Alien Apocalypse: The Complete Series (Parts I-IV)

by JC Andrijeski

  He paused, gripping her tighter with his hands and tail. He held her tightly enough that Jet felt herself flushing again, as soon as she noticed he was ready for sex in more ways than one. Even as she thought it, he pressed against her deliberately, murmuring in her ear.

  “I don’t want you to have sex with other Nirreth, Jet,” he said. “...Or other humans. Were you serious about this?”

  She shook her head where he held her against his broad chest.

  “No,” she said.

  He relaxed where he held her, but his fingers didn’t loosen their hold. “Are you comfortable asking me?” he said. “...When you’re ready? Or do you want me to ask you?” He kissed her neck, nuzzling her with one cheek. “I will ask every day, if you like.”

  “You’ve been stinging me,” she said, remembering. “For practice...for the Rings.”

  “Yes,” he said he said, still holding her tightly.

  “Have you been taking the shot?” she said.

  Jet knew he’d understand what she meant. There was a shot Nirreth could take, some drug that allowed them to control themselves even when they were under the influence of the venom. It didn’t do much for Jet, but it calmed Laks right down, making him almost indifferent to sex, seemingly no matter how many times he stung her.

  Raising his head, he gave her a bewildered look.

  “Of course,” he said. “Yes.”

  She sighed, looking up at him. “Why, Laks?”

  He let out a rumbling laugh, but still didn’t relax his hold on her, not with his hands, arms or tail. “You need to ask me this? Because I would have kept stinging you, Jet...like the first time. Because you wouldn’t have made it to the Rings at all.” He held her tighter, wrapping his tail further around her waist. “I should take it now,” he muttered.

  He pressed tighter against her, as if to emphasize the point.

  Jet looked away, but despite his words, she didn’t push his hands off, or let go of his waist. She was still focusing past him, trying to pull her mind together, when his tail tightened more. She found herself stroking the skin of his arms when he didn’t let go, marveling at how soft his skin was, even over the harder muscle. When she slid a hand under his shirt, he let out a low growl, clutching her tighter.

  “Please,” he murmured, caressing her hair. “Please, Jet...let me. Don’t be afraid.”

  “Laks...” she said, shaking her head. “It’s not you. I promise.”

  “I won’t hurt you. I won’t hurt you...please...”

  She felt her face grow warmer, but didn’t look up, or meet his gaze.

  After another pause, she took a breath. “What is this thing to you?” she said. “Us. You and me. What is it really, Laks? Is Richter right? Are you just trying to keep me away from him? Am I just another pawn in the power struggle with you two?”

  “No.” Laksri’s arms tightened more. “Richter is not right. Richter is an ass.”

  Jet let out a startled laugh. “Yes. He is. That’s not exactly what I was asking, Laks––”

  He cut her off, his voice gruff as he spoke into her ear.

  “I want you,” he said. “You’re not a pawn to me. I consider you my lover. I consider you my companion. I consider you my friend, too...and I don’t want to hurt you. I won’t let Richter hurt you.” His voice grew lower, softly cajoling. “I don’t want to share you...not with him, or Anaze, or another Nirreth. I want you, Jet. I want you to want me. It feels like you do. It felt like you did that night. It feels like you do now. It’s confusing me, Jet...but it’s also driving me crazy. I want sex with you...I want to sting you. Please let me. Please...”

  She glanced up at him, fighting to control her expression.

  It only got more difficult when she saw his. Feeling that flutter return to her stomach at the way he looked at her, she found herself nodding, almost before she’d let herself think.

  “Okay,” she said. “Okay. Sting me, Laks.” She met his gaze, giving him a faint smile. “You should do it now. Before I lose my nerve.”

  His fingers tightened, but he didn’t look away from her face. He seemed to take her last words to heart, though. His tail loosened, but only enough for him to catch hold of her shirt, yanking it up her body. Once he had enough of her skin showing, he pressed the end of his tail to her side, giving another rumbling purr as he gripped her back in his free arm, kissing her cheek before he pressed his against her neck.

