Chapter Nine
Hovering on the brink of climax, her body tensed like a bowstring as she waited anxiously for the breathtaking plunge that would send her soaring beyond the horizon. Body shaking and head reeling, she clutched his broad shoulders with frantic hands as he positioned himself at her entrance. Gliding the head through her wetness, his cock brushed over her clit, causing delicious sensation to shoot straight through to her needy center.
“Please, don’t tease me,” she moaned.
Then he was stretching and filling her. His length and breadth tested her limits, bringing her to the very threshold of her capacity as every nerve ending in her channel fired with unrivaled pleasure.
As an incredible heat streaked through her, she was unable to hold off any longer and exploded in shivering waves of ecstasy. After only seconds of recovery, she blinked up at him, in awe of what he could do to her with his body.
His gorgeous eyes bore down into hers as he thrust faster. She watched as he moved above her, plainly finding as much joy in her as she had in him. With a bone-deep carnal growl, sounding as much like pain as it did pleasure, he surged into her once more. Throwing back his head, he went still, every glorious muscle straining as he poured himself into her. It was enough to send her spiraling into another bliss-filled climax as they shuddered together in mutual surrender.
“Roth,” she called out as she clung to him.
The next moment, she bolted upright in bed. This time her groan was of frustration.
She plucked at the sweat-dampened nightgown adhering to her skin then rolled to her side, intending to go to the bathroom and splash cold water on her face. It was the only thing that helped calm her after the dream visited her nightly. But as usual, she was tangled in the linens wrapped tightly around her body as though she were channeling one of the pharaohs of ancient Egypt.
Struggling to get free, Maggie rolled from side to side. When her elbow collided with the wall beside her bed, she hissed, the jolt to her funny bone sending pain shooting up her arm.
“Dammit to hell,” she cried as she cradled her aching joint and pushed at the restraining sheet with her feet. Finally, she was free and lurched off the bed.
“Mags?”
She spun and saw Rebecca standing in her bedroom door.
“I’m okay,” she muttered, although her voice came out reedy thin.
“Another dream?”
“And a hot flash, twenty years before my time.” As she complained, she yanked at the cold, wet material sticking to her chest. The sudden movement sent a sharp pain stabbing into her side, something that had also plagued her since arriving on Primaria. She sucked in a breath, as she bent forward.
“I don’t think it’s simply hot flashes, Maggie. You need to see a doctor.”
“I’m fine,” she insisted irritably, as she headed for the bathroom. “It’s the food; blue bread and pink apple juice take some getting used to.”
Rebecca, who had trailed after her, disagreed and said so from the bathroom doorway. “You aren’t eating so it’s not the food. It’s low on your right side, which could be appendicitis. That would explain the sweating and fever, too. What if it ruptures?”
Maggie sighed into the cold, wet cloth she had pressed to her face. When she lowered it, she met her friend’s eyes in the mirror. “Okay, Mom. If it makes you feel better, I’ll go to the clinic tomorrow.”
“Make it today, it’s almost morning,” her friend replied, still looking anxious in her mother hen mode. “I don’t mean to be a nag, but I’m worried, and we can’t afford to lose you.”
She huffed a short laugh of disbelief. “I’m no more needed than any one of us. Rank has no meaning among Primarian females.”
“Unless you’re the Prima, first consort to the Maxime Princep.”
“What are you talking about, Becca?”
“See, that’s another thing, your mind is scattered. How could you not have heard of the Prima; everyone is talking about it.”
“Why should we be concerned about a woman we don’t know?”
“Because we do know her. It’s Eva.”
“What?” Stunned, Maggie dropped the wet cloth. “Our Eva? Eva La Croix?”
“None other,” she stated, with a single nod.
“But how? It’s only been a week.”
“She was the first one mated. Evidently, their leader caught her and breached her the very first night in his tent.”
“Breached her.” Maggie all but spat the words. “You mean forced her to mate with him. The swine.”
“Not from what I’ve heard. Rumors are flying she and the Princep are fated mates.” She shrugged. “But I’ve also heard she hasn’t transformed like some of the others. I’m not sure I understand all the chemistry.”
“Oh, my God, not that bunch of bullshit. How can two different species who did not know of the other’s existence be destined by fate to be mates? It’s ridiculous. Like out of a twenty-first century trashy romance novel.”
