by Sabrina Kade
I slump down against a wall; Sloane and Ellis quickly come beside me. Celeste eyes us warily but eventually joins our tiny makeshift circle.
“If Blythe was hurt, I’m sure we’d know,” Sloane says softly.
“Yeah.” I bob my head and press my lips together. “Still, it’s been over a week. Why the hell hasn’t she come by to see us?”
“Maybe she’s not allowed,” Sloane reasons.
“Yeah,” Ellis agrees. “I mean, if it’s like Alaska and Kansas say, they’re at least trying to isolate her. I guess this is how they court females?”
“Trust me,” Celeste groans. “This is not how they court females. For one, females court the males.”
Sloane’s eyes widen. “Really?”
She nods. “Yeah. The females are the true aggressors. That’s probably why these guys brought us here. If the female gets jealous, she’ll kill anyone on sight.” She wraps her arms tightly around her chest. “They pull you in like this – their killing method is almost identical to their mating method – and they basically squeeze you. If they’re trying to mate and, the male comes, then she’ll release. It’s a victory.”
“And if she’s… uh… not mating?” Sloane asks quietly.
Celeste’s dark eyes flash up to Sloane’s. “You figure it out. You’re not that stupid.”
“Don’t be so sure.” Kansas snickers from a corner.
I ignore them. “Facts,” I say to my tiny group. “We have to think about the facts otherwise we’re all going to drive ourselves crazy. We’re not hurt. Even when I called the masked one, he didn’t come here and beat me up, did he? And we’ve heard bits and pieces of conversations they have between each other. If the prince guy was hurting Blythe, don’t you think they would have talked about it? If they’re so cruel, don’t you think they’d be laughing their asses off about how weak human women are compared to Sidyth women?”
No one says anything.
“We have to believe this is just another weird ass assignment. We have to believe Blythe is alright.”
Another pregnant pause.
“Do you think things could be okay?” Sloane asks. “They’re Sidyths. You heard Alaska and Kansas—”
“Those two don’t know everything.” I can’t resist rolling my eyes before shooting a look at Celeste, too. “I’m sorry, but Sidyths may have a reputation of being cruel, but they’re not stupid. If Blythe was dead, they’d want us to know about it. They’d want us to freak out about it. They’d want us to know there’s no hope. They taste fear, and I bet they can get off on it. But they haven’t. They’ve been cracking jokes about how she’s resisting him, and how she tried to escape. We heard the prince roughed up one of his brothers up for touching her.”
“It could all be a game,” Celeste says. “This could all be some elaborate scheme to make us feel comfortable, so it’s more fun when they hunt us down.”
“They won’t hunt you down unless you’re stupid enough to consent to them,” Alaska calls over, finally offering a useful piece of information. “Sidyths are all about consent. They like knowing they’re in control, and if you don’t let them choose you, they can’t hunt you down. It’s part of their fucked up traditions.”
“So, to stay alive,” Ellis reasons, “we can’t fall for one.”
“Don’t go rom-com on me.” Alaska rolls her eyes. “Don’t fall for their shit. If they say they love you and want you to choose them, don’t. That’s consent, bitches, and once they have it, you’re basically theirs. They think they own you, and there’s nothing a Sidyth male enjoys more than proving females are weak. Sidyth males can’t love women. Not really. Their entire existence is to prove they’re not as weak as women. It’s the only reason a king runs their planet and not a queen.” She rolls her eyes and returns to speaking in a low voice with Kansas, the work out twins, and Lacey.
“Heartwarming,” I mutter, unable to resist a trace of sarcasm in my voice, but I can’t help myself. Alaska’s right. This could all be an elaborate game to make us seem weak.
Come on, Blythe. I need some reassurance…
“Holy fuck,” Ellis mutters.
“What?” I ask in a bored tone.
“Shit.”
“What?” I turn around, and as soon as I see what’s caught Ellis’ attention, I rise to my feet. I can’t help the scowl on my face, but it quickly shifts to a smile. Blythe. She’s alive. She’s okay.
“Blythe?” The bitch grins before I turn back towards Sloane and Ellis. “I’m not losing my mind, right? Blythe’s standing right there.”
