Amy Redwood - My AlienThreesome

My eyes teared and I blamed it on the wind. Working my forearm across my face, I searched for Jana, the happy bride-to-be. But there was still no sign of her.

I’d first met Jana ages ago, and we had formed an easy friendship that didn’t require daily or even weekly chats. We both led busy lives, but while she was blessed with the silver tongue of a natural-born diplomat, I’d been born with rocket fuel in my veins. I needed the open space to feel free. Jana was happy to kick ass while climbing the career ladder. I’d always figured she’d seek an even higher office in the confederation, but instead she’d fallen for an alien, a Dezrian, and she gave up everything she’d built for herself on Earth. I wasn’t sure if I admired her, felt jealous of the love she’d evidently found or if I should try to talk her out of it.

Jana had been vague when I’d asked her how a wedding was celebrated on Dezra. But she’d asked me to fly her, be her bridesmaid of sorts, and whatever her other reasons were, I wouldn’t say no to the opportunity of being able to visit Dezra.

I grinned as I finally spotted her, waved. She was fidgeting around, visibly nervous. I didn’t blame her. It took guts to do what she did. I closed my hand around the sleep-aid I brought her to ensure that she got some rest during the flight. And prevent her from throwing up.

“Here, drink,” I said by way of greeting, and pressed the drink into her hand. “Or you’ll hurl for the next eight hours straight. And that’s with the gravity switch pulled.”

“Not funny,” Jana answered, but obediently sipped. She made a face but bravely kept on sipping, despite the drink’s foul taste.

“That’s all you’re taking with you?” I looked her over. “After twenty-nine happy years on Earth, all you take is one lousy bag?”

“I don’t need much as long as I have Qay.”

“By the stars, you are in deep.” I managed to keep the jealousy out of my words, but little warning bells went off in my head.

I was about to fly Jana to a planet that had one of the harshest environments for humans. I flew her into the arms of a man, an alien, who I’d never met and knew only from watching the news. He was a handsome, towering male with coppery skin and eyes so piercing I’d think twice before trying to bullshit him. All in all, a worthy companion for my friend.

“I love him if that’s what you mean,” Jana said, raising her voice over the hissing noise of a bigbellied trader, sounding defensive as all get-out.

But Jana’s future husband was the ruler of Dezra. And once I touched down, I too would be at his mercy. Confederation laws and rules, already sketchy at best in many places, where null and void on Dezra. Whatever he did to us, he wouldn’t even be punishable on Earth, ever. Not until Dezra joined the confederation. And who knew when that would happen.

“I guess his looks don’t hurt either,” I said with a grin to lighten the mood, cursing myself for being so bitchy.

“He was the best thing that happened to me after…after—” she broke off, and it took me a couple of seconds to get what she meant.

“After what happened with that…guy? Sorry,” I said quickly, kicking myself, remembering.

Jana had been attacked while doing her job as a trade official by a Dezrian male. While I didn’t know what really happened between him and her, how badly she was assaulted, I knew that it had shaken her to the core. But this had happened quite awhile ago, and to this date, Jana hadn’t confided in me and I hadn’t pushed the topic. Some wounds needed to heal in silence. “I know you don’t like to talk about it.”

“It’s okay,” she said. “I aimed my phaser at him, threatening I’d shoot him if he didn’t back off. He not only backed off, next day he was gone. Qay came to continue the negotiations. I fell for him.”

“Wow,” I said, wondering if I should tell her that the sleep-aid she was drinking often made people talkative as well. “Amazing that they didn’t fire you.”

“They waited until Qay signed the trade contract then they fired me.”

“That’s the confederation for you,” I pressed through my teeth. Corrupt to the core. “Follow me. You haven’t met my girl yet, have you?”

My sleek space glider gleamed chrome black under glaring white security lights. We boarded and Jana strapped herself into the chair behind me.

“Ready?” I checked if she had downed the drink.

“Can’t wait,” Jana said, sounding sleepy. “And I can’t wait to kick ass as Dezra’s new trade official. My old boss is in for a surprise.”

I whistled. “So, Qay bagged himself a confederation insider as his wife. You sure he’s not just using you?” Smart, smart bastard.

Jana laughed, as if hearing my thoughts. “Kyra, he loves me.”

“Is it true that Dezrians can read minds?” I had heard rumors.

“Qay can’t. I asked.”

“You fell fast for him. Maybe too fast.”

“Since when are you the word of caution?”

Boy, she got that one right. Caution was the last thing I was known for. “Well, Dezra is not in the allied confederation yet, as you know best. They don’t adhere to common laws.”

“But they will be in a couple of weeks.”

“Still, it hasn’t happened yet. On Dezra, you’re at Qay’s mercy.” Shut up , I told myself. This discussion was helping no one right now. I hardly told her news.

I threw a glance over my shoulder, saw Jana shiver in her seat, and kicked myself mentally. I was officially Earth’s worst bridesmaid. Not one more word against her future husband. Not one. Just because Garrett had kicked my heart black and blue didn’t mean all males were alike.

I focused on navigating through the checkpoints toward open space, and when I glanced at Jana, she was already asleep. “Sorry,” I whispered, “I’m just being protective, I guess.”

I hesitated only a second before I activated the illegal database I’d installed a week ago. “Dezra,” I said, and watched the screen jump alive.

Stats, maps, numbers flickered over the screen. What kind of weapons they used, what kind of defense mechanism. Information Dezra usually wouldn’t want to share with just anyone. They had rainforests to the north, great plains and deserts just about everywhere, a seacoast to the west. Temperatures way above comfortable for humans. Images of past and current rulers popped up and a detailed overview of their anatomy. Even Dezrian women seemed born warriors. Last but not least, an insider report on Dezra, usually top secret but here for me to sneak a peek.

I soaked up the knowledge with the takeaway that the confederation really wanted to be on good terms with Dezra. Their technology was at least level with Earth’s if not more advanced; their physical and mental capabilities weren’t a match for any human. And they had, what, a king? I paused at the image of a predatory-looking Dezrian, my thoughts straying to Garrett, who had portrayed the same predatory grin the day I’d accepted him as my business partner. In hindsight, Garrett’s grin should have worried me instead of getting me all hot and bothered.

When we arrived on Dezra, a flock of Dezrian women led us from Dezra’s docks to a large, glasslike dome. Something I appreciated because I wouldn’t want to spend the day beneath the planet’s harsh sun. Inside the dome, a small city. I was probably as wide-eyed as Jana, and it was the giggling and laughter and general upbeatness from everyone around us that made me smile in turn. Dezra was preparing for a wedding, not for an attack on two human women. I finally relaxed.

I was shown separate quarters, not even on the same floor as Jana’s. The rooms were worthy for a queen, but unfortunately, I wasn’t alone. With me, half a dozen women, offering me drinks and food and clothes. While we didn’t share the same language, we nevertheless had fun. Until I was literally forced into a bathroom to clean up, and had to raise my voice to shoo away the girl who’d wanted to wash my hair for me. I gave up the fight when they pulled a dress over my head, not letting me wear any of my own clothes. An elderly woman told me with a stern voice about “tradition”, seemingly the only word she knew in my language. The last thing I wanted to do was upset their customs.