Blinking once, then twice, she rubbed her eyes with her fist, finally getting the sleep out. Seeing dull gray metal walls, her heart took off at a gallop. Not the leisurely trot either, a full-on scared sprint.
Everything rushed back—the white-haired aliens storming her basement—someone grabbing at her. Sydney’s breath hitched, tears filled her eyes, and some streamed down her cheek.
She knew—she knew better than to get involved! All this time spent hiding, making sure to keep herself safe, and here she was! Captured! And apparently on board a spaceship of some kind.
Sydney had heard rumors about females who were abducted, but that was by the gray aliens. She didn’t know what the white-haired ones would do. Would they know she helped Mike or think she held him against his will?
Her lip quivered as she stared blankly at the dull gray walls. There were no decorations, nothing but a solid cage. Swallowing hard, she sniffed, then pushed up to sitting and took a better look around. The floor was shiny black, and the only other furniture was a small table and chair. There wasn’t even a door!
It really is a cage!
She sniffed again, swiping the few stray tears that wobbled down her face, knowing that her dirty sleeve probably left streaks. The bed was probably filthy now too.
In the beginning, Sydney used to try to clean up in the bathrooms whenever she raided stores that still had electricity. But after being caught with her pants down, (literally) the risk wasn’t worth it anymore. Then she moved on to using bottled water to clean, but as supplies grew scarce, she knew she needed to forgo cleanliness in lieu of survival. So she stopped worrying about it and eventually her nose adjusted to her own smell.
The room reminded her of a metal box. There had to be a door though; how else would they have put her in there? Standing, she ambled over and placed both hands on the wall, trying to find a seam—anything that proved that it wasn’t solid. Her mind kept conjuring images of cargo containers used on trains and ships. Her panic skyrocketed.
Walking the edges, she felt along one smooth wall, before starting on the second. When a door swished up, she stumbled backwards, hand flying to her chest, her heart trying to leap out.
“Get a grip Sydney!” she chastised herself.
Taking a tentative step forward, she peered inside. Eyes wide, she stepped in fully, staring at strange items that could totally belong to a bathroom. She bit her fist and tried not to squeal in delight.
If she could turn on the shower, she would definitely take one. Okay, maybe not a full, outright shower. Knowing her luck, someone would catch her with her pants down again.
No thank you!
But at least if she could scrub her face and wash her pits, that would be a start.
With no knobs, Sydney tried waving her hands around the odd-looking fixtures, but nothing happened.
“Hmm.” She fisted her hip and studied the shower. “Turn on.”
Nothing happened.
“Power on.”
Still nothing.
To be this close and not know how to make it work, her anger bled through. “Come on, dammit, turn on! I just need a little water, not much.”
Still nothing happened. She slapped the wall and headed back to the main room, plopping down on the bed.
Sitting there half pissed off, half scared, she gasped when another door slid open and Mike strolled in.
The air rushed from her lungs in relief.
He looked good—clean and healthy. And then she noticed his leg and the way he walked into the room.
“Mike, look at your leg—it’s all better!” Her eyes were probably as wide as saucers. Just today, he could barely switch positions on the couch, and now he looked totally fine.
“What is Mike?” he asked in a deep voice.
“You speak? Oh my God, you speak! I had my doubts when I couldn’t get you to say anything. I had to hold the con-conver—” She stuttered mid-sentence then dropped it completely when she noticed the large man standing behind Mike.
How had she initially missed him, with that stern look and commanding presence? If Sydney thought Mike was a kid, this was definitely a man. He was even bigger than the one she’d rescued from the gray aliens.
Sydney’s breath froze inside her chest as he stared at her with laser-intense eyes, making her squirm. Her thunderous heart pounded in her ears, drowning out all the other noises.
The breath hissed through her lips when she finally remembered to breathe. Butterflies beat against her stomach and an unexpected moisture between her legs made her clench her thighs tightly, hoping the aliens didn’t notice.
Mike was around six feet tall, but this guy topped seven. Where Mike was lean and muscular, this guy was ripped and thick, making at least two or three of Mike.
Sydney licked suddenly dry lips. How could she be turned on and terrified at the same time? Those vampire teeth protruding from under his upper lip made her tremble.
“My, what big teeth you have,” she whispered in awe for a second time.
Sydney couldn’t stop staring at him, couldn’t tear her gaze away even if she wanted to. But she didn’t want to.
The large guy said something to Mike before turning and storming out. The sudden absence of that commanding presence left a strange void in the center of her chest.
When she glanced down at her dirty clothes, she remembered how bad she smelled and deflated. No wonder he’d left. She repulsed him.
Sydney sagged, heaving out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding.
Mike motioned for her to follow him to the bathroom. When he pressed his hand on the wall, a cabinet door slid open and he retrieved a few items. He handed her a filled bottle and a white fluffy cloth. It didn’t take a genius to figure out it was soap.
Sydney made sure to watch everything he touched so next time, she could figure it out without his help.
If there is a next time…
Hopefully they’d just send her back home. In which case, a nice hot shower first would be welcomed.
