Mated to a Bear (Legends of Black Salmon Falls Book 3)

by Lauren Lively

  Chapter Six

  Jendrish

  The call was sent out to everyone who worked for the Regents, so the message wasn't just intended for me. Tarkonil was dead. Only moments after leaving my house – not even a full hour afterward – and he was gone. Wiped from the face of this planet by who knows, and I was the last person who'd spoken to him.

  The cause of death wasn't disclosed, but I had a few ideas.

  I'd walked the streets, I saw the growing disparity between the rich and the poor. Being part of the elite meant I was safe in my ivory tower, protected from the crimes of the common people. But it didn't mean I wasn't a witness to the horrors of my world.

  And with this new information, I knew there was no way I could stay sheltered forever. Nor was there any way for me to stay silent forever.

  As Tarkonil showed me the images he'd taken – of women tied up and naked, bruised and bloody and thrown into cages – I was literally sick to my stomach. There were no words to describe the horror captured there.

  And I'd meant it when I told him that if there was anything I could do, I'd be willing to do it. Because this was my world, a world I signed up to protect and serve until everything went to hell.

  I wanted to play a part in bringing it back to glory. I wanted a role in creating a world I was proud to call home. Because after everything I saw, there was really nothing left to feel good about. I was sitting comfortably in my home, away from all of this madness, while the poor huddled in the streets, worried about where their next meal was coming from.

  And these women were suffering horrible degradations and being sold like property to the highest bidder.

  I had feared for Tarkonil – as I did for myself. He knew too much and there was no way the Regents wouldn't be on to him. I knew them well. I could tell that Tarkonil was a good, but was he good enough to play this game of intrigue and not capture the attention of the enemy? A high-tech enemy who was literally watching everything we did? I doubted it and had told him as much.

  And unfortunately, I'd been proven right.

  Which meant I was also in danger – but that didn't concern me all that much. I'd signed up for the Royal Guard knowing I could die for my planet and my king, and that had been fine with me. Because as long as I was making a difference and doing what was right, it was worth it to me.

  And the same went for this. If I was killed trying to save these women, so be it.

  But this wasn't the Optorio I was born into, and this wouldn't be the Optorio I'd die in either. I was going to see to it.

  “Thank you, Tarkonil, I'll see what I can do,” were the last words I'd said to him. I'd watched as he walked away, afraid for him. And I'd had every right to be. He had been on borrowed time, and that's why he was desperate for help.

  And there was no way I could let him – or those women – down. Not now. Not after everything he'd gone through.

  Chapter Seven

  Jendrish

  Tarkonil had told me where to go and what to say. I could pass as one of them, especially since I had the money to flaunt. I also had the power. I could slip right in amongst the others, people who I'd worked beside day in and day out, oblivious to their secret life. But no more.

  In the center of the room was a large stage. Men of all ages stood around it, shouting and calling out their demands, “Any with red hair?” and “You need to bring out women with some boobs!”

  It was like they were placing an order at a restaurant, just listing off the things they wanted in their product. It was disgusting, but I had to play along. I couldn't give myself away.

  I stood near the back, and once they brought in the first woman – a scared, curvy woman with big breasts and a small waist, something we didn't see on our planet – the crowd went wild. But I wasn't there to bid on her.

  “Her name is Jasmine,” the announcer said. “Not that it matters, of course. You can call her whatever you like once she's yours.”

  The room broke out in laughter as the bidding got underway.

  I was more interested in where they were coming from, because that's likely where the women were being kept. Once I saw the doorway from which they came, I made my way to the back of the room, pushing and shoving past men of all kinds. I slipped down the hallway, hopeful that perhaps I could pass as someone working there.

  Tarkonil had told me how to dress, how to act and even a name to give if it came to that. The doors flew open and another woman was being dragged out. This one was tiny, absolutely skinny and looked to be starved to death. Her eyes were sunken in and she looked at me with such pain in her eyes that it broke my heart.

  “Should offer a discount for this one,” I overheard somebody say. “Damaged goods and all.”

  “She refused to eat, what could we do?”

  “They don't like 'em skinny, I'm afraid. Not this skinny, anyway. Looks sickly”

  “If she doesn't sell, just dispose of her,” somebody else said. “What a waste. But hey, we can't keep 'em – ”

  Their voices trailed off and I fought the urge to go back, to fight and save the girl. But I took a moment to get control of myself. I had to master my emotions if I wanted to survive this whole ordeal. As I stood there breathing, I heard the announcer talking over the loudspeakers once more.

  “And here we have Tasha, but as you can see, she's damaged – which means one of you lucky gentlemen will be getting a discount for her! Let's start the bidding – ”

  I blocked the rest of it out as my anger surged through me. Part of me hoped the woman sold, so she wouldn't be disposed of. But what would the men do to her after they paid for her? Maybe death was a better alternative to that.

  I came to the end of the hallway just as someone else opened the large metal doors. Adrenaline coursing through me, I flashed my fake badge at him and he held the door open for me. Breathing a small sigh of relief, I walked inside and down another long hallway. Another door, another guard.

  “I came to get the next girl,” I said, flashing my badge.

