Just A Bit Of Trust (Constel·lación #1) (4 page)

An attack rocked the ship. The alarms went off, and the computer voice was evident over the loud noise, “We are under attack!”

Didac spoke to the computer. “Lower the shields.”

“Command received.” The computer voice replied.

Bernat enjoyed thrilling risky situations; it always left him with a sense of confidence when it was over. It was a real self-esteem boost, “We anticipated an attack and I say what we have experienced very nearly qualifies it.”

Esteve ever the perfect gentleman “It does seem like an unfriendly act.”

“Gentleman, War or not, we have a job to do. Mother Earth has spoken. “Didac looked each and every one of his crew members in the face. “Let’s do this.”

Didac deboarded his spaceship on Mother Earth ten solar systems later.  He blinked a few times as his eyes tried to adjust to the new light. Agostino struggled to keep up with Didac as he strode purposefully toward the door of the spaceship.  Agostino was shorter than Didac’s six feet nine frame, but he had a firm body with gray eyes and silver hair, which was familiar with their species.

As childhood friends, Agostino understood what motivated Didac. The fact that Bradford had refused to surrender had unhinged Didac’s anger. His adrenaline had spiked. The hankering for danger was like a potent cocktail that made it necessary for him to survive in battle. He had almost destroyed over three-quarters of Mother Earth when Bradford had finally given in.

Didac unconsciously touched the back of his ear. Esteve had assured him that the new programmer would dictate any language known and unknown and would allow his people to communicate with the humans. His human studies stated that there were over sixty-five hundred languages on Mother Earth. That was absurd. A species with different languages was heading towards disintegration.

Didac watched the humans awaiting his arrival as he approached. The smell of their fear was stronger than the smell of pollution that penetrated the air. He almost smiled in amusement. He wanted to be feared by humans; he didn’t need their respect.

If they continued along this path of destruction by polluting the gifts that nature had given them, they would be extinct in a few centuries.  His eyes scanned around him, looking for any signs of danger.

“Welcome to Mother Earth Master Didac, It is a great honor for my people and my family. “Bradford looked stiff, and his chin raised. Didac took that as an act of aggression. He admired his courage to stay so calm and in control in a situation like this however misplaced. Bradford’s life was in his hands.

Didac was tired and hungry. “I don’t think so.” He didn’t believe in superficial courtesies. “Your decision to attack us is a violation of our treaty. It makes no difference whether you welcome me or not. Your planet is under Constel·lación rule now. Breaches of our rules and regulations, even the smallest of them all will be punishable by death.” Didac’s constant examination stayed on Bradford’s face challenging him to defy him. His lips curled in a sneer when Bradford’s jaws clenched in disapproval. ”You disapprove of this.”

Bradford lowered his eyes and answered with a small voice. ”You do not need my approval.”

Didac surmised why Bradford had won the election from the few meetings they had before the war. He was very articulate and knowledgeable. He had extensive knowledge of his people, but not enough for him to be considered dangerous in any way until now. Who knew what knowledge he had of his people? Abramo wasn’t that stupid He wouldn’t divulge all their secrets to any other species because if he took over Constel·lació like he intended to, it would leave him vulnerable.

The male in front of him had no integrity. It was an unfortunate and lethal combination in a leader. He wasn’t about to leave him in charge. “Naturally, I will leave some of my men behind to represent me and should any one of them die, a thousand of your people will die, is that clear?”

An acrid and the textural smell of shame lingered on Bradford. Bradford’s eye moved sideways to look on his left, and Didac’s turned his head to look. Three females and a young male stood behind him. They all smelled like Bradford.He detected the scent of the older woman on the redhead and the young male, which led him to the conclusion that it was his children. Another scent of the dark skinned woman indicated that she was not biologically the older woman’s but still she was Bradford’s daughter.

The distinctive elemental smell of the redhead female hit him. Human females generally smelled sweet, but this was different........Delightful. A banana smell fused with a slight smell of pomegranate. The longing to move closer to her consumed him. He inhaled deeper; the pull of the smell was unyielding, pulling him deeper into the realm of lust. The unbelievable scent that overwhelmed him with its beauty was corrupted by uncertainty, fear, and pain. He suddenly realized that he faintly felt what she felt. A miserable feeling in the pit of his stomach gathered and was suddenly replaced by anger: anger at the source of what caused the pain. The need to eliminate the bittersweet smells corrupting her intensified. He wanted to know more about the female. Didac’s need to be near and touch the female was inexplicable. His body tightened as his brain fought the need to mate. For the first time in his life, he didn’t feel alone anymore. He had found her.

His inner voice spoke.
Mate
.

Shock and surprise raced through him when he realized the implications of what he was feeling.
A mating fever.

His father had told him that when he sees his soul mate, he would know.
No, it couldn’t be?
There had never been a mating between a Constel·lación and a human in centuries. Didac fought hard with his emotions. He took his time to scrutinize her. Her soft hazel eyes were distant...Too mellow......Almost scarred. She was neither small nor big. She had a solid body. Her nose was cute with a subtle upturned tip. Her hair tumbled down her shoulders. It was an unusual color. Flame red, which was unusual among his people. Did it feel as soft as it looked?

He made a move towards her, his green eyes sparkling. The female recoiled in fear.

Agusti recognized Didac’s frenzy for what it was; every male in Constel·lació lived their whole life searching for their mate. “Didac: calm down, man. Focus. Remember where you are.” He whispered for Didac’s ears only.

“Don’t intervene.”

“People are looking at us.” Agusti’s firmer voice hit him like a cold bucket, and he instantly calmed. ”Human females do not know about our mating customs. Do you want to go over there and spoil your chances of ever mating with her?”

