Ajos: The Restitution - A Sci-fi Alien Romance, Book 1, стр. 13

The curly-haired woman raised her hand. “I want one too. No way I’m going back to that God-forsaken planet. I gladly volunteer to stay. This is too…awesome.” She grinned.

Some others murmured that they’d also want to get the chip installed.

As the robot approached, Kerena took a deep breath.

She was going to do this.

What was the point of being around aliens if she couldn’t understand them? If this was real, if this was her new life, then she needed all the advantages she could get and communication was central to all of that.

If she was going to advocate for herself, she didn’t want information coming to her second-hand.

“Okay.” Athena smiled and continued addressing the group. “As V’Alen administers the first chip, I’ll just tell you a bit more about the Restitution. I’m pretty sure you have a lot of questions.”

As the conversation droned on in the background, the robot spoke as he reached by her.

“This will only hurt a little,” he said, and she was sure the minty-teal alien said something in response.

“Yes, Ajos. I will take care. I am aware her skin is fragile and easily broken.”

Kerena’s eyes darted to the minty-teal alien.

Ajos was his name.

It suited him well.

He was frowning at her skin as V’Alen touched her ear.

He must have noticed the difference in their skin when he’d held her earlier.

Memory of that experience flooded her, and she felt her cheeks warm.

Looking back at it now, her response when she’d initially regained consciousness had been inappropriate.

“I and three other humans are sort of leading this transition, but we don’t want you to feel like we’re your overlords or anything.” Athena's voice pulled Kerena’s thoughts away for a moment. “We’ve just been here longer than you have and have formed relationships with the aliens here. We trust them and we want you to know you can trust them too. My husband and his team have worked really hard to make sure all the females will be comfortable here.”

“Husband? I thought you said no men were taken,” one woman spoke up immediately.

Athena’s cheeks grew pink. “He’s not exactly human…”

Oh…

There were more gasps and shocked expressions in the group.

Only the aliens in the room didn’t seem surprised by this.

It must be usual out here…in this open universe. Different species must form bonds where it was reproductively possible to. Obviously, Ajos, V’Alen, and Athena’s husband were different species. There was biodiversity…an open economy too?

It would make sense.

The cold tips of V’Alen’s fingers touched her ear, interrupting her thoughts, and Kerena inhaled sharply.

“Esfre freem oh negde?”

“I have not installed it yet. Patience, brother.” The robot turned his gaze to her. “I will install the chip in five, four—”

A sharp pain sprung up at the side of her head that made her yelp in pain.

All eyes turned on her and she realized Ajos stepped between her and V’Alen.

There was a pulsing behind her eyes and it felt as if her head was heating up. But the feeling only lasted for a few seconds.

“I told you to be careful,” the minty-teal alien said.

“I was. The deception was necessary. I have logs that humans prefer deceit when being administered medical jabs.”

Kerena blinked. She knew exactly what he meant, but how he knew that was a surprise to her.

“I’m okay.” At her voice, the minty-teal alien turned. His gaze searched her face even as he ignored the hushed mumbling around them.

As she rubbed the area behind her ear, she could feel the raised surface under her skin.

It only hurt a little. It was more the surprise of it all than the pain that had caused her to yelp.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Kerena nodded then froze. “I can understand you,” she breathed. She hadn’t expected it to work so quickly.

The tall alien took a step forward then, towering over her.

There were more whispers and a few gasps.

But despite that, Kerena all but forgot that there were other people in the room. All she could do was stare at the alien before her.

He filled her space and this close, he was absolutely mesmerizing.

“So, you can…Keh-reh-nah,” he said.

She didn’t remember telling him her name…and the way he said it…nobody had ever said her name like that before.

His tongue caressed the syllables as if it was moving over her skin.

A very inappropriate thought indeed—even if it did make her heart quicken a bit.

“I am Ajos, Commander of Reku 2,” he continued, his eyes moving over her face slowly. “I am here to take care of you.”

Something must be wrong with her because that last sentence sounded loaded with insinuation.

Shaking her head slightly, she stretched out her hand for a handshake, ignoring the gasps around her.

Ajos’ eyes fell to her hand before he pressed his three-fingered palm against hers in a not-so handshake.

For that moment, she stared at the contact of their hands.

His skin felt cool against hers, and when he caught her eyes again, his mouth twisted slightly.

“I will be by your side, Keh-reh-nah.”

That was just a mixed-up translation, wasn’t it?

Still, why did it make her smile?

As the alien’s lips twisted slightly into a smile of his own, something suddenly changed within him.

For a split second, she saw terror in the alien’s eyes.

“Take cover!” She was sure it was the robot guy, V’Alen, that shouted the instructions, but she didn’t get the chance to investigate why.

She was suddenly pulled into a hard chest, as Ajos gripped her and plastered her face against him.

She made to protest but something happened that made her so confused, it felt like she lost control of her mind and body.

There was a bright flash.

So bright, it lit up the inside of the dim space like they had placed the sun inside. In horror, Kerena realized she could see right through the alien standing before her.

For a few moments, it was like she was pressed against a living x-ray.

She’d never seen anything like it before.

All his bones, his blood vessels…it was all lit up in front of her eyes. There was a sudden