A Deal for Zeylum: A Sci Fi Alien Romance (Tallean Mercenaries Book 1) Read online

  Chapter 2

  The soft glow of the door panel lights provided just enough illumination for Zeylum to see comfortably. He looked at the sleeping form a few feet from him. Ashe. She had surprised him by approaching him despite her rough treatment by the other males of his species. It was clear she was looking for a way to freedom. He respected that.

  She had shared what little food and water she had with him. And though Zey wasn’t actually hungry, he had pretended to be to keep her close and talking. She kept her body at a distance, but he knew that if he had wanted to, he could have closed the gap, pressed his body to hers, and taken control despite having his arms and legs restrained. If he folded one arm behind his back, the other was able to reach over to the front. At her size, one arm was enough to subdue her.

  A small metal object in her messy hair caught his eyes. A pin. He sidled quietly over, leaned across her body, and tried to reach for the pin without waking her up. Just a little more. He paused when she changed position in her sleep, his body poised at an angle over hers. She bumped lightly into his body as she rolled over.

  Zey held his breath, waiting for the scream that was sure to come when she woke to find him hovering above her. But no scream rang out. Instead, she mumbled something incoherent and continued to sleep. Her movement brought the pin right next to his hand. Perfect! He eased the thin metal out of the tangles and closed his palm over his prize.

  Settling on his side, he closed his eyes and ran through possible escape plans as he worked the pin into the lock of the manacles. He was sure that even if he did nothing, his crew would eventually figure out a way to bust him out. However, busting him out of a holding cell from some backwater colony was one thing, getting him out of a space-bound Dominion vessel, or worse yet, a properly guarded prison on an inner Dominion planet was something entirely different. A movement against the front of his body jolted him from his thoughts.

  Ashe had backed up in her sleep, almost touching him. He felt the chill of her body across the narrow gap of air separating their bodies. The hold was too cold for her small form, and she was shaking even in her sleep. She must have felt the warmth of his body because she continued to press back instinctively, seeking warmth. Soon her back pressed against his front, and her shaking subsided as the heat from his body permeated the thin layers of their garments. Amused, he tucked his knees up until the front of his thighs touched the back of her legs. She settled neatly into the curve of his body.

  Zey swore quietly to himself, wishing that his arms were free to explore the delectable body pressed against his front. He wondered how the little human would react if she woke up cuddled against his body. Would she pull away gasping in outrage? Would she sneak off pretending it didn’t happen? Or would she snuggle into him intent on keeping her heated blanket? Being careful not to wake her, he nestled in close and breathed in her foreign but enticing scent.

  The Dominion had been kidnapping human females since they were found to be compatible sexually, if not biologically. At first, the alien females were delegated to serve in pleasure houses and as ship whores for those working long stints in space. But when a few famous and influential names bought the humans outright from pleasure houses after spending time with them, their popularity skyrocketed. Many Tallean males started to seek them out as personal slaves despite their tendency to rebel and cause mischief. Some developed a bit of a fetish for them, and there had even been reports of slave owners becoming obsessed with their human slaves.

  While Zey had come across a few human females before in the newer colonies, which often took in escapees, he had never quite understood the obsession. Lying right next to the tiny female, he was beginning to see the appeal. She was shorter than Tallean females, more fully rounded in the chest and hips, her waist narrow in comparison. She must feel as soft as she looked. Her scent was exquisite, igniting his drive to possess and protect.

  Again, Zey wished his hands were untethered. Picking the lock behind his back with his hands at odd angles turned out to be more difficult than anticipated. He gave a quiet sighed and closed his eyes, shutting out everything but the smell and feel of her body. It was going to be a long night.

  As she slowly became aware of her surroundings, Ashe decided that she must be dreaming. It had been so long since she woke up feeling warm and protected that it couldn’t possibly be real. A large body spooned her from behind, wrapping her in radiant warmth and an intoxicating masculine scent. Her head was pillowed on something warm, hard but with a bit of give. A bicep, she decided—a well-muscled bicep. A face nuzzled and breathed softly against her hair, and Ashe instinctively snuggled back, seeking comfort.