“It’s me,” she says, rushing forward. I can’t help embracing her; she’s the same age as me, but the warm touch reminds me of hugs I used to get from my grandma – other than her enormous chest. “Oh my God, I was so worried about you guys…”
“Worried about us? Bitch, we were worried about you!” I laugh into her shoulder and try to remember everything I talked to the others about the past few days. Answers. I need to get answers. “These pale bastards won’t tell us anything. We only managed to figure out the one who took you is royal.” As much as I’m enjoying the embrace, I push away and lock my eyes on hers. “Seriously though, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. York, I never thought you’d be the one who worried about me.”
She’s laughing, and I can’t help myself. I still have to make sure she’s real. I run my fingers through her hair and touch her cheeks. I don’t care about how stupid I look, and as everyone’s starting to get a clue that it’s her and she’s okay, the rest of the girls stand and come closer.
Enough pleasantries. “It’s true?” I blurt. “No one’s hurt you?”
“I’m fine. I’m sorry I took so long.” Blythe’s rambling nervously and stealing occasional glances at the Sidyth behind her. This must be the prince. “Korben hasn’t done anything terrible. He’s not like the Sidyths we’ve been around.”
I narrow my eyes. “They’ve all been coming to look at us,” I say, letting her know we’re as okay as we could be. And it’s true. They haven’t been bad. The Sidyths are always trying to take care of us – at least the ones that will talk to us. I don’t bother to mention the masked stalker, but the more I explain, and the more I look at Blythe, the less I’m worried. In fact, Blythe’s more concerned we’re the ones who should be looked after.
“What about Arizona?” Alaska stands. “Does anyone give a shit about them?”
Blythe flushes, glancing over her shoulder. “I’ll talk to Korben. He’s kind of in charge here.”
Alaska finally saunters over. I can’t stand how intimidated I am of her, but she has a presence, not to mention a point.
“He’ll listen to you?” Alaska drones.
“Of course.”
Alaska rolls her eyes, a sight I’ve grown overly accustomed to these past few days. “They’re Sidyths, Blythe. Don’t forget that. Hopefully, you haven’t gotten yourself into anything stupid.”
Blythe’s blush deepens against her mahogany skin. I can tell this is a sensitive subject for her, but I want to believe she’s not betrayed us because a Sidyth’s shown her kindness. She narrows her eyes, probably growing as infuriated with Alaska as I’ve been, but I can’t defend her. Though I am relieved she’s okay.
“You know what? I don’t care because all that matters to me is I haven’t been touched. Or raped. And that seems like a pretty good deal so far.” Krista. She’s dark, and one of the girls I haven’t gotten to know very well, and yet, she voices the facts I wanted everyone to focus on. “I’ve never been on any assignment where I didn’t have to spread my legs the first night. If the worst thing to happen is creepos leer at me, I can make it work.”
“It’s never that easy,” Alaska snaps, losing her cool demeanor. I can’t blame her. Blythe’s back, but she literally has nothing to offer us other than she’s getting pleasured by a Sidyth prince. “She’s pleasuring him,” Alaska continues. “Or he’s been pleasuring her. Either way, it looks like she’s already devel
oped feelings for a Sidyth.” Alaska shakes her head, and it’s hard not to feel embarrassed for Blythe.
The prince isn’t alone in the room now, flanked by the masked Sidyth and the fugly one.
Blythe nervously bites on her lower lip, and right as she’s about to speak, her little prince storms up to her side. I’m the only one who doesn’t move away – after all, Prince isn’t half as scary as his buddy and mask boy. Besides, if Alaska and Kansas want to run their mouths but show fear, I’ll step up to the plate. Prince seems a little shocked I haven’t moved, and I swear a hiss comes from his lips as he pulls Blythe closer to his pale, exposed chest.
“I have never taken advantage of my Chosen.”
I start to open my mouth. I want to believe him. I want to believe something, and sadly, the main reason stands a few inches behind Korben. If Prince hasn’t harmed Blythe, then maybe the masked Sidyth won’t hurt me.
