Her black shorts were also tight, revealing a well-formed backside and shapely legs he could easily imagine wrapped around his waist as he thrust deep inside her.
Intrigued. Themba followed.
Chapter Four
I’m being followed.
Payton knew that feeling all too well. Mike used to follow her. Often. He wouldn’t hide the fact he did it either. He’d wanted her to know he was there, watching. It was his way of reminding her that he could pop up anytime and anywhere. Payton didn’t have to see him to know he was there. She could feel his eyes, and the warning bells would sound in her head. It was a sensation she could only describe as paralyzing.
And that’s how she felt now.
If only it were Mike watching her. Then at least she could pretend she was on Earth and not using her knife to hack through an alien jungle where strange-looking animals stared at her.
Bile rose in the back of her throat, and her hands shook. Every time she thought about her situation, a panic attack brewed at the forefront of her mind. She’d been in some dicey predicaments before, but this was beyond the worst.
Payton took in slow, steadying breaths. It did nothing to calm her heart crashing against her chest. She couldn’t control that, but her breathing she could—for now at least.
The fine hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and goosebumps covered her arms. The mystery bar that’d been delivered at the push of her wristband threatened the back of her throat. Although she could push the icon on the wristband and call for another, she didn’t want to lose what was already in her stomach. She didn’t know how long those protein bars would be available.
She called for and stored as many as she could. The small white ball had popped from the ground when she’d pushed the food icon. When she was done, all she had to do was press the button again, and the ground swallowed everything up, not leaving a trace behind.
If her kidnappers wanted to feed her, who was she to balk? She’d had enough of wondering where her next meal would come from. Being on the run would make anyone a food hoarder.
It had been a frequent item of discussion with Dr. Rebecca, the domestic abuse, pro-bono therapist she got to call every two weeks.
She’d taken time to note the icon for medical supplies available on her wristband. Payton didn’t want to think about being thrust into a situation where she would have to use that one. Not yet, anyway.
Payton had been hiking all day and wasn’t sure exactly where she was headed. She would have to find shelter soon. The heat was almost unbearable. If she had to guess, the heat index had to be over one hundred degrees Fahrenheit.
Sweat dripped down her face, and every now and then the salty droplets dripped into her eyes. Her t-shirt was beyond soaked and stuck to her chest. Her yoga shorts were comfortable but also wet. Her only saving grace was her tennis shoes. She’d long since learned to wear good running shoes. She never knew if she would have to get away—fast.
Like now.
The feeling of being watched consumed her.
I was so stupid. I should’ve stayed with the group.
Self-doubt wormed its way into her head. Was she as dumb as Mike had said she was?
She couldn’t take that road. Not here and not now.
I am not stupid.
She repeated the mantra in her head until she believed it. Her therapist had given her a list of daily affirmations, but it had felt weird standing in front of the mirror talking to herself. So she did what felt right to her. She said what was needed in the here and now, convincing herself that she wasn’t stupid.
Her therapist had told her to give herself time to rebuild her self-esteem. After all, Mike had had years to break it down.
Pushing the icon for an escape pod had seemed like such a good idea at the time. It may not have been the right decision, but that still didn’t make her stupid. No, she hadn’t known where the pod would take her. But they’d been so rudely awakened by the heart-stopping alarm, her only thought had been escape.
She’d pushed the button out of fear, hoping it would take her home, but a little part of her knew that was wishful thinking. She couldn’t go home.
Payton had instantly regretted her impulsive decision to leave the small group of people who’d awakened with her as she was hurled on a track to an unknown destination. The minute pressure pushed on her butt and ejected her, she’d cried.
One glance up and she knew she hadn’t traveled very far. Instead of the blue or white clouded sky of Earth, she stared at something utterly breathtaking. The sky was a dazzling display of bright lights, swirls of pinks, purples, and shooting stars.
She hadn’t really escaped, and now she was alone.
She’d allowed herself a good cry. Then an hour later, she’d decided it was for the best that she’d left the others. What had been the plan anyway? Trample through the jungle while whoever sounded the alarm chased them? It wasn’t confirmed that they were being hunted, but there was no other explanation for the shock collars.
But at least I wouldn’t have been alone. Maybe I should’ve stayed?
Yes, maybe she should’ve stayed with the others long enough to figure out what the hell was going on.
Compulsive. Irrational.
Her mom, dad, and even Mike had given her those labels. And here she was proving them right once again.
Stop it, Payton.
I am not stupid.
Jack’s growl rumbled deep in his chest. A reminder she was still being watched.
Payton held tight to the two knives. She’d been using them to cut away some of the vines and smaller tree limbs blocking her path. As she cut, she practiced her knife fighting techniques. She couldn’t afford formal training, she’d been trained via internet videos for beginners. In the end, she figured it really didn’t matter as long as she knew which side was for holding and which was for stabbing.
“What is it, Jack?” she whispered. “Do you feel eyes on us too?”
She glanced up, and monkeys stared down at her. Well, she assumed they were monkeys. They had extra arms, extra legs, and extra eyes, but they were covered in fur, and they were small and swung in trees. The only thing her brain could catalog them as was a monkey.
