Reverse Abduction Read online

  Reverse Abduction

  An Alien Abduction Story

  Eve Langlais

  Copyright © August 2017, Eve Langlais

  Cover Art by Amanda Kelsey © August 2017

  Produced in Canada

  Published by Eve Langlais

  http://www.EveLanglais.com

  E-ISBN: 978 1988 328 881

  Ingram ISBN: 978 1988 328 89 8

  Createspace ISBN: 978 154 9881 336

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  Reverse Abduction is a work of fiction and the characters, events and dialogue found within the story are of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, either living or deceased, is completely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or shared in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including but not limited to digital copying, file sharing, audio recording, email and printing without permission in writing from the author.

  Contents

  Introduction

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Epilogue

  Also by Eve Langlais

  Introduction

  The roles have been reversed in this newest, purple alien comedy.

  It’s not fair that only males get to go out and pillage the universe. Being born a female automatically means staying home and birthing the next generation of warriors.

  Not me. Azteriya has other plans.

  She has a dream of traveling the galaxy and exploring strange new worlds. Fighting fierce foes. Of clubbing a viable male to bring home to her mother so that her transgression is forgiven.

  When a chance to escape arises, she takes it, but what will Azteriya do when she not only finds the adventure she’s been seeking but love too?

  Looking for more alien romance?

  Prologue

  “I want to go too!” Azteriya held up her arms to her father, a tall male with a fierce unsmiling countenance and hair as white as a new-fallen snow—before blood stained it.

  “The mission I’ve been commissioned for will have much danger,” he stated.

  “I’m not afraid.” She didn’t understand the word fear. She brandished her dagger—the one specially crafted and gifted by her father—and snarled. “I will gut our enemies and take everything they own as my prize.”

  A touch of dust might have stung her father’s bright gaze. “I believe you would.” Father held out his hand, a big hand callused by battle and training. “Join me, daughter, and together we shall make our foes tremble with our combined might.”

  Pride swelled within Azteriya that her father, the most accomplished warrior in the galaxy, nay, the universe, was ready to grant a spot in his mercenary squad to his only daughter.

  She took a step forward reaching for father’s invitation—

  A hand clapped down on her shoulder, heavier than the stone blocks used to sink those that ran afoul of Aressotle laws.

  The shining gem of adventure was crushed as a dreaded voice interfered. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  Despite knowing the futility, Azteriya replied. “I am going on a mission with Father.”

  The grip on her shoulder tightened. Mother’s voice emerged quite flat and firm. “You will do no such thing. It is a female’s place to remain at home and nurture the hearth while the male hunts and gathers.” Also known as raiding other planets and taking their goods.

  As for nurture…the thought of having babies made Azteriya’s nose wrinkle. “I don’t want a baby.” Ever.

  “It is your duty.”

  “I don’t want to,” she stubbornly insisted. “I want to be a mercenary like Father.” And his father before him.

  From a young age, he’d taught her how to fight. Father didn’t care it wasn’t usually done. He’d trained her as ferociously as a son. Except now that Azteriya had reached the age other males went off to fight, she wasn’t allowed because she lacked dangling bits between her legs. So unfair.

  Words unwittingly spoken aloud.

  “Unfair?” Mother’s icy blue gaze fixed her. Pinned her like a bug before it got swept into the cooling unit for use later in a meal.

  “Yes, unfair. There are societies that allow their females equal opportunities.”

  Mother’s face twisted as if she’d sucked something very sour. And putrid. “Have you been reading the forbidden tomes again?”

  The very tone of the query had Azteriya rolling her eyes. “Only you forbade them.” The books were freely available in the resource centers of their city. “There is nothing wrong with learning about the cultures on other worlds.”

  Mother sniffed. “It is when they’ve lost all sense of decorum and let their females run about wildly doing whatever they please.”

  How was that a crime? “It’s called equal rights, Mother. Some of them even had wars.” An unenlightened planet in the far reaches known as Earth had even progressed enough that their females burned their mammary harnesses in protest.

  Father attempted to intervene. “Our daughter is correct. Other cultures welcome their females among their fighting ranks.”

  The remark drew the laser glare his way. “Do not use barbarian cultures as an example. We are more evolved than them.”

  “Are we?” Azteriya couldn’t help but taunt. “Or is it us who have yet to progress with the times?”

  “You are insolent.”

  “No, I’m educated and not mentally deficient. I want to be a warrior.”

  “Never!” spat Mother. “Bad enough you insisted on dressing like a male, with your trousers and weapons. Going off to be a fighter? You would bring shame on this family.”

  “What shame?” Father asked. “We have a daughter who is capable and strong. Did you know she can take down a bizzonn on her own now? Just like the males her age.”

  “But she’s not a male. The rules are different for her.”

