His sensitive sense of smell flared and he knew that the guards had drawn blood from the human. He had to use every ounce of his self-control to keep from snarling as loudly as Rantor. The linae had sensed the human helping him and was feeling protective, especially as the animal shared his hatred of the Ithyians. As the chains bit into his flesh, that hatred threatened to overwhelm him but he fought the anger back. The human was right, he had to heal first.
Not for the first time, he wondered why the Goddess had deserted him and his people. The first blow had been the volcanoes and earthquakes that had rippled across his home planet of Sardor, killing millions. A planetary emergency had been declared and the best scientists gathered to investigate. The result of their investigation was grim. The core of the planet was unstable and would not last more than a decade or two. Every available resource was poured into massive evacuation ships. But ships cost money and more and more of the warrior clans had been hired out on contracts with the rich trading families, the small shipping lines, or any other group willing to pay for mercenaries. Even the Imperial Fleet had, very quietly, hired some of the clans for discreet little political wars at the outer edges of the galaxy.
While the ships were being built, exploration forces had spread out, searching for a suitable planet to call home. Twice his people had thought they had identified an appropriate choice, and both times the Goddess had frowned. Intelligent life had been discovered on the first planet and the second had revealed poisonous gases on further exploration. Lately, even the warrior contracts were going wrong. Too many warriors had simply not returned. And it looked like his latest mission was going to join their number.
Jakkar disliked dealing with the trading families, although he admired their quick minds and their ability to broker a deal under any circumstances. Unfortunately, the contracts paid well—very well—and they needed the funds enough to overlook the humiliation of escorting fat merchants and their families and their precious goods as they flitted around the galaxy in a constant tangle of business disguised as pleasure and pleasure disguised as business. This last contract should have been straight-forward, escorting the daughter of Massendus A’Ban DuLass to her home planet for the traditional birthing ceremonies.
Indeed, the assignment had started well enough. Melia A’ssandre DuLass was pleasant and soft-spoken, complying with his orders for her safety without argument and not attempting to seduce any of his team; both virtues a rarity among the spoiled daughters of the merchant classes. Two weeks out of port, a signal had flared from within the ship. Their monitoring system had picked it up right away and they had destroyed it but the damage had been done. Within a few hours, the ship had been attacked by two larger fighter ships.
Shields had failed almost immediately and the raiders had boarded shortly thereafter. Sardorans were superior fighters, trained almost from birth in the arts of war, but even they could only do so much against a force twenty times their own. Jakkar had seen two of his warriors die, and two others injured so badly he was not sure they would live. They had taken many of the enemy with them but defeat was inevitable. In a last ditch effort, they had retreated to the back of the ship, carrying a terrified Melia.
Jakkar had looked at the six warriors still standing, then at the frightened girl. Desperately he searched for other options, but his honor demanded that he fulfill the contract—and the contract demanded that he put her safety first. There was one escape pod concealed in this section. It could take two people. He looked around at his men and they nodded.
“Take her, Chief.” Dragar, his second in command, pointed to the pod. “We will cover the escape.”
Jakkar studied the heavily scarred warrior. Before Dragar had been declared Outcast, he had been one of his closest companions. Despite the tension between them since his return, the memory of those times haunted him. Reluctantly he surveyed the faces of the remaining men, all of them members of his clan and bound to him by loyalty and blood. He wanted to argue the inevitable conclusion, but it was his contract and his responsibility.
“We’ll kick their ass and then come pick you up.” Dragar flashed his sardonic grin. They both knew it was hopeless but Jakkar nodded, clasped hands with his comrade, and pulled the girl away without another word. He heard Dragar’s war cry as fighting erupted behind him but he refused to look back. And then the Goddess turned Her back on him once again.
