Earth: Tentacle Breeding Ground – Chapter 6

[Earlier that day…]

A’luhr had been careless, and it had cost her.

“No!” A’luhr heard the young male human, Steven, yell as she was thrown out the window by the loathsome thrall that had gotten the jump on her. She grimaced in pain from the whiplash on her leg as the tentacle released her, but she kept her wits about her; this was hardly the time to panic.

She fell through the air and nimbly flipped around to control her descent before hitting the ground and deftly rolling forward to absorb the impact. She cried out in pain as she sliced herself on some of the shards of glass from the broken window that littered the paved courtyard. With labored grunts, she removed the largest blades that were painfully lodged in her arms and shoulders. Luckily, it seemed that it was only minor tissue damage. A quick bodily check revealed that she was still in decent fighting condition.

Looking back up at the ridiculously unsafe structure she had just been fenestrated from, A’luhr could see the rest of the humans still engaging with the Krinis and that annoying female thrall. She could not fathom why someone might willingly embrace the Krinis and do their bidding. Were humans so weak-willed and hedonistic to give up their freedom just for a hit of dopamine? If so, were her own race no different? She recalled many bellus becoming thralls as well… such a tragic fate.

She knew that not all beings were like that — even members of the primitive human race. The proof was just above her, where Sarah Cassidy and the rest of her companions were still bravely fighting against the disgusting creatures. However, despite their valiant efforts, it was still clearly a losing battle. A’luhr staggered to her feet and started to sprint back towards the building, with a slight limp in the leg that the tentacle had thrown her by. She was wildly looking around for a quick way to get back to assist her struggling human comrades when suddenly her antennae detected a shift in the air currents around her.

A’luhr powerfully stomped her injured leg into the ground, transferring all her momentum into a single point and moaning in agony from the exertion. Her calf bulged as she pushed backwards into the air with her heel, barely dodging a thick column of tentacles that brushed the tips of her antennae as it blurred past her face. She skidded to a stop but did not remain idle for long.

Her eyes widened as she sensed another assailant approaching from behind. She backflipped into the air, using her momentum to spin in place and watched, upside down, as a tentacle whizzed just under her nose. She landed on one foot and pivoted around to see four Krinis drones – “Takers”, as Sarah Cassidy called them – starting to surround her.

Judging by the screams and smashing of glass from above, some of the humans had already been captured by the flying drones. She had been too late.

“Luc’alor!” A’luhr swore aloud. Her broodmother would have covered her mouth in shock had she heard such language, but A’luhr did not care about such things now. She was born and bred to be a hardened soldier, and these tentacles were in her way.

She drew her daggers from her leggings and began to slowly circle in place, all her senses focused on the movements of her attackers. No, her PREY. She could get out of this with her last impulse detonator, but then she would be unable to do much in more dire straits. A’luhr scanned the Takers with sharp eyes. They all simply had a single host. Two were males and two were females.

The males groaned and squirmed inside of the tentacle constructs. Their limbs were enveloped in the writhing mass and their eyes were covered by slimy tendrils, leaving their gaping mouths exposed so that a nectar-filled tentacle could easily thrust down their throats. One of them had what appeared to be a thick tangle of hair covering the bottom half of his face, and the orange fluid was flowing down it like a river over rocks.

Both of their sex organs were swallowed up by milking tentacles while their hanging testes were squeezed and vibrated by small feelers and their anuses were stuffed with even more writhing appendages.

The tentacle sleeves on their phalluses would sometimes slide up to just envelope the bulbous tips while vibrating tendrils would rapidly stroke their throbbing hard shafts that were covered in slippery reproductive fluids and nectar. This seemed to have the desired effect, as the males screamed in ecstasy while they eagerly excreted their whitish fluids into the suckling tentacle.

The females were similarly entwined in the drones, with tentacles greedily squashing and stretching their plump mammaries to squeeze milk out of their erect nipples, which were being flicked and stroked by vibrating feelers. Their eyes were also covered like their male companions, but their mouths were unmolested, allowing them to loudly howl and whimper in what A’luhr knew to be a sort of rallying cry.

Their pudenda were being played with by cilia-covered appendages that almost looked like hands. The “fingers” pried their labia open and dexterously tweaked their clits and filled their vaginal openings. They sloppily squelched in and out of the holes as nectar and vaginal fluid gushed from within. Other hand-shaped growths were busy grasping their glutes and spreading them apart while smaller tendrils spanked at the helpless, jiggling flesh. From the constant screams of pleasure pouring from their mouths, it was clear that the two captured females were rather enjoying the touch of their new masters.

