A Very Alien Christmas

by Skye MacKinnon

  Only two hours into the talent show, and I already wish to return to my ship. It’s not that I don’t find the females of our race attractive; they just don’t give me the urge to mate with them. Perfectly reasonable if you ask me, although my brother Zante might say differently. “How many females entered this competition?” I groan as I recline back on a large rock platform. “This is getting ridiculous.”

  “Where’s your sense of adventure, Zay?” Zante chuckles from where he sits beside me. In between us is a small oval disk that holds thin tubes, each one holding a red liquid that, if we drink enough of it, will send our heads spinning into the galaxies.

  I fold my arms as I watch the current female, whose name I’ve already forgotten, clamber off the tall stage and enter the throng of the females that didn’t make it to the final round. “I have an adventurous side. It’s just at home.”

  “You call that little red dingy your home?” Zante turns to scoff at me, then shakes his head. His gray eyes dart back to the stage as we wait for the next female.

  My jaw clicks twice before I answer my brother. He’s always considered SaxZon home and has always had an issue with where I called home. My hovercraft is mine, and I don’t have to share it with anyone. At least now it will belong to me and a female of my choosing. “Yes, it’s my home, and I expect you to respect it.”

  Zante stiffens where he sits beside me and grows quiet, the smirk on his lips faltering. The stars above our heads dwindle, and the stage goes black. I hear footsteps and choose to ignore whatever my brother might say as a radiant spotlight clicks on and shines down on the female that has just stepped up on stage.

  My two hearts begin to race in double time. I drop my arms and perch forward, half wanting to hop down from where I sit and half tempted to run up on stage and throw my arms around the female. I haven’t seen her in eight years, and she’s changed so much. Her aura seems brighter, more alive than it had been before. Still calling mine to join as one, tempting me to throw caution to the wind.

  “Easy, brother,” Zante hisses in a low voice. “She has to compete just like the rest of them.”

  Zante knows I’ve been looking forward to watching one of the few human females in this competition. After all, Mother promised me she would be here tonight. It’s the only thing I’ve looked forward to these past eight years.

  “It’s her, brother,” I whisper quietly as she glances around nervously before being gestured by our Mother, who stands on the sidelines, and opens her mouth to speak.

  “The girl you brought home to Mother?” Zante asks curiously, although I can tell just from his voice how disinterested he seems to be in her.

  My head bobs. “Trixie.” Her name sends my hearts fluttering. Trixie has her mouth open, but no sound comes out. My eyebrows pull together into a frown. Why isn’t she speaking?

  Trixie sends a nervous look over to Mother and smiles. I turn my gaze to where Mother stands with our sister, Zona giving her a thumbs-up. Trixie nods and turns her face back to where my brother and I are sitting. “Hello. My name is Trixie, and I’ll be singing one of Katy Perry’s hit songs, E.T.” I arch an eyebrow, and then she opens her mouth to sing. This time, words flow out, and the entire expanse of the room is hushed as her song tangles with the air.

  Trixie’s silver dress twinkles as she stops singing and turns, walking off the stage. My hearts are in my throat. She sang like an angel. My very own personal star.

  A tinkling sound echoes behind me, and I have to blink several times, realizing that I all but stood up as if to run to Trixie’s side. I whirl on my heels to find my brother ringing a little green bell. “We have our winners. Latesha and Trixie!” Zante smiles, and my blood roars in my ears. “Congratulations to the fine ladies. We invite all the rest of the females to join our eligible warriors in the next room over.”

  As the room clears out, I stare my brother down. “You better want Latesha.” She is one of Zona’s best friends, and I can’t imagine Zante wishing to settle down with her.

  He gives me a sly smile. “You know the final round brother. It doesn’t matter which female is ours unless they can please us.”

  My hands curl into fists at my sides. “Zante, if you take Trixie from me—”

  “You’ll do what, brother?” His eyes flash a bright yellow as he jumps down and stands directly in front of me. “If she chooses me, will you doom her to live barren without an heir to the crown by rejecting her?”