“According to the warriors, they were tested and have nearly 100 percent matching chemistry,” she shrugged. “Ninety-nine and some odd percentage points at least. The entire city is abuzz with the news, and the men are pushing for faster testing of us, hoping to find their perfect match as well. Bunch of randy bastards.”
“Have you been tested?” Maggie asked abruptly. They had come for her the day before, and she had adamantly refused. She didn’t know if that was allowed or not, but she had told Kanei, who had come to escort her to the med-bay, that pigs would fly before she allowed herself to be voluntarily tested. That was the other reason she hadn’t gone to see about her night sweats, and poor appetite, and the pain in her side. They would want blood and once they had a sample in their possession, what would stop them from doing whatever damn test they wanted.
“No one has come for me. Teagan and Saige went this morning.”
“They cooperated?”
“It’s not like they give us much choice, and their size is quite persuasive, not to mention most of them only need to flash their pretty smiles or toss their glossy black hair, and our crew melts like lovesick teenagers. It’s disgusting.”
“They haven’t seen men in three years,” Maggie mused, recalling how she melted like butter in a hot skillet for the commander.
“Some are eager to become mates.”
“They’ve said as much?”
“They’re tired, Mags. The mission has been long and other than the hunting planet we had the misfortune to stumble upon, it has been fruitless.”
“And therefore, they want to give up? Abandon our people back home?”
“Some do, not all.”
“Damn. We must find a way out of here before they all defect and succumb to Primarian testosterone, or whatever it is that makes them so damn alpha and attractive.”
“Agreed, but how?”
“I have no fucking idea.” She cursed as she threw her towel across the room, regretting it when another sharp pain stabbed into her side.
***
One day seeped into another until a full week had passed. They were being treated well, as Roth had promised they would be. The rooms assigned to them were luxurious. They had attendants waiting on them who seemed eager to accommodate their every need. And the warriors on duty were courteous, gorgeous, and oozed charm like a honeycomb dripped honey. But no matter how they dressed it up, they were well-guarded prisoners restricted to a gilded cage.
The excuse given to mollify them was they were unfamiliar with the city and its laws; therefore, it was for their protection. Maggie wasn’t buying it. They weren’t trusted, especially after the escape attempt on the ship. They were free to move around their quarters and the common areas, in what resembled a posh hotel. But they wore clothes selected for them—long flowing dresses, nothing like what they were used to—went as a group for meals prepared for them, and pretty much waited around to be claimed.
They did attend the classes the commander had mentioned. Primaria 101, they called it, which included the history of the people, their customs, and a primer on their culture. This was something Maggie wasn’t the least bit interested in because if it was up to her, they weren’t staying. Although like everyone else, she was strongly encouraged to attend. And, since it was held outside the women’s cell block—ahem, rather, their dormitory—she went along without too much fuss. It beat being cooped up all the time. Those that attended were also given a tour of the city, under guard, of course, which they more politely called escorts. Maggie didn’t protest that, either, feeling it would do no good, in the first place, and second, it was her only real opportunity to search for a path to freedom.
Ariad was much like she imagined ancient Greece would have been like, especially with the bold-colored tunics the men on the street wore, and the flowing ankle-length dresses worn by the women. The city itself was immaculate, the buildings gleaming, many with columns and scrollwork, and made of white stone, some of which were swirled through with bright colors in a marbled appearance. And most of the people went about on foot, although there was a trolley that ran occasionally. There weren’t any cars or buses, but overhead, she could see the occasional shuttle coming and going.
The city was situated in a valley surrounded by rolling hills that expanded into towering, snowcapped mountains in the distance. And like the buildings, the landscape gleamed with vivid colors, although strange compared to what she was used to, from the bright yellow grass to the pink leaves on the trees that matched the pink of the twin suns overhead. Instead of the brown brush and the dry, dusty drought conditions she was used to at home, the hills were a dazzling green, bright yellow, and vivid pink that shimmered brilliantly in the sunshine.
Overall, Ariad was quite beautiful.
Today altered somewhat from the routine in that at dinner they had special guests join them, several of the elders, some red tunic–wearing warriors, and, much to Maggie’s surprise, two of the original eight crew members taken captive. Lana and Mailynn.
Both were competent scientists, well educated and prior to this cluster-fuck, loyal soldiers, but neither could be considered overly confident or assertive; they were followers, not leaders. She would have loved to have had a few minutes with Eryn, instead. With her expertise in security and having been here twice as long, she would have already sized up the Primarian’s weaknesses. It was likely the reason they got Lana and Mailynn instead.
