The Arcav King's Mate

by Hope Hart

  “Holy shit,” he says.

  “I don’t know who you think I am, but you’ve got the wrong person.”

  It was the wrong approach to take, and I realize it the second it comes out of my mouth. The woman narrows her eyes, certain she’s right, and the man takes a step closer.

  I reach down and feel immediately calmer as my hand brushes my Glock. The man’s eyes follow my hand, and his eyes widen.

  “Don’t shoot.”

  Oh for fuck sakes.

  Everything hurts, and I’m surrounded by idiots. If this woman hadn’t run a stop sign, I’d be in one piece, hiding somewhere safe. Now I’m banged up, with no car and left to fend for myself on foot.

  “I’m a fucking cop,” I tell them, aware I’m digging my own grave. “I’m not going to shoot you.”

  We all flinch as my car explodes, and I watch it burn for a moment before I turn and jog away, ignoring the shouting behind me.

  Chapter 10

  Harlow

  If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: Sometimes you just have to cut people out of your life. You know when people say ‘you can’t choose your family,’ and then shrug their shoulders as if saying you simply have to put up with your sibling’s drinking, your mom’s abuse, or your father’s neglect?

  Fuck that.

  You can choose your family.

  I blame Josh for every painful step as I trudge warily down the road. My head throbs and my wrist aches with each movement, and it’s pitch black, the glow from the moon and the flashlight from my phone providing the only light.

  Eventually, I begin to stumble. I have no idea where I am, but I’m trying to stay away from the main road. I’ve never had a more miserable night, never felt more alone, and part of me wants to give up- to just hand myself in to the Arcav King. At least then I’d have food and a warm place to sleep.

  “No feeling sorry for yourself,” I mutter. “You chose to run, you deal with the consequences.”

  Taking ownership of the situation helps a little, but I still want to punch my brother in the face. The bands on my wrists itch slightly as I walk, and I glower down at them.

  Eventually, the sky begins to lighten, and there are more cars on the road. I can’t risk hitchhiking, and I’m down to my last water bottle, taking tiny sips as I walk. When the tenth RV passes me, I realize I must be close to a campground. My heart speeds up at the thought.

  I watch the RV pull into the entrance and sneak around the back. It’s still dark enough that no one else is around, the chattering birds the only sound back here. I groan as I climb the fence and haul my aching body over it, landing with a thud on the grass below.

  I’m looking at a row of small cabins, which face a pool. Behind the pool is the RV park, and a public bathroom calls to me like a lover. I’m taking some stupid risks, but my Glock gives me more security than I would otherwise have. I power walk to the bathrooms which are thankfully empty, but I’m conscious that the campers will begin waking up at any moment.

  The shower calls to me, but I can’t risk it, so I use the facilities and then wash my hands and cup them under the tap, slurping up water until I feel bloated and sick.

  I wince as I stare into the mirror. I look like a zombie, and I poke at the gash on the side of my head, which is still bleeding sluggishly. Hopefully it doesn’t need stitches. I rinse off as much blood as I can, using hand soap to clean my hair around the cut and wiping away the blood that collected around my ear.

  Finally, I sneak back to the cabins. A small storage shed is located next to the last cabin, and I sigh with relief as I try the handle. Some sloppy employee has left it unlocked, and I step in, wincing at the smell of cleaning products. The tiny shed is lined with shelves, and one corner is home to a ride-on-mower and tarp. I shift the shelves enough that the mower isn’t immediately in view but not enough to be noticeable, and climb behind it, underneath the tarp. I have no idea what I’ll do tonight, but I can’t risk being out during the day.

  I spend the day curled up under the tarp. While it’s early fall, the shed retains heat, and I’m soon wet with sweat. At one stage, the door opens and someone walks in. I freeze and tremble silently while they rummage around and then leave, slamming the door behind them.

  I’m typically a light sleeper, but I sleep hard, curled in my corner. At one stage I wake up, dry mouthed and desperate for water, but I forgot to refill my water bottles and I can’t risk walking around in the daylight. I dream of lakes, seas, and even pools as I sleep on and off throughout the day.

