by Astrid Cielo
Anna shakily said, “Never.”
Serenity looked over to the male who was quietly crouched beside them and stated, “Now, what the hell are we doing here and where exactly is here?”
Eon took a deep breath, then said, “You are on board our exploration ship known as the Fission and we come from a planet known as Salin. We were sent here to ….”
Anna whimpered and finally found her voice to say, “Serenity, what is going on?”
Serenity looked at Anna, and said, “Sweetie, he is trying to tell me what’s going on. I am trying to figure out why we are here.”
Anna nodded, but then said, “How do you understand him?”
Serenity looked over and said, “Hey, can I borrow that thing to let her understand what we are saying?”
Eon looked at her then said, “Well, I only had the one chip. So, give me a moment to get Kylan to bring another one.”
He moved to get up, and felt Serenity’s hand on his arm. When she looked up at him, he felt every muscle tighten with need. His mind had him bending his head and capturing her luscious pink lips and devouring them. He could almost feel her small sigh as he captured it in his mouth and deepened the kiss, to explore her depths with his tongue. He almost missed what she said, it was said quietly as if she didn’t want her friend to hear, “How many are there?”
“There is only Kylan and myself.”
“Am I lying to her?”
He looked at her puzzled. She stared at him for a few seconds before sighing, and said, “Am I telling her that you won’t hurt us and really you intend to? I need to prepare her. She has to be ready.”
Eon caressed her cheek, and stated “You have nothing to fear from us, little one. You have no idea how precious you are.”
Serenity had no time to dwell on his words, she had to reassure Anna that nothing would happen to her, and hope like hell she wasn’t telling her a lie. She also had to process the fact that she had essentially been abducted by aliens, a couple of crazy people who hadn’t been taking their medications, or this was one hell of a dream.
Chapter 5
Eon walked into the lab, Kylan was as expected recording data about the samples. “Kylan, where is the last translation chip?”
“In the last container on the third shelf, why?”
Eon grabbed the last chip, then turned and said, “If we use this one, can you replicate the technology?”
“Yes. Why do you need it?”
Eon smiled and said “The females have awakened. We forgot to implant the chips before they regained consciousness. Serenity fought me like a Salinian Warrior when I tried to inject her with the other one.”
“They are awake?” Kylan stated as he stood abruptly. “Is Anna okay? How is she taking this?”
Eon clapped him on the back then said, “Well, Serenity is taking it a little better, but Anna hasn’t fainted or anything. Their biggest fear was we were going to hurt them. If we can get them settled into the ship, then I think we can definitely alleviate that fear. So, you coming?” Kylan didn’t respond he just followed Eon back to the decontamination room.
Serenity had since gotten Anna to release the death grip she had on her and to relax a bit. She had reassured her over and over that she wasn’t going to be hurt. She reminded her of all the times she had told people that to hurt Anna was to incur her wrath. She didn’t remind Anna that even though she had pretty much fought her hardest against the male, he still in the end had been able to implant the translation chip.
The door whooshed open and the familiar male walked in, along with a different one. He was slightly shorter, with a less reddened complexion. His gaze went immediately to Anna, who Serenity noticed went rigid and slid closer to Serenity. When the other male stepped past Eon and appeared to set a direct route to Anna, Serenity intercepted.
Kylan looked at the little human that Eon had chosen questioningly. She just stared at him. Kylan glanced back at Eon. Eon just grinned and stood there as if nothing was amiss for a few seconds, before coming to get the little female. She looked over at Eon, and then said, “Who is he and what does he want?”
“This is Kylan, and he is going to give her the translation chip.” Eon explained. Serenity turned around and looked at Anna, and she explained what was going to happen. When she re-explained for what seemed like the 5 time, Anna nodded her acceptance. Serenity took her hand and brought her to Kylan.
