by Zena Zion
Her brain was still processing the situation at an agonizing pace.
“Thank you.” She whispered. “For…” Her gaze swept over the carnage at her feet, coming to rest on the man who was attempting to close the bloodied wound in his stomach.
Even by the pale light of the streetlamp, she could tell that there was a lot of blood.
Perhaps, her senses were heighted by the stresses of the situation, or perhaps her empty stomach was affecting her more than she had thought, but Ruby realized that she could smell the blood that was pooling a few feet from her. The tinny, sickly sweet smell of fresh blood made her head spin and she felt her body sway. A low tolerance for blood had always been a weakness of Ruby’s.
She watched the stranger as he eyed her with a wariness that revealed his alert perception of her condition. Still, he remained silent.
She tried to avert her eyes. To look anywhere but at the bleeding man or the handsome stranger. Ruby was not entirely sure which presented a more disturbing image.
Her heart beat fast as her mind swam with lewd fantasies of the man before her. She had known that her over active imagination would surge into overdrive when in close proximity to the man, however the reality was even more terrible than she had predicted.
In silence, he observed her.
An uncomfortable blush rose in her cheeks and before she could stop herself, she had raised a trembling hand to press against the heated skin.
She cleared her throat, determined to attempt one last expression of gratitude before returning to the safety of her hotel room.
Would he walk her back? Ensure her safe delivery?
Did she want him to? Or, was keeping a safe distance the best bet in regard to a conclusion of this already traumatic night.
The man at her feet groaned once more. His foot kicked out and sent a small silvery object flying across the ground.
Ruby’s eyes caught sight of the bloodied knife. Too late to steel herself for the reaction, she felt her knees go weak and the world around her spin. Her body slumped toward the ground and in an instant, she found herself swept into the muscular arms of the stranger.
Their bodies pressed together, his firm against her soft curves, and her head fell back to look into his face.
For a moment, Ruby wanted to say something but the words would not come.
She watched the pupils of his grey eyes contract as their faces hovered mere inches from each other. The world spun, her thoughts grew fuzzy, and the world went black.
CHAPTER 3 - Plasmosorth
How much time had passed when Ruby awoke, she could not say. Hours? Seconds?
She felt as if it had only been an instant since the stranger had swept her into his arms, and yet the scenery was so different that she could only assume that some time must have passed.
The light blue pulsing of the overhead light was the first thing that drew her attention. The second was the gentle trickle of water, like a creek running over a bed of stone.
Ruby shifted her gaze and realized that the stranger’s face continued to hover above her own. His chin level with her forehead as he watched her with concern.
Her body was still slung across his arms. Had he carried her the entire way? Where were they? She wondered.
With the slow movements of caution, the man lowered Ruby to the comfort of an enormous bed before stepping away. The material was very soft. Unlike any material Ruby had felt before. Probably expensive, she concluded.
The truth was that this was not her hotel room.
The stranger had brought her to some place that she had never been before. Was it a home? She could not tell. The ultra-modern design of the spacious room left the impression of an extremely sterile environment, if nothing else.
A series of metallic gadgets stood on the table near the wall, their whirling motions distracting Ruby in her drunken state, drawing her eyes toward them and making her wonder what their purpose might be.
She continued to observe the room. The sound of water came from a steady stream that was falling from the ceiling into what appeared to be a shallow pool. The effect was not unsatisfactory.
“Where…?” She began but paused as her head began to spin once more. What had happened to the bikers? She tried to remember but failed.
“Welcome to Plasmosorth.” The stranger’s voice seemed fuzzy to her ears. Exhaustion was taking over and Ruby had thought that he had said some strange word that she did not recognize.
“What is this? A hotel?” Her words were taken over by a massive yawn. “Plasma screen. Like the T.V.?” she mumbled while curling herself more comfortably into the luxurious pillows.
She heard a deep chuckle from her companion. Instinctively, she knew that she was safe in this place, with this man. Something about his demeanor told her that he would ensure that the trauma of the night was over. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to succumb to the callings of sleep.
Ruby awoke the following morning with a pounding headache. At least, she thought that it was morning. There were no windows in the room and she could not be entirely certain about the time of day.
She rolled over, pressing her eyes shut, wishing that she could slip back into the comfort of her dreams.
All night she had dreamt of the sexy stranger. The man that she had seen throughout the town. She had dreamt that he had rescued her from a group of scary bikers, taken her to his home, and made passionate love to her throughout the night.
She smiled to herself as she remembered her wild imaginings.
Stretching her arms above her head, she shifted into a more comfortable position.
Her arm came down against what was distinctly a very muscular, very naked, male chest.
Ruby’s eyes snapped open in horror to reveal the slumbering face of the stranger from her dreams.
His features were gentler in sleep, almost childlike. A direct contrast from his usual stoic, commanding presence.
She slowly peeled her arm away from his chest but saw that he was beginning to wake.
Ruby slipped from the bed and noted that she was still entirely clothed.
