Alien Warrior's Captive Earthling: SciFi Alien Romance (4 page)

Anna looked across Zyn’s room—he certainly hadn’t treated her lowly like that at all. She wobbled as she stepped forward, which reminded her that she was still healing, and not healed. She’d been without food or water for too long.

“Or sleep.”

Anna swiped her long hair back as she looked for a replicator. She’d give anything, maybe even sex with Zyn, for some water. She found the food service replicator behind the closet door, where Zyn had placed his weapons. It was a standard issued machine that was built into the wall, and she keyed in cold water first.

Grabbing the icy glass as soon as it had finished filling, she brought it to her parched lips—moaning as if she were in the throes of an orgasm as the cold water filled her mouth and slid down her throat.

She propped her hand against the wall to steady herself. Water had never tasted so good. Next she ordered soup when she really wanted a huge serving of solid food, but she had a feeling she better start slowly. And surprisingly, the soup had filled her completely.

She was so tired after the soup, but she forced herself into the cleansing shower, skirt and all. Ten minutes later, she was clean, but not as clean as she’d like, still, she couldn’t stay awake any longer. Zyn’s bed seemed foreboding, however it was the only place for her to lie down, so she crawled under the covers and was asleep in seconds.

***

“S
o, precious, are you going to sleep the day away?”

The voice was loud, as if blared in Anna’s ear, and she blinked her eyes furiously.

“I’m Axi, by the way.”

Anna’s gaze cleared on the tall, slender female she’d seen for brief moments during her rescue, as she remembered where she was.

In Zyn’s bed
.

Just the thought of that had her bolting upright, while she watched Axi’s graceful movements prowl the room. The woman wore a skin-tight suit that looked like inky black water poured over her skin. Not many figures could pull off the form-fitting outfit, but whoa, Axi could.

Axi’s long, purple-streaked dreadlocks swayed with her agitated motions as her slanted silver eyes skimmed Anna.

“You look better, precious,” Axi’s said.

Anna clutched a pillow to her chest as she scanned the room for Zyn.

“I-Is something wrong?” she asked. She didn’t know Axi at all, but she seemed tense.

“Zyn made me swear I’d come check on you.”

Anna digested that information, while the tall and lank Axi glided over to Zyn’s closet and peeked inside. “He’s left all his weapons here,” she muttered.

Anna had a sinking feeling about Zyn, which made her wonder why she cared.

Because he fascinates you
.

She almost gasped at that unbidden thought. But then she couldn’t help herself— “Is he alright?”

“Not really, Tellurian.” Axi’s silver eyes tilted. “He’s volunteered for a suicide mission to save us.” Axi disappeared into Zyn’s closet. “He has an arsenal in here,” her voice echoed from within.

Suicide,
Anna mouthed the word silently. Instantly worry and fear shuddered through her, and she hurried out of the bed, to stand at the foot of it. Why would he—

“W-Why would he?” she asked hoarsely.

“Ah.” Axi’s head leaned out of the closet. “Same thing I said. Send a droid.” Axi’s hand lifted and swiped down, hitting her thigh. “But he’s stubborn, our emotionless half breed.”

“Do you always call him that?” Anna snapped without thinking, as she tried nonchalantly to cross her arms over her bare chest, as if those same arms naturally rested there.

Not working.

Axi’s body straightened out of the closet and she carried a wicked looking weapon nearly as tall as she was. Anna wanted to back up, but she stiffened her body and stayed.

Axi chuckled. “So brave, little one, when you know I could swat you with one finger. But you could be right. Our Zyn has saved my life enough times; I should not call him a half breed.” Axi smiled slyly, while she angled the vicious looking weapon. “Besides, he always leaves me the money.”

“Isn’t he too valuable to go on such a dangerous mission?” Anna demanded, as she refused to call it a suicide mission. She might never see him again and that was making her heart feel strangely heavy.

Axi over-exaggerated her hand gestures as she cocked her hip. “Exactly.” She threw her hand up. “I told him this.” She flipped her hand outward. “Zyn is the leader though, and we are in shit because of that narcissist Duchess.”

Zyn was the leader? Anna’s eyes widened at that revelation, but not at all about Axi’s assessment of the Duchess. Nor had Anna been surprised they were in trouble because of the elite. The woman was just plain nasty.