Lightning streaked across his thigh. A barbed blade was wedged in his leg, a long chain trailing from the end. He pushed the girl down behind him as his leg collapsed, forcing him to the ground. The chain yanked viciously against the wound, trying to draw him nearer, but he tore the blade from his flesh in a burst of white-hot pain. As he turned to face the enemy, a vicious snarl sounded and Rantor tore open the throat of the man at the other end of the chain. Another figure appeared behind Rantor, but even as the animal snarled and started to turn, the second man retreated. Jakkar caught a glimpse of a tall skeletal figure with a coil of heavy green hair down his back before the man was lost in the haze of smoke that was rapidly filling the corridor.
Blood streamed steadily from Jakkar’s leg, but he ignored it, pushing the pain aside enough to drag himself to his feet. He grabbed the girl, and started for the pod. By the time he reached it he was almost unconscious, but he retained enough strength to thrust her and the linae in, and start the exit sequence. He blacked out as the pod tumbled into space.
Apparently the Goddess had not yet relented since he was now chained in the cells of an Ithyian slave ship. The pain in his leg was a fiery reminder of Her displeasure but despite the pain, his cock was still throbbing from the little human’s soft touches. In the midst of the agony of having his wound sewn shut, the brush of her hand had distracted him. He wondered if she realized that she had trembled every time it happened. She had tried so hard not to touch him—except for that one final caress—and he wasn’t sure if he was more aroused by her reluctance or her daring.
Admittedly it had been a long time since a woman had touched him. The Elders frowned on sexual contact with other races and, while he didn’t particularly agree with their emphasis on racial purity, he kept the rule in place with his team—at least while they were under contract—because he didn’t want his men distracted. The last contract had been a long one and they had signed up for this one as soon as the first ended so there had been no opportunity to seek release.
His mind drifted back to the little human and the soft curves of her body, the way her nipples had tightened under his gaze into ripe buds. He had seen many different races, but something about this small woman with her cloud of sun streaked hair and eyes the color of hatite crystals was especially intriguing. Sardoran women were very different, tall and lean with smooth heads and well-muscled forms. They, too, trained from birth for war and each sexual encounter was a fight for dominance. Even a mated female expected her mate to subdue her physically. The little human slave would be different—she was not a warrior and he had no doubt that she would submit to him with no effort on his part; he could take her as he pleased. He let his mind explore the possibilities as the pain in his leg ebbed to a dull throb.
The sound of metal scraping metal startled Anna from her sleep. Terror thundered through her veins as she pushed herself into a defensive position before she realized that the noise was only a tray being pushed into her cell by the tall guard. She approached the bars cautiously but he had already moved down to slide similar trays into the lion animal’s cell and Melia’s cell. He didn’t bother to push anything into the wounded man’s cell. Her stomach immediately reacted at the sight of what had to be food. Melia had taken her tray and curled up near their shared wall and Anna joined her.
The tray held a square of something that resembled dry bread, a bowl of mush with an unpleasant greenish tint, and a mug of liquid. Choosing the least offensive option, she picked up the bread square. It was dry and hard but not unpleasant, rather like a stale cracker. She lifted the lid off the mug and sniffed at the
dark fluid but could detect little odor. She took a cautious sip and shuddered at the bitterness of the liquid, like strong coffee with a backdrop of raw alcohol.
Melia laughed softly at her expression.
“Is cafir. Is better hot.” She showed Anna a button on the side of the mug that could be pushed to heat the contents. Within seconds, steam wafted from the mug and Anna tried another sip. The bitterness still hit the back of her tongue but the taste was marginally better and the warmth was appealing.
The bowl had the same heating button but the contents weren’t any more appealing hot. Melia gave her an encouraging nod and showed her how to use the bread square to dip out a portion. The texture was like oatmeal and it had a similar bland taste, except for the faint fishy aftertaste, and Anna decided it was edible, if not appealing. Once she started eating, she was hungry enough to finish everything on her tray in a few minutes. She looked up to find Melia watching her, head tilted to one side and a smile on her lips.
Anna smiled back. “I guess I was hungry. I’m not sure how long it has been since I’ve eaten.”
