Page 16 of Taken By the Alien Merking

As they made their way along the beach, the Quxoni fell into step behind them. The sea breeze carried the scent of brine and exotic flora, a heady mixture that was both alien and strangely comforting.

Zetron’s voice broke through her reverie. “Come, we have much to discuss. The palace awaits.”

The palace. The word hung in the air, a symbol of the power and influence Zetron wielded. Brooke nodded, her resolve hardening. She would navigate this new reality with the same determination that had carried her through every challenge she had faced.

As they walked, the sun’s warmth seeped into her skin, and Brooke allowed herself a moment of quiet optimism.

Her steps faltered abruptly, a wave of dizziness washing over her, and she reached out to steady herself, her palm pressing against the warm, sun-kissed scales of Zetron’s arm.

“Zetron, I—” But her words were lost in a sudden rush of disorientation. Her vision blurred at the edges, the world tilting precariously.

Her knees buckled, and she would have crumpled to the sand had Zetron not reacted with lightning-quick reflexes, catching her in his strong arms.

She tried to speak, to reassure him, but a new sensation gripped her, an itch that started deep within her flesh, crawling across her skin like a thousand tiny spiders. Her heart pounded in her chest, a frantic drumbeat that echoed the panic rising in her throat.

And then, she watched in horror as her skin began to shift, to transform. Deep purple and pink scales pushed their way to the surface, shimmering in the sunlight as they replaced the dark brown human skin she had known all her life.

Terror clawed at her insides, a scream building in her chest. How could this be happening? It was impossible, a nightmare from which she couldn’t wake.

The revelation struck her like a bolt of lightning, illuminating the dark corners of her memory. The bite. Zetron’s teeth sinking into her shoulder as they reached the peak of their passion. It was then, in that moment of vulnerability and ecstasy, that something had passed between them.

Her breath came in short, ragged gasps as she struggled to comprehend the magnitude of her transformation. She was becoming like him, like the Quxoni. It was terrifying and exhilarating in equal measure, a maelstrom of emotion that threatened to consume her.

“Last night, when we—” she trailed off.

“The matingbite,” he murmured softly.

Brooke’s mind reeled. Mating bite? The implications were staggering. She had heard of no such thing in the Quxoni dossiers she had studied. Why had Zetron bitten her last night?

“You did this to me!” she accused, her voice laced with a mixture of fear and anger.

Zetron’s eyes locked onto hers, a storm of emotion raging within their emerald depths. “I… It was an instinctual reaction, a primal claim. I never imagined it would affect you like this. The Quxoni mating bite is… it’s complex. It’s not something that happens without intent.”

Intent? The word echoed in Brooke’s mind. Had he intended to bind her to him in some way? To change her?

“Brooke, I swear to you, I did not know this could happen. Our biology, it’s not compatible with humans in this way. At least, that’s what we’ve always believed.”

She shook her head, trying to clear the fog of confusion that clouded her thoughts. “But it did happen. Look at me, Zetron. What am I supposed to do now?”

She stared at the alien scales that now adorned her arms, a tangible symbol of the bond she now shared with Zetron.

Chapter 11

Zetron

Zetron’sgazelingeredonthe iridescent scales that now adorned Brooke’s arms, a tapestry of deep purple and pink that seemed to dance with the light of the rising sun. He felt a primal surge of possessiveness, a desire to claim this magnificenttransformation as a testament to their union. The changes in her were unexpected, yet they called to something ancient within him.

He led her to the water’s edge, his fingers itching to explore the new topography of her skin, to map every scale with his tongue and taste the salt of her essence mingled with the sea. The thought of her wearing nothing but her crown, standing proudly beside him as his queen, sent a jolt of lust through him, hardening his flesh in a way that was both pleasurable and somewhat alarming. This was uncharted territory for him, a depth of desire he had never anticipated.

Brooke was tentative and alarmed, unsure of the alterations happening to her body, but Zetron reveled in them. He could not wait to see how far the scales extended, to discover if she bore the same duality of form that he did. The idea of her shifting between land and sea, of being bound to the same primal forces that shaped his existence, filled him with a sense of rightness.

As they stood at the water’s edge, he allowed himself a moment of indulgence, muttering under his breath, “By the tides, you are a vision, my fierce captain.”

Zetron stepped closer, his eyes locked onto hers, and he saw the flicker of uncertainty in her gaze. He wanted to reassure her that this change was a gift, a sign of their bond. “You are more than youknow, Brooke,” he whispered under his breath. “You carry the sea within you now, as I do.”

He reached out, his fingers brushing against the scales on her arm, feeling the delicate ridges. They were cool to the touch, yet they sent a wave of heat through his body.

He knew they had much to discuss, politics and treaties and the future of their peoples. But at that moment, none of that mattered. All that existed was the two of them, the bond that formed between their bodies and souls.

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