Lilith

I stumble through the dark, trying to find my way back, but it’s hopeless. I tried to use the com, but it doesn’t have a signal out here. I’m completely, totally and utterly lost.

Lost in a dark, foreign, alien jungle. Without Peanut, even.

I can’t believe how quickly it got dark. One moment it felt like midday, and then night fell blisteringly fast. I ran into the jungle, following Peanut’s trail, ignoring the calls of the soldiers behind me… I only had eyes for my cat.

And then, before I knew it, I was lost. I thought I only ran a few yards into the overgrown jungle, but looks can be deceiving. Every direction looks exactly the same to me, and I’ve been trying to find my way back for hours. And now the sun has set, the temperature is dropping fast, and my anxiety is turning into full-blown panic.

Bang!

The dark sky is lit up by a sudden flash of white light, like lightning has struck. The next moment I hear the rumbling sounds of an explosion, and it feels like the ground itself is shaking.

What on Earth?!

Even though every fiber of my body is telling me to run away, I head towards the origin of the explosion, my knees weak. There is nothing for me out here in this jungle.

Seconds later, another flash lights up the sky, followed by another explosion. Then, the horrifying sound of laser-fire reaches my ears. I break out into a run, branches hitting me, scratching my arms as I make my way through the bush.

When I reach a clearing, my heart skips a beat.

The ship is under attack.

The HF Destiny is enveloped in chaos. Shadowy figures surround the ship, their silhouettes lit up by laser fire. The jungle itself is on fire, black smoke billowing up into the dark sky.

I open my mouth to scream, but before I can produce any sound, I’m grabbed from behind, pulled into the darkness, the wind knocked out of me.

Strange hands hold me tightly, and my heart goes into overdrive when I realize what’s happening.

I’m being kidnapped.

* * *

Daruk

The moment I lay eyes on her, I am smitten.

Her body is so curvy, the way she moves is so gracious…

I heard so many things about humans… but no one ever told me they were this beautiful. As I gaze upon her perfect figure, my body responds in a way I’ve never felt before. My pulse quickens, my heart beating like a drum, and my loincloth can barely hide my growing erection.

I feel compelled to follow her every move.

She stumbles through the jungle, calling out for ‘peanut’, her voice filled with despair. I keep a safe distance, for I do not want to spook her. I find myself wondering about her history. Who is this brown-haired, curvy beauty? Where did she come from? I want to know everything about her.

Bang!

A white-hot flash, followed by an explosion in the distance. Father!

The young human female had me so distracted, I forgot all about my father and his ‘ambush’. My thoughts were focused on her, lewd thoughts flooding my mind, the kind that would make my father disown me.

Bang!

The human female tentatively heads towards the sounds of battle, and my pulse quickens. Turn the other way, you fool!

Instead, she breaks out into a sudden run, straight towards the ensuing battle. I curse under my breath and follow her. The battle masks the sounds of me trailing her.

She stops dead in her tracks when she reaches the clearing, and I do not blame her. In the distance, I see a massive spaceship, and it’s under attack.

Through the fire and the smoke, it’s hard to see what exactly is happening, but I know one thing for sure — I have to keep this human away from there.

For her own good.

I sneak up behind her, the human’s scent surrounding me completely. I feel like an animal stalking his prey, my fingers itching to hold her, to touch her, to feel her. I want to know how her curves feel in my hands, what kind of imprints my hands would make on her naked skin.

I have to remind myself I’m doing this to safe her, not to satisfy my animalistic urges… but in truth, I know it’s a bit of both.

One hands slides around her waist, the other covering her mouth, to stop her from drawing attention to us both.

With a sudden yank, I pull us both into the darkness.

* * *

Lilith

I punch, I kick, I struggle, but none of it seems to matter. A giant is carrying me, seemingly effortlessly. The bushes move, the leaves rustle, but I can’t see a damn thing.

With balled fists, I try to punch my way out, but it’s like striking a damn mountain. I’ve never felt muscles so hard before.

My mind runs rampant as the shock wears off and panic sets in.

Who is carrying me?

Some alien barbarian? A jungle monster?