They were escorted immediately to places at Maggie’s table by two of the warriors. Lana’s male was attentive as he seated her, bending low to say something in her ear, his hands resting on her shoulders and briefly squeezing before taking his leave.
Mai, who was even more reserved than Lana, was also assisted to her place by a warrior: tall, dark-haired, and handsome, like all the others. He was more demonstrative in his affection, running his hand the length of her long hair and brushing his lips against her temple before he left, too. Though neither went far, crossing to a table on the other side of the room.
Maggie blinked, staring at the striking change that had come over the microbiologist. Formerly with honey-blonde hair and sky-blue eyes, Mai now had streaks of jet-black interspersed amidst the fair strands, and her irises had acquired flecks of gold that hadn’t been there before. She appeared more Primarian than human now, and that wasn’t the only change. She seemed to sit taller, with more confidence, where she had been timid and quiet in the past.
She found herself staring, unable to pull her gaze from the woman who she had known for years and was now barely recognizable. “Those are your mates, the males best suited to your chemistry?”
While trying not to be rude, Maggie posed her question as she spread her napkin in her lap, but once done, her eyes came back to the drastic transformation, and she found herself staring impolitely, if not outright gawking.
As Mai gazed at her captain, Lana answered her question. “She went through the proper channels, but technically, Trask chose me before any testing was done.”
“I didn’t think that was allowed,” Maggie replied, turning to the other pretty blonde.
“Oh, he didn’t, um, you know, not until after the tests, yet, uh…” Tongue-tied and ill at ease, she glanced over at Mai to help with the explanation.
“He chased her through the jungle, threw her over his shoulder, and declared her his before the other warriors had a chance. I’d call that choosing, wouldn’t you?”
Maggie couldn’t squelch her gasp of surprise. It was partly because of Mai, now appearing more goth than scientist nerd, had strung more words together than she had heard her speak at one time—ever. It was also because her description invoked memories of Roth. Not the handsome, uniform-wearing, infuriating commander on his ship, but the lust-inspiring barbarian version from her dreams.
“It’s disturbing, I know,” Lana murmured, only half understanding her captain’s reaction. “It’s happening to us, and we still can’t believe it.”
She met her gaze head-on for the first time and Maggie understood the “us” she was referring to because her brown eyes were now a stunning shade of teal.
“How is this even possible?” Maggie breathed.
“I’m a geologist, so I can’t begin to explain it. We need a geneticist, or perhaps a chemist since they are always talking about the breaching causing a chemical reaction.” Lana looked at Mai. “What do you think? You’re the microbiologist.”
“Yes, which is not a geneticist. Cell mutation is the best I can come up with, which is changing DNA itself, and for that to be brought about by sperm, is beyond me.” Apparently puzzled, she shook her head. “It would be fascinating in a lab setting. When it’s your own body acting as the petri dish, it kind of freaks you out.”
“Wait, so the man’s sperm is what, a catalyst?” By no means shy about voicing an opinion, Nala appeared ready to let one fly now. “Simple enough to avoid,” she concluded. “Say no and tell him to keep it in his pants.”
“You obviously haven’t been up close and personal with one of these warriors yet,” Mai countered.
The entire conversation brought thoughts of Roth to the forefront of her mind. She had wanted to say no to him, except after that first kiss, she’d been the one who wanted him out of his pants and into hers. She kept this to herself, however.
“None of the women have been forced, have they?” With all the commander’s talk about it not being necessary appearing to be true, Maggie wanted to make sure.
“They took us from our ship, inserted alien devices in our heads, and have subjected us to testing, all without consent. I don’t imagine they would have qualms about forcing sex when breeding is their ultimate goal.” This came from Rebecca, who until now had been sitting beside Maggie quietly taking it all in.
Lana shook her head. “I really don’t think any of them would force sex on us. Charm, entice, and seduce, yes. Outright rape?” She shook her head. “They are gentle, actually quite gentle.”
“Yeah, like a bulldozer,” Mai put in. “Still, I agree. Krager didn’t use force.” She flushed crimson as she added, “He didn’t have to.”
“And I have refused the tests and wasn’t forced,” Maggie stated.
