Bound by the Alien (BBW Paranormal Romance) (Aislin's Alien Adventures Book 2) (3 page)

It turns out that Harry knows Peraoi quite well. He doesn't even need a map as he leads me from one small island to the next. We're looking for a giant rock called Path. I have no idea how we're going to find it because once we make it through the forest, there are huge rocks everywhere.

And I do mean, everywhere.

Some of them are as big as houses. Others look more like giant, stone cars. We make our way through the maze of boulders in silence, moving as quickly as we can.

The clue Harry found on Earth is what's guiding us, what's leading us to this rock:

Where the sea crosses the Path, therein lies the answer.

I'm not sure how exactly he figured that Peraoi was the answer, but I think I'm finally learning not to ask so many questions, at least not when it comes to things like this. I’ve never considered myself to be particularly brave or especially trusting, but somehow I know that Harry is going to take care of me.

We move for what feels like hours, never stopping. I would do anything for a cheeseburger or a cold glass of ice water by the time the sun begins to set.

“What are we going to do?” I ask quietly. We’re in the middle of nowhere on an uninhabited planet, being chased by a crazy ex-lover and her team of monsters. I don’t want to say, “We’re totally fucked,” but that’s basically how I feel.

“It’s there,” he points, ignoring my question. I turn so that I can see what he sees. There it is. Path: the largest of the rocks, as promised. Path sits in the center of a river, its huge mass jolting out of the rushing waves. Even though we can
see
Path, we now have to figure out a way to get to it.

And, you know, discover where the key is hidden on, near, or inside of this rock.

Harry leads me to the side of the river. It’s about 30 yards to the rock from where we stand at the edge of the water. He pulls something from his pocket and hands it to me. It’s a thin, sticky mess.

“What is this?” I ask, hoping it’s not what I think it is.

“Peraoian semen,” he tells me.

Come again?

“I thought Peraoi was uninhabited,” I comment slowly, looking at the semen suspiciously.

“It is,” he says, swallowing a mouthful of the semen himself and urging me to do the same. “But it has not always been this way. Once, Peraoi was home to some of the most beautiful women in the galaxy.”

“Okay? Not really making me feel special here, Harry.” I stare at the sticky mess of white semen in my hand. How long has this been in his pocket? And why isn’t it dry yet?

“The men of the planet had a special skill.” He smiles and pushes my hand to my mouth, forcing me to try tasting it. To my surprise, it’s not salty the way most Earth men’s semen is.

No, this has a sweet, almost candy-like flavor.

“They could breathe underwater.”

“Like a merman?” I ask as I swallow the rest of the gum-like substance.

“Exactly like a merman,” he nods. Harry grabs my hand, yanks me next to him, and wraps his arm around my waist. “Let’s go,” he says, and pulls me into the water.

I thought the current would be stronger.

I thought it would pull us away, but it doesn’t.

I open my eyes once we’re beneath the surface of the waves. Though the river is flowing, we somehow are not swept away as the water moves. Instead, we’re able to move quickly and lightly through the water. Harry’s hand is still gripping mine tightly as we swim closer and closer to Path.

I peer through the water, trying to take in everything I see, but my vision is blurred as we move toward our destination. I try to peek toward the bottom of the river, but I can’t see it. I can’t see the ground. My feet practically glow in the darkness of the water, but everything beneath them is pitch black.

Sea monsters?

I hope not.

Maybe there’s a merman down there waiting to fuck me. I don’t know.

We reach the rock and Harry begins running his hands over the sides of the stone. He didn’t tell me what to look for, but I feel around, anyway, trying to copy his movements. The Key of Bleoi has managed to stay hidden here for many years, so spotting it won’t be obvious.

Will it?

My hands run across the side of the rock. The stone is smooth from years of being beneath the water. I can’t help imagining what it must be like to have enjoyed summers here with your friends, playing in the water, perching on the stone, spreading out and tanning beneath the warm sun.

Then I feel it.

An anomaly in the stone.

