Alien Conquest

by Honey Phillips

  “Protect skin,” T’renan said before giving a frustrated sigh and turning to T’lan. “The emitters we used on Sestus Five,” he continued in Yehrin. “They give off ultrasonic frequencies which repel certain types of insect life. They should act the same way on these mosquitos.”

  T’lan gave the youngster a grudging nod. It was actually an excellent idea. Yehrin skin was not normally troubled by insect life but on Sestus Five, the insects were as big as a hand and extremely deadly. The emitters had been developed to keep them at bay. With a few adjustments, they should work the same way for earth insects.

  “Get one of them from the vessel and adjust it,” he ordered in Yehrin. “It must not cause any damage to larger life.”

  M’lee watched them with a puzzled frown. Perhaps it was petty, but he was quite glad that only upper level officers received the full translation protocol. Younger officers received only the bare minimum required to do their jobs—which was not enough to carry on meaningful conversations with attractive earth females.

  “T’renan believes he can modify a device to repel these insects.”

  “Oh, thank you, Tren!” M’lee gave the young officer one of her blinding smiles. At least she hadn’t tried to hug him as well. She had only made that mistake one time. Apparently seeing him with his sword at T’renan’s throat had made an impression.

  By the time T’renan had completed the modifications, dusk had fallen. T’lan stood on the rear porch, frowning into the gloom. T’chok was on guard duty and they had reviewed the codes he would use to alert T’lan to any danger. But still, he couldn’t shake the feeling of foreboding.

  “Are you ready?” M’lee asked. He turned, intending to tell her that tonight was not a good time, and forgot what he intended to say. She was wearing one of her new dresses. The silky fabric swooped low across her plump breasts, then gathered beneath them to ripple over the ripe swell of her stomach, before ending high on her thighs.

  “Do you like it?” She gave a quick spin and his mouth went dry as the dress flared out and he caught a brief flash of pink lace. The light from the kitchen turned her blonde curls into a feathery halo, her eyes sparkled, and her lips shone pink and inviting as she danced towards him. His cock stiffened automatically, but he felt an unexpected tenderness in his hearts. He could deny her nothing.

  “You are beautiful, my L’chka.”

  “Why, thank you, kind sir. You’re not so bad yourself.” M’lee leaned against him and smiled up into his face, hers completely open and trusting. He stared down at her until her cheeks turned pink.

  “T’lan, is everything alright? We are still going, aren’t we?”

  “I am thinking that I would much rather take you to my bed than share your beauty with the world,” he said slowly.

  “Well, you’re going to do that later, aren’t you?” Her voice dropped and she trailed her fingers along his stomach, just above his belt. “You know how much I’ve enjoyed your training. Maybe I’m finally ready for the real thing.”

  “M’lee, do you mean that you are ready to accept my claim?”

  The seductive look vanished, and she bit her lip nervously, but she met his eyes. “Yes, I think I am.”

  “Not right this minute,” she added hastily as he bent to sweep her up in his arms, no thought in his mind other than to claim her immediately. “Gran’s still up. And I know it’s not like we’re dating exactly, but I thought this walk would be kind of romantic and well, a special way to begin the evening.”

  Blessing T’chok for his human studies, T’lan lifted M’lee high enough to give her a careful twirl in his arms.

  “You have made me very happy, my L’chka.” The word sounded even better now that she had consented to being his. “We will take this walk. But it will not be a long one.”

  She blushed and nodded.

  Chapter Nineteen

  T’lan caught M’lee as she tripped on the undergrowth and remembered that her night vision was not as acute as his. He used his wrist com to light a path through the back of the garden, carefully avoiding their cloaked vessel. By the time they emerged beside the stream, the moon had risen. Fewer trees overhung this area and the earthen path was smooth beneath their feet. He flicked off the wrist com and let the moonlight illuminate their way, only being sure to keep himself between M’lee and the stream in case she should slip. The emitter dangling around her neck worked properly and no insects sought her blood.