What does he plan to do with me?

I don’t want to end up as some monster’s meal…

Out of other options, I bite down on the hand covering my mouth as hard I can.

“Ow!” a voice growls, the hand pulling away.

“Let me go!” I say, as loud as I can. “They’ll come looking for me, you know!”

“Shut up!” he growls. “I’m saving you!”

Ah, so my assailant speaks Universal! He’s not an ogre, or some other kind of alien monster who is going to devour me… I think. But if he’s not that, then who is he?

“Let me go!” I repeat.

“Your ship is under attack,” the mystery man answers. His voice is a low growl, which demands respect. I can sense he’s not the kind of man who likes being talked back to. “You’re safer with me.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” I say, trying to wiggle out of his grasp.

He places me down on the jungle floor and leans down. I can’t see a single thing in this pitch-black darkness, but I can sense the heat coming from him, his warm breath on my skin… I feel our bodies are nearly touching.

“Be quiet,” he says sternly. “Or I will be forced to gag you.”

For some strange reason, this sends a jolt of electricity right through me. What’s wrong with me? My knees feel like they’re about to buckle, and my heart is racing… and not just out of fear.

It’s got to be those alien spores the captain was talking about. I’m out here, in the heart of the jungle, without any kind of protective gear.

That must be why my alien captor is making my stomach flutter.

“Where are you taking me?” I whisper.

“My hide-out,” he answers. “It’s safe there. Trust me.”

How can I? He grabbed me from behind, into the darkness… I’ve yet to see his face, or even his outline. And now he’s asking for trust?

Yet, there’s something about his voice, something I can’t quite place… that makes me lower my guard.

“Okay,” I find myself whispering back.

He lifts me up again, but this time he doesn’t hold me in a vice-like grip. One hand is resting on my side, the other on my legs, and instinctively I wrap my arms around his neck. I rest my head against his naked chest as he carries me, the rhythmic thumping soothing me.

A man with a heart like this can’t hurt me… right?

* * *

Daruk

The human female wraps her arms around my neck, her head resting on my chest, making it hard for me to concentrate.

Uncomfortably hard.

I do not know how much her eyes see in this darkness. If her vision is as good as mine, she would see my loincloth standing up damn near straight, pitching a massive tent.

My fingers dig into her soft skin as I carry her, her scent surrounding me, overwhelming me, even. I have to remind myself I’m doing this to save her, not so I can keep her prisoner and claim her as my own.

Even though, technically, she’ll be my prisoner until I have figured out what the hell is going on. I didn’t get a good look at the men attacking the human vessel, but the explosions and the laser fire left little doubt in my mind that something is terribly wrong.

The Elders made us disavow anything that connected us to the old world, yet they use high-tech weapons against these defenseless humans?

And for what purpose? Why are they needed? Why the violence?

I believe in our need to forge our own path, or at least I did, but now I’m starting to question my father’s teaching. As my fingers graze the curvy human’s uniform, as I feel her hot breath against my neck, as my blood pumps through my veins and I resist the overwhelming urge to cradle her neck in my hand and kiss her deeply, to let my tongue explore her mouth, her body, every inch of her… yes, I question everything I’ve been taught.

We arrive at my secret hide-out; a well-hidden cave in the heart of the jungle. I stumbled upon it by accident while exploring the surroundings with Yano, and nearly broke a few bones as I tumbled into the depths. The climb down is extremely steep, and Yano and I have fastened a rope out of liana to help us down easily.

I will remove it when I leave, so the human can’t get away. It’s not safe for her in the jungle.

I carry her down on my back, and place her on the hammock I have made from animal skin.

“Where are we?” she whispers. “Is this your home?”

“Not quite,” I answer.

“Do you have any light? I can’t see a thing.”

Using a piece of flint, my dagger and some dried leaves I create a small fire, to light up the cave. It’s a risk, but we’re deep in the jungle, and hidden in a cave — if anyone can see the fire, they’ll be able to hear us talk as well.

And my curiosity to see the human in the light is overwhelming.

