Page 5 of Her Alien Guardian

Tessara

To my astonishment, Captain Alpha sighed.

“That’s what your Vionian masters told you, I suppose,” he said.

I stared up into the extraordinarily handsome, extraordinarily blue face, my mind reeling. His words seemed to hang in the air between us, heavy with implications I couldn’t quite grasp. Part of me wanted to believe him, to trust the kindness I saw in those otherworldly eyes. But years of conditioning and fear weren’t so easily overcome.

“You… you want me to think you’re different,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “That the Magisterians aren’t the monsters we’ve been told about. But I know better.”

Alpha’s expression softened, a flicker of sadness passing across his features. “I understand your skepticism,” he replied. “But I assure you, the reality of our society is far different from the propaganda you’ve been fed.”

As he spoke, he began to move around the room, his massive frame somehow graceful despite the cramped quarters. I watched him warily, noticing how his eyes took in every detail—the marks on my skin, the cruel design of the punishment bench, the discarded implements of torture scattered about.

“Your masters told you we’d rape you to death in the mess hall, didn’t they?” he asked, his tone gentle but matter-of-fact.

I flinched at the bluntness of his words, but nodded slightly. “Among… among other things,” I admitted.

Alpha shook his head, a look of disgust flashing across his face. “Such barbarity,” he muttered. Then, louder, “I won’t lie to you—the transition won’t be easy. Our cultures are very different. But I promise you, no one on my ship will harm you in that way.”

I wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Here I was, bound and naked, completely at his mercy, and he was trying to reassure me? It had to be a trick, a ploy to make me lower my guard.

“You expect me to believe that?” I challenged, a spark of defiance flaring within me. “That you’re here to rescue me out of the goodness of your heart?”

Alpha’s lips quirked into a small smile. “Not entirely,” he admitted. “We do have our own motivations. But they don’t involve brutalizing helpless women.”

As he spoke, he began to examine the restraints holding me in place. His fingers, so massive compared to mine, moved with surprising delicacy as he tested the strength of the cuffs.

“These are barbaric,” he muttered, more to himself than to me. “No consideration for circulation or long-term comfort.”

I couldn’t help but snort at that. “Comfort wasn’t exactly a priority,” I said bitterly.

Alpha’s eyes met mine, and I was struck again by the depth of emotion I saw there. “It will be now,” he said softly. “You have my word on that.” Another smile flickered across his lips. “Well, except when you don’t want your comfort taken into account.”

I bit my lip at that, pushing away the shards of memory that tried to get my attention: times when Lieutenant Jorg’s rough treatment had made me gush with need.

Part of me longed to believe him, to embrace the hope he offered. But my survival instincts screamed in warning. I studied Alpha’s face, searching for any sign of deception. His words were so at odds with everything I’d been taught, everything I’d experienced. Could it really be true? Could the Magisterians be something other than the monsters I’d always believed them to be?

As if sensing my inner turmoil, Alpha continued, his voice low and soothing. “I know it’s hard to believe. You’ve been conditioned to expect the worst from us. But think about it—if we were truly as barbaric as the Vionians claim, would I be standing here talking to you? Wouldn’t I have already…” He trailed off, his meaning clear.

I swallowed hard, realizing the truth in his words. The Magisterian marines hadn’t stormed in, hadn’t torn me from the bench to use me for their twisted pleasures. Instead, this captain stood before me, speaking of rescue and comfort.

“Maybe…” I began hesitantly, “maybe they exaggerated about the mess hall. But that doesn’t mean you’re here to help me. There must be something else, something just as bad.”

Alpha sighed, running a hand through his short, silvery hair. “I won’t lie to you,” he said. “Our society is very different from what you were probably used to before the empire requisitioned you. We do believe in traditional gender roles, in the natural order of men leading and women following.”

My heart sank at his words, fear creeping back in. “So you do want to dominate us,” I whispered.

“Yes,” Alpha admitted, his gaze steady. “But not in the way you think. We believe in the right and responsibility of Magisterian men to dominate women, but only those who truly desire it. We identify those women who need to submit, who find fulfillment in surrendering control.”

I blinked, trying to process his words. It sounded impossible, like something out of a fantasy. “But… how can you know? How can you be sure a woman truly wants that?”

Alpha smiled. “We have ways of verifying consent scientifically. No woman is forced into submission against her will.”

As he spoke, he moved closer, his massive frame looming over me. I should have felt terrified, but instead, I found myself oddly calmed by his presence. “What about me?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “What will happen to me?”

“That,” Alpha said softly, “is largely up to you. We’ll care for you, help you heal from the trauma you’ve endured. And if you choose to stay with us, to explore what our society has to offer… well, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

His words sent a shudder through me, a mix of fear and the unwelcome, twisted craving I knew from my horrid-but-survivable starfleet service as a naval concubine. I closed myeyes, overwhelmed by the conflicting emotions swirling within me.

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