“He shouldn’t have done anything for her,” Anna said, worried.

“Well,” Axi said, as she fiddled with the weapon. “It started out for her, but now it’s all about us and this ship not becoming a puff of ash from an Osoft warship.” Axi slid her gaze to Anna. “You seem worried about our Zyn.” There were all kinds of accusations in Axi’s tone. “Did you give him your blood, precious? This could account for his reckless actions, going back in range of the Izards to get the duchess’ shoes.”

“The shoes!” Anna exclaimed. “Oh no, he can’t. I must tell him!”

Minutes later, Anna followed Axi down the tight corridors after Axi had explained the dire situation, and then she’d drug Anna out of Zyn’s quarters.

“Yes, I think you must speak to Zyn,” Axi said. “The duchess is now on the Osoft warship, so she won’t discover you are here.”

Anna nodded, while she tugged on the bottom of one of Zyn’s soft black shirts she’d thrown on before Axi had pulled her out of Zyn’s chambers. It was so big on her that the sleeves flopped five inches over her hands, and she worked to fold them back as they rushed through another turn in the tight corridor. She’d be helplessly lost afterward.

“Here’s the corridor lift,” Axi said, as she swiped her hand over a flat metal panel in the wall.

Beside it a door lifted and revealed a small chamber. Anna entered warily about being so close to the very adept warrior woman.

“I think the Duchess might have defaulted on the reward for her rescue once her warship showed up.” Axi’s silver eyes glanced from the side at Anna with a downward tilt for their differing heights.

Anna felt a blossom of alarm explode inside her, from the inside out.

“Could be why Zyn went after those shoes. New deed—new reward.” Axi looked slyly at her.

Anna’s body had gone immobile.
But Zyn didn’t know how dangerous those shoes were.

Then the door retracted upward and it opened the lift into a large chamber full of activity.

“
Even
if we were rebels, Commodore, we saved your damn Duchess’ ass!”

The man who had shouted those words drew Anna’s immediate attention. He was seated at a console with a bank of holo-images flickering different colors and shapes in front of him. He had pink and black spiked hair of varying lengths with round gold-rimmed glasses, and a Tierra cuddle-mutt sat regally in his lap.

Axi grabbed her arm and pulled her forward. “That’s Nik, our communication specialist extraordinaire.”

“Darlings, I’m better than extraordinary, I’m mad-brilliant,” Nik proclaimed, while Axi propelled her toward him.

Anna barely had time to take in the chamber, but a quick glance told her it had to be the ship’s bridge, as the mutt growled at her.

“Hush, Empress Ming,” Nik admonished the mutt. “He’s protective,” Nik said as an aside to her.

“Is Zyn okay?” Anna asked in a whisper.

Nik shook his head, while he covered the hovering mic that was curled toward his mouth, then in a low voice he said, “He’s been attacked by something. I can’t get a clear answer what it is, but it’s taken him down and he can’t get up.”

“What!” Axi screeched.

At the same time Anna had cried, “I must talk to him!”

“No, no, I am going to get him
now
,” Axi proclaimed, turning.

“No! Commander Zyn orders no!” Nik shouted.

Axi kept walking. “I don’t care for his orders,” she announced.

“Commander Zyn says he has a knife to his chest, if you don’t stop, he will—”

At the same time, both Anna and Axi wailed, “No!”

Nik reported into his mic, “No. She stopped moving Commander Zyn.” Then he tore the headset off his head and thrust it toward Anna. “Tellurian, he wants to speak to you.”

Anna grabbed the communication device and turned her back to them for a bit of privacy as she put the earpiece into her ear and the hovering mic flew in front of her mouth.

“Zyn,” she said, with a low urgent voice. “You opened one of the shoe boxes, didn’t you?”

***

N
ot really
, Zyn thought, as he tried not to groan in agony. The ornate shoeboxes had already been opened. Not because anyone had rifled through them, but because the Duchess’ vessel was a wreck with a hole in its side. Obviously, when the Izards had attacked the Osoft’s sleek vessel, they’d done so with terminal intent.

Zyn grabbed his thigh and he looked down at the sapphire-skinned scorpion snake attached by fangs and claws to his shin. His head fell back, and the hand he’d used to hold the knife to his chest fell to his side, the poison was working through him.

