Page 5 of Seized by the Alien Space Warrior (Alien Romance #8)

Chapter Five

A ekon monitored the relay feeds as he entered the landing port aboard the Ixod ship. The Zephyr’s control panels flickered as it bounced back false signals. Inside the landing port, thankfully the space was relatively sparse and quiet and Aekon guided the Zephyr to an empty corner. Although the Zephyr would be relatively invisible unless a being knew what to look for, it was still solid. He spun the Zephyr to enable a quick exit and landed so gently the Ixod’s ship would have a hard time detecting the movement.

Setting the systems to idle to keep the engine warm and running, he unclasped his harness and retrieved the invisi-suit from the gunnery, made from the same cloaking technology as the Zephyr’s shields. He stripped out of his clothing and into the suit. He couldn’t take his blasters out of the Zephyr. They emitted a low level power pulse, but he slid two flexible Drisian crystal blades into hidden purpose-built slots along the outside of his thighs. Working fast, he ran a program on his wrist comm to sketch out a rough schematic of the Ixod ship and to detect life signals that weren’t Ixod in nature. It didn’t take long. One flashing red light indicated the life form in a cell in the lower levels.

Aekon initiated the invisi-reflectors of the suit that would render him mostly invisible. If a being wasn’t looking for the tell-tale signs, he wouldn’t be noticed, but the power used to do this was astronomical. While the Zephyr could remain invisible for longer because of the internal self-powering engines, he had ten clicks before the power would run out in this suit and he would become visible. Ten clicks was hopefully all he’d need to get the female and end Zavis’s life. Possibly all the time he had before they entered the wormhole.

Although the Zephyr was sleek, fast and reinforced, it wouldn’t withstand the gravitational pull of the wormhole for long. Only ships of this size were suitable. He would have to finish his business before the Ixod ship entered the GeoPass gates.

Finally, he clipped a satchel containing a spare suit into a pocket at the small of his back, slipped down the face shield, and eased through the smallest crack of the Zephyr’s hatch before sealing it shut behind him.

He skirted the outer wall of the landing port and through the doorway that would take him to the lower levels. Several Ixod strode towards him in the corridor. Aekon flattened his back as they brushed past.

“You see that human female?” the tall Ixod said.

“I wonder if Zavis will share,” the other muttered.

The tall Ixod cupped his balls, “Hopefully she’ll last long enough for my turn.”

“Don’t get your hopes up. She didn’t look strong enough to last one night of good rutting.”

“I’ll visit a pleasure house when we’re back on Vutera. Maybe three Ultarians will help me forget about the human, although it’ll be hard to forget a cunt like that.”

The duo rounded the corner along with their conversation. The female was nothing more to these beings than her biology. Aekon forced his rage to the back of his mind and silently raced down the corridor. Glancing about to check the corridor was empty, he unhatched a cleaning portal that would allow him to move between the levels undetected and descended the ladder.

The air became chilled, dank, and filled with an unfiltered metallic tang as he reached the lowest level. Fresh air whooshed in as he cracked the seal on this level’s cleaning portal, although it still contained an unfiltered element that coated his tongue. Or maybe it was just the cloying sense of despair that could be tasted in any brig.

Thankfully the corridor on the other side was empty. Aekon checked his internal count down. Eight clicks left.

A muffled scream propelled him into action. He rounded the corner in time to see a shaggy Ixod step into a small, dark cell. A beautiful, pale face filled with abject terror was crumpled in the far corner.

Red filled Aekon’s vision as the Ixod descended on the small, helpless female. Aekon bolted into the cell. A delectable scent filled his lungs, almost masked by the taint of fear. The female’s whimper went right through his gut, as Aekon slammed his fist into the side of the Ixod’s head.

The Ixod snarled as he spun around, features morphing into confusion when he saw nothing. Every nerve in Aekon’s body urged him to make the Ixod’s death a slow painful one for what he had been about to do to the female, but there was no time. He slipped out a shuriken from his thigh pocket and, with a powerful swipe, slit open the artery on the side of the Ixod’s neck.

The Ixod clawed at his throat and collapsed to the floor. Froth foamed at his mouth as he choked on his own blood. The female curled into a ball and pushed herself into the corner. Her eyes were trained on the Ixod and the growing pool of blood that coated the floor. Her pupils were blown so large there was only the tiniest ring of blue. She was pale, shaking and traumatised.

“Female. Be calm,” he said.

She gasped, her eyes tracking the room, grazing right over him. Of course, she would not see him. He deactivated his suit’s invisi-reflectors and peeled back his head covering. Her mouth fell open, and she drew in a deep breath. Aekon lunged, planting his palm over her mouth to muffle her scream.

