Page 41 of Captured By The Alien (Starbound #2)

Kara didn’t mind admitting she was just a teeny bit drunk. She dropped her glass and goggled down at it. Okay, a lot drunk.

Only to be expected, she thought fuzzily. The Potentials had been celebrating since they’d got back to the palace.

They were now down to the last six. Hespia, Lyrith, Layahn and Risane had been the first four to ring the bell. Thankfully Vysh had been fifth.

“I waited until the last minute,” she explained. “I wanted to make sure you’d got through too.”

“And what if they’d disqualified me?” Kara asked.

“I’d have dropped out in protest, obviously.”

“You’re an idiot. But I love you.”

The conversation with Layahn had been less pleasant.

“So did your uncle spike my pole on his own or did you help?” she’d demanded the moment they left the arena.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, human,” Layahn replied acidly. “But I can assure you my uncle will be seeking your disqualification after that pathetic exhibition.”

“It wasn’t pathetic,” said Vysh hotly. “It was brilliant.”

“It was against the rules.”

“What rules?” asked Hespia. “All I heard was that we had to ring the bell. To be honest, Kara’s way was much easier.”

“She used the general’s blaster. The rules stated we were to receive no assistance.”

“She didn’t receive assistance, she took it,” Risane pointed out. “I don’t think she broke any rules either.”

“Well it’s not up to you,” Layahn said snidely. “And you should be hoping she’s eliminated too, Risane. Vecca just missed out on a spot and she’s your friend, isn’t she?”

“Oh, stop trying to stir up trouble,” said Hespia. “Kara’s through and that’s all there is to it.”

“I’d be more worried about the next round if I were you,” Vysh told Layahn. “You might end up facing Kara.”

Layan sneered.

“And why would I care if a gemlek human tries to fight me? My only regret is it would be over in seconds.”

“You’re right there,” said Kara. “It wouldn’t take long to kick your butt.”

Layahn stepped into her space.

“I really hope we do meet in the next round, human, because I’m tired of holding back.”

Kara activated her anti-grav boots to rise to Layahn’s height.

“That’s fine by me, bitch.”

They stared each other down until the general arrived to tell them Kara’s place in the final six was approved.

Now they were all a little worse for wear except for Layahn. She’d gone to see her uncle, presumably to chew his ear off about not getting the human eliminated.

Kara raised a glass to the remaining Potentials

“To a fabulous group of girls. Any one of you would be a great Zhaalini.”

“Us,” corrected Vysh. “Any one of us would be a great Zhaalini. That includes you, Kara.”

“Hm.” Kara looked down at her glass. “But would a human really be accepted as the Zhaal’s mate? Tell me truthfully, all of you.”

“It’s an interesting question.” Hespia hiccuped and carried on. “A few days ago I would have said no. But after today, people love you.”

“They do,” nodded Risane owlishly. “They really do.”

“To be fair, people love anyone who sticks it to the authorities,” giggled Vysh.

“Do you know who else likes you?” piped up Lyrith.

“Who?”

“The Zhaal. I saw him looking at you after you blasted your pole to bits. He looked…” she thought about it for a moment and everyone waited. “Relieved.”

“Relieved?” asked Vysh.

“Definitely something like that. Like he cared whether you succeeded or not.”

Kara took a gulp of her melamak.

“Well he does care,” she said carefully. “He needs me to do well in the challenges to show that humans can be trusted and we’re not all, you know, homicidal maniacs.”

“Would you really marry him if he chose you?” asked Hespia curiously. “Could you marry a Vraxian after all the hatred between our species?”

Kara avoided looking at Vysh.

“If it would help to end the hatred, then yes. Wouldn’t you marry a human to do the same?”

“I don’t know,” mused Lyrith. “Do your males have great big zarnads?”

They all burst into giggles.

“Humans are so short.” Hespia used her hands to mime the height difference. “We’d have to be on top all the time.”

“How do they satisfy their mates without serpetri?” asked Risane. “They only have two hands so…”

“Sweet Jesus, is sex all you think about?” spluttered Kara. “What about soulful conversations and poetry and… and... you know, romance?”

“I think that answers my question about their zarnads ,” shrieked Lyrith in hysterics.

“Hey, can I ask a question about your males?” Kara said when the laughter had died down a little. “Is it true that when they want to get you pregnant, they make you come for a really long time?”

Vysh spat out the drink she’d just taken.

“How did you know that?”

“So it’s true?”

They all nodded conspiratorially.

“Our scientists say it’s one of the reasons male Vraxians developed such aggressively protective instincts towards their kalehsha, ” Hespia said. “While the female is conceiving, she is totally helpless because she’s, you know, orgasming for ages .”

“My cousin had a hatchling last cycle,” said Vysh. “She said getting pregnant was the most amazing experience of her life.”