  My jaw clicks several times as I look away first and try to take a few deep breaths to simmer the urge to pummel Zante to a pulp. “You know I would never do that.”

  Unfortunately, whether I like it or not, the fate of SaxZon rests in my loins to have an heir. Regardless if I love my female companion or not.

  Trixie

  “That was hot!” Zona shouts as soon as I step off the stage. She wraps me in her embrace and tries to suffocate me. I pat her back a couple times, and then she loosens her hold. “You didn’t tell me you could sing!”

  I grin as she pulls back and stands next to Mother Z, who gives me an encouraging smile. “You never asked.”

  The smile falls from my lips when my name is called, along with Latesha’s. We’re in the final round. My face pales as I stare at Mother Z. “What happens now?”

  “Now, you’ll go into a room and—”

  Mother Z cuts Zona off with a look to be quiet, and then her eyes flicker to me. “You get to meet my sons.” She offers her elbow, and I take it, perplexed when Zona remains where she stands with a sullen look on her face as we head into the opposite direction.

  Mother Z stops us just outside a bright blue curtained entryway. “Regardless of who you choose tonight, Trixie, know that you will always be a member of this family.” She turns and cups my face, kissing both my cheeks, before gesturing me to step forward.

  I turn and push away the curtain, stopping short when I spy two muscular, dark-skinned men reclining on beds made of dirt, vines, and branches. I swallow hard. They resemble Zona, their twin sister, and Latesha is kneeling before them on the floor. Latesha gives me a smile and turns to address the opposing men in the room.

  “Thank you for joining us this evening, ladies,” the first man speaks and holds a thin glass filled to the brim with a red liquid. Alcohol that is very deadly to humans—at least, that’s what I’ve been told. The alcohol for the Starlings doesn’t set well with the immune system humans have; thus, I’ve never had a drink in my life. “We’re delighted to let you know that we chose you out of all the eligible females on SaxZon.”

  He has darker gray eyes and smooth skin and is sporting a grin. The other man off to his left seems troubled, with light blue-green eyes that somehow seem familiar. An ethereal glow seems to pulsate around them, along with Latesha.

  Starlings have the blood of the stars running through their veins. The history of the Starling race began long ago, when the stars became jealous of the humans on Earth. With their abilities, the stars formed the Starling race, and while most live on SaxZon, a particular world created to suit their needs, some went off into the unknown galaxies, never to be seen or heard from again. Most people on Earth depicted aliens as these heavenly bodies, these ethereal creatures. Yet I saw these Starling aliens as people with feelings and emotions just like humans. I didn’t see myself superior to them, just as the Starling species didn’t see me as a threat. We coexisted in peace, something I wish the people of Earth could do, especially after watching the planet from a distance and learning about all the wrongness of the world I’d been born on.

  Latesha rocks back and forth on her knees as I take a seat beside her on the floor. “What would you have us do for the final round?” Even Latesha seems unaware of what is to come, and that somewhat eases the tension building between my shoulder blades. I thought I was the only one not knowing what was going on.

  “My name is Zante,” the one with dark gray eyes says before gesturing to his brother. “And my brother’s name is Zayton. If you can please o
ne of us, then you will win.”

  “And if we don’t?” I blurt out. Latesha’s wide eyes turn toward me, then she shakes her head. But I can’t help it; it’s always been in my nature to speak when not asked. A habit Mother Z has tried and failed to cure me of.

  Zante smiles and gestures for us to stand. “Believe me. You will please one of us. Come.” He offers me his elbow.

  I go to reach out to entwine my arm with his, but his brother is already on his feet, shoving Zante out of the way and grasping my forearm gently. Lightspeed is something only certain aliens can do, much like with abilities such as telekinesis. Some can wield such powers; others can’t. It seems Zona isn’t the only one who can use lightspeed; her brothers can too.

  “Allow me to guide you to our private room.” Zayton’s voice is low but sends chills down my exposed arms as he moves forward at a leisurely pace, more than likely for my benefit. He gestures for me to step past the archway.