  Mmm, this was nice. She wondered what her dream man looked like. She let her mind wander naughtily to the musclebound alien with gorgeous green eyes, to his strong masculine features and to-die-for body. She wouldn’t mind exploring that body with more than her eyes, especially in the safety of a dream.

  Would he look as good naked as he did clothed? How would those rugged hands feel running across her body? Did his equipment match the rest of his body? Big? She really shouldn’t be lusting after the man, given the circumstances. He was a dangerous man and an alien at that. But this was just a dream, right? What harm could it do?

  Reluctantly, reality filtered back into her sleep sodden mind: the metal floor, the chill of the holding cell, the hum of the ship’s engine. The brawny bicep still pillowed her head, and the warm body still spooned her from behind. Dear lord, it wasn’t a dream.

  She held her breath and peered through half-closed lids. The cargo hold was still dark. She should push away, but he was so warm, and he smelled good. Disinclined to give up the fleeting comfort so soon, Ashe relaxed to enjoy a rare moment of contentment. His hands were bound, and with him so close, she didn’t need to worry about fighting off any human suitors. And boy, did he smell delicious! A titillating mix of spice and the outdoors combined in a masculine musk. Ashe hummed in appreciation as a satisfied smile played at the corner of her lips.

  A large rough hand caressed her full hips and slid languidly over her belly. Her eyes popped open. A hand? Wait, she was lying on his bicep too! She gasped and tried to push away, but Zey wrapped his beefy arms around her and pulled her firmly to his body. The hard shaft of his arousal pressed hotly against her back.

  “Be calm, little one.” His voice was low and gravelly, sending tendrils of frisson tingling up her neck and to her scalp. “I won’t harm you. Trust me.”

  “Your hands are free!” she exclaimed accusingly.

  Zey chuckled. He buried his face into her hair and inhaled deeply, as if trying to breathe her into himself. “I won’t harm you. You were shivering. Let me keep you warm.”

  A pleasant, expectant shiver crawled up her spine at the sound of his raspy voice so close to her ear. The callused hand tracing lazy circles over her belly wasn’t enough to distract her from his erect cock, still hard and thick against her back. Ashe forced her eyes closed again as he made thorough explorations of her torso.

  Arousal spread insidiously through her body, flushing her cheeks with heat and her core with wetness. Oh god! This wasn’t right. He was a goddamn alien! Not to mention, they had just met. Why was her body reacting so explosively to his touch? He wasn’t just keeping her warm; he was setting her on fire.

  She held her breath, not knowing what she wanted to happen. She shouldn’t want his hands on her. But damn, did she enjoy them. What if he tried for something more? But he just kept her close and demanded no more as she fell asleep. She was almost disappointed. Almost.

  Ashe woke and stretched her muscles languidly, her eyes still closed. She hadn’t had a good night of sleep in who knows how long. Even though she didn’t feel another body next to her, the area around her still felt warm, as if a big warm body had very recently vacated the spot. It was so nice not to wake up cold!

  For a moment, she almost forgot where she was, but reality intruded in the form of the chaos that
was the morning meal in the hold. Shit! She missed the feeding bell! Berating herself for sleeping in, she forced her eyes open and got up to see what scraps were still up for grabs. It didn’t look promising.

  “Fuck”, she swore under her breath.

  “Was that a request?” asked a familiar playful voice from behind her. “Because I would be glad to be of service.”

  Ashe whipped around, knowing who she would find. She rolled her eyes at him and barely caught the pack of water thrown her way. She looked up at Zeylum, and saw that he was also holding some bread and some pieces of meat towards her.

  “I thought I would return the favor.”

  “Thanks?”

  “That sounded like a question.”

