Irresistible: A SciFi Alien Mail Order Bride Romance (TerraMates Book 9) (32 page)

He walked near me and pulled me to my feet. I became conscious of my clothing. I wore leather leggings and a tight-fitting black leather top that was excellent for fighting. It acted as a bra as well. It had come undone during the fight and gave him an unfettered view of my cleavage.

He grabbed me around the waist and pulled me tight against him. I could feel his hard cock, and it disgusted me. I wondered if he were going to try to take my integrity because he had me in a private prison. He could try — the bastard — but he'd be the worse for it.

What had happened to change him from the Surtu commander who took over the Fortuna? That alien was honorable, at least. The conflict with Earth and time away from Surt had altered his personality.

"If only I had the time," he whispered in my ear, his breath smelling of stale coffee. "I'd teach you what mating with a real Surtu man is like."

I sneered.

"With that thing? I don't think so," I said, assuming the insult would infuriate him. But he wasn't offended at all. In fact, he laughed. "You won't speak so confidently when I'm splitting you in two. Don't tempt me, Earth woman."

Unwisely, I opened my mouth to speak more, but he pushed me away.

"Shut up. I came here to emphasize you are my property once again. I expect you to serve me in every capacity as my personal slave. If I want you to lick my boots, you will, or else I will severely punish you."

I'd heard his speeches before, but Fore had an edge to his voice now that I hadn't heard earlier. He pointedly omitted the threat of death. One of the worst things a Surtu male could do was kill a woman; every female was precious to preserve their species.

"I will be taking you back to the Fortuna where you will resume your duties, and take on a few additional responsibilities."

"Never," I said.

"It is forbidden to take you in the traditional manner. And yet…" He eyed my mouth. "Other orifices that are equally stimulating. Goodbye, Terra. I'll see you tomorrow when we will return to the Fortuna. You will learn how much of a man I am. Pleasant dreams."

He took the light with him as he left, but I didn't care. I was already planning my escape. I didn't have many options. I had no weapons. All I could rely on was my training as an assassin. Bellona had taught me how to blend into the night, and I knew how to kill a Surtu with my bare hands if I had to.

I would hit a spot that could knock a Surtu unconscious. Failing that, I would snap his neck. Murder would once have nauseated me, but now I barely gave it thought. If killing my guards was the only way to earn my freedom, then I would do it.

* * *

I
climbed
to the top of the stairs and knocked. There was no answer. I banged loudly on the door. Just as I was about to give up, the door opened.

"What do you want?" I would never know what else the Surtu guard intended to say to me. I used my hand like a blade to cut powerfully into his neck. My frustration and fury were a raging tempest inside me; it took all my willpower to hold it in check. I could release it in controlled bursts to get me out of Fore's trap. If I saw Fore, I would not restrain my anger any longer. I would release my wrath on Fore until he could no longer threaten any Earth women.

There were not many people on guard; Fore must have assumed the basement door would be enough to restrain me. As I crept silently through the shadows of the building, I encountered another soldier. He quickly fell unconscious at my hand. My first bit of luck revealed itself when I realized this guard had a communications device. The resistance had trained me on how to use Surtu electronics.

I needed information on my parents.

According to the Surtu computer, my mother and father were both at the same address. I immediately committed it to memory. I was going to free them both, and then my family would be together again.

By the time I encountered the third guard, I was getting tired or the stress of the day was finally wearing me out. My hand struck his neck incorrectly, and the guard started to sound an alarm.

I would not be a captive again.

Without thought, I whirled around, grabbed his arm and thrust out my hip, flipping him over me. He landed on the ground. I clambered on top of him before he had a chance to realize what had happened to him.

I took his chin in one hand and the back of his head in the other. I used my entire body weight to snap his neck. It made a sickening sound, and I ran out the door into the night, trying to forget what I had done and who I had become.

A shadow moved on the other side of the street, but I ignored it. I couldn't think of anything except getting to my parents.

* * *

I
t didn't take
long to reach the house where the Surtu kept my parents. It had a minimal number of guards. My parents weren't unique political prisoners; there were thousands of captured humans just like them all over the planet.

I surprised one guard, overpowered him, and claimed his blaster for myself. I crept slowly up the stairs to see a hallway filled with doors. They were all locked, but it was easy to destroy the locks with my blaster. My parents were in the fourth room.

I couldn't recognize them. They both looked dirty, gaunt and haggard. They noticed me first. My mother's weak voice called out, "Terra?"

"Mother," I whispered. I ran to her and gave her a hug. Tears filled my eyes as my heart overflowed with emotion. She appeared to be a different person. My mother seemed frail. The war had taken the warrior out of her.

"I don't think I'll be much help in a fight. I'm not strong enough anymore," she said.

"Never mind," I told her. "I'm strong enough for the both of us."

"Terra, are you okay? Did you come to free us?" my father asked.

"I did. Let's get out of here while we have a chance," I said.

The other prisoners did not have people to reunite with and had already fled. We went down the stairs and out the back door into a yard surrounded by a high fence.