While the monkeys’ presence had alarmed her, it wasn’t the reason Jack’s ears were perked, and the hairs along his back bristled. For the past hour, the family of monkeys had swung from the trees, following them. The monkeys, along with the brightly covered birds had been constant during her trek.
No, this was a new threat. Jack peered to the right and growled again. She couldn’t see what set him on edge, but she trusted Jack, and she trusted her instincts.
Something dangerous was out there.
Jack had been on edge ever since they’d left the group, but he hadn’t acted as he did now. He watched the jungle intently and being the good boy that he was, he hadn’t gotten sidetracked and chased any of the animals that scurried past them.
Jack’s growl deepened, adding a rough bark at the end. The growl a warning. The bark a signal for a threat.
Payton’s jaws tightened. Sweat made the knife handles slippery. She gripped them tighter and pressed on, her steps swift and steady. Maybe whatever followed her would leave her alone?
She’d almost convinced herself it was gone. The feeling went away, and she hadn’t seen anything to scare her. Then, before long, Jack growled again, and Payton had had enough.
She stopped.
One, because she needed to catch her breath. Two, Jack was winded. And three, she was tired of being hunted.
“I’m not taking another step until you show yourself,” she yelled out. She hoped to sound loud and confident and with knives in hand, prayed she looked the part too.
If there wasn’t anything out there, except curious animals, she was probably wasting her time. But Payton didn’t think so.
“If you can be so bold as to follow me, you can at least show me your face.”
Abusers liked to stoke
fear in their victims. It made them feel big and powerful. It was something her therapist had told her over and over. Whoever followed her wasn’t Mike, but she hoped the tactic of stop, confront and take control of the situation worked as the survivalist instructor from her weekend class had said it would.
She’d taken the survivalist class on a whim. She hadn’t thought she would need to go as far as living in a secluded cabin in the forest to get away from Mike, but she also hadn’t thought she would still be running from him three states later.
She hoped her outburst would warn whoever followed her that she wasn’t the docile woman they’d mistaken her for. But she prayed no one was out there and she was just screaming at trees.
Nothing happened.
The fact that Jack continued to give off his warning growl was an indication something was still out there, and she wasn’t being paranoid.
Payton squinted and scanned the trees and brush. Green and brown vines that hugged greyish trees were all around. High brush and bushes painted the landscape. There were flowers of various colors but just enough to break up the monotony. Foreign-looking birds watched her curiously from the tree branches, but they weren’t giving her this feeling.
Payton’s breaths came out deep and heavy. Blood rushed past her eardrums. Her heart beat so hard it was painful.
Confrontation clearly wasn’t working, and every second she stood there felt like an eternity.
“I’m going to keep going. Whoever you are, or whatever you are, stay here.” It was an odd request, but asking couldn’t hurt.
Then, as if on a whisper, he stepped from behind a tree.
Chapter Five
The man who stepped out was six feet tall with an average build and wore a green, form-fitting outfit that covered him from head to toe.
Jack angled himself in front of her and bared his teeth on a snarl. The hairs stood on end down his back.
The newcomer had muscular legs and arms and a flat stomach. That’s where the similarities to any man she knew ended. The skin on his exposed face and hands was red with a goldish undertone. It also looked leathery, like he’d spent a lifetime sunbathing. A hood covered his head, but she imagined the hair underneath was just as thick as his goatee, generous eyebrows and dark, long eyelashes which framed piercing, amber, cat-like eyes. There was also a scar that looked like someone or something had raked claws over the left side of his face. His nose was sharp, but small for his face. His lips were thin and white whiskers creased the sides of his mouth.
Different.
That’s the first word that came to mind. He appeared exotic. Well, maybe exotic wasn’t the right word either.
He’s—
A long, red skinny tail with a tuft of black fur on the tip waved off to the side of his body.
Payton watched it dance slowly in the air. “Wh-what’s that?” she shrieked.
He gestured toward it. “My tail.”
His tail?
Payton staggered backward. Jack moved as she did to stay in front of her. This man definitely wasn’t human or a man.
“So the rumors are true then?” His voice was silky and deep. Almost like a rumble that came from the back of his throat.
Run! “What rumors?” She wanted to kick herself for not controlling the squeak in her voice.
“Humans are weak. They are not smart,” he stated matter-of-factly.
In her head, she stood firm with her weapons up and ready. With Jack snapping and growling, this man should’ve been way more concerned about his safety than his demeanor indicated. “Whoever told you that, lied.”
It could’ve been sweat or nerves that made her lose her grip on one of the knives. It hit the ground with a thump.
Shit.
Not the badass look she was going for.
He glanced to where the knife had fallen. Then, as if his assessment was confirmed, he arched a bushy eyebrow in a clear, “I told you so” gesture.
Payton wanted to pick up her knife. Two knives were better than one, right? But she needed to keep her legs locked for fear of falling over.
“Are you going to retrieve that?”
She shook her head. “I don’t need it.” She wiped her now empty hand on her shorts and transferred the knife to her dominant hand. “I have my other knife and my dog.”
“Dog.” He tilted his head to the side. “My translator tells me that your beast is a companion, animal, protector, pet.”
