Alien Warrior's Captive Earthling: SciFi Alien Romance (7 page)

“I might not make it back from this mission, Anna,” Vane said.

“Vane, you are being a sop,” Axi exclaimed.

Vane growled at Axi, and then his strange voice uttered, “Give me something to live for, Anna. Tell me you will—”Anna had really expected a sweet request, such as a kiss. “—screw me with that tight little body of yours, if I return alive.”

The sharp bark of Axi’s laughter rang out. Anna forgot her latent hesitations, and she jerked her hand from Vane’s grip. She respected all the rebel fighters for what they did by saving citizens from becoming slaves, so she didn’t spit out the first words that flew to her lips, instead she tempered her response.

“I’m flattered, Lieutenant Vane,” she said, as she pushed back her chair to stand. “But no. And I pray you and everyone on your team make it back without injury.”

Anna hadn’t waited for a response, but hurried away, while she heard Axi chuckling behind her. Then Anna stopped for a brief second, looking at Zyn. His profile was to her and he hadn’t looked over at her. He was going into danger ... again. She frowned. This time had sounded so ominous. But she couldn’t let him see her worry, and allow him to crush her feelings again, so she spun away and left.

***

W
ith a clamped jaw, Zyn watched Anna’s slender back as she’d left the social room. It took every ounce of his carefully trained willpower not to approach her. He locked his gaze on his gloved hand, which was flat on the bar in front of him, and he realized that it might be the last time he ever saw her.

He would likely not return from the mission that was set for liftoff in a few hours, yet it had to be done—there was no other choice to be made.

“You are a fool, my love,” Axi said, as she stopped by Zyn’s side. He didn’t respond. Axi sighed. “I know you want her, tell Axi why you can’t have her.”

“If we don’t prove the Boneeater connection, the Osoft will threaten our base.”

“And
all
the innocents, I know!” Axi exclaimed. “But your soft little Tellurian could prove it to the Osoft without this risk to our lives,” Axi uttered, and then she stalked away.

Zyn had known he had no choice but to tell Axi about Anna, the shoes, Soto, and Boneeater, if he wanted Axi’s help to return to the Izards to try to find any shred that was left of the shoes and proof that Soto was allied with Boneeater.

However, he knew the chance that Axi would do the right thing was negotiable. If it had been just him the Osoft were after, he’d not have risked telling her; however he knew Soto wasn’t going to let this go, so Zyn had to have tangible proof in his hands to make a deal with.

He’d bluffed Soto the first time with Anna’s help, and they’d escaped. Axi possibly thought what drove him now was the safety of the rebel cause and rebel base, but it was Anna’s safety that drove him. She was the reasonable solution. Give Anna up to Soto and many lives would be safe. Soto had conditioned her, he’d know whether she spoke the truth or not, and she could vow the rebels didn’t have the shoes.

Zyn’s lips flattened, she could also vow he or the rebels knew nothing about what was in the shoes, because he’d mesmerized her and therefore she didn’t know what she’d told him. She would likely live through returning to Soto—but she would be indentured again.

Now that he’d understood all the ramifications, he knew if she were to return to Soto this time she would be enslaved for life.

“Never,” Zyn uttered. He couldn’t allow himself to have her, but he would see that she was free.

Zyn left the social room and headed to his quarters. The risk of the mission was a non-issue for him. He knew it was grim, he’d dealt with grim before, but he had decided he wouldn’t let his team deal with it this time.

Once again, he would have to try on his own. These were his personal feelings, not theirs, and he had admitted that he did have personal feelings  ... very strong ones. If only he could trust to let his feelings free, but he was afraid his Keeper had conditioned him too deeply.

He was what he was.

He didn’t understand all the emotions others had, except when he was with Anna. She made him break apart. She drew his emotions closer to the surface. But was it her or her blood?

Zyn didn’t know the answer, and history had proved Vipers were uncontrolled where Tellurians were concerned.

***

A
nna stood outside Zyn’s quarters, knowing she was half-mad for being there, but unable to stop herself. She just prayed Zyn would return to his quarters before the mission so she could—

He had turned the corner into her view and the thrill, dread, and uncertainty of seeing him flew through her. Mostly she was relieved she’d not missed him.