My mother groaned. "I can't climb that," she said. Could a fence defeat her so easily? It broke my heart to see the valiant warrior in my memory reduced to a mere mortal. The difference in my mother's personality made me hate the war even more, and how it changed us. I resolved to get the Surtu off my planet.

"We'll find a way," I said. There was a gate in the corner, closed and overgrown with foliage. Mother sighed and leaned on my father for strength.

There was a noisy commotion outside, and I heard the sound of shouting and boots racing through the house. I urged my parents to hurry, but their speed was limited. As they headed towards the gate, I turned to block them uselessly with my body.

Captain Fore and ten Surtu soldiers emerged out of the back door and surrounded us. My mother looked terrified and clung to my father, who hung his head in defeat.

"For a commander of a warrior women, you are very predictable, Terra Lynch. You should have stayed away from Earth."

I stepped towards Fore.

"Take me, but let my parents go. They have done nothing to you."

"I plan on taking you, all right," Fore said, his eyes lighting up with wicked delight. "But I won't be letting these lovely people go. What a wonderful family reunion. I'm sorry I have to cut it short."

"What are you going to do to us now?" my father asked. I heard the resignation in his voice.

"You've served your purpose, Mr. Lynch. The only reason we kept you alive for so long was to bait Terra. We don't need another human male around to pollute our gene pool. We will integrate your wife into our breeding pools, or allow her to serve as a teacher if she is beyond breeding age."

He lifted his blaster, pointing it at my parents.

"Say goodbye to your father, Terra. You'll see him again on the other side of the light."

"No!" I screamed as the sound of a blaster disrupted the quiet of the night.

To my relief, the noise I heard was not Fore's blaster ripping through the body of my father. It was something else. Another person's blaster had fired, shooting Fore's gun out of his hand. A different Surtu stood in the doorway of the house.

It was Kylu.

"Don't move," he said, pointing the blaster at his father. I was surprised that the other Surtu soldiers remained stationary. I assumed they did not know what to do when confronted by their superior officer's son.

Kylu tossed a bag at my feet. I opened it to reveal many sets of Surtu restraints. I snapped them on all the soldier's hands, then went to stand by Kylu's side. I wondered if he had an elaborate plan. I would be satisfied if we all got out of here alive.

"Here you go," Kylu said tersely, handing me a blaster confiscated from the soldiers.

"Thanks for the weapon, but what do you want me to do with it?" I asked.

"Kill him," he said plainly.

"What?"

"Either you kill him, or he will get away again, and he will hurt you, your family or some other Earth woman. It's him or your parents, Terra. You have to make a choice."

Fore stared coldly at his son. I wondered what it was like for him, having a son considered to be a traitor and a rebel.

I examined the blaster in my hands and quickly fired a test shot into the ground. Everyone jumped, including Fore. I walked up to him and pointed the blaster directly at his chest.

I felt dead inside. "Tonight, I thought that I could be like a Surtu," I murmured. "Did I need to think about the consequences of my actions? I am capable of mindlessly killing. My training demands it."

"Terra," he interrupted me. "Please, reconsider. Forget what I said before. We could be mates. I would revere you. You would want for nothing."

His tone was cajoling, but I knew his words were meaningless lies. As soon as he had power over me again, he would make me suffer.

"I am light bonded, you Surtu bastard." When I spoke, no one doubted my authority. I was commander of the Fortuna.

I lifted the blaster and aimed it at his head.

"Terra…" he said, his body shaking with fear.

"Do it, Terra," Kylu said.

I almost shot him. I began pulling back on the trigger, but before I sent a death blast into Fore's head, I pulled down the nose of the gun, hitting him in the shoulder instead.

He screamed.

I fired again at his right leg and his left. He was on the ground now, writhing in pain, but I could already see light flowing through his body that would heal him.

I was in a war, but that didn't mean I had to lose my soul. I would not execute a person in cold blood. It didn't matter if they were human or Surtu.

"Come on," I said to my parents. "We only have a few minutes to get out of here."

We left the house and moved rapidly to the rendezvous point. Our progress was slower than I had hoped. We had to stop several times for my mother and father to rest. I was impatient, but I realized for the first time they were getting older, and I had to make concessions. When we arrived, a glider pilot returned us to the outpost. A rescue ship would soon come to transport my parents to the refuge.

"You'll be on the next ship out," I told my mother and father. "I think you'll like where you're going. It's beautiful."

"But what about you, Terra? When will you join us?" my mother asked. Her voice was concerned.

"When my work here is done, I promise I will reunite us again," I said. My words were confident, but in truth I had no idea when that day would arrive. I left my parents with a doctor who treated their injuries. They would have time to rest before the ship arrived.

I had been attempting not to think about Jidden and Godfrey back at the refuge. I wasn't sure if I would be able to return. Feeling the emotion of them together was painful and revolting.

The worst part was it was all my fault.

I had started the destruction by kissing Kylu. I didn't have to act on my attraction, and I should know to control myself. I would put an end to any further physical interaction with Kylu, and hoped I could find a way to repair my relationship with Jidden.

As I thought about Kylu, the devilishly handsome Surtu walked into the cave where I sat contemplating my future. I watched him approach me with the natural grace of an athlete. He was beautiful and sexy; there was no doubt about that.