Heat raced through his body, curling into cells he’d forgotten existed to unfurl from the dead centre of his chest to the outermost extremity. His heart lurched, skipping a beat, and began to pump wildly before settling into an entirely new pattern. He sucked in an involuntary breath that was filled by the intense fragrance of ginder flowers while dizziness caused him to come down hard onto one knee.

Fate whispered a loving caress through his system, as every part of his mind and body locked onto the trembling female before him. His soul expanded and reached for the burning light of hers. Beautiful. It was so beautiful.

Mate .

Mine .

Those two words whispered into the recesses of his being until he thrust them away, whole-heartedly rejecting them.

He had a bond-mate.

He’d failed her.

A male only found his one true mate once in a lifetime if he was lucky and Aekon had already found his. That they were on opposite sides of the veil didn’t mean they weren’t still bond-mates. Death did not break a soul connection. Bond-mates were bound to each other in this life and the next. Two halves of one soul could never be truly separated.

The human female could not possible be his bond-mate. His body was wrong. Fate was wrong. It couldn’t be real. It could only be a part of this mind confused by seeing Zavis again, bringing memories of Onda to the surface and longing for what was not there. Aekon had merely imprinted what he felt for Onda onto this stranger in her time of need, his mind grappling with the unforgivable.

The female’s bare breasts rose and fell with each laboured breath. Her nipples were drawn into tight buds, a beautiful light pink that complemented her pale skin. He itched to cover her breast with his palm, to feel her hardened nipple against his skin and to massage her soft tender flesh.

He forced his gaze back to her face. A tear streaked from the corner of her eye and tracked down her cheek and his stomach rolled over.

He swiped the tear away with his thumb, making sure to keep his claws away from her delicate skin. “I’m here to rescue you.”

Her eyes were blank, the pupils expanded large and black. She was in shock. Her skin was freezing, her body still and unyielding.

Fresh anger surged through him at her treatment. She’d been locked naked and afraid in a freezing blackout room. Such treatment was used to test the merits of toughened warriors, not defenceless, terrified females sold at an auction block.

There wasn’t time to calm her. He had to get her into the suit and get her out undetected before their time ran out. Tenderness would have to come later.

“I’m going to remove my hand,” he said. “Please don’t scream. It will alert more of the Ixod.”

She gave no indication she’d understood him, but when he peeled back his hand she didn’t make a sound.

“I’m sorry I frightened you. I’m wearing an invisi-suit. It’s the only way I could break on board to get to you. I need to get you out before the Ixod ship enters the GeoPass wormhole.” He unclipped the spare suit and teased it open.

She still did not reply, did not move.

“I’m Aekon. My species is Dhasu. I’m part of the Mercy Division of the Interspecies Council. We’ve rescued many human females such as yourself. What is your name?”

She trembled, frozen in place, knees drawn into her chest, her arms wrapped about her torso. There was no choice but to manhandle her into the suit.

“You need to wear this suit. I’m going to dress you, female. To do that I need to touch your foot. Will you let me touch your foot to put you in the invisi-suit?”

Drek , he didn’t have the time to talk to her like a scared Standon, but he didn’t have the heart to push her either, even though that was exactly what he should be doing. The ship would enter the GeoPass soon. This was going to be a close call.

He encircled her ankle with his fingers. A jolt shot up his arm, both warming and exhilarating. He gritted his teeth, forcing the heat of the sensation aside.

“I’m going to slide the suit over your foot, and now the other. That’s good.” He was as gentle and as fast as he could be despite the circumstances.

His nodes prickled. They could be discovered at any moment. Keeping his attention divided on the door and the female, he worked the suit up her legs.

“Little female, you’ll need to stand so I can continue to dress you.”

When she gave no response, he slipped his fingers beneath her arms and stood her smoothly to her feet. Her knees buckled beneath her. He caught her and tucked her against him so she wouldn’t fall. A terrible whimper escaped her lips as he brushed against a bulge on her back. Gods, her shoulder was badly dislocated. Her arm needed to be set back in place but he couldn’t treat her here. He would have to manage her injury until they had made their escape.

“I need to dress you,” he said. “I’ll be as gentle as I can but this will hurt. If there was any other way, I would do it. Please understand.”

With one hand about her shoulders, the other on the suit, he leaned down and drew the suit over her lean, muscular thighs and rounded buttock. The angle brought his nose a mere hand width away from her sex. A potent mix of her pheromones blossomed in the air. He drew in a deep breath, infusing her aroma into his lungs before he could stop himself.

Bond-mates would spend days together, touching, tasting, sensing, fucking until the essence of two bodies became one. One of the first stages was to learn the other’s scent. To infuse the molecules deep in the lungs where it would merge into each other’s bloodstream.

