by Gabby Dark
My father always claimed that our cravings were our weaknesses. Why would he flaunt this fragile human in front of me? Why would he threaten to strip her away after giving her to me?
I recalled her hazel-colored eyes. I’d seen almost every emotion in them. Anger. Fear. Apprehension. Defiance. Arousal. As I’d told her, trying to intercept her thoughts was difficult. So much was going on inside her head.
Was my sixth sense playing tricks on me or was this deep-down feeling just as real as she was sleeping in my bed naked under my blankets?
Perhaps I should have listened to my warrior brothers. Enjoying my cravings in the past in moderation would’ve prevented this intense feeling of hunger, this need to feast abundantly on the arousal wetting her swollen sex like sweet glaze on a ripe fruit. She was very appetizing, but my kuvak stirred even now just thinking about how her human sheath would feel gripping my girth.
I was ravenous with hunger. A hunger I feared I couldn’t control. This was nothing but the beast getting the best of me. Or was I mistaken?
The sheets clung to her womanly form like a glove. Her body was made for the purpose of breeding. The human males on her Earth hadn’t seen that. They were ignorant to not see that. My instincts told me she’d been forced to endure a great deal of trials and tribulations on her earth. I didn’t regret taking her and bringing her to Zuna. In Zuna, she would stay. I would never let anything or anyone hurt her ever again.
I remembered looking at her through the cryo-chamber nightly while she was being transported back to Zuna on the ship. Even in slumber, she affected me. When she was put in cleansing for days, I couldn’t see her. When she was presented at the market, her presence woke up the beast inside me—the part of me that wanted to breed and mate.
The sheet was pulled up to her chin, leaving just her face and head out. Her mane was abundant and her tresses formed loose silk curls to frame her heart-shaped face. Her hair color was a golden brown with hints of dark cinnamon. I’d never seen anything quite like it. Her skin was perfection, a shade of honey. I noted a scar on her back left shoulder earlier, but aside from that, she appeared untouched. Although, she was short by Zunatorian standards, she had a long, elegant neck. Her breasts were full and plump. Her nipples, stiff and perk and just a shade darker than honey. Her waist looked tiny, but her hips were wide. Her backend was rounded and looked soft to the touch. I wanted to rip the sheet off her body and taste her yet again.
She was a goddess. There was no other explanation for such beauty. I would not bring myself to spank her for killing in self defense.
She stirred on the bed, sniffled a bit, and then turned on her left side.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t see her face anymore. Only her mane.
I turned over on my back, closed my eyes, and willed the hungry beast to settle down.
Chapter Seven
Ryleigh
* * *
I woke up with a start. I hadn’t even planned to fall asleep, but the blankets had been so warm and this was the first time in forever that I had slept on anything that resembled a real bed.
I swung my feet over the sides and almost stepped on a big gray sleeping giant—Anik.
Odd. I hadn’t even heard him come in. Had I been sleeping that hard?
I tiptoed my way between the bed and the alien on the floor who, even in slumber, was the epitome of handsome. Out of this world different but handsome.
He laid on his back on the rug with one arm bent behind his head and the other off to the side. His big thighs were spread wide, but thank goodness his well-endowed cock was covered. Well, almost covered. A man that big could never hide his size behind a strip of fabric. What were these people thinking when they gave him that to wear?
Something weird was going on with his ǔre or whatever the hell they called it. Except for his loin cloth, some of his flesh was riddle with bruises and what looked like knife wounds. Fresh wounds. His ǔre appeared to be healing him, circling the scars over and over again until the flesh was covered over in skin.
Wow. Not only was he telepathic, he was also self-healing. What the hell?
Something sitting to the right of him caught my attention. The axe he’d left with the night before was laying right beside him near his outstretched arm. I bent down quietly and studied it. I wasn’t sure what the metal was, but it appeared to be more superior than anything I’d seen before. On the handle were carved symbols. I recognized them before, but couldn’t remember where. On the blade, I spotted a black gooey substance that looked almost like coagulated blood. I grimaced and looked closer. The axe had cut into something with black blood. Ick!
He wore jewelry. Or what I would call jewelry. They probably had another name for it on Zunator. A bracelet made of what looked like gold and fine crystals was on his left wrist. A larger one was looped around his right forearm, and a third adorned his ankle. Markings and symbols similar to what I saw on the axe were also inscribed into the jewelry.
I rose from a kneeling position and turned around. Before I could take a step, Anik’s hands clamped around my ankle. I lost my balance—or rather, he pulled me down on the floor with him, catching my fall with his body and then holding me still by the waist.
“Were you thinking of killing me in my sleep?” he asked.
“No. I was looking for the bathroom.” I jerked out of his embrace, although I didn’t want to. His arms had felt so warm around me.
“The washing room?” He pointed to a corner of the home, blocked off by a panel. “It’s there…not here.”
“I didn’t hear you come back in,” I said.
“I’ve only been resting for a few hours. When I came back, you were in a deep sleep. Dreaming, I think.”
I frowned. “Can you perceive dreams with your gift too?”
“Sometimes.”
“What happened to you last night?”
