by Pixie Moon
The joy in Rosman’s eyes makes me happy for him. The zaphinians seem to be good people. My nerves calm as I watch Rosman and Din Von leave. The reunion of the twins warms my heart. If they can be happy here, maybe I can too.
“It’s time for your exam,” the doctor says in a brisk tone.
Din Ryk leads me back into the room we were in. I’m still a little nervous, but my visit with Rosman makes me feel better.
“Doctor Lar ResTa this is Skyla Burgin. Skyla he is our main doctor in this area,” Din Ryk says.
As he’s talking, I look closely at the tall male. His three-tone green eyes are kind but hold more than a hint of firmness. I know he’s determined to do his job. I just hope he does it gently. Rosman seems to have come out fine. I can do this, I silently encourage myself.
Doctor ResTa looks me over and then raises a black brow at Din Ryk. “Another dirty patient.”
At his words I look down and notice how soiled my shirt and jeans are. Heat floods my cheeks.
“I didn’t think she’d fit in a bodysuit very well,” Din Ryk replies without compunction.
The doctor’s gaze drops to my big boobs and then nods. “You could have a point. I hear you guys had a bit of trouble.”
“Yes, we believe that a radical group set the bombs. They truly hate technology. We were lucky we walked away with the chip we went for.” Din Ryk’s gaze moves to me and then back to Dr. ResTa. “It was an extremely successful mission.”
“I’m glad you all came out uninjured,” the doctor says as he goes to a table and flicks a few switches.
It feels weird to be talked about as though I’m not in the room. I did learn what happened on Dagrin though so that was good. A sliver of fear snakes across my skin. What would have happened to all of us if we’d been closer to the bombs? Death was near. I long to go home.
Din Ryk soothes his hand down my back as he leads me to a device in the corner. “Up you go, seema.”
He helps me onto the machine and then gently presses me down. Unease skitters through my nerves. Rosman was fine after his visit with the doctor. I will be too.
CHAPTER
10
~ Skyla ~
♥
“You’re going to be fine, Skyla. This machine is going to scan you for aliments. It can cure just about everything. Just relax.” His hand pats mine and then moves as far away as the cuffs allow. That we are bound gives me a sense of security. If this was a bad machine he wouldn’t want to be anywhere near it.
That thought helps me considerably. When the device starts making a humming sound, my curiosity gets piqued. I glance to the side and see a blue light run under me. I stiffen for a second. When no pain stings me, I relax and watch the pretty light move back and forth. I start when the machine makes a clicking sound.
“Easy, seema. That’s just a sign that the machine is finished with your scan. You can get up now.” He helps me off the black and silver machine.
I look at the device and wonder how it works. This planet has some interesting technology.
“That wasn’t bad, was it?” Din Ryk asks with a smile.
I shake my head. “No, it wasn’t.”
The doctor leaves the machine and heads to a cabinet. He pulls out a syringe and a bottle of clear liquid.
That doesn’t look good. “Is that really necessary?”
Dr. ResTa looks at me as he taps the liquid filled syringe. “Yes, it is. This will help you stay healthy. Take a deep breath and blow it out slowly.”
As I start to breath in the doctor moves toward me with unnatural speed. I feel a tug on my shirt and then a sting in my arm. A blink later, the doctor is across the room digging through another cabinet.
Din Ryk runs his hand over my shoulder and then leans down and kisses the top of my head. “You’re almost done, little seema.”
I inhale his calming scent and nod. The doctor is so quick, I’m still stunned by his abilities. I wonder if Din Ryk can move just as fast.
The doctor opens a tray. I see tiny metal things. “Are those communicator chips?” My curiosity gets me every time.
The doctor smiles showing his pearly fangs. “Yes, you’ll just feel a small sting when I put it in,” he reassures me. His tone in gentle. I appreciate his efforts to keep me calm. Maybe it won’t be too bad here.
My heartbeat kicks up a notch as a hint of anxiety washes through me. “Can I see it?”
At the doctor’s nod, Din Ryk leads me closer. I look at the small devices in wonder. They are so tiny. It doesn’t seem possible for them to be able to help me communicate with others. If I hadn’t talked to Rosman, I wouldn’t believe it.
“Those are amazing.” I pause as a thought comes to me. “What are the side effects?” I don’t want rust poisoning. That could take a few weeks to detect couldn’t it? Suddenly I’m not so sure about this.
Doctor ResTa answers, “On rare occasions, a person will develop a slight fever and some swelling at the injection site. Usually all the patient feels is a pinch and then a moment of dizziness when the chip is placed in the neck.”
“I don’t thin—”
My words are cut off when the doctor goes into hyper-drive again. All I see is a blur. A pinch to my neck has me reeling. When my vision clears, I look around and see the doctor is calmly cleaning his area. The bastard is fast.
I reach up to touch my neck but Din Ryk stops me. “Leave it alone, seema. Do you understand me?”
