Abducting the Ambassador

by Lily Thomas

  Oh man, she really didn't want to die, but there was some information she couldn't give up without jeopardizing trillions of peoples' safety, not just Earth, but other species.

  Footsteps rang through the halls, slowly growing more and more distant, or so she assumed, but she couldn't tell with all the echoes bouncing off the rock walls.

  Nothing could've prepared her for this. She'd been trained on what to do in these situations, but she'd never had the chance to put it to use. There was the possibility she might not make it out of this alive, and she had to come to terms with that.

  Heart pounding, Rylnuhn shoved his bedroom door open and found his room… empty.

  Where the hell was the ambassador? He'd waited a long time to get his hands on her, watching her from a distance for so long not able to make a move, but he'd been presented with an opportunity he couldn't let pass by, for both their sakes. Now he was impatient to see her in person and see if it was really true.

  He'd left specific instructions that she should be dropped off in his room and kept there until his return. Rylnuhn had been unable to be present on the planet when the ambassador arrived, but he was keen to make up for lost time.

  Would she remember him? Assuming she'd even taken any notice of him in the first place.

  He'd be slightly insulted if she didn't remember him. Even for a Vrak'rir, he was an impressive specimen, standing a full head higher than most other men and the brawn to back up a fight. But he wasn't all brute strength. He'd had an exceptional upbringing when it came to his education.

  Then again, he'd been in a large crowd of people the first time he'd seen her, but she was out of his reach. He'd restrained his Vrak'rir urges and watched her from a distance, knowing she'd be his one day.

  His pulse skyrocketed as her image flashed through his mind. Would her frizzy red hair still have a mind of its own? He hoped so. It was a quality he liked the most about her, and he was eager to get to know more about her personality.

  As he strode into the hallway, he ran into a servant. "Where is the human woman being held?"

  "Wh-what?"

  "The human woman!" Rylnuhn barked. Did no one listen to him?

  The Vrak'rir woman turned her wide black eyes up to him. "I heard rumor of a human woman being held down in the dungeon."

  "Dungeon," Rylnuhn repeated dumbly.

  "Yes."

  "Who the hell put her in the dungeon?!" He barked and watched as the Vrak'rir woman cringed a bit. "Continue with your work," Rylnuhn muttered. She wasn't about to have any answers for him.

  He'd find the responsible party and show his displeasure towards the right person in just time. There was no need for him to take his anger out on an innocent servant going about her business.

  Someone had disobeyed his orders with the ambassador's treatment, and they would be dealt with severely and without any mercy. Mercy wasn't really his style.

  Chapter 6

  Distant footsteps echoed down the rocky corridor, and her head shot up. Someone was coming down the hall!

  Susan had no idea if they were coming for her or bringing another unlucky soul into the medieval cavern, but she was excited nonetheless. It was another chance at getting her freedom granted.

  Susan ran forward, her hands wrapping around the cold metal bars of her cell. She peered into the murky darkness, as the rushed footsteps grew louder. They were definitely coming her way. Time to find out whether or not she'd be tortured for information, although she couldn't think why they'd bought her if not for the information she held.

  Straightening her shoulders, she prepared herself for the person heading her way, but nothing could've prepared her for what she saw striding through the inky black of the dark corridor.

  A Vrak'rir!

  A huge fucking blue Vrak'rir.

  Her eyes bugged out of her head, and she backpedaled in her small cell until her back was pressed up against a rocky wall, sharp edges pushing into her soft skin.

  Maybe she'd pissed off the Daen'su, and he'd sent the big guard to teach her a lesson. Lesson learned! The screams from earlier echoed in her mind. Maybe this had been the torturer, and she was his next victim.

  Susan prayed he'd just stride past her cell and leave her alone. She might be an ambassador, but there were some battles better not fought, and this was one of those. Vrak'rir were hard to deal with in the best of circumstances. They had quick tempers, massive bodies, and had never really been her favorite species to deal with as an ambassador. Stubborn was one way of describing them. Another way would be inflexible. Vrak'rirs were the blue demons of the universe, except without horns.

