Chapter 8

Jeffrey drank her climax and glanced up, smiling and licking his lips.

He’d never experienced anything like her before. He’d known it would be different, since they were different species, but he’d never expected anything so…perfect.

She was everything he wanted in his life. In his bed. Her body, her beautiful face with those hypnotizing eyes. Her intelligence. Her strength. She left him feeling as if she were made for him. Mine.

The vibration he’d experienced increased in intensity as she surrendered to her orgasm. He held on tight, pushing his tongue deep inside to taste more of her unique flavor. There was a complexity to it that couldn’t be replicated. There was a layer of sweet, chased with a musky undertone that left him starving for more of her.

She panted loudly beneath him as he continued to lick up her juices. Then he rose, his body covering hers, and took her lips again. “Taste yourself, Kat. Suck it off my tongue.”

She seemed surprised at first but quickly gave in, accepting his tongue and even licking his lips as he pulled back.

Jeffrey groaned. “Feel what you do to me,” he said, shifting his hips, brushing his erection against her stomach. His cock was engorged, needing release fast.

“I love it.” She ran her fingers down his chest before smiling and wrapping her legs around him. She lifted her hips to meet his.

“Fuck,” he ground out, almost losing his control and coming in his flight suit.

He spread kisses all over her throat, giving a little nip to the place where her neck met her shoulders. Her fingers tightened on his shoulders, her nails digging in, making him even more aroused.

“Kat,” he whispered in her ear as he nibbled the lobe. “I need you. I’ve never needed a human woman like this.”

Suddenly she stiffened under him. “Stop,” she whispered.

Jeffrey looked into her eyes. “What is it?”

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” she said, looking away and covering her breasts with her arms.

He couldn’t understand what had happened to change the mood so drastically. No, I can salvage this. I can’t stop, not now, not with my cock aching to claim her, to spill itself into her perfect heat.

He brought his hands up to cup her face again. “Why stop now? I know you enjoyed what just happened. Let me make you feel even better.”

Jeffrey moved in to kiss her but she twisted her head away so he went back to kissing her neck.

“Please,” she whimpered. He took that to mean she wanted more, so he licked down to her breast again, capturing a nipple in his mouth as he pressed himself into the valley of her thighs.

“I said stop,” she demanded, pushing against his shoulders.

“We can’t stop,” he groaned. “You feel too good. And I know you want more.”

“Stop, human.”

Her tone made him lift his head and look into her eyes again. They were filled with moisture.

“What is it, Kat?”

“Don’t call me that.”

How had everything gone so wrong? “Talk to me,” he said, stroking a hand across her cheek.

“Stop touching me and let me up. Now.”

“But-“

The shock came out of nowhere. One moment he held her in a loving embrace, the next he was shot through with a thousand volts.

She pushed, and Jeffrey tumbled off the table, twitching on the floor as the energy ran its course.

When he could open his eyes again, he saw the alien female jump off the table and begin straightening her clothing. Her skin was changing, the purple fading, the light green creeping back.

“What...what happened,” he said, letting out a groan. “Why did you shock me?”

“I told you to stop. You wouldn’t listen.”

“You could have just talked to me,” he replied, trying to keep his voice level. The pain from her bioelectric warning was great, but her rejection hurt worse.

She stood there, staring at him. He stared back, wondering how everything had gotten so fucked up.

Suddenly there was a sound at the entrance. The membrane was opening.

In walked Major Ontarii, and Jeffrey’s blood turned to ice.

“Ah, I see we’ve resorted to violence to get our answers,” the major said as he moved into the room. “Good.”

Kat’Chinna glanced at him, and Jeffrey noticed the riot of emotions that crossed her face in the second before she could compose herself. Anger. Fear. And…embarrassment?

Rage flashed through him. She was embarrassed at what they’d just done. Why?

Because you’re a primitive human, remember? His inner voice gave vent to his frustration. You don’t deserve to touch her pristine body with your brutish hands.

Fuck that.

He shifted into a seated position, then made to rise.

“Stay where you are, human,” the major ordered, pinning him with a glare. Then he turned to his second. “Report.”

Kat’Chinna swallowed. “He says his mission was ordered by NASA HQ.”
“And?” The major wasn’t impressed.

“And…that’s all I know.”

Her cheeks flushed with some color, darker than green. Was it shame?

Major Ontarii grimaced. “I see.” He jerked his head at Jeffrey. “Continue.”

“Sir?” Kat looked confused.

“Continue your interrogation. I will observe.”

“I…I don’t understand.”

“What’s the matter, Lieutenant. Lost your nerve? Or was I wrong about what was going on in here?”

“No,” she hurried to say. “I was interrogating him.”

“Well then continue.”

Kat’Chinna drew closer to her commanding officer. “I don’t think there’s anything else to get out of him, Sir.” Her eyes were wide, belying her unease even as her words sounded steady.

“So you have lost your nerve,” Major Ontarii said, shaking his head. “A pity. I expected more from my senior officer.

The major moved closer to Jeffrey. “It seems you’ve compromised my lieutenant. That means I’ll have to take over.”

A sudden kick hit Jeffrey in the stomach, doubling him over.

“I’m not as kind as my second officer. I don’t have any more time to waste. Give me the information I want, or I’ll bring you more pain.”

“I don’t know what you—“

Another kick, this one with more force, hit him on the side. Jeffrey slumped over. The pain was intense, causing his vision to waver.

“Wait, Major! I really believe he doesn’t know what’s going on with his crew. He’s told me everything—“

“And you believe him?” Major Ontarii growled, turning to his officer. “You trust this human, and not the readings we received on his ship? You trust him, and not your C.O.?”