The sounds were eerily like those of her own people that haunted her dreams and waking nightmares. Those whom she had failed just like she was about to again. No. She would not allow it.

There were two other ways to disable the drones without using impulse detonators, however they were either extremely risky or extremely brutal. The latter involved simply killing the host. Without an energy source, the drone would be unable to maintain its advanced form and crumble into a pile of mindless, squirming tentacles.

A’luhr had already dispatched several of them in this manner when she first arrived on this planet, thinking the populace to be little more than babbling, primitive beings. This was a fact that she had hidden from her newfound companions for obvious reasons. After having spent time among the humans, she had started to grow fond of them and their simple ways. She resolved to avoid any more bloodshed unless there were no other options.

Luckily, there was still the second option. However, it was the more dangerous of the two as it involved precise movements with a large margin for error. It was not necessary to kill the hosts in order to stop the flow of energy-giving sexual fluids. If you could simply sever the tentacles directly milking the captives, the drones would need to focus their efforts on repairing the link instead of attacking, lest they risk falling apart. It was a temporary measure – and risky – but A’luhr knew it was her safest bet at the moment.

She twirled her daggers in her palms, tensing her muscles as she gauged the distance between herself and the tentacles milking the humans’ breasts and penises. She stood, waiting for the enemies to make the first move. They did not take long to oblige, as the drones were not tactical warriors, but simple-minded brutes only obeying the general orders from their Queen.

All at once, the four creatures rushed towards A’luhr with heavy steps, wildly flailing their long, tentacled arms in her direction, hoping to snare her limbs. She took a deep breath and focused her senses even sharper, waiting for just the right moment to react. One of the drones carrying a male suddenly swept a long arm towards her left side. Not missing a beat, A’luhr dashed towards it and slid on her butt underneath the thick appendage, rolling onto her heels and pushing off into the air in front of the disoriented monster.

Her blades flashed and cleanly sliced through the tentacle that was engulfing the male’s huge shaft. A fountain of white cum jettisoned into the face of the male as his fluids spilled from the gash in the writhing tentacle. The drone’s movements faltered before it fell to one knee, as more tentacles detached from its body in a desperate attempt to salvage the bleeding cum.

A’luhr did not allow herself to be distracted, as the rest of her query certainly was not. Not taking a moment to rest, she dived behind a structural support as a new wave of attacks rocketed towards her. She slumped down behind the pillar, tenderly massaging her hurt leg. Using one of her reflective dagger blades as a mirror, she peeked around the corner.

The damaged drone was still attempting to resume milking the captured human, but it would not be much longer before it was back in action. She estimated about 25 Earth seconds or so. She took some quick, emboldening breaths to hype herself up before rolling out into the open again, heading towards the two drones with the females in them.

Seeing her coming, the drones began to milk their host’s huge mammaries with more vigor, preparing for a burst of energy. This caused the females to cry out in ecstasy, drool flying, as they bucked their hips against the large tentacle phalluses thrusting into their holes faster and faster with each passing moment. The drones lunged their arms at A’luhr before she could get close. A’luhr had planned for this, though. The grass all around the female drones was surrounded in a thick slurry of female ejaculate and nectar, which she sprinted towards and once again slid on.

A’luhr’s accelerated movement from the slippery surface clearly caught the drones off-guard, as they failed to react in time when A’luhr hurtled towards them.

Both female drones moved close together in an attempt to block A’luhr’s path, assuming she was attempting to escape, no doubt, but this only made her job easier. Welding a dagger in each hand, she kicked off the grass and spun in the air towards the creatures. She did not get as much momentum as she had hoped, due to the slickness of the grass, but it was enough.

With practiced motions, she elegantly twirled towards the obstructing drones, causing her silver hair to dance in the wind around her. She brandished her daggers and both blades found their marks. All four appendages that were suckling on the tormented female’s gushing breasts were swiftly severed. Like before, thick geysers of creamy milk erupted from the cut tentacles, drenching the all the females, including A’luhr, who sloppily landed on the ground behind the faltering drones, cussing and hastily attempting to wipe the liquid from her eyes and antennae.

