by T. J. Quinn
She kicked him hard in his face with her other foot, throwing him to the floor. Taking advantage of his surprise, she jumped out of bed and made a run for the door. But the other creature grabbed her from behind, forcing her to struggle harder.
At that moment, she heard the front door being opened and she almost died with despair realizing Eleanor was back earlier. She wouldn’t stand a chance against those guys.
“Sasha, are you here? The therapist didn’t show up today,” she heard her friend shouting from the front door.
Desperate to keep her away from these guys, she struggled harder as she yelled at her. “Eleanor… I have company, would you mind going away for a couple of hours?”
“Sure, I’ll see you later,” her friend replied, but before she could say anything else, the creature grabbing her, clamped his hand over her mouth, as the other one smashed the door against the wall and went after Eleanor.
“Sasha,” her friend yelled.
Sasha fought harder, scratching and kicking as much as she could, and biting his hand with all her strength, forcing him to release her mouth.
“Get the hell out of here,” she shouted to Eleanor, but she knew it was too late when she felt a stab in her belly and saw the creature grabbing her, injecting something into her, turning out the lights for her.
That was the beginning of their nightmare.
The Slythonians had kidnapped them, and now they planned to sell them to the highest bidder in an auction, that would take place somewhere in a far galaxy.
God, she had never believed in aliens, and now she not only had been confronted with their existence, but she had also been abducted by a couple of ones that looked like huge lizards that walked on two legs and had technology the guys on NASA had no idea it was even possible.
Though she had tried to save Eleanor, she had had no idea what they had done to her until she heard her moaning on the cell next to her. Opposite feelings had filled her heart since she couldn’t help feeling happy she was there and alive but also dreaded the fact she was still facing an unknown fate, along with all the female creatures these guys had abducted all over the universe.
That morning, the captain of the vessel had informed them the auction would take place the following day, and she feared she was going to be separated from Eleanor.
She couldn’t bear the possibility of leaving her friend behind, in the hands of the sadist slave master. Eskol had been torturing her as much as he could, and she was sure he would torture her to death if the captain weren't able to sell her with the rest of the women.
She had to find a way to protect her, no matter what.
When Eskol came looking for them for the auction she tried to resist but he simply pressed one button, and the pain that rushed through her body reminded her there wasn’t much she could do.
Like animals to the slaughter, they were taken to a room and lined up. They all knew the drill since they had been trained for it, but Sasha knew she would have a lot of trouble to accept being groped by the customers attending the auction. But she also knew she didn’t have any other option. Resisting would only bring her and the other women pain, and though she wouldn’t mind, she couldn’t put the others through that. It wasn’t fair.
So, she came up with a plan. She would try to convince whoever showed real interest in her that they had to buy her friend as well, by the threat of turning their lives into living hells. Perhaps, one of them would be curious enough to ask for the human female the lizards hadn’t brought to the auction.
When it was her time to walk the small runway to the center of the stage, she took a deep breath and walked out, as proudly as she could, trying not to look at anyone in particular. But when she was standing in the middle of the stage, exposing her naked body to all sorts of disgusting creatures, she felt the hairs on her nape stand in attention.
Her eyes were drawn immediately to an alien sitting in the back of the room. He looked taller than the regular man, there were some protuberances adorning his forehead and temples, but other than that, he looked pretty much as a human male.
But that wasn’t what called her attention. The male sitting next to him was of the same species, and she barely noticed his existence.
No, this one was different. How? She didn’t know, she just felt it in her guts. Her whole body had reacted to him, to the way he was looking at her, in ways she didn’t remember feeling before, at least, not this powerfully, not so intensely. With one look, he had her heaving, her heart drumming in her chest and her nipples hard as rocks.
When she heard the captain announcing the examination period, she made an effort to look away and take her place on stage, along with the other women.
Instinct told her to put her plan in action with the two of them. She had the feeling they were very interested in her, and that could be the way to save Eleanor.
But, despite the way the man had been looking at her, he didn’t approach her. Fortunately, his friend did, and she took the opportunity to talk to him, as discreetly as possible.
“If you buy me, without buying my friend, I’ll make sure your life is a living hell,” she threatened him.
He looked at her puzzled but didn’t make any comment. Instead, he walked to where the other man was standing and talked to him.
She prayed she hadn’t made a huge mistake, trusting these guys, especially when she saw the other one approaching her.