I yank on Harry’s hand, squeezing it tightly. He looks toward me and I point to the spot I’ve found. It’s a hole in the stone. He nods to me and I reach my hand inside, feeling around. There’s a button. I push it. Even though we’re under the water, I can hear the stone moving.

Path is moving.

The giant stone we’re next to is moving.

What could possibly go wrong?

Harry does not let go of my hand as a hidden door in the stone slides open and we squirrel our way inside. The water, strangely, does not flow into the rock. Once we’re inside, I turn back to see the river flowing by the opening, never entering the hollow space we’re in.

“How does it do that?” I ask Harry, mystified. I feel like we’re at an aquarium, watching fish and sea life from behind a glass window. Only here, there’s no glass.

“Secrets of Peraoi,” Harry shrugs. He turns back to look ahead of us. We’re in a small space, barely bigger than a front closet. Neither one of us can really move, but we don’t have to.

The Key of Bleoi rests in front of us, encased in a clear, thick blob. It looks like it’s inside a bubble. Harry reaches for the Key and takes it out of the bubble. Turning it over, he looks at it. Then he carefully rubs his fingers across the key. Harry has been looking for this for years. Now he’s finally found it.

Quietly, Harry places the key on a long chain, then hangs it around my neck. The key dips beneath the top of my dress. He does not speak as he gives me this key for safekeeping. He doesn’t have to.

To the naked eye, it looks like I’m just wearing a necklace and the pendant is below the collar of my gown.

To me, though, my entire heart soars.

This is his life’s purpose.

And he’s entrusting the key to me.

If that doesn’t speak volumes about the way he really feels about me, his little pet, then I don’t know what does.

“That’s it?” I ask, glancing around the space we’re in. “No booby traps? No ninjas to fight off?”

“This isn’t the movies, Aislin,” he frowns at me. “But Mira is probably almost here. She moves quickly when she wants to, and she knows Peraoi as well as I do. We need to go.”

With that, we dive back into the raging water. This time, Harry pulls me close and allows the water to move us with the current, down the stream, away from Path. He holds me to his body. My head rests against his chest as we flow through the waters. We seem to move for hours.

I can hear his heartbeat, even over the sound of the water, and I press my ear closer to his green chest, breathing him in.

Then I close my eyes and let the water take me.

As long as Harry has me, I know everything will be fine.

We burst onto a sandy shore. I don't come up sputtering or gasping for breath. Thanks to my snack earlier, I'm feeling perfectly fine as we spread across the sand.

"We've got it," Harry tells me, leaning down to kiss me. I'm shivering from the water, but his mouth sends a rush of heat throughout my body, warming me.

"That wasn't as hard as I thought," I tell Harry, curiously. Though I want to relax and feel happy that he found what he's been searching for, I can't help but wonder why we were able to get the key without incident. It seems strange that there were no traps. It seems strange that Mira didn't catch up with us.

Harry shrugs and pats his pocket in a quiet gesture, reminding me that our mission is accomplished. Now all we have to do is find the treasure, right? I've been meaning to ask Harry about that. What sort of alien treasure is so valuable that he spends all of his time chasing it? And what does Harry mean to do with it? Save the world? Or take it over?

"What do we do now?" I ask, not wanting to deal with hard questions right now. I'm hungry, thirsty, and tired. The sun is setting and I have no idea how far we are from his ship. Are we supposed to spend the night here? Or are we going to get to return to the warmth of Harry's traveling home?

"Now we wait," Harry tells me, seemingly unnerved.

"For what?" I ask, looking around. "It's getting dark."

"I know," he says. "And anyone from Liaue will have a more difficult time tracking us in the dark."

"That's why we didn't go back the same way we came," I realize slowly. "They're still following us." I don't know why I assumed they would have stopped. It's just that we haven't actually
seen
anyone. I feel like I'm running from an invisible monster that exists only in my imagination.

"Right," Harry says. "So until the sun has finished setting, dear Aislin, what do you suggest we do?"

"Well," I tell Harry. "We have what we came for. We have our treasure." I snuggle up beside him, resting my head against his bare chest. "Why don't we spend some time...talking?"

