hadn’t gotten over the way Chixo regularly watched her body, or how Troxeo seemed on the verge of exploding around her. She wasn’t sure if he was restraining himself from fucking her or beating her to a bloody pulp. He kept his distance from her, standing next to his chair, but he inspected her with an intensity that made her feel as though she were under a microscope.
“What choice do I have but to trust you?” she heard herself say. For a non-answer, she thought it sounded pretty good. “I am in your care, and as far as I can tell I am unharmed.”
The alien nodded. “That’s very practical of you. We appreciate practicality on my planet. My name is Arkhan ar Trepniss. I’m Troxeo’s cousin.”
Katie smiled. Arkhan was definitely big, and he was definitely alien, but he didn’t have the gruff manner that Troxeo did. There was a sense of manners about him mixed with the cold, scientific viewpoint they all seemed to have. It was like he was an English gentleman combined with an engineer. It wasn’t much, but it was more than she could say for any of the others on board.
Troxeo was simply a monster, Chixo an overcurious analyst, and Enan was only interested in her for the possibility of technology. She wondered for a moment how the men of Bonaan would compare to these aliens if they were able to stand side by side. Would they seem weak or unmanly? What did it mean for an alien to be masculine? Was it the same as being a man on Earth?
“You have to understand that when we land on Oretoz, things won’t be quite so easy for you,” Arkhan continued. “You won’t be allowed to wander around freely or speak to whomever you like. Most of us will not openly reveal their names to you. You are being treated as a guest here, but technically you are our prisoner.”
Katie felt Chixo’s hard eyes staring at her. Could it hurt to ask one more question? “What I don’t understand is why I’m a prisoner at all. Did I do something wrong? I’m just a regular person. Why can’t I go home?”
“Wrong.” The alien said the word like a statement, not a question. “I don’t think there was anything you did wrong. But right and wrong don’t have anything to do with it. Someone needs you on our planet, and we’ve been assigned to bring you there.”
“You can’t go around snatching people up and whisking them to the other side of the universe. I want to go home.” Tears threatened to erupt from the back of her eyes, and she had to hold her breath to keep them from falling. These people were obviously not going to be moved by pity.
Arkhan ignored her demands. “I trust that your room is comfortable?” he asked, taking a few slow steps closer to her. “This ship is not a big one, but I assure you that worse ships exist.”
Somehow this alien easily got past her defenses. She had thought of herself as a solid stick of humanity, but he was bending her like a flower stem. He loomed over her now. Katie knew she wouldn’t be able to stop him if she wanted to. “Oh, um, no. I mean, the ship is nice.”
He gave an animalistic smile again. “Good, good. Tell me about your life on your planet. I confess I haven’t studied Earth life much. Do you have a mate?”
“A mate? Er...oh. No. Not anymore.” Her face burned, and there was no way for her to hide it.
Arkhan nodded sagely. “You got tired of him and threw him out of your home? Well, I suppose that’s to be expected eventually for any of us.”
“No, not exactly. He didn’t want me. But this isn’t any of your business.” She said the last part in a rush, hoping it would cover up her embarrassment.
Arkhan didn’t laugh at her. Instead, his dark eyebrows drew together on his forehead, and he leaned down to her. “Are you sure?” His eyes swept over her body. She suddenly felt self-conscious in a bodysuit that left nothing to the imagination. “You are obviously healthy and fertile.”
She crossed her arms over her body. The clothing completely
“What choice do I have but to trust you?” she heard herself say. For a non-answer, she thought it sounded pretty good. “I am in your care, and as far as I can tell I am unharmed.”
The alien nodded. “That’s very practical of you. We appreciate practicality on my planet. My name is Arkhan ar Trepniss. I’m Troxeo’s cousin.”
Katie smiled. Arkhan was definitely big, and he was definitely alien, but he didn’t have the gruff manner that Troxeo did. There was a sense of manners about him mixed with the cold, scientific viewpoint they all seemed to have. It was like he was an English gentleman combined with an engineer. It wasn’t much, but it was more than she could say for any of the others on board.
Troxeo was simply a monster, Chixo an overcurious analyst, and Enan was only interested in her for the possibility of technology. She wondered for a moment how the men of Bonaan would compare to these aliens if they were able to stand side by side. Would they seem weak or unmanly? What did it mean for an alien to be masculine? Was it the same as being a man on Earth?
“You have to understand that when we land on Oretoz, things won’t be quite so easy for you,” Arkhan continued. “You won’t be allowed to wander around freely or speak to whomever you like. Most of us will not openly reveal their names to you. You are being treated as a guest here, but technically you are our prisoner.”
Katie felt Chixo’s hard eyes staring at her. Could it hurt to ask one more question? “What I don’t understand is why I’m a prisoner at all. Did I do something wrong? I’m just a regular person. Why can’t I go home?”
“Wrong.” The alien said the word like a statement, not a question. “I don’t think there was anything you did wrong. But right and wrong don’t have anything to do with it. Someone needs you on our planet, and we’ve been assigned to bring you there.”
“You can’t go around snatching people up and whisking them to the other side of the universe. I want to go home.” Tears threatened to erupt from the back of her eyes, and she had to hold her breath to keep them from falling. These people were obviously not going to be moved by pity.
Arkhan ignored her demands. “I trust that your room is comfortable?” he asked, taking a few slow steps closer to her. “This ship is not a big one, but I assure you that worse ships exist.”
Somehow this alien easily got past her defenses. She had thought of herself as a solid stick of humanity, but he was bending her like a flower stem. He loomed over her now. Katie knew she wouldn’t be able to stop him if she wanted to. “Oh, um, no. I mean, the ship is nice.”
He gave an animalistic smile again. “Good, good. Tell me about your life on your planet. I confess I haven’t studied Earth life much. Do you have a mate?”
“A mate? Er...oh. No. Not anymore.” Her face burned, and there was no way for her to hide it.
Arkhan nodded sagely. “You got tired of him and threw him out of your home? Well, I suppose that’s to be expected eventually for any of us.”
“No, not exactly. He didn’t want me. But this isn’t any of your business.” She said the last part in a rush, hoping it would cover up her embarrassment.
Arkhan didn’t laugh at her. Instead, his dark eyebrows drew together on his forehead, and he leaned down to her. “Are you sure?” His eyes swept over her body. She suddenly felt self-conscious in a bodysuit that left nothing to the imagination. “You are obviously healthy and fertile.”
She crossed her arms over her body. The clothing completely
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