Mike placed his hand over a tiny pinpoint sensor that she had overlooked, and water cascaded down the wall, reminding her of a soft waterfall.
With a silent smile, he left and shut the door behind him.
Sydney didn’t care if he was just being kind to her, or if he couldn’t stand the smell any longer. She was simply desperate to feel clean and Human again.
She didn’t waste any time shrugging off the filthy clothes and stepping into the shower. As the water washed over her head and down her back, her eyes glossed with tears. How long had it been since she had had a shower? A good hot shower?
Way too long.
She scrubbed her scalp then raked her hands over her arms and chest, watching the muddy water run clear.
Next, she grabbed the bottle that Mike had given her and sniffed. It didn’t smell of anything. Taking a handful, she repeated the process with soap, scrubbing her head. It was so dirty, she had to wash her hair several times before starting on her body.
Sydney refused to step out of the shower until her fingers and toes started to shrivel, and the grime was gone even from under her nails.
Finally stepping out, Sydney refused to put her old clothes back on. Not only did they stink, they felt stiff in her hands.
She chewed her bottom lip, trying to think. They weren’t the best clothes. Mostly rags with tiny holes in the shirt, black faded jeans with rips in the knees, but they were also all she had.
Deciding not to toss them just yet, she threw them in the shower and doused them with shampoo. She scrubbed them together, cleaning them the best she could before rinsing. She laid them flat, hoping they would dry quickly.
And then she spotted the sheet on the bed and had an ah-ha moment.
Grabbing it, she wrapped it toga-style around her body, tying the knot over her left shoulder.
Not too shabby.
For the first time in months, Sydney was clean and fresh.
Chapter 8
Jakke
Jakke waited outside while Takkeo showed the Earth female how to use the bathing facilities. She certainly needed it. Her dull brown hair and dirty skin were hard to look at, and the stench chased him from the room. How had Takkeo stayed with her for so long? Azziarins had a strong sense of smell, and Jakke had to hold his breath after only one whiff of the Human.
After a few minutes, Takkeo joined him in the corridor. “Did you show her how to use the bathing facilities?”
He nodded. “I gave her the cleaning liquid and turned the water on. She seemed very happy.”
“I do not know how you stood it, Takkeo. The smell is horrific.”
His smile was a little sad. “You get used to it.”
“No, thanks,” Jakke grunted. “We will give her time to clean. In the meantime, we need to speak with Rykker about inserting a translator. Three weeks is a long time to go without communication.”
Not that Jakke wanted to do this. He needed to get her back to Earth as quickly as possible and would prefer not to leave their technology in one of the inhabitants.
“That sounds good. I wish to thank her for taking care of me.”
Jakke only grunted in reply.
They found Rykker in sick bay. Jakke explained the situation and asked if it would work on a Human.
“It should,” came Rykker’s instant reply. “However, I will not know the side effects until it is inserted.”
“Side effects?” Takkeo asked. “I did not have any side effects.”
“Of course not. The translator was designed for Azziarins. She is Human.”
Jakke, already tired of the situation, wanted this over with as quickly as possible. He had duties which required his attention, and he had wasted enough time on this female. “Grab your supplies, Rykker.”
Heading down to the private quarters floor, the three of them waited in front of Takkeo’s door. When she didn’t answer, Jakke’s impatience knew no bounds. “Takkeo, just open the door.”
Takkeo shot him an irritated glanced but did as requested.
They stepped inside, and Jakke froze.
This could not be the same female from before. The dull brown was now silky raven-colored hair that fell in waves down a slender back, so unlike the white that his people were all born with.
As she slowly turned, those large dark eyes captivated him, but her scent almost reduced him to his knees. She smelled of trees and rain with a hint of vanilla. So unusual, so different, and one thought slammed into him so hard, he nearly staggered…
She is MINE!
Rooted in place, he shook trying to control the need to take her, sink deep inside, to devour her. His fangs dropped farther down, his shaft hardened to the point of pain. With erratic breathing, thoughts jumbled, Jakke drank in her exotic beauty. Takkeo’s insistent voice broke though the haze until he finally broke eye contact with the female and looked at his younger brother.
“What?” he growled.
“Rykker and I have been calling your name. What’s wrong?” Takkeo asked, clearly concerned.
Rykker stepped in front of Jakke to block his view. Jakke fought the urge to shove him out of the way.
Rykker’s concerned eyes took in his appearance, everything from that feral look, elongated teeth, until finally his eyes widened. “Sish.”
Hearing the Azziarin curse-word falling from Rykker’s lips, Takkeo turned. His eyes darted back and forth between Jakke and Rykker.
“What’s wrong?” he pressed.
“Mating fever. Jakke, you need to leave. Takkeo and I will insert the translator.”
Rykker gave him a slight push toward the door but Jakke fought it. The last thing he wanted was to leave the female.
“Commander,” Rykker said firmly, “you must leave immediately.”
Then he shoved him more forcefully. Jakke nodded before making a hasty retreat.
Something is wrong with me, Jakke thought. It took nearly all the strength he had not to turn around, march back to the room and take her right there. Sink deep inside that beautiful body and quench this desire that held him in its grip. In all of Jakke’s one hundred five standard Azziarin years, he had never lost control. Never!