  The guard opened the door with a yawn. “Do you know which one? I can tell you where to find her,” he said.

  “Uhhh,” I stammered.

  “Never mind then, just grab one and go. I don't care.”

  I rushed down the hallway, and on both sides of me were women in cages. Just like in the photos Tarkonil had showed me. They looked sick and scared, some of them even appeared dead. The ones who were awake stared at me with fear in their eyes and terror upon their faces.

  “Please, God. No, Please,” a woman muttered to herself, her eyes closed, as she rocked back and forth on her feet.

  I stopped at a random cell and stared inside. All of the women inside appeared to be sleeping except for one. A woman with dark hair, nearly black and larger than life doe eyes. She stared back at me with a look of pure hatred as she held one of the other girls close. Another woman had her head in her lap and she stroked her hair.

  I stared for too long, mainly because I couldn't believe my eyes. There were cells of women, all scared and crying. Yet, there she sat not only tear-free, but glaring at me. And she was comforting others while she was at it, almost protecting them. She looked at me as if she dared me to step inside the cell and take one of the women away.

  I looked both ways, to make sure I was alone in the hallway before I whispered to her. “I'm going to get you out of here, all of you,” I said. I fumbled with an old tool of my trade as the Royal Guard – an electrical device that would open any lock. We needed to use it in the Guard fairly often when rescuing our people from other planets. But I never imagined I'd be rescuing slaves from my own people.

  But there I was. The times were most definitely changing.

  I placed the device up to the lock and there was a series of bees before things clicked into place and the cell door swished open. I pushed it all the way open and spoke the one woman who wasn't afraid.

  “Get everyone up. We need to hurry,” I said.

  “How do I know this is
n't a trap?” she asked me, not moving, though her eyes looked toward the open cell.

  “It's not, I don't work for these people. I'm here to save you, now let's go,” I said. I started nudging some of the women, a few of them begged me to leave them alone. “I'm not going to hurt you. I'm helping you escape.”

  A few women stood up and ran for the cell door, but they obviously had no idea where to go.

  “Turn left!” I shouted. “Not right. That's where they're at, left is an exit.”

  I handed my electrical key to the dark-haired woman. “Here, place this against the lock on the door and press here. It'll unlock the cell doors. We need to hurry before they come back.”

  The woman stood up and did as she was told. I could hear the cell doors opening one by one and next came the sound of women piling into the hallway. But time was running really short and we had to go. Any minute now, they'd be coming for the next woman to be auctioned off. Any second, really. And we couldn't afford to be caught down in the cells letting everybody out.

  I grabbed the device from the woman's hand and told her to follow me. Together, we walked to the back door, where I unlocked it with my device.

  “There's a ship out there with the doors open,” I said. “Climb aboard and I'll be there in just a second.”

  “Here,” I handed over a gun to the dark-haired woman. “If someone tries to take you, shoot them with this.”

  She stared down at it, wide-eyed and confused. “I don't even know what it is.”

  That's right. They didn't have the same weapons on Earth as they do here. It was killing me because I could feel the time slipping away, but I stopped and showed her how to use the weapon.

  “Just point and shoot, but please, be careful with it,” I said. “The aim is incredibly good, but it will kill a person, so use it wisely.”

  “Why are you doing this?” she muttered.

  “Just go!”

  She led the women out the door, while I stayed behind. There were several cells still locked, and I'd planned to go back for them once the first group was gone. But the door at the end of the hallway opened up and I knew I was about to be in trouble. I shut the back door to keep them safe and hidden as I faced down one of the guards – he was early for his shift.

  “What the hell?” he said. “Where'd they all go?”

  His eyes zeroed in on me in an instant. I'd given my best weapon to the woman, but I still had a knife. Pulling it from the sheath at my side, I prepared myself for battle. The guard lunged toward me, a stunner in hand but nothing more.

  As long as he didn't touch it to my skin, there was no problem. But if it did touch me, I'd go down and he could kill me at his leisure.

  Better not let that happen, I thought to myself. The man pressed a button on the wall as he came toward me and alarms sounded. I knew it was only a matter of moments before more guards came – which meant they would likely find the women outside. One gun wouldn't be enough to protect them, I had to get them out of here and fast.

  But the eyes of the others watched me, hopeful. They too wanted their freedom and I was their only hope. I had a choice. I could stay and fight to rescue the rest of these women – and probably be killed in the process. Or I could run and save those on my ship. If I ran, who knew when I'd be back – and what security systems would be in place when I did.

  That is, if they stayed there. After my break-in, they very well could be different.

  I didn't have much time to think, however, as the doors opened and more guards rushed through them. More than I could take on – some carrying guns.

  “I'm sorry,” I muttered, feeling the tears in my eyes.

  If it weren't for those already outside, I'd have gladly risked my life to save the others. But I was stuck between a rock and a hard place and I had to save at least some of the women.

  “I'll be back for you, I promise,” I said.

  I knew it was a promise I couldn't keep with any sort of certainty – mainly because they could be sold or even dead by the time I got back. But with me dead, there'd be no one fighting for them. Many more would die.

