Page 8 of Her Alien Warrior
I'd been on the ship for less than a day and already I had my answer. A whimper escaped my lips that I hadn't expected as the emotion of this revelation struck me cold. My body reacted to this stranger more profoundly than I had ever reacted to the man that gave me the greatest joys of my life, my daughters. I sniffled, and felt my eyes swell up with guilt and self-hatred for myself, for how my body was reacting to someone I didn't even know.
General Sou-el's body stiffened and he backed away to observe the tears threatening to overwhelm me. He shook his head, and he released my hand to gently wipe at my cheek. My fresh tears on his thumb, he licked the salty betrayal of my feelings, and I didn't know what to say. I was embarrassed and confused. He closed his eyes and then backed away farther but kept his other hand on my hip to make sure I was steady on my feet.
"You wound me, Renee of Earth. I'll take you to medbay." His amber eyes traced down to see how my legs still trembled and he scooped me up into his arms. "I will note this possible reaction in your file and warn other researchers of the possibilitywith other humans interacting within the Blue District project. No further harm will come to you," he assured.
Oh fuck, I thought, my own emotional hangups are going to mess up the research for the whole program. I knew how important this study was for interspecies equality and future integration with the universe and humanity. I had to swallow my pride and privacy to explain to Sou-el that this was a me thing and not a human thing, but my words were choking up in my throat making more tears come out. I was an emotional wreck made worse by how comfortable being held in his arms was making me lean into it more. My head rested on his shoulder, and I suddenly realized that I wasn't skewered by spikes, the bones that were protruding before were gone as he quickly rushed through the halls to get me to the medbay.
I had to say something.
"Sou-el," I said through a sniffle, and he froze as if I'd shocked him. I buried my face into his neck, so I didn't have to look him in the eye as I confessed, "Please don't put this in my file, or any file for that matter." I was practically begging, and I knew I'd have to explain why, he was a scientist first and wouldn't keep it from any record without a reason that made sense to him. How was I going to explain that he made me feel things that I'd never felt with my husband? That I shouldn't be feeling this way about a stranger, and someone not even consenting to be in the program at that. He was a researcher in charge of a different group than mine, probably a different program entirely, and I thought I would get to knowwhoever I found attractive first before revealing whether my body felt something for them too.
He stayed still, and didn't say anything, and I was thankful. I took a deep breath and forced myself to continue, even though I was now rubbing my wet tears into his skin.
"This isn't human specific," I mumbled. "I'm sorry. This is me. I don't think I'm ready to do this. I'm so messed up."
"Technically, your observation does not begin until you enter the communal living quarters," he said, allowing the breakdown I just had to not be recorded in my file or ruin the data for other humans participating. I sighed in relief.
"Thank you," I said, wiping my nose on my sleeve. He probably thought humans were gross with all of the fluids I was producing in my hysterics.
I didn't realize I was going to act like that over how much his tongue on my skin made my whole body react. All he did was lick my wrist and my neck and I was a puddle of goo.
After all these years, I didn't think it was possible. I fully anticipated that I'd come here and be confronted with attractive aliens and humans alike, only to feel the same thing I had before... nothing.
My breathing now under control I felt so tired, and as I swayed with the rhythm of General Sou-el's steps, my eyes closed, and I couldn't bring myself to open them again.
Chapter three
General Sou-el
My hearts were erratic as I tasted the salt of her skin, an abnormal occurrence with my glands as damaged as they were. The act of retracting my epul was normally a painful endeavor that required a trip to the medbay for an injection of nanobots to help with healing my second skin, but I felt nothing as they receded so I could carry this human female while her legs were uncooperative.
Her reaction to the enzymes in my saliva was remarkable, considering how inefficient my glands were… this was unexpected. I had thought bathing her would go as well as it could givenmy deficiencies, and as humans didn't need enzymes to orgasm, I thought it would cause no harm in assisting her.
I had been so wrong. As I tasted her neck, I'd felt my fangs lengthen and whatever enzymes were in my saliva had a severe reaction within her that made her shudder with pain. It was always known that I would find another way to honor my tribe, and any female that came to me for a bathing would never be fully satisfied, but, for a moment, as this human moaned from my touch, I thought...
Stupidly, I believed that perhaps there was a hope in the studies of humans for warriors like me. If they didn't need a warrior with active glands to be healthy and cared for that I could have both. I could gain honor in more than my occupation, but with a mate.
Renee, her name was both soft and powerful, a mixture of what it would mean to be both human and necia. When I said it for the first time, my bones ached, and I wanted to say the name many times to feel it on my tongue.
Her body was limp in my arms, and the distress she had faded along with her consciousness. I had no need to bring her to the medbay now that she was no longer in immediate danger, but I had no desire to bring her to her designated living quarters. Soft brown hair fell across her face, and she had long hidden her strange silver eyes from me that seemed to contain all the colors at once. My skin still vibrated from the feel of her tears on my neck as she burrowed herself into my shoulder.
I had to bring her to the communal quarters and avoid her group activities so I could not cause her harm again. It was my weakness and hope that put the whole study at risk. When I scented her arousal and attraction, at first I was jealous and irritated that she had brought her mate with her. The relief was palpable when it was clear the connection was of a spawnling and guardian, and it was shock that stunned me into ignoring protocols to taste and offer myself to bathe her.
Irrational behavior that I didn't think I was capable of. I'd never had any need to take any of the supplements to block my glands from going into a rut. I was sterile, with barely enough gland production to heal minor wounds. My hair had faded to white while still a spawnling myself, a sign of many elders who had obtained true balance of self from being able to master complete control over their gland functions. I had not earned my coloring, and many believed me needing to prove my honor more thoroughly than others.
I did not blame them for their distrust in the honor of white hair being given to a spawnling who was no better than sterile and incapable of contributing to our tribe in every way.
I should have known nothing good could come of being gifted the right to bathe her. It was an honor I was not called to receive. Her tears still tore at my gut, making me sick that I had been the cause of them. But even still the taste of her made me think for a brief time that I was worthy of this gift to be needed by a mate in this way.
As I walked, I found my feet had been taking us back to my own quarters. We were almost there when General Tensel spotted us across the way. He was young, but well suited to lead our tribe with his passion and controlled resolve. His reddish-brown hair was a strong coloring that the elders called the goddess granting him the fire of our tribe's strength and a sign of great achievements to come. Upon seeing me, his shoulder epul lengthened to display this acknowledgement of me, and with my epul already withdrawn, I had no need to show my approval of his rank as he wished to speak with me.
I glanced down at Renee and held her closer to me, unwilling to part with her just yet, but unable to deny that as my superior, I had no choice but to confront General Tensel with her in my arms.
"General Sou-el," he addressed when we met up. I bowed my head as best I could, and his eyes landed on Renee with amusement. "You know how some feel about humans."
"I do." I didn't wish to say more about it, as I didn't know his own stance on the issue and he would become commander soon enough.
"Good for you, Sou-el," he dropped my title, which was either a sign of disrespect or that of a warrior expressing their equality with one another. I would not know which until it was accepted for me to drop his own title, and I would not dare to do so without more data to analyze his actions.
