Page 165 of Galaxy Circus Act One

Big challenge,my kraken whispers, practically humming with anticipation.Oh my god, that’s it, she’s a fucking psycho.

“Holy shit.” Xavier stares at the creature too, but he seems to be both fascinated and revolted.

I drag my eyes away from the barbed, blood-covered cock and take in the rest of the creature. Humanoid and wearing a pair of black cargo pants, which are undone and hanging around his hips, he is covered in long and short spikes. The long spikes have sheer membranes draped between them. There isn’t any hair on his head, just a crest of more spikes, but his color is stunning. He looks like an opal, all greens, reds, blues, yellows, and pinks. I look at his face, and staring back at me are black eyes with the smallest elongated slit of a white pupil. His ears are pointy like Xavier’s, and he has the cutest button nose with full lips and high cheekbones that have a line of ridges along them. He has little ridges on his chin as well. The skin between hisridges, bumps, and spikes is smooth and shimmery, and when the light hits it right, it is kind of mesmerizing. I realize that I should be repulsed, but he is strangely handsome in a very animalistic way that has me feeling things I shouldn’t be feeling.

“Agent Smith was telling the truth. This is an Aaz’axian. Now where the hell did he find you?” Xavier sounds intrigued, and his words seem to trigger something in the alien. He tears his gaze away from me, tucks his dick back into his pants, and swipes the bloody, cum-covered hand along his pant leg before he does them up. His whole body starts to shimmer, and the alien is replaced with a human—or the glamour of a human. He’s handsome as fuck, with shaggy black hair, piercing green eyes, and a golden tan over his bare torso. He sneers at the two of us before stalking into the back of the cell and throwing himself on his bed with his back to us.

“Well, that was fucking awkward,” I mutter as we make our way back to the frozen group. “I never would have done that had I known he wasn’t frozen.”

Xavier looks down at me and scoffs. “Please, my beautiful intimate. You forgot I can feel what you’re feeling, and when you realized he watched, you got a secret thrill. You are an exhibitionist.”

I scowl at the warlock. “It’s rude to call a girl out on it though, and it’s more that horny bitch kraken of mine.” I can tell by the way he looks at me that he doesn’t believe me.

We move back to where we were, and Xavier unfreezes everyone. Thankfully they don’t even realize it, although Xane does side-eye his cousin.

“Just this way, he’s in the last cell. We leave him in the dark because he gets agitated when the lights are left on.” Xavier waves his hand, and the light in the last cell winks out. Hopefully the puddle of cum is gone, otherwise that’s going to be hard to explain.

Xavier and I follow along silently. I notice that Aura and their group are also silent. I guess Eric is the only one in for a rude surprise. I just hope my grandpa doesn’t keel over with shock. Considering we guard the orb of power, and one of the very beings who wreaked destruction through the galaxy in pursuit of it is here, it could be a disaster to allow him aboard our ship.

Smith flicks the light switch on the wall, lighting up the room. The alien is still in his glamour form, and he still has his back to us on his bed. Smith pulls the little black remote out of his pocket before calling, “Brannock, please assume your natural form so my friends can see.”

Eric’s jaw clenches like he’s grinding his teeth at being called Smith’s friend.

The alien ignores him.

“Brannock,” he snaps, and the alien continues to ignore him. A slimy, satisfied grin crosses Smith’s face. “You give me no choice.” He raises the little remote and pushes a button.

Although his back is to us, I can see him stiffen and start to convulse. His glamour slips away, revealing his true form. His skull and back have a line of long spines running down the middle, with two lines of shorter spikes on either side of it. There are three long spines sticking out of each shoulder, and between all of these long spines are a thin, sparkly membrane.

He groans and rolls onto the floor, landing flat on his back. The spines fold down like they are flexible. Well, that’s handy, otherwise lying on his back, or anywhere really for this dude, would be nearly impossible. He has a line of short spines running down both arms, and his chest has rows of small spines as well. He turns his head and bares his teeth at us. He has razor-sharp fangs like mine, but he has two on each side. I wonder if he drinks blood. With four puncture marks, it would flow quicker. Does that mean he’s more evolved than the Vilaxians?

My mind returns to what’s happening in front of me as Agent Smith presses the button again. This time the alien curls into a ball, his spikes springing out like they are protecting him. Although we can’t hear it, I can see that he’s screaming in pain. I go to stop Agent Smith, but Xavier beats me to it.

“If you press that button again, I will flay your skin from your body.” The violence in his tone sends a shiver down my spine, but it’s not from terror, it’s from pure fucking lust.What a perfect mate, protecting the weak. Oh fucking hell. Someone just shoot me now. My kraken has lost the plot. I’m going to have to let her out. Maybe Caspian can fuck her into a coma or something. She purrs at my thoughts.

Smith slowly lowers the remote.

“How did you even get that collar on him? We told you it was only for an emergency,” Eric asks as we watch the poor alien roll around on the ground.

“Tranqed him and installed it. Look at him, you can’t tell me that he isn’t scary.”

Aura scoffs. They and the rest of their group have been quiet up until now. I’m almost positive they don’t want to draw his attention. I don’t even think he’d really noticed they were all out of their cells with how hyper-focused he was on this guy. “He’s not even in warrior mode. That’s when you need to be worried.”

“Warrior mode?” Agent Smith’s eyes light up. “You mean he has another form apart from that disgusting one?” He waves a hand at the sparkling opal-like man, who I think is gorgeous. Like, he’s so pretty it’s kind of sickening. I would never have guessed by looking at him that he was one of the most feared races in the galaxy.

He presses a button on the wall again, and we can suddenly hear the being inside. His groaning starts to change to laughter, and he rolls over, grinning at Smith. “Your prejudice only allows you to see what you want to see. You made assumptions, and Iwasn’t about to give you information for free.” Whoa, his voice is smooth like honey and kind of soothing. I could happily listen to him talk all day.

“Show me this warrior mode, or I will light you up like an anglerfish, you freak.” Smith waves the remote in his hand again, but it flies out of his hold and into Xavier’s. Smith dives for it but hits an invisible wall and stumbles back. He reaches for his gun, but of course it’s not in its holster because Xavier obliterated it when he pointed it at me.

“You have two seconds to return that to me before I summon the guards,” Smith growls, and Xavier just snorts, but before he can say anything, Eric steps in.

“We are wasting time, and I’ve seen enough. We will take him into our custody, so there is no need for you to have the remote or see his warrior form.”

“Wait! Maybe I need to keep him here. He was very helpful on the raid at the Pleasure Inn, so maybe he can be of some use.”

I can practically see the wheels turning inside this horrible man’s head, but Eric is not having any of it.

“No. I will not let you exploit an alien. What are his charges anyway?”