“Anna, sweetie, this is Kylan. He is going to put the chip in so that you can understand them. He won’t hurt you, I promise.” Kylan reached for Anna, but came up short when Serenity grabbed his wrist. He looked down at her. Serenity captured his gaze and said, “If you hurt her, I will kick your ass. I may be smaller than you and I may not be as strong, but I will kick your ass.” Kylan stared at her for what seemed like forever, and then nodded his acceptance of Serenity’s terms. Anna stepped forward of her own free will.
Serenity watched as Kylan took Anna’s hand and drew her closer. He tilted her head and gently swept her hair to the side. She watched as he murmured sweetly in her ear that he wouldn’t hurt her. Although she knew Anna didn’t understand a single word he said Anna relaxed into his embrace. Kylan placed the injector to her skin gently and pressed the plunger. He took it away gently then placed his fingers under her chin and directed her gaze to his, “Are you unhurt, Anna?” he asked. She looked into his eyes and nodded. He reached up and wiped the single tear from her eye. “Would you like a tour of the ship?” he asked.
Anna looked over at Serenity, and Serenity gave her a nod. Anna looked back at Kylan and solemnly nodded. As they left, Kylan holding Anna’s hand and Anna glancing back, Serenity turned to Eon.
Serenity smiled up at him, then said, “Thank you for not lying. My name is Serenity, by the way. What is yours?”
Eon smiled back and stated, “My name is Eon.”
Her smile disappeared and she gave him a wary look, “Eon, please tell me why we are here?” she said.
Eon nodded to her and extended his hand. She cautiously accepted, placing her small hand into his. He smoothed his thumb over the back of her hand and was awed by the softness of her. Her nails were really short, and he noted that she seemed to chew on them. He looked into her eyes and asked, “Why do you bite your nails?”
She gave him a look, one he couldn’t decide what meant and responded, “Well, nail-biting is also known scientifically as onychophagia, and is a common stress relieving habit. Some people bite their nails when excited, stressed, bored or during times of inactivity. Sometimes people just do it out of habit. It is the most typical nervous habit. There is also thumb-sucking, hair-twisting, and tooth-grinding, just to name a few. I also do the tooth-grinding thing. But, I’m not really sure why I do so. I don’t bite my nails all the time, and I don’t think it is nerves. But when I was younger, I did it a lot more, and I do believe I was just nervous around people. I think now I do it now more out of habit, even though, sometimes I get really nervous around groups of people.”
She looked up and started laughing at his wide-eyed look, “What?
She asked.
He responded, “It’s rather disconcerting that you sometimes act like Kylan. I don’t know what that says about me.”
She smiled, and then said, “Do you think Kylan is a good person?”
He nodded, and then said, “He is honest, intelligent, and selfless. There aren’t many people like him, on my world or yours.”
“Then, it must mean you like to surround yourself with good people. I have to say, that is a good character trait to have.” She said.
He nodded and led her from the plain room into what she could only decide was the area they used to drive the ship. She couldn’t remember what it was called. She was amazed at all the monitors and buttons. She couldn’t even fathom learning all of their functions. She had a hard enough time driving her car. He led her to a small area to the side with what appeared to be a bench. He sat and pulled on her hand as if he were going to sit her in his
lap. She jerked her hand away and moved a few inches, to the end of the bench before she sat down and turned to face him. He looked amused. It made her want to smile and punch him in the face at the same time. Confused, she looked at him expectantly.
Eon smiled at that look, he knew she wanted to know what was going on but he didn’t relish the idea of telling her all the gory details of the virus and his home planet’s need of females. He took a deep breath and began his tale. Serenity listened intently, never once interrupting. Her face went through an array of emotions, some he saw as sympathy and others, like when he told her the need for females, fury. He finished and just stared at her expectantly.
She nodded her head once and stood. She paced a few steps then looked over at Eon. She was furious. How could he think to steal Anna and herself for breeding purposes? They were people for goodness sakes. She faced him and walked over to him. Her fury, lessening her common sense she grabbed his hand and said, “Alright, how do we do this then?”
