Helion (4 page)

“Ah, Verdun, good. This human is Lady Gwen and the female
child is her daughter Evelyn. They will be staying with me for the time being.
We will need food and baths right away and a bed for her with extra
blankets—she’s frozen half to death.”

Helion enjoyed the look on Verdun’s face for a moment. The
poor Keeper wasn’t easily shocked but Helion had accomplished it in spades this
time. The normally stoic Keeper had a wide-open mouth as he scurried from the
tent. Helion couldn’t blame him. He was more than a little surprised himself by
his own actions this day. Taking a little human and her child under his wing?
His single-minded purpose in coming to this planet, the total destruction of
the Scourge, was now muddled by his unexpected guests. What he was going to do
about that, though, he didn’t yet know.

“Welcome to your new home for the time being, little mother.
Verdun will make sure you are comfortable here. It’s a special talent he has.
You may make yourself at home, but never touch my weapons. You’re more likely
to harm yourself than be able to use them to escape. Understood?”

Helion had been walking to his armor chest while he talked
but when he got no answer to his query, he turned back. The woman still stood
where he’d left her at the front of the tent. Her mouth was agape as she stared
around as if she’d never seen the inside of a tent before. Helion looked as
well, taking in the soothing amethyst color, his custom bed in the corner, the
large table where his officers sat to eat and confer about the next move in
their campaign. It was all fairly standard and he couldn’t imagine what was so
shocking to her.

Helion shrugged and strode over to his armor chest. His
armor needed to be cleaned and he was more than eager to cleanse the taint of
Scourge from his body. He methodically removed each piece of armor, laying it
down on the chest for Verdun to pick up for cleaning. He had just removed his
chest piece when he heard the woman gasp behind him. He spun around to face her
and saw she was still gaping…but this time at him.

Helion quirked a brow at this. Beneath his plate he wore a skintight
body suit that further protected his skin from Scourge blades. He hadn’t yet
removed that, so why she was staring at him like he’d grown two heads eluded
him. Perhaps it wasn’t just shock though… Helion’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully
as his senses finally honed past the smell of Scourge death and in on the
girl’s scent. She wasn’t scared of him. She was shocked, yes, but shocked…and
aroused.

Helion was intrigued by this. When he caught her eye, the
female turned red again, clearly embarrassed to be caught looking at his body.
Had the woman never seen a man’s body before? Since she had a child, he doubted
she was that innocent. But her full mouth was agape and her face was as red as
her titian hair, so he had to wonder whether prudishness was a human thing or
just a personal quirk of hers. He was about to peel off his body suit to
embarrass her further when Verdun reentered the tent, a score of Keepers behind
him carrying food, the tub and buckets of water.

“You may choose how you want to do this, Lady. There is only
one tub. You may eat first and bathe second, or I will eat while you bathe.”

Helion watched her closely, noticing the telltale signs of
increased nerves: the convulsing throat, the erratic breathing, the increased
heart rate. As amazing as it seemed, it appeared the little human really was
responding to him. Even knowing how uncomfortable he made her, he couldn’t
resist adding, “Or we could bathe together. I could use some help with my hair.”

More embarrassment, but this time…another flicker of desire?
Now he felt lust rush through his own body. He’d figured all she felt toward
him was fear and resentment, but desire, that she might be attracted to him, that
was a strange concept. Strange, but not displeasing. He was a male, after all,
and it had been a long time since he’d had a woman beneath him. If the little
human wanted to play, he’d certainly oblige her.

“I need to feed Evelyn before I do anything else,” she
replied, breaking his eye contact with her to look down at her wide-eyed little
girl.

Helion could tell the child was getting restless and
starting to root on Gwen’s chest for milk. The woman wasn’t looking at him, so
she missed the wicked glint that entered his eyes.

“By all means, my lady. Please proceed. The sooner you feed
the young one, the sooner you too can eat. I can hear your stomach protesting
its neglect clear across the room.”

“I need a little privacy for that,” his captive stammered
back, her gaze jumping up to meet his, clearly uncomfortable with the
speculative look in every male pair of eyes, including Helion’s.

He grinned a little then, enjoying her discomfort. But once
his bath was full, he dismissed everyone, including Nathal. He had no intention
of leaving himself, which put the woman in a rather difficult situation. Clearly
she didn’t want Helion in the room while she did this but there was no way he
was giving up a hot bath for the sake of her misplaced modesty. The stale
stench of Scourge blood offended his strong sense of smell. He wanted, no needed,
to be clean again as soon as possible.

“There you are, little mother. The room is clear now for you
to feed your young. Don’t worry. They won’t come back until I call for them.”