The final drone did not hesitate to take advantage of A’luhr’s moment of defenselessness. Just as she regained her vision, she looked up and saw a large tentacle arm whipping towards her side. Her mind raced, well aware that she had no time to dodge. Before she could react, the tentacles grabbed her torso. In the split-second before they tightened around her body and sealed her fate, A’luhr ducked down, allowing the loose fabric from the light garment she wore around her chest to slide off and allowing her to escape.

The tentacles clenched around her discarded top as she tumbled away on the ground, her large breasts barely being contained by the “sports bra” Sarah Cassidy had given her, which as now all she wore other than her torn uniform leggings. Still disoriented from the liquids covering her antennae, she was late to notice an attack from behind, coming from the first drone she had attacked, which was nearly repaired.

It must not have been back at full power, as the dexterous task of grabbing her seemed too much for it to accomplish, so it instead settled with simply slamming into her side and sending her skidding across the courtyard. A’luhr saw stars and the pain in her leg intensified as it struck the ground. She coughed and moaned, her vision spinning, as she started to feel around for her daggers, which she had dropped after being struck. Suddenly, she heard a terrified scream coming from the sky above her. Groggily turning on her side, she saw Sarah Cassidy falling from the building before being ensnared by a flying drone.

Judging by the empty windows in the walkway, all of A’luhr’s human companions had been captured, and Sarah Cassidy had been the last one. It was too late now. A’luhr slammed her fist into the ground in frustration. She unsteadily began to rise, grabbing her last impulse detonator in her shaking hand, ready to blow past these annoyances and slay the thrall that had brought such shame to her.

Just as she was about to activate the weapon, images of her human comrades flashed into her mind. Though they had only known each other for a relatively short period of time, the humans had quickly accepted her into their ranks and treated her with a warmth the likes of which she had never experienced before, especially Steven.

If she used up her final impulse detonator to exact revenge on this small fry, then she would truly have no hope of defeating the Queen and saving her allies. This was not the time for heroics, she realized. No longer needing to defeat the drones around her in order to clear a path back towards the building, A’luhr instead focused all her remaining energy on retreating.

She stowed the grenade and rolled to her feet, shaking her head to dry out her antennae as she dodged the attacks of the remaining male drone, while the first male drone completed its regeneration. She sprinted away from the group of clumsily fumbling drones and scooped up her daggers that were glimmering in the grass nearby. Without looking back, she continued to run, willing herself to ignore the throbbing pain in her ribs and leg.

She dashed out into the surrounding streets, the untouched drone hot on her heels with the rest soon to follow. Luckily there did not seem to be any flying enemies in the area – yet. She knew she didn’t have much time to disengage and find a place to hide. Thinking quickly, she sheathed her daggers and snatched up a piece of rubble along the sidewalk. She slowed her run to a jog, allowing herself to carefully scan the area while still putting some distance between her and her pursuers.

Soon enough, she found what she was searching for. A human vehicle – a “car” – was parked on the side of the road, with a faint red light flashing inside. She had quickly learned not to get too rough with cars possessing this warning light as she had nearly been captured as soon as she had entered the city when she accidentally set off one of these loud alarms. What had once felt like a nefarious trap would now be her savior.

As she passed by the car, she hurled the rubble through the glass covering on the front of the vehicle, shattering it with a loud smash. Immediately, a blaring, pulsating alarm echoed out into the empty streets. With the sounds and vibrations of her movements obscured by the powerful din, she swiftly sprinted down the road, leaping into a dilapidated garage and hiding in the debris.

She peeked out and watched as the drones from the academic facility began to rush and attack the car, loudly crashing into it and sending glass and shards of metal flying in all directions. She continued to watch as the creatures assaulted the defenseless vehicle, soon being joined by more and more drones who had heard the cacophony from nearby and had come to investigate. This was exactly why she didn’t want to have to resort to this strategy, as now there were many more enemies in the immediate area… but it would also mean there were less around the perimeter.

She stealthily slipped out from her cover and, ducking low, made her way down the block and back towards their base of operations. She had just turned the corner when the car finally uttered its last, valiant breath, and the alarm croaked to a stop.

A’luhr continued to scan the area around her as she stealthily made her way down the street. She kept to the shadows of trees, cars, and buildings, moving as discreetly as possible. While the Krinis drones were blind, the human hosts enveloped in their bodies were not. Should they see her, there was no doubt that they would cry out in ecstatic stupor as their excitement for a new partner overtook them.

To her relief, it seemed that all of the drones in the area had been drawn to the car alarm, as she didn’t encounter any during her return to the base. She still kept her vigilance up and wits about her, however, as she knew that it was difficult to ever truly be safe from the deceptively long reach of the Krinis.

