Stealing Shiloh

by K. A Knight

  Real classy, Shiloh.

  “What…were you guys doing that made you all hot and shit,” I blurt, finally finding my voice. “Can I…I mean, could I? Umm…”

  What’s the word, what’s the word? Brain, please work again.

  May!

  “May I join you?”

  Cryk raises one dark eyebrow as he squares his shoulders to face me, pumping his pectoral muscles in a seductive dance, one after the other like a weird ass mating call. Trov crosses his arms over his huge chest, his ab muscles flexing, the tug of a grin pulling at his lips. Joss doesn’t hold back, running his hands through his messy hair while running his thumbs along the seam of his pants. And Nul? He’s got his hands shoved into his pockets, looking at the floor as if something very interesting is happening there.

  There’s not, I checked.

  “I don’t know if we should,” Cryk teases. “I’m not sure she’s ready.”

  “Yeah. Our mate could use some more food before taking on something like this,” Joss adds. “What do you think, Trov?”

  Trov merely growls and inclines his head towards me.

  Typical Trov, growling more than he speaks. One day, I’ll have to make a chart of what each growl means.

  “Okay. But first put these on.” Cryk throws some clothes at my face. “Get dressed and meet us in the cafeteria. There’s something we want to show you.” He wiggles his eyebrows then lowers his voice, and purrs, “It’s in my pants,” while pointing to his crotch, as if I didn’t know where his pants were. I look again, blushing harder.

  A nervous giggle escapes my lips. Man, they must think I’m an idiot. My eyes burn as I try not to look at the outline of their huge dicks pressed against their pants again. Because all their gazes are on me, so they’d know what I was looking at.

  “Come on, Klan,” Trov says, backing up. “Our mate needs space, and we need to shower and dress.”

  Cryk winks. “See you soon, little flyer.”

  Joss smiles at me, and Nul acts as if I don’t even exist as they leave my room through separate doors in each section.

  Note to self—ask guys about these secret entrances.

  Once the doors close and I’m sure I’m alone again, I put down the cup and toss the clothing on my bed and walk over to my bathroom area. I step inside the shower, but can’t figure how to turn the damn thing on. Dozens of buttons and levers taunt me. Last time I pushed buttons randomly, I blew up a ship and made us float around the bridge like some weird ass version of alien bumper cars.

  Shrugging, I abandon the idea of finally being clean and grab the nanobots jug. From the moment the green liquid touches my lips, I feel the tingle of the bots working. After a minute, I spit it out, and sure as shit, it’s dark brown and disgusting, just like last time.

  Now that my mouth is fresh, I reach down and pull off my nightgown. Watching my reflection in the mirror, I notice I’ve lost weight since I’ve been here. I guess three days with only a liquid diet will do that to a girl. I’ve literally starved every day minus the occasional cup of Tackaryn or bottle of water. My breasts haven’t lost any mass though, still hanging heavily from my chest. It’s my belly and neck where I can really see a change. And I don’t like it.

  Stalking back to my bed, I lay out the outfit in front of me. It’s hard to describe, but it reminds me of workout gear. Soft pink material slips down over my head, just covering my boobs like a sports bra. It has thick straps that start from each end and cross over my chest to my back, where they cross again before latching onto the other side. A zipper rests between my tits, which I pull up to close. The top stretches over my boobs and I worry my girls just might fall the fuck out if I’m not careful.

  The bottoms slip over my hips like little bootie shorts, complete with a fucking ruffle on my ass. Looking closer, I see words sprawled across my cheeks in sparkly writing.

  Klan Avuk.

  Laughing to myself, I walk back over to the vanity and sit. I brush my hair then style it into a fishtail braid that hangs over one shoulder, but I don’t have a hair tie to bind the end. Glancing around the vanity for anything I might use, my eyes land on the unopened drawers. They beckon me to look inside and see what pink horrors hide within. Pulling them open, I find a hair dryer, straightener, curling iron, and loads of other hair items I’ve never even seen.

