Page 24 of Uncovered By the Alien Commander
Relief waves through me. He doesn’t know the full extent of my crimes. Maybe this is a ploy to gauge additional information? Xandor is more observant than others, so I must be careful. “I... I was bringing you food and to check on your condition.” The lie causes me to stutter as I’m unable to hold his piercing yellow gaze.
“You lie, female,” his voice cuts through the air like a sharp blade as he advances, relentless as an unstoppable mountain of arcweave, forcing me backward until my hands press against the cold, unyielding walls of the cargo hold. The realization I’m trapped, with nowhere to run steals my breath. I’ve no escapefrom his imposing presence. “You left no food, only your scent,” he accuses.
“My...my scent?” I stammer, as my mind races for any answer to escape this terrifying encounter.
Lowering his head, his long green hair tumbles over my face as his hot breath tickles my neck. The subtle sound of his sniffing brushes my right ear before he drifts to my left and repeats the action, causing shivers to run down my spine. “Was it lust that brought you to me?” he whispers conspiratorially.
Desire is dangerous, this is dangerous.
“Lust?” I exclaim in shock, pushing against him, but he remains unmoved. “You flatter yourself. Now let me go.” My voice is firm, the fear fading as I recognize his true intentions are just like the other males—simple lust.
Yet Xandor persists, his gaze intense. “Your body betrays you. I smell your eager scent even now,” he groans, his breath hot against my skin, his eyes appearing to glow faintly. I gasp as his huge hand cups my cheek and he leans in, lips parted.
“Don’t voiding touch me!” I roar, the words spilling from my lips in instinct as I recoil. Fumbling for my knife with trembling hands, Xandor leaps back with a confused and hurt expression etched on his handsome features. But shock and anger seethe in my veins, as I vowed never to allow myself to be so vulnerable again. “As I thought, you’re just like the rest,” I spit, venom dripping with each syllable.
“I don’t understand,” Xandor says, shaking his head, his hand outstretched toward me in a pleading gesture. “Your body says one thing, but your actions do the opposite.” Confusion fills his eyes, pulling on my heart and I almost confess my crimes, but I cannot. I must protect myself and escape from him and all the others before they discover my awful treachery.
“I’ll be clear, Xandor.” My glare locks onto him, laden with intent. “You scare me. You and the others, and I can’t wait untilthe day I no longer have to hide in fear, worrying about who’s boarding the ship and what they might do to me,” I sneer. The words pour out in an uncontrollable torrent as Xandor becomes the victim and embodiment of all my frustrations. “Void you all! I never want to lay eyes on you ever again!”
I avert my gaze, lest he see my moistening eyes and trembling lip. Marching past the giant who stands motionless, the silence between us now deafening. “Wait,” he pleads in a tone tinged with sadness. Turning, he offers me my pistol he took from me earlier. “I never intended to dishonor you,” he says with his head bowed, his eyes downcast. “Take it and let us part ways.” I snatch the weapon from his grasp and resume my exit. “Farewell little human,” he whispers so quietly I almost don’t hear it.
He keeps calling me a human. Is that what I am?
If I am human, then why do I feel like the most loathsome of znats? Wiping my eyes, I continue down the corridor, heading towards the crew quarters, not bothering to hide, feeling an unusual defiance after my outburst. And trusting Xandor won’t follow me, at least not until he discovers his mask is missing. I hope I’ll be long gone from here before that happens, as his fury is terrifying.
I’m so stupid he might have killed Quad and me, too.
How did I not balk before him? His eyes had glowed and misted like his hatred was leaking from him, and with those terrible claws I never even knew he possessed. He could have killed me in an instant. My skin prickles with unease at the thought.
Yet I cannot deny his piercing gaze and impressive figure stirred something in me. A part of me wants to let go and embrace the madness as it carries me off into a wormhole of possibilities. Perhaps in another lifetime, another dimension where things work out better for me, I could entertain suchfoolish notions. But now they are a liability, especially if he can smell my arousal...
Not even my thoughts are safe from him.
Arriving at the crew quarters uninterrupted fills me with relief as I change into a new outfit with haste. This time I pick all black colors to help me meld with the shadows. The fresh clothes rejuvenate my spirit as the softness caresses my skin. If not for the raw memory of Hyanxa attacking me in the shower, I would risk one now. Gazing at my reflection in the mirror, I touch my face in amazement. Mod’s ointment worked well. All the swelling and bruising from my recent attacks have already healed.
I pray I won’t need it again. My wrist console beeps and vibrates with a cruel response to my prayers. Captain Kaanus has instructed me to report to him on the bridge without delay. A torrent of anxiety erupts inside me as I rub the handle of my pistol, seeking some reassurance.
But my heart still pounds in my chest and breathing becomes so erratic I fear it might overcome me as my mind searches with desperation for a way out of this. What if I don’t go and just hide until we reach the next station? Would he come looking for me? What if Hyanxa finds me first? The number of dangers threatening to ensnare me is overwhelming.
No, it’s too soon to run.
With a deep breath, I steel myself and make my way to the bridge, each step another doubt, another temptation to flee. Yet I continue attempting to ignore the blood whooshing through my ears. As I near the door I pause, straining my ears for any sign of activity within. All I hear is the steady hum of the Elerium hyperdrive engine, which adds to the tension that coils within me.
The bridge door glides open to reveal Kaanus seated at the briefing table, staring into a holographic projection of a stationI don’t recognize. It has a thick central column with three tiered domes along its length. “Omega Flux Station,” Kaanus announces, each syllable emphasized, as the blue light from the display highlights the area ominously.
Immediately, I scan the room before I move closer, and dread washes over me to discover we’re alone. Taking a few careful steps forward, I keep a wary eye on Kaanus. I’m struggling to gauge the intentions hidden within his milky white eyes. “Are... are we heading there?” I manage to stammer, my voice trembling betraying my apprehension.
Captain Kaanus’s expression darkens with a frown. “Ah Tyrxie, it pains me to see this rift between us. Please, have a seat,” he gestures to a polymer stool at the opposite end of the table. With cautious steps, I approach, watching him with intent, one hand resting beside my holstered knife. “We’ll arrive at Omega Flux Station in a couple of days.”
It takes effort to contain the surge of excitement which threatens to burst forth from within me. At last! My chance for freedom radiates in the holographic display before my eyes. “A couple of days?” I echo, sinking into the seat opposite him, my gaze locked with his as he studies me with focused attention, his hands interlocked before him.
“Yes, I will announce it to the others soon.” He takes a deep breath, nodding his head with a subtle motion, as if he’s making a silent decision. “After our... little misunderstanding the other day, I’ve come to realize that it stems from a lack of trust,” he states behind unreadable eyes and a calm voice, giving nothing away except my ease.
I trust no one.
“Trust,” I echo slowly, the word sounds strange and unnatural from my tongue. Yet I dare not reveal too much. Better to remain obedient and aloof. “Yes, more trust would help,” I finish with afaint smile that I doubt touches my eyes. Kaanus springs from his seat with such haste, it causes me to recoil.
Approaching me with a smile on his scaled face, he retrieves a black polymer device from a pocket within his long coat. My heart races as my fingers stroke the hilt of my knife, preparing for anything. “Do you know what this is?” he asks, presenting the horizontal pipe with a mouthpiece attached.