She mentally chastised herself for her drunken behavior.
What had happened and where was she?
She glanced around for a way out and her eyes fell upon the door across the room.
The stranger was beginning to shift under the covers now. He would be fully awake any second and she hoped to be gone before he realized.
Her hand reached for the handle but the knob turned before her touch and the door was thrust open.
In strolled three people that Ruby had never seen before.
Two men and a woman sauntered into the room with barely a glance at Ruby who pressed herself against the wall with wide eyes and flaming cheeks.
Their features, like the stranger, were accentuated by olive skin and hair of the darkest brown. Their eyes, likewise, a steely grey that was both unnerving and captivating at the same time.
“Sir, we heard word of your arrival early this very morning.” One of the males spoke from where he now stood, at the foot of the bed. His words were the final key in the waking of the sleeping stranger, who now sat up from the center of the bed.
Ruby’s eyes were drawn to his wide, muscular torso. It was even better than she had imagined. She had imagined it, hadn’t she?
The stranger’s gaze shifted to her briefly before returning to his guests.
“You found her!” The female exclaimed, finally noticing Ruby where she hovered in the far corner.
“Yes, Nasma.” The stranger’s voice was husky from sleeping and he gave the woman a sharp look that Ruby did not comprehend. The woman, however, seemed to get the message and quickly fell silent. “Gather whatever she might need and have it arranged accordingly. Ensure that you leave nothing to want.”
The woman shuffled from the room and he turned his attention to the two men. Ruby realized that they were identical.
“What news?” He demanded.
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“None.” Spoke one.
“There has been no progress on the…” The other glanced sideways at Ruby before continuing on in purposefully vague descriptions, “…on the mission. We are working on tracking… them. However, it has been nearly impossible… given the circumstances.”
“Fine.” The stranger waved his hand as if unconcerned. “We shall wait for them here.”
“Sir?” The first twin spoke again.
“They will come to us.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “They have no choice.”
“Yes, Sir.” Both men replied in unison.
“Dripgoth, you are to ensure the preparation for their arrival. We will need all hands ready if we are to keep them from entering the city. Glipnorth, you will travel to the outposts and rally support. Send word to the twelve moons and request supplies and soldiers. That will be all for now.”
The men nodded and turned as one to exit the room.
Ruby realized that she had been listening with rapt attention, and yet understood none of it.
Finally, when they were once again alone, the stranger turned his attention to Ruby.
“Come.” He patted the bed beside him. “Sit.”
“Excuse me?” Ruby stared at him in shock. Did he honestly expect her to obey his commands as simply as the others had?
He raised an eyebrow at her challenge. It was clear that he was unused to being questioned.
With an exaggerated sigh, he climbed from the bed and approached her. She was glad to see that, though his torso was bare, the lower half of his body was covered in a pair of low-slung satiny pants.
Ruby forced her eyes upward and tried not to imagine what lay beneath.
“How are you feeling?” He busied himself at the table of whirling objects before turning to hand her a small cup that looked to be hewn from animal bone. It was filled with a frothing green liquid that made Ruby wrinkle her nose.
“I want to go home.” She demanded. She was trying to piece together the events of the past twelve hours and nothing made sense. That, in combination with a righteous hangover, was making her irritable.
“You cannot go home.” His words were stated as if he expected no argument. Again he offered her the cup, which she continued to ignore.
“I can go home, and I will.” She pushed past him and headed for the door.
For a brief instant, the stranger’s hand closed around Ruby’s upper arm, preventing her from leaving. With a hiss of pain, she pulled away and glared at him. Her opposite hand cradled her arm, which she now realized was covered in mottled bruises.
She looked from her arm, up to the stranger.
“The bikers?” She asked. “They were real?”
“Bikers…” He mused. “Yes, you were attacked last night.”
“Then…” she felt a blush rise to her cheeks. “Was it all real?”
“All of what?” He seemed to be testing her. Testing what she remembered. What she believed.
“Did we…?” she grimaced.
The stranger let out a loud bark of laughter.
“No.” He continued to chuckle. It was a pleasant sound. A smooth, sexy laugh. “That would have been your imagination, little human. On principle, I require my women to be cognizant, willing participants. Though, I would thoroughly enjoy a recap of what you thought occurred.”
“You wish.” She muttered. His cocky, self-assured, attitude made her regret revealing her graphic fantasies. “Where am I?” she snapped. “What kind of hotel is this and who were those people?”
“You might want to sit, as I had previously suggested.” Again, he held the cup out.
“I’m not drinking that.” She peered over the edge and grimaced. It looked, and smelled, disgusting.
“It will help with the effects of last night. All of them.” He gestured at the bruises on her arm and she again eyed the cup, wondering if it would be worth it.
She plugged her nose and drained the cup, coughing at the bubbly sensation of the liquid. It tasted like mud but, almost instantly the throbbing in her head and arm began to subside.
“Now will you tell me what the hell is going on?” She needed answers and she wanted them immediately.