Saying the words out loud caused a sudden wave of disorientation. How long had it been? Was anyone even looking for her or would they just assume that she had died in the plane crash? Her boss would undoubtedly arrange for a funeral. Would her brother even bother to come? Tears threatened again but she forced them back down. Melia was still watching, her expression sympathetic.
Anna shook off her depressing thoughts; she had to concentrate on what was happening now.
“You know this man?” She nodded at the wounded prisoner.
“Yes. Is Jakkar. Of Clan Leijona.”
Anna remembered how he had immediately searched for the other woman and had a sudden terrible thought. Had Melia been watching as he responded to her touch, as she ran her fingers along his body. “Is he your husband?”
“No.” Melia looked shocked, and relief swept through Anna although she didn’t want to examine the reason too closely.
“Is guard. Is strong warrior, but…” She flipped a wrist, searching for the word. “Hard, fierce. Husband is gentle.”
“Where is your husband? Is he waiting for you and the baby?”
Melia looked shocked again. “With mother. Is proper.”
“With his mother? He isn’t there when you have the baby?”
“With mother,” she repeated. “I with mother.”
Anna was still trying to wrap her head around that when she saw Melia was crying. Even her hair was drooping down around her face.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
“No. Must accept.” Melia echoed Anna’s earlier thoughts. The women looked at each other and Anna was suddenly, fiercely glad that she was not alone.
Footsteps echoed in the corridor and the shorter guard appeared. A flash of distaste showed in Melia’s face before she smoothed her expression and whispered quickly.
“Clean time. Not drink.”
Melia rose and pushed her tray to the cell bars. The guard took it and replaced it with two white squares. Melia took the squares and retreated to the middle of the small cell, placing the larger square on the bunk. Anna copied her, realizing that the smaller square was a cleansing cloth similar to the one she had used on Jakkar. She turned to Melia but just as she did, a drain opened in the floor and a flood of liquid came down from the center of the ceiling.
An astringent smell filled the air and she fought to keep her mouth closed, remembering Melia’s warning. She wiped the liquid from her eyes and looked at the other woman but she had her back turned and she was…naked? Anna looked away as quickly as she could but as she lowered her eyes she realized that the slave gown was almost completely transparent now that it was wet. A snarl from the bars made her realize that the guard was standing in front of her cell leering at her and playing with his belt. Fear choked her as she remembered that the belt allowed him to access the cell.
She stood frozen, unable to move, before he finally lowered his hand to cup an obvious erection. As she wrenched her eyes away in disgust, she looked straight into Jakkar’s eyes. The fact that he was watching her sent a tingle through her entire body. Her nipples hardened against the wet fabric before she spun away and faced the back of the back of the cell. The gown was clinging to her ass but at least she couldn’t see her audience. Unlike Melia, she didn’t have the courage to remove the gown but she hastily rubbed the cleansing cloth over her body underneath the gown and then up through her hair.
The flow of liquid stopped as quickly as it started and she shivered before grabbing the larger square of fabric to wrap it tightly around her body. Running her fingers through her hair to smooth out the tangled locks, she risked a quick peek next door. Melia had dressed again and was standing back from the bars. The guard snarled angrily but she refused to look at him and eventually she heard footsteps receding along the corridor. At last, she forced herself to look at Jakkar. He was still watching her and as he met her eyes, a slow smile curved his lips, revealing his extended canines and sending a shudder of fear and excitement up her spine.
Chapter Four
Time passed with excruciating slowness. There were no more visits from the guards, and Anna and Melia spent most of the time talking. Melia was from a planet called Gliese Prime and her society was matriarchal with inheritance through the female line. They had marriage contracts but they seemed to be only for the purpose of breeding. Melia had spent six months with her husband, meeting him for the first time on her wedding day. As soon as she had confirmed that she was pregnant, her mother had arranged for her to return home for a traditional birthing ceremony.