  The room is dark except for the soft glow from the stars over our heads. No structures on SaxZon have a ceiling. We welcome all the seasons and sleep beneath the stars. Zayton’s grip loosens, and he steps away from me. His silhouette casts a glow from his ethereal form as he turns to look at me. “You have one hour to please me, Trixie.”

  My name rolls off his tongue, and I try not to shudder, feeling my legs tremble beneath the skintight dress that hugs my curves in all the right places.

  Only an hour to please him? What am I supposed to do?

  Zayton

  I remain where I stand in the center of the room, arms folded, waiting for Trixie to do something—anything—to please me. She doesn’t move an inch from where she is and continues to give me perplexed looks. “What am I supposed to do?” Her voice is quiet, and her dark eyelashes lower a little, as if she finds it hard to look at me.

  “Please me in any way that you wish.” Even as I say it, my double hearts seem to thunder loudly in my ears. Trixie could be seductive; she could have me wrapped around her pinky finger. Yet all she does is stand in my presence, and somehow, it pleases me. It pleases me to know that she thinks we are equals and that she trusts me to not to harm her while we are alone in a room together.

  Trixie looks me up and down, chewing on her bottom lip. My jaw tics a couple times the more I stare at her. She looks like one of my ancestors created by the heavenly stars. The dress accentuates an hourglass figure to her mid-thigh; the v-neckline plunges down so that it shows off the middle of her chest and down to her belly button. I lick my suddenly dry lips, for just staring at her as my blood roaring in my veins.

  “How do I do that?” Trixie asks, and I have to flicker my gaze to her face to avoid staring at her body any more than I already am. I don’t wish to frighten her; I’ve been on Earth enough to know that most girls don’t enjoy being stared at.

  I drop my arms and hold out my hands. “While I much prefer just listening to your voice, my brother, on the other hand, prefers skin contact to what a beautiful being like you has to say.”

  Her cheeks flush red, and a soft smile curves her lips. “Good thing I didn’t go with him, then.” She smooths out an invisible wrinkle in her dress to occupy her hands. She’s nervous, and my sensitive hearing picks up her heart beating just as loud and fast as mine are. “I doubt I would know what to do. I’m only here because your mother made me.” Her smile falters slightly.

  Trixie’s statement hurts but not enough to where I don’t want to be in her presence any longer. I can’t begin to understand how she must feel, being a human and living on SaxZon, only to discover that she’s been destined to be at my side for an infinite amount of time. My soulmate. “I understand.”

  Her eyes widen in surprise as she stares at me. “You do?”

  I give her another smile and nod gently. “My mother has her best interests at heart. She prefers certain females to be paired with her sons.”

  “So, she’s a picky eater in a way,” Trixie muses out loud. I arch a dark eyebrow, waiting for her to continue. “Your mother is picky when it comes to women just as a picky eater won’t eat certain vegetables.”

  “In a sense, then, yes.”

  My head tilts, and I can feel an energy shift in the air. Next door, in the room we had momentarily been occupying with my brother and Latesha, the two are already creating little Starlings. The thought makes my stomach sour.

  “Something wrong?” I blink and find that Trixie has inched forward and placed a hand on my forearm. Her concern for my well-being makes my hearts soar.

  “It is nothing. Just be grateful it is me you are speaking with and not my brother.” I stare down at Trixie, and her hand drops away. I ache to have her cool hands touch my body, for I feel the burn where her fingers have grazed my skin.

  She takes a small step backward. “I can imagine. Latesha has a way with words.” She smiles at me again, and my heart does a flip in my chest. I want her. I need her. She’s pleasing me enough just by having a pleasant conversation with me and giving me her angelic smile.

  “You’ve pleased me.” My voice is low, and I can feel my members straining at the fabric around my waist. Starling men always wear a cloth around our hips, never a shirt or pants as I wore on Earth.

  Trixie stares at me in shock. “But…all we did was talk.”

  “My dear angel.” I move forward and reach out, cradling her face gently in my palms. Her breathing hitches as she stares up at me, her lips parted slightly. “That is what I crave. A companion I can share my mind, body, and soul with.” I angle my head down and capture her mouth with my own.