  At first, she danced along beside him, chattering about some additional ideas she had for the child’s room, but gradually her voice and her steps slowed.

  “Are you tired, little one?”

  “No, just thinking. Six weeks ago, I thought my future was over. My exciting new job, my big city life, all of it gone in a flash. I felt so alone and scared. And even after I came back here, that fear never really went away. Finding out I was pregnant just made it worse. But now…” She stopped on the path and turned to him. “Now, I feel safe again. I have a future. And I’m happy. Thank you, T’lan.”

  “You never have to thank me, my L’chka. It is my privilege to care for you and our child.” He cupped his hand around the soft curve of her cheek. She leaned into it before giving it a quick kiss and pulling away. Once more she reached for his hand and they continued in silence. Just as he felt the tingle warning him that they were approaching the outer barrier, M’lee gasped.

  “Look, T’lan. There’s the park. Isn’t it beautiful?” She tried to pull him along, but he stopped. Just ahead of them, a street intercepted their path before arching over the stream. The water traveled under the bridge before cascading down into the small lake that occupied the center of the park.

  “M’lee, this is where we turn back.”

  “Turn back here? But the park is just across the street. Couldn’t we just go as far as that big tree? I want to show you something.”

  “It is not safe.”

  “Why not? There won’t be anyone in the park at night and it’s not far. See?” She pointed to a large tree that was in fact, right on the other side of the road. He didn’t see anyone else about nor could he hear anything but the water from the stream rushing over the stones and down into the lake. A breeze had picked up as the darkness increased, blowing from behind him now.

  “Please? It will only take a minute.”

  “Very well. But you will stay behind me and leave immediately when I say so.”

  “I will. I promise.”

  T’lan paused at the edge of the road, feeling exposed in the moonlight, but he could not detect anything to account for his feeling of uneasiness. His wrist com vibrated, and he knew that T’chok realized that they had passed the barrier. He sent back a quick pulse of acknowledgement. Once across the road, it was only a few steps before they were beneath the branches of the tree. Now that they were no longer so exposed, he listened intently but all he could hear was the racing of water over the stones as it tumbled down into the lake.

  M’lee pulled him over to the trunk. “This is what I wanted to show you.”

  The trunk of the tree was covered with small diagrams, letters carved inside curved shapes.

  “What is this?”

  “We call it the love tree. It’s traditional to carve your initials on it. Even mine are on here.” She pointed to a ragged shape with two small letters inside.

  “E and M?” he translated.

  “Yes,” she giggled. “When we were ten years old, Martin Brierly carved our initials into the tree. He said he would love me forever. Unfortunately, right after we turned eleven, he fell in love with Lisa Washington, and by the time we got to high school, he turned into a complete jerk.”

  “Another male staked a claim on you?” His vision started to go red.

  “We were just children, T’lan. No other male had a claim on me, only you.”

  Ignoring her words, he raised his wrist com and sent out a blast of flame, obliterating the marks in one controlled pulse.

  “Um, okay. I guess you didn’
t appreciate that childhood memory.”

  “I am the only one who has a claim on you, M’lee.” He gestured at the tree. “This is a human custom?”

  “Not a serious one,” she hurried to explain. “It’s something you do when you are young and in love.”

  “When you are dating?”

  “I suppose so. Sometimes.”

  Without another word, he turned back to the tree and raised his com. This time he used a thin stream of flame to carve a design deep into the wood. He took his time, ensuring that the mark was worthy of her. She watched silently until he lowered his wrist.

  “That’s beautiful, T’lan. Does it mean something?”

  “It says M’lee, L’chka of T’lan.” He traced the characters as he spoke.

  “You really are the sweetest man, I mean Yehrin. Thank you.” Her eyes glittered before she buried her face in his chest and hugged him.

  “I am glad this is a happy memory for you, M’lee.” The feel of her soft body nestled against him stoked his desire. “It is time to return. I grow impatient for my L’chka’s delicious cunt.”

