by Lily Thomas
She retreated to the end of the table. Her skin was flushed, and Rakshasas felt his adrenaline rushing as well. He decided to try reason. "I'm doing my best not to harm you, but you're making it difficult. Face it – you’re in no shape to face me. If you don't calm down on your own, I’m going to have to put you down."
She spat with fury. "You can try!"
She flew at him, determination gleaming in her eyes. He spun to the side and grabbed her arm as she whipped by, pulling it up behind her and forcing her to the ground. He grabbed her other arm and dug his knee into her spine.
"Done?" He asked.
"Never." She growled from below him. Despite his weight and her small size, she bucked wildly beneath him.
He leaned down to growl in her ear. "Why are you so strong, human? Your species is weak, and your gender should be even weaker."
She snorted. "Won't you be surprised when you meet more humans. We never give up when we set our minds to something." She twisted under him, and he tightened his grip. She bucked, and her nearly bare butt came up and brushed across the growing bulge in his pants. Apparently, their tussle had aroused more than his curiosity for information.
His mind went blank for a brief second, and he sucked in a breath. He shouldn't feel such a searing attraction to her. Rakshasas blamed it on the red lingerie she wore.
She bucked again, brushing her scantily clad ass against his cock.
Rakshasas hissed. "Keep bucking under me, and you might just stir my desire beyond reason." He leaned into her, pressing himself fully against the back of her thigh.
Immediately, she froze. She was willing to fight to the death, but she wasn’t willing to take an alien man between her thighs. A grin grew on his lips. He'd found her weakness then, and he'd use it to his advantage.
For a moment, he felt the urge to grind against the soft flesh of her bottom, but he restrained himself. Instead, he lifted his wrist so he could speak into his communicator.
"Come in and help me with our spy."
Two men entered the room from the hallway.
"Bind her wrists and take her to my quarters." He saw the men exchanged perplexed glances. "Do as I say." He barked.
They bowed their heads and moved forward to take control of the human woman. Once they had a hold on her arms, he stood up. She still had plenty of fight left in her and struggled against them until they finished binding her wrists.
He shook his head. He should feel sorry for her. Once they got what they needed from her, he'd be ordered to kill her.
Adira glanced around the room they'd dropped her off in. It was better than her cell in the brig, but not by much. There was a bed, a desk, a dresser, and…that was about it. She tapped her foot as she thought. That last guy had taken her out way too easily.
He’d been a good fighter, but he shouldn’t have been able to take her down alone. She wondered what he’d injected her with. Her enhancements were supposed to fight off the effects of substances not produced by her own body. She had to let the Earth Alliance know they needed to improve their damn implants.
The corner of her mouth twitched. The expression on his face had been priceless when he realized she wasn't as weak as he'd expected. She wasn't just a useless human woman sent on a hopeless mission. She wasn’t about to give up, either. The chip in her brain would see to that. It would continuously compel her to finish the mission.
Adira walked over to the bed and ran her hand along the blanket. From what she’d gathered, she’d been taken to her last opponent’s bedroom. She could guess what he had in mind for their next encounter. His attraction to her had been…prominent.
She clenched the sheets in her fist. Adira herself had enjoyed the thrill of the fight until the Sri’thaen male had ground his hard-on against her. Intimacy had never been part of her training, and for a moment, her body froze.
She stomped over to the dresser and yanked open a drawer. She rustled through the clothing and pulled out a uniform. A little big, but it was better than running around half-naked. She double-checked the hidden slip in her bra and found the memory card still in its place. If she escaped, she couldn't go back to the chief empty-handed. Failure wouldn't be tolerated.
Adira tugged on the pants and rolled up the cuffs. The Sri’thaen had definitely been aroused, that was for sure. Too bad she wasn’t better equipped to take advantage of that.
She'd been a child of the government. There'd been no dating, no tender caresses, no fond words, and definitely no experiences with sex. Her upbringing had been strictly monitored twenty-four seven.
Maybe they should've taught her how to seduce her enemies. With a hard cock like his, it could've been a good way to get herself off the ship. But the government wanted to make sure she had no ties to influence her. She only had one motivation to guide her, and the chip in her head acted as insurance that she would always follow orders.
She pulled a shirt over her head and took a look in the mirror. She wouldn’t pass as one of the soldiers in close quarters, but if someone saw her at the end of a hallway, they probably wouldn’t look twice. She crawled on top of the dresser and used her fingernails to pop the cover off an air vent. She threw it over to the bed where it landed without a sound.
Adira worked her way inside the air duct. It was a tight squeeze, but she managed. The Sri’thaens were idiots to leave her with an escape route. Hadn’t they learned their lesson the first time she’d tried this?
She paused when she got to a junction. She slipped the memory card out of her bra and swallowed it. She'd have to get to her shuttle quickly so she could throw it up before it made its way through her digestive tract. Better that then the Sri'thaens searching her underwear and finding it, though.
She continued through the air ducts until she reached a promising vent. After waiting to make sure there were no Sri'thaens in the vicinity, she popped the cover off and flopped onto the ground.