  The Vrak'rir stopped in front her cell, and her jade eyes collided with his ebony ones. Her heart leaped into her throat, as she met the dark depths of his eyes. Was there a soul in there?

  Hopefully, he wasn't her buyer, because he already scared the crap out of her.

  Should she say something? Probably.

  Susan worked her mouth, but nothing came out. Then she cleared her throat and took a step towards him. What was she scared of? There was a cage door between them. At the moment, she was safe, and she couldn't just stand there in silence like a dummy.

  "I'm Susan Mallery, the ambassador of Earth. Who are you?"

  His ebony eyes traveled from her face down to her toes and then back up to her face. Her skin prickled under his silent scrutiny. Was he focusing in on her frizzy hair? She probably looked like an unkempt weirdo.

  "This is where you introduce yourself." Susan prompted him keeping her spine straight, and her eyes fixed on him. She didn't want to appear weak and have him think he could take advantage of her.

  Her eyes roamed over him in return as he remained a silent wrath in front of her. Tattoos were scattered across his arms, and she was sure they continued across his chest under his shirt. Tattoos were a sign of a Vrak'rir's position and power. Clearly, he had both of those.

  His black hair was only an inch long, creating a spiky look to his head.

  He drew her attention back to his hands, as he took out a key and popped open the padlock with a click.

  Susan's heart fluttered away inside her chest, as the door creaked open. The Vrak'rir stepped into the doorway, filling it with his broad shoulders.

  His nostrils widened, as he took in a deep breath of air. Then his eyes shot up to hers, and before she could blink, he pressed up against one of the rock walls.

  "I knew what you were to me the very day I saw you a year ago." He growled into her ear. His head bent into the crevice of her neck. "But I was never able to get close enough to you to be sure."

  Stalker? Susan's mind raced. His masculine scent overwhelmed her, it was like leather and sandalwood, and it pulled at every female fiber in her body.

  Finally gaining enough courage she raised her hands to his shoulders and shoved, but he went nowhere. It was like trying to push a boulder up a hill.

  Instead, a clawed fingertip caressed the violently pulsing vein in her neck. She was going to die. One slip of that black claw and he'd easily end her life in a flow of gushing blood.

  Susan trembled a bit. This was the exact reason she didn't enjoy dealing with Vrak'rir. One of the more stubborn and emotion-driven species. She wasn't even sure they'd heard of logic and reason, and her job was driven by logic and reason.

  "Are you my buyer?" She choked out, ever fearful of the black claw that was now caressing up and down her jugular.

  "I am."

  "Who are you?"

  "Rylnuhn."

  "Was there a reason you paid so much for me?"

  "Nothing that can't take time to explain."

  Cryptic, but she'd roll with it for now.

  "Was there something you wanted me to get for you?" A planet? A warship? She prayed it wasn't a warship. Getting him control of a planet would be easier, weirdly enough.

  "In time, we will discuss what I want."

  He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips. His tongue caressed the crease of her lips, b
ut she refused to open them to his insistent tongue. With a growl of frustration, he stopped his advancements.

  "Come, I will take you to better accommodations." Rylnuhn stepped away, but his black eyes never strayed from her. "The man I hired did not understand his instructions, and you can be sure he will pay for his treatment of you."

  Rylnuhn's eyes caught sight of something on her head, and he placed a hand on her scalp. Susan winced, yanking her head out of his probing reach.

  "Who did this to you?" His black eyes seemed to darken even more as he moved in.

  Susan held her ground, but she had to admit he was a terrifying man, and his kiss had definitely been unexpected. If he was trying to throw her off, he was doing a fantastic job of it.

  "One of your other prisoners did this when I escaped from this cell."

  A smile creased his lips for one nanosecond before it was wiped away. It made her doubt it was even there in the first place.

  "You escaped?"

  "Yes, but ran into a Daen'su, and he brought me back to the cell."

