Ch. 1.4

"As you can see, I went to great lengths to make your staying here familiar. It is not an exact reproduction of the kind of living quarters you probably have on Earth, but I hope you find them comfortable."

Riordan took the glass and gulped the content, hoping to erase the acrid taste in his mouth. The bot with the tray disappeared again. His owner curled his tail gracefully as he sat on what looked like a bed.

"Come here." The Xeno patted the spot next to him.

Reluctantly, Riordan moved and sat with a morose look on his face. Silence stretched, the green eyes staring at him, until he could feel like holes were being dug into his skin.

"What?" he asked, unnerved.

"Am I not allowed to bask into the beauty of my bearer?" the Xeno said with a hint of amusement in his voice.

Riordan snorted.

"I'm old," he said, trying not to sound too self-deprecating.

"In human years?"

"Yes. It doesn't matter. I tried to trick you, okay? I tried to look younger. See this?" He took the vitamin infuser from his pocket.

The Xeno barely looked at the object, his eyes traveling back to Riordan's face.

"Take your clothes off," the snakeman ordered in a thick voice. "If you're that old, your body should disgust me. I'll send you back," he promised, the small laugh in his voice never gone. "I'll even throw in a small compensation, for showing me a good time with your delicious mouth."

Riordan looked at the Xeno, trying to gauge any ill intention. The snakeman just adjusted his position, one hand resting atop his front, where now the human knew the creature's penis was hidden. If he hadn't known better, he would have assumed the alien was trying to feel himself up.

He rose and, with brisk gestures, he began throwing his clothes around him. He knew his body was not perfect and Xenos were known to be very particular about their tastes. There were still marks of old wounds on one thigh and the fading scar of a knife that had barely missed its mark on his chest. Plus, he was dark. Xenos were not crazy about dark people, that he knew. As desperate as he had been to get here, now he wanted nothing more but to climb the next shuttle with destination Earth.

The snakeman purred appreciatively as his gaze traveled over Riordan's naked body. He gulped, waiting for the verdict. He gasped when the Xeno moved. He still had to get used to how fast these aliens could slither their way around.

The Xeno began sniffing Riordan.

"You masked your natural scent," he murmured.

"I heard you Xenos find our smell disgusting," Riordan said scathingly.

"You shouldn't believe everything you see on the news. Humans are highly prized. Trust me, my beautiful bearer, if we hadn't signed that damn peace treaty, we would have conquered your planet only to make use of your perfect bodies."

"You know not everyone is young and beautiful there," Riordan spoke, as the Xeno continued to sniff him, now poking at one of his armpits with his nose.

"Enough of you are," the snakeman replied. "Of course, it would have been terrible for your species. It took some learning to understand how we can use you without breaking your delicate bodies. A few ... unfortunate incidents taught us the importance of proper bonding and preparation."

"You mean people died. Humans."

"Yes. Most unfortunate. You see, my bearer, the Xenos have an ardent need to plant their eggs. Although we are male and female, unlike other species in the universe, we need bearers. There is no other means for us to reproduce. And, to this point, in our quest to take over galaxies, we hadn't found, until your small blue planet, a species this compatible with us. Your kind is aesthetically pleasing, and pleasure can be had from your wonderful bodies."

"Why don't you pick females ... I mean human females?"

"The delicate subjects mentioned earlier were all females. Males have sturdier bodies and your anatomy is strong enough to sustain a growing egg. The birth is still a painful affair, and opioids cannot be given in large quantities since the bearer still needs to push the egg outside and use his muscles, while being conscious all the time."

Riordan looked away, more and more unnerved with how the Xeno was continuing his examination, poking, sniffing, touching and caressing his chest, his abdomen, going lower. When the snakeman grabbed his soft member, he gasped.

"Invading Earth would not have been a bloodbath, as many of your species still believe. It would have been a seth tsunami, though. Driven by our need to copulate with such beautiful creatures, many of us would have been reckless, implanting their eggs before proper preparation. And your kind is lustful, too, enjoying having their orifices filled, even if not for reproduction. You see, Riordan? The same principle guides us and that is lust. Oh, you're starting to sweat. You smell delicious."

Riordan tried to focus on the wall in front of him, as the alien now started inhaling, with his nose buried inside one of his armpits. Eventually, the Xeno declared himself satisfied and straightened up.

"You will make such a wonderful bearer," the snakeman declared and sat down again.

"I'm dark, you don't want me," Riordan argued.

"You're exotic." The green eyes fluttered seductively, sending small jolts of pleasure like tiny feathers over the human's skin.

"I'm old, I told you."

"Should I sell you off to a brothel then? Only the thought of anyone daring to touch you ..."