  Even in the dappled moonlight under the tree, he saw her cheeks turn pink, but she nodded.

  “I’m ready.”

  Together they walked out from under the tree.

  “I love this place. I’m glad that in one way we will be always be here together.”

  She gestured over the park and he followed her hand. The moon cast a shimmering path over the water of the small lake that meandered off across the park. Beyond a stretch of grass on the far shore, forested slopes rose quickly to become part of the rolling foothills that surrounded Elmwood. The dark peaks of the mountains were barely visible against the starry sky. On this side of the lake a paved walkway curved along the water’s edge before passing some small shelters tucked into the gentle slope.

  The wind shifted and he caught a fragment of sound. Every sense alert, he straightened, straining for some clue as to the source of the noise. Was that a glimpse of movement in the shadows beneath one of the buildings?

  “M’lee, we need to leave—”

  “T’lan,” she cried and grabbed his hand. “The baby.”

  Instantly diverted, he turned to her. “What is it? Is something wrong?”

  “No,” she said. Tears streamed down her cheeks, glittering in the moonlight. “She’s moving! Here.” She held his hand over her stomach, and he froze. For a second, he felt nothing but then something prodded his hand. His hearts pounded.

  “Is that… is that?” He couldn’t get the words out.

  “Yes, that’s our baby. Isn’t it wonderful?”

  Awestruck, he swallowed and rubbed his hand along the curve of the stomach, searching for the sensation again. Emily’s whole face was alive with happiness. Just as he bent to kiss her, he felt something brush against him and she went limp in his arms.

  For a stunned moment, he stared down at her, not sure what had happened. But then he saw the trickle of blood from her hairline and realized that she had been hit by a thrown object. Her eyes were closed, her body still, and he wanted to roar a protest. The Ancestors could not be cruel enough to grant him everything he had ever wanted and then snatch it away again. He was a warrior, trained to handle any situation—his hands never trembled but they trembled now as he sought her pulse. Relief filled him as he felt it pumping strongly beneath his fingertips, but rage immediately eclipsed his relief. He heard the voices clearly now, rapidly approaching his position.

  “Got her, got that little whore.” The ugly human voice was filled with satisfaction.

  “He’s all alone. Come on boys,” another urged.

  “Goddamn aliens think they can take over our country.”

  “Where’s your gun, Jimmy? Blast that motherfucker.” A roar of sound followed. He felt the impact on his shoulder but didn’t flinch. Instead, he curved his body around M’lee’s as he nestled her carefully between the roots of the tree where she would be protected. Ignoring the advancing humans, he ran the scanner over her, relieved that it did not indicate any damage other than the minor abrasion.

  “You missed, dummy. Shoot him again.”

  Satisfied that M’lee would be safe while he avenged her honor, he straightened and stepped quickly out from under the tree to move the fight away from her location. The group of human males stopped as he emerged into full view. A few of them looked worried but the rest were swollen with a false sense of superiority. More than half of them had the primitive earth guns, two had wooden clubs, and the rest held knives and other weapons. With a flick of his wrist, he drew his sword.

  “Look at that, bringing that fancy knife to a gunfight.” Another blast of sound was followed by a sharp pain that seared his left bicep. Ignoring it, he grinned viciously and stalked forward, battle lust pulsing through his veins.

  “You can’t win this one, you cock sucker.” Another blast but he twisted aside in time.

  “That sucker is fast,” one of the men with a knife said nervously.

  “Not fast enough. And once we’re done with him, we can all take a turn with little miss prim and proper before we cut that alien bastard from her.”

  He let the battle rage take him. As he raced forward, another bullet passed through his side, but he barely felt it. His first swing removed the head from the nearest man. A club swung at his head, shattering across his temple before he grabbed the hand holding the broken end and twisted it, breaking the human’s arm. The human screamed but his sword ended the annoying noise. He lowered his head and rammed another man, breaking him across his horns. As he reared back, he caught another man with the pointed tips and sent him flying to land with a wet thump. More impacts shook his body and a slice of fire raced across his arm, but they were insignificant beneath the intensity of his rage. Two more humans broke beneath his sword and another to his horns. They were panicking now, starting to retreat, but he had no mercy in him. He used one hand to slice a jugular while his foot kicked out to disembowel another man. All of them fell before him.