  It feels weird to go to sleep, knowing I’ll no longer see the Arcav King in my dreams. When I’m not guarding my thoughts, his name pops into my head, although I try to ignore it, craving distance.

  Varian.

  It’s a nice name. A foreign name. I’m pretty sure I moaned it out loud as he parted my thighs just two nights ago, and my face heats at the memory. I push it out of my head, and focus on taking stock of my aches and pains.

  My wrist is purple and swollen, and I examine it in the dim light. I have no idea if it’s broken or not, but I rip off the bottom half of my t-shirt and wrap it, biting down on my sweater as tears run down my face at the pain.

  Distantly, I wonder if the reason I’m sleeping deeply is because I have a concussion. I shrug it off. There’s nothing I can do about it right now.

  The worse my situation gets, the more certain I am that I will never turn myself in to the Arcav King. This can’t all be for nothing. I deserve freedom at this point. I stare into space, dreaming about Montana. I’ll have my own little house, a real bed, and all the water I can drink. I’m smiling at the thought when the door cracks open.

  “You can come out. I know you’re in there,” a voice says.

  Varian

  I think I may be going insane.

  Sure, the mating may be starting between Harlow and I, and she may even wear the mating bands. But this has always been a volatile time for the men of my race. It’s not until we claim our mates completely and the mating settles into place that we are able to gain complete clarity of thought.

  For now, I snap out of my red haze to find that I’ve completely destroyed my living quarters. My men stare at me, and one clutches his hand to his face, blood dripping down his arm. I’ve broken his nose, I realize, and my memory begins to return.

  He was the one who told me about the accident.

  My mate’s automobile was a burned-out husk, and her blood was found at the scene. We know her location now, thanks to the humans who hit her. My blood boils at the thought. A woman ran into Harlow and she could have killed her.

  The knowledge that to order her death would result in a massive outcry from the humans is the only thing holding me back. I play with the thought, and then shake it off. We do not kill women. And my mate protects humans. I’m tired of her looking at me with fear and disgust. One day I want to be the type of man she can be proud of. Although I know deep down that I am a long way from that day.

  “Where did this occur?”

  “In a state called South Dakota, Your Majesty.”

  “I want to speak to the humans involved.”

  Jaret steps forward, holding up a small box. “We have a recording from the interview with the human police.”

  He presses a button, and I grind my teeth as I see the couple who hurt Harlow appear on a screen.

  “I didn’t see the stop sign, and before I knew it, we’d crashed,” she sobs.

  “Tell me more about the woman you hit,” says the police officer, and I nod in approval.

  “The ca-car rolled over. I thought she was dead. But she was crawling out when my husband found her.”

  “She seemed shocked but okay,” adds the male. “She was favoring her left wrist though, and she had a nasty cut on her head.”

  “That’s why we thought we’d need an ambulance,” his wife says. “But she didn’t want that at all. And then we realized who she was.” She sniffs and more useless water runs down her face. �
�We weren’t going to hurt her or anything, but as soon as we recognized her, she took off.”

  “She had a gun,” says the male. “She looked desperate enough to use it.”

  “Point out exactly what direction she headed in on this map.”

  The screen goes blank, and Jaret takes the device from me. “The humans wanted to use canines to track her based on her blood, but by the time their police arrived it was too contaminated.” He clears his throat. “The car caught on fire, soon after she escaped.”

  I take a deep breath, hoping to keep control. I picture Harlow wandering from the wreckage, bleeding and confused, and my hands clench, claws cutting into my palms. Why won’t she come to me? She would rather be hurt and vulnerable than be with me?

  I ignore the wreckage around me and eye my warriors. “We go to this place now.”

  Chapter 11

  Harlow

  I freeze in place like a rabbit, and then sigh. Unless there’s someone else hiding in this tiny shed with me, the jig is up. I throw the tarp off and squint at the door. The figure is a dark blur, with the sun behind them.