“No harm will come to you.”
There’s no mistaking it, Prince boy is hissing in Alaska’s direction. Good.
“My brothers know they are not to touch or harm any of the human women in any way. You were not brought here to be touched or pleasured without consent. Blythe is with me because she wants to be.”
I feel the truth in his words. Abandoning the rest of the girls, I stand closer to Blythe and Prince. “You know what? I believe him.”
“You do?” Ellis seems surprised. “You think…”
“She doesn’t look like she’s been raped to me.” I brandish my hand up and down Blythe’s frame, doing a quick scan to make sure Prince hasn’t sucked the skin between her breasts. Looks relatively clear. “If she was miserable, the big guy wouldn’t be so willing to let us see her. It doesn’t make sense. Sidyths are cruel, but they’re not stupid.”
Korben stiffens, and Blythe attempts to calm him. I’m watching them both carefully. Looking for any signs of betrayal, but whatever’s going on between the two of them might be the real deal.
But a question remains unanswered, and if I don’t ask it, I’m worried no one’s going to ask. “If we’re not here to get raped and carry babies, what exactly do these guys want with us?”
Prince boy hisses, but Blythe seems to calm him with a squeeze on the arm. “I don’t want you guys hanging out in this room anymore. It’s cruel.”
It’s not a direct answer, but it is an interesting one.
“This is the safest place for the women,” Prince-y grumbles.
Blythe continues to look up at him with a soft expression before turning back to us. “No one wants to spend their time here while Sidyths check them out.”
“This is how things are usually done,” Prince rumbles. “Women do not usually wish to interact unless mating is involved.”
“Human women?” Blythe forces him to clarify.
“Sidyth women.”
“Exactly. We’re not Sidyths, Korben.” The two start to talk to each other in low voices, and hope blossoms in my chest.
Unfortunately, I’m brought back to reality when a certain gorgeous blond ruins everything.
“We should stay here unless one of us is needed. I don’t like the idea of us being broken up into different rooms because this one had a few orgasms.”
Poor Blythe. She’s blushing. I don’t ever remember her flushing before we got here or on the ship, and wanting to believe in her, I hustle to her side. She seems relieved, and though Prince has started hissing again, I decide to take a stand.
“For now, I say we give these guys a chance. Look at Blythe. She’s alright, isn’t she? Lacey? Devyn?” My eyes trail to the doorway. “And that big guy? He—”
“Azan,” Prince hisses.
“R-right,” I stammer, trying to keep my own blush from forming. No one’s going to take me seriously if I come down with a crush as obvious as Blythe’s. “He hasn’t done anything, right?”
“Like I want to be a Sidyth’s Chosen.” Alaska crosses her arms, glaring at me from across the room. “You all seem to forget what that means.”
“Don’t,” Prince hisses.
“Where are the hunting grounds, eh? Where are you planning to kill us? What was the price? What was the bounty, huh?” Oh God. Not this again.
“Kill? Hunting grounds?” Sloane gasps, apparently suffering from short-term memory.
I thought we covered this already.
“Or haven’t you heard?” Alaska says, spinning away and facing Blythe directly. “Once you consent to a Sidyth male choosing you, he’s going to kill you. You know that, right?”
“That’s for Sidyth females.” Blythe stammers slightly, making me worried.
“No. That’s what Prince-y told you. The truth is, that’s what Sidyths do. They choose a female, and they woo her, simply to prove how simple we are. They get off on it. And when you choose them? When they hear you say the words that you want them as much as they want you? That’s when they kill you. They dump you in some open area and hunt you for sport.”
“That’s different!” Blythe squeaks.
“You may have tricked her, but you’re never going to trick me. If I don’t say I choose any of you, I’ll be able to live. I know your so-called customs, and I’m not going to die.”
Arguing continues, and as much as I want to believe we’re not going to be hunted for sport, it’s hard when Blythe’s been with a Sidyth for days and immediately questioning his motives for wanting her. I want to believe in her. I do, but it doesn’t help that Alaska has a friend who was killed by a Sidyth and a prince who hasn’t told us what we’re supposed to be doing here if not spreading our legs and carrying their offspring.
