They’ll be back.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m certain. All we have to do now is wait.”

  “The sun is starting to set. The temperature will drop sharply.”

  “Well,” Olivia says, “you’ll just have to keep me warm then, won’t you?”

  19

  Olivia

  “Keep you warm?”

  Vukan’s brow is furrowed. He always looks like this when he’s trying to make sense of something I said. I don’t think he has any idea how hot and endearing it makes him look.

  I’m glad he took the hint and allowed me to take the lead for once. Our little ‘interrogation’ has given him the wrong impression. Yes, it was super hot how he took charge like that. Sure, it was the best sex of my life. Yes, my body still burns when I remember how his hands felt on my body.

  I’ll even admit that it’s hard to look him in the eyes without having my stomach start fluttering and my pulse start racing.

  However, there’s a difference between what my body reacts to, and what my mind wants. It’s hot to have a dominating Zoran general make you his… but I don’t appreciate being treated like an accessory.

  I am Olivia Booth, wildlife biologist, and I have skills, damn it.

  Vukan sits down in a tree stump while I gather some berries that grow on the edges of the clearing. My stomach grumbles — with all the excitement, I’ve barely had time to eat.

  I gather together something resembling dinner and share it with the Zoran. While I’m sure it’s not nearly enough for a man of his size, he doesn’t complain.

  “What are you thinking about?” I ask.

  He turns his blue eyes to me.

  “I’m trying to understand you, Olivia Booth,” he says.

  “There’s not that much to understand, is there? I wear my heart on my sleeve.”

  He furrows that brow of his again. “Impossible,” he mutters. “And I thought you were a biologist?”

  “It’s an expression,” I chuckle. “It means I’m open about my feelings. I can be pretty blunt, if you hadn’t noticed.”

  “You are difficult to be around, yes.”

  “Geez, thanks.”

  “Yet I am drawn to your presence at the same time,” Vukan says.

  He stares off into the distance. The sun is setting, the blue sky now filled with swaths of purple and orange.

  Is the growly general admitting he has genuine feelings for me? I’m feeling a little hot and bothered. I’ve never had a conversation like this one before.

  I always scare guys off before they get serious. With my demanding job and demanding personality… I’ve been called intimidating before. More than once.

  Yet there’s nothing more intimidating in the entire universe than a seven-foot-tall Zoran general.

  “What do you want to know about me?” I ask.

  “What you want,” he answers.

  I can’t help but chuckle. “If only I knew that, Vukan…”

  “Your signals are mixed,” he says. “I thought you enjoyed being mine.”

  Heat rises to my cheeks. “It depends on the situation.”

  “How do I know for sure?”

  “You don’t,” I say. “Not with any certainty. You just… guess. You pick up signals, and try to make the most of it.”

  “That sounds confusing,” the warrior grunts.

  “It is,” I say. “I’m a human. We are confusing. And we change our minds. I admit that we shared… something.”

  “More than something!” Vukan growls. “You begged for my seed!”

  My heart skips a beat. “…Yes,” I admit. “I don’t deny that happened.”

  “Therefore you are mine,” he says proudly.

  My fingers dig into the dirt. He’s right — I am confusing. On one hand I love how he claims me, so proudly and without hesitation. I’ve never had a man who says you’re mine like that before. At the same time, I pride myself on my independence! It’s important to me to do my own thing. I’m not going to be his trophy wife. How do I explain this to such a domineering Zoran warrior?

  He senses my hesitation. “Do you… not want to be mine?” he asks. The concerned look in his eyes nearly melts my heart.

  How can a man be so manly and endearing at the same time?

  “It’s not that,” I say. “It’s just that… when we’re alone together, it’s different from when there are other people around. In front of Captain Price, or other people, it’s important to me that you treat me with respect.”

  He nods. Respect and honor is something the Zoran understand well.

  “And when we’re alone?”

  “Then it depends on my mood.”

  “How do I know your mood?” he growls.

  “By trial and error,” I laugh. “If I slap you away, you know.”

  “If you slap me, I’ll only want you more,” he says.

  “I know,” I whisper.

  He grabs my hand, his thum
b tracing circles on my open palm.

  “Why are you so… different?” he asks. “You seem so insistent on resisting all authority. You barely recognize mine.”

  “How do you feel about that?”

  “It’s infuriating and intriguing.”

  I feel proud that I have the ability to infuriate a man of his caliber.

  “I’ve always been like this,” I admit. “Ever since my father died.”

  “What happened?”

  I look away, glancing up at the dark orange sky. The sun has nearly set now, and darkness will soon envelop us.

  “He worked as a pilot for the Federation. He was part of the fleet that made first contact with extraterrestrial life. There was a skirmish. The admiral in charge of the fleet was overzealous in proving his worth; his perceived superiority. They attacked what we now know was a Zoran ship.”

  I swallow the lump in my throat.

  “The humans were easily defeated by the Zoran’s superior firepower, my father included. The Federation quickly brokered peace with the Zorans, and then had the nerve to try and sell it as a victory to the human people!”

  “I’m sorry for your loss,” Vukan says. “He sounds like a brave man.”

  “That’s not bravery, that’s being foolish. I don’t blame the Zorans, I blame the general — and my father, for following his orders. If he hadn’t, we could’ve grown up as a family. We could’ve been happy together! My mom did her best to take care of me, and she did a stellar job, but she couldn’t hide her pain and her grief from me. I swore to myself that I’d never, ever follow anyone’s commands. I’m my own woman.”

  I only now notice the tears streaming down my cheeks, and quickly wipe them away. It feels good to get if off my chest.

  “So perhaps now you understand why I wasn’t keen on being forced onto the FM Zeta and to work under Captain Price’s command.”

  Vukan grabs my hand and squeezes.

  “I understand,” he says.

  I look up into his radiant, blue eyes. I’m surprised at how good a listener he is. Even though he is a military leader himself, I feel like he gets me.

  “What about you?” I ask. “What makes you tick?”