  “Who are you?” I ask rudely.

  A low, masculine laugh has me reaching for my Glock.

  “I’m the owner of this place, honey. Who are you?”

  “No one.”

  He chuckles again. “Well, no one. You want to tell me why you’re hiding in my cleaning shed?”

  I’m silent, and he steps inside, closing the door slightly. His face is grizzled, with a dark grey beard matching a surprisingly full head of hair. “You in some kinda trouble, girl?”

  “Ray?” A shrill voice calls. “Ray?” Her voice gets louder, and he sighs.

  “You may want to pull that tarp back up—”

  The door opens, and a short, plump woman steps in. She’s wearing an apron, and her hair is curled neatly. Her eyes, however, are cold and shrewd as she takes me in.

  “What in the world? What’s going on here? Who are you?”

  She steps closer, and gasps. “I know your face. You’re all over the screen. You’re the Arcav King’s mate!”

  Ray raises an eyebrow, but otherwise looks unconcerned. She elbows him. “You know how much she’s worth?”

  He sends her a disgusted look. “She’s a human being, Tina.”

  She rolls her eyes, but looks slightly ashamed. “How did you get here?”

  “Car accident.”

  Ray scans me. “Looks like you could use some help. You want me to check out that cut?”

  I stare at him warily, and he grins. “I’m an ex-EMT. Used to patching up grumpy cops.”

  I forget that by now, everyone knows everything there is to know about me. Including my upbringing, friends, family, and job.

  I slowly get to my feet, wincing as my stiff muscles complain. Tina frowns at me but moves out of the way so I can climb around the ride-on mower.

  “We have an empty cabin,” Ray says. “Why don’t you take a shower while I get my first aid kit? Most of our guests are at the pool right now.”

  Every inch of my body longs for a shower. The idea of clean, warm water is seductive, but I hesitate. Finally, I shrug. These people have already found me hiding out here, and something about Ray’s warm, no-nonsense approach makes me trust him.

  Ray leaves to make sure the coast is clear, leaving me in the shed with Tina. I shift uncomfortably as she stares at me in disgust, finally choosing to ignore her as I reach for my backpack. She gasps as I lean over, and I follow her gaze down to where my sweater has rode up, exposing the glock in my holster.

  “Guns are illegal,” she hisses at me.

  I shrug. I’m alone, hiding from the aliens who invaded our planet. What does she expect?

  “My husband may be a soft touch, but you’ve endangered everyone here. What are we supposed to do if the Arcav find out where you are?”

  “I’m sorry if you feel like you’re in danger. I won’t be here long enough for the Arcav to know. I’ll take a shower and get out of your way.”

  I have no idea where I’ll go, but by now we must only be a few hours until sundown.

  She sniffs but goes silent as Ray walks back in.

  “Right, hurry up now, that’s a girl. We’re going to walk with you between us. No need to run, just walk normally.”

  My heart pounds, but there’s no one around as we walk along the path. I hear the sound of kids laughing and shrieking in the distance, and the splashing tells me Ray was right about most people being near the pool.

  We walk until we reach the first cabin. Ray unlocks the door and ushers me in, immediately gesturing to the small bathroom.

  When I was fourteen, my foster family sent me to summer camp. This cabin brings back memories of giggling with new friends, telling ghost stories, and talking until my eyes were heavy every night. There are two sets of bunk beds, along with a couple of small couches and a kitchenette. The bathroom consists of a small shower, sink, and toilet, and I can’t wait to freshen up.

  “Do you have some clean clothes?” Ray asks.

  I bite my lip as I pop my backpack onto the lowered lid of the toilet. I rummage around, pulling out clothes in dismay. I find a pair of jeans that just have a couple of spots of shower gel on them, but most of my clothes are covered in gel, and I’m wearing my only sweater.

  Ray grunts. “Tina, you don’t mind lending Harlow some clothes, do you?”

  “I’m not sure if I have anything that will fit,” she says sweetly, gesturing towards my chest. “We’re very different sizes. But I can take a look.”