Her heart missed a beat when he finally stood in front of her, just before it started racing at a frantic speed.
“If you buy me, without buying my friend, I’ll make sure your life is a living hell,” she repeated the same words to him.
“What friend?” he murmured back.
“They’re not exhibiting her,” she warned him.
At that moment, the captain announced the beginning of the auction and all of the men returned to their seats.
One by one, Sasha saw the women being sold and she started to feel nervous. So far, the men she had talked to hadn’t bought anyone.
But the moment the first human was called up, they started buying and one by one, they bought all of the human women, including Sasha. They were set apart, in the corner of the room and when all the sales’ procedures were done, the first guy she had talked to started to guide them out of the room.
“No… no… I’m not going anyway without my friend,” she cried out, charging against the man.
“Stop, right now,” Eskol, standing next to them, shouted the order, but she didn’t stop. He pressed the device that controlled the collar, and that was the last thing she remembered.
She came to herself some time later, with no idea where she was. Carefully, she got up and examined the strange room she was locked in. Someone had put a tunic over her naked body, and she assumed the men that bought her and the other girls had brought her there. She let out a cry of frustration when she realized what that meant. They had left Eleanor behind, she was sure of it.
Furious, she started pounding the door with all her strength, but no one came to answer her questions. Stubborn, she kept pounding the door until it opened up to let the man that had impressed her come in.
She was about to hit the door once more when he swished the door open, and she fell in his arms.
Startled, she struggled to free herself from him. “Let me out of here…”
He carried her easily inside the room and closed the door. “Please, calm down.”
“You left her there… he’s going to kill her… you bastard…” Sasha yelled at him as she punched him hard in his chest, letting out all of her fury and frustration.
“I brought her with me,” he said, several times until she heard him.
Her hands stood still over his chest. “What did you say?” she asked in a low tone, her heart thundering so loud she could hardly hear him.
“I brought your friend with me,” he repeated again.
For a moment, she didn’t say a word, she just stayed there, with her hands on his chest, and he
r eyes fixed on it, while her brain processed his words, overwhelmed by the incredible amount of emotions rushing through her. All of a sudden, her barriers crumbled down, and she buried her face on his chest and started crying out loud.
Asgar wrapped his arms around her and gave her all the comfort she seemed to need. His whole body was responding to her closeness, and he had to struggle to keep his emotions under control. He had never experienced an attraction like what he felt for her. It was stronger than any he had ever experienced. His instincts were shouting out loud, ordering him to take her to bed and make her his.
She didn’t know how long she was there, in his arms crying. She didn’t ever cry, but she guessed she had been through a lot the past weeks and that was simply the way her body chose to let some steam out.
But crying on her enemy’s arms wasn’t a good strategy. She pulled away, ready to struggle for her freedom, but he released her as soon as she moved.
“Can I see her?” she asked, in a tensed toned, making no mention whatsoever to her tears.
“She’s in the infirmary. The doctor is doing a full scan on her, so you’ll have to wait,” he informed her, in a calmed tone.
“Why? What happened? Is she alright?” she asked, walking towards him.
“We’re not sure yet. Eskol handed her to me unconscious, and though I wanted to stay there and teach him a lesson, I considered it was more prudent to bring her here immediately,” he explained.
“The damn lizard must have tortured her. He hated her so much he used every opportunity he had to torture her,” she stated, barely containing her hate and her fury.
“Yes, those are my suspicions as well,” he nodded, running a hand down his long, black mane. “Why did he hate her so much?” he asked, curious.
“She wasn’t in his plans, and if that wasn’t enough, she was damaged goods, as he called her. The fact she couldn’t walk was terrible for him. He wanted to kill her and get rid of here, once and for all, but Rurik didn’t let him,” she replied, oozing all the scorn and hatred she felt for the slave master.
“I see. Well, she’s in good hands now. I’ll let you know when you can see her,” he stated.
She snorted. “We just jumped from the pan into the fire, I’m sure.”
He looked at her with a slight frown. “I’m afraid I don’t understand the meaning of what you just said.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him. “I mean we’re worse than before.”
He didn’t like her comment, but she didn’t take it back. “Try to get some rest. We’ll arrive at Zuvrak the day after tomorrow in the morning.” With those words, he left her room, and she took a seat on the bed, feeling too exhausted all of a sudden.