“I’ve seen others hunted.” Korben’s voice rumbles deeply into my earpiece. His friends step closer for support, but it’s not like he needs it. None of us are going to stand up to him. We’re used to being mistreated.
“Humans?” Alaska asks.
His silence gives any answer we’d need.
“You see?” Alaska sneers, launching into another dramatic speech.
Geezus, I don’t understand how anyone can stand being around her. Her reputation says she’s supposed to be submissive to the point of being bored, but she’s been mouthy and cranky since the trip here. Maybe Sidyths did kill Washington.
“Are you going to kill us all or not?”
Sloane squeaks, and more of the girls shuffle to the back of the room.
“You have to trust me,” Blythe says. “Korben and the others aren’t going to kill us. Korben’s been nothing but kind and protective. And in our line of work, there isn’t much more we can hope for. I think if they wanted going to kill us, they wouldn’t go through all this nonsense. No one rents out a planet to hunt Human Whores. We’re not worth that much. I know you’re all confused and frightened by this assignment, but I promise you it’s nothing like you’ve had before. Korben may be a Sidyth but he’s a good one. He’s here because he’s not like the ones we’ve been with.”
I narrow my eyes, still looking to see if one of them, or both, is lying to us. It wouldn’t be difficult. Blythe might agree with him to save her own skin, and if there’s one thing I learned about Blythe from the others, it’s that she only thinks about herself. Some of the stories Celeste told me made the hairs on my arms stand on end. And now, suddenly, Blythe wants us all to believe in her, amd that one of the most feared races in the galaxy is nothing but good?
My eyes find the masked Sidyth, Azan, and his gaze meets mine with such a piercing look that I almost don’t catch Blythe’s next words.
“Once you get to know some of the others, I bet you’ll feel the same way I do.”
“And they will get to know you,” Korben hisses.
I can’t tear my attention away from Azan. He’s completely in the Gathering Room now, and for some reason, I want to talk to him. What does his voice sound like? – either in his language or in my translator? And though he hasn’t said anything to me directly, I can’t help but think if he wanted to hurt me – or any of us – he would h
ave been able to do so with ease. But instead, he’s brought us water from hollowed out roots. The fugly one’s asked if we want food or if the temperature in the room is too hot. No one’s pulled us away as Korben did with Blythe. That has to count for something!
“They have been kind,” I say, exaggerating a bit, so Blythe doesn’t feel isolated. It’s not her fault the prince chose her first. “The one with the mask? He’s nice. He’s gentle. I know he’s paying special attention to me.” I look at the prince, daring him to negate me, but he merely lowers his head, shifting an uncomfortable gaze towards Azan – who of course, remains silent.
Korben doesn’t argue. I bet he knows what I’m doing, and I’ll bet he’ll appreciate it.
“See?” Blythe squeaks, getting a bit of her confidence back. “Things aren’t as dire as Alaska’s making it out to be. What did Phoebe say on the ship? Maybe, at the end of the day, all people are good or some shit? Well, maybe that’s not completely true, but until Korben – or any of the others – prove there’s a hidden agenda, I’m going to go with the flow. Let’s face it. This may be as good as it gets for us.”
Her speech sucks until she tacks on something extra.
“You’ll all have a chance to find out what I mean because Korben’s not going to force any of you to stay in this room any longer.”
“I’m not?”
I can’t help but smirk. Prince boy sounds completely befuddled.
“Can we go to the rain?” Ellis starts to sound excited again.
“I wouldn’t mind seeing the skies again,” Sloane agrees as more nervous chatter fills the room.
I feel two Sidyths looking at me, and though Blythe seems completely clueless, I think she realizes things are getting a little crowded in here and asks her prince to leave. For a moment, I don’t think there’s any way he’ll go, but he merely drops a kiss to her forehead and turns his frowning face in my direction.
“I see I was right to have him watch over you.”
My nostrils flare with annoyance. He doesn’t have to say it. Of course, he’s asked Azan to watch over me. I should have known it was more than attraction. Disappointment blossoms in my chest.
