Alien-Under-Cover (17 page)

At last when she was limp and beyond sated into depleted, he leaned over her. “You will be with me always.”

“Okay.”

She’d agree to anything right now. He’d pleasured her stupid.

She lazily traced the biggest scar on his chest. “What happened? Did someone beat you?”

If it was possible, the tar in his eyes turned even denser. He moved back from her. “I am aware that human women need to rest. You will rest for fifteen minutes and then I will pleasure you again.”

“
What
?”

He lay down next to her on his back, his hands at his side, and grunted something.

The lights went off.

“I am a good fucker,” he said in the darkness.

Chapter 12

She woke, instantly aware of two things. Her whole body ached and she had the creepy feeling you got when someone watched you.

She flew upright. Zurian stood at the foot of the bed with his booted feet planted wide and his arms crossed over his chest, silently staring at her. His gaze dropped and she grabbed the covers over her naked breasts. Naked. Oh God, she’d made love with an alien. No, with Zurian, this male who’d made her feel safe during those hours in the reverend’s basement. The man who’d turned vicious when she asked a simple question, who’d put the reverend’s head on a pike.

Julia seriously considered drawing the blankets over her head and staying that way for a long, long time.
Thank you, Lord, my shots are up to date
, she thought. It had cost serious money and she had to travel to a neighboring town, but she found a reliable source. Pregnancy could turn this into a nightmare.

“Your morning after manners need some serious work.” Somehow it seemed unreal that she shared those heated sensual hours with this frightening aloof male.

“The doctor is here to check your implant and make sure the poison is out of your system.”

She scrambled back from him and looked around for her clothes. “I don’t like him. Any doctor who tries to burn his patients needs to stay away from me.”

He watched her closely, almost as if he was afraid she would bolt. “I would not allow anyone to hurt you.”

“I’d love to know an alien language, but I honestly don’t think I can make those grunting noises you and Zacar talk with. Say something, I wanna see if it’s working.”

He said something that sounded harsher than English but not like rocks grating together. Which was what it sounded like to her when he talked to Zacar. She shook her head.

“Nope, not working. Although the language doesn’t sound as growly as it usually does.” Still clutching the blankets, she leaned forward and grabbed her shirt from the foot of the bed. “I will learn your language, no problem. I don’t need the translator to work.” She’d always been good with languages and, although it might take a little longer than normal, she knew she could do it.

“Our language is too complicated for a human to learn.”

They would just see about that. If she could manage mandarin, she could learn alien. “Whatever. I still don’t need the doctor to look at me.”

“He is waiting. Prepare yourself.”

“You bring him in here and I’ll hit him with something.”

The atmosphere chilled and she could literally see him grow bigger and meaner. A few red tendrils drifted into the pitch black of his eyes then slowly bled away.

“You will bathe and dress and see the doctor in the other room.” He loomed over her. Lifted her chin. “Never do you meet another warrior in this room.” He cocked his head. “Never do you meet another warrior alone anywhere.”

“Yeah, because I dream of being sexed to death by more than one emotionless warrior.”

Obviously, he didn’t get sarcasm when he was on the receiving end, because he leaned over her even more, invading her space, using his size to intimidate her in a way she detested. His tar-pit gaze burned into her very soul. “You will never share sex with another warrior.”

“Get back, you cretin. Don’t think you can intimidate me with your size.” She pushed against his chest and he snapped his teeth at her. “Did you just snap your teeth at me?”

Something flickered in his eyes. She could see him pull his emotions back until mirrored black pools stared back at her.

He stepped back from the bed. “Come to the living quarters when you are ready.” He turned and walked out with measured steps.

She took a quick shower, dressed in fresh jeans and a shirt, and combed her hair. Whoever had packed her stuff had been thorough. She hadn’t found anything left behind yet. She’d put all her toiletries in the bathroom the day before. She would’ve taken the time to put on makeup normally but now she spent quite a while on it. Maybe the doctor would get fed up with waiting and go away. She decided it would be a good time to paint her nails.

