Page 6 of Alien Rescue

“Do not be distressed, my breeder. I will help you.”

He crouched next to her and carefully slid his uniformed arm around her shoulders to lift her. He held the cup to her lips. Next to the alien, Rose felt about as big as the thorns on the stems of her namesake. More than his size, he had a presence that dominated the space around him.

“Small swallows, my breeder. The doctor said your stomach will need time to become normal.” His voice vibrated in her ears, and his roasted coffee beans and brandy scent filled her nostrils. His heat warmed her through his uniform and the flannel pajamas she wore. His temperature had to run higher than a human’s—he almost burned her. But flannel pajamas?

“I need the bathroom.”

He pointed and the wall next to the bed slid open to reveal a modern-looking bathroom. Rose struggled to stand, and he put his arm around her and helped her to the door. She held up a hand. “I can take it from here.”

“I helped you be?”

Rose held out a hand. “Let’s pretend you never tried to say that.” She went inside and mercifully the door closed. She used the facilities, found a toothbrush and washcloth, and went to work. Soon she was trembling so much she went to the wall and touched it. It opened immediately. He stood right outside, the door almost rubbing his nose when it opened. The alien took one look at her and scooped her up and rushed to lay her down on the bed.

“How do you speak English?” He spoke it well enough to pass for human. If he could lose the green, lizardy, scary vibe.

“I am superior at learning new languages, but we had translators implanted when we landed.”

“Why do you call me breeder?” Maybe it was some kind of cultural misunderstanding. It might mean patient or sick one or whatever. Please let it not mean what she thought it meant.

“When I rescued you, I claimed you as my breeder with the blessing of our leader.” He remained crouched next to her, muscled thighs spread, his wide shoulders obscuring most of the room behind him. More red tendrils slithered into his black irises.

“You cannot claim me as if I’m some, thing.”

“I do not claim you as a thing, I claimed you as my breeder. When the time is right, we will make many small warriors.”

Oh, hell no, not in this lifetime and not on this planet. “In my culture a woman has to be asked to be with a man,” she continued before he could answer. She’d escape long before this breeder business became a problem. No small warriors happening here, thank you very much. “Where is this place, and how did I get here?”

He stood, muscles rippling. “I brought you here. This is Natalie City, headquarters of the Zyrgin conquest of Earth,” he said and disappeared through the wall again. They’d built a city already? How long had she been unconscious?

Feeling stronger, Rose looked around. She lay on a massive bed in a large room. The walls and the floor and even the bedding were silver. No windows—she forced herself to breathe. There was a lot of space around her. Shelves lined the wall to her right. She blinked. Was that a vintage Space Ranger doll? And an old-fashioned toaster? And what on earth did he want with an equally old-fashioned television? The only reason she remembered what it was, was because of the assignment she had to do on the development of technology when she first joined the department.

The wall slid apart and the alien entered, carrying a humongous, stunning, gold-and-brown pelt as if it weighed nothing. He carefully spread it over her. It was heavy and it pressed down on her. It was also warm and curiously comforting. “I killed this eduki with my bare hands.”

Something changed in the air around him. His expression remained that fierce one that never changed, but there was some emotion there she couldn’t pinpoint. His eyes roamed over her face and neck, he reached out and touched a finger to her cheek, and she nearly jumped through the roof. She lifted her chin at him to hide her reaction.

“The eduki’s pelt color reminded me of your skin, like the color of the sky, the minutes before the dawn of day on Zyrgin.”

That was almost lyrical. Rose looked from the beautiful pelt to the alien. “You think if you give me an animal pelt, that somehow means you can”—she swallowed—“you can take me.” She could feel her face burn. Images—erotic images flashed through her mind, and the heat in her face turned nuclear with embarrassment and anger.

He crouched next to her again, muscles rippling in his upper arms and thighs. How was she supposed to overpower someone this strong? And why did he hold this compelling fascination for her?

He stroked her hair with a dangerous-looking claw. Something felt wrong about her head, but she was too focused on the alien so close to her to figure out what it was. “It is like your human marriage. Because I killed an eduki for you, you are now mine.” He spelled it out as if talking to an idiot, and she glared at him. His condescending manner was getting old fast. He stood and stepped out of his boots, just stepped out of them. She could feel her eyes bug out.

“How did you do that?” One moment he wore them, the next he stepped forward and his ugly claw like feet were bare. Okay, so maybe they weren’t that ugly.

Next, he grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled and it came off. It sort of just melted off his body. At any other time, she would’ve been fascinated by the technology, but she was afraid she was about to find out what breeder meant. Nausea cramped low in her stomach.

“What are you doing?” she squeaked.

“Getting ready for bed,” he said, as if they discussed the weather.

Chapter Four

He stood there naked, not seeming to be bothered by his lack of modesty in the least. Tall and muscled, he was the perfect male specimen. Even though he was an alien. His body was covered in tough-looking, raised veins her fingers itched to trace. There was something seriously wrong with her because she thought he was perfectly proportioned and his striated skin looked less and less snake-like the longer she looked at him. It had a strange exotic beauty.

“Put your clothes back on and...and go away.” Yeah, that sounded forceful and convincing. She looked around—a weapon, she needed a weapon. And she desperately needed to stop admiring his body.

“No.” He put something on the shelf next to the bed and turned to face her again, naked and uncaring that everything dangled in her face. And if she wasn’t this scared, maybe she’d be impressed. At least he had human-like tools.

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