Abducted by the Alien

by Sabrina Kade

  Drazal, who saved me from Choosing Iriel as a mate.

  Drazal, who’s never crossed any line with me.

  Drazal, who yes, is the reason I saw the dilewilers, but he’s also the one who watches over me to make sure I don’t make a huge mistake.

  And now, because of me being a spineless baby, he’s in trouble.

  I reach for Iriel too late as he lunges back toward Drazal. Several of the younger males join him, and I hear the heartbreaking sound of flesh colliding with flesh. Drazal grunts, but I barely see him through the crowd of pale, scaled bodies that have fallen over him. Azan and Hujun are yelling for everyone to calm down, but the whole scene feels like it’s in slow motion.

  I feel myself trying to rush forward. I feel myself reaching into the empty air for Iriel. Or Drazal. Or anyone. Only damp air circulates in my palm. Tears fall down my cheeks, and several of the girls surround me, telling me this has to be better than Drazal losing an eye. One of them mentions Iriel’s just doing what he knows to protect me.

  He’s doing this for you. He’s fighting for you.

  I cry harder, falling back into the arms of the other girls as the painful sounds of Drazal being punched continue filling the cave opening. He’s taking a beating by at least six of them now, and I can’t see his body. I see Iriel. I try to focus on the girl’s words, hoping they’ll calm my violent cries. He’s fighting for me. He wants me so badly that he’ll fight Drazal for me. Violently even. I should grow excited about it and aroused, even. That’s what a good girl would do — a girl in the movies. But I feel nothing. I’m only trying to find Drazal in the mix of bodies.

  He’s nowhere in sight.

  Only arms flying — so many arms.

  So much shouting. Hissing. Punching.

  Most of the girls have fallen silent. I guess this is a first for all of us. The Sidyths are kind to their mates, and they want to treat females well, but at the end of the day, they’re still men. Alien men. They’re still scary and violent. How have all forgotten so easily? Other aliens fear Sidyths for a reason. They turn on each other as much as they turn on other species.

  I can’t watch this. Bile builds up in my throat, and my lungs feel as though someone’s squeezing them like water balloons.

  “Please, make them stop,” I mutter between sobs. I try finding York or Ellis through my tears; I can’t see a thing. “Please. I want it to stop. Please.”

  One of them must hear me because I slump heavily to the right as a tiny, brown blur heads into the masses. Ellis. She’s screaming about being pregnant and hungry. The males slow their beating, but the pounding of their punches still thuds heavily in my ears. Ellis somehow manages to break things apart, and Hujun scoops up his woman and calls over his shoulder.

  “Does everyone hear this?” Azan bellows, his voice muffled by the mask. “It is done now.”

  I blink through my tears as the males disperse and a familiar shape straightens in the crowd. It turns slowly, flexing the fingers in both his fists before scrubbing down the splayed scales on both arms. I blink, realizing its Iriel, and he’s looking right at me. There’s a wildness in his eyes, and it takes several seconds before he visibly calms. He strides closer to me, and right as I’m about to tell him to get away, he falls to his knees.

  “I am sorry if that upset you, Fee-Bee.” He’s panting hard, though there’s not a trace of sweat on his prominent brow. “I will not lose you. I will not have you disrespected. You may not have Chosen me, but you are not tempting two males. I was not about to have you disrespected.”

  My lip trembles. Hearing his words cracks the wall of defense I tried to build while Iriel pounded Drazal’s face in. “You shouldn’t have done that,” I manage in a low voice. “Not for me.”

  “Of course I had to do it for you. He should not have approached. Hujun should not have said those things. I suppose human females are not used to witnessing that type of behavior, but it would have been much worse on the fatherland.”

  “Does this mean you’re satisfied?” York asks from behind me. “You guys fucked him up for at least a week. Six against one? Classy, Iriel.”

  “Would you have rather watched your mate remove his eye?”

  York falls silent, but not before huffing and storming back to Azan. I guess she’s arguing with him to find out if he really would remove his eye, but I’m forced to look away and back to Iriel.

