Her Alien Commander (17 page)

“Fuck me. Please.” Her voice was so quiet he almost didn’t hear her words. Almost.

“What was that, girl? You will have to speak up.”

“I said, I want you to fuck me. There, good enough?”

“Where are your manners, girl? You should ask nicely.”

“I said please.”

“Did you? I did not hear,” he lied. “Say it again. Louder.”

“Please, please,
please
!”

He withdrew his fingers and with a swift motion lifted her to set her astride his thighs. Her gaze on his chest was hungry as he dragged the tunic top of his uniform over his head and reached to unfasten his pants.

“Let me,” she breathed.

Phahlen lay back and allowed her to loosen the waistband and drag down the front of his pants. His cock sprang free and she wrapped her small hand around it, quickly bringing her other hand into play too. He hissed his approval as she pumped slowly up and down the full length of his erection.

Caria leaned forward to kiss the smooth head, then drew her tongue across the top. She grinned up at him, licking her lips. “Salt,” she declared. “You taste of salt, and something else. Something familiar…”

“Caria…”

“I want to play, Commander. I want to taste you, and touch you, and… lots more. But, I can’t wait.”

“Then do not. Take what you want, girl.”

She let out a grateful sob as she moved forward to position herself above him. She angled the head of his cock to her entrance and settled a little, just enough to ensure he was caught between her pussy lips. She lifted her gaze to meet his, her eyes dark with arousal.

“You made me say it, that I wanted you to fuck me.”

He nodded slowly, uncertain where this was headed. If she changed her mind now…

“But I never said I wanted to fuck you.”

“No,” he agreed. “You did not say that. And do you? To use the parlance you clearly prefer, do you want to fuck me, girl?”

She didn’t answer, but her smile told its own story as she sank slowly down onto his cock.

“Shit, yes!” he growled as she started to rock against his solid shaft. “Shit, yes, yes,
yes
.”

Chapter Ten

They settled back into their old routine, more or less. Caria fully expected to find herself hauled off and incarcerated in the brig as soon as Phahlen was finished with her, but that didn’t happen. Phahlen allowed her to stay in his bed, but she was denied the freedom of his entire quarters she had enjoyed before her escape. She was confined to his sleeping chamber and the adjoining bathroom facilities, and only permitted to venture out into the living area when he was present. Caria chafed at the restrictions initially, but didn’t argue. She knew things could easily be worse.

The visits by Private East were at an end. Phahlen assured her the young crewman had been fairly disciplined for allowing her to escape, but his career wouldn’t suffer unduly as a result. He was a novice, lacking in experience, but Todd East had learnt from his mistake.

Caria missed her Obelisk opponent, but Phahlen showed her how to play against the ship’s computer. She set the degree of difficulty to high so she did at least get a decent game out of it. Todd had been no match for her but she missed human companionship.

Over the weeks that followed she knew that Phahlen spent as much time with her as he could, and he was always pleasant enough, in bed and out of it. The sex between them was,
if anything
,
hotter than it had been. Their chemistry sizzled and she was honest enough to admit—if only to herself—that this smouldering passion between them owed much to her own
acceptance that it was what she wanted too. That was perhaps the greatest irony, she often thought. If things had been different, if she had come aboard the
Empyrean
as a normal guest, a respected citizen of a world allied to Vahle, she would have sympathised with the predicament faced by her Vahlean hosts. Had Phahlen asked it of her, she might well have agreed to help.

But he hadn’t asked. He had taken. He had commandeered her entire life, her future, and her own home world had allowed it.

The messages from her parents were both a blessing and a curse. She loved to hear from them, to know they hadn’t forgotten her, that she was still their precious daughter whatever she might have done.

But I didn’t do anything, unless it’s a crime to be duped into thinking you’re in love
.

Caria had become used to blinking back tears, she had cried enough for several lifetimes and self-pity would get her nowhere. Especially now. Her captor was not a fool, he was sure to realise soon that his efforts on behalf of his planet had paid off.