At that, we both erupt into giggles.

Though we barely know each other emotionally and spiritually, Harry and I have gotten very close physically since my abduction. To be fair, calling the ability to travel around the world with an alien an "abduction" seems wrong, but that's what it is. I didn't choose to leave Earth. I was taken. Harry took me to save my life, of course, but I was still taken without an option to stay.

"Have you taken many Earth girls?" I ask, stroking his chest. His skin is already dry. I wish my own body reacted this way. As it is, I'm shivering, and I lean in closer to him.

"No," he tells me. "You are actually my first."

I raise an eyebrow.

"Surprised?" He smiles.

"Quite," I tell him. "You seem to know your way around a woman's body quite well. I wouldn't be surprised if you told me you've had many, many Earth women."

He shakes his head.

"Most of my time is not spent fucking, Aislin. I've been looking for The Key of Bleoi for many years. Sex is wonderful, but not my primary reason for traveling the way that I do."

Now it's Harry's turn to touch me. He wraps his arm around me, pulling me closer to himself. A surge of energy rushes between us, igniting me. Though I consider myself to be fairly intelligent when it comes to men, Harry constantly surprises me. I've never been fucked the way he fucks me. I've never been taken the way that he takes me.

Each day with him is an adventure.

And I can't wait to find what tomorrow brings.

"So, why is your name Harry?" I ask. The sun is almost completely gone and dusk is upon us. Soon we'll start moving toward the ship again, trying to avoid Mira and her body guard or guards. I try to imagine that she has only one Liauean with her, though I know it’s probably more. Fighting off two people sounds much more appealing than fighting off a dozen. "Shouldn't you have an alien name or something? Something unpronounceable?"

He grins.

"I do have an 'alien' name, and yes, it is something you can't pronounce."

"So you named yourself Harry to make it easier on poor girls like me?"

"Something like that."

"Why Harry? Why not something exotic or unusual?"

"I got it from my favorite book," he smiles. "One about magical worlds. It seemed fitting."

I think back to my bedroom on Harry's ship. That explains the incredible amount of books that are in my room. He's a total literature nerd. I can't complain, of course. I love books as much as the next person, but naming yourself after a storybook character? That's something else.

"Time to go," he tells me, pulling me to my feet. My stomach growls with hunger and he frowns. "Try to stay quiet, Pet. We don't want to be caught."

I nod and follow him. For the thousandth time today, I'm glad he knows his way around this planet. I sure as hell don't. I had a hard enough time figuring my way around a new city, let alone a new world. Forcing myself to relax and remain calm, I follow Harry again. This time, we set off across the sand and head toward a sea of rocks.

I think we’re heading back toward his ship, though we’re walking near the river and not trying to swim against it. I’m quietly glad about that. I’ve had quite enough of the water aspect of this island. Don’t get me wrong: I love to swim. It’s just that entire process of running through a strange planet, searching for a forbidden key, dodging the sight of my alien lover’s ex-girlfriend, it’s all a lot to take in.

Fortunately, I don’t have to take it in for long. As we round a large boulder, I hear a shout from Harry and feel something smash against my head. Before the pain can finish rushing through my body, everything goes dark.

**

I hear Mira’s shrill voice before I see her. I blink several times, trying to clear my head, but it’s useless. She’s here and I’m bound. I shake back and forth, trying to move my arm, but they’re tied with some sort of rope. It burns my skin and hurts every time I attempt to free myself. Eventually, I stop trying.

So much for being strong.

Slowly, my vision becomes a bit more clear and I’m able to see Mira and a short, thin man next to her. At least, I think he’s a man. His skin is dark green, like Harry’s, but he has horns on his head and four arms instead of two.

Damn.

No wonder Harry said the Liauean people are sneaky.

Not only have they mastered the art of invisibility, but they have twice as many fingers to work with when it comes to picking locks or stealing things.

“Give it to me,” Mira says again. She’s standing over Harry. I can see now that he is also tied. His wrists are bound in front of him, but his legs are free. Mira leans down to him, shaking her breasts in his face.

