She can’t see us,” the Emperor says to me. “She thinks she’s alone now. Let’s see how she reacts.”

I’m held back by the same invisible thing that is pinning Alice to the table.

The green aliens come back in and chitter something to the Emperor. He seems to understand them, perhaps he has an earpiece like Alice.

We’re in a huge room, and there are dozens of our race outnumbering the three green aliens. Across all of those horned faces, I see lust in their eyes. They must have smelled her on the farm, and looking through the strange window at her naked body, they want to smell her once again, but from much closer. Much more intimately.

“She’s my property,” the Emperor says. “You were stupid enough to bond with her. I thought you were more strong-willed than that, Proximus.”

I growl at him.

I’ve only seen the man once, with his ridiculous golden horns. He spoke to me for a minute or two when I was first recruited by the Emperor Clan, when he used the machine to give me the language that Alice speaks. He told me then that he could see in my eyes I’d be loyal to him. That I was a man of honor.

“I smelled her,” the Emperor says. “But I made myself immune before we traveled to Earth. Still, immune or not, I can appreciate that scent. I do have a spear between my legs, after all.”

“I’d wondered,” I rasp. “You hide behind ancient machines. You and your clan are not really strong. You’re not even smart–you didn’t create these ships or these golems or guns–you just use them, like a savage ape who finds a skullspear might.”

“I don’t suppose you’ve ever read a book, Proximus,” the Emperor says.

Some of his guards laugh, but others eye me with pity.

The Emperor gets in my face, almost butting his horns against mine. “A philosopher from one of our golden ages, eons ago, once said that the ability to control others is the only true strength. It doesn’t matter if I hold you down with this force shield, or with my bare hands. All that matters is that you are held down. That you are under my power.”

“Butt horns with me! That’s the only true test of strength!” I growl. “Or would that ruin your precious golden glitter?"

There is stifled laughter, but by the time the Emperor turns to see who laughed, whoever it was is now silent and stone faced as all the others.

He slams his fist into my gut, and it knocks the air out of me. I try to laugh from empty lungs, and he hits me again.

I laugh even after he hits me in the face, sending blood dripping down my face.

“Fine,” he says. “Let’s see if you laugh when I hurt her.”

He snaps his fingers, and the green aliens rush back in toward Alice

“They are not attracted to humans,” he says. “So I use them to run tests for me.”

“You made me her jail keeper,” I say. “Knowing it would ruin me.”

“Of course,” he says. “You’re of the Wandering clan. I’ll not tempt my own men.”

“They smelled her on the farm,” I growl. “Look in their eyes.”

“Oh,” he says. “I know. “These are not my clansmen. They are all of lesser clans, like yours. But I think I’ll reward them rather than torture them. They’ve had her scent, and once I confirm she’s nothing special, I’ll let them loose on her. She’s bound to you already, so they’ll not be ruined for life.”

My blood burns with fire. I fight with every last inch of my strength against the invisible shield. My muscles burn and bulge, until finally they cramp and give out. Still, I try again. I roar and curse everyone in the room as I struggle, and now it’s the Emperor’s turn to laugh.

“I’ll have you watch,” the Emperor says. “Then once she’s been spent, filled with more thick spears than she could ever dream of, I’ll put you in some backwater. You’ll fight as a gladiator–I saw your duel–and the bond will eat away at you.”

“I’ll die,” I say. “It won’t take long if I’m away from her.”

“Oh,” the Emperor says. “If all hope were lost, yes, but for every ten fights you win. I’ll let you have a few moments with her. That will give you just enough fuel to stay alive, in constant agony and longing. You dared to betray me, now you pay the price ten times over.”

The green aliens hold glowing machines out over Alice’s body, and everyone present stares with wide-eyed anticipation. They heard what the Emperor said they’d get to do to her.

I catch a few of them giving me looks of understanding, or pity. As soon as I catch them looking though, they break eye contact with me. Likely none of them will be able to resist the urge, even if they don’t want to inflict such an insult and agony onto me.

I realize I’m still roaring. Still thrashing. Even if I know there is no hope, I will never stop fighting for Alice.

Then something flashes on the screen. In huge writing.

SUBJECT IS PREGNANT.

The Emperor’s eyes bulge, and he shouts, “Impossible. Pull up the records from when we took her!”

One of the green aliens shrugs, and flicks its hand. More writing fills the window. I don’t read very well, and I don’t have time to see what it says before a buzzing chatter fills the room.

I realize everyone is looking at me now.

“It must be a mistake,” The emperor snaps, “End the tests! Open the door! Spear her and fill her!”

“She’s pregnant,” one whispers.

“We can’t spear a pregnant female,” another says, shaking his head.

“Open the door!” The emperor shouts.

The door slides open, and the scent that hits me confirms it. Alice is pregnant. It must have only become noticeable in the short time we travelled within the airship. The blackness that trapped her kept the smell from everyone, even from me.

Everyone sniffs it in now though, and the Emperor realizes it too, I can see it in his eyes.

I swell with pride at the realization. My seed was strong, and it filled Alice with a child. This is supposed to be impossible. It shouldn’t ever happen.

None of the guards move to enter the room. The lust is wiped from their faces. No one but the bonded mate will be attracted to Alice’s scent now, and I know from the way my spear hardens, and from the adrenaline in my veins that I am the father.

We have only legends and the oldest of books that talk of bonding. It’s something that we lost eons ago. It was erased from our species. I didn’t quite believe it was possible until I smelled Alice, and even then I still doubted. Only after I coupled with her and felt it did I realize it was possible. We can never bond with females of our own kind, but something of that ancient memory lives within us still, and human females bring it back.

I want her now more than anything, even though I’ll likely be killed in mere moments.

“Kill him,” the Emperor shouts, thrusting a finger at me.

“You have to let the child live,” I say.

I’m done fighting. I can’t break free, but there’s something more important now than my own survival–more important even than being there for Alice. Our child must survive. Letting the child live also means letting Alice live. I’d give my own life ten times over for that.

“It’s all I ask,” I say. “You know it must be. It’s a miracle, and you can’t kill a miracle.”

Everyone starts muttering to each other, but the Emperor just shrieks: “I said kill him!”

Blood spurts across my body, hitting me in the eyes and blinding me, but I don’t feel any sharp pain. My body is on fire from struggling against the force shield, but no skullspear impaled me, so how am I bleeding?

I blink several times, and when the blood clears from my vision, I see the Emperor dead on the ground, several bloodied spears still poking out from his mangled body.

The green aliens fall to the ground and beg for mercy, like the cowards they are. Two teal warriors fiddle with the control panel, until finally I feel the shield collapse around me. I step forward, suddenly free.