Alien Romance: The Barbarian's Hunger: Scifi Alien Romance (Commander Of Rista Book 1) Read online

  She imagined he had thrown her hard against the wall of the hut and kissed her. She had barely even got the fantasy started when she felt the sweet relief of climax.

  Chapter 3

  Erox had been right about one thing, Ava barely had to wait more than a few minutes before she realized she was dry. She cast her eyes around his little home, but struggled to see anything she could at least wrap herself in until some clothing arrived.

  She didn't particularly want to move from the shower section given that there was only a curtain for a door and the small windows were simply square holes in the walls.

  ″They certainly don't value their privacy. ″ Ava said to herself. She hurried past the windows and tore into the container that held her sprays and quickly covered herself in it.

  As part of her training, she'd had to use it sometimes at home so the sweet, sugary smell of the heat resistant water was familiar. It still amazed her that something like that existed, even as she stood on an alien planet, far from home. Still needing something to wrap herself in, she saw some storage boxes she hadn't noticed on the way in. They seemed to be made of the same wooden materials as the hut, with three of them stacked beside the bed.

  Ava opened the first one and found nothing of use. She set it aside, opened the next one and was relieved to find something she could use. It wasn't much, it seemed to be blanket of some kind and it smelt like it hadn't been moved in a while. Still, naked people cannot be choosers, she thought.

  Ava gave it a shake and wrapped herself up. Now that she felt clean and less vulnerable, she decided to have a peek outside and find out if her clothing would arrive soon.

  As promised, Erox waited outside the door, an intimidating guard. Ava saw his muscular back and shoulders and remembered her shower fantasy. It took her a second to remember what she wanted to ask him.

  ″Thank you for the shower Erox. Did you get me anything to wear? ″

  He turned to face her, a look of disappointment on his face as he saw she was no longer naked, “I did, and here you are. ″ He handed her the smallest set of clothes she had ever seen.

  ″What is this? ″ She asked. It was only a tiny halter bra top and skirt. There was no way this was the clothes he believed she would wear.

  ″It is the traditional dress of our women. ″ Erox explained.

  Ava looked around and confirmed that he was telling her the truth. Two women passed by and they were in fact wearing the same outfit he had given her, only in different colours. It looked more comfortable on them though, they were both very thin. Ava knew once she put the outfit on, it would be skintight at best.

  ″I would have thought because it's always this hot, you would all be immune to the heat. ″ Ava suggested.

  ″What do you mean? ″ Erox asked, confusion in his perfect features.

  ″On Earth, the people who live in hot places tend to be used to it, so they still dress properly. ″

  ″Oh. It is not as hot as this though I believe? ″

  ″No, nothing like this. ″ Ava sighed, ″I suppose it's because the temperature never changes here? ″

  ″Not at all. I do not know how you would deal with that. ″ He shook his head, ″Is it not exhausting trying to cope with the changing climate? ″

  ″We're just used to it. ″

  ″Hmmm.″ Erox nodded, ″Go and put that on and then I'll show you around. ″

  Ava looked down at the dusty blanket she was wrapped in and knew she had to change at some point; she couldn't just walk around in that. She returned to the hut and placed the outfit on the bed.

  She couldn't believe she would have to get by wearing Ristite clothing rather than the more conservative clothing she had brought with her. Unwrapping herself from the blanket, she pulled on the skirt, relieved to find it had underwear/shorts sort of built in to it and then the halter neck bikini top.

  She was surprised to find it didn't fit too badly after all; it was some kind stretchy fabric that managed to hold everything in. It crossed Ava's mind what Erox might think when he saw her in it. How it would feel if he tore it off her. She quickly shut the thoughts down and headed back outside.

  ″Ok, let's go for that tour. ″ Ava said. Now that the worst was over, she was determined to act more professional. As hard as it was, she tried to walk as she would in her usual clothes, tried to ignore the way the bikini top held on close enough, it was impossible to avoid her nipples showing, even in the heat. Looking at Erox, she saw he couldn't ignore it either.

  ″There's a tour I'd like you to take me on. ″ He smirked.

  ″Like you didn't see everything earlier when you saved me from Mr. Rapey.″

  ″You mean Rhobe?″ Erox asked, confused.

  ″It was a joke. Not that any of that was funny. ″ Ava sighed, ″I'd like you to show me to the Command Center. ″

  Erox laughed, ″I do not think you realize the situation you are in.″

  ″I know exactly the situation I am in. My ship experienced a terrible accident on my way here, killing my colleague. I need to complete my mission by collecting the data waiting for me at the Command Center. From there I can also contact Earth and organize a rescue mission. ″ Ava did her best to speak as though she was certain of this plan.

  She couldn't believe how easily she spoke of the crash and losing Wayne; she wondered if she was still in shock.

  ″Ok. I will now tell you what your situation actually is. ″ Erox told her. He placed a patronizing hand on her shoulder and spoke as though to a child, ″You crashed and I saved you. Although you are not far from the Command Center, you are a female, you cannot go in.″

  ″You have got to be kidding me. ″ Ava sighed, brushing away his hand.