  “Drazal knew the risk when he approached us,” Iriel explains. “He is lucky his punishment was not worse. He made his decision. His punishment was light considering the offense.”

  “L-light?” I tremble harder. I still haven’t seen Drazal since the others pulled away. Maybe it’s best that I don’t. “He wanted to make sure I was okay.”

  “He wanted to take you from me.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “I do know that, Fee-Bee. I see him watching you. Watching us. He wants to take you from me.”

  I sniff hard. I don’t want to think about that. Drazal. Wanting me and wanting to take me. It’s exciting, but I still can’t shake away the worry of tempting two males. Even if Drazal did want me, I couldn’t do anything about it. Iriel would throw a fit. Prince Korben would find out. I would lose everything.

  “I’m with you.” My voice barely reaches my ears. “Drazal wouldn’t want to take me away because I’m already with you.”

  Iriel arches an eyebrow. “Are all humans so respectful of female wishes?”

  I shake my head. “They’re not. But they don’t beat the shit out of other guys for looking at their girls—” I stop myself short. Even tumbling from my lips, the words don’t sound right. Of course guys back home do that.

  Iriel, thinking that Drazal’s ‘disgraceful’ behavior has left me too upset to finish, rises to his full height and wraps his arms around my shoulders. I’m too tired to fight him when he pulls my cheek against his chest and rests his chin atop my head. His body blocks any possible chance I’d have of stealing a glimpse of Drazal. Is he okay? I can’t tell. Iriel’s vast body blocks everything.

  I close my eyes. I hate this. I hate that I’m so weak and helpless. I’m in the arms of an attractive alien who beat the shit out of another guy for me, and yet I feel nothing. I feel nothing for Iriel. Not anger. Not joy. Not arousal. Not safety. Nothing. I sniff hard, and tears fall down my cheeks all over again, and a wracked sob escapes my lungs.

  “You are upset, Fee-Bee. Come, I will take you to my lair so you can rest.” He scoops me into his arms, and I don’t bother protesting.

  When I see a slumped, bruised body on the ground, curled up and shaking, I turn into Iriel’s chest, and he kisses the top of my head.

  “You do not need to worry, Fee-Bee. I have a feeling that Drazal will leave you alone from now on.”

  Fuck. What have I done? How do I fix this?

  CHAPTER THREE

  Drazal

  My body aches. I am not sure the pain will end soon, and Chentan is in no hurry to help.

  I suppose I cannot blame him.

  What I have done is awful, more so because I am not sorry in the least.

  I am not wrong. I had to step in. I had to stop Iriel. I had to stop Phoebe before she made a huge mistake. She should not Choose him. She does not care for him. She doesn’t care for me, either, probably, but my concerns are more extensive than my own needs.

  Phoebe does not care. The fight and spark in her are gone.

  It is my fault.

  I remember her face through my pained haze and how I swear I thought something flicker in her eyes when asked if she was consenting to Iriel. She said she had not Chosen him as a mate. That was her spark. It was not much, but it was something. She could have allowed Iriel to claim her, and yet, she did not. She defended Iriel, yes, but she also tried to protect me. That means something, but I should still consider giving up on her.

  She associates me with dilewilers, and Iriel is in her ear always, trying to frighten her away from me. Iriel has always been a crafty mal
e. He is a formidable opponent, and I underestimated him when I returned from my trip with Hujun and his mate. I should have stayed closer to Phoebe. I should have promised her that she would never return to the talas and that she would never have to see the dilewilers again.

  I was so ashamed, though, that I could not face her.

  And while I slunk away into my lair, Iriel slithered his way into her heart.

  Or did he?

  When I look at Phoebe, she does not look interested in him. She consents, but her heart does not seem to be in it. She has become timider since seeing the dilewilers. That light that used to burn brightly within her is now easily snuffed out by Iriel’s domineering personality. The moment he saw an opening, he took it. He preyed upon the pale-haired human without remorse. He can keep her if he can keep her afraid of everyone else. I cannot blame my brother. He has made it clear from the beginning that he wanted a female. And since he messed up earlier by trying to stake a claim on Prince Korben’s mate, many of the human females avoided him. But not Phoebe. He preyed upon this. He feeds into it.