At first, she was concerned she might get lost trying to find her way back now that her sensitive antennae had lost the scent trails she had used to navigate. The wet, warm milk that had doused her before resulted in her olfactory organs being flushed, so she needed to navigate based purely on memory and landmarks. Luckily, the human city planning was quite simple, and the distance wasn’t too far, so she managed to get back without much trouble. A’luhr looked over her shoulder one last time as she slipped into the large human residence that her group had been using as a shelter before this ill-fated mission.

She breathed a sigh of relief and slumped to the floor as the large door clicked closed behind her. What a foolish plan this had been – if “plan” was even the right word for that disaster of an operation. When had she become so soft as to let a bunch of inexperienced humans, likely less than 200 years old, lead her into danger? Was it because she had spent too long away from the battlefield? Or was she simply that eager to help her endearingly primitive comrades retake their planet now that she had started to get close to them? Too close, perhaps.

A’luhr leaned her head back on the door and ran her long, slender fingers through her disheveled silver hair. This was not how things were supposed to be. She was supposed to quickly dispatch the Queen, regain her honor, and be rid of this undeveloped planet in less than a few days at most. But she had made so many mistakes. Was becoming enamored by the mysterious, beautiful sights and the simple, caring locals one of them?

Frustrations and worries chaotically flurried through her mind like an angry hive of keevils. She was not left to wallow for long, however, as suddenly one of her antennae twitched, picking up a faint vibration… coming from upstairs. At first, she thought maybe it was nothing, until the sounds of someone, or someTHING, roaming the halls above became clear. Based on the cadence, A’luhr judged that they were human footsteps, but that meant nothing these days in regard to determining friend from foe.

Her eyes sharpened and she rolled forward on the balls of her feet to get into a crouched position. She glided down the entry hall and towards the stairs like a vengeful spirit – not making a sound but exuding incredible killing intent. A’luhr was fed up with the number of surprises the day had brought, and enough was enough.

As her feet alighted on the steps, she drew a dagger in her right hand while using her empty left hand to distribute her weight as she climbed the stairs, not letting even a single creak escape from the glossy floorboards beneath her.

She got to the top of the stairs and crouched down behind a large, tacky art piece that was set up in the hall. It really was quite shocking what the humans considered to be captivating. A’luhr calmed her breathing and peered around the statue. Her eyes scanned down the hall until she spotted a door that was opened just a crack. The sound of drawers being hastily rummaged through could be heard coming from inside, with muted muttering interjecting at regular intervals.

A’luhr crept up to the door and tried to glance through the gap in the door to see what was inside, but her field of vision was too limited and prevented her from picking up any more clues. Based on the scent, it was definitely a female human and not a Krinis, so that was already a relief. However, she had already been duped by a thrall today and was not planning on repeating her mistake. She pressed up against the wall next to the doorway, dagger ready to strike a decisive, lethal blow, when she decided against it. Maybe it would be best to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, especially seeing as how potential allies were in short supply now.

The movement in the room came to a stop and footsteps approached the other side of the door. A’luhr tensed up, ready to strike. The door was pulled open and out stepped a female carrying a large duffel bag. In one swift movement, A’luhr sent the female tumbling to the floor with a leg sweep while simultaneously straddling her back, pinning her arms and brandishing her dagger to the hapless female’s throat. The bag went flying into the opposite wall and spilled open, revealing a mix of clothing, packaged nutrients, and various tools.

“Wh-what!?” The female cried out in surprise and pain. “Get the hell off m-” The words froze in her throat as she noticed the cold blade pressed to her vital spot. A’luhr noticed her throat visibly gulp. The restrained female had much darker skin pigmentation than the other humans A’luhr had been recently living with. She wore a streamlined, breathable white top and some skintight pink leg garments with a curious, flesh-colored pattern spanning along her impressively toned thighs. Clearly this was a female of considerable physical fitness. An excellent find, should she prove to be an ally.

“You will not move until you answer my questions,” A’luhr hissed, bending over the female and whispering into her tiny human ear. A’luhr grabbed a handful of the female’s curly black hair, wrenching it upwards to expose her neck more.

“I-” the female croaked, grunting in pain.

“And you will not speak unless it is to answer my questions!” A’luhr pressed the blade of her dagger against the dark skin of the female’s throat. “Who is your master?”