Agusti was right. If it had been a female of his species, she would have known how to handle it because they were familiar with the custom of mating. Human women were different. They wanted to be lured and romanced. A warrior showed that he cared by providing and protecting his mate.

“Maybe we can change the terms of my surrender.” Bradford didn’t have to explain himself; both men knew what he was offering. The female who Didac had already concluded was Bradford's daughter to guarantee his security. Naturally, his species DNA was far stronger than human so their offspring would be hardly considered human.

Even if Didac wanted her, he was also disgusted by Bradford’s willingness to trade his daughter for his freedom. How could you give your daughter away without a fight, especially to an enemy who was likely to treat her bad if they chose to? That alone was an insight into the man’s character.

Very smart Bradford
. Killing one’s wife’s father did not inspire any love or affection. Who did he think he was? He could take whatever he wanted without asking. “’I’m a soldier, not a diplomat, I will take what I want, and I do not have to say please. The victorious don’t need consent to possess what they desire.”

Didac never took his eyes off the redhead. She appeared to be listening and caught on the innuendo of the conversation.

Her voice trembled as she stared at her father, “Please don’t make me do this. I would rather die than be with him.”

Vivian took her father’s decision to marry her off to not only a human but an alien as a personal affront. Her father controlled every aspect of her life. Any acts of defiance resulted in a beating and hurtful words. Her father made laws that made people love him and was not sincere enough to follow those rules. Arranged or forced marriages were a violation of human rights that destroyed girls’ childhoods and women’s lives. She had heard stories about this before but never thought she would find herself on the receiving end.

“You are my daughter; you will do as you are told. “Bradford put in.

“What if I refuse? This is no better than a forced marriage.” The red head voice shook.

“Shut up, Vivian the men are talking." Bradford elbowed her face in annoyance, and she sank to the floor with a thud.

Didac’s body tightened. No one dared to touch what was his in such a fashion. He nodded to his soldiers to stay calm.

None of his warriors would stand by and watch anyone more vulnerable than they abused. It was a capital crime in his planet to harm children and women. If that was a custom on earth, he was disgusted. They called their planet Mother Earth, a personification of nature that focused on the life-giving and nurturing aspects of nature by embodying it in the form of the mother. And yet they did nothing to protect their abused women and children. He had read reports on how this was common on earth. Constel·lació did not populate their prison vessels with abusers, and it was instant expulsion if found guilty after being beaten up by a real male.

A warrior’s job was to protect. Every male on his planet, in any profession, was a warrior. No male, graduated without serving in the army first. Except if they had an ailment that prevented them from doing so which was rare. His kind did not contract any diseases, so easily. Once mated to a Constel·lación, any species would have a stronger immune system and be immortal like them. His men understood what being a male was before committing to a mate. Commitment, honor and discipline and endurance were his creeds, and his warriors shared them with him. A creed that no soldier dared to violate.

He stilled his features to remain expressionless, but the smell coming from him left no doubt to his people how he felt about the president.
Contempt
. He despised everything the president did and stood for. From what he understood, Martin Bradford was the Chief Executive of the human race and the commander in chief of the army on Mother Earth under whom all world leaders took their instructions from. This was Ludicrous. How could a male be expected to lead males to war when he himself had never known how it was like to fight and kill for survival? The pain. The smell of death and the machines that caused it, it assaulted all your senses. Noises so loud you felt like an ant under a lawnmower. Most of the humans did not have any idea how long his species lived. It was a long life. He had known war, and he vowed that he would never send his males who were fathers, brothers, mates to war without a cause.

Didac kicked Bradford on the calf, and he fell to the floor. “I could kill you right now.” Swiftly, Didac brought the point of his blade against his throat. "I won’t kill you because I do not want to repulse my mate before we start our new life together.”

Vivian knew that as long as she was on Mother Earth and her father still alive, she would never be free. She knew too much. Her father had caught her eavesdropping on his meetings before. And Didac looked intent on having his way with her. What choice did she have?

All of a sudden Vivian said with a vehemence that stunned Didac. “What do you expect from me? Love?”

Didac’s plans had been simple. Attack Mother Earth and take over. Kill those who didn’t want to follow him. Leave it to a woman to complicate things. He was never letting her go whether he liked it or not he knew with a conviction that both enraged and stupefied him. ”You won’t believe this now, but I promise you would never feel any hurt with me like you do now. You will be adored, loved like a queen.”

"Your words or your promises mean nothing. What guarantee do I have?"

"You can trust me." Didac offered his hand to her to lift her up and to reassure her that he was a male of his word, and she flinched. "You don't want me to touch you; you don't trust me?"

Yes, I want you to touch me and yes, I trust you, but I have no idea why.

When Didac had looked at her, she had felt something, alright. Feelings were fickle emotions. She didn’t trust in them at all. ”I don’t know you, why would I?” She answered carelessly. Her words seemed to stun him. Confusion echoed in his features.

Was this guy for real?
On Mother Earth, trust was not given so quickly.

Silence in the room stretched as the seconds ticked by. She felt so uncomfortable trying to look anywhere but at his groin and lean thighs, uncertainty in her features.

Everything would be different. Would Constel·lació be similar to Mother Earth? Anxiety set in.

All sorts of questions bombarded her mind. What was she going to do? If she ran, her mother, brother, sisters, and friends were going to meet their end. She wasn’t willing to take the chance to find out. If she went ahead and married him, was she ever going to see her family again? What was going to happen to her? Would the people of Constel·lació accept her? Was she going to be the only human in Constel·lació? How were his people going to view their marriage? What if they had any children? What were they going to look like? Would they be accepted in any society? Was she willing to let go of her traditions and celebrations?