  ″I do not know what that means but you will have to trust me. I am the leader of the Command Center after all. ″ He said this with a proud smile, clearly expecting Ava to be impressed.

  She would never admit that she was. Or that she felt a little relieved and lucky that the person who had helped her was in fact in charge of the Center her Boss had been communicating with.

  ″So you know all about my mission? ″

  ″Of course. I was involved in bringing you here. ″ Erox said, ″Which makes me remember. ″ He stepped back into the hut, leaving Ava outside. It was her first chance to see the place without the distraction of his scorching good looks.

  Each hut was identical to the next, with only a unique symbol hung above each doorway to differentiate them. Ava looked up and noticed that Erox's symbol looked familiar. Part of it looked like the logo for the Command Center, which she had been shown in her training to help her find her way.

  ″Here you go. ″ Erox said as he joined her outside. He took hold of her hand and placed a wristband on her wrist. It was made of some kind of fabric, with a wax coating so it was strong. It was wide enough for some writing, which Ava read as soon as he finished securing it.

  ″What is this? ″ She asked, unable to believe what she was seeing. All that was written on the wristband was the same symbol as above the door and his name.

  ″It is to show that you are mine. ″ He explained.

  ″I am in no way yours! ″ Ava shouted and tried to pull it off.

  ″It will not come off. ″ Erox told her, ″And you do not want it to. As well as telling everyone that you are mine, it will protect you from other males such as Rhobe who you met while you were showering. With that marking you, no one else will dare to touch you. ″

  ″Why did you even have this ready? ″

  ″All Ristite males have one. When we choose our female, we place it on them to demonstrate our ownership. ″

  Ava was speechless. She had heard some strange things about Rista but this was the most unbelievable so far.

  ″Is this really necessary? Can the men here really not control themselves? ″

  ″No, when they are around beautiful women, no.″

  ″Thank you. I guess. ″ Ava shook her head, ″So all the women here have to wear one o
f these? ″

  ″When they are old enough. ″ Erox nodded, ″When a female is eighteen, they are made available for one year. For that year, males can see if they are well suited to each other. When a male feels she is the right female for him, he chooses her. When she is chosen, one of those is placed on her so everyone knows she is taken. ″

  ″And then what happens? ″

  ″Do you really need me to explain that to you? ″ Erox smirked.

  ″I mean, is there a concept of marriage here? Does the female- I mean woman, move into the man's home? ″

  ″Yes, they live together. And the woman goes to work. ″

  ″Ok, I think learning more about this would be good for Earth's relationship with Rista, so if you could show me the way we could keep talking while we get there. ″

  ″It is getting late. Soon the Command Center will close for the day. We will go tomorrow. I will show you around our village now if you want? ″ Erox said.

  ″If you knew it was closing soon, why didn't you say so? ″ Ava asked, suddenly furious.

  ″You kept asking questions. ″

  ″You didn't have to answer them! ″

  ″Let us go for a walk. ″ Erox said, taking Ava's hand.

  ″Must you hold my hand? ″

  ″I thought Earth women liked it? It is something I've learned. ″

  ″Only when we actually like the man holding our hand. ″ Ava said. He's impossible, she thought, but for the moment his hand had held hers, she had felt something, a kind of safety.

  They started through the village and Ava saw a hut several down from Erox's that had an extra symbol, this one next to the door rather than above it.

  ″What does that mean? ″ Ava asked. She hated having to ask him questions, knowing already that he loved the feeling of power it gave him. At the same time, she couldn't help but feel in awe of the sight of him walking alongside her. And he was the person she had been told to gather information from and negotiate with after all.

  ″You know, I just told you about the year when a female is eighteen and she is available to... test? Well that means there is an available female. ″ Erox explained. Ava slowed down and looked at the sign. It just looked like a mess of lines and shapes to her.

  ″I think the word you were looking for was 'court' or 'date' by the way. ″ Ava explained, happy she could teach him something too.

  ″What do you mean? ″

  ″You said test? If a male and female are getting to know each other and spend time together to see if they like each other, if they want to be a couple, they date each other. ″

  ″I see. Perhaps that is the word. Though it sounds different than what we do. ″ Erox said.

  ″What do you do? ″

  ″When a male sees that symbol, he will go into the hut, one that she is especially placed in when she becomes eighteen. He will remove his clothing, giving her the chance to look at him. If she tells him to leave, then that is that. ″ Erox explained, ″Otherwise, she will remove her clothing also and give him the chance to look at her. If he wants to move on to the next step, he will tell her to lie down and he will join her on the bed. They then mate and if it is a success, then he claims her and brings her to his hut. If not, then he leaves and she is still available. ″

  It was the lack of romance that fascinated Ava the most about this strange ritual. Although it sounded unlike any Earth relationship, Ava couldn't help but imagine Erox stripping for her, lying on his bed naked together and seeing how well suited they would be. She blushed, remembering where they were and tried to think of an intelligent thing to say.

