Chapter 9
Sydney
Sydney slowly opened her eyes only to slam them shut again. Her head hurt, and the light in the room only intensified the pain.
“Shut off the light!” she cried.
The lights dimmed, she lay still, and a few minutes later the pain had lessened to a dull ache. She blinked everything back into view and groaned. “Not again.”
Waking up in the bed felt like déjà vu. Turning her head, she startled; Mike was sitting in the chair three feet away.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
Sydney absently rubbed the spot behind her ear, feeling a small bump. “I think so. My head hurts a lot though.” And then it hit her. She whipped her head around. “I can understand you!” Then she grabbed her temples, moaned, and sank back into the pillow. “Ugh, my head.”
“Let me get Rykker. Perhaps he can give you something.”
Her eyes tracked him as he walked over to a small device on the wall, murmured something, then returned to his seat.
“He’ll be here shortly.”
She stared, still amazed that they were having a real conversation. For so long, she had wished for him to speak, to have someone to talk with, and now it was finally a reality.
“Where are we?” she asked, even though she already suspected.
“I brought you to our spacecraft. It’s called the Victory.”
“Why?”
“When my people came for me, you were injured. I could not leave you lying there, possibly to die, after you took care of me. So I ordered them to bring you.”
Good intentions, she thought. Although I’d rather be back in the basement. At least I got a shower out of the deal…
“Thank you.” She stretched, then slowly sat up. “And thanks for the shower, but I need to go home.”
He looked a little sheepish as he scratched the back of his head. “Ah, well…that might not be possible, at least not right now.”
“Why not?”
Alarmed, Sydney sat a little straighter. Why are they keeping me here?
And then she remembered the rumors about the gray aliens. Studying Mike, she tried to gauge his intentions, but really, there was no reason to keep her here. There was nothing she had to offer anyone. Unless…
She swallowed the bile in her throat and looked away.
“What are you going to do to me?” she asked, her voice distant and afraid.
“It’s my fault,” Mike said hurriedly. “I didn’t let the Commander know immediately that you were here. And I didn’t know we had left orbit and were headed back to Azziar, or I would’ve told him sooner.”
He dropped his head into his hands.
“So…you’re not going to sell me at auction as a sex slave or…”
His head snapped up. “What? Of course not! We are not the Tureis!”
“What’s a Tureis?” she asked.
“The other species on your planet. They are called Tureis. We are Azziarins, from the planet Azziar.”
“So why are you here? Why are they?” Sydney adjusted her position, needing to look Mike in the eye.
“That is what the Tureis do, they invade a planet and strip all its resources before moving on to another. We intercepted a message begging for help.”
“So you—Azziarins—are here to fight the Tureis?”
“Yes.”
“How did you hurt your leg? That was a pretty bad break.”
“The Tureis chased me. I took to the rooftop to escape. It worked.” He grinned. “But when I jumped down, one leg took more of an impact.”
“That would do it.”
It was nice to finally have someone answer her questions.
“Thank you for saving me.”
She glanced up at his serious expression.
“They would have killed me or worse, if you had left me there.”
Her heart stuttered. She knew that she almost did leave him there. “I’m sorry you didn’t like the food.”
“That brown stuff was nasty,” he replied with a grin.
“Hey, I would have gladly eaten your share.” His face dropped. “Sorry, I meant it as a joke.”
Sort of.
“I understand. Thank you.”
“We can’t be that far—can’t he just take me back?” Sydney nearly pleaded after an uncomfortable silence.
“We’ve already passed through the wormhole. I am sorry.”
A wormhole?!
And then it really hit her. They were traveling through space to some unknown planet, and unless someone brought her back home, she was stuck. Spaceships were not cars; she couldn’t just steal one and drive home!
“Oh, God, I think I’m going to be sick.” She panted, chest heaving up and down.
Mike rushed over with a drink in his hands. “Here, sip on this. I’m sure you are starving. I’ll order food to be brought here. Perhaps it will help.”
She could tell he didn’t know what to do and her reaction had him a little panic stricken.
Well, that makes two of us, she thought.
But nothing would help right now. Sydney just wanted to go home. She didn’t belong on a spaceship full of aliens.
And now I’m at their mercy…
After ordering food, Mike took four steps back to the chair and sat down.
Sydney sniffed at the drink in her hand, then took a small, tentative sip. It tasted like apple juice with hints of pineapple and a few other flavors she couldn’t identify. After months of drinking only water, it tasted heavenly.
Her stomach now calmed, she closed her eyes and tried to focus on the amazing taste.
“Food will be here soon.”
Her eyes popped open. She tried—and failed—to smile. “Thanks Mike.”
“I have heard you say that word several times. What is Mike?”
The tension eased and a smile spread across her face. “You are Mike.”
“My name is actually Takkeo.”
Her smile grew wider. “Well, you never even tried to talk, and I didn’t know what to call you. So, I named you Mike.”
He grinned. “I see.” Then his face took on a more serious expression. “After your initial reaction, I was scared that my teeth or the sound of my voice would frighten you more.”
“I wanted you to talk.”
He stared for a moment. “Thanks again for rescuing me. I am in your debt.”
