Devil's Hellions MC Complete Series Box Set

by Alexis Austin

  In that moment, Sophia was so proud of Tyrex. He really would do anything for her. And she would do the same.

  Sophia cleared her throat. The circle of old males around here was very intimidating. “Honored Council Elders, I crash landed on this planet and believed I was going to die here. But Tyrex saved my life. I love this man with all my heart.”

  The Elders looked at each other in confusion.

  “On Earth, love is the same as what you call your Intended here on Jeorn.”

  The leader looked down on Tyrex. “You have done us a great insult by letting her speak here.”

  Tyrex stepped forward. “But please...”

  “We cannot allow an alien and a Jeorn to be Intended. In regards to your execution, we will hold a public trial first.”

  “Why a trial?” Tyrex asked. His village of Ja'la had never held a trial over a simple execution before.

  “We will let the village decide if both of you deserve death.”

  Sophia's heart skipped a beat.

  Tyrex clenched his fists. “I won't let you harm her.”

  Royal guards armed with blunt swords entered the chamber. Tyrex stepped in front of Sophia, his fists raised in defense. Tyrex got Sophia into this mess and he was going to get her out. Even if that meant his life.

  “You only make this harder, Tyrex Luk'ta. We do not want blood spilled here.”

  Tyrex ignored them, instead watching the movements of the royal guards closing in on them. He knew with no weapons it would be an uphill battle. But if he could get lucky with a few, he might be able to get Sophia out before he was killed.

  Sophia put her soft hand on Tyrex's shoulder. “Please Tyrex, don't fight. We must live to see another day. Let your village decide what to do with us.”

  The rage faded from Tyrex's eyes. He turned towards Sophia and let her calmness wash over him. “I won't let them hurt you, Sophia.”

  She took his hand in hers. “I know, Tyrex. Everything will turn out okay. I have a good feeling about this.”

  Tyrex put up his hands and the royal guards surrounded them, putting copper cuffs around both their wrists.

  The middle council member rose. “Tyrex Luk'ta, we are placing you and this alien under arrest to await trial.” He turned to on of the royal guards. “Take them to the jails.”

  Sophia and Tyrex were separated immediately and they were only able to get one last look at each other before the guards took them to the stairs that led underneath the chamber.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Sophia was taken to a wooden door at the end of a long hallway. The royal guard opened it and unlocked her tight cuffs. Sophia rubbed her wrists and was shoved into the dark room.

  The stone room was dark except for a small square window that was too high to see out of. A pile of sheets were thrown about in the corner that was probably supposed to be her bed. The jail cell reminded her of ones from the medieval times back on Earth.

  Sophia paced back and forth in the small cell. She had no idea where they were taking Tyrex. She didn't know when the trial was going to take place. She doubted whether she made the right decision on preventing Tyrex from fighting.

  “We both might die anyways,” she whispered.

  Sophia sat down on the pile of sheets. She was a long way off from being tired. The intense meeting with the Elders and the threat of death meant that she could probably stay awake for days.

  –

  She awoke when the a key entered the lock in her door. She got up and hoped to see Tyrex coming to rescue her.

  Instead, a guard plopped down a bowl filled with dark green liquid. “Eat up, alien.” He closed the door and she was left in the semi-darkness.

  She had no idea how long she had slept or how long she had been imprisoned. All she knew was that she was starving and this “food” my be the only thing she gets to eat for awhile.

  She picked up the bowl and stirred the liquid with the wooden spoon. There were chunks of something mixed in. The thing looked like a bowl of vomit.

  “Here we go.” Sophia hesitantly raised a spoonful to her mouth. She pinched her nose and tasted it. “Not bad.”

  She downed the alien soup in seconds, wiping her mouth with the sheets she had been sleeping on.

  “Now if I can find out when I'm getting out of here.” She stood up and knocked on the wooden door. “Hello? Is anyone there?”

  She waited patiently, knocking every minute. But nobody came.

  –

  The door opened, waking her again. Sophia didn't even want to look to see if it was Tyrex. She knew she wasn't going to be rescued. Tyrex was probably stuck in a worse jail cell than this.

  But she was starving and that green soup sounded good. She got up and saw a guard standing in the doorway. Her heart dropped when she saw that he had no food in his hands.

  “I guess I'm not getting fed now?”

  The blue-skinned guard grunted something but she didn't understand.

  “Well, don't just stand there. Come in or go away.”

  “Your trial begins soon. I will take you to the meeting square.”

  Sophia understood each of those words.

  She might die today.

  But at least she'd see Tyrex one last time.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The meeting square was situated in the exact middle of Ja'la. An open dirt area that normally held the market or festivals during special times of the year.