  ″When you say the word 'mate', we have a better word for that, considering you said that it is rare for Ristites to be able to reproduce. We call it sex. ″

  ″Sex? I like it. ″ Erox said, ″Thank you. You can help me improve my language skills while you are here. ″

  ″You're already very advanced compared to what I was told to prepare for. I thought I'd have to learn a lot of sign language. ″

  ″I have been trying to learn. I knew you were coming. I wanted to be ready. ″

  ″For me? ″

  ″Yes. We have a lot to discuss, is that correct? ″

  ″It is. ″

  As they walked, they left the dusty path lined with huts and reached the greener, crop filled area.

  ″This is where most of the females work. ″ Erox explained.

  He swept his arm in front of him, gesturing across the fields. Ava could see what he meant, there were at least a hundred women at work to pick, water and collect the crops. She didn't recognize a single thing though.

  ″What is all this? Our vegetables and grains look nothing like this. ″

  ″I don't know what they are but here this is all the food we need. It grows quickly so there is never a shortage. Over here are the Breetes which are the main foods, and on this side the Kosches of which there are many kinds.″

  ″I'm told it's all safe for me to consume while I'm here? ″ Ava said.

  ″I believe so. We are not biologically very different I'm told. ″

  Ava had heard this too but now she was looking at the alien food she felt less convinced it would be good for her.

  ″Before I leave Rista, I'll take some clippings I can being back with me to Earth. How long do they last after they are cut? ″

  ″That is an odd question. We have no need to keep them as we eat them on the same... day they are picked. You are welcome to take some with you.″

  ″I wasn't asking your permission. ″

  ″I have given it to you all the same. I hope while you are here, you learn how important that is.″

  Ava wanted to ask him why she would need his permission for something so important to what she was sent to do, when he turned off the path and walked into a nearby field. Ava watched him approach one of the women who were working.

  ″I saw that. ″ He told her sternly.

  ″I'm sorry Commander? ″ The woman asked, bowing her head.

  ″I saw you eat one of the Vreatas. You are here to work, not eat. You will eat afterward. ″

  ″I'm very sorry Commander. ″ Ava watched in horror as the woman knelt down in front of Erox as though ready to be struck. Instead, Erox pulled a small object from his pocket and made a mark on her shoulder, ″This will be for your male to handle when you are home. ″

  ″Yes Commander. ″ The woman waited until Erox had walked away before she stood again and continued to work.

  ″Some females can be so unruly. ″ He explained and began to lead the way once again. Something about the interaction Ava had just witnessed began to break through some of the shock that had been keeping her numb. Now she was becoming scared.

  She was stuck on an alien planet, entirely at the mercy of an achingly handsome Commander. She had no idea what was going to happen to her. What she had just witnessed scared her and made her realize how dangerous her situation was.

  She had allowed herself to become distracted by Erox looks. Now that she had seen him reprimand a woman of his own race, she saw him in a different light.

  Ava knew that she needed to find a way home without Erox. Even if it meant leaving without what she had traveled all that way for. So far, she hadn't met anyone else apart from Erox and the two men who had brought her stuff from the wreckage of her ship.

  She had no idea if she could trust anyone on Rista to help her get away. She didn't think there was a chance of another ship from Earth passing over the planet while she was there, but she knew there were emergency flares in her box with the head protection spray. Even though there was little chance it would be seen, she promised herself she would try setting some off when they returned to the hut.

  ″The Command Center is just around there.″ Erox said, pointing in a general direction but not taking her directly to it. Ava tried to make a mental note of the surroundings in case she needed to find it without him in the near future.

  ″And they're closed now? ″ She asked.

/>   ″They are. I know on Earth yours doesn't ever shut down. It is something that made it difficult to begin communicating at the beginning. We are more interested in enjoying our lives than working non-stop. ″ Erox explained. Earlier when he had told her that it would be closed, Ava hadn't been sure she believed him but now that he put it that way, it made more sense. She wondered if he was being more genuine than she had first assumed. She couldn't shake the discomfort she felt after what she had seen in the fields.

  ″So what time do they start in the morning? I really want to get in there and start communications with Earth. It'll take them a while to send a rescue ship. ″

  ″I know, it took a week to get you here. ″ Erox said, ″They begin around... nine am. ″

  ″You don't sound so sure. ″ Ava said, suspicion rising once again.

  ″It is only that before Earth made their connection with us, we did not label time the same way. ″ Erox explained, ″It is never dark here. It is this bright all the time. I believe on Earth it goes dark? Through negotiation with Earth we learned how time is measured. We don't use it much but I made sure to learn it so that you would understand and have a schedule. ″

  ″Wow, that's quite a commitment. ″

  ″I was not busy. And I am smarter than most Ristites. ″ They moved on then and soon had come full circle back to the village.

  ″So, what's the currency here? ″ Ava asked. She hadn't seen any stores, anyone selling anything really. It seemed like their whole world was their homes, the Command Center and the fields.

  ″Currency? ″

  ″You know, how do you pay for things? ″

  ″Pay? Oh, we don't use that system. Everything we eat grows naturally in the fields. The females pick it so that we can all eat. There are strict rules about what is to be picked and the amount so that we do not run out. We help each other to build our homes when we need more. What more could we need? ″