“The Barbs attacked us. After their attempt, we had to make sure that none of them slipped past the borders while we were distracted. They tend to do that sometimes to steal what they can.”
“Barbs?”
“Mindless beasts,” he replied.
“If they are mindless, how do they know to attack?”
“Hunting and attacking are in their nature. They do it because it is how they survive and how they reproduce.”
“Are you at war with them or something?” I asked.
“Not at war, but they’ve been attacking us since the beginning. On Zuna, territory and resources are limited. We are constantly fighting to make sure no other group takes away our properties. We’ve had to relocate and rebuild in the past. We’re still recovering from it in a way.”
“I’m glad you weren’t hurt,” I said, looking at all the battle wounds. “It looks like you’re healing…quickly.”
“My specie isn’t invincible. We can be killed. So, unfortunately, sometimes there are casualties.”
“They did not come to kill? These Barbs?”
“The Barbs wish to steal our resources more than anything else. Land. Hunting grounds. Shelter. They do not consider trade like most of our neighbors. They raid. Only raid. In this case, their alpha only needs to eliminate one specific person to achieve victory. The King, my Father. Well, maybe two persons. Except, I do not wish to be King. Unfortunately, there are other groups who would like nothing more than to wipe our colony from existence—King, prince, and all.”
“You mean other aliens? Other species?”
He nodded. “Mak.”
There was a soft knock at his front door. Dread and panic twisted at my sides.
“Don’t worry. The doctor has come to check my vitals.”
He stood up and brought me up with him.
“They’re coming in here? But I am not dressed,” I said. “I have no clothes.”
“Your body is beautiful, Ryleigh. You should not be ashamed.”
“I feel more comfortable in clothes. On Earth, we don’t walk around in the company of others naked.”
&nb
sp; He picked up the silk garment Pio’ata gave me earlier and handed it to me. “Use the washing room. Take this and put it on. I will send for more clothes for you.”
“Thank you.” I took the garment and retreated to the washing room.
Anik let the doctor inside the home. A woman. I stood behind the panel wishing I could understand what they were saying. After a while, I felt bad for snooping, so I made myself familiar with the washing room.
It took me a minute to figure out how to turn the water on and adjust it to just the right temperature. The toilet, shower stall, and a large tub were crammed together in one space behind the panel. It was good utilization of space, but small. Yet, who was I to judge? Compared to what I knew on Earth, feeling the fresh warm water wash across my skin was a luxury.
In the camps, we were lucky if we could get to running water every day. Every now and then we’d find abandoned subdivisions with homes or a huge mansion where we could stay a day, a week, or maybe even a month until we had to move out again. My group was always on the run. That’s how we evaded capture. Not that I didn’t enjoy going to different places and towns while I was traveling with the rebels. In our downtime, I would conjure up my adventures whenever I needed a mental escape or whenever I got bored. I would just whip out a sketch book or whatever supplies I had left and transform the image in a picture right from memory.
Closing my eyes, I stepped under the spout and let the massaging jets soothe my back and shoulders. I picked up a crystal bottle with what resembled liquid soap of some kind and squeezed it in my palm. When I rubbed my hands together, white suds formed. The aroma was something unfamiliar, but reminded me of the way Anik’s blankets smelled. The scent was also calming.
Soon, I forgot my predicament and had totally drowned out the voices of Anik and his doctor. The water felt so good.
Suddenly, the shower shut off.
“Ryleigh.”
I jumped, gasped, and almost slipped and fell.
“I’m sorry I scared you.” His gaze roamed over my naked body just like he did last night before he had his way with me. He held out a thick cloth. “I brought you something to dry yourself with.”
Exhaling I took the cloth and wrapped it around me. “I guess this is my cue to get out of the shower now.”
“The water shuts itself off. It’s on an automatic timer.”
“Oh.”
“Pio’ata is here. She must evaluate you to make sure you are adapting well to our environment,” he said.
“I feel okay,” I said, wondering if they’d put me back in a sleeping chamber if my vitals didn’t measure up. Other than a sudden craving for all the unhealthy junk food I shunned and took for granted back on Earth, I didn’t feel anything out of the ordinary. “Yes, I feel fine.” I nodded.
“Some humans fall ill shortly after arrival. We must monitor you for the next few weeks so that doesn’t happen. It’s best to fix things now so you’re not uncomfortable later. You will not have to go into cryo-chambers. We only use those in dire circumstances like for transporting and severe health threats,” he stated.
I swallowed. “Okay.”
“Prince Anik? Your Highness?” a male voice called out. “King Crencik requests your presence in his eating hall.”
I swallowed dry air and stiffened, knowing what a meeting with King Crencik could mean.
Anik grabbed a small zippered pouch from the top of a utility shelf and placed it on the counter. “These are toiletries you might need. I know you are hungry. I will go to the market to collect food. You must stay here until I return,”Anik said, and began to walk around the panel.
“Anik.” I touched the back of his arm, stopping him. “I…” I sighed, suddenly unable to find words.
I didn’t want to be left alone. I didn’t ask for any of this. I didn’t ask to be here. I didn’t want to be some brute warrior’s breeder. I didn’t want to be anyone’s breeder.
