Sirein: A Dystopian World Alien Romance

by S. J. Sanders

  He turned and gestured to the deep blue waters that sparkled as waves lapped at a tropical coast. She smiled at the familiar image and pushed up from the bed to join him.

  “Because it’s not a holo-pic of Terra II. That is the most popular image of the very few holo-pics we possess of Earth, our homeworld. Beautiful, isn’t it? Unlike Terra II, it had many vast continents as well as gorgeous waters. I sometimes wonder if the oceans and coasts of Earth aren’t what made early settlers fall in love with Terra II and take their chances in carving out a home in this new world.”

  He made a small sound in the back of his throat, and Nerida pushed back the desire to snuggle up against him as he stared with interest at the holo-pic. No, it was more than that. She wanted to climb into his arms and drag his attention from the image to her so that she could beg him to do all the things that her imagination was eagerly supplying. She bit back a groan and stepped away from him.

  Distance. They were supposed to be keeping distance until her reaction bled out of her system. She felt an undeniable urge to scoff at that plan. It seemed unlikely that it was going anywhere, given the way she felt now. It twisted inside her with an electric hum that almost seemed to mimic the pulse of energy that Ji’wa had accidentally sent through her body. It brought a flood of excitement and an undeniable heat of longing. She wanted him to slip inside of her and feed that flame until it combusted within her.

  She tightened her trembling fingers into a fist to force them to relax. Letting out a slow breath, she spoke to Ji’wa’s back, as he had not yet looked her way.

  “You mentioned getting clean… That’s a good idea. I think I’m going to bathe. The boarding rooms have nicer luxuries than what there’s space for on the boat. I am sure you can find a way to amuse yourself… or rest,” she added lamely.

  Ji’wa nodded as he continued to watch the holo-pic. Now the image was getting closer to the island, and she almost see the brilliant exotic flowers that dotted the foliage that encroached so near the beach. It stung a little that he was too fascinated with the pic to even look at her as she spoke, but Nerida shrugged it off and left for the solitude of the bathing room.

  The bathing room was uninspiring at first glance—until the door slid shut behind her. The moment the door closed, a scanning beam slid over her head. She blinked in awe at the new technology that must have been a recent addition from the mainland. She didn’t have long to wonder at what it did. A soft golden pink light filled the room with a fragranced mist that smelled that like fruit and exotic flowers. Nerida allowed her eyes to drift half-shut as she breathed the warm mist in. The sound of rushing water filled her ears as warm steam enveloped her.

  As if lured, Nerida walked toward the tub at the opposite side of the room. The moment the tub reached its fill line, the water cut off, leaving an inviting scented bath. There was no need to even try to resist that temptation. She slipped her woven tunic over her head and let her pants pool on the floor at her feet. She stepped out of her clothes, kicking them aside as she approached the enormous tub.

  She had never seen anything like it. The size was nearly as big as the bed and could have easily fit three or four adults inside it. No doubt it was a big selling point among merchants, and she immediately tried not think of what sort of things they might have gotten up to in that same tub as she stepped into hot water.

  A soft groan left her lips as she slid down into the water. It easily covered every inch of her in its silkiness. It wasn’t like bathing in the purified and filtered waters on the boat. There was something extra added to this water. Some sort of scented oil, she suspected. No doubt it would be filtered out by the water systems of the boarding house, but the luxury teased her skin.

  Nerida swept her hands over her body. Need tightened within her as her hand skimmed down to her sex, her fingertips teasing her slippery entrance and her clit extending eagerly above it. The orgasm that hit her came out of nowhere, hard and fast, leaving her gasping and whimpering aloud in the water sloshing around her.

  Slowly she eased back into the hot water, her breath coming out in ragged pants, and she blinked her eyes as a blissful feeling swept over her. Deeper she sank into the water. She felt lost within it until every inch of her was submerged except for her nose and mouth. A soft breath released, the water trembling along her cheeks where the air from her lungs stirred it. She wondered if this was anything like how Ji’wa felt with the water all around him. It would be colder and salty, but it was so buoyant and comforting that she almost envied such an existence. He could sink into the dark abyss of the seas and go places that she would only ever be able to imagine.

  She thought about what his colony might look like, glowing with its own lights from where it would be rooted to a risen seafloor somewhere along the island sea beds of the Greater Sea. The small bioluminescent lights on his body that stood out whenever the sky darkened would make the world glow around him as he sank deeper into the waters. How long would it be before he would be called to return … and when that time came, what would keep him from doing just that?

  Beneath the water, Nerida closed her eyes and let her mind empty as she embraced the soothing stillness of the warmth all around her and allowed herself to truly let the crushing fear of him leaving her go. She wouldn’t blame him if he preferred to return to the sea, but a part of her hoped that she would find a way for her to be a part of his world too.

  Chapter 21

  Ji’wa watched as the holograph played out to its conclusion, unable to pull himself away from the image of Nerida’s homeworld. The waters reminded him of the images his people possessed of Sirenx, so much so that he felt a primal longing rise in him just from looking at the single captured moment on Earth. It was as if something within him recognized the roots of where he had come from reflected back through the images of this distant world. Or perhaps it was merely his imagination, drawing on something that seemed to connect their species.