“But for how long?” Nala shot back. “They likely moved you down the list to number three hundred. All the uncooperative females will be dealt with later after we’ve had more time to acclimate.” She glanced at Mai and Lana. “Isn’t that why they sent you, to help convince us how happy you are to be sex slaves?”
“Nala,” Maggie snapped. “They were captured, the same as us.”
“And then cozied up to the enemy pretty damn quick.”
With a sad smile and cheeks that glowed a fiery red, Lana gave them another piece of this Primarian mating puzzle. “That’s the other part that is tough to explain. There is an overwhelming sexual attraction. I’ve never experienced anything like it before. And they can be very persuasive. Believe me, what you’re thinking is not in their vocabulary.”
“No,” Mai agreed, “but foreplay is way up front. Krager pretty much blew me away.”
“You’re horny. They’re hot,” Nala concluded succinctly. “It’s not a stretch to believe you’d want some, badly, especially after three years of abstinence.” Crudely put; however, that made sense, too.
“You don’t understand. They feel it, too. We’re like supercharged magnets drawn together, which according to Trask, only happens this way with mates.”
“I guess so since they don’t have sex until they’re mated,” Rebecca observed.
“Who said that?” Mai stared at her, seeming baffled.
“I assumed they, uh, transformed during the first encounter.”
“No, that only happens with a matched pair.”
“What the fuck is that?” Nala cut in.
“That’s the purpose of their testing. Only a pair with a high biocellular match in the mid to upper nineties will bond and become mates.”
“So they can freely have sex with fifty and sixty percenters? How nice for them,” Nala commented dryly. “And even above ninety, all they need to do is wear a rubber.”
“I asked about that,” Lana answered with a small laugh. “Trask was appalled. They have no concept of contraception. Their whole focus for twenty years has been procreation. Besides, he mentioned a drawback for promiscuity and cheating.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s a perk, if you ask me,” Lana replied. “It burns.”
“Come again?”
“After the transformation, when the mate bonding is complete, the body fluids of another Primarian burn them.”
“You mean?”
“Yes, if they cheat, his dick and her hoo-ha blister as if drenched in acid.”
Rebecca laughed. “At last, a man with a built-in cheating deterrent system. If it weren’t so bizarre, it would be applaudable.”
“This is ridiculous.” Nala barked. “And I’m not buying any of it.”
“It’s science, Nala. You’re in security, so that’s not your thing, but the rest of us have made it our life’s pursuit and swore by it. Plus, these Primarians have proven the success of it. They have no divorce here, and little strife. The family unit is the cornerstone of their society, and they protect it.”
“That raises another question.” This came from Rebecca. “If they’re so pure and better than the rest of us, why allow outsiders to infiltrate.”
Nala, also a skeptic, added her voice to the dissent. “And with all their science and technology, how come they can’t find a solution?”
Mailynn replied, “Krager says the birth rate is stagnant. What’s more, the few babies born are mostly boys. At this pace, any population growth is so negligible it is practically nonexistent. An outbreak of illness, war with their enemies, or another disaster could wipe out their numbers further. They had no choice but to go beyond their planet. And finding a compatible race has been a long, frustrating search until we came along.”
“Yes, and it happens to be with Earth women from the other side of the universe.” Nala scoffed. “Bull-freakin’-shit! It’s the implants. That’s the explanation, it’s a combination translator, mind control device, that probably secretes alien hormones of some kind, and God knows what else. That’s why this is happening.”
“I’ve considered that myself,” Maggie replied.
Lana and Mai both wore stricken expressions.
“Trask swears it’s a simple translating device,” Lana whispered then bit her lip in obvious uncertainty. “It would explain a lot, but I can’t believe they would do something like that.”
Nala leaned forward and answered in a hushed voice. “The only way to find out is to get the fuck off this planet and have them removed and analyzed. What can you tell us about that? Have you seen any weaknesses?”
“We haven’t had time,” Mai replied, her cheeks pinking up. “Krager has kept me busy with other things.”
“They’ve turned you into sex slaves,” Nala spat. “I knew it.”
“We’re not slaves,” Lana protested. “I come and go freely. Mai and I went to the street fair just the other day.”
“Alone?” Maggie challenged.
The two mates shared a look, but only Mai shook her head. “There were guards, but they were for our protection. It’s a new city and whole new world.”
“Yeah, that’s the same line of bull we’ve been handed,” Nala quipped.
They fell quiet, each lost in thought, all likely absorbing the enormity of their situation.