  Another drawer is filled with makeup kits, scrunchies, hair ties, and a tray filled with nail polish of every shade of pink, I shiver in horror at that. I grab a hair tie—pink, of course—and fix it to my braid.

  Bottles fill the lower cabinet. I find mousse, hairspray, and copious amounts of glitter spray. There is also lotion, perfume, and…waffle flavoured lube?

  The aliens put a bottle of waffle flavoured lube in my vanity…

  The thought makes me burst out laughing. Tears spring from my eyes as I picture each one of them, and I wonder whose bright idea this was. My bet is on Trov or Cryk.

  “Oh, hell,” I mutter to myself, still laughing while closing the drawers. “These guys are gonna kill me.” Standing, I head over to the wardrobe and pull open the doors.

  “Socks and shoes, socks and shoes,” I mumble, while sliding open the drawers. Finding none, I shrug and head into the elevator thingy. The guys said to meet them in the cafeteria, but how do I get there?

  The doors close, locking me in, and the tablet taunts me to press its buttons. Memories of antigravity give me pause to press any.

  Though I did manage to destroy an enemy ship before screwing up.

  Just as I’m about to poke a random button, the contraption moves. A few seconds later, the doors open, and I find myself staring at my Klan already seated around the table.

  “Saw you were lost,” Joss notes casually. “Thought I’d help you out.”

  “Thanks, Joss.” I smile at him, and he pats the open seat next to him.

  “I took the liberty of ordering for you, seeing as I’ve noticed you’ve yet to eat since you’ve been here.” Joss lifts a golden lid from the plate in front of me.

  “You got me pizza!” I scream, bouncing and clapping like an idiot in my chair. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” I wrap my arms around him and plant a huge kiss on his cheek. “Pizza, my old friend, how I’ve missed you. I’m going to destroy you,” I whisper, as I turn back and stare at the food.

  “You’re welcome, Shiloh,” Joss responds with a chuckle, as my eyes take in the beauty before me. Filled with pepperoni, the steaming hot pizza beckons me. I grab a slice and take a huge bite, knowing full well I’ll get a cheese burn on the roof of my mouth.

  But I don’t fucking care.

  “Mmm,” I groan, my eyes closing in delight. “Joss, this is fucking delicious.”

  “Well, shit,” Cryk gripes. “If I’d have known I could get her to moan like that by giving her food, I would’ve done it two sun rotations ago.”

  I ignore him and savour the melted cheese, salty pepperoni, garlicky sauce, and soft crust. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a better piece of pizza,” I admit after swallowing. “Back at Harvest House, our pizzas were always frozen and then baked in an oven. We never had it fresh like this.”

  I take another bite and try to stifle a groan but fail. I just can’t help it. This pizza is that fucking good.

  “I can think of a few other ways to make you moan, little flyer.” Cryk winks and wiggles his eyebrows. I level him with a glare, even though I find what he’s proposing quite appealing. Picturing a naked Cryk above me, sheathing his thickness inside me, makes my cheeks blush again.

  Goddamned pale skin.

  It’s a dead giveaway to how I’m feeling, even if I can manage a straight face. Cryk’s smug grin tells me that he knows exactly where my mind went. Wanting to change the subject, I slide my plate to Cryk. “Take a bite and you’ll see.”

  Cryk mutters something that sounds an awful lot like, “I’ll take a bite out of you,” but picks up a slice and stuffs the entire thing into his mouth. “Mmm,” he moans loudly. “I—�
� Chew. “Stand—” Chew. “Corrected.” Cryk’s throat works as he swallows his huge bite. “This is vekking amazing.”

  Trov snatches a piece and takes a tentative bite. His eyes widen, his eyebrows shooting up. “Vekk me. I see why our mate reacted the way she did. Joss, Nul, try it.”

  Soon we’re all moaning around our slices of pizza, it’s like a weird pizza porno.

  Note to self—try sex with pizza sometime.

  The moment warms my heart. Sitting around a table like this, talking, laughing, and eating pizza, makes me feel at home. Memories of doing this exact same thing at the Harvest House filter through my mind…and with it, memories of my girls.

