Invasion of Her Heart Read online

  Whether she liked it or not, she had to find out who or what she was dealing with. “Here we go.”

  Venus flicked a switch on a small portable box attached to her shorts and turned off the force field.

  Now she waited, but she didn’t have to wait long. In seconds, two enormous men wearing some type of leather kilt appeared before her. Crouching, they remained poised to attack. Bare-chested, both looked to be in their thirties, muscled but not overly so, and each man had pointed ears.

  Venus gulped and ducked back behind the table. Although the men were odd in appearance, they were also strangely attractive.

  Both animals rushed to the intruders, placing their bodies between them and Venus. From her vantage point, the only things Venus could see were their knee- high boots of heavy brown leather, the toes tipped with a sharp black animal horn probably used for hand-to-hand combat.

  The men patted the creatures’ heads as the animals whined and begged for attention from them. One man held the male’s head still while the other one removed the silver metal guards that covered his hands and deactivated the glowing chip on the animal’s collar.

  Venus studied the man’s strange hand shields. It reminded her of the armor the ancient Vikings had worn. She frowned, her gaze never leaving the intruders, and squeezed the handle of her weapon. What big, handsome men! What would it be like to have their hands on me? She shook her head, wary of the strangers, yet curious. She didn’t need a man and had been getting along just fine alone, but her body had other ideas as moisture settled between her legs.

  The bigger of the two stood, lowered the strange weapon he held to his side, and stared directly at the table she was hiding behind as his companion glanced around the room. The second male grinned and spoke in a language that sounded like gibberish.

  Tonto wagged his tail back and forth. In a nanosecond, he slipped around the table. Venus tried to grab his collar.

  “Tonto, no!” Venus peeked over the edge of her hiding place just as both men attached strange, thin metal chips to the backs of their skulls. Both jerked and groaned, shaking their heads.

  “Now we should be able to talk to you. We apologize, but the scan of your language was a long one. We won’t hurt you or your dog,” the taller giant said as he rubbed Tonto’s head.

  “And thank you for taking care of our pets.” The second visitor reached up and took out the metal chip, as did the other man.

  “My name is Volund, and this is my brother Jaxxon.” Volund stepped forward. Instantly on guard, Venus jumped up, aiming her weapon at him.

  Jaxxon’s voice deepened as he spoke to his brother in their language. As he spoke, he scanned her body from her toes all the way up, until his gaze rested on her breasts.

  Venus cleared her throat. “You know,” she gritted out between her teeth and pointed her M-16 at his crotch, “it’s rude to talk in your language when I know you’re talking about me. And your attention shouldn’t be on my breasts, so maybe you should worry more about where I’m aiming my weapon.”

  The one called Volund frowned, wariness settling in his red eyes. “I’m sorry if we offended you. My brother was just admiring your body. It’s been a long time since we have seen—how do you say it, Jaxxon?”

  “Beautiful is the word, I believe, brother.” Jaxxon grinned at Venus. “You have a beautiful body and face.”

  “The last man who stared at me like that ended up with one of his testicles sliced off his body, so I suggest you two stop ogling me. I won’t let anyone hurt me again.” She trembled, the M-16 wobbling in her grasp.

  Both Volund and Jaxxon tensed, glancing at each other and then at her. “Where is this man? We’ll kill him for you. No woman should be harmed.” Jaxxon moved closer to the table, but she countered his move by stepping back.

  “Don’t know and don’t care. Tonto, come here.” Venus patted her leg, but the dog remained at Volund’s feet.

  “You have a very brave dog.” He pushed his black, shoulder-length hair with white streaks away from his face and drew in a deep breath.

  Venus admired the braids hanging off either side of the bigger man’s face. The criss-cross pattern of the white streaks and black lent him a look that reminded her of a blend of Native American-meets-otherworldly. A beautiful bright purple and red bead secured the end of each one.

  She frowned and glanced down at her dog. “Yes, he is, but sometimes he’s too reckless.”

