The Alien's Future: An Alien Warrior Romance Read online

  I eventually took my hand away, unsure how far to take it. Maybe he had a wife or mate or little… blue toddlers running around this place. I didn’t know, and the last thing I wanted was some giant blue female to whack me.

  I ate some more, and when the food was finished, my fingers were sticky with juice. I stuck my thumb in my mouth to lick it off. But when I lifted my gaze to Tark, I froze.

  He stared at me with hunger. And not creepy hunger like Ponytail, but longing hunger, like I was a coveted jewel among a pile of rubble. His chest heaved, and his tail lashed the floor behind him. Okay, maybe there wasn’t a Tark mate, because he murmured a few words, which ended with “Enna,” before he gripped my wrist softly, snaked out his tongue, and licked my fingers clean.

  I didn’t move. I didn’t make a sound. My heart pounded in my chest like a runaway train as he drew each finger in his mouth, that tongue swirling around my digits and dipping into the webbing between them. His eyes were closed as he did so, and he made a rattling noise in his chest, almost like a purring. Color rose to his cheeks, darkening the skin there.

  I couldn’t tear my eyes away from that tongue and the sight of my fingers disappearing in his mouth. His metal piercings massaged my skin. Warmth pooled in my stomach and slid lower. Fear mixed with arousal. Was he licking me before he took a bite? Was this like a mama cat cleaning her kitten? Or was this… erotic? I didn’t know, but for some reason, I didn’t pull away or yell. My heart raced as sweat dripped down my spine.

  He pulled off my last finger with a pop. His mouth hung open, white fangs glistening, nostrils flaring in and out. His neck was corded, and his muscles taut, like he was barely controlling himself. A streak of concern flashed through me. He was so very, very male. If he wanted, he could take me. I wouldn’t be able to fight him.

  But he didn’t shove me on my back and push his way inside. No, he murmured my name, low and reverent, before he leaned in and began to clean my face. With his tongue. Never in my life would I have thought a tongue on my chin and the corners of my mouth would be erotic, but then I never thought aliens existed either. Tark, with his talented tongue and sweet breath, was driving me to madness as he licked across my closed lips, the metal balls teasing the seam. My breasts felt heavy, while my hard and aching nipples pushed at the fabric of my dress. I shifted my legs, a small moan leaving my throat as my inner muscles throbbed with want.

  Tark heard my needy noise, because he froze. His eyes met mine, inches away. My lips parted, and the rumbling in his chest deepened to a rough growl before he pressed his lips to mine. His tongue swept inside, and I lost track of everything. Who I was, where I was. I gave back as much as I could, running my tongue over those metal balls, drawing a groan from him. Heat streaked through me like wildfire in my veins. I clutched his shoulders, pulling him closer, and he stretched over me until I was on my back.

  And still, he kissed me, tongue studying every recess in my mouth, like it needed to learn me inside and out. I wanted that tongue elsewhere. On my neck, my breasts. Between my legs.

  What the heck was happening to me?

  I pulled back on a gasp, looking up into his vivid purple eyes, which had lightened. His lips were red and swollen. I didn’t know what to make of my actions. This wasn’t me. Was there some type of aphrodisiac in their food? Their drink? Because this was crazy. Yet, I couldn’t deny there was a strong pull toward him. Only him. I hadn’t met many of the others yet, but I knew in my heart none would compare to Tark.

  Still, this was…insane. I’d crashed on a strange planet that I never knew existed and been taken in by alien creatures that we’d never heard of. Was I the first person to make contact? If I ever made it back to Earth, I’d be in history books. Jumping the bones of the first alien I saw wasn’t the right thing to do. I should have been focused on getting information and finding out if there was any way I could get home. Not this alien with a wicked tongue.

  With great effort, I shot him a weak smile and slid out from under him. I waited for the growl, a smack. But he let me go. He let me retreat to the far corner of the bed. He stayed hunched over, fists planted in the bedding.

  “I’m sorry, Tark,” I said. “I’m just… I’m confused. And scared.”