Adira pushed on a locating beacon inside of her wrist. Her ship would receive the location and follow her previous instructions to dock with the airlock from which she’d entered. Unfortunately, the Sri'thaens would be able to detect her shuttle. She had to move fast.
Chapter 4
Rakshasas rubbed the back of his neck and then the side of his face where the human had kicked him with her foot. She'd been incredibly fast, even while drugged. He wondered if their intelligence on the human race was flawed. Were more of them like that, or was she an exceptional example of her species?
Rakshasas was eager to learn more from his prisoner. First, he needed to address a couple of matters from the bridge, but then he would head to his quarters and resume their conversation. Rakshasas thought about the woman waiting for him, resting on his bed, lying there in her red undergarments. His cock jumped, and he shifted uncomfortably.
"Sir." His pilot turned from his station. "A ship just attached to one of our airlocks."
"Which one?" Rakshasas shot up from his seat. "Are more humans boarding the ship?"
"Third deck near the communications room. I’m not sure if anyone else has come aboard."
"Send some armed men down there, now!"
His weapons master got on the communications system and began issuing instructions to his team.
The pilot looked up from his console. "Sir, it looks like the ship is detaching.”
Rakshasas slammed his fist into the armrest. He was pretty confident that his prisoner was aboard that vessel.
"Bring the ship into the shuttle bay. Have armed guards standing by but order them to stand down unless fired upon. I want the person on that ship alive.”
His weapons master looked up. “Sir?”
Rakshasas glared. “I want answers, and we won’t get those if she’s dead."
The weapons master and pilot exchanged glances. Rakshasas heard the pilot mutter, “She?”
"If you need me, I will be in the shuttle bay."
Rakshasas stomped up to the bridge doors, but they opened in front of him before he could
storm through, admitting his commander, Alleg.
"Where are you going in such a rush?" Alleg held up his hands as he dodged to the side.
"Our prisoner attempted an escape, but we're getting her back."
Alleg winced. "I’d hate to be her when you get your hands on her.” He cocked his head. “I still find it hard to believe it was a human woman who boarded our ship."
"She's stronger than we've known any human to be."
"Maybe our intel about their race is wrong." Alleg frowned.
"Makes me wonder what other information we have that might be wrong, too." Rakshasas replied shortly over his shoulder before letting the door slide shut behind him.
Rakshasas watched the tiny ship get pulled into the shuttle bay, where it settled gently on the floor. The soldiers arranged themselves around the door hatch, taking up defensive positions. All carried plasma pistols, but he had ordered the men to employ their weapons only as a last resort.
The door to the shuttle hissed open. Rakshasas waited, but there was no movement from within. Cautiously, he approached the hatch.
A rain of plasma bolts shot out of the shuttle door. One shot shrieked past his face, crackling the air around him. He ducked and rolled to the side.
“Damn woman!”
The men nearest the door began firing into the shuttle.
"Cease firing!" Rakshasas yelled. "I don't want the human harmed! How many times must I repeat myself?"
The soldiers holstered their weapons sheepishly. Silence fell over the shuttle bay.
"Still alive, Sri'thaen?" A sweet voice called out from the ship.
Rakshasas edged closer to the door, his back against the hull of the ship. A soldier scooted out of his way.
"Yes, human. I am still alive, no thanks to you. Will you come willingly, or do I have to authorize my men to shoot you?”
Rakshasas waited for a reply, but the ship remained silent.
“You were sent here to complete a mission. I’m going to guess that the Human Alliance wants to learn more about the threat that we pose. I’d like to know more about how they created you. What do you say to an exchange of information?”
A snort sounded from within the ship. “And you’ll just let me go after we have our little chat? Nice try, Big Ears.”
Rakshasas frowned. Big Ears? He heard some of his men cough to cover their laughs. They looked down as he glared at them.
He took a deep breath. “The Sri’thaen objective is no secret. We warned the Earth Alliance to stay out of our space, or we would annihilate their race. Your government didn’t listen. Now we are following through on our promise.”
Tense silence from the ship.
“It makes no difference to me if you tell them that we’re coming. The only question is, will you be alive to tell them anything?”
Rakshasas steepled his fingers and waited.
He heard the woman inside of the ship huff. A moment later, a pistol was tossed out of the door hatch. It clattered across the floor of the shuttle bay.
A brown head of hair peeped out, followed by a pair of open hands. His men moved in, but he waved them off. Rakshasas walked up to his newly captured prisoner.
“I’m glad you chose to surrender.”
The human’s hazel eyes flashed. “I didn’t have many options.”
Rakshasas inclined his head. "And yet, you picked the one that allowed you to live. A smart decision, in my mind. No one can help their people once they’re dead.”
Rakshasas motioned to one of the soldiers, who pulled out a pair of handcuffs. “Hands behind your back."
"No. No more tying me up." The woman’s eyes narrowed, and she took a step back while shaking her head.
"You're troublesome when you have use of your hands. I can't risk you escaping from us again."
"No more trouble. I have information you want, and you have information I want. I’ll stick around for now."
Rakshasas studied the stubborn jut of the human’s chin and knew she wouldn’t compromise on this one. He kept his face neutral as he nodded. He didn't trust her, but he'd pretend otherwise.