  I savor the sweet taste of her. She reaches out to grasp my forearms. At first, I fear she’s going to push me away, but she does the opposite. Trixie pulls me closer and hooks a leg around my hip, encasing our bodies together. Unable to help myself, I use lightspeed, wrapping my arms around her back and slamming us against the wall, keeping her pinned against me.

  Trixie lets out a gasp and rests her head against the wall, and I lean back to give her some room. My members pulsate with a need to release, to be embedded in her deeply until she screams my name to the high heavens of the galaxies and beyond.

  My head bends to her ear, and I nibble it gently, whispering in a soft voice that causes goosebumps across her skin, “You’ve won.”

  Trixie

  “Make sure you call me every day on the screen pad.” Zona throws her arms around me and crushes herself against my body. I breathe in her familiar scent of water and pine. I’ll miss her, but it’s not like I’m going away forever. I’ll be spending the remainder of what consists of a honeymoon phase with Zayton on the spaceship he calls home.

  We stand on a barren wasteland area, where several different size spaceships are ready to lift off into space at any given moment. Zante and Latesha have already said their heartfelt goodbyes and taken off at lightspeed into the galaxies.

  “Don’t worry.” I pull away slightly when I feel a hand on my shoulder. “I promise to keep in touch. I can’t have my best friend worrying about me.” I smile and glance at the hand on me. It’s fairly large and dark-skinned, but it’s gentle and warm.

  Zona drops her arms, and when I glance back at her, she’s eyeballing her brother standing directly behind me. “You do anything to hurt my girl, and I promise that you won’t have any offspring.”

  “That won’t be a problem, sister. I plan to treat her like the jewel she is.” Zayton’s voice is low and steady. My heart races at his words. If his kiss was anything to go by, then I’m definitely in good hands.

  Zona observes us for a few more seconds before nodding and moving away from us. She’s sad to see us go, mostly me, but how can she be mad? For the past eight years, Zona has been trying to find her destined other half, the one she’s meant to mate with for eternity. But she’s never found one. Sometimes, with siblings of the Starling race, if they never find their other half, then a sister or a brother is counted as the next best thing. At least, that’s what Mother Z says, but rarely does it ever
happen these days. Zona is the only one without a mate. Zante chose Latesha, and Zayton chose, well…me.

  As much as it pains me to leave Zona alone, I’ve been curious about Zayton and how he’ll treat me. So far, he’s been nothing short of a gentleman, which I find both surprising and a little nerve-racking.

  Zayton’s hand is steady on my shoulder as we watch Zona head away, back to what I call my home on this planet. “Something troubles you.”

  I tilt my head a little. “How do you know?”

  “I can sense the energy around you. Your aura is mingled with blues and a touch of purple.”

  I glance at Zayton as his hand drops, but he remains close. “I didn’t know any Starling could read auras.”

  “Only certain ones can,” Zayton says and offers the crook of his elbow. I twine my arm with his, and he leads me toward a red hovercraft that is smaller than the few in the area around us. “Each Starling family has a particular gift, as you’re probably aware. Some can bend energy to their will, some can read auras, and some can distinctly read minds or move items at will.”

  “Sort of like how you and your siblings can use lightspeed?”

  The corner of Zayton’s lips quirk upward into a smile. “Precisely. I see you’ve done your fair share of studying.”

  I try not to beam up at him as I answer, “Hard not to study when I find everything about SaxZon and the Starling race so interesting.”

  “Oh? And what do you find so interesting about my race, hmm?” Zayton stops walking as we reach his spaceship. A small red disk no bigger than a frisbee and thin like paper. It’s a hovercraft that does indeed hover a couple inches off the ground. I stare down at it and blink several times. Why does this seem so familiar?

  Zayton nudges me gently in the ribs, and I feel my face burning probably as red as the hovercraft in front of us. “Sorry. I, uh…” Think, brain, think! What do I find so interesting about the Starlings? “Royalty,” I blurt out. I seriously want to smack myself across the face. Royalty? That’s the best I could come up with? Kill me now!