  I tried to plead with my eyes for him to understand. His eyes had darkened again to almost black, and his expression was like thunder, his lips pressed into a strange line. He was probably angry with me. And the kicker was? I respected him even more for letting me have my space.

  A crash sounded in the other room, followed by a muttering voice, and I gasped as I craned my neck to see who it was. Tark didn’t move, his gaze still steady on me, brow furrowed until I could barely see his eyes.

  Another Blue walked into the room. This one was older, his dark hair streaked with white, his scales not quite as shiny. His face was lined with age, and he walked with a cane. He was handsome though, very handsome, with a strong jaw and kind eyes. He stopped in the doorway, and I worried Tark was going to take his head off for interrupting us. But the older Blue didn’t look afraid. He looked amused, if anything. He walked right past Tark, as if the man wasn’t exuding homicidal vibes, and approached me.

  He picked up a scanner and began to run it down my body. I let him because he wasn’t touching me, and something told me he was responsible for the medical paraphernalia in here. The man spoke again before slowing turning to eye Tark. I realized then he’d been talking to him. Not me.

  Tark said something through gritted teeth. Older Blue answered with a few terse words, and whatever he said pissed Tark off even more. His tail smashed into the plate I’d eaten from, sending it flying into the far wall, before he stalked outside.

  I watched him go, my heart sinking. I didn’t want to feel guilty for stopping our kiss, but I also wished I could tell him why I stopped.

  I looked at Older Blue hopelessly, and even though he couldn’t understand me, I still asked, “Will Tark be okay?”

  Older Blue just smiled, placed his hand lightly on my shoulder, and nodded. I let that soothe me because I didn’t have much of a choice.

  Time was a hard concept for me, but it seemed like Older Blue spent a good hour checking me out. His touch was gentle and clinical. It also did nothing for me. I had no desire to kiss Older Blue, despite the fact that he was very attractive in a silver fox kind of way. Nope, I wanted none of it. I just wanted Tark back. And as the time dragged on, I worried he wouldn’t bother returning.

  Four

  Tark

  * * *

  We’d built our settlement around the five-story former living quarters of a rich Uldani town. Most of the area had been damaged in the Uprising, and all of the Uldani had fled to the east of the continent. Most Drixonian clavases—there were many of us—had settled into former Uldani dwellings vacated during the Uprising. The fifth floor was mostly missing, and a bit of the fourth as well, a result of the Uldani sabotaging their own structures to try to make them unlivable for us.

  But Drixonian males had learned a lot since our females died. We’d learned how to be resourceful. We’d managed to rebuild what we could and settle into what was left. Most of the solar panels had been salvaged and provided fuel for our cooking units and cleansers. We rationed everything, and while the drexel was supposed to abide the rations, I knew Bult coveted much of the solar power for himself. Flecking selfish.

  After we’d freed ourselves from Uldani service, us Drixonians separated into small clavases, pledging loyalty to drexels who had proven themselves. Some clavases still worked to maintain the peace, which had always been our jobs, while some worked outside the law. We were friendly with some, while we avoided others at all costs. Bult originally had led us to be one of the good ones, but greed had eventually captured his attention. He’d cut off most of our allies and focused on raiding. I could challenge him now, but Shep was right. Enna would never be safe in a clavas, and not one with so many Bult faithful. Even if I killed him, there would be those seeking to overtake me.


  Living as a lonas was best. No clavas or brothers. But I’d have Enna, and she’d be safe. I’d miss my brothers, and most of all Shep. After my parents died, he’d taken me under his wing. I’d served under his command for the Uldani. He’d been my mentor and role model.

  I strode toward my room, avoiding eye contact with other males. As one of the older members of the clavas, I was afforded my own room on the third floor. Of course, I wasn’t older by much. I was born right before the first wave of the virus hit, which took ten cycles to ravage its way through our population. The younger warriors, those born toward the end of the virus’s destruction, often had to bunk together.