Caria was excited, delighted, and terrified all at once. She had suspected for a week or so, but was now convinced of one momentous fact. She was pregnant.

Under her private joy, however, lurked fear of what this might mean for her. When Phahlen found out, her precarious existence would change forever. His job done, he would have no further reason to keep her on board the
Empyrean.
He could have his quarters back and be rid of the security hassles that his reluctant mate presented for him. The logical course would be to ship her back to his home world, at least until this child was born and she was ready to conceive again. Phahlen was nothing if not logical.

In the days since she had become certain of her pregnancy, Caria had given the matter a lot of thought and concluded that her situation had become, if anything, more urgent than ever. She was already closely confined, well-guarded, and that would only increase as soon as her condition was known. Once on Vahle, if Phahlen did choose to send her there, escape would be near enough impossible. She had no knowledge of that planet or the people there, and hadn’t the slightest notion how she might survive alone. Even if she could somehow manage to elude her captors she couldn’t contemplate abandoning her child or exposing the baby to the hazards she would likely face. She had waited too long to become a mother to just throw it all away.

No, if she was ever to achieve her goal of returning to Earth, she had to act soon. Somehow, before Phahlen discovered her pregnancy, she had to find some way to get out of here. On board the
Empyrean
she did at least know her way to the cargo bay now, and she’d seen the satellite craft stored there in readiness to launch. She couldn’t face the escape pods again, but she might manage to launch a small craft and get away. She was no trained pilot, but she knew the basics. It was worth a try.

She glanced up as Phahlen entered the bedroom. He had a communications disc in his hand, another message from Earth.

“Here, this arrived for you.” He passed it to her.

Caria thanked him and slid it into the console beside the housekeeping station. Her father’s face appeared on the screen.

“Sweetheart, I hope this reaches you in time.”

What?
Caria let out a small cry. Phahlen heard her and came to stand behind her, his hand on her shoulder. Together they watched the image on the video display.

“Your mother is ill. Her heart, you understand. She’s not been well for a while, but yesterday she… she…” Her father’s familiar features crumpled, his worry and grief apparent.

“Daddy…” Caria’s voice was a mere whisper. She leaned forward, her gaze riveted to the screen. “Is she, is she…”

Her father looked back into the camera and made an obvious attempt to pull himself together. After a few moments he managed to continue. “She’s in the infirmary, and responding to treatment. A synthetic heart has been fitted, but you know what she’s like. She won’t take things easy, and she worries about everything.”

“About me. He means she worries about me. My mother might be dying and it’s all my fault.”

“He didn’t say that,” Phahlen pointed out. “And by the sound of it she isn’t dying. We should listen to the rest.”

Her father was smiling at her from the screen, though the expression was forced. Caria knew him, and could tell at a glance that her level-headed, calm father was sick with anxiety himself and that was enough to scare her. He cleared his throat before continuing.

“It would cheer her up to hear from you. I know they allow you to receive messages from us but don’t allow you to send many messages home. But I thought, perhaps if you were to explain the situation… just
a short message, a few words to let her know that you’re all right and to encourage her to get well again.”

Caria turned to Phahlen. “May I? Please? I know I sent a message just the other day and I’m not due another for weeks, but—”

“I’ll tell Baren that you are to have special privileges, just until we hear that she is better.”

“Thank you.” She flung her arms around his waist and gave him a hug, one of few demonstrations of spontaneous and genuine affection. Despite their physical intimacy Caria rarely touched Phahlen unless they were in bed. Then she couldn’t keep her hands off him.

Her father’s voice continued to fill the room. He went on to describe her mother’s treatment and to assure her she was in excellent hands and the surgeons were among the most skilled anywhere.

Apart from Vahle.

Caria knew Vahlean medicine was far more advanced than that of Earth. She had no doubt Doctor Morele and his wizardry could cure her mother, just as he had corrected her own
problem.