Sydney’s eyes locked with his as a surreal feeling descended. “The only thing I want is to go home.”
He winced. “The Victory will return to Earth in three weeks. You can be our guest until then.”
She didn’t like it. And even though there was nothing to go back to, Earth was still her home. Mike—no, Takkeo—was nice, but how many other aliens were out there? The Tureis were a horrible and terrifying species. What if there were others much worse waiting for her?
A chime sounded and Takkeo called out, “Enter.” The man who had inserted the translator walked in, carrying a bag.
Takkeo stood. “This is Rykker; he’s our chief medical officer.” Addressing the doctor, he continued, “Thanks for coming.”
Turning to Sydney, Takkeo had a puzzled expression on his face. “What is your name?”
“Sydney. Sydney Hunt.”
“Okay, Sydney Sydney Hunt.”
“No, you can call me Sydney. My full name is Sydney Hunt.”
“I see.” Takkeo smiled and turned back to Rykker. “She is headachy and nauseous. Can you give her something to ease the discomfort?”
Rykker’s eyes darted between the two of them. “I can give you something that helps Azziarins, but since you are the first Human I have ever encountered, I am not sure how you will react to the medicine.”
He pulled out the injector. Sydney thrust her hand in the air and rushed to say, “That’s okay—I’m feeling much better now.”
“Are you certain?” Rykker asked.
“Yep!” she lied quickly. There was no way in hell she’d let him use tha
t device on her again. The last time, she passed out.
He nodded, grabbed his bag and left, calling over his shoulder, “If you need anything further, just let me know.”
A couple of minutes later, Sydney heard the familiar chime she now associated with a doorbell. The door swooshed open, and a large man with long white hair appeared.
Keeping his eyes rooted on Sydney, he placed the tray on the table and left without a word. She shook off the sense of unease and looked at the covered tray.
“You will have to forgive him; most of us have never seen a Human before,” Takkeo said apologetically. “Only the soldiers who have been on your planet, and even then, I am told it is a rare occurrence.”
Sydney nodded absently, more absorbed in the aroma wafting from the tray, which turned her stomach into a fierce grizzly bear.
After hearing her stomach growling, Takkeo chuckled as he removed the lid. Sydney didn’t care what kind of food it was—she plucked a small green item and popped it into her mouth. The flavor exploded on her tongue, a moan slipping out in pure delight. A complex flavor mixed with sweet and salty, a hint of tart. Not the bland stuff she was now accustomed to.
When her eyes fluttered open, Takkeo was staring. Sydney should have been a little embarrassed, but she wasn’t. “I’m sorry if I’m being rude, I’m just starving.”
Then she grabbed another item from the tray. It was shaped like a carrot, except it was blue and tasted sweet like chocolate.
“Oh my, this tastes like heaven!” she exclaimed, heedless of her muffled voice from a full mouth.
Swallowing, she licked her lips to get any remaining crumbs.
Takkeo grinned. “I understand. I was on your planet for a short time and I thought I’d go mad with hunger.”
Sydney’s lips turned down. She’d known he had to be starving, but… “I’m sorry. I know I didn’t have much to offer.”
“I’m the one who is sorry. I ate three times as much as you.”
“Yeah, but you’re bigger than I am,” she grinned, then plucked another piece of food from the tray and shoved it in her mouth.
Until that night when she’d found him in the alley, Sydney hadn’t realized how lonely she had been. They might not have talked, but they had become friends.
“True, you are small,” Takkeo replied.
Her smile stretched wide across her face. “It kind of goes with not eating much for months at a time.”
She didn’t have to look in a mirror to know that she had lost a ton of weight.
“You can have as much food as you desire while you’re here.”
“Thanks.” And then she wondered if they had chocolate cake. Maybe even some brownies and a tall glass of milk. Probably not.
In between bites, she asked, “So, if I’m going to be here for a while, can I have a tour of the ship?”
“Of course!” Takkeo replied.
In the back of her mind, Sydney wondered if she would run into the sexy man who had set her body ablaze, and how she’d resist him if she did. It didn’t dampen her appetite in the slightest.
Chapter 10
Jakke
Even after taking care of himself twice, Jakke still remained hard, the scent of the female clogging his nostrils. His fangs remained distended farther than normal as he fought the urge to run back to her.
A Human!
Jakke gritted his teeth in frustration. He needed to fight, to punch something and expel this pent-up energy!
The door chimed, then slid open as Rykker strode in. “Commander, I have brought medicine to ease your symptoms.”
Jakke turned, fists balled at his side as he growled, “What is wrong with me?”
Rykker retrieved the scanner from his bag, ran it the length of Jakke’s body, then put it back in his bag. “It is as I suspected, mating fever.”
Jakke reared back in complete shock. “Mating fever?”
Of all the things that had run through his mind, magic, mind control…but never the mating fever!
Jakke’s breathing grew heavy as he paced the room, a testament to his willpower. Most Azziarins could not have resisted the fever at all.
“I must say, the mating fever came as an unwanted surprise. I hope the medicine works,” Rykker calmly stated.
“How do you think I feel?” Jakke snarled, but Rykker paid him no mind as he prepared the injector.