“Zyn,
Zyn
, listen to me.” Her voice was so soft and breathless, it moved through him like a caress. “If you stroke the back of the scorpo-snake gently and continuously, it will release you and curl into unconsciousness. Hurry, you need to get to the anti-venom.”

Zyn looked at the jagged edges of the ripped ceiling above him through the moisture in his breathing mask. He was breathing so heavily the mask had fogged. He didn’t think he could move.

“Please, Zyn, say something to me.” She sounded concerned, as if she cared, and he wanted to believe she did.

“What’s your name?” His voice had barely rasped the question, which he
had
to know.

Her small gasp moved his gloved hand to begin stroking the back of the scorpion snake.

“Anna,” she said, with the clear voice people had of owning their name.

But to him, her name had slammed into his soul.

“Beautiful,” he rasped.

It was such a simple name, but it fit her completely. He should have asked before, he realized, as he tried to concentrate and keep his stroking hand steady. Then he could have said, “Anna, will you have intercourse with me.”

***

A
nna’s stomach clenched. She’d barely heard the words Zyn had whispered. At first she’d thought he meant what he’d asked, but then she knew it was the delirium taking him. Oh lords, he had little time.

“Zyn,
listen
to me,” she whispered intently into the mic, which she clutched. “Once the scorpo-snake drops, you have to find the gold shoes with blue-diamond stars and five inch platform heels.” She felt unshed tears burning her eyes. “Please, Zyn, you can’t die. I
need
to see you again.”

She would be responsible for his death, and she couldn’t live with that.

“I’m sorry I scared you.” Zyn’s voice was etched, barely there.

Anna shook her head, as if he could see her. “It’s alright. I was so silly to be scared. You come back to us, and I will never be scared of you again.”

“The wreck just lurched,” he said, with a stronger voice of alarm.

“What?” she asked, and she turned back to look at Nik and Axi, who both shrugged. Obviously, they had overheard most of what was said. “What do you think it is?” Anna asked urgently into the mic. “Zyn, what is it?”

“Izards.” His one word reply had nearly made her knees give out.

“That’s it,” Axi exclaimed. “I’m going now!”

“You can’t!” Nik exclaimed back. “The Osoft war vessel hovering over our ship will implode you into space particles. It is us or those damn shoes. It’s why Commander Zyn is there to begin with.”

Anna ignored their arguing, as she spoke quickly into the mic. “Zyn, the anti-venom is in the heel of the left shoe. Just break the damn thing. But not the right heel. Do
not
touch the right one.” Then she heard what sounded like weapons firing. “Zyn! Zyn!” she cried.

“Lost him,” Nik announced, making her spin around. “No, not like that!” he exclaimed at her stricken face. “We just lost communications.” His fingers flew over holo-controls. “I still have his heat signature showing up.”

“Lords,” Anna breathed in some relief.

“
Just
what is it about these shoes,” Axi demanded, with her gaze slanted and her silver eyes sparkling dangerously.

“I—” Anna stuttered, as she tried not to show her fear, while she shook her head and remained silent.

Axi stalked up to her and grabbed the mic, and then she tossed it back to Nik.

“Little Tellurian, if it is
you
or Zyn,
Zyn
wins,” she hissed. Axi grasped her arm in a painful grip. “You
will
tell me everything you know to help Zyn get out of there.”

Anna tried to tug her arm free. “I have said everything that will help him. There is nothing else.” That part was true.

Axi leaned closer with her lips curled back. “I do not know you well enough to trust you. I want to know
all
you know. Then, I will decide if it
is
enough.”

“There’s a battle going on. I can tell by the heat signatures!” Nik exclaimed.

Axi practically lifted Anna off the ground, and Anna bit back her yelp of pain.

“Tell me everything now!” Axi demanded. “Or I will put you in the mind-rip to tear the knowledge from you.”

Anna had no clue what a mind-rip was, but it sounded horrible. Still, she wasn’t going to endanger them further, but she couldn’t tell Axi it was safer that none of them knew about the Duchess’ shoes. She couldn’t say anything.

––––––––

A
nna looked at the long needles that protruded from the skullcap hanging over her head. Ineffectively, she twisted beneath the metal bands Axi had snapped over her wrists after she’d thrown her into the chair, and after Axi had dragged her out of the control room into this room.