  God, I miss them. A lot.

  Noticing my change in demeanour, Joss grips my shoulder and asks, “You okay?”

  “Yeah. I just…I miss my friends,” I murmur.

  “The girls you lived with back on Earth?” he questions, face filled with understanding.

  “Yeah. I was with them my whole life. Twenty years with their company, and then one day, they are just taken away from me.” My eyes blur with tears, and my throat burns with sadness. I try to hide my emotions from them, not wanting them to see me as weak or a burden.

  Joss speaks softly while holding my hand. “It’s okay to be sad.”

  “I-It is?”

  “Sure. If my Klan were taken away from me one day, I’d be devastated. But, Shiloh, they are not gone forever. All your friends are here on Oxious somewhere, and with your mates being generals, odds are we will run into them again someday.”

  “You really think so?” I inquire hopefully, lifting my eyes to meet his. Does he really believe this? That someday I’ll get my family back?

  Joss wipes away a rogue tear that’s trickling down my cheek. “I do.”

  “Cheer up, little flyer!” Cryk chimes in. “We have a surprise for you.”

  “What is it?” I ask, smiling through the tears.

  He glances at the guys then back to me. “We’re going planet side.”

  I squeal, jumping up and down.

  “I think our mate likes this idea,” Trov comments with a chuckle. “But you cannot go out there without foot protection.”

  I look down at my bare feet, feeling embarrassed. “There were no shoes in my room.”

  “I-I can help.” Nul stands and walks to the replicator. “Place your foot inside.” I try to swing my leg up there, but almost fall on my ass and grip Nul’s shoulder to keep from tumbling.

  “Sorry,” I say quickly, pulling my hand off.

  “It’s okay. Here, let me help.” Nul wraps one arm around my back and uses the other to lift my leg into place. His hand warms my skin, making me shiver at his proximity. I try to hide my reaction, knowing he doesn’t see me like that, and concentrate on his words instead. “Sparring shoes,” he tells the replicator. The light flashes, and a second later, a pink shoe is on my foot.

  “Cool!”

  We repeat the process on my other foot, leaving me with two pink shoes to match my pink outfit.

  Good grief. I look like a pink cock spunked all over me.

  The trip to the loading dock is quick, and before I know it, J-Lo’s doors are opening.

  “Wow!” I exclaim excitedly, as bright sun filters inside. Trov takes my hand and guides me out the door. Once my eyes adjust to the light, I see we’re standing in front of a huge wall that seems to go on for miles. “What is that?”

  “An unok,” Trov answers. “All great cities are protected by an unok. It keeps its citizens safe and those who are unwelcome out.”

  “Unwelcome? Like other aliens like the Yarek?” I question, remembering the name they called the aliens who attacked us yesterday, the same ones who tried to destroy Earth several decades ago.

  Cryk pulls up to my other side, grabbing my free hand. “The Yarek and the Drykken, among other things.”

  Trov signals someone high up at the top of a huge set of doors and they begin to slide open.

  “What are Drykken?” I ask.

  “Klanless Totiv. When a Klan dismembers, usually due to a death, it does something to the remaining members. They become unstable. Drykken are a rogue group of Totiv who have no Klans. They fight, steal, and even kill with no remorse or regret. They don’t care who they hurt or what they destroy as long as it benefits them. They often seek out mates from other Klans to use as they see fit. So stay close when outside a city’s gate.”

  I gulp as fear winds through me for a moment, lessening my excitement. “Okay.”

  “Behind the unok is the warrior city of Lorenthis,” Trov chimes in, trying to distract me. “Lorenthis is where our batil train and where our warriors live. Inside the wall, you will see many mated Klans as well as those still looking for their mates.”

  The looming gates open and Trov pulls me inside. “Bleh, the stink of the fres is potent today.”

  “Fres? What is that?”

  “I got this one,” Cryk says. “The fres are male human servants. They tend to the needs of the Klans. Shopping, cleaning, escorting, delivering messages…”

  “Gotcha.” My mind wanders as we pass small huts with human men scurrying about. Some are dragging wagons full of supplies behind them, while others push barrels filled with cleaning equipment. “Where are we going?” I inquire, feeling a bit uneasy with the attention my Klan is drawing.

