Alien Conquest

by Honey Phillips

  Even though she couldn’t see T’lan, she could feel the heat coming off that big body and his musky scent surrounded her. She actually enjoyed walking hand in hand with her invisible boyfriend—boyfriend?—until they reached the first row of stalls. The problem became apparent at once. Two people could not walk abreast down the narrow aisle cluttered with objects, especially when one of them was ridiculously large. Gran had been trailing behind them, muttering under her breath, and she gave an annoyed sigh when they stopped again.

  “Would you two decide what you’re going to do? Maybe this was a bad idea.”

  “No, Gran, please. We’re here now and I want to look around.” Knowing that T’lan would not relax his vigilance, Emily searched for an alternate solution.

  “Look, T’lan, as far as I can tell, the only people in here are the three of us, Bud over there by the cash register, and that woman searching through the pile of linens. Is there anyone else?”

  “No,” he admitted.

  “So you can see that it’s not a dangerous situation. Can’t you just set up one of your monitor stations and watch from there?”

  “You do not wish me to accompany you to choose items for our child?” Damn, he sounded... not hurt exactly, but disappointed.

  “It’s not that, big guy. This type of shopping takes a lot of looking. Why don’t you let us poke around and then I’ll signal you if I see something I think would be good for the baby?”

  “Very well.” In a different male, it would have been a sigh. He released her hand and Emily bit back the immediate impulse to reach for it again. Together with her grandmother, she began patrolling the aisles. She suspected that T’lan had not gone far, and her suspicions were confirmed when she caught sight of an old kitchen chair being pushed aside by an invisible hand out of the corner of her eye. Biting her lip, she ignored it and kept searching.

  Despite being momentarily distracted by a booth filled with vintage dresses, nothing really caught her eye until she found an old plant stand with scalloped edges. The finish was worn but the details appealed to her.

  “What about this, Gran?”

  Her grandmother peered at it over her spectacles. “I like it. All it needs is a nice coat of white paint and we could use it to store diapers and wipes and all the other things you want to have handy for the changing table.”

  “That reminds me. What should we use for the changing table?” Once her grandmother had converted the original living room to a downstairs bedroom, there hadn’t been much left in the upstairs bedroom; just a small recliner in a faded rose print and a dresser. “What if we painted the dresser and put one of those foam pads on top? Then we can use the drawers for her clothes.”

  “That would work.”

  “Okay, grab the tag off of the stand, Gran. We’ll see what else we can find and then run everything by T’lan.”

  Ignoring a muffled grunt, she kept searching. The two of them identified a few more items—a set of ornate wall shelves, three delicate flower prints in faded green frames, and a child-sized rocker that Emily couldn’t resist. A small bench with cubbies underneath for storage would fit perfectly in the gable as a window seat and toy storage.

  “It’s a good start,” Emily sighed when they reached the end of the stalls. “I just hoped I could find a… Oh, Gran, look at that.”

  That was the scrolled end of a crib. Her grandmother pulled aside a few pieces of lumber and revealed the other four sides. In addition to the graceful scroll of the two side pieces, a delicately carved vine and rose motif topped the end panels. Even though it was dirty and covered with dust, she fell in love with the elegant lines. Rubbing her finger through the grime, she could already tell that the dark wood would glow against the pale yellow she planned for the walls.

  “This is perfect. Can’t you see her sleeping here?”

  “In this?” T’lan growled from right beside her and she jumped. “You would put our child behind bars?”

  “They’re not bars—well they are, but they’re only to keep the baby safe.”

  “I will keep our child safe.”

  “I know you will.” Reaching out blindly, she found his arm and gave it a quick squeeze. “But babies need a safe place to sleep.”

  “It does not look worthy of our child. In fact, none of these pieces are fitting.”

  “Just wait. You like my room, don’t you?” Suppressing a smile, she stroked the firm arm she couldn’t see. From the way his eyes heated whenever he entered it, she was pretty sure he liked her room.

  “Yes,” he said

  “We started with the same type of pieces. Please, T’lan, I promise it will be beautiful.”

  “If you wish it, my L’chka.”

  “Thank you.” She turned to her grandmother. “Do you think we can get everything in the back of the car?”

  “I doubt it and even if it would fit, how were you planning to get it in there?” Her grandmother raised an eyebrow.

  “I thought we could carry—”

  “No.” T’lan said firmly. “Neither of you will carry anything. Purchase the items and tell the merchant that you will arrange for them to be delivered.”

  “But how will you get them to the house if you don’t want to be seen, T’lan?”

  “M’lee, if I can trust you to make these items worthy of our child, you can trust me to deliver them.”

  “I suppose so.” She cast a longing glance at the disassembled crib.

  “Let me just check and see if I need to transfer some money,” Gran said.

  “No, Gran. I still have money in savings, I want to buy them.”

  “No,” T’lan said again, even more firmly. “You will pay for these with local currency.”

  A roll of hundred-dollar bills appeared in her grandmother’s hand and they both looked at it in shock.

  “Are those real?”

  “Of course, they are real. I will provide for my child.”

