Alien Step-Brother

I wouldn’t be here if not for my father’s new marriage—several years after Mom left us, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. When Mom walked out, Dad hadn’t even been on Earth. Come to think of it, he hadn’t been home since I was a child.

Now, his mysterious new wife had the funds to secure multiple tickets for an interstellar luxury cruise? That was no easy feat.

No doubt Dad had filled her in on my ordinary, humdrum life, and she thought she could soften the surprise of their coupling with a once-in-a-lifetime vacation. I snorted into the back of the furry alien in front of me.

Stars, this was going to suck.

Crisp, manufactured oxygen filled my lungs the moment I stepped onto the cruiser’s landing terminal. Electric nerves bristled under my skin. Humans and aliens of all kinds wove together under the luminescent lights, herding me toward the deck where cruise hosts were mingling.

The hosts, neatly dressed in sleek white and shimmering blue suits and carrying chrome trays lined with tall red and blue drinks, twisted through the tide of multi-colored furred, scaled, finned, and fleshy bodies.

I had no idea what kind of drinks they were, but I knew I needed one. Somewhere on the vessel, my father and his new wife waited for me.

I was sure that my wrist-com would ping with a message any minute now. Then I’d have to find Dad and meet this fancy alien woman who seized his attention in such a short amount of time that they’d barely had a wedding.

A wedding his only child wasn’t invited to.

Though most races didn’t have weddings. Not like the ones on Earth, anyway.

A webbed host passed by, and I swiped the nearest drink—a red one. The little yellow umbrella swayed, and the oddly shaped ice cubes clinked on the glass as I followed the rest of the passengers onto the upper deck.

As fellow first-timers spread thin to gawk and coo over the otherworldly sights of the cruiser, I tipped back my glass and took a sip of the red concoction. Vibrant fruit and sharp citrus flavors swept over my tongue. Only when it hit the back of my throat did I feel the familiar punch of alcohol.

I raised my glass and sipped, but only air hit my thirsty lips. The drink was gone, and clouds filled my head. I put one hand out before me, as if to steady myself and tried to take a deep breath.

Whatever they put in that glass was stronger than anything I’d ever had before. I wouldn’t need a second one to be the drunkest I’d ever been.

At this rate, I might throw up on my new stepmother. The thought made me laugh, then wince as something vile threatened to climb back up my throat. Swaying to my right, I stumbled until I felt exterior glass supporting me. Leaning back, eyes closed, I tried to coach myself through hazy thoughts.

Famous last words of everyone who drank more than they expected to. Even my inner monologue sounded slurred.

The weight from my hand suddenly lifted, and a touch of something scaly brushed my arm. My eyes stayed closed; if I opened them, I was scared I’d projectile vomit all over the upper deck.

What the fuck was in that drink?

It was impossible to make out what he was saying, so I didn’t try.

Suddenly, a low humming beneath the ship vibrated through the flooring. The hairs on the back of my neck rose, and my stomach plummeted to my feet. Both eyes shot open.

That was a mistake. Inches from my face outside the window, streaks of sparkling white and blue lights exploded into space, and the sour, sickly taste of vomit coated my tongue from the harsh sight. Swallowing thickly and trying hard not to gag, I forced it down as the ship’s momentum sent my body reeling away from the wall.

I stumbled back, arms flailing and eyes wide. The ground rushed up to meet my face, and I moved too slowly to brace myself against the incoming crash.

Unyielding, warm arms suddenly encircled my frame, and my face smooshed into the firm chest of a stranger. A powerful, intoxicating masculine scent filled my nose, and the heat of that body melted the panic from my bones.

My body relinquished to the calm strength of the man who’d caught me. Even through the black fabric wrapped around him, I felt his undeniable height and sculpted planes of muscle.

But it wasn’t just that—the churning vibrations in my stomach melted into a sudden, calm lull akin to an ocean at low tide. The sensation was familiar, secure, and deeply comforting. Something I hadn’t felt in years, not since I was a child, or perhaps ever.

“Are you all right?” Concern vibrated within the deep voice rumbling through him as his hands ran up my sides to grasp my shoulders.

I peeled my face away from his chest and tipped my head back to see the stranger who’d been kind enough to catch me.

The first words of my starstruck reaction flung themselves off my tongue. “Oh, fuck me.”