  “No, really.” She shook off the shock. She really hadn’t expected kindness from the alien criminal. “Thank you. I appreciate it. I usually don’t—”

  “Hope he’s not bothering you, ma’am,” interrupted a deep voice with a southern drawl.

  Quick as lightning, Zeylum was between them. It occurred to Ashe that he was protecting her by keeping his body between her and a possible threat. Ashe peeked around his large frame to study the man who joined them. He was big and tall, with a full sleeve of tattoos. But his eyes looked kind and bared no malice. He wasn’t here to start trouble.

  “No, sir. If anything, he helped me grab some food,” she replied. He also kept her warm with his body all night, but she kept that to herself. Ducking under Zey’s huge arms, she extended a hand. “Name’s Ashe, and this is Zeylum. And you are?”

  The newcomer introduced himself as Trenton Walker. Apparently, there was some muttering among the human males about the enemy “stealing” one of their own women. Trenton had told them he would personally go and check up on her. After Ashe assured him that Zeylum was a complete gentleman, he shrugged and told them to keep an eye out anyway.

  “Some of the boys are itching for a fight. Being cooped up and all,” he explained. “I’ll tell them you ain’t need no rescuing, girl. But truth be told, I’m here for my own reasons too. I overheard you talking about a possible rescue. If it’s going to happen, let us out too. All my life, I’ve looked at the stars and thought of going to space, just not as a goddamn prisoner. Give us a chance to fight. ‘Cuz I know we are all itching for a good fight.”

  Zeylum gave a solemn nod and placed his fist on his chest, pinky side out. Taking the clue, Trenton copied the motion.

  Chapter 3

  It happened on their third light cycle together. Zey was guarding the partitioned-off corner of the latrines while Ashe took care of her morning business. They had developed an unspoken agreement of sorts with him guarding her when she needed privacy and jostling for food during feeding time. Zey did not understand his growing protectiveness of the female.

  Not even the biggest of the human males had decided to challenge him. Maybe it was his sheer size, maybe it was his eight sharp claws, or maybe Trenton had told the males of their agreement. Either way, Zey was glad he didn’t run into too much trouble with his fellow prisoners. While he loved a good fight, his first priority was escape.

  Some of the humans did not approve of their arrangement, but the human male, Trenton, had already warned them as much. A few gave them disapproving looks. One man had called Ashe a whore for “sleeping with the enemy.” And although sleep was all they ever did during the night cycles, Zeylum had let him believe whatever he wanted. A strategic tapping of Zey’s giant claws on the metal floor quickly shut him up. The male’s eyes had gone round with fear as he gaped at his talons.

  Ashe was still washing up when the sounds of the ship changed, and a muted drone permeated the vessel. Zey snapped to attention and motioned Ashe to step in close so that they could converse softly without anyone overhearing.

  “I’ve heard this sound before,” she said, “from the day they brought you in.”

  “We are in synchronize orbit with a planet,” Zey explained. “If we want to get off this piece of shit, now’s the time.”

  “You got a plan?”

  “Nothing I can do on my own, but maybe you can help. The guard that overlooks the early feeding has an interest in you.” Zey remembered well the lustful way the guard had ogled her body.

  He had wanted to rip through the bars to teach the halfwit not to look at his female. The feeling of possessiveness confused him, but that didn’t stop him from suggesting that she stayed well back from the gates during feeding time. His rationale was that he was able to get better pieces on his own, which for all intents and purposes, was true. He hesitated, not sure he wanted her to get too close to the guard, even for the chance of freedom.

  But Ashe caught on quickly. “You want me to seduce him?”

  All the protective instincts in him went against the idea. It would put her in too much danger. But staying was guaranteed to be worse in the long run for both of them; their freedom was worth the risk. She was a strong female, and if anyone were to pull it off, she would be the one.

  “Just enough to get out of the cage. Once out, get him against the bars. I’ll disable him, and you can grab his weapon and the keys. You should learn how to work the blaster, just in case.”

  As they waited for the feeding bell, Zey explained how to change the settings on the blaster, take the safety off, and fire the weapon.