“Translator?”
He tapped behind his ear.
Ah, so we’d been right about that.
“He’s trained to protect me.”
One side of his mouth lifted in a smirk. “Do you plan to fight me?”
“You’re the one stalking me.”
He pulled the hood from his head to reveal thick, dark hair that could hardly be contained in a single braid down his back. Multiple gold rings lined up both his ears. His neck was thick. Thin gold chains hung there, somehow making his collar appear like an adornment rather than a restrictive device.
“You’re so easily...stalkable.”
Payton shifted on her feet. “You’re not human. What are you?”
“I am Themba bu Kumkani. Ngonyama from the planet Ipakethe. And luckily, not human.”
Jesus. What the hell is going on here?
A crazy giggle bubbled up her throat. “There’s nothing wrong with being human, buddy.” Wait. Was she arguing with a real alien? And why exactly was she arguing with him?
Themba leaned against the tree and folded his arms as if he hadn’t a care in the world. “You’re a bumbling baby, hacking your way through the jungle, leaving a path for anyone to follow.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I wasn’t aware anyone planned to follow me.”
“And when you were aware?” He nodded toward her. “I knew exactly when you sensed my presence. Your scent changed. I smelled your fear.”
She wished she could dispute that. Of course, she’d known, but what could she have done besides run? Well, she guessed that would’ve been a viable option.
Payton peered at him through the slits of her eyes. “Did you kidnap me and bring me here?”
“I’m not responsible for your being here.”
“So why are you following me?” She lifted her chin. “Never mind. That doesn’t matter. I can tell you now that if you’re trying to make me leave with you or something, I won’t go easily.”
He smiled. Despite being utterly different, he was handsome. Then she caught sight of his gleaming white teeth and long, sharp canines.
She cringed. She wanted to ask him to close his mouth. His teeth were beginning to scare her.
“I’m afraid you would be too easy to claim, shaha.”
Her brain couldn’t pick up on the last word he’d said. The sound was a series of clicks. She opened her mouth, but when he started talking again, she snapped it shut.
“But I might like easy,” he continued. He pushed off the tree and stepped closer.
Run!
Her mind screamed, but her muscles wouldn’t comply. They locked in place.
“You’re intriguing enough that I might claim you now. We could go someplace private. Spend time there that I would’ve spent here. I find that I want to be alone with you.”
She glanced around, looking for an escape, but her eyes couldn’t focus on anything. She could barely hear his words or her thoughts over the blood raging through her.
He stepped closer. Just one step. It was enough to make the alarm bells ring louder. Her chaotic thoughts scrambled. His predatory cat eyes stayed locked on her as if daring her to run. Payton gulped down the breath stuck in her throat. Her knees knocked together, and her legs threatened to give way. She visibly shook. The other knife slipped from her grip.
Themba inhaled deeply through his nose. His eyes fluttered as he did. He moaned on the exhale. That toothy smile was back again. “My blood likes you.”
What the hell does that even mean?! Is he going to eat me?!
&nb
sp; An ear-shattering alarm sounded.
Themba inspected the sky and his eyebrows pulled together. Before he could take another step, the ground opened, and he dropped. The alarm silenced, and he was gone.
Payton’s jaw dropped. “Wh—?” She stared at the empty spot where he’d stood and blinked rapidly. She pointed a shaky finger at the tree he’d leaned against. “That didn’t just happen.”
Jack whined.
It did. I just met an alien.
Her stomach clenched and throw-up erupted from her throat. She barely had time to lean over and empty her stomach. She vomited until there was nothing left. Then she dry heaved. When she was finished and couldn’t stay on her feet any longer, she dropped to the ground into a spent heap. Jack glued himself to her side, providing a comforting force. Payton threw her arm around him and pulled him into her lap.
Where the hell are we?
“I-is everyone still there?” Payton recognized Esme’s voice coming over the wristband. She sounded just as scared as Payton felt.
“We just ran into some pretty freaky shit,” Ben said next. “We need for everyone to check in. Ben, Esme, Miranda, and the kids are safe. Who else is out there?”
“Yesenia is still here.”
“Min is too.”
“Kaylin and Danny have seen some scary crap, but we’re still here and hanging on by threads,” Danny said.
Payton took gulping breaths, trying to push the hot spit back down to her stomach. She hugged Jack closer. “Payton and her trusty sidekick are still alive.”
Silence.
“Where is Mary Ann and Spencer?” Ben asked.
Silence.
Shit. Payton thought Mary Ann and Spencer were idiots for not believing they were on an alien planet, but she hadn’t wanted anything to happen to them.
“I guess we know who was screaming,” Min said.
Screaming? She hadn’t heard anything. Maybe the others hadn’t used a pod to get away. Why hadn’t they? Payton curled her fingers into a fist as tears spilled her eyelids.
Those idiots.
After allowing herself a few more minutes to cry, Payton raised her head and wiped her face. Crying wouldn’t do a lick of good for Mary Ann, Spencer or herself. Dr. Rebecca had told her crying was normal and expected in emotional situations, but not to lose herself in the act.
Hunted by the Alien Prince Page 4