He needed to find out what kind of power she had to transform him into this out-of-control almost animalistic barbarian!
Storming into his quarters, Jakke poured a full mug of Fire’s Breath and downed it in three gulps. The desire still raged so he poured another.
Nothing helped.
Jakke’s shaft remained painfully hard, straining against his black uniform. He downed more Fire’s Breath but knew that nothing would ease this intense need.
Desperate for relief, Jakke shrugged his uniform down to his knees, releasing his shaft. Then he grabbed some lotion, and after taking his shaft in hand, worked his hand up and down while picturing her large beautiful eyes and that creamy skin. He imagined ripping the sheet from her body, and that was all it took before he came painfully hard, jutting his essence everywhere. And yet, his shaft neither deflated nor did the urge to march back to Takkeo’s room and take her the way he imagined.
Sish!
Heading to the bathing facilities, he rinsed off and refilled his mug.
Sydney
Sydney had just finished tying the knot when she heard the door open, then slowly turned around. Her eyes met and locked with the lust-filled gaze of the large man who’d accompanied Mike earlier. Lips parting with a tiny gasp, moisture pooled between her legs as her heart beat against her chest. The man/alien standing in the doorway was clearly the hottest man she’d ever laid eyes on.
And also the most dangerous…
He was utter perfection in a sexy, scary kind of way. Short white hair, strong cheekbones, blue cat-eyes that made her want to walk over and pet him, rub her hands up and down his body.
Those muscles rippled with every tiny movement. When their eyes locked again, he reeled her in while everything else faded away.
And then Mike and the third man spoke, and he looked away. Oh, how she wished she could understand what was happening! The others seemed concerned for some reason, and then the sexy man turned, and walked out. Sydney felt the emptiness and disappointment as soon as the door slid closed behind him.
Her jellied legs made her stagger. What are they doing to me?
Finally getting her bearings, Sydney blew out a long, slow breath, lifted her eyes and saw Mike standing with the other huge man.
They sure grow them tall.
The three aliens looked similar, except that Mike, with his shaggy hair, was smaller than the other two. The one with him now had medium length hair and a worried look on his face. Luckily, her body didn’t react to either one of them.
I need to stay away from the guy, she told herself firmly.
Mike stepped forward with hands held out, the same way you would when trying to sweet talk an animal into trusting you.
Sydney frowned.
And then she spotted the gun-shaped device that the other one held.
Hell no!
She took a step back and hit the wall. Maybe they didn’t like her being on this spaceship (it had to be a spaceship!), but it wasn’t her fault—they were the ones who brought her here!
Mike stopped immediately, glancing over his shoulder and speaking to the other guy. Then he faced her again.
When he started talking, Sydney listened to the tone of his voice, then suppressed a grin. It was the same tone she had used on him when she first brought him to the basement. Now she wondered if he was trying to help her in some way.
Okay, Sydney, get a grip. She knew she’d needed Mike to trust her the way he apparently needed her to trust him now. Logically, she also knew that if they wanted to kill her, they would have done it already—not offered her a shower!
Unless they want to dissect me… Stop! She really needed to shut down her imagination.
Focusing on Mike, he motioned to his mouth and then pointed at hers. Completely confused, Sydney started t
o think of this as a game of charades. He kept pointing to her mouth, her ear, and then the gun.
Hmmm…
Watching, she tried hard to understand. He turned his head to the side, and that’s when she spotted a little bulge under the skin. Then he pointed to the area behind her ear and then the gun.
“You want to place something behind my ear?”
He nodded. Her eyes narrowed. “You understand me?”
He nodded again. Sydney held up a hand, palm forward. “Let me get this straight. You can understand me but in all the time you stayed in my basement, you never said a word? Never even indicated that you could understand me?”
He shook his head, and once again pointed to his ear and then to hers.
Sydney rubbed her forehead, needing to think. What did they want to place behind her ear? It could be a tracker; maybe they wanted to monitor her whereabouts on the ship. But Mike kept pointing at her mouth and seemed to understand what she was saying. And then the word translator sprung to mind, but really, could things like that exist? She glanced around the room. She was on a spaceship dealing with aliens who could apparently instantly heal broken legs…so yes, yes it could.
It all came down to one important question. Did she trust Mike? Ha! That was a no. Sydney didn’t trust any aliens. But he had trusted her, so she needed to be strong and give him the benefit of the doubt.
Meeting his eyes, she nodded once. The other male walked forward, and it took all the strength she possessed not to make a mad dash to the bathroom and lock herself inside.
This guy was much larger than Mike and a whole lot scarier. When he stopped two feet away, she squeezed her eyes shut and he pressed the gun behind her ear. She felt the clout…
________
“What happened?” Takkeo asked, catching the female before she hit the floor.
“It appears she just fainted. She’ll come around in a few minutes, I believe.”
He placed the female on the bed. “Thanks, Rykker.”
“You are welcome.” Rykker sighed. “Now I must attend your brother.”
Jakke (The Azziarin Series Book 1) Page 5
