Page 8 of Her Alien Cyborgs
The male growled. “You would risk yourself for us?”
“Apparently,” she said, only paying partial attention to what she said. Most of her focus was on the hatchway and the hammer of boots on the deck.
The first soldier came through the door a few seconds later, their weapon already trained on the two in the cell behind her. The combat armor and helmet made it hard to be sure, but she thought it was a woman.
“Ma’am, you need to step away from the prisoners. Now.” The soldier’s voice was amplified through her helmet’s speakers.
“I’m not moving,” Hezza said in her calmest, most rational tone. “At least not until you stop pointing that weapon at me and my new friends.”
The response was not what she had hoped for. Instead of relaxing, the group of soldiers tightened their grips on their weapons, and the few who hadn’t raised their guns to the ready position did so.
Fraxx.
She opened her mouth to protest, but instead of a rational statement, all she uttered was a startled yelp as a barrier of metal snapped out in front of her. She tried to push her way clear, but it closed in around her, forcing her back against the bars.
It took her baffled brain a few seconds to understand what had happened. The metal wall surrounding her was actually awing, complete with overlapping strips that reminded her of feathers.
She couldn’t see the soldiers, but she could still hear them.
Several were cursing while the woman who had spoken before shouted.
“Let the woman go. Taking a hostage isn’t going to help you.”
Hezza snorted. This one was even worse at diplomacy than she was. “I’m not a hostage, and the only ones causing issues are all of you. You’re on afraxxingrescue mission. Remember? We’re here to save these beings not threaten them.”
The room went silent for several long seconds, and then the woman spoke again. “Point taken, ma’am. Everyone, lower your weapons.”
“Thank you,” Hezza said. Then she twisted herself around to face the cyborg who had shielded her. “You need to let go of me.”
“No.” The male’s voice rolled through her like a sonic boom. She craned her neck until she could see his face. Well, not really, because his beard obscured most of his features. She could see enough, though, to know he was angry and more than a little confused.
Without thinking, she reached up and smoothed her fingers across the furrows in his brow. The moment of connection hit her like a comet strike. Her heart raced, her knees went weak, and a sense of pure, unadulteratedneedtore through her.
“What is this?” the male demanded. “What are you doing to me?” His wing tightened around her, pressing her against the bars of the cell.
“You’re crushing me,” she protested. “Let go.”
“Not until you explain.” He inhaled deeply, his nostrils flaring as heat began to burn behind his eyes.
“Yes, explain.” The other male moved into view. “Why do you smell like that?”
“Like what?” she asked, confused for a second. Then understanding dawned. Hell’s bells and gravity wells. Seriously?
Hezza didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or curse. For a long moment she stared at the two males and then burst out laughing. “Fraxxingreally? Now? Them?” She directed her questions to the universe at large.
“Why are you laughing?” the first male asked.
“Answer my question,” the other demanded.
“I’m laughing because if I don’t, I’m going to swear until the paint peels off the walls.” She let her gaze move between the two males as she struggled to find the words to explain.
“Did your captors ever tell you about something called thesharhal?” she asked.
They both looked at her with blank expressions. That would be a no. Alright then. Nothing for it but to fly straight at the truth and hope to survive the impact.
“Thesharhalis the Vardarian word for it. We humans call it a mating fever. It happens when your species meets someone who shares the same biochemical signature. Or something like that. I’m not an expert. It’s not something we can ignore either. If we go too long without uh, dealing with these feelings, it can do serious mental and physical damage.”
She opted to gloss over the fact that it likely meant the three of them were destined to be lifelong mates. She really was not ready to face that possibility. There had to be a way to undo this. She didn’t want mates, and these two deserved a chance to enjoy a real life before settling down with a female. Preferably one their own age.