  The ancestors must be punishing me for wanting a female that would be best left alone.

  I pinch my eyes shut though the action brings me much pain after receiving a fair punishment from my brothers. I would have rather Iriel dealt the blow alone, but Cade, Dash, and Taylis could not help themselves. They are probably as pent up with emotion as I am, and they seek any opportunity to let it run wild. Still, I wish my eye was not so swollen and my jaw so sore. Chentan will probably not visit me for another few days.

  I suppose that is fair.

  I deserve this. Eyes ears, as Iriel said. I interfered when he was with a possible mate, and Phoebe did not defend herself.

  She is broken now.

  I am the cause of it.

  She is weak and frightened because of what she saw in the talas while I was supposed to be protecting her. She is afraid of telling Iriel no, despite how much her eyes scream it so. She is fearful of losing what she probably views as a guardian. I cannot help but snort at this. Guardian? Iriel? He is no guardian. He is only greedy for a mate and will stop at nothing to have one – even if it means feeding one of the human females lies.

  I curl my bound hands into fists, trying to focus on the pain in my scaled palms rather than the wounds on my face, still picturing Phoebe’s demure expression. She was different when I first noticed her on Hethdiss. Naïve. Timid, but not alarmingly so. When I offered to take her to the talas, she all but jumped at the chance. Perhaps, she did not know fear. She thought we were safe. That this planet is safe. I remember how my body reacted when I perched her on my back while fleeing from the dilewilers with Ellis and Hujun. She was warm. Almost searing, but I welcomed the sensation because she was with me and not my brother.

  Phoebe should be mine. I should be protecting her.

  And yet, I am alone in my lair.

  No human female by my side. Not that any of them interest me other than Phoebe.

  I do not know how much longer this can go on if she will not admit out loud that she does not want Iriel’s care. I do not like how she is now. She acts as though she does not care. It is frustrating. I knew the human females would be frustrating, but I prefer Phoebe’s naivety compared to this weak-minded female who does have the courage to tell others that my brother is not who she wishes for a mate.

  But as long as she says she is with Iriel by her own choice, there is little I can do other than watch over her.

  I clutch my head in my palms, leaning over the bed before the telltale sound of someone patting at the curtain forces my attention to the lair opening. I do not want to think about who would visit me now. They have punished me already. Have I not been punished enough? Has Prince Korben come to me? Azan or Hujun? I cannot bear seeing any of them.

  A second pat follows, so I rise from the bed and cross over to the opening in a few shaky steps.

  “What is it that you want—” The words die in my throat as I push the curtain aside.

  Phoebe.

  The pale-haired human stands before me with a wrapped package in her hands. It appears damp, and though I cannot quite figure out what it is, I step aside just the same, so there’s space for her to enter.

  She doesn’t move at first. “I… uh… I brought some ice.”

  My eyes widen. Ice? I remember humans saying they use this for wounds. She brings something to help with my injuries. It makes sense, and that explains why her hands are damp. Our accommodations are much warmer than humans are used to, so the ice water must be melting in her hands.

  “Thank you, Phoebe. Would you like to enter?”

  “I don’t know if I should.” She bites down hard on her lower lip, lifting her chin to meet my eyes again. “I’ve already gotten you into so much trouble. God. Look at your face. It’s my fault, Drazal.”

  “Please. Do not worry about it. I knew what I was doing when I stepped in.”

  “Y-yeah, but. I could have stopped them. I didn’t—” Phoebe shakes her head, almost unsure as what to say and thrusts the package toward my chest. “Here. Take this. It should help with the swelling, right?”

  I take the package from her hands, still gauging her reactions to me. Her hands are tiny compared to my bandaged ones, and though it will bring me great pain to put this icy wrap on my face, I do so anyway so Phoebe does not think she failed to help me. Her smile is shaky, and she glances over her shoulder and then back at me.