  And this was a very special time of year indeed.

  A large wooden platform dominated the northern side of the square. The rest of the space was left to allow the villagers a place to see the trial.

  Sophia was brought outside by two guards. The bright sun burned her eyes but she couldn't cover them since her hands were cuffed behind her back. They marched her through the empty village until they came to the meeting square.

  Sophia's eyes had adjusted to see the entire village standing in the meeting square, their eyes staring firmly on her. The whole place was quiet.

  The guards created a pathway through the crowd, dragging Sophia behind them.

  She expected rotten fruit to be thrown at her or someone to spit in her face. But the audience was silent. They just watched her walk by with no reaction at all. Sophia guessed that could be a good thing. Meant that they didn't hate her as much as the Council of Elders made it out to seem.

  The guards and Sophia made it to the wooden platform but stopped right before the steps. The Council of Elders were situated on one side, standing at wooden lecterns with large hoods covering their faces. They looked a lot different in direct sunlight, older and more decrepit. Not as scary as when they are looming ten feet above you.

  On the other side stood Tyrex, chains around his hands and feet, his head lowered. He didn't expect to feel so much shame, standing in front of his parents and the entire village.

  But when he saw Sophia standing at the base of the platform, a smile appeared on his face and everything was forgotten.

  “Will the guards please bring the alien here.”

  Sophia was pushed up the steps to stand next to Tyrex. They ran a chain around her feet and locked her to the platform the same as Tyrex.

  “Not the kind of date I was expecting to go on,” Tyrex whispered out of the side of his mouth.

  Sophia tried to laugh but almost ended up crying instead. “I missed you so much.”

  “They didn't hurt you did they?”

  Sophia shook her head. “No. But that green sludge they made me eat could be considered torture.”

  Tyrex let out a deep laugh. “Kunan doesn't taste good to Jeorns either.”

  The lead Elder walked to the front of the platform. He was dressed in long white robes and sunlight beamed off his hood. “We are gathered here today, for the trial of Tyrex Luk'ta and the alien. Tyrex has taken it upon himself to ignore our laws and pick this alien as his Intended. We are requesting that the people of Ja'la decide that they are both guilty. The punishment for this crime is death
.”

  The Elder looked to Tyrex. “If you would please come forward and testify before the village.”

  Tyrex glanced at Sophia and gave a slight smile. “We'll be okay.”

  Tyrex walked in front of the entire village and stood in the same spot the Elder had. He felt naked up there with his hands cuffed behind his back.

  “Do you deny the charges that have been placed upon you, Tyrex Luk'ta?” a sweaty Elder asked.

  Tyrex took a deep breath. “I do not, my lords.”

  “Then will you explain to the village your actions.”

  Tyrex looked out at all the faces watching him in silence. They seemed indifferent to his situation. “As a Jeorn male I was to find my Intended for the Joining. I met this alien in my quest and did not expect what happened next. She was like any other Jeorn female. Yes, her skin color is different. But the qualities she possesses are the same.”

  Sophia felt everyone's eyes on her all at once. She couldn't help but blush.

  Tyrex continued, “Our laws never stated that a male cannot be Joined with an alien. We've never met an alien before. I hope that my fellow villagers will be kind and grant me this request.”

  “Your time is up, Tyrex Luk'ta,” a council member screamed.

  Sophia expected to be called to testify and then realized that they weren't going to let her. “I would like to speak.”

  The Council of Elders ignored her.

  Sophia spoke louder. “I would like to speak.”

  “Let her testify,” someone in the crowd yelled.

  Another joined, and another, until the entire village were chanting, “Let her testify!”

  Tyrex had never experienced this level of defiance of the Council of Elders. He felt that maybe they actually had a chance now.

  The Council of Elders talked amongst themselves. “We will let the alien speak.”

  Sophia's palms were sweaty as she stood in front of the village. She didn't even know what to say. “On the planet I came from, we don't have your Intended or the Joining.”

  The crowd looked at one another in confusion. They couldn't comprehend life without the Intended or Joining.

  “But Earth does have marriage. We have love which is the connection you feel between mates.” Sophia looked back at Tyrex. He gave her all the strength she needed. “I love Tyrex Luk'ta. I will do whatever it takes to become his Intended.”

  Villagers in the crowd had smiles on their faces. Sophia wasn't afraid of the Council of Elders anymore. But she should have been.

  “We will hear no more from this alien,” the lead Elder announced. “The time for witnesses has come. The Council of Elders calls on Rajla Cut'ha.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  The crowd mumbled to themselves. Tyrex felt a lump in his throat. He had no idea what Rajla had to do with this trial.