  The two women exchanged a look and silently agreed to accede to T’lan’s wishes. As they passed back through the barn, Emily’s attention was drawn by the tables at the front. She stopped and admired a carved unicorn, a set of crystal door knobs, and finally, driven by curiosity, opened an old knitting bag.

  “Oh, Gran, look at these.” Inside the bag were a number of quilt squares in a combination of stripes, floral patterns, and solids, all in delicate pastels. “They’re beautiful. Do you think I could make a quilt for the baby?”

  Her grandmother hesitated, and Emily knew they were both remembering her abortive attempts to teach Emily to sew during her early teens.

  “I think I can do this,” Emily said. “They’re just squares and even I can sew a straight line.”

  “I do still have that old sewing machine. If you put the quilt top together, we could get Mrs. Stanley to quilt it. She does beautiful work.”

  Emily clasped the bag to her chest, half expecting T’lan to protest, but he remained silent. Even more than preparing a room for her, she loved the idea of creating something for her daughter. Carrying the bag with her, she accompanied her grandmother to the cash register.

  Even though Gran had that huge roll of bills in her pockets, she still insisted on bargaining with Bud. Both of them obviously enjoyed the discussion, but Emily was beginning to feel tired. She was relieved when they came to an agreement and closed the deal. Bud seemed a little surprised that they would make their own arrangements about picking everything up, but he nodded and agreed.

  Once in the car, she leaned back and closed her eyes.

  “Are you well, my L’chka?”

  “I’m fine, just a little tired.”

  His hands clasped her shoulders, gently working the tight muscles and she relaxed into his grip as Gran headed for Hendersonville and the supermarket.

  The next few weeks settled into a quiet pattern. T’lan still took the night shift so he left her bed every night after sending her body into spasms of ecstasy with his efforts to train her to accept his cock. That oddly tex
tured tongue of his never failed to send her soaring, and she learned that the base of his horns was highly sensitive. He tried to avoid kissing her, although she managed to tempt him into it a few times and the resulting encounters pushed both of them to the edge. On one occasion when he succumbed to her teasing, he had her legs parted and his cock poised at her entrance before she managed to find the strength to say no. With a frustrated growl, he slid his cock through her slick folds instead and she discovered it was as roughly textured as his tongue, sending her into an explosive climax as he erupted in a heated blue rush.

  Despite the passionate nights, their daily lives were quietly domestic. In the mornings, the warriors trained while Emily, with a lot of swearing, worked on her quilt top. Despite her assertions, sewing a straight line was harder than she remembered. In the afternoons, they worked on the nursery. T’lan and T’chok insisted on painting the walls and also did most of the cleaning, carrying and assembling.

  Given the awkwardness of the shopping expedition, Emily agreed to purchase most of the remaining items online. The UPS driver became a regular sight at their house, although that too had its challenges. Since the drivers were sent from the country rather than the town, T’lan agreed to remain cloaked so that the word of the Yehrin presence would not spread any further than necessary. That did not prevent his instinctive reaction to an assortment of strange men appearing at their door. They eventually worked out a system whereby one cloaked warrior stood on the porch, while the other waited inside the house with Emily as she opened the door. T’lan still growled if he thought one of them got too close. She just smiled and nodded when they jumped and asked if she had a dog.

  Emily’s pregnancy advanced quickly. None of her pants or shorts would fasten over her rapidly expanding stomach so the online orders started to include maternity clothes. After a lengthy discussion, Emily had asked—and T’lan had insisted—that Dr. Gaston come to the house for her subsequent appointments. He agreed readily enough. Despite the baby’s rapid growth, everything continued to proceed well, although her temperature remained on the high side. They had finally decided that it was due to the fact that Yehrin body temperature ran higher than the human standard. Even her morning sickness had disappeared, although she still stuck to ginger ale in the mornings and ginger tea throughout the day. She tired easily and ate more meat than she ever had in her life.

  By the end of the second week, the room was almost ready, and Emily was going stir crazy.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “What is wrong, my L’chka?” T’lan gave his female a worried look. She had been pacing restlessly all morning. Her finished quilt was with her neighbor, and nothing else seemed to occupy her for long.

  “I’m just so tired of this house,” she sighed.

  “You no longer like this domicile? Would you like another?” In truth, he had no desire to leave their small nest, but perhaps this was an opening. The Supreme Commander had suggested quite strongly that it was time for T’lan and M’lee to return to the ship. So far, he had not made it an outright order since M’lee was happy and in good health. T’lan had downloaded additional information about human pregnancy to his scanner, and his own scans agreed with those of the doctor. But if she was no longer happy here, perhaps…

  “No, I love this house. I just want to be able to leave it occasionally. Gran gets to go out, why can’t I?”

  “It is not safe.”

  “Why isn’t it safe? You’re going to keep me trapped here because several weeks ago a group of people stood around and looked at us?”