  A smile twitched beneath Volund’s black Fu Manchu mustache as he gazed at her. The matching stones fastened to each end of his facial hair sparkled in a sunbeam that shone into the room.

  Ready for any sudden movement, Venus stepped around the table with her feet slightly apart. Her grip tightened on the M-16 while sweat dripped between her breasts, her nipples suddenly hardening under both intruders’ appraisal. A cold chill rode up Venus’s body as their gazes became possessive, and she could have sworn the red color of their eyes deepened.

  “My dog’s name is Tonto, and I’m Venus.” Aggravated, she tapped her boot to draw their attention away from her body. “I saw your ship fly over the building. Where are you from?”

  Jaxxon glanced at her foot and then walked over to one of the chairs in the room and sat. His black hair hid his face until he brushed it back and regarded her with dark red eyes, which matched the streaks in his hair.

  The visitors seemed to mean her no harm, but something about them made her wary, too. Their appreciative glances and the way they spoke to her stoked warmth in her lower abdomen, a heat Venus hadn’t felt for years. However, she didn’t like the feelings. The men had been there a whole five minutes, and suddenly she was having sexual thoughts and sensations? Venus pressed her thighs together, her pussy wet. What the hell was going on?

  “I hope you don’t mind if I sit.” Jaxxon smiled, his whole frame taking up the small seat. His gaze moved over her like a caress. “We’re from a planet called Azutu. We were sent here to keep your race from extinction.” The kilt he wore rode up his muscular thighs, giving Venus a glimpse of his naked and very large package.

  Her face flamed, and she turned to his brother.

  “There are many planets that are dying, but Earth isn’t entirely dead yet,” the younger of the two continued. “It just needs some cleansing and the aid of our sciences will help repair systems and restore balance. Eventually, others will come here, too.”

  Venus moved over to her bed-slash-couch and sat with her weapon ready. “Why would you come here to help Earth? Why didn’t someone arrive to help us before everyone died?” she snapped, distrusting them.

  Volund walked to the other side of the couch, his movements unhurried. As he sat, his gaze never left her. “There is something evil that is causing chaos the galaxies. Your planet can be saved, whereas ours cannot.” He grunted and turned to his brother, who nodded. “At one time, our race pushed our planet too far. We learned from it and brought our planet back from the brink. That is not what caused our world’s doom. An evil spread throughout our planet, polluting it and destroying it, until no one could do anything to save it. There are many planets in several galaxies that are dying. Its reach is long. My brother and I were chosen to come here and set up a base camp. The others my brother mentioned are from several different worlds. In a combined effort, we all hope to save each race from extinction.”

  Venus frowned and scooted to the far end of the sofa. “A base camp for what? Nearly everyone here moved to the bigger cities, so shouldn’t you set up there?”

  Lone Ranger padded up to her and laid his head on her lap. She scratched his ears with her free hand, his fur heavy yet silky beneath her palm.

  Jaxxon laughed and nodded at his pet. “It seems Ino has found a new friend. He is usually—what’s your English word for it—standoffish. He doesn’t like many people.”

  She smiled at the animal. “So that’s your name. Hello, Ino. I think Tonto helped your pets accept me.” Venus gazed over at Jaxxon. “You still haven’t answered my question. Why
here? Why Elyria?”

  “It’s easier to set up a base camp where people are few. Many who are coming to Earth will be looking for mates. Humans are genetically compatible with many of the different planetary races,” Volund informed her.

  Her heart fluttered, and she tightened her grip on the rifle as she turned toward Volund again. “I will not be anyone’s mate. And there are no longer any other women here, unless you count the Bone Eaters.”

  “Do you already have a mate? Who set up this structure’s security system? And what is a Bone Eater?” Volund asked as he stretched his long legs out in front of him, his leather boots creaking with the action.