  "You will find it hard to escape this compound, but you are welcome to try." A smile creased his lips, a smile that sent a few shivers down her spine. She was dealing with a wolf. A hungry wolf.

  Susan straightened her shirt, glad to have his deadly claw away from her delicate throat. Her hand rubbed her the length of her neck. "Thank you for the warning, but maybe I'll determine that for myself."

  "I'm sure you will. I will have the man responsible for putting you down here punished in short time."

  "No need to punish anyone on my behalf, just as long as I get new accommodations." Although the Daen'su did have it coming for what he'd done. He hadn't been the nicest fellow, but sicking a Vrak'rir on him seemed wrong and maybe even cruel.

  Rylnuhn's black eyes skimmed over her body again. It was like he was memorizing her curves, and it made her skin crawl a bit. The Vrak'rir was paying a bit too much attention to her for her liking.

  Susan folded her arms in front of her chest. She knew it was a defensive move, but she was feeling a bit defensive about how he was eating her with his eyes.

  "Maybe after we're done talking we can come to an agreement for my release."

  A smile broke over his face, as he shook his head. "Unlikely to happen, Susan Mallery."

  He was dashing her hopes one word at a time.

  "May I ask why not? Surely, when I get you what you want I can leave, and everyone will be happy." She cocked an eyebrow at him. As long as he didn't want her life.

  "Come. You might get a chill if you stay down here any longer. I don't need you catching an illness when I spent so much money on you."

  Susan frowned. He wasn't giving her much to go on, and it bothered her. "It might be easier if you told me what you want."

  Rylnuhn held out a claw-tipped hand, as he guided her out of the cell. "Patience, my ambassador. Patience."

  She strode out of the cell. He might not want to talk…yet, but she wasn't going to miss an opportunity to leave this damp and chilly cell behind.

  Rylnuhn pulled up beside her, as they walked through the dark corridor. Shuffling noises came from a few of the cells they passed. It was too dark to see any of the prisoners, but it sounded like they were scooting further into the darkness of their cells like they wanted a lot of distance between themselves and the Vrak'rir who was escorting her.

  "Keep a lot of people down here?"

  "Only people who have what I need."

  "Like?"

  "Patience Susan."

  She sighed. He was going to be difficult.

  "You're clothing is charred." His deep voice vibrated through the air.

  Susan glanced down at her clothing. She hadn't even noticed her charred clothing since she'd woken up in the cell. "You can see that?" Her eyes had a hard time picking up on the state of her clothing, and hers were closer.

  "It's always amazed me humans have been able to survive with their limited senses."

  Susan bristled, but let it roll off her. It was time to get her ambassador face on and play ball with Rylnuhn.

  "Thankfully we have plenty of technology to help us along." She joked along with him.

  A hearty chuckled carried over the rocky walls. "So, your clothing? What happened to them?"

  "I was shot at." Glancing up she was just able to pick up on the horror that quickly spread over his face.

  Rylnuhn moved in the blink of an eye, pressing her up against a rocky wall again.

  Susan let out a chirp of alarm. "You really must announce your movements, if you're going to move so quickly."

  Her heart thundered away under her breast. She might have a position of power in her world, but at the moment she was powerless, and she wasn't a huge fan of it. Rylnuhn could easily snap her neck like a twig if he wished.

  "Don't move." He commanded her, as he bent down on a knee in front of her so he could examine her wound.

  "It's alright." Susan tried to scoot away from him, but his hands shot out to grab her waist.

  "Don't move." Rylnuhn leaned in to growl in her ear, his voice brooking no argument.

  "It's really alright. There's nothing to be concerned about anymore." Susan pressed as she stood stock still. No need to piss off the Vrak'rir.

  "Let me be the one to determine that." His fingertips pressed against her flesh sending thrills racing through her. His ebony eyes looked up to see her reactions, as he pushed on different spots.

  "See, it's all fine." She said, feeling a little flustered and light headed. After that kiss he placed on her lips, she was uncertain of his intentions.