“Master!?” The female spat back with indignation. “You’re asking a BLACK WOMAN who her MASTER is!? Lady, I don’t know who you think you-” Her eyes suddenly widened as she slightly turned her head to look up at A’luhr with her peripheral vision. A’luhr’s pale yellow eyes glared back down at her.

“Hm, you do not seem overcome by a desire to mate…” A’luhr mused, analyzing the trembling female.

“Oh…oh God… ohhhh Jesus…” the female whimpered. “You’re one of them! You’re one of those rapist aliens! Oh hell no… you’re not taking me as some obedient little fucktoy! I got my brother to look after! Screw you!” She began to jerk upwards underneath A’luhr’s strong thighs, momentarily taking her by surprise. The female’s resistance was quickly restrained, however, as A’luhr tightened her grip and pressed her dagger slightly into the female’s neck, causing a tiny drop of blood to trickle out onto the blade. A’luhr’s antennae twitched delicately.

“No more movements!” A’luhr growled. “You are lucky that you are releasing pheromones of legitimate fear and anger. There is no hint of arousal either. It is safe to say, then, that you are no thrall of the Krinis.”

“If you’re not gonna fuck me, then get OFF me!” The female snarled. A’luhr was impressed by her bravado but kept her solid grip on the female’s body.

“If you are not thrall, what business do you have in this building?” A’luhr asked in a threateningly low tone. “It appears to me that you are robbing us of our supplies. Am I wrong in this assumption? The female stopped squirming and gulped loudly.

“I-I don’t know what you mean by ‘thrall’, uh… ma’am…? But I was just looking for food for myself.”

“And your brother?”

“Fuck,” the female muttered under her breath.

“You expect me to believe it is mere coincidence that you ‘just came looking’ on the exact same day that my comrades and I were all away?” A’luhr pressed her knee into the female’s back. “Answer truthfully or lose the privilege forever.” Her voice was little more than a low rumble at this point. Despite her elegant, graceful appearance, A’luhr had long since mastered the art of intimidation and information extraction.

“F-fine, you crazy bitch-freak!” The female sputtered. “I’ve been casing this spot for weeks, okay!? But it was before your group even arrived, so I’m just taking what I found first. That’s fair, right?” The female spoke in a tone as if trying to convince both A’luhr and herself. “Usually, your group comes back much quicker than today, so I assumed you had been grabbed by the aliens and made my move. No point in letting it go to waste! I’m just trying to survive like everyone else!” A’luhr withdrew the dagger from the female’s neck, but kept a grip on her hair. She tapped the tip of the blade thoughtfully against her chin.

“You say you are familiar with my ‘group’, but yet a moment ago you were surprised when you saw I was not of your kind… as if this is your first time seeing one such as myself.”

“Well, it’s not like I was up close and personal with y’all!” Her voice started to show signs of panic from not being believed. “I only even spied – er – watched from afar, okay? I never got a good look before, I swear!”

“Hmmm…” A’luhr leaned further forward over the now sweating female, her voluptuous breasts pressing into her captive’s back and her antennae dancing playfully around her head. “And what will you do if I release you?”

“I’ll get out of your hair and leave! You won’t need to worry about me anymore, that’s for sure!”

“My hair does not concern you. But as long as you do not show hostility towards me, that will suffice. This is your last warning though.”

“Sure! Sure! Whatever you say! Can you get off me now!?…Please?”

A’luhr snorted and stood up from the female’s back, still holding her dagger but allowing the female to carefully get to her feet. She rubbed her back and neck as she stood before openly gawking at A’luhr. Her eyes had trouble staying away from the large globes barely contained within A’luhr’s sports bra, which displayed signs of considerable wear. She cleared her throat and held out a shaky hand.

“Alexis,” the female spoke, gesturing with her outstretched appendage. “But my friends call me Alex.” A’luhr stared down at the hand with a neutral expression, unsure of what to make of it. After a few moments of hesitation, Alexis awkwardly pulled her hand back and wiped it on her leg as if trying to casually dry her clammy palms. “And… and you… um…. do you have a name I should call you by…?” Her voice wavered but she managed to look A’luhr in the eye.

“You are not leaving as you said you would,” A’luhr sniffed. She was too tired to deal with more humans today. This one had at least shown signs of a strong body and will, so perhaps she would make a valuable ally after all. Or tool. A’luhr sighed. “With your human vocal sounds, you may call this one ‘A’luhr’.”

“A’luhr. Got it.” Alexis shifted her feet nervously while stealing glances at her bag and the items strewn on the floor next to it. “So, well, thanks, I guess?”