His eyes pierced her as if they were laser beams and she was their target. He looked grim and she was startled to see emotion on his face, but she braced herself for what she was about to say. 

Anna took a deep breath. “I just want you to know
I
care that you make it back here,” she blurted.

Anna watched as Zyn halted in mid-stride, almost to her. His head tilted to the side as if he hadn’t processed what she’d said. 

“Really, Zyn, everyone should know someone wants them to return,” she declared, as she wished he would say something, while she dreaded that he might dismiss her again. But she didn’t care. It was more important that he
know
someone he’d left behind cared.

“The mission,” Zyn said finally.

Anna nodded. “I heard it was very dangerous.” She pushed herself toward him, until she stood a hand’s space away. “I know you and I are not—I know I’m not with you, but I
do
care, Zyn, and you
have
to come back.”

It looked as if the more she’d spoken, the tighter his features had become, until they were etched with intense masculine edges.

“Sorry,” she whispered, when he hadn’t responded to her.

Her hand rose as if she’d touch him, and then she let it drop. She wouldn’t fall apart. If he didn’t care now, he might when he was faced with great danger. She just had to believe that she couldn’t let him leave without knowing someone—she—cared that he would return unharmed.

“Alright then,” she muttered. “Just make it back!” she exclaimed, and then she had rushed around him.

Anna had made it to the corner, when she heard Zyn behind her said, “I can’t let you go.”

She turned with excitement and hope filling her. But then she’d seen Zyn’s features and she saw that he looked angry.

“Zyn?” she asked.

He strode toward her.

“It’s too dangerous to leave you here,” he’d finally announced, then he completely startled her by grabbing her waist and lifting her up, then without any effort at all, he’d tossed her over his shoulder.

“Zyn!” She hit his back with her palms. “What do you mean you cannot leave me here?”

––––––––

A
nna had found out quickly that Zyn meant to take her with him. And he wasn’t asking ... he was forcing her. He had walked toward a sleek black ship, with her thrown over his shoulder, while she tried to hold her short skirt down over her panties.

“You cannot just take me!” she exclaimed.

“Yes, I can,” he said, with an infuriatingly calm voice.

If she weren’t so upset, she might have thought it through and realized he’d never done anything to harm her, but he’d done more than any person to protect her, so why would he start harming her then.

Nonetheless, he was taking her freedom with his strength, and that was too close to where she’d come from.

“I’m not your possession
or
thing, Zyn,” she hissed.

Zyn stopped abruptly. “I regret taking your freedom, Anna. I will return it.”

Then he started to walk again as if her weight over his shoulder was inconsequential.
What
did that mean, she wanted to scream, however her head was becoming dizzy. The next thing she knew, he had slid her into a seat that conformed to her figure.

She could barely find her voice through her light-headedness, as she whispered, “You’re taking me into danger, on your mission?”

She felt his gloved fingers as they brushed back her hair, before he began to strap her in. “I’d never take you into danger,” he said.

Anna wasn’t certain how long it had been before her head had started to clear enough that she could raise it and see out the front ports of the ship. Zyn was close beside her in a similar pilots chair as he worked different controls.

Her eyes widened when she saw a floating galaxy city coming into view against the backdrop of inky black space. It was huge and she knew there were many havens like these dotted throughout the galaxies.

The Duchess had gone on terror shopping sprees on several of them, while Anna was indentured. The other servants and Anna had called it terror shopping, because the Duchess had been so manic about it. Those had been grueling days when the Duchess shopped, and Anna hadn’t gotten to see many views of the floating cities they had visited.

Now she looked her fill, amazed at the intricacy and vibrant colors. But then Zyn’s ship had started to veer away.

“Where are you taking me?” she demanded.

Zyn’s gaze turned to hers and his dreadlocks lowered over his muscular shoulder. His black eyes looked worried, and it startled her to see the emotion in him, as she bit her bottom lip.

“To my home,” he said, with a distant tone, as if he had forced all emotion out of his voice.