At first I’m insulted. Does he think I don’t understand the words ‘leave it alone’? Then it hits me that he spoke in a different language. “Yes.”
“Looks like the chip is well settled. Contact me if she has any trouble with the chip, WavTe,” the doctor says.
I’m amazed that I can understand them since they are not talking in English. I’m also a little insulted because once again they are talking about me as though I’m not here. Alberta would be telling the doctor off by now. Sadness washes over me at the thought of my friend.
Din Ryk sniffs and then wraps his arm around me as though he knows I’m sad. This is not the first time he’s done something like this. I wonder how he knows what I’m feeling. I hope he can’t read minds.
The males say their goodbyes and then Din Ryk leads me through the waiting area and then back into the busy corridor. I don’t see Rosman anywhere.
He guides me down the corridor and then through a set of large glass doors. I gasp at the sight before me. A lush jungle surrounds several tall glass and metal buildings. A gust of wind swirls around me causing me to shiver in the cool air. It must be around fifty degrees.
“We will be home soon so you won’t be cold for long,” he says.
I nod and scoot closer to his hot body as I look around. The thin woods on Earth are nothing compared to the vegetation here on Zaphin. I briefly wonder what kind of foods can be found out there and then I remember what happened the last time I went into the woods.
My stomach sours. Will I be expected to go out there looking for food? I know firsthand how dangerous that can be. This guy seems nice. I’m not ready to be taken and sold again. Truthfully, once was more than enough.
When my hand trembles, Din Ryk inhales and growls softly. “What’s wrong, seema?” he asks as he leads me down the stone steps and then down one of several paths.
I’m not sure how honest I should be. If I don’t mean anything to him he won’t understand my fear. If he’s wealthy enough he can just buy another seema.
That soft growl vibrates through his chest again. He stops and turns me toward him. Our gazes lock. “Tell me why you’re so scared, Skyla.”
I glance at the jungle and then back up into his eyes. Some of the strands in his irises are pulsing. They seem to do that when he’s serious. I swallow and call up my brave side.
“I don’t think I can go food foraging anymore.” Fear rolls through me. I know I can’t. It’s too dangerous. I remember all those scary beings at the sell-block. A shudder shakes me from head to toe. I don’t w
ant to go back there. “I can take care of a garden though. Do you have a garden?” Please let him have a garden.
He growls and hugs me tightly to him. His large hand soothes over my back. “Calm yourself, seema. I don’t expect you to go into the jungle looking for food. I order what I need.”
I’m not going to have to forage for food. Relief starts to relax my muscles. His arms tighten around me for a second and then he steps back. I immediately miss his calming body heat.
“Let’s go home. We’ve both had a long day.”
Yes, we have. I follow his lead. Since I’m cuffed to him, I really don’t have a choice anyway. As I inhale his masculine scent, I admit I don’t want to leave him. Yep, I’m still inexplicably drawn to him. Each kind thing he does for me sucks me in deeper.
A loud noise has me jumping. I look around and then up. A flock of birds are flying toward us. There has to be over thirty of them. Their green wings gleam in the light. As they fly over us, I see that their bellies are black. They continue to make a lot of noise. I can’t help but wonder what they are talking about. Too bad my communicator chip doesn’t know their language.
As I watch them fly away I notice the sun. It’s not at all like the sun that circles Earth. The shape is the same but its pearl colored and has a pretty blue ring around it. From the sun’s position in the sky, I wonder if its morning or evening here on Zaphin.
“What time of day is it?” I ask as we round a corner. My eyebrows hike up when I see a parking lot filled with sleek vehicles.
“It’s evening, seema. We have thirty hours in a day.” At my sharp breath, he chuckles. “That gives us plenty of time to train and take care of business. Right now my business is getting you settled in my home.”
As he leads me to a shiny dark blue vehicle another flock of those noisy birds fly overhead. “What are those birds called?” At their noise level they’d be called prey on Earth. They are definitely fat enough to eat.
He opens the door for me and guides me into his vehicle. “They are bandi. They always travel in groups. Prelling noisy is what they are.”
I appreciate how open Din Ryk is. So far he’s been quick to answer my questions and calm my fears. I hope he stays that way. I watch him rub the cuffs and hear him say, “Release.”
To my surprise the metal opens. As he pockets the cuffs he closes my door and rounds the vehicle. I rub my naked feeling wrist and think about how strange this world is.
After he gets in, he quickly starts the vehicle. It does a weird tremble thing and then he pulls from the lot. My nerves ratchet up. What kind of home does he have? Does he have mood swings like old man McKenzie? I clench my hands in my lap and look out the window.
I can handle whatever I need to. If I have to tiptoe around the big guy, I will. The blur of green, tan, and blue plants are quite a sight. My curiosity takes hold of me again. We are traveling through a cut path in the jungle. We seem to be gliding over the ground. I remember the strange vehicle trembling when he started it. The vehicle must have been rising up. Yes, we have to be gliding. Otherwise all of the tree stumps I see would have us bouncing all over the place.