As he spoke, he began removing his secondary body armor, his
body suit. He’d gotten it peeled down to his waist, holding Gwen’s gaze the
whole time, before her nerve finally broke and she turned away from him,
showing her profile. Smart girl, turning one’s back on Helion was never wise.
It was lucky for her that she did turn, otherwise she’d have seen the predatory
smile that crept over his face. Knowing his body affected her, aroused her, was
a powerful aphrodisiac for Helion. Now that he knew she wanted him, he didn’t
have to hide that he wanted her too. And he fully intended to have her.

“Surely there’s some place I can do this in private,
Commander. You’re bathing, and to feed her I have to…expose myself,” she
stammered, bouncing the child to keep her calm. Helion followed the movement
but didn’t see the child. He saw only Gwen’s breasts. They looked like a tasty
handful but he wouldn’t peek at her bared form until he had her agreement. He
wasn’t a cad.

“I won’t peek if you don’t, human. You are under my
protection and will reside in my tent until I release you. I would think your
daughter’s needs would come before any misplaced modesty.” Helion’s voice held
more steel this time, not willing to let Gwen’s modesty interfere with caring
for herself and the child. They both needed food, baths and rest, Nathal had
been quite specific. As her protector now, Helion was determined to bring the
little mother and her child back up to full health as soon as possible.

“I can sense the child getting more frantic, little mother.
My attendants are gone, feed the young one.” Helion’s voice sounded languid,
but he infused it with a bite of command as well. When the girl eyed a chair
and turned to face away from him, he nodded, satisfied. Then he quickly
stripped off the rest of his garments and climbed into the heavenly water. He
cleaned himself leisurely, thinking about the girl while he did. How much nicer
would it be to have her hands on him instead of his own? Washing him, touching
him with those delicate fingers…mmm.

Gwen could feel the heat in her face reach the level of
inferno—no doubt she could fry an egg on it at this point. The damn Keeper was
mocking her again. He knew she didn’t want to do this in front of him. Gwen
cursed her red hair in that moment. And her complexion. Both of them were the
bane of her life. She cursed her childish inability to look over a naked man
without burning crimson in embarrassment. She’d lasted all of a minute, just
enough time to see him bare his strong arms and muscled chest, the latter tapering
down to some serious washboard abs. Then she’d lost her nerve and turned away.
If she’d managed a little longer, she could have compared Keeper equipment to
human men’s equipment, but she hadn’t dared.

Truth be told, her knowledge of the male anatomy was mostly
academic anyway. Her ex, Steven, had been a strictly-to-the point sort. Barely
any foreplay and he’d never been much concerned with her pleasure. Mostly he’d
just climbed on top of her and thrust inside a few times before he was done and
snoring. It’d hurt the first time, since she’d been a virgin, but after that
the experience had just been somewhat boring.

Something told her sex with Helion would be a whole
different animal, assuming sex between their two species was even possible. And
damn she didn’t even need to be thinking about this but the sound of his
clothes hitting the floor and the small splash as he got into the tub made it
hard to think about anything else. All those muscles…soaking wet… Gah, she
couldn’t think about that. The Keeper creature was ordering her around like a
child, forcing her to do what he wanted over and over. She had no business
being attracted to him.

Gwen’s shoulders stiffened as she waged an internal battle
between her instinct for self-preservation that warned her to be wary of him
and her temper that wanted to lash out at him. Self-preservation won finally
and she walked over to the table to seat herself in a chair. Helion did not
seem the type to tolerate defiance and she’d already attempted to defy him a half
a dozen times since they met. No matter how much he angered her, she needed to
keep her cool.

“Don’t slap the offensive Keeper, don’t slap the offensive
Keeper,” Gwen chanted under her breath, sitting on the plush chair with her
back to him. How dare he criticize her as a mother. For the last three months
she’d put her life on the line over and over again to protect her daughter, to
keep her warm, fed and alive. She’d done her best, even knowing her best really
wasn’t that great. Then this Keeper swooped in, saved the day, kidnapped them
and then had the gall to judge her.

God, he scared her so much. She feared his strength, his
coldness, his ruthlessness. It wasn’t wise to defy him, even though she wanted
to every time he opened his mouth. And now here she sat, listening with a bit
too much focus to him bathe while she pulled down her top and let Evelyn
eagerly latch on for her meal. She was in a room with a naked Keeper, with her
breasts exposed. And despite her fear, she found it oddly…arousing. She feared
him but perversely also lusted after him. All that masculine perfection bared
just feet away from her—it took everything she had not to peep.