  He pulled her tighter into the curve of his body, right before his whole body tensed.

  Before she could second-guess any of it, he stung her.

  Jet gasped, feeling the barb enter her skin and then her flesh. It felt different from how he’d done it prior to the Rings fights and practice sessions already...even before he’d finished with that first one. She gasped again as the venom continued to let go, holding him around the waist as he let out a lower sound, nearly a groan as he panted against her neck. It came from deep in his chest, a kind of pained sound, one that grew louder when he pulled her tighter against his body. He’d barely finished, the barb had barely left her skin, when he stung her again, in the same place, without removing his tail. He groaned louder that time, crushing her in his arms.

  The venom had just started to hit her system when the second sting finished.

  Once it had, she was tugging at his shirt, fighting to get it off him, even as he did the same to her, half-ripping the long tunic over her head. The instant he got it off, he pulled her down to the carpeted floor, stinging her a third time.

  Then a fourth.

  Pausing as that one finished, he lay on top of her, panting, gripping her shoulders as he groaned. The fifth time he stung her, she cried out, and then she had her hands on him, fighting to get off the last of his clothes. He pinned her to the floor, kissing her face, shoulders and mouth as he purred in another long growl against her chest. He raised his tail in an arc, about to sting her again, when the door abruptly opened behind them.

  Jet barely heard it.

  She definitely didn’t hear it enough to take her hands or eyes off Laksri.

  Laksri heard it, though. He turned, still holding her under him. His hands on her grew protective, right before his anger blazed abruptly and violently around her. It happened fast, seeping like water forced through the membrane of her skin. Within seconds, she felt it so intensely that she let out a cry, gripping his arm and shoulder. She fought to calm him down, to send him reassurance...

  It didn’t help.

  Through the venom’s glow, Jet saw his eyes blazing, the pale blue flecks once more standing out like stars inside the deep black of his irises. Pulling her further under him, he let out a sound she’d never heard from him before. The growl that erupted from his throat and chest wasn’t playful that time, or any sign of arousal. He growled at whoever stood there as an overt, uncompromising threat. Jet felt the intention on him as he did it.

  She knew, without question, that Laks would kill whoever it was.

  Even buried under the fog of all that venom, the thought frightened her.

  She slid her arms around his back, holding him against her, somehow still more concerned for him than she was for whoever stood there. In fact, whoever was causing his anger, they barely entered into Jet’s thinking at all, not even enough for her to look at them.

  Stroking Laksri’s skin, she heard herself murmuring to him instead, fighting to reach him. Some dimmer part of herself knew she needed more information...she needed to understand whatever occurred in those seconds after she heard the door open. When she finally managed to make sense of the person standing over them, she could only stare up at his dark, angular body, the shockingly familiar features.

  The anger that blazed in his green eyes seemed to match what she felt on Laksri.

  Even so, she couldn’t believe he was still standing there, given the sounds coming from Laksri’s throat.

  “Go away,” she told him.

  “Shut up, Jet.”

  Her fingers tightened on Laksr
i, but she still wasn’t angry. All she could really feel was worry about what Laksri might do, and what would happen to him after he did it.

  “He’ll kill you,” she blurted.

  “I’d like to see him try,” the human snapped.

  “No you wouldn’t,” she said. It wasn’t a retort. She said the words sincerely.

  She glanced at Laksri, and her worry intensified. She was still trying to decide what to do, staring between Laksri and the man standing over them, when the latter raised his arm, pointing his hand unmistakeably at Laksri. Jet was still trying to make sense of the small, smooth, gray object he held in his hand, when Anaze spoke again.

  That time, his voice held so much fury, Jet flinched.

  “You like stinging her, do you, lizard skin?” he said.

  “Get out of here––” Laksri began, his voice low, murderous.