I look away.

We’re caught.

We’re stuck.

We’re trapped.

I try not to look at the way that she’s touching him. She’s obviously trying to bother me. Well, congratulations, it’s working like a charm. I feel hot tears of jealousy and fright make their way to my eyes, but I blink furiously, trying to keep them down.

She bested us and now we’re caught.

What’s going to happen to us now?

I try to think of the best case scenario. Maybe she’ll realize that I have the key, take it, and simply leave. We can go on our way and she can go on hers. Moving forward as separate equals is possible, right? Isn’t that something we can do?

One glance at her face reveals that all of my peppy thinking is useless. She doesn’t plan to let us leave this island, let alone leave freely. Harry knows it, too, judging by his expression.

I wish I had an escape plan.

In the movies, you always see these talentless, but brave girls. You always see these women who are strong and determined, whose quick wit and critical thinking skills get them out of any situation they might find themselves in.

Can I have some of that, please?

I shake my wrists again, pulling them as far apart as I can. The rope digs into my skin, tearing it. Drops of blood fall from my wrists onto my white dress.

Perfect.

Then I realize something: Mira hasn’t looked at me, nor has her lackey. They’re both focused on Harry and getting the key from him.

They haven’t realized that I’m awake yet.

They haven’t realize Harry gave me the key.

Staying quiet, I look around, trying to see what’s close to me. We’re still near the rocks. In fact, we’re surrounded by them. One of the large boulders close to me has several sharp edges on it. If I could get closer, I might be able to cut my binds on it.

Mira is still trying to seduce and persuade Harry into telling her where the key is.

“I don’t have it,” he tells her. “There was nothing at Path. The clue was wrong. I was mistaken.” I catch a glimpse of his face. He looks like he’s telling the truth. Does Mira believe him?

Is she going to try to seduce the answer out of him?

There’s no time to worry about that. Instead, I scoot quietly, silently inching toward the boulder. Once I’m in front of it, I rest my head against it, acting as if I’m going back to sleep.

Mira’s guy looks over at me, but then returns his attention to Harry. Both he and Mira seem to be debating on the best way to get Harry to talk. The man, small as he is, brandishes a knife that I know could easily end both of us. With our wrists tightly tied, there’s no way Harry or I could fight back against an attack.

I move my hands to the sharp portion of the rock and begin to rub the rope against it, slowly and steadily. I keep my head resting against the rock in case anyone looks back over at me, but it seems that I have everything to myself for awhile.

With just a few more strokes, my hands fall free. Harry sees what I’ve done, but turns his attention back to Mira. I know he’s trying to keep them distracted, but what do I do?

Mira knocked me out by hitting me on the head, right?

I move my legs and push up to a short squat. My dress covers my knees. It still looks like I’m sitting with my legs folded beneath me. It doesn’t take long to eye a good-sized rock. I take a deep breath and pick it up.

Suddenly, Harry starts screaming and moaning, shouting something in a language I can’t understand. It’s the perfect distraction for me to make my move. Fueled with adrenaline and fear, I hop up and run behind Mira. She doesn’t even have time to turn around before I clunk her on the head and she tumbles to the ground in a pile.

Her lackey takes one look at me and the rock in my hand, then disappears.

“What do I do?” I yell to Harry.

“Untie me,” he says.

I fumble around Mira’s clothes until I pull out a small dagger. Freeing Harry, I turn back to her.

“What should I do?” I ask. “Did I kill her?”

He reaches down to her, then shakes his head.

“She’s just unconscious.”

“What about her friend?” I look around, but don’t see him. Did he return to his ship? Where is he?

“Reed is gone,” Harry says. “I don’t think we need to worry about him anymore. Thieves for hire rarely want to fight. She should have hired a body guard or two: not a horny Liauean with a ride.”

Harry takes the ropes that had him tied and uses them to tie Mira’s hands. He lifts her up and slings her over his shoulder, then starts walking again.

“Come along, Pet,” he calls back to me. “It’s almost supper time.”