“Why is Mai’s change so drastic, and yours isn’t,” Maggie pressed Lana.
“She and Krager are what they call fated mates, an almost identical match. They say this is extremely rare among their people. Seeing it happen between two different species is shocking.” Beside her, Mai nodded, evidently surprised by it. too. “Because they are so similar, the transformation is more drastic. The female even takes on the identical marking of the male.”
All heads swung to Mai as she slid up the wide sleeve of her gauzy dress to reveal a colorful tattoo that started on her upper arm slightly above her elbow.
“I thought he had a tattoo when I first saw it,” Mai explained. “But Primarian males are born with a distinctive marking, passed on through their line. And once mated, if the couple is fated, she becomes marked with it, too.”
She pulled aside the neck of her dress and showed them that the tattoo ran over her shoulder. “When it’s complete, it will cover half of my back as well.
“Holy crap,” Nala breathed.
“Does it hurt?” Rebecca asked.
“Not now, although at first, it burned like a mother,” Mai answered.
“You don’t have one, Lana?” Maggie watched as the woman’s face fell with her question.
“No, we are matched, but only in the mid-90s, which isn’t high enough to make us fated.”
“And that is bad, how?”
When Lana looked away, Maggie arched a brow at Mai in question. “I’m not sure, other than chances of conception are better the higher the compatibility rating.”
“And if you can’t breed,” Nala proposed baldly, “what does the general do with you?”
Lana’s mouth fell open, apparently not having considered that. Her gaze shifted to her untouched supper for a moment, and then she suddenly stood up. “Excuse me, please.”
As she ran out, they watched her, as did a tall, dark man across the room. Almost as quickly, he got up and went after her, pausing only briefly to excuse himself to the white-haired bearded men at his table.
“For God’s sake, Nala, did you have to be so harsh?” Rebecca hissed.
Maggie would have challenged her, too, if not for the shooting pain that suddenly stabbed her in the side. It had been a dull ache all day, but she’d tried to ignore it. She should have taken Rebecca’s advice of a week ago and had it seen to.
While the argument continued around her, the wave of pain worsened. Pressing into it with her fingers, centered in the right lower portion of her belly, eased the pain somewhat.
“I’m sorry if she was upset, but should we sugarcoat our new reality? No matter the clothes, the plush apartments, and all the crap they spew about mates and destiny, we are prisoners here, Lieutenant Commander. I’m only trying to help us consider all the possibilities.”
“And being unnecessarily cruel while doing so,” Mai shot back.
Another pang hit, and Maggie couldn’t keep from jerking in reaction, curling forward and guarding her right side. The motion drew Rebecca’s attention.
“Mags?” she tentatively asked, but it was barely audible over Nala’s continued tirade.
“Why the hell not?” she demanded loudly, while Mai and several others tried to hush her. “I won’t be quiet, not when the answers to my questions determine our fate. What happens if we can’t breed warrior babies? What becomes of us then? They can’t release a few of us and let news of this get back to the people of Earth who might perhaps mount a rescue or retaliation. The other options keep us here as servants, or to sell us. None of those options, or any of this for that matter, is acceptable, so excuse me for not painting sunshine and daisies all over our fucking new reality.”
“Is there a problem here?” The question was posed by a tall man who had come to stand behind Mai’s chair, but before she could begin to explain, Maggie bent in half. A loud moan escaped from deep in her chest as another pain, this one sharp and cutting like a hot knife into her belly.
“Captain!” Mai cried.
“She’s been ill,” Rebecca revealed while coming to her feet. “But she’s too damn stubborn to go to the doctor. Her symptoms, in addition to this pain, are night sweats, poor appetite, and not sleeping. She needs to see someone right now.”
In full agreement, Mai’s mate rounded the table. As he did, he barked an order to a nearby warrior guard. “Alert Jarlan one of the females is ill.”
Once at her side, she tried to wave him off, but he slid her chair out and with the utmost care, lifted her in his arms.
“Please, I’ll be fine if I could just lie down.”
“You may do so in the med-bay. As to fine, Jarlan is our best and I’m sure will right whatever is wrong, quickly.”
Gazing up at him as he carried her quickly toward the door, Maggie marveled at the golden color of his eyes but didn’t comment as another wave of pain struck. This time, more severe, her cry of anguish echoed through the hall.
“Hang on, Mai’s captain, help is only minutes away.”