  It’s only now, when I take a good look at Joss walking ahead of us, that I see why. My Klan looks formidable. They are huge and intimidating with their red wings and horns, and blazing red skin. Blue sashes I haven’t noticed before cross their chests from one shoulder to the opposite hip. They aren’t wearing anything even remotely similar to me, and I don’t just mean because it’s pink. If I had to guess, I’d say they are dressed up in some type of alien suit.

  Fuck, they look hot.

  I glance behind me to see where Nul is. Our gazes connect, and he quickly looks away. I wonder what I’ve done to upset him, or if he just plain doesn’t like me.

  Note to self—ask other mates about Nul when alone with one of them.

  Sighing, I turn back as we weave down a stone path, through the servants’ huts, and past small homes. Joss falls back to take Cryk’s place by my side and rattles off information to me about Lorenthis. He tells me about its history and population. He points out the buildings as we pass and tells me their function. I’m not sure if he’s doing this to teach me or to make himself more comfortable.

  My skin begins to sweat as the twin suns heat it, starting to burn me. “Are we almost there?” I hate that I’m whining, but my pale ass has to get out of this sun before I turn into a tomato.

  Trov looks down at me and chuckles. “Impatient, mate?”

  “I just don’t want to burn,” I tell him. “I can already feel my skin reddening.”

  “We’re here!” Cryk shouts from a few feet ahead of us.

  I glance up at the huge building that seems to float before me, casting its welcome shadow down upon us. A giant ramp leads us up to a massive archway open to the air surrounding it. “What is this place?” I query in awe.

  Trov grins. “This, mate, is the Olin training temple.”

  Fifteen

  Shiloh

  I stand there and gawk, I can’t help it. This was not what I was expecting. Down below, past rows and rows of seating, is a flat, football field sized area. It’s filled with women of all shapes, sizes, and colours in various states of undress. All of them are fighting, training, and looking like a bunch of female warrior badasses—like I wish I did, instead of a walking Barbie doll. There’s an obstacle course, dummies, a leader board, and so much more spread across the arena.

  Looking around at the facility, which has spared no expense, I wonder what the purpose of this place is. Is it for us to learn to fight? To train? Did my Klan bring me here to see what I am truly made of? Do they think I’m not good enough for them and want me to prove my worth battling others?

  I bet Nul is behind this.

&n
bsp; He hasn’t so much as sneezed in my direction since we got off the ship, and he was all too eager to fit me with shoes…

  Sneaky little alien bastard. I’ll show him.

  This is when I wish I was a badass like Carmen. I might not be as strong or agile as her, but I sure as shit can handle myself. After this display of obvious doubt, I’ve never been more determined to prove it to them—to Nul. Keeping my face clear of emotion, I straighten my shoulders and lift my chin as the heat from the suns burn down on me from the open top of the Olin. I want to make my Klan, my generals, proud. I also want to make myself proud.

  “Can I join in?” I inquire confidently, looking at them over my shoulder.

  Joss watches me with a raised eyebrow and a smirk on his face. “Yes, you may go. Use any piece of equipment you want, but don’t go to the square in the corner. That’s for sparring. Before you can spar, you have to be paired up with another female first to assess your skills. Once that has been established, you can fight your partner whenever you want.” I turn away and nod, looking over at the women below. Some have some alien characteristics which throw me, like a tail or horns…will I get them when we mate?

  Wait…what if I get wings?

  How fucking cool would it be to have wings!

  Note to self—ask any mate but Nul when I’m getting wings.

  “Go, have fun.” Trov pushes me gently, so I take a deep breath and slip down to the arena. I pass rows of seating and the different coloured aliens sitting there, intently watching their mates. I come up to a fence which surrounds the sunken training arena…but I can’t see a way down, so I vault the barrier and land on the solid ground with a thunk. One girl looks over, but she dismisses me and returns to pummelling a punching bag which is actively trying to attack her.