"Very well. You can stay in my quarters until we can make other arrangements.”
"Fine." Turning on a heel, his prisoner started to walk out of the shuttle bay, striding past the soldiers as if they weren’t even there.
"Where do you think you're going?"
The human turned and arched an eyebrow. "Heading back to your room. I’ll be waiting whenever you’re ready."
Chapter 5
Adira laid back on the bed, her feet fidgeting restlessly. It had been hours since a squadron of soldiers had escorted her back to the Sri’thaen general’s room. Since then, a mechanic had arrived to permanently seal the air vent, she’d gone through every single one of the general’s drawers and found now weapons and some kind of key code lock had been installed on the door.
Adira had even tried to chat up one of the guards stationed outside the door while the special lock was getting installed.
"Wow, you look like you really know how to hold that plasma pistol.” She said. “How long have you worked for the military?”
The soldier stared straight ahead, eyes forward.
“Jumping between stars can be so boring. Any idea when we’re getting to the next planetary system?”
He didn’t even blink.
“What’s that general of yours like? I’m sure he’s got a brilliant strategy worked out for this whole war thing, huh?”
More silence.
Adira tried stepping out of the room. Guards lined up and down the hallway moved as one and aimed their weapons at her. The soldier beside her pressed his pistol into her temple. “Human, I suggest you get back in that room.”
Adira had given up. The rest of the afternoon had dragged on painfully. Maybe the Sri’thaen was trying to bore her as a new torture technique.
Adira’s foot jiggled impatiently against the blankets. As much as she hated being trapped alone in here, she wasn’t looking forward to the Sri’thaen general’s return. She kept replaying their fight in their brig, reliving that moment when he’d ground his hard-on against her. Her defeat disturbed her, but what bothered her, even more, was a tingling feeling between her legs whenever she thought about him on top of her.
Adira jumped up from the bed and began pacing. She must be losing her mind.
Her steps ground to a halt as she heard muffled words from outside the door, and her stomach clenched. A moment later, the Sri'thaen general strode in. The door slid shut, and he typed in a sequence of numbers on the key pad.
She studied him from across the room. She’d made fun of his ears earlier, but they weren’t really that big. The double points deceived the eye, making them appear larger than they actually were. In reality, Adira felt the urge to skim her fingers over those points, then down across his strong jaw, then maybe lower across his chest…She bit her cheek and once again cursed the training that had left her unprepared for moments like these.
Adira cocked a hip on the desk and studied her fingernails. No need to let this man realize his effect on her. "I see you finally found the time for our chat."
His gray-green eyes swept over the room. His possessions were scattered across the floor and over the furniture. She hadn’t bothered to put anything away after her search.
“I see you’ve made yourself at home.”
She hopped onto the desk and leaned back. “Well, after you went to so much effort to make me feel welcome,” she said, gesturing to the newly secured air vent and special lock.
The son-of-a-bitch had the nerve to grin at her.
“So, who are you?” She demanded.
He raised an eyebrow. “You don’t already know? I guess I gave the humans more credit than they deserved.”
She glared at him. “My information didn’t include personnel files. So, yeah, I don’t know your name, or whether you prefer long walks on the beach or a quiet afternoon snuggling on the sofa.”
At
her words, the Sri’thaen ran his eyes over her body. “I guess you could say I’m a man who enjoys all kinds of experiences.” Adira shivered as he walked toward her and came to a stop in front of her knees. Their eyes locked, and she caught her breath as he leaned in.
The Sri’thaen picked up a comb from the desk and turned away from her to face a mirror. Her breath released in a whoosh that she hoped he didn’t hear.
“To answer your question more directly, I am General Rakshasas. I command the Sri’thaen fleet.” Watching her in the mirror, he ran the comb through his hair. “And who are you, besides being a unique example of humankind?”
"You can call me Adira.” She considered her next words. "I wouldn't be so proud of your command… only five ships? Not much of a fleet."
His eyes narrowed in the glass reflection. "Eager for information? I'll give you some.” He set the comb on top of a dresser. “This isn't our entire fleet, Adira. I selected these particular ships to take care of our first leg of the mission."
Rakshasas stripped off his shirt and threw it into a metal hamper. Adira took note of the black line on either side of his spine that started at the base of his skull and went down past his pants. In the mirror, Rakshasas caught her staring, and she hastily looked away.
The general was beautifully built; she’d hand him that. There wasn't even an inch of fat on him.
"Why were you sent here, Adira? A lone woman, ordered to board a ship full of soldiers?" He turned back to her, treating her to a view of a strong chest and tight abs. "Seems a bit ludicrous."
"You think a woman couldn't handle a job like that?" She felt her hackles rise. Her indignation helped her ignore the muscles that bunched up as he crossed his arms.
The corner of his mouth lifted. "Clearly, you can handle more than we would've expected. Which begs the question, how are you so strong?”
She pressed her lips into a thin line.
"Won't tell me? Okay, we’ll come back to that. Why don’t you tell me why you’re here, then. Did the Earth Alliance ask you to discover some fatal weakness that would help defeat us?”