***

Squaring her shoulders, she finally walked to the living room. Just let them try and put anything else in her brain. Zurian stood talking with the doctor. Before, when he’d treated her wound, she’d only been aware of an alien slightly bulkier than Zurian. Now she saw he had on a similar uniform. Boots and pants and military style shirts that looked as if they could be made from very thin metal. She’d love to get her hands on a sample of that. His eyes were black but, in her opinion, it was a boring black compared to Zurian’s. And the veins on his body were more pronounced as well but it didn’t give him the rugged look it did Zurian.

She put her hands on her hips, tapped her toe. “I only came to tell you that I am fine and that you and your tools can stay away from me.”

“Come here, Julia,” Zurian said.

His gentle tone didn’t fool her. He’d incapacitate her the way he did when he implanted the translator.

She looked around, frantic for a weapon, and spotted the club lying on the table. She grabbed it and swung it in front of her. “You come anywhere near me and I’ll hit you into the next century,” she said to the doctor.

Zurian moved in a blur and stood between her and the doctor. “You hit only me.”

“You think I won’t do it? You think I’m scared to hit you? I’ll hit you and then him.” And she’d make sure they were good and out and then she’d run.

He grew bigger. If she hadn’t been so scared, she would’ve been fascinated to see him stretch like that. He grabbed the club out of her hands so fast she didn’t even see him move.

“You would hit both of us.” Outrage seethed in every clipped word. “You never hit another warrior. I am the only warrior you will hit with the ceremonial club.”

Ceremonial club
? “You’re crazy.”

His eyes flashed red and, for the first time since she found out he was an alien, she thought he might be dangerous to her. Not even when he’d accused her of not showing respect the previous day did he scare her like this. His lips pulled back from his teeth and, for a frightening moment, he looked like the demon she first thought him.

The doctor moved and Julia quickly took two steps away from both of them. “No, stay back. And if I see him going for the tool that produced the flame, I’m out of here.”

The doctor didn’t react to her words. Zurian didn’t answer her, simply grabbed her with that frightening speed and held her immobile against him.

The doctor approached her and she stared at the sinister silver box clasped in his hand.

“Wait. Don’t you want to introduce him this time, before he starts?” She had to buy some time. Find a way to get away from them. She tried to struggle again but he held her immobile against his warm muscled body. “Did Zacar implant Natalie with a translator as well?”

“You will be quiet now and allow Viglar to work.”

“No I won’t.” She tried to kick him and thought her heel would fall off. “Ouch, dammit, what are you made of?”

“Superior Zyrgin skeleton and armored skin.” Zurian added something that sounded like garbled noise. “Did you understand what I just said?” he asked.

He stood oddly, as if prepared to catch her if she fell.

“No.” Wait a minute, why should--She clenched her fists until her nails dug into her palms. “Did you actually manage to calibrate whatever is in my brain?” How advanced was their technology that they could do it that fast and without her feeling anything.

“Yes.”

“And I should understand you now?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sure it’s not working because you forced it on me and the doctor was too hurried. Besides how can you be sure it works on humans.”

They might not show emotion but the way the doctor suddenly got busy with his gadget and Zurian stared away from her said a lot. Zurian cocked his head, touched his shoulder, and growled something. Someone must be contacting him on his communicator. She couldn’t figure out how he used it. He seemed to hear something but she heard no returning grunts. Julia went on her tiptoes and studied his ears. They were more recessed into his skull than a human’s and, of course green and copper, but she couldn’t see anything that could be a receiver in there.

“You are finished studying my ears?” he asked with utmost politeness.

Feeling foolish she stepped back. “Uh, sure.”

“The doctor will make sure you are all right after the first knowing.”

“Wait a minute. Why can’t I understand what you just said into your communicator if the implant is supposed to be working?”

Julia glared at the doctor while he pointed another silver disk at her. He grated something at Zurian and left. Neither of the aliens answered her question.