“For what am I owed your gratitude?” A’luhr blinked in surprise, her eyebrows twitching slightly.

“For… you know… not killing me?” Alexis chuckled hollowly while rubbing at her neck. “You’ve got a pretty strong grip, girl.”

“Strong enough. I see you are no longer put on edge by my appearance.”

“What can I say, you seen one alien, you seen em all, right?” Alexis shrugged.

“Besides, you are… somewhat more intelligent and… attractive than those tentacle fuckers.” She coughed and A’luhr could sense the slightest hint of pheromones suddenly wafting through the air. A’luhr narrowed her golden eyes suspiciously.

“You should really leave while I am still in a bad mood.” A’luhr warned with a gruff voice.

“Uh, don’t you mean ‘good mood’?” Alexis responded, inching towards her bag.

“I am not IN a good mood. I am in a bad mood. And if I were in a worse mood, we would not be having this conversation.” A’luhr slowly enunciated.

“Girl, I read you loud and clear.” Alexis nodded knowingly. “I’m not feeling too peachy myself right now knowing I have to go back to my brother empty handed. Another day without a full tummy will put anyone in a bad mood, that’s for sure.” She glanced at A’luhr with an anxious expression, her eyes drifting to the dagger still in A’luhr’s hand before licking her lips and opening her mouth a few times as if to speak.

“You want something. The supplies you were plundering, I take it?” A’luhr sighed.

“It’s just… and I don’t mean to pry – but I assume based on your mood and the fact that you returned alone, that whatever mission you guys all went on today didn’t end well… and that, um, you may not be needing all these supplies in the near future…?” Alexis gestured down towards the scattered food and clothing on the floor.

“A mere knee-slapper,” A’luhr replied with a shrug as she idly twirled her dagger in her fingers.

“A… a what?” Alexis looked at her uncertainty, seemingly holding back a laugh but being too scared to release it.

“Erm… never mind,” A’luhr mumbled, turning away and looking a bit flustered. “You should leave now.”

“Right, right. Before you’re no longer in a ‘bad mood.'”

“No, before the rest of the Krinis drones begin to resume patrols. My diversion has already run its course.”

“Krinis drones…? You mean the rapey alien creatures? That’s what you guys call them? Ahh… I guess that explains why I didn’t see any of them on my way here…” Alexis snapped her fingers as if a piece of a mental puzzle she had been working on had just fallen into place. “And, um…?” She knelt to grab her partially filled bag. “Uh… so…” she looked up at A’luhr, who ran a tired hand through her long shimmering hair.

“Fine. I will let you take some supplies back for you and your kin.” A’luhr relented. Though the concept of familial love was unfamiliar to her, given that she was part of a brood of hundreds of bred soldiers, she had come to understand it to some extent after spending time with Zoey and Steven. This was something deeply important to humans. A’luhr would always be able to procure more supplies, especially once she managed to liberate the humans and disable the Queen…

A’luhr, lost in thought, idly fidgeted with a strand of her hair while Alexis hurriedly began to stuff canned food back into her bag.

“You ain’t half bad, you know?” Alexis said, snapping A’luhr out of her bubble. “I don’t know many humans, much less aliens, who would try to kill a woman and then turn around and give them food.”

“I am of the proud bellus people.” A’luhr replied, straightening her shoulders a bit. “I am impressed that you were able to keep your wits about you despite my aggression. Not many have the will for that.”

“I need to be strong… for my younger brother’s sake.” Alexis wore a glum expression as she tossed one last bag of chips into her bag. “He’s probably worried about me ‘cuz I’ve been gone longer than expected…”

“Return silently and safely. Every livestock added to the hive only increases their strength.” A’luhr pushed off the wall and began to walk down the hall towards the stairs alongside Alexis.

“Yeah… what’s with these Grabbers, anyway? You sure seem to know a lot…” Alexis hesitated for a moment before taking a defensive step back. “You’re SURE you ain’t with them…? Mighty odd how you know so much about these aliens and then humans you were with suddenly go missing.” A’luhr glanced back at her with a disinterested air before giving a rueful chuckle.

“If I wanted to claim your body, I have several dozen ways I could have already used to do so.”

“O-oh, really…?” Alexis stammered. A’luhr could sense her pheromones again. She was beginning to think that this human may just be physically attracted to her. This was odd, given that they both appeared to be of the same sex. Two females copulating wouldn’t serve any sort of evolutionary advantage that she could think of, but then again, the humans’ reproductive systems and habits seemed markedly different from her own species’, so perhaps some more research would be required.