However, she was emotional enough for both of them. “You’ve kidnapped me to take me to
your
home?” she half stated, half asked, incredulously.

Zyn turned his head, but he hadn’t answered, as Anna tried to pull together all of the pieces of his odd behavior, ever since he’d mesmerized her. She looked at him. She knew what she’d revealed when he’d mesmerized her couldn’t be good ... and since then, he’d pushed her away.

Now he’d grabbed her up, all the while saying he would never put her in danger.

His home?
A male did not take an insignificant woman to his home. Anna wasn’t certain what was going on, but hope had begun to flare inside her for an emotional Viper who pretended not to be emotional.

She watched Zyn maneuver the ship to a half-moon, which hung beside the city. As they drew closer, she could see the moon looked as if it had exploded in half and left jagged edges down its length. It was to one of those spikes that Zyn guided the ship.

Of course it was the most desolate and lonely stretch that Zyn had his home in. Seeing it, Anna had stopped worrying that when Zyn said home, he’d meant taking her home to any family.

***

Z
yn collected his thoughts. He’d never made such impulsive decisions before, unless it was in the heat of battle. He could tell himself they were all logical actions that had to be taken, however as he looked at Anna, he knew he was lying. He wasn’t logical where she was concerned. Still, he tried to gather himself back into calm, emotionless attitudes. The basis of his actions were sound, he simply had to implement them, and then return to course.

“I’m just surprised you have a home,” Anna murmured, as he’d docked the ship in his personal cradle. “I thought you and your team would live with the rebels.”

The ship settled noiselessly as he looked toward the front door to his residence. He’d never allowed anyone inside before.

“When I joined the cause I found they all had outside residences, but they rarely used them.” He shrugged. “Axi demanded I get one for “off” time, she called it.”

Anna glanced at him with a small lift of her pretty lips.

“Axi,” she said, and she nodded as if that had answered all her questions as to why a half breed Viper rebel would have a habitat of his own. She turned to him as much as the flight straps would allow. “So now that you’ve kidnapped me, will you please tell me why?”

His lips compressed. Kidnapping sounded worse than what he’d felt he had done.

“Left alone, while I’m gone on my mission, my rebel comrades could easily trade you for safety from the Osoft.”

Her blue eyes the color of a deep pool looked surprised.

“I thought I had more questions,” she muttered. “But you’ve answered all of them with just that one statement.” She tugged her fingers through her long hair and settled it over her shoulder. “How do you do that?” She sounded puzzled.

He shrugged, and reached for her straps. Inwardly he smiled a bit, but he had controlled it quickly. He had to settle her, and then leave.

“I’ve been taught to use the least amount of words to convey the purpose.”

Before he’d gotten the straps opened, Zyn tried to ignore the brush of his knuckles across Anna’s soft breasts, or lower, near the apex between her thighs.

“Taught?” Anna asked. “Who taught you such a thing?”

He’d been busy gaining her freedom from the second pilot’s seat, while he’d tried to ignore her temptations, and he answered without thought. Something he rarely did.

“The Keeper taught me. He demanded precision.”

“The Keeper? Who is that, Zyn? It doesn’t sound very good.”

Zyn had stiffened the moment he’d heard the Keeper’s name from Anna, and he realized what he’d revealed. Sensations tightened in his chest. Automatically he tried to clamp down on the feelings and neutralize them. But they wouldn’t—

“Zyn, I’m sorry. Never mind, I shouldn’t have asked.”

Anna’s hand grasped his wrist, above his glove, so he could feel the warmth. That touch centered him and he realized he’d been shaking his head with his fangs bared and likely his eyes blazing. He’d had a powerful reflexive reaction he hadn’t been able to control.

He was ashamed for Anna to know about his time with the Keeper.
To know he’d been enslaved, kept as an animal, and controlled.
Like she had been
, his mind had whispered.

“I killed him,” he uttered, and he locked his gaze on hers.

“The Keeper,” she asked softly, and her fingers flexed on his wrist. He nodded, stiffly. “Did it help?” she asked, and they both knew from their experiences what she had meant.