  Sophia returned to his side. “She's the one you had a date with, right?” she whispered to Tyrex.

  Tyrex nodded. “But I don't understand why they called her here.”

  Rajla made her way through the crowd, shoulders back, chin up. She was confident and Tyrex could feel something was wrong.

  “Can you state your name and where you're from for the record?” the Council Elder asked.

  Rajla stood before the audience and smiled. “My name is Rajla Cut'ha from the village Tuk'na.”

  “Very good. Now will you tell the village what you told the Council of Elders earlier today.”

  Sophia looked at Tyrex with an uneasy glance.

  “Tyrex came to my village a couple nights ago for a date. We had a wonderful time under the stars. That's when he kissed me and told me I was to be his Intended.”

  “That's a lie,” Tyrex screamed.

  Sophia knew that too. Tyrex would never betray her.

  “You will be quiet and let her finish,” the leader said. “Now Rajla, would you be so kind to continue.”

  Rajla brushed her hair out of her face. She didn't dare look back at Tyrex and Sophia. “When I came to Ja'la to be with my Intended, to my surprise he had broken his promise. I don't know why he would do such a thing to me. A promise is a promise.”

  Tyrex could see the audience changing their minds about him. He couldn't figure out why Rajla was doing this. What did she have to gain?

  He remembered the transaction that was supposed to take place between the two villages. If Tyrex took Sophia as his Intended, Tuk'na would not get Sophia.

  It all made sense now.

  “Thank you very much, Rajla Cut'ha,” a Council Elder said.

  Rajla smiled again at the crowd and strolled down the steps. She turned around to face the platform but refused to make eye contact with Tyrex.

  “What are we going to do now?” Sophia whispered.

  “I don't know,” he replied.

  The lead Council Elder stood before the village. “This is some very distressing news. But now we will allow anyone else to come in defense of these two.”

  Tyrex stepped forward. “I would like to speak.”

  “I'm sorry but we have already heard your testimony. Is there anyone else?”

  Tyrex knew nobody else would come to their defense. His parents couldn't risk public embarrassment and his friends didn't even know that he was taking Sophia as his Intended.

  “I will speak for them,” a voice came through the commotion.

  Tyrex couldn't tell who it was. He turned to Sophia and she shrugged at him.

  Kitor walked through the village of people until he made it to the platform. “I will speak for them.”

  “But, Father,” Tyrex said. He never thought in a million years that his father would come to his defense.

  Kitor ignored Tyrex and stood before the village.

  The Council of Elders were flustered. They didn't think anyone would come to Tyrex's defense. “Please state your name and where you are from.”

  “My name is Kitor Luk'ta, father of Tyrex Luk'ta and this village is my home.”

  “And what do you have to say to the Council of Elders today.”

  Kitor looked for his wife in the crowd. Lija was barely visible behind a large Jeorn male. But he could see her eyes. He knew exactly what that look meant. “If you don't do this, you'll be sleeping on the couch for the rest of your life.”

  “When my son broke the news about Sophia as his Intended, I wanted to disown him.”

  Tyrex hung his head in shame. He knew his father disapproved but not like that.

  “Then I got to understand his feelings for Sophia. He feels the same as I do for my wife, Lija. He would do anything for her. Even face death. Sophia is not from this planet but we shouldn't be telling him who he can take as his Intended. That is only for a Jeorn male to decide.”

  Kitor left the stage and the village was silent. Tyrex had never heard his father say such nice things before.

  The oldest Council Elder spoke, “We have heard all the testimony we need. Now it comes down to you. You will either vote them guilty as the Council recommends or let them continue in their blasphemous ways.”

  Tyrex had butterflies in his stomach. The Council of Elders were clearly trying to influence them. The village could go either way.

  Sophia could barely handle her nerves. She figured that when the guilty verdict came that death would only be moments away. At least she would be at the end with Tyrex.

  “Now we will take a vote. Majority wins. Those that find Tyrex and the alien guilty, make yourself known.”

  The villagers screamed a high pitched sound that Sophia could barely comprehend. It wasn't anything she had heard before. Definitely didn't sound like a normal human scream.

  Tyrex couldn't tell if that was majority or not. But it definitely didn't look good. He fully expected to only hear his parents to speak next.

  “Those that find Tyrex and the alien, please make yourself known.”

  The villagers erupted in a scream that caused Sophia to put her hands over her ear. Any louder and her brain was going to explode in h
er head.

  Tyrex smiled and looked to the Council of Elders. Their wrinkled faces contorted into a scene of disgust.