WARRIORS OF KELON BOOK 5:
SAVING SARA
by
Angela Castle
TORRID BOOKS
www.torridbooks.com
Published by
TORRID BOOKS
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An Imprint of Whiskey Creek Press LLC
Whiskey Creek Press
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Casper, WY 82605-1052
Copyright Ó 2012 by Angela Castle
Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 (five) years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
ISBN 978-1-61160-411-2
Credits
Cover Artist: Gemini Judson
Editor: Dennis Hays
Printed in the United States of America
Other Books by Author Available at Torrid Books:
www.torridbooks.com
Warriors of Kelon Book 1: Abducting Alice
Warriors of Kelon Book 2: Tempting Tara
Warriors of Kelon Book 3: Resisting Rachel
Warriors of Kelon Book 4: Claiming Clare
Dragon Down Under
Moonlight Captivation
Sin’s City
Dragon Down Under: Two Plus One
Dedication
This one’s for my fans,
thank you for encouraging me to write Solron’s story.
Chapter 1
Sarah knew death would come, she only wished it would come sooner.
Her captors kept her alive because it amused them to inflict pain and watch her suffer.
In the back of her mind, distant memories of a home far away still lingered while hunger gnawed at her empty stomach. Forgotten was the smell of fresh air. Once, so long ago, she knew the sweet scent of cool mountain air and the feel of the wind wrapping around her body. Now, she inhaled in shallow breaths the foul, musty stench of her own feces, blood, and remnants of decaying creatures inside her small, cramped cell.
At first, she silently begged for forgiveness for any wrong she may have done to deserve this punishment. The burning pits of hell held more appeal than the ongoing nightmare she was forced to endure. How she longed to be free from the pain and injustice of her now wretched existence.
Never again would she see her family or her friends. Tears of self-pity and the hope of rescue dried up long ago. No human had such advanced space technology, fast-moving spaceships and a cruel beam of bright green light, which gripped her, held her immobile, until it delivered her into the clutches of these cruel, heartless aliens. She was forever lost and alone.
The swoosh of air indicated her cell door opening. Groggily and weakly, she raised her head, careful not to lift her eyes too far, or it would earn her another agonizing jolt from the thick, metal collar firmly bolted around her throat.
She tried to ready herself, needing to obey the commands of her masters. Her quick compliance helped avoid the pain. Not that it mattered anymore; perhaps she would disobey enough for them to finally kill her.
Inwardly, she rebelled; outwardly, she was a coward. It hurt too much, and she didn’t want the pain anymore. ‘A weak, pathetic human,’ the Xersons repeatedly called her. She agreed.
Several Xersons entered her cell area. Xersons were as big as grizzly bears. Their bristly fur covered more than half of their bodies and they had pointed snouts and humanlike eyes, yet what she feared the most were not their clawlike hands. Their teeth often gnashed at her, displaying crooked, sharp fangs smeared in greenish saliva.
Often they threatened to tear her apart with those teeth, only to then laugh at her fear.
“We’ve cleared out the base. The only thing left is this,” growled the low voice of the first Xerson.
“The human is useless. I bought it for my amusement and it’s served its purpose. The valuable breeding slaves are already secure. This one will only take up space. Leave it. It will be dead before long.”
Sara recognized the voice of the one who enjoyed inflicting pain and humiliation on her the most. It took her a split second to understand that they were leaving her to die and abandoning the station where she was kept.
Their amused laughter faded away as the door slid closed again.
Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks and she collapsed back onto the dirty, cold floor waiting for her life to end.
* * * *
Solron sat in his quarters, anger simmering in his veins for being ordered on this pointless mission. Of course he knew why. He appreciated the concern of his mentor and superior, Krill. But damn it, he had work to do back on Kelon!
A less-experienced healer would have sufficed, but Krill insisted on his presence onboard the Kelon Star-Searcher.
Here, he would be forced to endure endless cycles of nothing. All the warriors onboard were in excellent health and top physical condition. No human females to treat, no younglings to birth. He sighed. At least he brought plenty of reading data with him to stave off the boredom.
Solron sat in his quarters, remembering the conversation with Krill which landed him here in the first place. He was stressed and tired from running back and forth, tending to the birthing human women on Kelon. Physically and mentally, he was run down.
“You appear pale, my friend.”
Solron glanced up at Krill before running a hand over his tired face. “I am fine. Another human went into labor early this morning.”
“You should let your trainees attend them and get rest.”
The team of healers, which he personally trained, helped ease his burden from the growing number of human women now living on Kelon. Although they were learning well, they did not have his extensive personal knowledge of human females. Quite a few of the human women were having difficult labors.