  T’lan didn’t know how to respond. He didn’t want to worry his little female, but based on the communications they were monitoring, the unrest in the town had not settled down. He wondered whether hiding her here had been the right approach. Perhaps if they had been more visible, the townspeople would have become accustomed and the tension would have lessened. However, he still was not prepared to take the chance that she would be upset. His only goal was to keep her content. Unfortunately, at this moment she was far from content.

  “I will consider,” he agreed reluctantly.

  “Really?” The ready water filled her eyes. That was one thing that had not diminished with her advancing pregnancy. “Thank you.”

  T’lan enclosed her in his arms and rocked her gently until she was calm again. Leaving her in the kitchen with Tribs on her lap and the Elder Female making her a cup of tea, he went to find T’chok.

  “M’lee wishes to leave.”

  T’chok looked startled. “To leave you?”

  “Of course not. She wishes to leave the domicile. She is restless.”

  A worried frown crossed the older warrior’s face.

  “I do not believe that it is a good idea.”

  “I do not, either, but the doctor insisted that she be kept happy. Have there been any signs of organized resistance?”

  “No,” T’chok admitted. “And after I brought the initial meeting to a halt, I have not detected further assemblies.” The previous week, T’chok had identified a small group of protesters gathering in one of the buildings downtown. After consultation with T’lan, they had decided not to have the humans removed. Instead, T’chok had appeared, told them not to meet again, and given them a dosage of the stun ray designed to leave them unconscious for twenty-four hours, and weak and vomiting for another forty-eight.

  “Perhaps I could take her out after dark. There should be no chance of encountering others.”

  “You know the curfew protocols for this sector are only set to vehicles. A single human would not be detected.”

  “Do you think I am incapable of handling a single human?”

  “I do not believe that I either said or implied such a thing.” T’chok raised an eyebrow. “I was going to add that our barriers can detect individual humans. Keeping her within the outer boundary would improve her safety.”

  “Perhaps, but if things are still unsettled, is it wise to appear on the streets together?” The domicile was located on a quiet street. Most of the nearby neighbors were friends with the Elder Female. They were undoubtedly aware of the Yehrin presence, but so far did not seem to be unduly disturbed by it. However, T’lan did not wish to provoke a negative reaction by flaunting his presence. Although acting so discreetly went against his every instinct as a warrior, he would not allow M’lee to be made uncomfortable.

  “What about the back forty?” T’chok suggested. M’lee used the term to refer to the land beyond the garden gate. She only laughed when they asked forty what. “There is a path along the stream. My studies of human literature indicate that a moonlit walk beside a stream is considered quite romantic.”

  T’lan eyed his sub commander. He knew that the older warrior eagerly anticipated the end of the Forbidden Cycle and the opportunity to seek a L’chka of his own, but he had not realized that his interest had extended to the point of studying human literature. T’chok’s cheeks darkened but he returned T’lan’s stare without flinching.

  “Very well,” T’lan said. “I will see if the idea appeals to M’lee.”

  He broached the subject after the evening meal. M’lee had not mentioned her request again but he had seen the longing glances she cast at the front door.

  “M’lee, would you care to take a walk along the stream?”

  “Really? Of course I would. Can we go tonight?”

  At his nod, she jumped up and rushed around the table to kiss him. Her soft lips brushed against his and his arm instinctively reached out to cradle her against him, relishing the feel of her soft curves and the gentle press of her rounded stomach.

  “Canoodling,” the Elder Female said sharply. M’lee blushed and pulled back. T’lan shot the other female an annoyed look but she returned it with one of her own. She had raised no objections to his presence in M’lee’s bedroom, but she always brought any display of affection outside the bedroom to a rapid halt.

  “We will wait until the sun has set,” he cautioned M’lee.

 
; “Okay.” She beamed at him, and T’lan decided that if this small action made her that happy, he would find a way to let her have her walks whenever she wanted.

  “You’d better put on some bug spray, sweetie. The mosquitos get fierce at night down by the stream.”

  “Mosquitos? The small flying insects?” T’lan asked

  “Yes. They bite you and take your blood and then it itches,” M’lee said.

  T’lan managed to hide his expression of disgust but T’renan was obviously appalled.

  “Don’t worry about it. I have some spray that’s very effective.” M’lee rummaged through the kitchen drawers before producing a yellow can. T’lan examined it curiously but when he translated the label, his face paled.

  “You would put poison on your skin? Absolutely not.”

  “It’s not going to poison me, just those nasty mosquitoes.”

  “No.”

  “T’lan might have a point, Emily. I think pregnant women are supposed to stay away from pesticides.”

  M’lee’s lip trembled, but she gave a determined smile. “That’s fine. I’m not going to let a few mosquito bites stop me from enjoying my walk.”

  “Sestus Five. Same problem.” T’renan interjected.

  “You have an idea, Tren?” M’lee turned eagerly to his young officer and T’lan bit back an annoyed growl at both the nickname and the action. M’lee treated the younger male with an easy affection that he did not appreciate, especially since the male watched her worshipfully every chance he got. Even though he knew it was completely harmless, if not for T’chok lecturing him, he would have challenged the male to a first blood duel by now. M’lee had just laughed and hugged him when he suggested to her that it would be better to keep a proper distance.