He studied me for a second, blue eyes signing bright with magical ǔre. A look of guilt washed over his face and then he shifted his gaze away from me to the floor.
“What will happen to me?” I asked.
“Under my roof and in my care, you are safe. I will return.”
He disappeared behind the panel again and I heard him giving instructions to Pio’ata which she replied, “Yes, Your Highness.”
My life, my future were in the hands of a Prince and his overbearing King. This situation reminded me of something else. In the nation, the rulers weren’t to be trusted. They were greedy, selfish, and savage. I became a rebel to overturn the current regime. I fled my childhood home to pursue this. I left with nothing but the clothes on my back, believing every word that my mother said—that one day I’d have a better life.
Pio’ata came around the panel and asked sweetly, “Are you ready for your check-up?”
“I think so.”
It didn’t take me long to finish drying off and pull on the silk. I walked out into the main room where Pio’ata was waiting.
“Pio’ata, will you tell me what happened to the other women?” I asked, as she brought me to sit down in a chair by the bed.
“I am not at liberty to discuss.”
“We were brought here as breeders?”
“Mak. You were.”
“Are there not enough women on Zunator?”
“We have more than enough. Currently, the vast majority of our women are not able to bear children. They conceive, but do not bear. The pregnancy self-terminates. We’ve identified the affliction but the cure is not yet viable.”
“When the cure is found will the captured women be released back to Earth?”
“No. We do not release any of our captives back to Earth. It would mean certain death. In either case, some of the warriors, even some of our common males, are enthralled by human woman. In the past, they have raided for human women, not because of the plague that prevents our own women from bearing offspring, but because human women are something they wish to have—to possess. To coerce into submission.”
I swallowed, thinking of the way Anik explored my body last night. My upper chest grew hot and I brought my arms up to cover my nipples.
Pio’ata gently took my arm and pressed a thumb to the pulse on my wrist. “Becoming submissive to our prince or any other warrior is not something you need to be ashamed of. It is a great honor to be chosen as you have. Many of our women might even wish to be in your place right now. Our warriors protect our colony, our people, and our way of life. Arranged matings are common. The warriors…they are not all cruel…” She looked like she wanted to say more, but then she looked to the door and her misdemeanor changed. One of Anik’s guards must have been standing on the outside.
“Do you check on the other women too? Have you seen Andara?” I asked, effectively changing the subject.
“The other human girls have their own doctors. I have been assigned to you. From here on out, it is my duty to make sure that you remain healthy for breeding and thereafter,” she said. “Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No.” I shook my head.
“Your Highness did not hurt you?”
“No.”
She looked away and began packing up her stuff. “When you are given to your warrior to be bred, I will visit you there at his home.”
“What do you mean? Who will I be given to?”
“They don’t tell me. Not yet anyway. Your Highness was charged with delivering your punishment to appease the brother of the warrior you killed.”
“Why…?”
“Why must he punish you…? Not only is Anik our Crown Prince, but he also commands our armies. He accepts responsibility for the fate of all of our warriors, warlords included. Fulcid was a warlord—a high ranking member of our colony. Because Fulcid died by your hand upon capture, his killing was considered a crime. However, more valuable than Fulcid’s life, which he has lived a great deal of, is your ability to create more life. You will not die for such a crime but your punishment may appea
se his brother.”
“Pio’ata, please don’t tell anyone that Anik did not hurt me.”
“I answer to Your Highness. I do what he commands. As for you, my duty is to keep you alive. You are in good health, Ry-lee.” She rose from the chair. “Until next time…”
Chapter Eight
Ryleigh
* * *
Zunatorian food was delicious. I ranked it a very close second after my mother’s home cooked meals which I loved and missed. I didn’t know the name for anything. Everything was just so good. Anik could’ve been poisoning me and I wouldn’t have known the difference.
Almost immediately after Pio’ata left, Anik had appeared with a platter which he dispersed on two plates. I felt like I could eat everything in sight. I was so pleased with the taste of everything that I hardly cared if Anik thought I was greedy.
The bread, which looked like a flat disc, had the texture of a yeast roll but it was denser. Fruit and vegetables were different here. Something that resembled a strawberry looked purple and the pomegranate-looking thing that Anik split in half at the table was yellow inside. The strips of dried meat tasted like bacon which I hadn’t had in a while. In a long while.
On Earth, food was scarce whether we lived on the settlements or not. We hunted and fished. We scavenged abandoned warehouses and markets for stables like canned goods, rice, and beans. We bartered with farmers and bakers during our travels.
“What do you call this?” I asked, pointing to the platter in the center.
“The food?”
“Yes. What we are having…what’s this? On Earth, we call it a meal.”
“Yǔrtupʼǔy is how you say meal in our tongue.”
“Jertup…”
“Jir-tup-ij,” he said slowly.
“Yes. That.”
His lips twitched only for a split second. He looked down at his plate and began stuffing the meat into his mouth. He ate with his hands. There were no knives or forks. Although, he did use some kind of flat wooden stick to spread something sweet on his bread before consuming it.