He gave her a puzzled look which made her even angrier. “Well, tell me. How do you expect two women to repopulate your planet? Are you crazy? First of all, I refuse to be cattle to birth children just because I have the plumbing to do so. Secondly, I will fight tooth and nail any male daring to touch me, that’s not how I did things on Earth and it definitely won’t be that way on Salin. Do you hear me? I don’t know how the females are on your planet, but on my planet, we are a force to be reckoned with. I will so ki...”
He had grabbed her hand, yanking her to him as he stood, cutting of her protests with his mouth. She went rigid, her hands going to his chest in an effort to push him away. When he cupped her jaw and probed her mouth with his tongue, everything changed. She sighed, her hands gliding up his chest to encircle his neck, her body going from rigid to pliant. He eased his tongue into her mouth, probing gently. His first taste of her made him moan. Her acceptance of his kiss paired with her taste unleashed his need as he deepened the kiss. His breath became her breath. He nibbled on her lower lip as he pulled back from her to look into her eyes.
She opened her eyes to stare at him, the beautiful brown almost gone from her pupils’ dilation and her chest rising and falling with rapid breaths. He smiled down at her, then leaned into her ear and whispered, “Little one, no other male will touch you. I chose you to be mine. I don’t understand half of what you said, but know this, you are my mate and I am yours.” His first taste of her made him moan. Her acceptance of his kiss paired with her taste unleashed his need as he deepened the kiss. His breath became her breath. He nibbled on her lower lip as he pulled back from her to look into her eyes.
She opened her eyes to stare at him, the beautiful brown almost gone from her pupils’ dilation and her chest rising and falling with rapid breaths. He smile down at her, then leaned into her ear and whispered, “Little one, no other male will touch you. I chose you to be mine. I don’t understand half of what you said, but know this, you are my mate and I am yours.”
Serenity leaned her head back to peer up at Eon, her mind clouded with want. She couldn’t believe how much she had responded to him. He stared at her expectantly, but she didn’t really process what he had just said to her. He smiled a satisfied grin, before kissing her forehead gently and releasing her from his embrace. She whimpered at the loss before she could catch herself. He grasped her hand and led her down a small hallway, her mind slowly coming back. She looked up when he opened a door that led to a small bedroom. She stopped and yanked her hand from his. He turned to look at her, questioningly. “I don’t even know you.” She whispered, “ and you don’t know me. What kind of person do you think I am?” she finished as a tear fell down her cheek.
He reached for her and hugged her close, then wiping a tear from her eye, he said, “I know you more than you think I do. I watched you for three weeks before I decided to take you. I knew from our first meeting that I wanted you. I don’t think you remember, but I do. It was at your healing center and you called me to help you lift a man into a chair. You told me he was probably having a heart attack. Your eyes were full of intelligence and your tone told me not to argue. Your hair was coming out of its little bun, flyaways in your face. You batted them out of your eyes without a care to your hairs state. Your attention focused on the male that needed help. I thought then, like I think now that you are mine. So, now little one, maybe you don’t know me, but I know you.”
She nodded, and then said “I need to speak with Anna.”
It wasn’t the answer he had hoped for. He desperately wanted to become acquainted with all of his little mate’s curves. Pull her hair from the band and run his fingers through their brown waves. Knowing she had to come to terms with him, he slowly nodded.
“First, let me show you the sleeping quarters. And don’t worry little one, no one will harm you, least of all me.” He said as he led her into the room. The first thing she noticed was the small box and her purse on the bed. She walked over to it and looked up at him. He smiled, and said, “We were busy while you were unconscious. We gathered the things from your respective dwellings and placed them in the cargo hold.” She nodded her assent, and took in the small bedroom. It was bare to the point of bare, but she realized this must be just his bunk for travel. The bed was small, about the size of a full bed with white sheets and a grayish blanket. She smoothed her hand over the sheets and they felt as smooth and silky as they looked. The small space between the bed and the wall only held a small open closet area where she saw some of her clothes hanging beside his. She was still bewildered at her calm acceptance of this. This was rather puzzling, so she looked at Eon and said, “What exactly did you give us? I mean, by all accounts, I should be scared out of my mind. Hysterical. Why am I not?”