“I hope this will ease your symptoms. The medicine should begin to take effect within five to ten minutes.”
“Will it take away the mating fever?” Jakke asked wistfully. Never had he felt anything so strong before.
“No, it will only dampen the desire. The mating fever doesn’t occur very often. Actually, it’s been several years since I’ve heard of anyone who had it. Being of the royal family, it makes sense that your Azziarin blood is stronger than most. That could explain the intense reaction.”
Rykker wasn’t making him feel any better. This was an impossible situation. The Human female set his body on fire in the most primal way. Her exotic looks combined with that petite frame forced protective instincts to kick in. And he had only been in her presence a handful of minutes…what would happen over the next three weeks?
Jakke scrubbed his head roughly, sucking in a breath and trying desperately to force himself to be calm.
“Ready?”
“Just do it.”
Rykker pressed the injector against Jakke’s neck, then placed it back into his bag. “You’ll need these injections once a week.”
Jakke nodded. “Thank you, my friend. I need you to do one more thing for me though, so I don’t kill my brother.”
Rykker’s eyes narrowed. “Of course, Commander.”
“I need the female out of Takkeo’s room. I know it is unreasonable, but I cannot stand knowing she is lying in his bed. Find her a guest room!”
“As you wish, Commander.”
Rykker gathered his supplies and headed out.
Jakke rubbed the back of his neck, then poured another mug of Fire’s Breath and downed the entire contents, hoping the medication would start working soon.
He still had trouble accepting that the mating fever had struck. Had the female been Azziarin, he would have celebrated. But she wasn’t Azziarin, she was Human—a primitive species from a primitive planet.
Jakke paced. Then his anger turned to Takkeo. How could he have brought her on board without permission? Takkeo was young, but not that young. He knew better!
He was only doing what he thought was right, Jakke’s inner voice argued.
He sighed heavily and dropped his chin to his chest. He was screwed and he knew it.
An hour later, his shaft was still hard, but not painful. And he still wanted the female, but at least it was controllable.
Barely.
Activating the comm unit, Jakke sent a message to Kavvan. “Meet me in the training room.”
A few seconds ticked by. “On my way, Commander.”
Kavvan was not only his second in command, he was also an old, trusted friend. They had grown up together, and he was the one Jakke trusted above all others besides his family.
Slowly, Jakke stripped out of his uniform jumpsuit, setting his massive shaft free from its confining restraints, and donned a pair of trousers that fit securely around the waist but loosely everywhere else. Good for fighting and hiding his erection.
Walking down the corridor, Jakke nodded to the males he passed. Could see they see the turmoil written on his face? Probably (hopefully!) not.
Kavvan stood in the center of the training room on the mats, barefoot and shirtless. Silently he stared, then asked, “Everything all right, Commander?”
“No.” Jakke stripped off his shirt and stepped up onto the mat, wearing only trousers.
They circled, jabbing at each other bare-fisted. A kick here, a punch there, nothing too hard. Then without warning, Jakke attacked Kavvan, taking him down to the mat. They wrestled, each fighting for top position. Just as Jakke had Kavvan pinne
d, he kicked Jakke off and tried to pin him down.
Jakke bucked, throwing Kavvan to the side. Then they were back on their feet, circling.
“Something you would like to talk about?” Kavvan asked, kicking the outside of Jakke’s thigh.
“No.”
With a quick leg sweep, Kavvan fell flat on his back. Jakke jumped on him, trying to drain this pent-up energy.
An hour later, both of them laid flat on their backs, breathing heavily and dripping with sweat. Kavvan grinned over at him. “Feel better?”
He did feel better. Until images of the dark-haired female appeared unbidden in his mind, forcing his shaft back to hardness. He could see her round, dark eyes staring straight at him, the delicate curve of her back before she turned around…
Jakke groaned, then threw an arm over his face and mumbled, “No.”
“What’s wrong, my friend?”
Turning his head sideways so he could see Kavvan, Jakke sighed heavily knowing that Kavvan would understand the impossible complications. He said two words only: “Mating fever.”
With wide eyes and a horror-stricken face, Kavvan bolted upright. “How? There are no females on the Victory!”
Looking away, Jakke said in defeat, “There is one.”
“Who? When? Why was I not informed?” Kavvan’s voice grew more alarmed by the minute.
“Takkeo took it upon himself to bring the Earth female who helped him onto the ship. He did not inform me until we were through the wormhole and on our way home.”
“A Human!” Kavvan leapt to his feet and paced. “A Human? The mating fever came about because of a Human?”
“Yes.” Jakke remained planted against the mat, his voice calm but detached.
“You cannot mate a Human—you are the prince!”
Jakke laughed, but it held no humor. How many times had he told himself the same thing in the past hour? “And this is why we are in the training room.”
Kavvan plopped down hard, staring straight ahead as the implications of the situation sank in. “What are you going to do?”
Jakke turned to his head to look at his friend. “I’m going to stay as far away from her as possible for the next three weeks, until we can safely return her to Earth.” He paused. “I only hope it will be enough.”
Jakke (The Azziarin Series Book 1) Page 6
