by Abigail Myst
“What’s in there?”
“Nothing?” Once again, Kave proved himself a horrible liar. “Nothing,” he stated more firmly. “To be late is to set a bad example to the warriors,” he said, parroting back a phrase Athen had said to him last week.
With another stern stare, Athen headed toward the mess. When the weather was good, which meant basically that it wasn’t raining, the men ate outside on tables set in two rows. Kave headed one and Athen the other. The meals were already on the tables and with the push of a button, the top peeled off each container and the contents were heated up. For meals in a box, they were pretty tasty and definitely fulfilled the nutritional needs of every warrior. Though there was little chance of the Mahdfel growing fat around the middle, it was added insurance to keep the warriors in top physical condition.
Athen stood for a moment at the head of the table, glared at his men, daring them to challenge him, before picking up his meal and turning toward the HQ. There was no grumbling, at least out loud, from his well trained warriors. They knew that would lead to more training for at least the next few sols.
Once out of the view of the mess, he circled round and blended in until he was back at the storage module that Kave had been so touchy about. He planned to find out what this surprise was before they managed to spring it on him.
The door slid open soundlessly and Athen slipped into the module. Right inside the door, there were a few stacks of crates but that was not what caught his attention. There was a large round container in the center. The skin at the back of Athen’s neck prickled, and his tattoos began to itch. Whatever was in that box was dangerous. All of his warrior hunter senses told him so.
He took his knife from off his belt. Every Etlonian kept their blade wicked sharp. He gave the thing a thumping kick. The top sprang off and a form arose from within.
“Su-ahh!” It was the shriek that redirected his blade. Instead of stabbing, he dragged the wriggling form to the ground and pinned it there with his body weight.
Athen growled a warning and then the scent hit him, enveloped him with a cloud of delicious possessiveness. This creature was his, and he wanted to bury his now rigid cock deep inside her. He claimed her mouth, tasting her, felt the moment her fear gave way to desire and her body relaxed against him.
A noise from behind startled him. Without a moment’s thought, he pushed off of her and put himself between her and the threat, knife poised and ready.
“Please tell me he didn’t kill her,” Goru said, standing in the doorway with Leif.
Athen lowered his knife and stood from his crouched position. Satisfied that there was no immediate threat, he sheathed his weapon and gave a look of death to his warriors.
"Surprise!" Leif said sheepishly. Goru simply turned on his heels and ran. Perhaps, it was more of a strategic retreat. Either way, Athen knew that this could not have been their doing. This had Kave written all over it.
Athen turned to look at the creature still on the floor. She sat up and looked at him with green eyes. She had hair, too, and a lot of it. It was a strange dark red color, and he felt the urge to wrap his fingers in it.
No. He had to quash that urge immediately. In fact, he had to squash every urge he had with the peach skinned female sitting at his feet.
"You must be Athen, the fearless leader I've heard so much about." She offered him her hand.
He did not take it.
"You will be returned immediately," he said.
"Pardon?"
"There has been a mistake."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes. I am not in need of a mate."
"That's not what your pants are telling me." She stared up at him with a sense of… he couldn’t tell without colors whether it was arousal or abject fear.
Athen supposed at this height, she was indeed quite at the right angle to see the massive erection he was still sporting. Dead brothers. Dead brothers. Dead brothers. No, that was not working. Athen took a deep breath and then another. That was a mistake. The scent of her buried itself deep in his lungs, gnawing at him from the inside.
She scrambled to her feet herself and stared up at him, eyeing him from head to toe.
"They were right. You are prettier," she said.
"Warriors are not pretty."
"Handsome then. You are handsome. And well, I'd even say hot."
Athen did not know what to say to this. "You are Terran."
"I am. You've seen one before?"
"One of my brothers died on Terran Prime. Earth. In the first invasion."
"Oh. Well, I'd thank you for his sacrifice for my people. Do you have any other brothers?"
"Yes. One. I had six. The others are all dead now." Yes, that was it. Think of the blood and last acts of honor of his older brothers. The weeping of their widows as he pledged to avenge their gory ends.
"Um. Again, I- Is there somewhere around here that I can freshen up?" He must have stood there for too long, silent and wrestling with this devilish new personal hell. Surely a shower would reduce her alluring scent. Or perhaps it would only sweeten it by removing the stench of stale alcohol and vomit.
"No. Yes. I will find a place."
"Thanks. I feel like I haven't had a proper bath in days."
Athen wanted to watch her bathe. Wanted to see what that pink skin looked like when it was slick with wet and taste her moisture. Or bury his tongue in her wet heat. He turned and walked away, where the evidence of his cockstand would not be pointing directly at her again and where her scent was less heavy in the confined air.
She followed him. His men stood in the exercise quad in a ring with various expressions on their faces. Some were hopeful, others downright terrified. He did not see Kave in the crowd but he did not expect to. His first officer had probably gone into the jungle for a long hunting trip while he waited for Athen's instincts to kick in and claim his mate. He would have a long wait.