A’luhr had not really considered sharing sexual relations with any of the humans – particularly given how normal bellus mating rituals involved a female being impregnated by many, specifically chosen males at the same time, while humans seemed to favor monogamy for some reason. Now that she thought of it, she had considered Steven to be somewhat attractive for a human. Young human males had a particular scent about them that she found favorable, but Steven was a bit too reckless for her tastes. Perhaps he could have been one of her studs in another life, one where she had retired from the military and lived peacefully and respectably as a broodmother back on Gradien.

As the two females began to descend the stairs, the sound of the front door suddenly slamming open from the adjacent room snapped them both to attention. A’luhr drew her blades in the blink of an eye and Alexis pulled a woefully inadequate crowbar from her satchel.

“Oh, hell no,” Alexis hissed, glaring at A’luhr and backing away. “I knew you were-“

“Yo, Lexi!” A male’s voice rang out, echoing through the many parts of the large domicile that were not sound-proofed.

“Wh- Xavier!?” Alexis shouted, scurrying down the rest of the stairs and running towards the entryway. Before she could slide into the hallway, a male who looked somewhat similar to Alexis strode into the room. He had short, curly black hair, a blue hooded top, baggy shirts, and well-worn sneakers that had no doubt seen plenty of action. A’luhr admittedly had a hard time gauging the physical maturity of humans, but she pegged him to be about the same age as Zoey.

“Damn, sis, you sure are taking your sweet time; I had to come and check on you,” the male, apparently named ‘Xavier’, said, approaching Alexis with a worried expression on his face. “I thought for sure you were – who… WHAT the FUCK is that thing!?” He suddenly gasped, stumbling backwards and gesturing towards A’luhr, who was carefully descending the stairs while still wielding her daggers.

“It’s cool; it’s cool!” Alexis assured him. “She’s, uh, a ‘good’ alien. I think?”

“Good alien!? There’s no such thing! Do you remember what they did to mom!? Did this fucker hurt you!?” He gave Alexis a look over and noticed the cut on her neck before glaring up at A’luhr. “Did she do this to you!? Bitch, I’m going to fuck you up!” He stomped angrily past Alexis and towards A’luhr, pulling a primitive firearm out of his waistband. She eyed him for a moment before smiling condescendingly down at him from the stairs.

A’luhr noticed that his wildly blazing eyes darted back and forth between her head and her slightly exposed bosom. She scoffed. Males were always the same regardless of species, it seemed. Despite being momentarily taken aback by A’luhr’s seductive figure, Xavier quickly pointed his gun up at her slowly approaching body.

“Xavier, don’t! She-” Alexis cried out. Her brother glanced back at her for a brief second, which was plenty of time for A’luhr to close the distance. Or, it would have been if she hadn’t already been injured earlier. She ended up being a step too slow as Xavier whipped his head back around. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, A’luhr whipped her dagger upwards towards where she assumed his heart to be.

“NO!”

Before A’luhr could make contact, however, Xavier’s body was suddenly pulled away out of her dagger’s reach. Looking behind him, A’luhr saw that Alexis had wrapped her arms around her brother and was struggling to contain him. The sudden jerking of his arm caused his aim to go wide as the gun misfired. The muzzle erupted into an explosion of sound and light and sent a small projectile streaking past A’luhr’s face and into the wall behind her.

The ear-splitting bang of the gunshot rattled the large windows of the entry hall where the front door had been left open.

“Luc’alor!” A’luhr angrily bellowed, covering her sensitive ears in pain. “Control this fool kin of yours, human!”

“Control me!?” Xavier roared. “Bitch, you’re the one who just tried to shank ME! Get outta’ here with that shit!”

“Both of you, calm down!” Alexis pleaded. “We’re not enemies! Xavier, this is my, er, new friend…um…”

“Did you already forget my name?” A’luhr sighed, brushing some loose strands of her from her face.

“Hey, it was a stressful time, okay?” She replied sheepishly.

“A’luhr.”

“Right. A’luhr, this is my lovely brother, Xavier, who for some reason thought it would be a clever idea to bring a gun on a stealth mission. What in the world were you thinking!?”

“Why did you take so long getting back?” He retorted. “You know we agreed not to be out longer than an hour! How was I supposed to know if the Grabbers got you or not? Or worse, other dudes? I ain’t gonna let that happen.” He hefted the gun in his hand while warily eyeing A’luhr. “Not again.”