The human concept of marriage didn’t seem to exist for her. Instead, her life was centered on her family—a term that apparently encompassed a number of extremely convoluted relationships, not all of which involved actual blood connections. As she listened to Melia’s descriptions of her life in the family compound, which seemed to include a great deal of love and laughter, as well as some complicated business dealings, Anna felt a pang of envy. She had always wanted to be part of a large family, but her parents had her late in life and her grandparents passed away while she was still an infant. Her only brother was ten years older and they had never been close. She wondered despondently if he would even notice when they didn’t exchange their stilted, annual Christmas call.
Forcing the depressing thought aside, she concentrated on Melia’s much more complicated life. Since the marriage contract called for two children, Melia would go to stay with her husband again two years after giving birth. She accepted it as her duty but didn’t anticipate their reunion. Once the contract had been fulfilled, she would return to her family.
“But, don’t you love him?” Anna asked.
Melia tilted her head. “Love?”
“Wanting to be with someone all the time, to talk to them, to touch them,” Anna explained.
Melia laughed and her hair swirled a little faster. “Have jalka.”
“Jalka?”
After a long, and somewhat confusing, discussion that had Anna blushing furiously, she determined that a jalka seemed to be equivalent to a concubine. Melia had two jalkas and had a fondness for them that far exceeded that for her husband.
“Two?” Anna asked again, still trying to wrap her head around the concept.
“Different needs, different jalka.” Melia flipped a wrist. “You have needs?”
“Yes,” Anna admitted, blushing again. “But I have been too busy.” How could she explain to a woman with not one but two concubines, that she didn’t have time for sex? She worked ridiculous hours, and when she wasn’t working she was only too happy to relax by herself in the charming little house that she had been able to buy because of those hours. Even if she had been interested in dating, the only men she met were business associates. Not only did she not want to mix business with pleasure, the buttoned up business type had never appealed to her. Not like…
Without conscious thought,
her eyes drifted across the corridor to Jakkar’s massive body and a shiver fluttered low in her belly. She forced her gaze back to Melia and found the woman watching her intently but, somewhat to her surprise, she let the subject drop and started asking Anna questions about life on Earth, instead.
As time passed, Anna was increasingly conscious of Jakkar. He had been quiet at first, but as the hours wore on she could hear him making low growling noises and she could see him pulling against his chains. His eyes hadn’t opened again since he had watched her bathe and she was afraid that he was unconscious.
At last, the taller guard brought more trays but, once again, he ignored the wounded man’s cell. He lingered outside Melia’s cell, watching as the woman knelt gracefully to retrieve the tray. Anna gathered up her courage and called out to him.
“Wait.”
He turned and eyed her curiously, licking his lips, and she feared she had made a terrible mistake by drawing his attention.
“The man...” Her voice trembled but she ignored it. “He needs food and water. He could still die.”
He cast a speculative glance from her to the prisoner, then shrugged. “No food.”
“I can give him mine.”
Another glance and then he nodded and reached for his belt to open the bars. She bent down to pick up her tray but he grasped her wrist. “No tray.”
The tray contained the exact same food as earlier and she decided that he probably needed liquid more than anything and reached for the mug. As she bent over, the guard ran his free hand beneath her gown and over her naked buttocks. Unlike the short guard, his hand wasn’t cruel, but she jerked away, her heart thudding.
“Soft.” He licked his lips again but then turned and pulled her out of the cell and across the corridor. The single bar disappeared and she wiggled through, knowing he was watching as the tight fit pulled her gown to one side.
Jakkar was pulling against his chains, eyes closed, and a low rumbling coming from his throat. The wound was still closed but it looked red and angry. The cloth was still where she had left it, so Anna put down the mug and wet it again. She bathed the wound and felt him flinching but it seemed less swollen when she was done. She wet the cloth again and ran it slowly over his head and chest, whispering his name.
Anna and the Alien: A SciFi Alien Romance (Alien Abduction Book 1) Page 3