He gave her a puzzled look, and then stated, “Kylan said that it was a sedative that would last a few hours without lasting effects. He said they wouldn’t alter mood or perception. We wanted true reactions, before leaving orbit. It was important that our mates came willingly. We will be in orbit for a couple days before heading home, this will give you time to decide whether to decide to come with us, or leave us to choose new mates.”
She nodded, wondering at the jealousy she felt when he mentioned finding a new mate. It didn’t make sense, she had just met him. Her relief to have a choice made her smile, then say, “Thanks.” He nodded puzzlement evident in his face. She walked up to him and impulsively hugged him around his waist, laying her head on his chest. His heartbeat was soothing.
He hesitantly put his arms around her and pulled her closer, before placing his chin on the top of her head. After a moment of silence, he said “What did I do?” She leaned back and looked at him to ask, “What?”
He smiled down at her, “What did I do right?”
She chuckled then said, “You gave me a choice.”
She pulled from his embrace, then turned to the door and said over her shoulder, “Take me to see Anna, please.” He nodded and followed her out the door.
Chapter 6
Serenity was surprised to hear Anna’s laugh on the outside of the door she and Eon were standing in front of, she turned to Eon questioningly. He just shrugged and placed his palm a panel that allowed them entrance. Serenity’s mouth fell open when she caught sight of Anna sitting on Kylan’s lap kissing him with abandon. Eon reached over and tapped her chin. Serenity closed her mouth and looked up at Eon who was grinning unashamedly. Serenity shook her head and started laughing. Anna broke from Kylan like he had just burned her. Anna’s face was red, looking over at Serenity. She didn’t appear frightened or hurt, just guilty. Serenity couldn’t fathom what she felt guilty about. It wasn’t that long ago she was doing the same to Eon.
Serenity walked over to Anna and took her hand, “I’m glad you and Kylan are getting along so well.” She said with a smile. Anna let out her breath and smiled back at Serenity. “Wanna talk about it?” she asked Anna. With Anna’s nod, Serenity turned to Eon and said, “We need some girl time. I am going back to my
room with Anna.” She exited only to step back in and look over at Eon, “Um, Eon, will my hand open the door?”
Eon smiled and said “Yes, Little one, we have programmed you both to be able to access the control panels.”
“Thanks!”
Once in the room, Serenity sat on the bed and looked at Anna. Anna finally burst into giggles and flopped down beside her. “I’m sorry, Serenity. It just looks like you are gonna lecture me.”
Serenity started laughing and said, “No, I can’t lecture you about something that I did myself.”
Anna stopped laughing and looked at her like she had grown two heads, “You kissed him, oh, what’s his name?”
“Eon. Yes, well, no he kissed me, but I kissed him back.”
“So, let me get this straight, Serenity, my best friend who I have never seen hug a guy let alone let them give her a peck on the cheek and you were kissing Eon. Ok, I really don’t believe you. We gotta go back so you can lay some sugar on Eon where I can see.”
Serenity rolled her eyes and pulled her hand from Anna when she got up to lead her back. “Come on, Anna. Be serious. I mean, think about it. They essentially kidnapped us and plan on taking us back to their planet. Shouldn’t we be freaking out?”
Anna looked thoughtful for a second, and then said, “But you told me you had one of your feelings, you know? When have they not held true? I know I was pretty scared when I first woke up, but I don’t know, maybe since I can understand them they don’t seem as scary. And, well. I, um, kinda like Kylan. I don’t know why but my stomach gets all swimmy when I am around him. I haven’t felt like that before. I don’t know what your feelings feel like, but Serenity, I’ve got a feeling, this is something good and I think that maybe for once we should just go with it.”