Thankfully, once the Kelon pain inhibitor was administered, it took much of the stress from the mothers and the worried Kelon fathers. Still, he felt responsible for the human women and knew more about them than any other on the planet. He had to be there, just in case.
“Your dedication in caring for the human females and their younglings is to be commended, but remember, a healer must care for themselves too,” Krill continued.
“I shall. As soon as I am able,” Solron said, offhandedly waving at Krill, then turning back to study his new data on C-sections.
Krill growled with disapproval. “There is a military exploration ship leaving for the edge of Xerson space tomorrow. It is on a cleanup mission. I know if I order you to rest here on Kelon, you will not. I want you on that ship.”
Solron shot to his feet, turning to face the Kelon. “Krill, I cannot abandon my patients. They need me!”
“You have trained excellent staff who can handle your duties. You can’t care for your patients if you are unable to focus from lack of rest. This is not a request, Solron.”
Krill’s tone took on a more forceful tone, one Solron recognized from his student days. The older Kelon would not back down until he had his way.
Several rotations passed since the day he stepped grudgingly onto the K
elon Star-Searcher Linron.
Solron returned to the present, sighed again and dropped his datapad. He was staring, no longer seeing the words. He stood up and left his quarters, then walked down to the mess hall. Several warriors were hunched over a human game brought back from Earth by one of the females.
Chess, if he remembered correctly. He was told it helped sharpen one’s military mind for strategy and defense. It was general knowledge that many unmated Kelon males made it a point to learn about human women so they too could look forward to courting and claiming one in the near future.
Solron found the human female body attractive, but the thought of ever mating was far from his mind. His dedication and focus were on his healing duties and advancing his profession, which left no time for mating. He also lacked the appeal the females wanted in a Kelon male. He was shorter, with less bulk than the average warrior. It was unlikely a female would ever want him. Inwardly, he felt he lacked the ability to be able to protect and fight for a corami of his own.
From an early age, his quickness of mind and steady hand helped decide his future. He wanted to be a healer.
He entered the meal and recreation room, only to be ambushed by the commander.
“Solron!”
Te-Commander Rell gave him a hefty, yet friendly slap on the back.
“Commander,” Solron acknowledged with a nod, trying not to appear winded from the commander’s enthusiastic greeting.
“Good news, my friend, we shall reach the outpost in a few milrons and we shall see what those Xerson dogs have left behind.”
“I suspect much like the last few bases: stripped and empty.” The Xersons were thorough in making sure nothing of value was left. Still, they needed to check before destroying each base.
Although the Great War officially ended a month past, much still needed to be done in cleaning up the mess the enemy left behind. Most of the three enemy races retreated to their own planets and territories. New listening posts were being set up to keep an eye on the borders of their space, ensuring the peace continued.
He heaved a sigh. “I will collect my equipment from the healing bay.”
* * * *
They docked with the spinning asteroid orbiting a small dead planet. Kelon warriors marched through each corridor, checking each room with caution. Even though the scanners indicated no life signs, it paid to be cautious when dealing with an abandoned base.
Solron absently followed Te-Commander Rell while holding his portable bioscanner, searching for anything hazardous to the Kelon crew.
Solron almost ran into the commander when he stopped in the lower part of the base at a closed door. Commander Rell tried to open it with little success.
“The only locked door on the whole base,” Commander Rell muttered, examining the plain gray metal door.
A Kelon electronic lock pick was quickly ordered from the ship. When it arrived, it took but a moment for the warriors to open the locked panel, before forcing open the door. They were greeted by the foul stench of old blood and expelled body fluids. It made Solron’s sensitive nose twitch with revulsion. He silently agreed with the warriors’ grumblings over how disgusting the Xersons were.
One warrior quickly swept his light beam through the darkness of the cell. “It’s clear.” The warrior nodded for them to proceed, before stepping back while holding his nose.
Solron glanced down at his scanner; an unusual reading blinked back at him. Curiosity made him push past the warriors, snatch the beam from the warrior’s hand and step into the obvious prison cell.
No wonder the warrior missed her, as she was completely naked and her skin matched the filth in which she lay. Solron stared in shock at the small female curled up in the far corner. The readings were so faint, they barely registered, but the closer he came, the clearer the data. She was still alive, but barely.
“Solron, what is it?” Commander Rell stepped in behind him.
Solron dropped to his knees, running his scanner over the unmoving girl.
“We have a human female, but her heart is weak, and her vitals are fading fast.”
“Damn fire demons! How did the Xersons manage to obtain a human female?” Fury radiated off the commander in waves.
Another warrior stepped into the cell, adding more light.
Solron silently handed his beam to the commander and rolled the female over. The gleam of a thick collar caught his eye. He growled, reaching out to touch the shrockna, a cruel device used on fierce beasts to control them.
