Page 9 of Her Alien Savior
I had a sinking feeling that was not what he was going to say.
“I don’t expect you to know anything. We only need you to lead us to her. Meaning you are going to meet her, and then you are going to use your time off from your contract to tell us where she is.”
“Oh.” My whole body was feeling heavier, and this prickling sensation told me that it sounded easier than it was. It sounded all too familiar to being a spy... and untrained spies got killed in all the movies I ever saw.
As if he could sense my reluctance he added, “I have no reason to think you’d be in any danger, and since you’d already be on Trillume, finding you a suitable exchange program won’t be an issue.”
My lips were pursing of their own will, unable to prevent the irritation blooming on my face at the idea of having any other placement but with scientists trying to make a difference in the galaxy.
“I can see you’re attached to the idea of your current placement.” He nodded and then approached me to take a longer assessment of the human in front of him. “There is no reason why you couldn’t continue your exchange with the scientists. There is no need for anyone to know that you were the one that tipped us off to the location.”
That was not what I expected, this King Sylve was a pretty reasonable guy.
“What do you want with Klemon?”
“A curious one, aren’t you? Miss Spearit of Earth, I mean no harm to Princess Klemon,” he paused with a smile, noticing I had no reaction to him calling Klemon a princess, “I see that doesn’t surprise you. Did our Direl have a good chat, perhaps Commander Chuel?”
I turned to see Chuel reply with amusement, “He seems to have gone into a rut, My King.”
“Really? That is interesting news. Do you think we have Miss Spearit to thank for this fortuitous turn of events?”
How would I be the cause of an alien’s rut, whatever that meant for them? Rut in my study of the language just referred to sex, and yes, Direl had a sizable package ready to rut, but the way they said it made it sound like more than sex, but an affliction of some kind.
“You see, Miss Spearit,” King Sylve addressed once more and I was beginning to dislike the way he was saying my name, it’s overuse was verging on the side of condescending as he proceeded to mansplain to me, or was it aliensplain, since I was human, “A male necia goes into a rut when their reputation as a warrior is either challenged or they’ve accomplished a victory and have need to celebrate, marking or defending their rights to produce an heir. Most warriors in rut are simply eager to have a public display of triumphant pleasure for all other warriors to view their prowess, others... well, their rut is strong enough to ignore all reason and their higher functioning processes are shut down until their rut is finished. We usually are forced to restrain and sedate them.
“You see, circumstances must be aligned. A female capable of mating must be present, endorphins, and adrenaline must be on par with a state of euphoric victory or in Direl’s case, the need to prove a challenger wrong. By being detained he is primed as his honor and strength are challenged. Then there is you, a female within proximity... though I didn’t think he’d wake while you were there, I apologize.”
He didn’t seem sorry in the slightest, if anything he appeared excited about the prospect of Direl being in rut, and me being the final straw that made him fall into it. This didn’t seem like an accident that I was in the room when he woke.
I pursed my lips, feeling like this was some kind of trap I was set up for, and my internal censor malfunctioned when I said out loud what I was thinking, “Why is it a good thing he’s in rut...?”
“Very perceptive, Miss Spearit. It is a good thing, because if he’s chosen you as a target for his interest while during a rut, he will do most anything to have you in his current state.”
My mouth hung open in disgust. “Excuse me?” I must have heard him wrong, but it sounded real close to him insinuating on giving me to a mindless sex-crazed warrior who simply wanted to use my body to regain his senses. For a moment, I visualized an animalistic encounter with the hot alien Direl, with his hard chiseled muscles, and even his skeleton horns that sprouted from the crown of his head like a neat wreath was hot. But then thinking about how King Sylve was slimy in offering me up as bait ruined the whole fantasy for me.
If it weren’t for knowing I was being used, imagining being chased by Direl did something to my primal self. I didn’t think I’d stop him if he wanted to make me feel something more powerful than fear of the unknown. My toes curled in my boots, but I kept my eyes glaring at this King Sylve guy, hoping he didn’t realize that my body was more willing than my mind.
“Oh, we wouldn’t let him harm you, and he wouldn’t do anything against your will even in rut. The female must be willing, otherwise the whole point of displaying themselves in this baser state wouldn’t be empowering to a warrior. Nothing is more intoxicating than a female commanding us to yield to them. The rut will continue for a month or so, and either he convinces a female to mate with him or he doesn’t, but you present an opportunity for him to reform, and assist our mission either way. Would you be willing to help us, Miss Spearit?”
I stared at him for a moment at the confidence and sheer audacity of asking me to seduce a sex-crazed warrior in rut for whatever means King Sylve needed from him. He simply stood there all smiling as if he asked me if I’d like a coffee in the morning or not. That was one of the very first things I asked the recruitment center of H.E.T. when Klemon accepted my exchange was whether they had comparable food and drinks to Earth or not, on Trillume. They did, thankfully, but this was absurd.
“What exactly are you asking of me?”
“I’m asking you to be willing to have him be your escort to your exchange, and I hope that he’ll come to understand why he must bring Princess Klemon back to this ship in the process.” King Sylve nodded behind me to Commander Chuel before continuing, “You see, Miss Spearit, you are the first real lead we’ve had to prevent a war so large that a small planet like Earth would be swallowed up without a second thought. I’m well aware you don’t know enough to trust me anymore than you trust Princess Klemon. Your loyalties are your own, only a fool would think otherwise, but though I am intimidating, and Princess Klemon is as beautiful as she is smart, it doesn’t change that her research will be used by the Trillume to enslave the necia, making every warrior on my planet indebted to the Trillume.
“We are aligned with the trill, and for now they have accepted and respected our tribal law, but once this research is complete our freedom will be a memory, as their law will be the only way my warriors will have access to their scientific successes. They will force us all into war.” King Sylve paced the room, and I could hear the concern in his tone. It didn’t seem like he was lying to me, but if what he was saying was true, then Earth would be a sitting duck if either side wanted to use humans as a leveraged asset.
I cleared my throat, uncomfortable with that future, only to have pain radiating out from my neck in the next moment. My vision blurred as I watched Commander Chuel withdraw a needle from my neck.
“What did you—“ I cupped my neck, stunned and feeling betrayed. “Why?” I was cooperating, what reason did he have to inject me with whatever that was? I wasn’t passing out, but my whole body was burning from the inside out making me collapse to the ground with a cry.
King Sylve winced at my display and shook his head like I was the one that brought this upon myself. “As I’ve said, there is a war on the horizon, and it’s more than simply research. This is but one attack towards the trill’s duel against the necia. I can’t trust you at your word, Miss Spearit, as humans tend to have a nasty habit of lying, and being dishonorable.”
I was regretting my brief contemplation of helping him at all, and though he was right that I didn’t trust him before, I trusted him even less now. I wasn’t some pawn to be used for his war on the trill, and I was more determined than ever to make sure I knew the whole story. Princess Klemon’s side included.
“What did you do to me?” I demanded through gritted teeth clutching my neck, and curling in on myself hoping the pain would end soon. Groaning, and grunting against the stinging burn spreading through my neck. Tears welled at the edges of my eyes as I squeezed them shut.
Letting my guard down was a mistake. Having my back to Chuel had been a mistake, I thought as fire burned through my veins.