“What do you remember?” He asked.
“I don’t know. Some bikers. You beat them up and… oh crap. The blood.” She sank down on the edge of the bed and put her head between her knees. Trying to calm the effects of the memory of so much blood.
After a few moments, she took a deep breath and continued.
“Then I fainted, I think, because the next thing I remember was opening my eyes and we were here. Then, you said something about a television and that’s all I remember.”
“I see.” He sat down beside her. She could tell that he was considering his next words with great care. “You didn’t faint. The blackness that you remember was from the T-Port console that I activated. That brought us here… to Plasmosorth.”
Ruby groaned in frustration and flopped back on the bed to stare at the ceiling.
“I never understand anything you say.” She grumbled.
Again, he chuckled. He appeared to be amused by her confusion. Like an adult, watching a child try to walk and stumble repeatedly.
He leaned over her slightly to draw her attention.
“A T-Port console is a mobile teleportation device that my species uses for intergalactic travel. My name is Srahn, commander of the army here on planet Plasmosorth. There will be no returning to Earth for you, Ruby Farland.”
She sat up so suddenly that Srahn was forced to retreat to his original position with one quick thrust.
“OK. Now I KNOW I’m crazy.” Ruby began pacing the floor muttering to herself. Her mind attempted to grasp any rational part of his explanation and simply could not find one.
“You aren’t crazy, Ruby.” Srahn stood and approached her as if she were a wild stallion that needed calming. She backed away from him.
“You’re crazy!” she shouted. Clearly, this man was insane. Clearly, he was making up some stupid planet as an excuse to make Ruby think that… To think what? She wondered.
She did not see any benefit to the lie. Could think of no reason that he would have to keep her from going home. Except…
“You were following me!” she accused. “What are you? Some kind of a stalker? What do you want? I don’t have money. I don’t even have a job. I have no family left. You won’t get a ransom. I’m fairly certain that I’m going insane so good luck bucko…”
Her rambling was halted when he grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a light shake. Wordlessly, he spun her away from him and walked her toward the door. With his hands still on her shoulders, he steered her out onto the landing of what appeared to be a massive skyscraper.
Ruby faced an entire wall of windows that looked out over some sort of futuristic city.
Buildings floated in mid-air. Vehicles shaped like tear-drops zoomed in chaotic patterns around the buildings. Water fountains shot thousands of feet into the air until they came in contact with a great clear dome that covered the entire city. The effect created a light, misty, rain that glistened in the brilliant light of the sun. The simulated weather covered the city in hundreds of rainbows.
Ruby stepped forward and pressed her hands to the glass. Her eyes could not take in all of the wonderful technologies that lay before her. As she stood there in silence, for how long she could not say, the fountains ceased their flow and the misty rain evaporated before her very eyes. All that remained was a city covered in tiny glistening droplets that shone like diamonds on the now sunny day.
“I… I…” She tried to speak but had no idea what to say.
“Would you like to go back inside and sit down?” Srahn asked.
She nodded. Feeling very much like a child, she followed him back into the calm sanctuary of his home.
She did not know what to do with herself. She felt lost and needed comfort so she climbed back onto the bed and pulled all of the covers around her. As
she sat there, bundled in her cocoon, Ruby watched Srahn where he sat on a small chair near the door that she had not noticed previously.
“What am I supposed to do here?” She asked after some time had passed. She could not stay here. She needed to return to Earth.
“You’ll live a very comfortable life.” Srahn informed her. “I have substantial wealth and will take care of all of your needs.”
“I don’t want your money.” She scoffed. “I can get my own job.”
Srahn raised his perfectly arched eyebrows. “That would be a grave insult to my position. I will not allow it.”
“I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.” She argued.
“Be that as it may, that is not how things work on this planet.” He waved away her argument as if it were a non-issue. “The women on this planet are provided for by their mates. As my destined mate, it will be my duty to provide for you. You should be pleased for I am one of the wealthiest males who have yet to take a… what do you call them on your planet? Wife?”
“Destined mate?” Ruby rolled her eyes. “That’s a bit archaic, don’t you think?”
“Absolutely not. We choose our mates with great care.” Srahn seemed to think that his decision was final. “I have been waiting to choose mine and knew upon first observing you that you were an exceptional creature. After much observation, I can say with perfect confidence that you are the one I choose. Once you agree, you’ll be made a citizen of Plasmosorth and it will be no issue that you originated from Earth.”
“Once I agree?” Ruby could not believe the arrogance of Srahn. It was as if he expected her to fall at his feet and praise him as a great prize. Sure, he was incredibly handsome, apparently rich, and an excellent source of protection, but Ruby would not be steamrolled by some misogynistic alpha male who thought that he was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
“Of course.” He shrugged. “It is only natural. Though, I must say, according to your apparent imaginings sooner, rather than later, would be preferable.”
Her cheeks flushed at his mention of her sultry dreams.
“You just need to forget about that.” She demanded.
