"Congratulations. By decree of the Oracle, I am here to announce that your accomplishments on behalf of your clan and our world have won you the highest honor. You are to be mated." Stunned, Reg gaped at the message bearer. Panic took root in his stomach and made him feel slightly ill at this unexpected and unwanted turn of events. He wanted to rail against the injustice. Plead for mercy. Then sanity prevailed along with a deep-seated need for self-preservation. "Never. Not happening. I'd rather get sucked into a black hole." To punctuate his stubborn words, Reg crossed his arms and glared at messenger of bad news on the view screen. The light blue face of the Oracle's attendant creased in puzzlement. "You are refusing the prestige of being chosen worthy enough to claim a mate?" "That is correct. I have no interest in shackling myself to a female." By his ancestors, he'd rather die first. Mating would mean no more space exploration and discovery. No more advent
"Oh fudge. I'm going to die." Even upset as she was, Penelope couldn't swear with real words, her upbringing, with a strong emphasis on manners, too strongly instilled. Her lack of strong vocabulary had made her an object of ridicule among her peers in the space program she'd signed up for, but she'd borne their jokes with gritted teeth and stayed true to herself. Her breath came fast and hard as panic clawed at her. She dropped her face into her hands, too shocked to cry at the news NASA had just relayed. Sure, when she'd undertaken this quest, she'd understood there were risks and filled out the proper forms, including a will-not that she had much to give or anybody to give it to. I wonder what they'll do with my collection of glass cats. What a stupid thing to think of at a time like this. Who cared? She was about to die. NASA's life-changing words played over and over in her head like some sick joke. "Éregret to inform you that a small asteroid is headed on a col
Reg stared at the female in the silvery jumpsuit floating facedown in the barbaric craft and wondered why she'd reacted so strangely. He spoke aloud, switching back to his mother tongue instead of the crude language earthlings used. "Ralph, is the Earthling ill?" Alpha 400, the newest AI model for his spacecraft-intelligent and imbued of enough personality to demand a name-replied via ear transmitter. "I believe you frightened her." "But I heard her request to be saved. Why would she be scared when I have arrived to grant her wish?" "My records indicate that females of all species tend to react in unexpected ways, even when given what they've demanded. Now, if I might suggest, you should gather her that we might teleport off her vessel. The asteroid is due to impact in less than five hundred lunar millicycles." Reg leaned down and turned the female over onto her back. He sucked in a breath. What a lovely creature. Her skin was the white of the snows on Len
The alien who'd kidnapped her-or rescued her like a knight in a tinfoil jumpsuit-began to choke. Startled that her blue captor might die before she'd asked him some questions-and studied him-she thumped him on the back, hard. "Are you okay? Is it the atmosphere? Do you need some mouth to mouth?" The hacking cough turned into a wheeze then rumbles, which suspiciously sounded like laughter. Moving to stand in front of him, she looked up-and up some more-into his face and saw that yes, indeed, he was chuckling. Penelope, who preferred Penny, stuck her hands on her hips and glared at him. Not that it had any effect. The blue hunk continued to laugh. And the more he guffawed away, the longer she had to study him, and as male specimens went-wow! Not very scientific, she knew, but never before had she encountered a male who stirred her libido's interest like this alien. He towered over her, a veritable giant, and even though his silvery jumpsuit covered him, it did not
Reg looked down at the unconscious female-Penny-and cursed his luck-and raging erection. "Ralph, what am I supposed to do with her? I can't keep her on board. She'll drive me insane with her questions. Can't you find a location on her planet I can deposit her?" The voice of the AI sounded pensive. "The human raised valid points. The Oracle did say to keep her safe. If putting the female back on her planet causes her harm, then you will have failed in your mission. I see no option but for her to accompany you. We'll be back at Xaanda in approximately twenty full moon cycles. Since she is destined to be a warrior's mate eventually, we'll have just saved them a trip. Surely you can tolerate her for that long. If you wish, I will answer her questions. According to the files I dug up on an Earth network, she is a scientist and researcher. It is natural she would have many questions, and being the most knowledgeable entity on this ship, I will undertake her education." Reli
Penny awoke on a floor and blinked. She stared up at the curved ceiling, the very unfamiliar ceiling. It didn't take her long to remember her encounter with Reg, the big, blue alien who'd abducted her. She also remembered he'd injected her with some kind of sleeping agent, the jerk. Sitting up, she gaped down at herself-her very naked self. Her first thought wasn't who'd undressed her and why but, Don't tell me he probed me and I wasn't awake for it. Just thinking he might have touched her made her blush, but there was no denying she was curious about her rescuer, scientifically, of course. As a woman possessed of a logical mind, she knew love and like and those other curious emotions people ascribed to were nothing more than a chemical reaction in the brain caused by a desire for the human race to band together for protection and procreation. It did surprise her that an ET, even one who seemed to resemble a human male, would trigger the hormonal instinct in her to mate. It
Reg looked at the smooth skin of her backside, his cock, already semi-hard from seeing her nude, hardening even more. He shook his head, trying to regain control of his libido. He needed to do his job, and right now that meant poking her ass with the first shot. She'd clenched her cheek tightly, though, and if he gave her the shot now, it would hurt more than necessary. Taking a deep breath-and telling his cock to stop trying to escape his pants-he placed his hand on her ass and massaged her soft flesh. His erection grew at the innocent touch and strained mightily at the fabric restraining it. Oh, by the three moons, since when does the touch of a female's flesh affect me so? "That doesn't feel like a shot," she said, her voice sounding soft and breathy. "You need to relax," he said, his voice gruffer than usual. The more he stroked her butt to relax her, the more the urge to probe her like she'd suggested grew. With a sigh, he poked her loose cheek with the injector and pu
Penny melted at the first touch of his lips. Firm and tasting sweet, they caressed hers intimately and sent a jolt of liquid desire roaring through her body. Her hands crept up and clutched at his shoulders. He felt so good, his solidness and strength increasing her arousal. He slid his hands from her waist to her bottom, and his thigh nudged her legs apart to push itself insistently against her mound. She moaned against his mouth as she rubbed herself on his firm thigh, the friction creating pleasurable shocks. At the insistent press of his tongue, her lips parted, and he swirled it inside, slipping along the length of hers and drawing her tongue into his mouth to suck. Penny's head swirled with sensation. Never had a man's touch set her on fire like this. Made her feel so desirable and wanton. With one arm curled around her waist and his thigh supporting most of her weight, he slid his free hand up her rib cage to cup her breast. Penny gasped when his thumb brushed the er