  “I should have done something to stop them,” she says, her voice still quivering. “You were only trying to help. You saw me struggling against Iriel—”

  My hearts leap. “So, you were struggling?”

  I was right! She did not want Iriel’s advances!

  “Please don’t tell anyone, Drazal. I don’t want to get in trouble, okay?”

  I nod though I’m dying to run to Prince Korben and let him know that Phoebe is in trouble. He would be able to help. He could end the contact between Iriel and Phoebe. But can I betray Phoebe’s trust? She is trusting me with her words because I will not share them with others. Do I want to ruin her confidence in me for a possible chance of her Choosing me as her mate?

  I am her friend. She’s viewing me as a confidant. I do not want to lose that.

  “I will not say a word, Phoebe. Not unless you want me to.”

  “N-no. Not yet. I’m still trying to figure everything out. I’m so sorry you got in trouble because of me.”

  “I would do it many more times over to protect you, Phoebe.”

  Her light blue eyes widen with my words. Yes. This makes it all worth it. The reason I ran in to stop Iriel from pushing himself on her. Allowing others to say Iriel and Phoebe are mates when she is trying to tell others they are not without words. Taking a severe beating from some of my closest brothers growing up on the fatherland. Seeing Phoebe’s shocked little face and her mouth forming a small ‘o’ makes all the pain and struggle worth it.

  As it usually does. My interactions with Phoebe are limited, but little opportunities like this, make everything worth it. From her pale, nearly white hair, to her blue eyes. To her small frame and youthful face. Nothing ever looked so enticing to me before. I was never interested in a female on the fatherland, but this human female is never far from my mind. Her skin looks so soft and smooth, and she is almost as pale as Exer’s bloody-haired mate.

  I wish I dared to pull her into my lair and press my lips against hers. They are so soft and pink, and I bet it would be incredible to mesh our mouths together as humans do.

  But I cannot. Not now. Possibly not ever.

  I cannot force Phoebe to leave Iriel and Choose me.

  She must find the courage to do this on her own.

  “Phoebe. You must not worry about me and what happens. It is simply the way of my people. You say Iriel is your mate, and I must respect that. However, when I see you pushing him away or hitting him with harsh words, my hearts cannot help but want to intervene.” She’s nodding, but I am not
quite sure if my words reach her ears. I take a chance and crouch down so she cannot avoid my face. She doesn’t move.

  She’s so close I could kiss her simply by leaning forward.

  But I will not do that to Iriel. He is still my brother.

  And until Phoebe is brave enough to step away from him, she still belongs to him.

  “Phoebe, do you hear what I say?”

  She nods, lowering her head. “I do. And… um, I also wanted to thank you.”

  “Thank me?” I croak, having a bodily reaction so strong that I swear Phoebe feels it. “What could you possibly want to thank me for?”

  “For stopping him,” she admits. “He was trying to get me to Choose him as a mate. Officially.”

  My eyebrows furrow. “Is this something you want?” I expect her to think it over, but she shakes her head ‘no’ immediately.

  My sack tightens. No. She is telling me she does not want Iriel for a mate. Does this mean I have a chance? I can barely contain the groan that escapes my lips as visions of claiming her as mine and keeping her in my lair until she is hoarse from screaming my name. I picture our lips mashing together. I imagine her laying with me in the scratchy sheets of my bed. The sweet smell that radiates from her cunt would be in my lair as a constant reminder that she is mine. “Choose me instead.”

  She jumps away as though startled, fixing me with a surprisingly determined expression. “What?”

  “Choose me instead,” I repeat. “If you do not want Iriel as your Chosen mate, then Choose me. All of your problems will be solved.”

  She steps further away, acting as though I’ve said something wrong, I cannot possibly understand what it may be. Is this not what she wants? A chance to get away from Iriel? She does not have to love or care for me. Not yet. Not ever. But she would be free from Iriel until she figured things out. It makes perfect sense.

  “Do you not understand me? I will be your mate until you—” I stop myself short as she huffs audibly and runs a pale hand through her paler hair.

  “I’m not going to do that! I’m with Iriel!”