The fire crackles, and its warm rays illuminate the room, and the human female in front of me. She is curled up in the hammock, her knees pulled up to her chest, as she looks at me with big, fearful eyes.

Her eyes… they are a deep, mesmerizing brown, the color of autumn. As I gaze into them, my heart races as if I’m heading into battle. Never before have I seen a creature as lovely, as beautiful as she.

* * *

Lilith

I stare flabbergasted at the half-naked Zoran in front of me.

His skin has a golden glow to it, the dancing flames casting shadows on the walls. From the corners of my eyes I see we’re in a cave, with beautiful murals carved into the rock itself, but all I have eyes for at the moment is the alien warrior.

The nearly naked, broad-shouldered, tall and imposing alien warrior.

Holy crap.

A loincloth is fastened around his waist, and it’s the only thing covering his immense frame. As my eyes glide over his well-built body, I can’t help but notice the massive bulge in that same piece of cloth.

Is that…

My cheeks redden, taking on the color of the flames, as my eyes snap back up.

I am not checking out your package, alien warrior sir. No siree.

Your massive package, that’s only a few feet away from me, bobbing up and down menacingly, like a predator stalking its prey… definitely not doing that, nope.

I’m also not realizing that I’m trapped here, with you, with no way out for me, no escape, completely at your will, yours to do with as you please.

Also, not cursing myself for growing wet at that thought.

You’ve barely spoken a word, and already I’m hit by Stockholm Syndrome? Talk about magical abs…

“What is wrong?” he growls, his voice low and threatening. I feel it rumble inside my chest, and it makes my heart flutter.

It’s those damn alien spores! That’s what it is.

I’m not superficial. It’s not my fault that my body is acting the way it is, or that my heart is telling me that this golden god is going to make my deepest, darkest desires come true.

It’s that damn aphrodisiac, floating in the air. Yep. That’s gotta be it.

“N-nothing,” I stammer, and then I realize how foolish I sound. “E-except for the kidnapping and the attack and losing my cat, and oh yeah, all of my friends and all. Yeah, I guess a lot is wrong at the moment.”

The warrior nods.

I try to read his expression, but I can’t tell if he’s bemused or agitated. His radiant eyes, shining as bright as diamonds, are staring right into my soul.

“What is your name?” I ask, trying to break the tension in the room.

The sexual tension so thick you could cut it with a knife.

“Daruk,” he says.

“I am Lilith.”

“What are you doing here on New Exon?”

“I’m asking myself the same thing.”

He raises one eyebrow. I have to remind myself that this is not Captain Shepherd I’m talking to. This Zoran warrior might not appreciate my snappy comebacks or feisty spontaneity as much as the captain did.

He might even punish me for it.

Damn, why does that thought send a shiver down my spine?

My mind drifts back to the captain and the rest of the crew, and I feel bad. They are in serious trouble, and what am I doing? Flirting with this barbarian? Secretly fantasizing about what he might do to me?

I should be trying to save my friends, or at least try and understand the situation, instead of letting my mind run wild.

It’s hard to focus with those golden, perfect abs a foot away though, just begging to be touched.

“It’s a long story,” I say. “I’m no one important, but the Federation ship came here to look for you Zorans.”

“Why?” Daruk asks.

I shrug. “I don’t know, I’m as far away from the chain-of-command as you can be, but… I suppose they were just wondering where you guys disappeared of to? As I understand, the flotilla left earth suddenly, without explanation… and the Federation wanted to re-open contact.”

“Strange,” is all the warrior has to say. “What is that thing on your wrist?

“This thing? It’s a com. Supposed to let me talk to the ship, but… it doesn’t seem to work,” I shrug. “Now, could you tell me why you took me here? And… what the hell is happening out there?”

“I wish I could,” he growls, “but I know as little as you. We came to New Exon to find a new home, but the attack doesn’t make sense to me. I will have to go investigate.”

He rises up and heads towards the liana dangling down from above.

“W-wait,” I cry out. “What about me?”

“You wait.”

“For what?!”

“For me to return.”

“Am I your prisoner?”

He turns and looks at me… do I detect a hint of a smile on that chiseled face of his?

“You are my guest.”