  Their questions pushed her suspicions well into the red zone. Uneasy, she replied, “I have a good doctor friend who helps me a lot, so I’m not alone.” Well, it wasn’t a total lie. Although she hadn’t seen Dr. Zeon for several months, he was a man and her good friend, so maybe the information would deter these strangers. “With his help, I do quite well, so I don’t need nor want a mate—or anyone’s help for that matter.” She stood and glanced back and forth between the brothers. “As far as the security, I’m responsible for that. My parents taught me a lot about many things before they died.”

  “I am sorry about your parents,” said Volund.

  At the sincere note in the older stranger’s voice, Venus shot him a perplexed look.

  “I lost someone very dear to me,” he continued, “and although she has been gone a long time, it still hurts me”—he placed a massive hand over his chest— “right here, every time I think about her.”

  Rattled by his admission, Venus could only nod. “To answer your question about the Bone Eaters, they were human at one time. They’re highly dangerous, though, and their bite is lethal, so if you’re going to set up camp, you better do it before nightfall. That’s when they come out and are the most active. During the day, the Bone Eaters are slow and pose little threat as long as you’re aware of your surroundings. But they’re getting smarter.” Venus turned, glanced outside, and sighed heavily. “Never mind. I didn’t realize it had grown so late. You don’t have enough time to set up a camp with proper security before sunset.”

  “What about trans-shifting to our vessel?” Jaxxon asked his brother. “We shall stay here,” Volund answered.

  “Trans-shifting?” Venus looked back and forth between the men.

  “It’s how we entered this floor,” Volund explained. “We use a special substance that melds with our brainpower and allows us to move from one point to another by envisioning it.”

  Venus couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but then she’d never imagined a virus would wipe out most of the world and aid in changing others into Bone Eaters either. At any rate, she couldn’t leave the two men at the mercy of the night creatures.

  With another sigh, she gestured at the floor with her M-16. “You can find a place on the lower floors of my building for tonight, if you wish.” She looked at Volund. “I have work to do before it gets any later, so I strongly suggest you two get busy settling in for the night so I can secure the building.”

  Chapter Four

  Jaxxon didn’t want to leave the silver-haired beauty so soon, but the information about the Bone Eaters left him unsettled. He looked at his brother. “Shouldn’t we stay here with her? We can combine our forces that way.”

  “Oh, no.” Venus spun on her heel and aimed the blocky weapon at him. “Don’t push your luck, big guy.” She smiled sweetly. “Besides, if the Bone Eaters manage to break into this building, you’d have to fight them before they ever reach this floor.”

  “I bet that’s what we killed outside,” said Volund. “What did it look like?” the woman questioned.

  Quickly, Volund described the thing, but Jaxxon only half-listened. He couldn’t get his mind off how good the fair-haired female would feel wiggling beneath him once he made her his mate.

  “You’re lucky you encountered it during the daytime,” the woman replied to Volund. “Unprepared, you would’ve been infected with its venom. And don’t give me any of your shit about being so big and having powerful weapons. Often speed is the best weapon, and Bone Eaters are fast when the night is cool.”

  His groin stirring, Jaxxon blinked down at the woman who called herself Venus. What a feisty female! He liked his women with strength like a roaring fire.

  “All the more reason,” Jaxxon interjected, “to stay here with you.”

  “You ask too much too quickly of her, brother.” Volund rose slowly and moved over to join him. “Let us go and secure a place for us. Tomorrow is a new day and we can all get better acquainted then.”

  Venus nodded as the intensity in her eyes faded. “Listen to your brother. At least he shows a little sense.”

  “Very well,” said Jaxxon, disappointed. He’d really wanted to stay and talk with her longer. He let his gaze rove over her tall, voluptuous form. One way or another, he’d taste her lips and sample her body before the night was done.

  “Do you have food and water?” Venus asked abruptly.

  “We have rations,” Volund answered, “but they’re not for taste, only survival.” “Come with me, then.” She backed toward a doorway.

  Out in the long corridor, the woman walked backward, throwing an occasional look over her shoulder to monitor her position as she kept the weapon pointed at them. All three pets padded along with them. She reached a door, unlocked it, and stepped inside. In moments, she re-emerged and handed them strange, round metal containers.