  There were so many obstacles that had been erected between them since the day he boarded her vessel, not the least of which was her refusal to accept what had sparked to life and was growing between them. He knew that she could not ignore it any more than he could. With every day that passed, the awareness crackled between them like the threat of a storm. It was made all the worse because he did not understand the source of her reluctance.

  He knew she craved the same closeness that he did. He had felt it in her touch when she cared for him when he was ill, and the way she leaned into him for days afterward as they spent their time together. Every soft look she had given him, every touch that lingered longer than necessary… and still he patiently waited for her to decide. It was a sort of cruel irony that now that he had exactly what he wanted—his mate warm and willing—he felt compelled to refuse and avoid her.

  If he were less than honorable, he might have considered taking what she offered and binding her to him, but he could not do that to her. If ever he may have had that capacity within him, now that he had come to know her, he could not diminish her trust in him. Nor did he want to give up the opportunity of receiving the precious gift of her love and full agreement to mating. It would be an occasion grand enough to merit the stories that they would tell of their courtship to the nestlings.

  Emotion choked him and he lowered his head, resting his brow on the hard frame of the hologram. He could smell the rich scent of his female’s desire coming from the bathing room. She was in need. It had become more frequent as of late, but her reaction to his electric pulse had fueled all her latent desires. The charge did not inspire lust but electrified and made everything that was already there more acute. It also made her act in ways that she normally would not consciously choose to. Unfortunately, knowing that did nothing to ease his own discomfort as the malth continued to demandingly press against his genital slit. He pressed the heel of his palm against it, seeking some relief, as a low groan escaped him.

  A rattling sound drew his attention from his discomfort, and he turned toward t
he sound. A familiar shape stood within the fog, the soft glow of his bioluminescent markings just barely piercing the gloom. Ger’se.

  Sighing, Ji’wa turned and strode over to the window. He hoped that his friend had not run into a mogma. Explaining to Nerida why there was another sirein in their room would not be enjoyable. Nor would it be conducive to a pleasant day and night of bonding with his female. With an impatient slap of his hand on the panel beside the window, he scowled at his friend as the glass retracted.

  Claws scratched at the exterior wall as the male surged forward, his upper body falling halfway into the room. Ger’se’s red mane flopped around him as he braced his arms against the window frame, his arm and dorsal fins fanning wide in surprise. Lips parted, he panted anxiously, his head turning just enough so that his eyes fixed on the ground below.

  “Get in here,” Ji’wa hissed, grabbing ahold of his friend’s dorsal fin. “And be quiet about it. My mate is resting in the bathing room. I do not wish for her to know that you are here.”

  He pulled Ger’se into the room with just enough force that the male slipped to the floor with muffled thump. His friend righted himself with a disgruntled look on his face as he rubbed the base of his tail.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Just checking to see how things are proceeding with your female,” Ger’se grumbled. “This strange fog had me jumping at shadows and feeling more than a little concerned.”

  “Did you see them?” Ji’wa asked in a quiet voice.

  “See what?” came his friend’s cross response as he experimentally fanned his tail fin. “I swear I damaged a fin spine.”

  “The mogma, the winged creatures. They migrate, flying from island to island to feed and capture females. They attacked us.”

  Ger’se froze, his tail slipping back to the floor. “Please tell me you mean the native wildlife.”

  “Unfortunately, no. It seems that they are genetically human hybrids. The human scientists are just as ambitious and cruel as our own,” Ji’wa muttered, his mind going to the Record Keeper, no doubt created in secret to maintain the ship generation after generation.

  The other male grimaced, his eyes turning to the heavy fog laying over the city. “Out there are flying human creatures…”

  “Yes, but far more terrible. They have long talons like a sirein but a hard beak over their mouths in addition to heavy feathers and long tails. I have no doubt that we would be evenly matched in a fight, and perhaps our species would be at a disadvantage, depending on the terrain.”

  Ger’se’s fins snapped nervously just as a clatter came from behind them. Although the other male spun around, his fins expanding aggressively in surprise, Ji’wa’s immediate reaction was quite the opposite. He herded his friend back toward the open window. He was not the least bit surprised when Ger’se’s hind claws dug in with reluctance.

  “You need to leave before Nerida comes out,” he snarled in a quiet voice.

  “You are throwing me outside so not to disturb your female… with winged human creatures out there that would be likely to kill me on sight? Are you mad?”

  Ji’wa growled in frustration and spun around, dragging him toward the hall. Ger’se’s stumbling steps slowed them slightly, but in minutes, he had the male in the hall. From what he had seen of the screen in Danya’s hand nearly all the rooms on that floor were empty, likely due to the season. That would work in his favor.

  Setting his hand on the keylock, he sent out an electric pulse, a satisfied smile curling his lip as the door slid open. For all Nerida’s doubts over just how effective a well-placed pulse was, it rarely failed to do its job. Yes, the circuits would need to be repaired when the proprietress finally discovered that the locks were no longer working, but that likely would not be for some time yet. He felt a measure of guilt for the inconvenience he would cause, but knew that the disc he gave them should more than compensate for the damage.