His reactions to her body were unacceptable. He was not a bonded male enjoying intimacies with his female. He clenched his jaw so hard his back teeth ached. He had to be stronger, otherwise neither of them would escape. He eased the suit over her rounded hips, ignoring her soft skin, her gentle curves, and her feminine scent that was hells bent on driving him crazy.

“Well done, little female. We’ll need to get your arms into the suit.”

He slid his fingers over her good arm and worked it into the sleeve. “This will cause you pain but I need to cover you entirely, otherwise the suit will not keep you safe.”

He hated to do what must be done next. He eased her fingers through the sleeve. She whimpered, the only sign of her pain although it must be excruciating. His jaw ached, sending a throbbing headache through his skull with the pressure of gritting his teeth.

“We’re up to your elbow. Now for the hard part. I’ll be as fast as I can. Are you ready?” Aekon said.

She tilted her head back, her pain-filled eyes finding his. Her face was pale and stretched, tight lines around her mouth. He fell into twin pools of the deepest blue. The colour reminded him of the night sky on Hathea. Golden streaks fanned in the midnight blue of her iris from her pupil. They were the most beautiful eyes he’d ever seen.

“Do it,” she whispered.

“I am sorry I have to hurt you, little female.” Aekon stretched her arm and quickly worked the suit over her poor, injured shoulder.

She groaned, the sound spearing his heart. He held her to his chest when her knees gave way and closed the edges of the suit along her backbone. When it was sealed he cupped her cheek. Her eyes fluttered open, her gaze finding his.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Need to be…quiet.”

A piece of his heart shattered. This female should never have to endure this. Should never have to know this pain.

“You did well, little female,” he said.

“Ava,” she whispered.

The sound of her name strummed through his soul.

“Your name is as beautiful as you are,” Aekon said.

She squeezed her eyes closed as a trickle of perspiration ran down her hairline from her temple. The first thing he would do would be to give her pain medication aboard the Zephyr.

They just had to get there first.

“I’ll need to carry you, little female.”

Her response was a weak sound of affirmation and her eyes fluttered closed.

He adjusted the back of the hood over her head and sealed it shut, then he covered his own head once more. He re-activated his suit’s invisi-reflectors before also turning hers on. She blinked out of existence right before his eyes. He picked her up, careful to jostle her as little as possible, and then her body went lax as she lost her fight with consciousness. Her weight settled into his arms, her body curving towards his as though it fit there naturally.

He darted from the room and activated the cell door to close, leaving the body of the Ixod behind without further thought. The corridor was empty, and he dashed to the portal he had entered through. Easing her body over his shoulder, he climbed the ladder to the portal. It would only be a short jog through the corridor and into the landing bay to reach the Zephyr. Hopefully they wouldn’t encounter any Ixod wandering the corridors.

Aekon placed his ear to the back of the portal. The vibration of the ship’s engines hummed through the metal. He could detect nothing but hollow emptiness on the other side.

He slipped through the hatch and onto the little landing ledge before sealing the hatch shut. He eased Ava off his shoulder and cradled her in his arms. The bulge of her dislocated shoulder pressed against his chest and he felt her arm flop over her stomach at an awkward angle. Holding her tight against him, he rushed towards the landing bay.

He dashed past an open doorway on silent feet, but two Ixod rounded the corner walking towards him. Drek ! Holding Ava like this, there wasn’t room to flatten against a wall to let them pass. He retreated into the open doorway, pressing his back against the room he’d stepped into, finding it was the bridge.

Several Ixod sat around the large control panel that faced the vastness of space. A massive Ixod stood at the helm, his great hand on a forward thruster. Even though the being had his back towards Aekon, he would recognise that being anywhere.

Zavis stood no more than two body lengths away, unprotected and unaware. Heat shot through Aekon’s blood. His fingers twitched and his vision washed red. All he had to do was slip one of the shuriken from his suit and fling it into Zavis’s back. Zavis would be dead before he hit the ground and Onda would be avenged.

Before them in the viewer though, the GeoPass gates loomed. The Ixod ship would enter at any click and Aekon’s escape would be impossible. Killing Zavis would also be impossible if Aekon left now. Zavis would disappear and Aekon might never have this chance again.

He’d waited for it for cycles.

He would not let this moment pass.

Aekon whispered a prayer for forgiveness, knowing he was about to do the unforgivable, but for Onda he would sacrifice everything.

He withdrew the sharpest blade from the pocket at the back of his thigh, every muscle locked in anticipation of throwing the killing blow. His entire state of being had been primed for this very moment since Onda’s murder.

Juggling Ava caused her to rouse. She groaned, a barely audible sound, but it was enough. Zavis spun, his eyes unerringly locking onto Aekon. His lip lifted in a snarl as he withdrew with blaster and pointed it right at them.