  “You like stinging humans?” Anaze said, cutting him off. His eyes were so filled with anger that Jet flinched deeper into the curve of Laksri’s body. “How about being stung by one, for a change? You oversexed, two-toed bastard...”

  His last words came out in a snarl.

  He pushed a dark button on the device he held.

  Before Jet could comprehend what he’d done, a long black barb left the end of the device, embedding itself into Laksri’s back. Immediately, the Nirreth went rigid over her, twitching and jerking as if a few hundred volts of current had just been shot through his skin.

  Jet only realized later, that that’s pretty much exactly what happened.

  She felt his pain, and it brought tears to her eyes. Desperate, she held him, crying out in terror as she tried to take some of that pain unto herself. Before she could really figure out what to do, or how to get the barb out of his skin, Laksri collapsed on top of her.

  Gasping, fighting to breathe under his weight even as she stroked his skin, Jet looked up again, maybe out of fear, or maybe looking for help.

  Whatever she’d expected to find, it wasn’t there.

  Anaze was gone.

  “How the hell did he even get in there?” Jet said, her hands on her hips as she paced in front of where Richter stood. She fought to keep her expression set, knowing she was still under the influence of the venom, but too angry to care. Gritting her teeth, she added, “How did he get past security? How did he get into our private quarters...with a gun?”

  “Stunner,” Richter corrected, smiling faintly.

  “Richter...answer the question!”

  Shrugging, he watched her as she walked back and forth in front of where he sat. Despite his low chuckle at her words, the expression on his face remained close to wary.

  “How is the big guy?” he said.

  “How is he?” Jet stopped, staring at him. “He’s out cold. He’s been out for over five hours, Richter. His guards told me that Anaze hit him with it on the highest setting. They said it could have killed him. He may not wake up until tomorrow...assuming he’s out of danger.”

  The human chuckled, shaking his head.

  “This is funny to you?” she said.

  “Not really, no.”

  From the look in his eyes, she almost believed him, despite the faint smile that lingered on his lips. Frowning, she continued to study his expression.

  “Where is he, Richter?” she said finally.

  He gave a short wave. “No idea.”

  “I don’t believe you. Where is he, Richter?”

  When he didn’t meet her gaze, she studied his profile, still fighting to think through the fog of the last remnants of venom. She’d already decided not to care about the fact of how she and Laksri had been found, on the floor of his bedchambers, and mostly naked. Rumors of their supposedly out-of-control and passionate sex life could only help them really, in terms of maintaining cover with the other Nirreth.

  Or so she told herself.

  “There are only so many places he could have gone,” she said. When the other man only looked away, she added, “You must know where he is! You’ve got contacts all over the city.”

  Richter gave her a harder look. “What do you want from me, Jet?”

  She gave a bewildered look. “What do I want from you? Are you serious?”

  “I’m not the one who shot your lizard-skin boyfriend before you could get laid, kitten. Why you think I’ve got your other boy-toy, Anaze, on a leash, is beyond me.”

  “Don’t you?”

  His expression didn’t waver. “Clearly, I don’t.”

  “So you didn’t have anything to do with this?” she said.

  He gave a disbelieving laugh. “You think I ordered the little shit to––”

  “There’s no way he did this alone, Richter...I know he didn’t!”

  He shrugged. “You’re entitled to your opinions, pet.” His eyes focused back on the blooming trees of the indoor garden. “I just don’t know why you’re so dead-set on having me listen to them. I told you, I had nothing to do with this. You’ll have to ask Anaze what got his panties in a bunch.” He gave her a more pointed look, glancing down at the long, flowing gown she wore. “...Although why you’d need a map for that one, kitten, is beyond me.”

  “I don’t believe you! Either of you!” she snapped. “This wasn’t some jealous freak-out. This was planned. How else would he have even gotten in there...?”

  He gave another shrug, along with a dismissive wave. “Suit yourself.”

  “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “A lot of things,” Richter said, his eyes openly warning now. “Anything else?”