  “They shouldn’t be. It’s not fair,” Azteriya said with a pout of her lower lip. “I hate wearing skirts and being proper.”

  “Insolence.” Mother’s fingers dug deep into her flesh. “This is your fault.” Aimed at her father. “You and your stories not meant for delicate feminine ears. You will cease encouraging these flights of fancy.” Mother didn’t add a threat. Never noticed the hypocrisy that while she advocated females cater to their males, when it came to their home, Mother ruled the nest.

  And Father obeyed, which meant the conversation about Azteriya joining him ended, but that didn’t get rid of the dream. It became the start of her attempts to leave. Attempts that failed, but Azteriya never stopped trying.

  One day I will roam the galaxy and show Mother, show all of them, that I am a mercenary like my father.

  One

  Many galactic rotations later (which for the humans reading stands for years)…

  Expression creased in concern, Dorrys addressed Azteriya. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “Very sure. Mother brought around three suitors to weigh my worth as a mate,” Azteriya muttered. All of the male warriors born of acceptable families. Each one of them holding the opinion that a female’s only worth existed in her ability to birth and cook.

  “Three?” Dorrys sounded impresse
d. “How many does that make now that she’s paraded you in front of?”

  “Too many.” Spoken in a grumble. “She’s threatened to find even more if I don’t choose soon.” The fact that none of them appealed didn’t dampen her mother’s zeal in the least. She kept persisting in the erroneous train of thought that eventually Azteriya would meet the one that made her forget all her dreams.

  Not likely. What she wanted couldn’t be found on Aressotle. Hence why she’d hatched her latest plan to escape.

  This time I won’t fail. Azteriya leaned against the large shipping container behind which she and her closest friend hid. The busy hangar, situated planet side for intergalactic vessels retrieving local goods, didn’t have many spots to conceal them in. If they were caught…someone would call Mother, and that wouldn’t bode well for Azteriya.

  A moue pulled at Dorrys’ lips. “At least your mother is proactive about finding you a mate. Mine keeps telling me to shorten my hems and flirt more.”

  Azteriya snickered “On account you’re the seventh daughter. She’s worn out from all the mating feasts she’s had to throw for your sisters.” Said teasingly, and yet Azteriya envied her friend. Being an only child put a lot of pressure on Azteriya. It would be up to her to continue her family’s line, to birth the next generation so their name didn’t die out. Something her mother repeated over and over. Azteriya’s reply of, “If you just want me to get impregnated, then why don’t I visit the clinic for a fertilization injection?” didn’t go over well.

  Dorrys worried her lower lip. “This is a bad idea. If you must leave our world, then at least get your father to take you.”

  “I tried.” Tried talking and arguing. Even resorted to weak tears. Her father resisted all emotional outbursts and logic.

  As to her attempts to stow away? Each time Father found her and, with a shake of his head, said, “Your mother would kill me.”

  Probably very accurate. Mother might look genteel on the outside, but she could wield a knife and kill with a single stroke. Azteriya had seen it! Mother eschewed the local butcher, preferring the meals she made to be fresh.

  Dorrys still argued. “What if this commander tosses you out of an airlock when he finds you aboard his ship?”

  “He won’t.” Azteriya had watched the big armored fellow, at least fifteen handspans tall and yet not overly rough with those he dealt with. Just big.

  “Are you sure you can even survive on board? What about breathing? Or food? What if nothing on his ship is compatible?”

  Dorrys referred to the fact the commander wore a helm with a breathing apparatus, odd considering the logs Azteriya had accessed showed a gas ratio on his ship that she could breathe.

  “I’ll be fine. He’s got a culinary unit on board.”

  “What if he tries to defile you? Have you seen the size of him?” Her friend looked genuinely concerned.

  That caused her to smile. Azteriya patted her hip. “If he tries, I’ll gut him and take over his ship.”

  “What if he kills you instead?”

  Then she wasn’t the warrior her father had raised. “I’ll take that risk. Or would you rather see me sunken in the sea of tears?” Convicted of gutting the mate her mother kept trying to foist on her.

  “Or you could just accept your fate.” The moment she said it, Dorrys bit her lip. “What am I saying? Of course you won’t. I wish I had your courage.”

  “Since when do you want to travel the stars and fight?”

  Dorrys shook her head. “I meant to boldly find what I need in life. I’ve all but given up hope of finding a mate here.”

  “The perfect male is out there for you.”

  A heavy sigh left her friend. “I wish I believed that. I’ll miss you.”

  “As will I, dear friend.” Azteriya clapped Dorrys on the arms, giving them a squeeze. “I’ll try and message you when I can. But don’t expect them too often. I shall probably be very busy having grand adventures.”

  “A part of me, a small part,” Dorrys quickly added, “almost wishes I was going with you.”

  “Then come.”

  Her friend shook her head. “Unlike you, I can’t fight, nor do I want to. But if you find a warrior out there who needs a mate, give him my coordinates.”