  “These might taste weird to you, but I’m betting you’ll like them. They’re canned pears,” Venus explained. She handed them another can, this one shaped like a blunt metal tip of a weapon. “This one is called corned beef. Use this key,” she showed Jaxxon how to do it, “and open the can like so.” She disappeared into the room and then returned with a clear bottle. “And here’s a bottle of water you can share.”

  Jaxxon searched his memory for the correct words of gratitude. “Thank you.” “Do you have something that can open the cans?” she asked. “If not, I’ll open them for you.”

  “I’m sure we do,” Volund replied.

  Venus shrugged, then waggled the rifle at them. “That’s all for sharing time, boys.” She called to her animal, and with reluctance, it trotted over to her side. “Now go downstairs so I can turn on the security system and force field again.”

  Envisioning the floor below them, Jaxxon clutched their supplies to his chest with one hand as he held onto Ino’s ears with the other. He trans-shifted and materialized with his pet below Venus’s quarters. Seconds later, Volund appeared next to him with the water bottle clutched in one hand and Ka’s collar clenched in his other.

  “That female is going to be much fun to tame,” said Jaxxon with zest. He grinned at his brother. “It’s going to be a long night.”

  “Who is in command of your body, brother?” Volund challenged. “You or your sapin?”

  With a sheepish grin, he replied, “At the moment,” he cupped his cock, “my sapin.” At that, he laughed.

  “Schizma! Your need for a hot, wet female will get us both killed!” Volund turned and strode down the hall, his boots thumping against the tile floor, the echoes loud in the quiet building.

  “You don’t find her beautiful?” Jaxxon hurried to catch up with his brother, their pets loping alongside him.

  “I didn’t say that. It’s just obvious there’s only one woman and there are two of us.”

  Jaxxon halted in surprise. He hadn’t thought of that.

  ***

  Volund left his brother standing in the darkening corridor. As he passed pictures of men on green paper, he recognized several from his lessons in the country’s origin: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ulysses Grant, and Abraham Lincoln. He sensed the force field activating around them. If the female had survived this long alone, she obviously knew what she was doing, and he had no doubt they’d be safe for the night. He walked into a room where the walls were silver, with
heavy metal doors they could secure. This one would allow them a place to sleep without fear of being attacked.

  Taking a thin piece of silver foil from his pack, Volund pressed one corner of it.

  The foil grew longer, wider, and thicker. Volund dropped the pallet to the floor and positioned it against one wall, where he sank onto it and watched as his brother did the same with his bed.

  “What do we do about the female?” Jaxxon asked.

  Irritation sliced through Volund. “By the Twelve Galaxies, will you stop worrying about who gets to fuck her?”

  “We should just take her with us to a different place to set up base. That way we can look for another mate.”

  Usually he wasn’t so short, but for some reason Jaxxon’s persistence about the female had Volund wanting to slug him. “What if there aren’t any more females?”

  Jaxxon’s startled gaze met his. “Surely there are more! Why would the Ruling Body of Planets send us to Earth if there aren’t any left?”

  Shrugging, Volund removed his pack and riffled through it until he found a laser knife the size of a twig. He said nothing, enjoying his brother’s anxiety about the lack of females on this desolate planet. He twisted one end of the knife, and a strand of light streamed from it. Volund directed the beam across the tops of the cans Venus had given them, then shut off the light and returned it to his pack. He couldn’t help his aggravation toward Jaxxon. Although he’d die for his brother, Volund often wanted to throttle him when it came to females. He also couldn’t see Jaxxon settling down with a permanent mate.

  And although Venus was highly attractive, Volund just didn’t have the enthusiasm for taming and claiming her.

  What would Zi-Ahda think of all this?

  “Volund!”

  His gaze snapped up to meet Jaxxon’s. “What?” “Answer me! What do we do if Earth—?”

  The urge to punch is brother nearly suffocated Volund. “Schizma! Do you let your sapin rule your brain? Take the female, if you want her!”