  He stood, and she craned her neck up to meet his eyes. Boy, did he tower over her.

  "You will see my doctor anyway, and then we will know if you are fine. I can't have you dying. You're too valuable." Rylnuhn informed her in a no-argument voice.

  "I was already treated by a human doctor, and she was confident about my health and recovery." Susan tried again.

  "You will see my doctor, Susan Mallery, and there will be no more questioning my decisions." His black eyes bored holes into her with their intensity.

  Susan arched an eyebrow. This was a weird side to a Vrak'rir that she'd never seen before. When had they become caring about others' health? Then again, he had spent twelve million credits to get her alive.

  "Ok, but your doctor is going to tell you the same thing I just told you, and it's going to be a waste of your time."

  "It's my time to waste."

  Susan snorted. "We've only just met, but we sound like an old married couple."

  He paused for a second, and she assumed he was just taking in the saying. "What do you mean by that?"

  "Us." She pointed between them. "Our bickering sounds like an old couple fighting over inconsequential matters."

  "Your health is not inconsequential. I bought you, and I was promised a healthy delivery. If I was lied to about your care, the responsible parties will be held responsible."

  There we go. Susan had thought he might actually care about her, but he cared about what his money had bought him. He'd spent twelve million credits on her, so of course, he'd be worried about his money going down the drain if she died.

  He grabbed hold of her arm, and she shrugged him off.

  "I can follow you without being guided like a child." She wanted to remain on his good side, but she didn't want him to get the idea that she'd be easily bossed around. The best way to deal with a Vrak'rir was to use assertiveness and show strength. Weakness was not something tolerated in their society.

  "Then come human."

  Rylnuhn was annoyed that she'd been wounded. Someone he'd hired hadn't done their job correctly, and he was pissed.

  Susan insisted she was okay, but he couldn't take any risks. Not only did she have information that he needed, but she was his mate. Her health and safety were of the utmost importance, and the fact that someone had been careless with his mate set his blood on fire.

  He'd waited nearly a
year to have her in his company, and he refused to let her be taken from him from a plasma shot. He'd been patient, but now that her scent surrounded him, his protective Vrak'rir instincts had kicked in.

  He watched her hips sway in front of him, as she sashayed down the corridor. His cock swelled in his pants, and he briefly closed his eyes, willing it to calm down.

  He'd been right to think she didn't remember him. It'd been a busy day for her, and he knew that if he'd had the chance to personally meet her, she would never have forgotten him.

  It didn't surprise him though. Humans didn't have mates so he would've just been one more alien in the crowd, but he had his hands on her finally.

  They came up to a junction in the corridor.

  "Where now?" Susan prompted, her musical voice washing over him.

  "To the left, and then up the stairs. After that, we will take a right, and the next door on the right will be the medical bay."

  She gave a confident nod before marching off. She wanted to get this doctor visit over with.

  It wasn't like he didn't trust her judgment or that of a human doctor, but he couldn't take a risk with her life. It was the same reason he'd kidnapped her. It wasn't right for a Vrak'rir to be away from his mate. How could he see to her happiness and health if she wasn't within reach? They'd been apart for long enough.

  They walked up the flight of stairs, and then came to the door of the medical bay.

  "Allow me." Rylnuhn stepped in front of her and opened the door.

  "Thank you."

  He didn't miss the surprise in her voice. She was like everyone else in the universe. No one thought a Vrak'rir could be civil. They weren't just mindless creatures though. If she knew how much he was restraining his inner instincts, she'd probably be impressed.

  Rylnuhn wanted nothing more than to push her up against a wall and ravish her before their clothes hit the floor. His cock was hard as a rock after their sad kiss. He'd have to woo his human mate.

  He finally had his mate right in front of him, but he knew he had to proceed with caution. She was a human, and they didn't have mates, which meant he could spook her with such an admission. For now, he'd keep that information to himself and hope he could win her over in the meantime.