  “I promise that if I find a suitable one, I’ll drag him back.” Maybe she’d drag back a pair and stop her mother’s complaints. A male that would stay at home and take care of the babies while she went off and pillaged the galaxy.

  Excitement hummed inside her at the thought of finally achieving her dream.

  A peek around the corner of the container had Dorrys squeaking. “The commander is on his way!”

  Sure enough, the door to the Attlus began to lower, finally allowing access to the vessel. The commander obviously didn’t trust anyone in port.

  Paranoia, a bad thing if it controlled all your actions, but good if it saved your life. A lesson her father taught her.

  Azteriya quickly hugged her best friend. “Remember, don’t tell my parents what I’ve done until the ship jumps out of this sector.”

  “I know.”

  “And tell them it was the Zonian vessel searching for that missing chit to slow their pursuit.” Because Mother wouldn’t just let her only child run off. She’d send Father to fetch her.

  Dorrys sniffled. “Promise to send me a message as soon as you can.”

  “I will!” Azteriya actually couldn’t wait to send her first message home detailing her adventures. I will achieve a glorious name for myself. Make my father proud. Surely, in time, her mother would forgive her.

  “Get ready to run.” Dorrys pulled something from her pocket, a pink furball with four floppy ears and three giant eyes, all of them open wide and unblinking. Dorrys murmured to it.

  A mouth suddenly slit open in the furry face, displaying pointed sharp teeth. With a wiggle, the Ygestas took off, sliding down Dorrys’ arm, hitting the floor, and, with a scamper of tiny legs, zeroed in on the lumbering commander heading to his ship.

  A second later, Dorrys, holding her skirts hiked high at the side and showing off nicely rounded mauve calves, raced out of hiding, squealing. “My Ygestas! It escaped. Someone help me catch it.”

  As Dorrys chased Bunbun, her pet, round and round the commander, who spun away from his ship, Azteriya darted to the open hatch, legs pumping, not daring to look back but listening for any signs of alarm.

  No one shouted, so she could only hope it meant no one noticed. She slipped inside the Attlus and then cursed as she saw the shut door leading from the airlock into the ship proper.

  She’d not expected it to be closed. She shoved at it. Put her shoulder to it. The yells outside continued. She glanced around and saw a console. She slapped it, muttering, “Open, damn you.”

  A light flashed, and a sound bonged, the kind that didn’t open the door probably on account the unit didn’t recognize her biometric signature.

  Surely there was a way past it. She couldn’t fail. If Mother found out Azteriya had tried to escape again, she might actually resort to the chains she’d threatened.

  Azteriya slapped at the panel again, even if it was probably useless.

  To her surprise, it pinged and the door opened. She didn’t question her luck, especially since Dorrys’ excited tone sounded closer, which probably meant the commander neared too.

  She moved deeper into the ship, a big ship for one creature, at least only one that she’d seen. Spying meant she’d noted only the commander disembarked, and the terminal scans showed no other large life forms on board.

  The commander sailed the galaxies alone. Surely he would welcome some help. At least, that was one of the arguments she’d prepared.

  Since remaining around the entrance would get her caught too quickly, Azteriya jogged down the long hall, relying on her memory to guide her straight. She’d studied the design of the vessel, memorizing the layout and plotting out the best locations for her to stow away.

  She eschewed the power
lift and chose to pop open a compartment hatch. She clambered down the ladder within, traveling two levels before exiting the slim access tube into the engine area. The moment she popped open the panel, the hum of machinery filled the air.

  The ship she’d chosen for her escape was a steady older model. However, it featured a new, revolutionary super-dynamic gravitational drive. Which, in simple terms meant no need for wormholes. The ship created its own slips through space, making galactic travel quicker.

  The Attlus could skip through galaxies at many times the speed of most vessels, and it would take some time before her father could catch up. Hopefully long enough for her to prove she could be a warrior.

  Azteriya tucked herself in a corner, a place tight enough to keep her from getting tossed around during the ship’s ascent through the atmosphere. The dense magnetic fields in this section would skew any biological sweeps the ship might make, and this area was out of sight of any visual recording equipment.

  In spite of her training in patience—galactic units spent in one position in a barren wasteland waiting for her hunting target with her father, long moments spent in silence, body still, muscles cramped less they disturb their prey—waiting took its toll. Excitement didn’t want to sit still. Worry, that as with previous times, she’d get caught kept her tense.

  No one came to drag her out of hiding. Not a single alarm sounded.

  The engine revved faster, the sound an auditory-numbing roar as the ship prepared for take off. She held her breath as the vibration of the craft let her know they’d lifted from the surface.

  The Attlus didn’t shake as much as the small vessels her father had taken her on when younger to visit the moons. Mother had halted those trips after Azteriya’s first fight to go further.