“It is time for breakfast,” Zurian said. He indicated the kitchen area and she saw two plates on the utilitarian table. He opened a panel and took out a bowl of steaming stew as well as a plate with bread. He seated her, and, taking a fork, scooped some food, and held it to her mouth.

She eyed the fork in his hand. “You’re kidding right.”

“No.”

“But I’m all better now. I can eat by myself.” She needed to talk to Natalie and find out what was with the feeding.

“I will feed you.”

“Seriously.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I would not be a warrior with honor if I did not feed you.”

“I still don’t understand why. You could just make sure I eat enough without feeding me like an infant.

“You will not be allowed to starve yourself. I have observed you do not eat enough.”

Julia decided not to argue further for now. She’d win this argument eventually.

“Where did the food come from?”

He didn’t answer, just lifted another bit to her mouth. She was tempted to throw the mother of all fits. She was not an infant and wouldn’t be treated like this. Not even her parents would’ve tried to baby her like this.

He seemed ready to catch her again. “What is wrong?”

“Nothing, I was just thinking about my parents.” She braced herself to deflect more questions from him but he merely nodded and fed her the bite. She appreciated his reticence.

In the end, she ate everything he gave her just to move on from this strange experience.

He rose and placed the plates, utensils on a silver tray, and it looked as if a gentle wind cleaned them. He placed the items back in the cupboard.

“How did you do that?”

“Superior Zyrgin technology.”

Julia would’ve liked to walk outside but muscles she didn’t even know she had ached. She didn’t dare complain in case he called back the doctor. “I’d like to visit with Natalie.”

“There are security measures in place. You cannot visit her if you are not cleared in advance.”

She had the strong sense that he wanted her far away from Natalie. “And what should I do to get cleared?”

“I put in the request.”

“How very militaristic of you. And can I leave this place and walk around outside?”

“No.”

She put her hands on her hips. “Why not?”

“You are not trusted yet.”

He pulled her close to him and she bit back a moan when her sore muscles protested. They would definitely talk about the number of hours they made love. He leaned down and pressed his head against hers.

“Why do you always do that?”

“I respect and acknowledge my breeder.”

“A simple kiss would’ve sufficed.

“Humans kiss every time they part?” He pounced on her words.

“Not all the--oomph--”

He kissed her, not a quick goodbye kiss, but a deep kiss, his lips caressing hers, as if he savored the taste and texture. His mouth opened hers and his rough tongue dueled with hers. Julia’s knees buckled.

He lifted his head but kept her pressed against him. “I have to attend to warrior business. You cannot leave this dwelling.”

“Does that mean I can’t walk about freely?”

“Yes.”

Julia didn’t say anything to that. She would get out and if she made too big a fuss now he might become suspicious.

She watched intently as he left and the door glided open. He’d grunted to make it work. If she could record that grunt, she might be able to do the same and explore. Or maybe once the translator kicked in, she could give the right command. Julia touched her temple where a slight dull ache throbbed. As much as she would like to speak their language she didn’t like having their technology floating around in her brain.

Examining the door, she couldn’t find any panel hiding wiring she could use to open it. There had to be something she could jippo.

“I’ll figure it out,” she muttered and went to get her TC.

Putting it down on the couch, she activated the system. She had one of the few existing voice activated models. Fifty years ago, a fire had destroyed the building of the company supplying the component for voice activated TCs.

On hers, the menu hovered in the air but the buttons were still disabled. She’d show these aliens that it was not that easy to block her TC. Any block they put up she could break through. Maybe she’d send their systems a few surprises while she was at it.

“What are you doing?”

Julia screamed and clutched her heart. “You broke my TC when you carried my pack. It won’t contact Natalie.” She’d give him the benefit of the doubt.

“There is a block on this dwelling to ensure you cannot call out with your primitive device.”

“Primitive?” Then the import of his words hit her. “I have to be able to use my TC.”