Athen entered his quarters. The Terran female followed. There were no locks on any of the doors. None of his warriors would dare enter without permission. His quarters were bare. He chose to keep only the basic necessities. In wartime, one left behind frivolous possessions after seeing the devastation of war for the first time.
Of course, he had a basic replicator, a computer terminal, a few standard bits of furniture and a bed. He was trying not to think of the bed right now.
“It is through there.” He pointed to a door.
“Are there towels?”
“Replicate one.”
Odette headed into the bathroom. A moment later, she popped her head out again. “Uh, I’ve never used an alien toilet before. Or a shower.”
Athen shook his head and briskly walked over to her. There wasn’t really enough room for two in the small space. He pointed to the commands and switches, too aware of her heady scent filling the confined space. “After the master computer is keyed to your voice, you will simply be able to request, and it will also begin to anticipate your needs.”
“I don’t suppose you could locate my suitcase.”
Athen stepped away from her and out of the small space. She smiled at him. Athen had not thought it possible to get any harder. He took a deep breath. Suitcase. Suitcase.
Once out into the middle of the compound, he paused for a moment. What was he getting? Suitcase.
He knew what she felt like under all her clothing, but he had no idea if she was peach throughout. Perhaps, she had hidden tattoos. He would lick them. No. He. Would. Not.
Suitcase.
“Sir?” asked Claro.
“Where is the damn suitcase?”
The five warriors that had been staring at him scattered like younglings. Athen was going to beat Kave to within an inch of his life.
“You should tell him,” Goru prodded Leif who stood there with the suitcase in hand.
“Tell me what?”
“I’m not going to. This is all Kave’s doing. I’m not getting in the middle of this. You tell him.”
A well-timed growl had Goru sputtering.“Your color.”
“My—” Athen looked down at his arms and then his chest. They were right. His color was off. It was lighter, blotchier with hint of brown, or possibly peach. “What the—”
“She’s the one! No doubting it. No fighting it either.” Leif held the suitcase out like a shield, but his face flinched in anticipation.
Athen focused on his skin, took a deep breath, and was soon back in control again. His complexion returned to his normal shade of green. The female was not in control. He had the breadth and depth to control himself. He would not make a fool of himself in front of his warriors.
“Give me the case,” he commanded.
It was a neon pink and had little wheels mounted on it. Fat lot of good they would do in the jungle with its rocks and tree roots. Not that a warrior needed wheels for something so trivial to carry. He picked it up and shook his head when Goru looked like he dared to speak.
Once back in his quarters, he had to wait another few minutes. They used water showers here since water was plentiful, but the female seemed to take more time than necessary to scrub herself clean. Were her nipples pink as well? Or did they have another tint to them?
When she emerged, she was wrapped in a towel and her long auburn hair lay flat against her head.
A smile broke across her face as she spotted Athen clutching the neon pink case. “Oh, good, you found it. I went through a moment of panic a second ago. Wasn’t sure if I remembered to pack my brush. You know, it’s one of the last things you pack. And I bet you guys don’t have a whole stack of them just laying around. I mean, I dig the bald thing, but-”
“I shall take my leave.” He dropped the case to the floor.
“Oh. Okay. When will you be back.?”
“Someone will show you to mess in the morning.”
“You mean you don’t- I guess, I just thought. It just seems that—” Did the female finish any sentences at all?
Athen nodded and turned.
“Shouldn’t we talk?” She asked from behind him.
“There is nothing to talk about.”
“The fact that I was transported halfway across the galaxy would suggest otherwise. Among other things.”
He sighed and turned back. “Other things?”
“Yeah, like... Things.” She shrugged. Without skin changes, he could not read exactly what she was thinking.
“‘Things’ is not descriptive, female.”
“First of all, I have a name. It’s Odette. You may use it. On Earth, it’s a bit demeaning to be referred to by one’s gender.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. She was going to be difficult. “You are not on Earth. You are on Noven 90.”
“Oh, so this place has a name. That’s nice. I will take it by the lack of any serious population that this is not where you are from.”
“No. Are we done conversing?” The walls were closing in and her scent was reaching his nostrils even here. He touched the module’s control panel and with a click and a whir, three of the walls retracted and were replaced with insect netting.
“Wow. That’s cool. But not a lot of privacy.”
“For what do we need privacy?”
“I’m not going to say it out loud if you can’t figure it out. But let’s say that it has to do with the kissing you did back there.”
Thoughts of her soft, wet mouth washed over him and how exquisite it would feel to sink his teeth into her neck as he filled her with his seed. How pleasurable it would be to watch her press that peach skin against his green chest. To discover how to make her scream and moan with pleasure.
But Athen would not be ruled by base instinct. He had made a decision and would not let his clan see any kind of weakness. Warriors had been presented with females for generations and had refused them for one reason or another. Athen could be strong.
“You are to be sent back at the first opportunity. There will be no more kissing.” He nodded and then stepped off the platform through the nets. Surely she could figure out how the bed worked on her own.
Chapter Seven
Odette
He didn’t want her.