  I almost smirk. Tina is even shorter than me, and I’m much curvier. But if she wants to have a pissing match she’ll have to do better than that. I have bigger problems to deal with.

  Ray frowns consideringly. “I might have a few clothes that will fit you. We’ll bring you some options while you shower and then I’ll take a look at that head of yours. You think you broke that wrist?”

  I’m holding it close to my chest, still scared to bump it, and I shrug. “It might just be a bad sprain.”

  “Okay, we’ll leave you to it. Let me know if you need anything.”

  Tina flounces off, slamming the door behind her. “Ray,” I blurt out. “Why are you doing this? Why help me?”

  “Because where I come from, women are more than just a piece of meat. If you want to run, I think you should be given every goddamn chance you can get. You may not get very far, but you deserve the right to choose.”

  I blink back tears, and Ray shifts his feet. “I’ll be right back.”

  I wipe my hand over my face as he leaves. Knowing that there are still people out there that believe I have a choice is everything to me right now. Not everyone thinks I’m more trouble than I’m worth like Tina, or believes I should hand myself in, like the news anchors who discuss me every day.

  I lock the door and place my gun on the floor near the shower so I can reach it if I need to. Then I strip. Someone has left some cheap shampoo and conditioner in the shower, and I wash my hair awkwardly with one hand, wincing as the suds sting the cut in my scalp.

  A knock sounds at the door and I jump.

  “I’m leaving some clothes on the bed,” Ray says.

  “Thank you!”

  I rinse off, squeeze my hair dry, and locate a clean pair of underwear- thankfully free of shower gel. I grimace as I pull on my sweaty bra, and liberally apply deodorant.

  Ray has left a few large t-shirts and sweaters, along with a light jacket and some warm socks. The guy is a saint, and I smirk as I wonder how he ended up with Tina.

  He knocks as I’m pulling on some socks and sets a heavy first aid kid down on one of the couches.

  “Come sit down and let me take a look at you.”

  “You know, helping me out could be bad for your health.”

  “The Arcav are holding this planet by the skin of their teeth. They can’t afford for the outcry if they start knocking off humans who haven’t actually hurt you. It was bad enough when
the Arcav King threatened anyone who was thinking they might want to haul you in themselves. Politicians had a shitstorm to deal with after they promised us the Arcav meant us no harm.

  I snort. Anyone who believes that must also believe in Santa and the Easter Bunny.

  Ray checks my head first, tutting. A stab of pain makes me close my eyes as he pokes at it.

  “Nasty laceration here. You’re going to need a couple of stitches. You should really be on antibiotics since it’s been open and you waited so long to clean it.”

  “I washed it in the sink this morning.”

  “Mmmhmmm. I don’t have a local, so this is going to hurt. Think you can take it like a man?”

  I snort. “Just do it.”

  I grit my teeth, but Ray is quick, and before I know it he’s dabbing ointment on top of the stitches.

  “Let me see your wrist.”

  I hold it out, and hiss as he tests my range of movement.

  “I don’t think it’s broken or fractured, but without an x-ray there’s no way to know. I’ll bandage it up properly, but you need to avoid using it until it’s healed.”

  I nod and while my wrist throbs, it immediately feels better once he’s finished.

  “You have a few hours before it’s dark enough to be out on the streets, so you can stay here and take a nap if you like.”

  I mull it over. Half of me is antsy and certain I’ve been here too long. But since I’m on foot, I can’t risk being seen in the daylight and I still feel exhausted.

  I sigh. Ultimately, I don’t trust Tina. She wants me gone, she thinks I’m dangerous, and she probably knows down to the cent how much she’d be paid for turning me in.

  “Thanks,” I say, “but I need to get going.”

  Ray sends me a long look. “I understand. Is there anything you need before you go?”

  “Actually, can I connect to the internet here? I lost my phone, and I have no idea where I am. I could use Google Maps.”

  “I can do you one better.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out an honest-to-god paper map. “Picked this up from reception.You’ll be able to keep it on you while you’re on the move.”