Chapter 6

Ontarii followed behind the human female as she left the corridor and entered the mess. His eyes were riveted to the swell of her rear, which was outlined beautifully by her tight flight suit. It was shapely, curved, and making his cock twitch under his uniform.

There was not much sexual dimorphism among Zantharians, meaning the women resembled the men for the most part. Sometimes only clothing could differentiate the Zantharian men from the women. Humans, on the other hand, had different traits associated with the sexes. Not just behavioral traits, but clear physical differences.

He couldn’t stop staring at one of those differences no matter how badly he wanted to.

“Mess is clear.” She motioned toward the door that led to the crew quarters and the infirmary.

Ontarii followed, keeping his bioelectricity charged at the lowest level in case he needed to use it suddenly.

The corridor in front of them widened, allowing him to walk alongside the captain.

“Your crew doesn’t seem very disciplined,” he said, making note of how her control had crumbled back on the bridge.

The captain pursed her lips and glanced over at him with distain.

“My crew are all individuals and not mindless drones that follow my every command. If your soldier hadn’t zapped Smith, I would have gotten things under control again without having to resort to all of this.”

“My men are not drones either, but they do know how to follow orders.”

“It’s easy to follow orders when you’re on the side with all the power, isn’t it?”

Ontarii frowned. The captain was clever and not afraid to speak her mind. It was frustrating, and perhaps a bit refreshing.

The corridor ended in three identical doors, making the puzzle all the more complicated.

“That one leads to the airlock,” she said, pointing to the door at the end of the corridor. “This one is the infirmary,” she motioned left, “and this one goes to the crew quarters.”

“Infirmary first,” he suggested. “Less ground to cover.”

The human nodded, then hit the button for the infirmary. The door whooshed open, and the room inside began to light up. There were two beds, several shelves and cabinets, a smattering of medical equipment, and a small desk, but no signs of life.

“You said these Hareema are shapeshifters. That means they can take the shape of anyone?” The captain scanned the room again, then turned to him for an answer.

“Or anything. Animate or inanimate objects.”

“And you don’t have the means to detect them through scans?”

Ontarii shook his head. “No. We’ve been working on that technology for centuries, but since they take on the form of the object, down to a precise imitation of the molecular structure, we’ve not been able to pinpoint them through our scans. It’s impossible to separate the real thing from the imitation.”

“But you said you found traces of their DNA here on the ship?”

“Yes. Our scans can pick up DNA traces left when the Hareema resumes its natural form. Every six to eight hours, it has to shift back into its gelatinous state. That form leaves a residue, and that residue is what our scanners can pick up.”

Brook stepped back into the corridor, hitting the button to close the infirmary after he’d followed her. She moved to the entrance to the crew quarters and opened the doorway.

There was another corridor, this one narrower, forcing Ontarii to once more follow behind her. Her hair, pulled back into something that resembled the tail of a blackfish, swung as she walked. As a child, Ontarii had been obsessed with offworld aquatic life. The blackfish was similar to an Earthling goldfish and had a delicate tail that resembled the glossy hair of the human captain.

Stop obsessing over the female’s looks. She’s a human, for Noruma’s sake.

Captain Brooklyn wasted no time. Hitting the button for the first door, she stepped inside immediately after it opened.

Ontarii rushed in after her, wondering if she’d lost her feeble human mind.

“Hey,” he said, yanking her around to face him. “You’re not taking this threat seriously. If the Hareema thinks it’s trapped, it could be very dangerous.”

“Get your hand off of me,” she said, pushing his hand off her shoulder and burning him with her golden gaze. “And stop telling me what to do. This is my ship!”

“Well, it won’t be for much longer if you keep acting like that.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Is that a threat?”

Ontarii bent down so that his face was mere inches from hers. “No. It’s a warning. The Hareema have infiltrated sixteen planets in the neighboring systems. Taking over one little Earthling ship won’t cause them much of a fuss.”

“Point taken,” she replied with an expression that said anything but. “Now get out of my way.”

Ontarii stood his ground, not wanting to move. He felt a sudden magnetic pull to the female. Her lips were only inches from his own. What would it be like to taste those lips? To experience whatever the regent had himself wrapped up in, too?

He leaned in further and her eyes widened but she didn’t back away. Only a couple more inches. His heart beat hard in his chest as he started to reach for her and closed his eyes.

“Step away from the captain!”