I can’t help myself. I look at Din Ryk and ask, “How do you keep this path clear? What happens if another vehicle comes toward us?” I can envision many life-destroying crashes on this narrow path.
“You should see how two of us travel this path sometime soon. As for how we maintain it, that’s easy. We have vehicles that come through cutting all the new growth once a moon cycle.”
He suddenly tilts his head and then smiles. His short fangs make him look like a predator. I think of the dagrinians words and know I’m still the prey. He reaches out and rests his hand on mine causing that electrical charge to zip through me. At least I’m drawn to my predator. That thought has desire pooling in my pelvis.
A soft growl from him makes me even hotter. I squirm in my seat. This is so unusual for me. I don’t jump men. Although I’m thinking that might not be a bad thing to do to him. He growls again in that sexy way that makes juices dampen my panties. Everything about this big guy turns me on.
I see something through the windshield and tense up when a vehicle heads straight for us. Not able to watch, I flinch and close my eyes.
“Open your eyes, seema. It’s not going to hit us.”
At his coaxing words, I open my eyes in time to see the vehicle come closer. We get so close that I can see how long the other driver’s black hair is. A half a breath later the vehicle seems to take flight. It goes right over us.
With my heart pounding, I ask, “How did it do that?” Earth vehicles can’t do that. This is such a strange place. Wonderful as well.
He turns and looks at me with playful eyes. “They are made to avoid each other. Each vehicle repels the others. Right now I’m guiding this one but it can also be put on autopilot. I just prefer to drive. Especially after a mission.”
When he turns his attention back to the path I free the breath I’ve been holding. His eyes are so mesmerizing I fear what my irrational heart may do. He said he prefers to drive after a mission. That means he’s gone on more than one.
I have to know what he does. I look at him and try not to be swayed by his rugged good looks. “What is your job?” I try to sound normal. As though his answer isn’t that important.
He glances my way. “I’m a zaphinian warrior and I’m one of the owners of Club Release. What did you do on Earth?”
My heart sinks along with any hope of having a stable life with him. Warriors die every day. At least I have my answer. Now it’s time to respond to his. “I worked for a bakery. We baked bread, rolls, crackers, and served three meals a day. Two if times were hard.” I’m going to miss that environment forever. My family is there and I’m here. I can’t stop the sadness that wells in me.
He inhales sharply and pats my hand comfortingly. “My parents own a restaurant in a nearby community and one of my brothers owns a restaurant in this community. I’ll take you to his business soon. At first you’ll just stay in the house learning how to please me.”
I shiver at his words and try fruitlessly to hold back a fresh wave of desire. Din Ryk flicks my switch as none have before. His hand tightens on mine for a second and then he removes it.
Once again, I feel the loss of his warmth. I fear I’m on a fast moving path to heartache. I gather up all my resolve and decide to shield my heart as best I can.
Don’t let him get to you, my cautious side whispers.
But, it’s okay to ride him hard as often as you can, my sex deprived side says excitedly.
I hold back a groan and focus on the lush plants whizzing by instead.
CHAPTER
11
~ Skyla ~
♥
My nerves stay on edge as he drives and drives.
Night is falling fast. I can only see the tip of the blue ring that circles the sun. I don’t know what will happen when we reach his home. My stomach churns as worry eats me up. I don’t handle change well.
I hold onto my seatbelt when he turns off the path and onto another one. “We’ll be home soon, seema. I’ll show you around and then let you eat something while I work from my office for a while,” he says in a soothing tone.
How can he tell I’m on edge? I give him a small smile. “Okay.” I start to calm down a little now that I know what’s going to happen when we get to his house. As long as he’s telling the truth, that is. I give him another smile and hope he’s honest.
Within minutes he makes another turn and pulls up to a tall glass and metal home. These people really like their glass and metal. I’ve never seen this type of metal on Earth. It’s thick and has a design in it much like the others I’ve seen here on Zaphin. The structures have nice clean lines. As long as the metal doesn’t rust, then these types of buildings would stay pretty indefinitely. I’m starting to see the appeal.
His home is a mix of repeating wide sections of metal and glass. During the day I bet the sun’s light brighten
s the place beautifully.
The vehicle settles a second after he kills the engine. When he takes his seatbelt off I do the same. I open my door as he’s opening his. I climb out, carefully close the vehicle door, and then stretch. I shake off the memories of being caged. This is way better than being caged. I have a moment of doubt. Is there a cage in the house? The dagrinian did lead me to one. Will the zaphinian too?
Don’t think like that, I reprimand myself. I have to get over the past. He’s not guilty until he does something wrong.
He walks over and takes my hand. I immediately respond to his warmth. My muscles relax and I smile up at him. He may be huge, but he’s been nice to me. And to my friend. Nice people don’t cage others. I feel like I can trust him. I shiver in the cool air and stay close to his heat.