“That’s not what I’m saying!” Kat’Chinna shouted, but Major Ontarii turned his back on her. He squatted, grabbing Jeffrey by the hair to pull him back into a seated position.

“Talk, human,” he ordered, then hit him once in the face.

A line of blood dripped from his mouth. I wouldn’t doubt if he knocked a few teeth loose with that one.

The major’s fist came in again but this time Jeffrey blocked, knocking it away with his forearm. He struggled to break Major Ontarii’s grip on him, but the alien pulled harder on his hair, stretching his neck.

“Give it up, human,” the major said, wrapping a huge hand around Jeffrey’s throat and starting to squeeze. “You will talk, or you will die.”

“Is this how you treat your prisoners?” Jeffrey said, using part of his precious reserve of air. “I wouldn’t have expected such brutality from a so-called advanced race.”

“We do what we must to protect our planet,” Major Ontarii answered, squeezing harder.

Jeffrey struggled with all his might, using both hands to try to pry Major Ontarii’s fingers away from his throat.

“To protect your planet, or to fool these Zantharians into thinking you’re one of them?”

Major Ontarii’s face was plastered by a feral grin. “Oh, is that the game you’re playing? Trying to convince my lieutenant that I’m the real enemy? It’s not going to work.”

“I think you’re helping to prove my point right now,” Jeffrey countered. His neck was on fire, his oxygen reserves at a low. He decided to change his tactics.

Removing both hands from their task of trying to dislodge Major Ontarii’s grip on his neck, he locked his fingers and swung his hands at the side of Major Ontarii’s head.

The blow landed, and the major’s head fell back, the shock causing him to loosen his grip.

Jeffrey pulled away and scooted backward until his back hit the wall. His gaze shot to Kat’s face. She stood there, paralyzed with confusion.

He couldn’t fault her indecision. Major Ontarii had been her commanding officer for years, and he had obviously earned her loyalty in that time. How could a couple hours with a human compete with years of training and trust?

Still, he knew what those hours had meant to him. He was half in love with the alien female. He could still taste her on his lips. He’d never wanted anyone as bad as he wanted her, and he didn’t know if he ever would want anyone more.

Had their time really meant so little to her? Jeffrey hoped not.

Then the time for thinking was over. Major Ontarii stood, moving forward with menace written large on his features. “You’ll pay for that, human.”

“Major Ontarii, wait,” Kat’Chinna said, stepping up and putting a hand on the major’s shoulder. “The human brought up some interesting points while we were talking. He thinks our ship may have been infiltrated already. Hareema could be on board as we speak.”

Major Ontarii stared at her, then burst out laughing. “Well, I see the prisoner was able to get into your head during the interrogation. I thought that’s what you were supposed to be doing to him.”

Kat’s eyes fell to the floor, her head hanging down. Come on kid, don’t give up so easily. He tried to meet her eyes, to send some strength to her, but she wouldn’t look in his direction.

“The fact that he tried to convince you that we’d been taken over by the enemy proves to me that he is a Hareema collaborator. And if he won’t talk, there’s only one thing to do.”

Major Ontarii approached, his face a mask of wrath. “You’re a danger to my ship, and to my entire race.” He aimed another kick at Jeffrey’s midsection, but by moving quickly, Jeffrey was able to grab the foot. He attempted to pull the alien off balance, but he was outweighed by almost a hundred pounds.

The major growled and pulled his leg out of Jeffrey’s grip. “Insolent little shit,” he said, this time aiming for his chest.

The kick landed, knocking the wind out of Jeffrey. One kick was followed by another, then another, until he was huddled in a ball on the floor, trying to protect his vital organs from the onslaught of pain.

“Major!” Kat’s voice broke through the barrier of his agony. “Please, this isn’t how we treat our prisoners. According to the Intergalactic Convention, we—“

“Save your rules and regulations for another time, Lieutenant. This prisoner poses a threat to every person on this ship. If you think I’m going to allow him to survive to wreak havoc on the home world, you’ve got another thing coming.”

Major Ontarii squatted beside him, tugging his head out of the ball to rain more blows upon his face. “You’re gonna die here, human. You understand that, don’t you.”

Jeffrey glared at him. “That might be true, but you’ll never accomplish your goal, Hareema.”

As he said the words, he knew they were true. Kat’Chinna would never put her loyalty in a commander who would treat a prisoner, even if he were a threat to planetary security, in this fashion. Beating him to death in his own interrogation cell. That didn’t sound like the leader of the Zantharian fleet to him. It definitely didn’t sound like the man Kat had pledged herself to follow.

Major Ontarii laughed in his face. “You humans have a good sense of humor. Too bad you won’t be able to tell your jokes for too much longer.”

Major Ontarii hit him again, hard enough to cause Jeffrey’s head to bounce off the back wall. His vision wavered, and it took all of his control not to pass out.

“Lieutenant, I want you to finish this creature. Use your bioelectricity to end it.”

Kat’s eyes were round, her mouth twitching. “Sir?”

“This isn’t the time for discussion!” Major Ontarii roared at her, his body shaking at being challenged. “I gave you an order!”

“Can’t do it yourself, can you?” Jeffrey asked, his suspicions confirmed. “That either makes you a coward or a Hareema plant.”

Major Ontarii’s scowl was fierce but Jeffrey continued, hoping he could convince Kat that he was right. “A plant couldn’t zap me with electricity, could he? A plant would pummel me to death because he didn’t have any bioelectricity of his own.”

“Shut your mouth, human, or I’ll shut it for you,” Major Ontarii growled, launching a kick that connected with Jeffrey’s chin and caused his head to once again bounce off the wall. Consciousness was a fleeting friend as his world narrowed to a pinpoint of light.