As foolish as it was, he was arousing her interest as a
woman, despite her fear. It shocked her and dismayed her but she had felt her
body responding to the sight of Helion disrobing. Her temperature was still
rising and her skin felt a little tight. Her brain went fuzzy even as her
throat dried up, so hopefully no one expected a coherent thought from her any
time soon. Clearly she’d been neglecting her physical needs for too long when
the sight of a nearly naked alien was getting her hot…so freaking hot. Wow.

If she were being honest with herself, Gwen had to admit the
situation could have been much worse. The Scourge would have killed her and
Evelyn earlier but they had been saved. Now they were in a warm tent where there
was a table full of delicious-smelling food waiting for her and the promise of
a warm bed to sleep in. So far the Keepers hadn’t harmed them. The cold
Commander had forced her to bend to his will but not with any violence. He’d
saved their lives and didn’t seem inclined to harm them and Gwen had to be
grateful for that.

So she remained seated until Evelyn had gotten her fill,
burping her a couple times, until Evie cuddled drowsily against her chest,
content. Every little puff of her baby’s breath on her neck was a sweet
treasure to Gwen. Her baby was alive and warm and happy. That was all Gwen had
craved for her for the past three months on the run and she owed that to the
Keeper lounging in the tub behind her.

Gwen had become so preoccupied with listening to her
daughter’s sweet breathing she didn’t even notice when the splashing stopped
until her white-haired rescuer was suddenly standing in front of her, draped in
a deep-green robe. The robe covered all of his body save a large triangle of
chest, and no, that wasn’t disappointment she felt, dammit.

“The child is content. You will eat now, little mother,” her
nemesis said, staring at her with a strange, uncomfortable intensity.

Gwen didn’t protest. She was starving. But it was difficult
to really dig in and enjoy her food when she had to balance Evie on her chest
with one hand. The best dishes required the use of both her hands but before she
could decide how to handle it, Verdun arrived back in the tent.

“Ah, Verdun, efficient and omniscient as always.”

Gwen looked up from the food and saw Helion nodding to
Verdun in approval. She grudgingly admitted he was good to his subordinates
from what she could see. And Verdun had indeed been very efficient. He’d
arrived with more Keepers and was refilling the bath, for her, she hoped. She
saw he had pretty-looking soaps as well and some soft towels. Oh to take a bath
again, for the first time in months! Gwen felt her eyes tear up a little, such
was her pleasure. But even better, he also brought a bassinette for Evie!

“Thank you so much, Verdun,” she said in a soft voice, one
hand reaching out to stroke the intricate scrollwork on the sides of the piece.
It was a work of art, a wooden bassinet on curved legs with the softest of
padding inside. Gwen laid Evie down in it with care, smiling with delight when
her little girl snuggled in drowsily. By the time she was covered with the
little blanket, she was already asleep.

A cozy tent, a soft bed and a warm blanket…all things Gwen
would have given an arm and a leg to provide Evelyn with. And this time when
they went to sleep, for the first time in months, they didn’t have to worry
about the Scourge. Tears burned her eyes again but she pushed them back. If she
started crying, she wouldn’t stop for a good long time and she didn’t want
Helion and Verdun to see her weakness.

“Eat now, my lady. The child is resting peacefully,” Helion
commanded, but softly, so Gwen didn’t worry he’d wake the baby.

Gwen felt as if she would collapse at any moment but knew
she’d sleep better with a full stomach and a clean body. So she ducked her head
and began to eat her fill while Helion took a chair himself and ate heartily as
he watched Verdun finish the preparations for her bath. She almost moaned at
how delicious the food was but managed not to embarrass herself. She ate as
quickly as she could while managing her desperation to shovel food into her
mouth like the starving woman she was.

“Everything is ready, Commander,” Verdun said with a short
bow to Helion. The tub steamed with hot water behind him and Gwen spied how
artfully he’d arranged the towels and soaps as well. “The bed is still being
worked on but it’s nearly complete.”

“Thank you, Verdun. You may go. See to that matter while the
lady bathes. I’ll call you when the lady has finished her bath.”

Gwen stiffened next to him but managed to resist the urge to
glare at her captor. He’d finished his meal and was watching her eat, making no
move to leave the tent. If he thought she’d take a bath with him sitting right
here, he had another think coming. Her emotions must have been showing on her
face, because Helion’s smirk was again evident.

“No need to fret, little mother, you will bathe in private.
I will go confer with my men and return in thirty minutes. I trust that will be
sufficient time for you to bathe and change into fresh garments.” He stood up
then and gave her a curt bow but seemingly couldn’t resist a final sally. “Unless,
of course, you need some help washing your back?”