  Turning Ger’se toward the room, he pushed him within it and activated the lights.

  “Stay here and keep quiet. Do not leave the room unless you need to, and then only leave through the window. If the humans spot you in the halls, it will raise the alarm to our presence. Just stay warm and comfortable in here. Soaking in the bathing pool like my female is doing.”

  The male nodded his head to indicate that he understood as he looked around. Ji’wa huffed and turned to leave. His friend could keep himself entertained well enough… He had more important things to see to.

  “Ji’wa, wait!” his friend called hesitantly. Frowning, Ji’wa turned and glanced back at the male still standing in the center of the room. Ger’se flicked his tail nervously, but he straightened his spine as if under inspection. “I need to tell you… I came to report that I came across a group of humans. They appeared different from the people who dwell here in the city, their mannerisms and clothing like those of your Nerida. They were speaking to each other.”

  “Of what?” Ji’wa asked. His ears fanned attentively.

  Something told him that whatever Ger’se heard what going to be of some importance if the male had tracked them into the city to deliver the message despite all his foolish talk of wanting to check on them.

  Ger’se’s dorsal fin fanned stiffly. “They were families, several females were among them, more than one appearing scared as the males dragged them around. The males were speaking to a younger male among them. They spoke of finding a female who left them. This male claimed her and said that she was his, that none but he would lay a hand on her. That he would retrieve his property and his female. His words were odd, but that alone did not disturb me. It was that his voice was filled not with despair of losing one’s mate but with loathing and anger. I worried for this female, but I also know that we found your female alone. It seems an unlikely coincidence.”

  Ji’wa’s heart sank, his stomach souring. Did his female belong to another male? His fins flared aggressively to their full expanse, each of the lethal spines distinct. It did not matter. A male might claim a female as his, but he could not force a mating. If she fled from him then Ji’wa was right in protecting her and taking her for his own. His mind returned to how she had reacted when Rafneal had spoken of wavelanders in the city. She had looked terrified.

  “Thank you, my friend,” he murmured. “I will speak of this with Nerida. If she is in danger, I will formulate a plan to protect her and get her safely from this place as fast as possible.”

  “There are humans all around your boat. You will not be able to flee any time soon.”

  “No. They are making necessary repairs. I will be vigilant,” he replied. “Thank you, my friend.”

  Ger’se inclined his head, his body tense with solemnity. It did not last, however, because the male broke into a bright, mischievous smile.

  “If all works out well, maybe I can test the waters with one of those females. There was one in particular with coloring like mine that I felt a pull toward… I did not like the way the older male beside her was handling her so roughly,” he added, his expression darkening.

  Ji’wa had little doubt that his friend would kill the male to escape with the female if he thought that it would save her.

  “Perhaps so,” he murmured as he moved once more toward the door. “For now, however, remain here if possible.”

  His friend inclined his head just as Ji’wa turned away and stepped back into the hall. The door slid shut behind him, its quiet snick bringing a silence within him as all his worries settled into determination. He did not enjoy fighting or killing, though he did it well enough, but he would rise to the occasion and do everything in his power to make sure whatever this threat was would not touch Nerida, regardless of what her decision may be about their future.

  He could hear Nerida moving in the tub when he entered their room again. He returned to the common room long enough to latch the window shut before making his way directly toward the bathing chamber. The door opened without any prompting, slid open just as quietly as
every door in the building.

  A warm, scented mist immediately surrounded him, sinking into his scales with pleasure. Ji’wa stood there for a time, basking in the feeling of the hydrating sweetness. The fog had a similar comfort but was dismal and frightening in the way it concealed the world around him, whereas this was nothing but comfort. He could almost imagine that he was on an island, enjoying the spray of the sea.

  As his eyes restlessly slid around the room, they finally rested on the large bathing pool, the clear sides rising from the floor. He could make out the bare form of his female within it. Her mouth was above the water so she could breathe properly, but the sight made him wish that he had brought the breather with him that had remained in the drawer of the small table where he had left it since returning her to her vessel many days ago. She would no doubt enjoy full submersion if that was giving her peace.

  And she did look at peace. He hated to disturb her, but his longing to join her and touch her moved his feet forward before he truly became aware of it. In no time, he was beside the tub, staring down at the most beautiful female he had ever seen. Yes, she was just as odd to him as she had been that first day he laid eyes on her, but all of it was nothing but beauty to him now and filled his heart with adoration as his eyes fell on her.

  Nerida’s eyes opened to look up at him through the water. She stiffened slightly in surprise, a tiny gasp drawing through her soft lips, but then she relaxed and pushed herself up so that she broke the surface with water streaming from her body as she sat up to face him.

  They watched each other, neither of them speaking, he felt certain that his heart was ready to burst from his chest when she smiled and shifted her legs back, making room in the bathing pool.

  “Will you join me?” she asked.

  Ji’wa almost felt dizzy from the elation that rose sharply through him. Jerking his head in a rough nod, he stepped forward and lifted his leg over the side of the pool. His other leg and his tail followed. There wasn’t much room for his tail, sadly, but it curved ecstatically around the side of the tub as Nerida shifted her legs around his so that they fully faced each other.