Her long pale hair was dirty and tangled; bloodied scars and deep bruises marred her skin. Solron barely registered the other Kelons’ menacing, angry growls as they, too, viewed her battered and grimy state. Solron carefully lifted her into his arms and rose to his feet. She weighed hardly anything. So small, so delicate.
“Make a path! I need to get her to the healer’s bay now,” Solron snapped urgently, turning and heading out of the cell.
“Out of the way!” bellowed the commander.
Solron ran with the girl in his arms through the abandoned base and back onto the ship. Warriors stepped aside, curiosity and concern in their eyes, as Solron raced past, his mind three steps ahead of exactly what he needed to do to save her before she faded into the darkness forever.
The doors to the healer’s bay whooshed open and Solron lay his new charge on the biobed, his fast, nimble fingers hurriedly pressing buttons to get a more accurate reading. Quickly, he filled the injectors with the drugs needed to keep her heart pumping.
She was badly malnourished and severely dehydrated. There were also multiple contusions and many awkwardly healed bone breaks. They would need to be rebroken and reset. How could someone harm such a frail, helpless creature? Anger fired his blood, making him want to search out her tormentors and break every one of their bones before stripping the flesh from their bodies.
The thought shocked him. He never was a violent Kelon, but seeing what they did to this human female incited a maelstrom of white-hot rage.
Keep a level head and your hands steady. She needs you to stay in control to save her.
A powerful determination added to his sudden need to avenge her. He would not allow her to die.
As her heart struggled to pump blood through her body, Solron took the safest action available. With steady hands, working fast, he placed her into an induced coma. She needed rest. The drugs stimulated her heart and kept it pumping. He put just enough nutrients into her system to stop her other organs from shutting down, but also to keep them from being overwhelmed. The rest was up to her: her will to live, to survive.
“Come on, star shine, I need you to fight,” he whispered, brushing away strands of matted, dirty hair. “Don’t let them win.”
Her cheeks looked sunken and sagged along with the rest of her skin. But her breasts still remained full rounded globes, despite her skin sticking to her rib cage.
He swallowed hard, fighting to maintain a professional calm. He realized, for the first time, that his hands trembled.
By the fire demons, what is wrong with me?
He closed his eyes, drew in a calming breath to steady his hands, then pushed a fluid drip into her arm vein to rehydrate her. Agonizing moments passed while he waited for her body to accept them. Time stood still. His gaze flickered back and forth, from the shallow rise and fall of her chest, to the monitors tracking her vitals. Moment after worrying moment, he waited for her heart to begin to strengthen. Slowly, his monitors showed small signs of improvement.
It was close, too close. Had they come but an hour later, she would have lost her life.
Solron let out a relieved breath, but it would still be a while before her heart was back to an acceptable level for a human.
Finally, he covered her with a sheet, cleaned his hands then walked to the door and opened it.
Te-Commander Rell stood there, his arms folded, and concern shadowing his features. “How is she?”
“I have managed to stabilize her. She has a shro
ckna.”
“I did observe the collar. Prelron is coming down from engineering. They are damn tricky to remove. I have heard of them killing beasts by unleashing the complete voltage when the creature tried to tamper with the collar. How long do you think the Xersons had her?”
“From the injuries both new and old, my guess is many cycles. No doubt she has suffered greatly.” Solron’s throat tightened again and the rage rose, forcing him to take several slow, deep breaths. By the mercy of Elron, how could such a thing happen?
Yet, Solron knew the universal truth. If someone found themselves on the wrong side of the galaxy, it was a soulless, cruel place.
“You know, if they had this one, they may still have more.” Solron shuddered at the thought.
“It makes no sense; if they regard human women as valuable breeders, why leave this one?”
“They would not have left her if she was valuable to them. I have not done deep scans yet, but I hazard a guess that she may not be able to breed.” He would check further when she was more stable.
“I will send a communication to Kelon base.” Commander Rell turned on his booted heels, then marched toward the bridge.
Solron turned back to the female, then prepared cleaning agents. He needed to bathe her so he could treat her other wounds. Slowly, as he washed her, revealing her pale, soft skin, a strange feeling swirled through him, going beyond needing to heal her. He wanted to protect her and keep her safe.
“No more pain, star shine, never again. You’re safe, now and always.”
Chapter 2
For the first time since she could remember, Sara didn’t feel any pain. A strange fog clouded her mind, and she felt enveloped in warmth. Somehow, she expected death to be cold.
From the darkness a deep, gentle voice spoke.
“Aaaah, I see you are waking. Come on, star shine, let me see your beautiful eyes.”
Saving Sara: Warriors Of Kelon Book 5 Page 1