  Battle lust still racing through his veins, he surveyed the fallen bodies and roared with satisfaction. A soft moan from behind him alerted him that M’lee was regaining consciousness. He raced back to gather her into his arms, his hands leaving a crimson trail everywhere he touched. Her eyes fluttered open, trying to focus on him.

  “What—what happened? T’lan, you’re bleeding.”

  “It’s not important.” His blood sang in his veins, demanding the reward for his victory. M’lee was his—he had fought the battle, he had won her by right of conquest. His cock throbbed, urging that he take her now. He retained enough rational thought to know that they were too exposed where they were. He had to get her to a safe place before he could claim her.

  “You’re mine, L’chka,” he growled, barely recognizing his own voice.

  “Yes, my warrior.”

  He stood with her still in his arms. Her eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of the carnage behind him. “T’lan, what’s that?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” he snapped, strung too tightly to be patient. He tucked her head into his shoulder and began to run. The path flashed beneath his feet but all he was conscious of was the warm body in his arms, her swollen breasts and ripe stomach pressed against his chest, spiking his arousal ever higher. He ran faster, flying by his vessel and through the back gate. As soon as they were inside the fence, one hand flicked to his belt as he turned the inner barrier solid. T’chok appeared at the back of the domicile.

  “Commander—”

  “Go,” he roared, his hand reaching for his sword, and the other male disappeared without another word.

  As carefully as he could with every nerve alive, he laid M’lee down in a section of soft grass. She didn’t protest, only watched him with enormous eyes as he flung his belt to one side before ripping off the rest of his clothes. Flowering shrubs partially concealed them from the house but like his barbarian ancestors, he would have taken her in full view of his wa
rriors. His only concern was to get inside her as quickly as possible. He came down over her.

  “You are mine now.”

  Chapter Twenty

  T’lan loomed above her, his face savage and completely alien, his horns blocking out the stars. To one side she could see a grey barrier surrounding the yard. It caught her attention, but only for a minute before she focused on her warrior. Blood trailed from beneath one horn and more blood dripped from a ragged wound on one shoulder. She caught sight of more wounds before he lowered his body.

  “T’lan, you’re hurt.”

  “No matter. I fought for you, M’lee. You are mine.”

  Her senses still whirled. One minute they had been sharing their joy at the baby’s movement, the next she was lying beneath the tree. She had a brief glimpse of his body in deadly motion when she had awakened and raised her head. A spray of crimson drops arched against the night before she lost consciousness again. The next time she opened her eyes, T’lan was there, fierce and triumphant as she instinctively responded. As they raced back to the house, his musky scent overwhelming her and her nipples pressed against that firm chest, a low pulse started between her legs. Now her pulse thrummed and her whole body sang with desire.

  His hands grasped her head, holding her still as his tongue invaded her mouth. There was no other word for it. He opened her, explored her, took complete possession. She arched up against him, no thought of refusal in her mind, only seeking to get closer to him. He lifted slightly and ran a claw down the center of her dress, letting the sides fall open in the grass and leaving her in nothing but a small pair of lace panties. His eyes glowed brilliant green and gold.

  “Beautiful.” His head dipped and his mouth fastened on one swollen breast. He didn’t hesitate, didn’t kiss her gently, he just opened his mouth and pulled her aching flesh deep. His hand went to her other breast, squeezing it, working the nipple with his fingers, rolling it tightly. None of it was gentle, all of it was overwhelming, and she didn’t care. She arched further, aching for more and trying to rub her slick folds against him as she searched for something to fill her empty pussy. His mouth moved from one breast to the other, sucking hard, and his hand went down to slice open her panties, his finger stroked deep between those aching folds and pleasure overwhelmed her.