  In the privacy of my own space, I let out my rage on the solid wooden pole that I used as a sparring post. My machets lifted, razor-sharp blades that emerged from the scales in my forearms, in a strip on the top of my head, and continuing down my back to the base of my tail. I unleashed my claws, and I sliced at the wood. Chunks went flying, coating me in dust and debris, and still I attacked.

  I’d lost control around the female—Enna. Beautiful, soft Enna. I was still losing control. Shep’s words went through my head over and over again. She is all. She is all. She is all. The elder Drixonians who’d survived the sickness worked hard to pass on our culture to the rest of us too young to remember. Number one rule was to respect females, which meant we were never to touch one without their wanting it.

  I’d broken that rule already. I’d kissed her and touched her. Even now I could feel her on my tongue. My cock, which rarely made its presence known, was a painful rod against my thigh. I’d scared her. Her terrified eyes, the way she’d scrambled away from me, haunted me.

  I slashed my arms across the wood, rammed it with my head-spikes on a growl. My body grew slick with sweat until the wood completely shattered into pieces around me—no longer a post but a pile of wood chips.

  I collapsed onto my knees, letting my machets retreat, and held my head in my hands. I shouldn’t have run away, but my frustration over the communication barrier had reached a boiling point. I reached a shaky hand into my pouch and withdrew the translator. Just a QR chip and it would be a working unit. I only needed a small circuit and I’d be able to talk to my human female, my Enna.

  I closed my fist around the translator and placed it back in its hiding place in my pouch. I might not deserve Enna now, but I would prove myself worthy. I’d save her from this place, help her communicate, and then keep her safe for the rest of our lives. I pictured her smile and the trusting way she looked at me. I could get that back. With a groan, I heaved myself to my feet. Today was the day to plan, and to do that, I had to be alert. Mindful.

  After drinking some qua and stuffing a few tein bars in my mouth, I retreated to my cleanser to wipe the dirt and sweat from my body. When I peeled off my pants, my cock was still hard. I frowned and pinched the tip, which usually worked to soften it on the off chance I ever hardened. This time, that didn’t work.

  As I stood in the cleanser, letting the hot, filtered air clean my hair and body, I pictured Enna’s sweet face. Her beautiful mouth, and that hot, wet tongue of hers when it tangled with mine. I wanted to suck her breasts, and lick at the sweet cream between her legs. Shep had taught us all about pleasuring females and informed us that Drixonian males had long been revered as legendary lovers. I longed for the day I could show Enna, if she ever honored me with the chance.

  I wrapped my hand around my cock and tugged, feeling the ridges rub on my fingers. A moan fell from my lips, and my balls tightened, feeling full to bursting. I imagined the tight heat of Enna’s body when I sank inside, when I brought her pleasure. I stroked myself harder, head back, fangs digging into my bottom lip. Her walls would clamp around me as she climaxed, and I’d drive into her again and again, taking her higher, until I filled her with my seed.

  As a surprised shout fell from my lips, my cock erupted. Thick ropes of come hit the wall of the cleanser, only to be whisked away immediately. My legs shaky, I placed a hand on the wall. My cock had barely softened. The last time I’d come had been… maybe five full sun-cycles ago. Many, many rotations. And it had never felt like that. Enna. It was all her doing.

  I turned off the cleanser and dressed quickly. Tonight would be the night. I’d take Enna to the spaceship to find a QR chip. After that, I’d be able to explain everything to her. I hoped. Then we’d disappear. I wished I could return her to her home, but it wasn’t possible. Only the Raghul had the ability to travel that far, and since they were the ones to steal her, they wouldn’t be offering to take her home any time soon. We couldn’t even return to our home planet, as the Uldani had destroyed all our ships in the Uprising. We had been defensive warriors who patrolled our own atmosphere in short-range ships, not marauders who traveled to other galaxies.

  I glanced around my room, searching for any valuables I had to take. My possessions were minimal. My bike was the most valuable thing I owned, and I’d had her fifty cycles, which was a third of my life. I wouldn’t be able to take her when I left, as she was too loud. I hoped someone else took care of her. I gathered my essentials and stuffed them in a bag. I’d have to come back and get them as it would only invite questions if I carried a pack around camp.