  She bit her lip, staring first at him, then around at the room where they stood. They were in one of the indoor gardens, Richter’s choice, although she’d been the one who demanded he meet her in person. A tall waterfall took up most of the wall near where they talked, almost drowning out their voices, even if someone had been listening. She’d assumed Richter would have picked a place to meet without surveillance. If he hadn’t, she assumed he would have warned her, at least. But maybe Richter felt less confident of his ability to avoid spying eyes than usual. Fighting to acknowledge the look in his eyes, Jet struggled briefly to control her temper.

  “The Guard is looking for him,” she spat finally. “Anaze. Or don’t you care?”

  He gave her a mild look, but she saw the more piercing stare beneath. “What do you think I can do about that exactly, Jet? Do you want me to storm the grounds? Demand that they leave your pet mammal alone?”

  “I thought you’d give a damn at least,” she snapped. “After all, he is your...” She trailed, seeing the heat that rose abruptly to Richter’s eyes. “...You got him into this,” she said instead. “You and your stupid maneuvering. Whatever he’s up to, I’m sure he’s doing it for you.”

  Richter looked at the nails on his hand, as if examining the quality of his latest manicure.

  “I don’t know why you’re so surprised,” he said, shaking his head. “The two of them have been circling one another like tom cats for weeks. You had to know Anaze would be pissed when you started screwing big blue. He’s known Laks had a hard-on for you ever since we first culled your ass from Vancouver. Maybe Anaze just finally had enough of seeing the two of you together...”

  Jet gave a disbelieving snort, folding her arms.

  “You really expect me to believe that?” she said.

  She tried to get him to look at her and failed.

  Clearly he was going to stick to his version of events, no matter how many holes littered his story. She barely had the energy to even argue with him, knowing he’d never tell her the truth anyway. Looking down at the empty expression on his face, she realized she really didn’t. Clenching her jaw, she stared up at the waterfall long enough to watch a few hundred gallons of water cascade down. She didn’t even know what time of day it was, other than night, and late. Folding her arms, she glanced down at her outfit and frowned, right before she sat on the rock-shaped seat across from Richter.

  “What will they do to him?” she
said.

  Richter gave her a surprised look.

  It gradually morphed into a thin smile, belying the harder look his eyes held. “Don’t know, kitten. That’ll be up to the big blue.” His eyes met hers, and that time, she was surprised to see a flicker of emotion in them. “They might kill him. Would that placate your need for retribution over your boyfriend’s sore ass?”

  Jet frowned, but didn’t bother to answer the question. Gazing back out over the waterfall and surrounding lake, she crossed her ankles, trying to think.

  “Can you get him out?” she asked finally.

  When she looked over next, Richter’s expression held an even more overt surprise. “Really, kitten, I’m touched,” he said. “Or is it romantic confusion I’m seeing? You’ve got a yen for the boy, too? Even with Laks sticking it to you every night?”

  Jet grimaced, looking away. When Richter only chuckled, she gave him an angrier look.

  “Can you get him out, or not?” she said.

  “I don’t know where he is,” Richter said, holding out his hands. “Even if I did, I don’t know if I could get him out or not. He screwed with the Royals, pet. Worse, he embarrassed the Royal Guard, by getting past them in the first place. Truthfully, I’m not sure even Laks will have a lot of wiggle room, in terms of how he responds. He may have to do something drastic...if not kill him outright, then make a display of him somehow.” He gave her a darker look. “...That could be significantly worse.”

  Jet felt her chest tighten.

  She remembered Anaze’s face as he stood over the two of them, and the pain in her chest worsened. She wanted to hate him sometimes...she really did. She even thought she had hated him, before all of this. But the truth was, a part of her still saw Anaze as Anaze, her best friend from the skag pits. It was almost impossible to excise that part of herself entirely; too many memories remained of that version of him, the friend who always seemed to have her back. Even when she reminded herself of all the lies and manipulations around his even being there, working to gain her trust over those years for Richter and his rebels, she still couldn’t make herself hate him, much less want him dead.