“It made me look at my mother in a whole new light,” confided Lyrith. “She was pregnant seven times.”

“Wow.” A slow blush warmed Kara’s cheeks as she dwelled on that. “So going through that, um, that experience pretty much guarantees you get pregnant?”

“Yes, but you’re only carrying for three months. Then the cocoon is expelled from the female’s body and the male incubates it for another month.”

“A cocoon? Not an egg?”

“No, silly, we don’t come out of a shell,” Risane giggled. “Hatchlings have a protective covering while they finish growing but it falls off when they don’t need it anymore. They don’t have to break their way out or anything.”

“And the whole thing from conception to birth takes four months? That’s incredible.”

“Why? How long do humans take?”

“Nine months usually. And we don’t have a cocoon. We just come out like this, only smaller.”

“After nine months? But hatchlings are huge at nine months.” Everyone stared at Kara’s groin in horrified fascination. “How big is your feresh? ”

“No bigger than yours, thank you very much. It just sort of… stretches.”

“It stretches ?” They all squealed. “Does it go back to its normal size afterwards?”

“Look, I have no fucking idea. I’ve never done it before. I assume it shrinks again, because I’m told it’s just as uncomfortable the second time round. But honestly I don’t know. I’ll ask my mother next time I see her.”

“You’re going to ask the President of Earth if her feresh is stretched?” Vysh doubled over in mirth. “Can I be there?”

“Jesus. This conversation has gotten way out of hand. Give me another drink.”

The party continued into the small hours. When Kara finally stumbled to her bedroom, she found Vahn waiting patiently for her.

“I’m shorry… sorry… if I’d known you were here I’d have come shooner… I mean sooner.”

“Are you all right, kalehsha? ”

“I’m just intocshicated... intostishated… shit-faced.”

Concerned, he made her drink a whole glass of water. She leaned on his shoulder gratefully.

“You’re lovely,” she said, looking at him doe-eyed. “The scales. The tentacles. I love everything.”

“Thank you,” he said gravely, trying not to smile. “I love you too. And I owe you an apology.”

“For what?”

“For springing that conversation on you yesterday. About bearing my heirs. It was wrong of me to suggest it.”

Her brow wrinkled as she tried to concentrate.

“I think… I think we need to talk about that when I’m sober.”

His heart lifted a little. At least she wanted to talk about it.

“You need to sleep, beloved. Let me help you.”

He knelt by the bedside and slid off her boots one by one. She giggled as his hands touched her bare feet.

“Tickles.”

“Get into bed.”

“Get in with me.”

“You’re in no state…”

She tugged at his arm and he gave in. He held back the blankets as she climbed into bed, still fully clothed, then lay down next to her. She snuggled into his chest with a contented sigh.

“Only one round to go,” she murmured. “And then we can be like this forever.”

“You’ve done so well to get this far,” he said. “I’m very proud of you.”

She lifted her head as she remembered something.

“I need a favor. In the combat round, I want to face Layahn.”

“Kara, no! She is the most dangerous contestant remaining. Choose one of the others.”

“I want Layahn,” she said stubbornly. “I owe her one. And I definitely owe her uncle after today.”

“Baelon? Why?”

She dropped her head back onto his chest.

“He put something on the post. Something that burned me.”

Vahn frowned.

“You are certain?”

“It’s the only reason I fell. It hurt so much, I thought my hands were on fire.”

“But you are sure it was Baelon? It is a serious accusation to make.”

“I know it was him. He shaid... said as much the other day.”

Vahn went very still.

“He did what?”

Kara yawned and wriggled closer. God, her head was so fuzzy.

“He said he’d watch me burn. Prick.”

Vahn closed his eyes and breathed deep. When he next spoke, he made sure to keep his tone measured.

“When he threatened you, Kara, did he touch you? Was he the one who gave you the bruise on your face?”

“And my arms. But it doesn’t matter.” Her voice became a mumble. “I beat him. I won.”

Vahn willed himself to remain calm, when what he actually wanted to do was rip the cabinets off the walls and break them with his bare hands. When he finally got his rage under control he asked Kara to show him her arms.

There was no response. She was fast asleep.

Carefully, trying not to disturb her, he pulled up one of her sleeves. A welt circled her bicep, pink against her skin. It was fading but he knew what had caused it.

The bastard had laid his serpetri on her.

He wanted to get up immediately and hunt Baelon down so he could tear his limbs from him. But Kara chose that moment to sprawl across his chest and bury her face into his neck. The movement, small though it was, was enough to bring Vahn to his senses.

He had to protect Kara. And that meant not acting like a senseless grekel. When the time came, Baelon would be dealt with.

And in the meantime, he would be having stern words with his kalehsha about keeping secrets from her Zhaal.