  “What happens if we succeed? I mean, where would I go? Can you get me back to Earth?”

  “Stay with me,” he wanted to say. But he fought the illogical sentiment. They were temporarily allied due to circumstances. She was her own female, and he didn’t own her. Once they were free, she needed to rebuild herself a good life. Life on a mercenary ship was all that he could offer. She deserved so much more.

  “Earth won’t be safe anymore. Once the Dominion discovers a source of free labor, they return often to exploit their find. But there are colonies that are looking for colonists. They aren’t picky about species, and most offer job training for those looking to start a new life. It won’t be easy, though.”

  “Psh, I don’t need easy.” She rolled her eyes in that adorable way she did. Again, a voice inside demanded that he ask her to stay with him when they are freed, but he tamped it down.

  “I didn’t think so. I know someone at Reka 5. It’s a fairly established colony, and I could drop you off there once we get back on my ship. They are always looking to take in new colonists, and I know there are quite a few humans there already.”

  “It’s a deal!”

  The plan went off without a hitch. Ashe made up a tall tale about how Zeylum, the big, scary criminal, was threatening to hurt her. She batted her eyes at the guard most fetchingly, promising to warm his bed if he snuck her out of the hold to protect her. She was terrified, she claimed, and that she would rather give herself to an upstanding Dominion officer than to a sadistic crook.

  Ashe never knew she had a propensity for deceit, but the words flew from her mouth as right as rain. She even managed fat tears of gratefulness when he caved and let her from the cage. Stupid bugger never stood a chance!

  Facing away from the cage, the guard didn’t see Zeylum move into position.

  “Oh, thank you! Thank you!” Ashe cried gratefully and threw herself like some freshly rescued damsel at the guard. It knocked the guard back slightly, but not enough to get him within reach. Just a few more inches. Shit! Think fast.

  Ashe looked up at the guard and bit her bottom lip. She reached for him and started to rub his chest. She watched his nose flare as he inhaled her scent and scowled.

  “I can smell his stench on you. I don’t want his sloppy seconds.”

  “I fought him off, and you came just in time with the food.” She looked up at him, still playing the damsel in distress. “Thank you.”

  She moved her hands down his chest to his belly teasingly and had to bite back a tide of disgust as he grabbed his crotch lewdly. There was her chance! Without warning, she plowed into him as hard as she coul
d, and he hit the cage bars behind him. She was half his weight, but the element of surprise evened out the odds.

  In the blink of an eye, Zey had his arms through the bars and his hands around his victim’s neck. A sharp twist and sickening crack later, the guard sagged motionless to the floor. Ashe stared at the body, open-mouthed. Zey had broken the guard’s neck without hesitation or remorse. At that moment, she realized without a doubt that her alien had a lot of blood on his hands.

  She froze, but just for a second. She needed to snap out of it. Now was not the time to have a moral debate. If she didn’t get out of here now, her life was going to get infinitely worse. It was now or never. With that resolve, the adrenaline suddenly pumping through her system jolted her attention back to the task at hand. She fumbled for his weapon and the keys, then went to unlock the gate.

  Zeylum didn’t miss the look of shock that flitted momentarily across Ashe’s face when he killed the guard. He hadn’t wanted to kill in front of her, but she was bound to see him in his element. His job, his way of life, demanded he embraced his propensity for violence. It was for the best that she figured it out early. He just hoped she understood that he would never harm her.

  He took the weapon and proceeded to unlock the gate to the other cage. Freeing the other slaves was the perfect distraction. Of what he had seen, Zey knew humans were intelligent and resourceful. They would cause trouble aboard the ship and keep the crew occupied. If they were lucky, one of them might figure out how to operate the other shuttle. It would act as a decoy, causing Ulrek to waste time following the wrong shuttle once things calm down on board.

  Trenton nodded to him in silent thanks. He then turned to a few others who obviously viewed him as their leader and shouted out his orders.