  I stabbed the first guard in the gut, twisting the knife and pressing him against the wall. He screamed in agony as his blood, thick, blue, and warm, rushed down over my hands. I watched the light leaving his eyes as he died in front of me.

  “I wish I could stay and kill all of you, but really, I must be going now,” I said.

  I didn't have time to retrieve my blade, since it was buried inside the guard's gut. I opened the back door again and rushed out, running to my ship and hitting the emergency ramp switch to close it up and seal the ship.

  I was safe.

  These women were safe.

  I was greeted by the woman with dark hair. There was no word of thanks, no words of appreciation – there was nothing. But she held the gun up and pointed at my head.

  “Careful,” I said, hands raised. “I'm the only one who can drive this thing.”

  “Where the fuck are we?” she asked.

  “It's a long story, but please, put the gun down and let's get out of here before they catch up to us,” I said. “Then, I'll tell you everything, I swear. You can't drive this ship, so if you kill me, you're all back to being prisoners and there will be no one to help you.”

  She looked uncertain, but another one of the women put her hand over the would-be shooters hand and pushed it down.

  “He's right, Riley,” she said softly. “We need him.”

  With the gun no longer pointed at my face, I hurried to the cockpit and started the engines. Luckily, the ship was one that started up fast. We were already off the ground and in orbit less than three minutes from initial ignition. The security guards around the place didn't have ships as fast as mine – one I'd acquired during my time in the Royal Guard.

  Once my course had been charted, I could step away from the controls. I went back and found the woman called Riley sitting on the floor, once again comforting some of the women. As her eyes locked onto mine, I saw so much fire and fight in them. She was so different than I was. And yet, remarkably, very much the same. I found that I couldn't stop staring. I admired her for that. After everything they'd seen and been through, she still had life and fire inside of her.

  “Riley, is it?” I asked her. “My name is Jendrish. Nice to meet you, I only wish it had been under more – ideal circumstances.”

  Riley stood up and walked toward me. Luckily, she had no gun in her hand this time, or else I'd be in trouble judging by the look in her eyes. She just stared into my eyes for a long moment.

  “Tell me where the hell we're at and what's going on,” she said, her voice ice cold. “Now.”

  “Alright, alright,” I said, hands up in self defense.

  And I told them – everything. About how they'd been abducted and taken to another planet to be sold as sex slaves. I saw disbelief in most of their eyes, but after everything they'd witnessed – and the ability to look out the ship's windows and see nothing but stars for as far as the eye could see – it was hard for them to argue with me.

  “Too much too soon?” I asked Riley.

  “Maybe for some of them.” She looked worried, biting her lip as she watched some of the others. “But we needed to know the truth. So, thank you for that. Even if it does sound crazy – I just don't know what else to believe at this point.”

  And then she laughed. A sound of pure amazement and disbelief – not one of pleasure or joy. But still, she laughed as she looked over at me and the sound was beautiful.

  “You're stronger than them,” I noted.

  “Nah, I just know how to pretend I am.”

  “Isn't that what being strong is?” I asked, feeling a smile tugging at my lip.

  She didn't say anything. There was pain in her eyes – a pain I found myself wishing I could wash away. There was something different about this Riley. Something very – intriguing. She had a story and I was more than a little curious to hear it.

  “What
is it?” I asked.

  “The others,” she said. “The ones we couldn't save. What's going to happen to them?”

  I sighed. “I wish I knew,” I said. “I wanted to save them so badly, it's why I stayed behind as long as I did. But I couldn't save them – there were too many guards. And I had to make a choice. Staying to fight would have left me dead and all of you back in the cages.”

  “I understand. It's hard, but I understand,” she said softly. “I just keep wondering – why me? Why was I saved? And why were so many others left behind?”

  Honestly, the reason for that was my fault. When I saw her, I'd gone to her first. I knew she was strong. I could see it from the start. But there was more to it than that, and I knew it. I'd been drawn to her from the moment I first saw her. She was the first one I chose to save, – and yes, it was a choice. And one I didn't regret.

  “Because I knew you were strong and would be able to help me help the others,” I said. “And I don't know if I could have saved this many without your help. So, thank you.”

  “I think anyone would have done the same thing,” she said with a shrug.

  “I don't know about that.” And that was the truth. “I don't now that anyone could have. But listen it's going to be a long trip back home. Perhaps you should get some rest?”

  “I can try,” she said. But she made no movement towards the bunks to lay down. Instead, she just stared straight ahead. “But I don't think it'll be possible.”

  “Just try,” I said to her. “I promise you, you're safe now. Nothing will hurt you.”

  She gave me a half smile. “I wish I could believe you, but I have a bad history of men lying to me. So I apologize if I don't fully trust you yet.”

  I wished she could believe me too, but me arguing the point wouldn't help. I'd have to prove it to her somehow. Prove it to all of them. But in the end, as long as they were safe and we made it back to Earth, I'd succeeded. At least a little bit.

  I prayed that Tarkonil would be proud with what I'd accomplished, even if I didn't save them all.

  There was still so much work to do though. I sighed, feeling my own eyes growing heavy. So many more people to save.