Page 7 of Her Alien Warrior
"Food is on me," she called out before the door slid closed on her room. I laughed, because the food was provided by the generators in the common area, and her room was just big enough for us to squeeze together on the cushioned couch under her bed for a movie on her tablet. I was thankful that I chose to pack cozy sweatpants and a blanket, despite the tight amount of space in my personal carry-on bag.
My face fell, now thinking about the fact that I had thought I had two bags of space, and wondered if Becky tossed the things I packed in that bag she claimed as hers and put her own things in it, or if she was able to stuff those things into my carry-on. Holden must have known all along, because he was persistent in making sure I stuffed my bigger bag until it appeared near to bursting. I shook the thought from my head, it didn't matter. Anything in the bag didn't matter as much as the fact that I got to have my daughter with me as I traveled the galaxy. It was a gift I never thought I'd get. I was fully ready to embark on this adventure alone.
General Sou-el gruntedand I was brought back to the present after staring at the closed door of my daughter's room for who knew how long. He waited there patiently, or impatiently, I wasn't paying much attention until his grunt. With her out of ear shot, I pleaded with him once more, "You don't become a general without being good at what you do. Please take care of her. She has a good heart and told me once that knowing our biology and our minds is like decoding a map of peace between ourselves and others. She won't let you down."
"I'm aware of her file. She has top scores in her studies. It will be my pleasure to add to her studies of humans with that of other species and cultures. Human faces have so many muscles just below a thin dermis that your expressions come with many variations that take on many meanings. I'm still learning myself as I correctly uncovered a connection with your spawnling, but mistook this connection for mating interest as your scent clearly indicated attraction."
I coughed on my own spit as he explained his misunderstanding with such clinical detachment about how he could 'smell' me. A gross shiver tickled down my arms at the thought of attraction to my own daughter. My tongue came out of my mouth in a dry heave, and I patted my own chest as if that would clear the distaste. But the only other explanation for my scent was the alien standing before me, and I had to admit, I was admiring his backside only minutes before.
"She'smy daughter," I clarified once more just to make sure he understood that there was no attraction to be misconstrued there. I didn't know if aliens were okay with relationships among family, and I didn't want to know.
He nodded. "Forgive me, I'm not used to females being interested in me for relieving their biological needs, as I have not been fertile in some time. I do not produce adequate enzymes to assist with balancing a healthy warrior's appetite, though I've been informed that humans need relief but not for their homeostasis, but mental wellbeing."
"Excuse me?" I was still processing what he had said. Was he saying that I had somehow told him with my scent that I wanted to fuck him?
"This is why I had no issue with taking a human as an intern. With no overactive adrenaline glands and lack of enzymes, no matter what pheromones you produce, I will still remain logical in my duties," he said matter of fact while I stood face-to-face with the alien's muscled chest. When did he get so close? My heart hammered as I could smell him, and I was beginning to wonder if it was necia warrior pheromones that should have had a warning label and not humans.
I licked my lips, and a low rumble came from General Sou-el that made me clench my thighs together. What was happening to me?
"Logical," I repeated with a rasp.
The wordseemed to wake us both up and he took a step back and grunted.
"Humans," he groaned.
"You can call me Renee," I snapped back.
"I know your name, it's in your file. As well as your placement with the Blue District."
My cheeks heated with embarrassment.
"How much is in the file you have?" I asked him, wondering if he even had access to know I was married, or how old I was?
"You'll be placed in the communal living quarters, where you will be observed for your interest level in freshly awakened participants from the stasis pods. You'll find your accommodations are much more comfortable than the research staff to promote more favorable conditions for mating practices. Your scent indicates you should do well in the studies and given generous credits upon arrival on Trillume," he replied tightly. It was true, there were tiered incentives based on participation levels of the study, but that wasn't where my mind was at.
I blinked at him, unmoving as he walked away. When he realized I wasn't following him, he stopped and turned to see the thin line of my mouth as I ground down my teeth.
"I was under the impression that any interactions were my choice," I finally said while glaring at him for insinuating I was going to fuck every cock that came knocking. Was that what aliens thought of humans? Simple animals willing to fuck anything for credits? Sure, having extra credits were nice, andsome humans were willing to do it just for that, but we weren't animals.
"Of course, all of your needs will be provided for," he grumbled back and my eye twitched at how I still felt like he was saying the same thing he had before. That I was some human slut with overactive pheromones. I stomped past him, even though I had no idea where I was going, and every hallway looked the same. The same as he thought our human faces looked undistinguishable from one another.
"You are upset," he stated the obvious.
"What gave you that idea?" I snarked. And for someone who was supposed to be highly ranked within his field of understanding behavior and researching something like attraction between species, he was pretty clueless when it came to humans.
"You are displaying signs of distress, and though I have read up on human behaviors, I'm concerned that our reports of how human needs are not as vital as my own species, you are displaying concerning levels that have me questioning their validity. Perhaps, I should change the subject for the upcoming study for my sector…" he mused to himself.
"You're unbelievable," I scoffed. I had thought aliens with their advanced technology wouldn't have the same issues our own people had in understanding others. He's already stated that aliens think humans are less than their kind, and that our needs are not as vital. I forgot what I was upset with him about before and now I was simply upset for all humankind.
"Goddess help me," he said under his breath. "I'll bathe you, Human Renee, I had already said I would be honored to do so as a way of amends for my misjudgment. Though I'm unpracticed, I do not wish for your tiny human heart to thunder any louder."
He grabbed my hand to stop me from running off, and I was going to yell at him, but my words caught as I watched his spikes on his arms retract into his skin and the ones on his shoulders seemed to grow larger. Heat rushed up my arm from the wrist he held, and he moved forward until my back was up against the wall.
"I can," I stammered, "I can find the bathroom on my own." I didn't need his help washing my pheromones off, and I wondered if he kept some kind of tranquilizer in his pocket to knock out humans who he thought were hysterical. He was definitely going to take me to the medbay at this rate due to all of our miscommunications. I whimpered as he lifted my wrist and placed it above my head, his body so close I inhaled his scent. Fuck, he smelled so good. What was that smell? I couldn't put a name to it, it didn't smell like anything I recognized.
He groaned as his nose trailed up my arm and then his tongue flicked out to lap up my wrist as his hand slipped through my fingers. What was he doing? I shivered and when I reopened my eyes, he was staring at me with those amber pools. He slowly lowered his head to my face and licked my cheek and my knees grew weak as jelly. He had to use his other arm to keep me upright and his brows furrowed in what I'd call confusion if he were human, and his nostrils flared as he sniffed me.
There was a wonder in his voice as he commented out loud, "I've never had a female react to my enzymes before. Fascinating." His tongue ran along my neck and his teeth grazed my shoulder as he pulled my cotton t-shirt over one side, stretching the fabric to where I knew it would never recover.