For a second, a flash of empathy sparked through A’luhr’s mind as she thought back on her own past failings. However, that did not change the fact that this human had just tried to kill her, but she was well aware that petty squabbles would have to wait.

“If you believe you are finally of sane mind, we must all leave this place at once,” said A’luhr, stowing her daggers and brushing past the two humans.

“The… alien lady is right,” Alexis agreed.

“Wait… have you forgotten my name again…?” A’luhr asked incredulously.

“I’m not good with names, okay!?” Alexis cried out, looking abashed.

“It is ‘A’luhr’! ‘A’-‘luhr!'” A’luhr waved her hands in the air and her antennae curled in frustration. “It matters not; we do not have time for this!” She snapped.

“Right, like A’luhr said, we gotta go!” Alexis hefted her bag over her shoulder and shook her head at her brother. “Xavie, you know I love you, but damn – you also know that the Grabbers hunt by sound! They’ll already be on their way here… if they weren’t already following you!”

“Whatever,” Xavier responded sarcastically. “I’ll just blindly follow you around forever, I guess. You’re the hero and I’m the screw up. Fuck that.”

“Xavier! What would momma think about all your cussing!?”

“Mom’s not here, Alexis!” Xavier shouted. “Stop trying to be her!”

“I-I’m not…! I’m just- hey! Where are you going!?”

“You told me to leave, so I am!” Xavier whirled around and loudly stomped out of the house, muttering angrily under his breath. Alexis hurried after him, clutching at her full satchel.

A’luhr simply turned away from the arguing siblings, seeing no point in wasting more time than she already had trying to interact with them. Now that the only known reserve of starfire was being heavily guarded by the Krinis, there were not many options available to her. Time was not on her side, as the longer she hesitated, the more likely it would be that her human allies would succumb to the mind-altering effects of the nectar before she could extract them. Luckily, there were still a few of the starfire sticks stored in the building.

A’luhr moved to head deeper into the house, knowing she had to act fast to grab the starfire before any Krinis arrived.

“Are you… coming with us?” Alexis asked, looking back at A’luhr after noticing that she wasn’t exiting the building alongside her and her brother. She had an expression that was both hopeful and anxious as she at Xavier.

“Are you serious!?” Xavier yelled. “You didn’t think to ask me how I feel about this!?”

“Why would I ally myself with you?” A’luhr gruffly answered, approaching the side room that her group had been using as storage. She noticed that the door was slightly ajar as she got closer, but still talked back over her shoulder to the two humans. “I had hoped you might make useful comrades, but I can see you are not as mentally stable as I had anticipated… at least, not around each other.”

“Not mentally stable!?” Xavier shouted, jogging after her. “What’s THAT supposed to mean!?”

“Xavier! Shut it!” Alexis hissed, hot on the heels of her brother. “You’re going to attract unwanted attention!”

“I fear it may already be too late for that,” A’luhr groaned after catching a glance out the window. She hurried to the storage room while Alexis and Xavier wheeled around on the front porch to survey the area.

“W-what do we do!?” Xavier croaked. “Shit! This is so fucked!” He shakily aimed his gun at one of the dozens of takers making their way up the streets towards them, surrounding the estate. Though initially hard to hear due to the siblings’ arguing, the tell-tale sounds of men and women moaning in the throes of orgasm began to loudly echo along the empty streets, getting closer by the second.

“If you value your freedom and dignity, you will flee,” A’luhr responded, pushing the door to the storage room open and frantically looking around. A decent amount of the food concealing in metal pods had gone missing, and, to her horror, all of the starfire sticks. She spun around to sprint outside towards whom she assumed now had the weapons – likely in her overflowing bag. As she ran, she could hear the humans panicking from the open front door.

“Whoa! Xavier! What are you doing!?” Alexis yelled. A’lurh looked through the front bay windows and could see the siblings standing out in the front yard. “You could hit one of those people!” Xavier was nervously aiming his weapon towards one of the approaching drones, in which a petite female with short black hair and much larger bald male were enveloped.

The male’s legs were absorbed into the slithering flesh of the drone while his torso was simply lashed to it with tentacles. His arms were left free to explore the nubile naked body of the female, whose back was pressed tightly against his frontside while her limbs were completely trapped inside the creature, pinning the male behind her.

Her head lolled forward as she happily giggled and drooled from the male’s firm touch.