  For now, I had to show my face. If Bult got an idea of what I was planning, it’d be war. A sharp knock rattled my door, and I approached cautiously. I peered through the small hole in my door, relieved as fleck to see Vye on the other side and not Bult.

  I opened the door and waved my friend inside. He was shorter than me, but well-built and deceptively strong. He’d also been very good friends with Gupa, and he hadn’t been the same since he lost him. He’d seemed to mature quickly after that, and I’d noticed he’d been quietly sowing seeds of discontent about Bult among the rest of the clavas.

  “Is it true?” he asked, his voice low and firm. I always liked that about Vye. He didn’t shout or act impulsively. “Did you find a female today?”

  There was no point in lying. Too many had seen her. “We did. Shep says she’s a human.”

  “I heard Bult…” A muscle in his jaw ticked. “I heard Bult laid his hands on her until you stepped in.”

  “You heard right.”

  He swore softly and his machets lifted slightly before settling back beneath his scales. “He’s gone too far. He’s forgotten everything we are.”

  “I agree, but he still has support.”

  Vye crossed his arms over his chest. “I think it’s mostly support based on fear now. I’ve been asking around.”

  “You need to be careful. I’m behind you in this, but if he gets wind of your mutiny too soon…”

  Vye blew out a harsh breath. “I know. I know. But now that he has a female… We have to act quicker.”

  I placed a hand on his shoulder and lowered my voice. “Let me get the female to safety. Then you can return the Black Bloods to honor.”

  Vye’s chin lifted and his chest puffed out. “I will.”

  I clasped the back of his neck, and he did the same to me. I touched our foreheads together and murmured, “She is all.”

  “She is all,” he returned. I grinned, and he grinned back.

  Vye left my room, and I watched him go, feeling less guilt over leaving. It felt good to speak our mantra again, as we’d gone so long without saying it. How could we put our females first if we didn’t have them?

  Gathering what I needed, I left my room and jogged down the stairs of the barracks until I reached the main hall. I didn’t make it far before I saw Bult striding toward me, followed by his second and third in command, who I called Two and Three because their identities had all but vanished in Bult’s shadow.

  “Female make it through the night?” Bult asked, drawing to a stop in front of me.

  He spoke of her as if she was a wounded animal. “She lives,” I said.

  He nodded, his gaze drifting toward the direction of Shep’s hut. “I have to ride out today. Scouts have reported some activity from the Sharp Bla
de clavas in our territory. I’ll be back tomorrow morning, and then I want to see her.”

  We used to be friendly with the Blades, until Bult became convinced they had been pilfering our fuel. He had no evidence of this.

  I didn’t want to ask, but I had to. “Do you have plans for her?”

  He cocked his head, his upper lip curling. “Why? Interested in keeping her for yourself? Playing hero?”

  I clenched my teeth. “You forget where we came from—”

  “Of course I do, Tark.” He held his arms out to the sides. “Do you see any Drix females about? Hmm?” I didn’t respond as he stepped closer. “No, you don’t. Because they’re all dead, and they were the only ones who could continue our species. You and Shep can fleck off with your she is all bullshit. There are no more she’s. There is a female alien species who we can use or sell to benefit all of us. I’m sure the Uldani will hand over some medis in exchange for her. You think she’s going to push out your spawn?” He laughed. “Zero chance. There is no more future for the Drix. There is only now, and I intend to make the Black Bone clavas rich and prosperous with the time we have.” His nostrils flared. “Get in my way, Tark, and I’ll take you out.” He grinned cruelly. “But not before stuffing that little female with my cock while you watch.”

  He gestured to Two and Three. “Watch him and the female. Guard the gates. No one in or out until I get back.” With a thump of his tail, he turned and walked away.

  I watched him go with clenched teeth, my machets itching to lift. But I couldn’t. I had honor and slashing a male in the back was cowardly. I glanced at Two and Three, who watched me warily. Fear hid behind the false bravado in their eyes. I’d use that to my advantage, because my plan had not changed. Tonight, we would escape.