As she listened to her father’s closing words, Caria’s determination hardened. She would be free, she would keep her baby, and she would see her family again. Soon. She couldn’t endanger the child just starting life within her so she would need to plan carefully this time, but she
would
succeed.

“Don’t worry, he said she was recovering. Her treatment has been a success.” Phahlen flicked the key to close down the screen, then lifted Caria in his arms. She expected to be dumped on the bed, but instead he carried her out to the living area. The Obelisk board was already set up, with a selection of her favourite snacks beside it.

“Oh, I thought—”

“I know what you thought, my insatiable little human. Be patient, I shall get to your clit later. First I intend to thrash you at Obelisk.”

Caria looked up at him, took in every detail of his smile, the way his pale hair curled around his chin, the deep blue eyes, the determined set of his jaw. His lips curled in a knowing smile, as though he peered into her soul and knew without a shadow of doubt the lust he inspired within her. She feared him, resented him with a bitterness she could barely credit, but she desired him too. He was a powerful man, and he controlled her very existence. At the same time though he had not only saved her life, but made possible her deepest wish. How could she leave him?

Freedom. She would do anything, anything at all, if it would mean she might once more be free. But she knew she would miss him terribly.

Correction, she would miss the sex, which was beyond fabulous. The man himself could be decent company if he chose to be, when he wasn’t thrashing her with a paddle or locking her in his bedroom for hours on end. But he fucked like a demon, and she could forgive him a lot in exchange for that. A lot, but not enough. Not enough to make up for what he had done, what he had taken from her.

But he gave you back your fertility
. The small, mutinous inner voice chirped up.
He saved you from an imploding planet, and from the vile Galeians.

He had his reasons, his own reasons. He said himself, all those weeks and months ago when she was first captured, that if she hadn’t been a human female and thus of use to him, he wouldn’t have risked his life or his ship for her. She stifled the inner voice; she couldn’t weaken now.

“Are you all right? You don’t look well. Would you prefer to send your message home?” He gestured to the board and carefully arranged pieces. “We can always play later.”

“Could I?” She wiped the moisture from her eyes with a frustrated sigh. “I just can’t concentrate, and—”

“I understand.” He fished his communicator from the belt on his uniform. “Baren, I need you to establish a new channel, to Earth.”

“Affirmative, Commander,” came back the reply. “And I have a fresh direct transmission from Vahle for you. Shall I patch it through?”

“Yes, please.” He smiled at Caria as he waited for the communication to clear. “Don’t worry, she’ll be fine.” He mouthed the final remark, then turned his attention back to the transmission now coming through. A disembodied voice filled the room.

“Commander Phahlen, we have need of your diplomatic skills.”

“Nice to hear from you too, Governor Mehner,” replied Phahlen drily. “Nothing too serious, I trust?”

“Serious enough. The Teek are on the rampage again. We need an envoy, and they know you.”

“But not for good reasons. The last time I had dealings with them, they tried to hijack the
Empyrean
. I am not prepared to allow any of them on board.”

“No need. The disturbances are taking place in the Juno sector, and you could be there within two cycles. It just requires a short surface mission to their home world, remind their
kaereef
of their obligations under the Medlanium Treaty and get her to call off her war dogs.”

“Is Harok still
kaereef
?”

“Affirmative. She particularly requested your presence, Commander.”

Phahlen grimaced. “I cannot say her affections were reciprocated. That female is—greedy.”

There was a chuckle through the communicator. “I seem to recall you described her as rapacious, Commander. Need I remind you of the requirement that she be treated with the respect due her rank? We do not want another incident like before.”

“Then perhaps a different negotiator…?”

“No. The Teek want you, and we need to have this matter resolved. Take a skeleton crew and pay them a visit.”

“You are aware, I suppose, that all of this might just be a lure to get us there.”

“It might, so keep your wits about you. If it looks like a setup, abort the mission and report back immediately. We do not want to escalate this skirmish, but if we are left with no choice…”