Odette had been matched to a seriously sexy, drop dead delicious green alien and he didn’t want her. It wasn’t that he didn’t have a sex drive. During that first hot kiss, he’d curled her toes and she was pretty sure that wasn’t a banana pressing through those black shorts that he wore. No, he had the desire. It was just that once he got a good look at her, he’d found her lacking.
But what? She’d done enough hinting that any smart interested male of the species would be laying her on a bed and getting down to business. Odette choked down a frustrated sob and heaved the suitcase onto the bed. It was the largest size allowed. In fact, the brand was even called a Matched Luggage, as some enterprising guy had made a fortune off of the poor women who had to pack up most of their belongings once a year.
The suggested packing lists generally listed cold weather clothing and keeping down the knick nacks to only the most important. Supplies that could be replicated in space were discouraged. The Mahdfel generally got a wedding allotment to help outfit their new bride. Odette had been more sure than most that she was packing to leave. Everything was packed tight and efficient and thankfully, her brush was right on top. Good. That would give her something to do while she thought things through.
First of all, being sent back was not an option. Her mother would take that as a sign of divine intervention and would forever hold it over her head. She was here, on the far side of the galaxy and she’d stay there. Surely, there would be a need for a botanist somewhere around here.
They weren’t exactly scientists, these Mahdfel, but she knew they were somewhere. Her dad had gone among them. His work was important. He was so close to developing a tool to use against the Suhlik. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been in space more than a month when his entire ship was attacked and destroyed.
Her mother probably imagined she was on a ship right now, a floating target for the Suhlik. Odette wished she could say that it would serve her right to think so. But the pain of her father’s death was too fresh in her mind. It had changed her mother, and she never quite gave enough credit to the trauma her mother had suffered.
Odette vowed to send a vid as soon as she learned how to use all this technology. She missed her AI already. It was simple enough for her to figure out while this made her feel like a complete noob.
Right now, she had a more pressing concern. - figuring out what kind of wardrobe changes she could make that would allow her function in a jungle without keeling over from the heat. The humidity had already made her feel like she needed another shower. Her first one had been long, and she’d imagined at first that her new husband would find excuse to push in and claim her the way he had with that kiss.
He was giving her space. Giving her time to adjust to being the only girl among a group of men. Odette was nearly certain that was as good a thing to tell herself as any.
Having heard of the Mahdfel sense of honor, Odette knew that she was safe here. Not one of them would dare touch their leader’s girl. Odette dug through her suitcase and found a tank top that she thought she’d have to layer under a couple of sweaters then put on a clean pair of underwear. They weren’t a sexy pair. She’d gone and left all of them at home, having worn them for Cleveland and his lying ass.
Thank God she’d been dutiful with her birth control. A child would have exempted her from the lottery, but Odette was old fashioned. She didn’t want a father that was proud that he had eight unsupported children floating out in the world.
Now, her baby would be green and a boy. There could be worse colors to be. It might not be easy being green, but neither was it easy to be purple or blue. Or peachy white, for that matter. Knowing her luck, she’d die an old spinster, alone and rejected.
What happened to women who were rejected by the Mahdfel? As far as she had heard, they didn’t reject their matches. They got to the b
aby making right away. Surely she could call an Earth Advocate and ask.
Odette had no shorts. She’d brought three pairs of jeans, two pairs of black slacks, a pair of brown, a pair of yoga pants, two black skirts and three dresses. The slacks she could probably hack off without too much trouble and one pair of jeans could be chopped through. She also had the dress that she’d been wearing, which thankfully was light enough for tropical wear. Her coat had somehow disappeared somewhere during the rainbow. But who needed a coat in a tropical paradise?
Odette pulled on a skirt and brushed her red mane into a semblance of order. Athen had wanted her to go to bed, but he seemed to forget that she’d only been awake for about four hours. Now that she was clean, she wasn’t tired at all.
She pushed her way through the bug nets and stepped out of the quarters. The sun wasn’t quite down, and the twilight lit the camp well enough to see that it was set in a basic circle, with the center area quite flat and worn down like it was a pavilion.
On one side of the camp, she could see nothing but jungle. On the other side, the beach seemed to go on for a mile. It had been years since she’d seen a beach. Odette passed through the courtyard and toward the beach. There were warriors out and about. Some of them seemed paired up in an official guard duty. Others were playing some sort of card game over by the mess tables. They stared at her, but no one paused to stop her.
Still warm from the sun, she loved the way the sand pressed between her toes. Once she reached the waterline, Odette paused and stared up. There were two moons in the sky, one large enough it looked about ready to crash into the smaller orb. She knew they were in two separate orbits but it didn’t prevent the reality of situation from crashing into her. None of the star constellations were familiar. She wasn’t home. She wasn’t upset. She wanted this, she reminded herself. The tears streamed down her face anyway.
“Female.”
She didn’t need to turn to know it was Athen. She wouldn’t let him see her cry. She took a few steps into the water.
“What are you doing? You were told to rest until morning.”