Gwen looked into those mocking green eyes and was tempted to
say yes. Clearly the Keeper loved to discompose her and the idea of him using
those strong, elegant hands to wash any part of her body caused a temperature
spike throughout her body. But this Keeper was an enigma to her. His attitude
toward her seemed to jump between respectful, mocking and utterly cold. Caution
in dealing with him was required. Some instinct warned her if she did call his
bluff, he’d call hers. Behind that jade stare was an absolutely ruthless
individual, something Gwen needed to keep in mind.

“Thank you, Commander, but I can handle my own back,” she
replied finally, leaning farther back in her chair to put more distance between
them. There was an intoxicating smell coming from him. Maybe it was his washing
soap but she felt the urge to get close to his skin and inhale that fragrance
deep into her body. Just being this close to him made her skin itch with the
need to reach out and touch. She must really have some sort of mental disorder
to be so absolutely terrified of a person but extremely turned-on at the same
time. He sketched a bow and left, which at least allowed her to start breathing
normally again.

“My lady, everything you need is by the tub, including some
sleeping garments I found in your size. I’ll return with the Commander in
thirty minutes with your bed so you may rest comfortably after.” Verdun bowed
slightly and walked to the flap of the tent. Gwen stopped him.

“Thank you, Verdun, I very much appreciate all the kindness
you’ve shown to me and my daughter.”

“You are most welcome, my lady,” he replied, bowing one more
time, this time more deeply, before quitting the tent.

Gwen was tempted to wake Evelyn for a bath but the baby was
sleeping so peacefully Gwen finally decided against it. She had less than
thirty minutes to get clean herself and cleaning Evie first would take precious
time. Helion might not even wait the full thirty minutes—coming back early
seemed to be just the sort of thing the confusing Keeper would do. Though she
was positive someone like her would hold little attraction for one such as
Helion, she didn’t want to be caught bare-ass naked by him or Verdun.

The tub called to her, so much temptation in its warm
depths. Gwen hadn’t really bathed in more than three months. Wetted napkins and
baby wipes, whenever she could spare them, had been the extent of her ability
to get clean. But now here before her was an enormous wooden tub filled with
steaming hot water. She’d never stripped so fast in her life as she did then,
mere seconds lapsing before her body was bare and slipping into the water.

And oh god, it was better than she could have imagined. Her
whole body went limp with pleasure, soothed by heat and steam. To her left on a
bench was a bar of soap and she happily grabbed it up and lathered a cloth
before scrubbing her whole body ruthlessly. It was heaven, absolute heaven. Her
skin lost its dull tone and once again became the gleaming white she’d been so
ashamed of her whole life. Having two-toned skin, albino and tomato, had once
bothered her a great deal. Now she was just thankful to see skin instead of
dirt and grime.

For a few minutes she allowed herself to just lie back and
soak, letting the warm water work its magic on her exhausted body. It gave her
time to ponder all that had happened that night. Helion. His rescue. Her fears.
Strangely she no longer feared these Keepers had nefarious intentions toward
her people. Why feed her and get Evie a beautiful cradle and provide this
delicious bath with scented soaps and soft towels if their intention was to
kill her?

That being said, these Keepers didn’t have her full trust.
They were alien invaders on Earth. They hadn’t asked permission to come or
excused themselves when they were here. The Keepers didn’t seem intent on
harming humanity. Their stated intention was to wipe out all the Scourge troops
and then leave. But why would they bother coming here? Surely they hoped to
gain something from humans during this campaign.

And really, why had they helped her? It surely only burdened
their war camp to have a woman and child staying there. Helion had accepted her
fear of the refugee camps and decided on a different course of action. But why?
Why would he even care what happened at these camps, or why she was afraid of
them? It certainly wasn’t his responsibility but now he’d made it his problem
by granting her and Evie refuge. It made no sense why such a cold, menacing
creature had shown them so much mercy.

And they really were at his mercy. Helion was the Commander
of this large encampment. She would be residing in his tent with Evelyn,
subject to his moods and his whims. Even if she did want to escape, and she
must, how was she to go about it? His threat of punishment hung over her head
like a shroud. It was an untenable situation, to fear and lust after Helion. It
was madness. In all her twenty-seven years she’d never met a man who set her
girl parts tingling like this one did, with just a look from those remarkable
green eyes. For it to happen now with the most inappropriate creature in the
universe…what was that, really bad karma?

Helion was a cold, austere alien, with hair longer than
hers, whose eyes glowed like green fire and whose hands were long, lean and
more than capable of doing violence. His eyes constantly mocked her even while
the rest of his face never shifted an inch. Maybe this was just sexual
deprivation. She hadn’t had sex since right around the time Evelyn was
conceived. Who could blame her for thinking a seven-foot-tall god was ideal for
a roll in the hay? Gwen had never had sex without being committed to her
partner, but she had a feeling Helion would be worth breaking the rules for.