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Starbound
Lost in space on the colony ship Starbound, the humans have been sexually enslaved by a race of alien beings ... there's life out there and it's hungry for sex.
Erlinn stared up into the troubled eyes of the man she loved. Jerod was keeping something from her. She had no doubt of that. Whatever it was, he was too stubborn to tell her—or too proud, most likely.
She watched his hands stroking her body, each caress sending hot rivers of pleasure rippling along her skin. He had strong hands, with long, agile fingers. His caresses made her tremble with pleasure. His touch was tender and yet demanding. She could barely comprehend that soon another consciousness would move those hands over her.
Horror, thick as a black cloud, threatened to engulf her. Fighting back a wave of nausea, she took a long, deep breath and focused on the mural on the far wall. Naked men and women, their bodies tangled together in erotic postures, mocked her. Their distorted faces twisted in unholy passion. She searched her mind for another question. At least the questions kept the terror at bay. “When I wake up, will that be the end of my service to the Napau?”
Jerod’s hand tightened on her knee, his fingers digging into her flesh. “I can’t say. Sometimes when the gods choose, they use the person for only a night. Other times something about that person catches their fancy. If that happens, they may keep you here for a week or even a month.”
A week, a month…with him, this man she loved, but not with him. She wondered if she could stand it, or if her sanity might shatter.
“But never longer than that,” he finished, once more looking away from her. A muscle jumped in his cheek and his free hand clenched into a fist.
His anguish frightened her. If they would forget what was to come once they were possessed, why did he have this terrible fear in his eyes? Something had hurt him, leaving a deep and bitter wound. Leaning closer, Erlinn studied the features she knew so well. She wanted to comb her fingers through his silky hair, to stroke his brow and comfort him like a child. But instinctively she knew he’d never accept her comfort. Shame burned in his eyes, the shame of a man who felt helpless to protect the woman he loved.
She shook her head, forcing those thoughts away. She had to learn more about the Napau while she could. “They lose interest in us quickly?”
Jerod glanced upward and then her way, his brows drawn into a stern line. Erlinn bent her head in a slight nod of acknowledgement. The prickling she’d felt before remained, like a scratchy blanket against her skin. He was warning her that the Napau were hovering invisible, listening to their every word.
“These beings are evolved beyond anything we can comprehend,” he said, a measure of calm returning to his voice. “When they aren’t on board this ship, they spread out like a wave of light floating between the stars. We can’t imagine the delights of the realm they inhabit. When they come on the starship, they compress their energy to an inconceivable extent in order to become visible to us.”
“Is it painful for them?”
“Not painful, no, but the idea of compressing their energy forms had never occurred to them before they tried to communicate with us.” A light sparked in Jerod’s eyes, reminding Erlinn of his old enthusiasm whenever he encountered a new idea. “The first time they did it, they realized it created a totally new experience for them. Essentially, they discovered the material realm.”
Erlinn lifted her brows. “How did you learn this?”
“Nicion told me. Before our starship arrived, they had no idea there were other living beings in the universe, much less creatures such as us, made of flesh and blood. We fascinate them. They soon learned that they could override our minds with their energy, possess our bodies and experience the physical world. They hunger for it, although after a night of passion, they must return to their true home between the stars.”
She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. At least this ordeal wouldn’t last forever.
“We’re blessed by the interest the Napau take in us and our starship,” Jerod continued, rolling his eyes heavenward in a silent warning. “When the command androids ran amuck, the ship would have been lost if not for the Napau. We owe them whatever pleasures they desire.”
Erlinn lowered her head and hugged her arms across her chest. Once she’d believed in the fairness of that bargain. She’d been willing to loan her body to the gods as a payment for the things they did for humanity. Entering the temple, though, had shattered the last few remnants of her faith. She could only fear what was to come.
Shivering, she lifted her head again and sought Jerod’s eyes. She wanted to tell him that she still loved him, to tell him that she would welcome his touch, even if his body moved by the will of an alien being. As if sensing her thoughts, he gave her a sharp glance and lifted a finger.
The gesture might have been a trigger, for suddenly the air around her pulsed with a raw burst of energy. A breeze stirred the fine hairs on her arms, although this room lay in the heart of the temple where no breeze could blow. Her skin prickled and her ears caught the barest hint of a low hum of sound. At the foot of the bed, a ball of light broke the darkness and grew swiftly brighter. For the briefest second, as it flared immeasurably bright, Erlinn threw up a hand to shield her eyes.
Two Napau emerged out of the blinding brilliance, their energy bodies shaped into luminous ovals, with outspread wings of pure light.
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