Too many things happening at the same time, and the unexpected attraction she was feeling for that man wasn’t helping her, at all.
They brought her food a few minutes later and a clean tunic. The man, Egil was his name, explained to her how to use the shower and where to leave the tray when she was done.
“Do you know how my friend is? Has she awakened?” she asked before he left the room.
“The doctor sedated her, so you won’t be able to see her soon,” he explained, with a kind smile.
“Will you let me know when she’s awake?” she asked, once more.
“Yes, we will, please don’t worry.”
He left the room, and after she had eaten the delicious food he had brought her, she headed to the bathroom and entered the shower stall.
Chapter Two
The orange liquid that came out of it was quite a surprise, but she was feeling so sticky and sweaty, she didn’t doubt getting under the warm stream.
The water felt so good, she allowed herself to stay there more than she usually did, and she looked for some kind of soap and found a bottle with a whitish liquid that resembled a lot like soap. She tried it on, pouring some in her fingers and when it created foam, she decided to use it. A few minutes later, she was out of the shower wearing the clean tunic and feeling a lot better than she did a few hours ago.
She wanted to see Eleanor, she needed to be sure her friend was really here and that she was safe, at least for now. She had no idea what the future held for any of them, but knowing she was safe somehow made things easier.
She paced her room for a while, trying to decide what to do when the swishing sound of the door announced a visit.
“You could knock, don’t you think?” she protested when she saw him coming in.
“Perhaps I could, but I really don’t see why I should,” he replied, in a sassy tone, leaning against the closed door.
She pursed her lips and snorted. “Do you have a name?” she asked, suddenly realizing she had no idea who he was, other than he had bought them all.
“Yes, I have a name,” he nodded but didn’t provide it.
“Is it that ugly you don’t share it with others?” she asked, arching her eyebrows.
He chuckled. “That’s for you to judge, don’t you think? I’m Asgar, Captain of this vessel and head of the War Council, back home,” he explained.
“I see,” she crossed her arms over her chest.
“What about you? What’s your name?”
“I’m Sasha O’Donnell,” she replied, in a cold tone as she approached him a little bit. “When can I see my friend?” she asked.
“She’s still sedated.”
“I just want to see her,” she insisted.
“You don’t trust my word.” It wasn’t a question.
“And that surprises you? Would you, if you were in my place?” she asked him, in a sarcastic tone.
He nodded granting her reason. He stepped away from the door and stretched his hand out to her. “Come, I’ll take you to the infirmary to see her,” he offered.
Sasha looked at his hand and considered to ignore it. She didn’t want to touch him. Not because he disgusted her, quite the opposite. Each time he touched her, strange things happened to her body. She couldn’t remember last time she had felt this attracted to someone and that didn’t please her at all. This wasn’t a moment to think of her primal needs. This was a time to fight for her life and her freedom.
Taking a deep breath, she rested her hand on his, determined to ignore anything she might feel.
But it was easier said than done. The moment her hand touched his, she was able to feel the jolt of energy that rushed through her arm and spread through her whole body.
‘Damn man.’
With a wicked smile, he guided her out of the room, through the dim lit hallways. The place was a real labyrinth, and she was sure she would get lost easily. The hallways all looked alike; there was nothing different to help you figure out where you were.
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Excerpt from
PSION Mates
The Aledan Series Prequel
By
Christine Myers
CHAPTER ONE
Hankura Narcaza shrugged in frustration and rolled over on his bunk, unable to quiet his mind so he could sleep. He was alone in his darkened cabin aboard the Argus Lu, a passenger freighter. It had just put into Earth orbit to take on two more passengers and make a freight drop. Then it would take Hankura to Velran, a place he did not want to go.
It wasn't fair! Why did he have to go to Velran alone? Hankura didn't want to be on this ship with stupid people who tried cheer him up and make his voyage fun and interesting. It wasn't. He didn't want to go anywhere but home. He wanted his mother. He wanted his father to love him again instead of being angry all the time.
Tears filled his eyes, and his throat ached with longing. Someday, he would go back and show them they were wrong. They would be sorry. Someday.
Finally, sleep claimed him, and his mind drifted into a dream that wasn't his own. This dream was more real than any he had ever dreamed. In the dream, he shivered, cold and afraid.
He huddled under an abandoned stairway in a dark alley. A hard rain fell steadily, forming shallow pools in the scarred pavement around him.
At some point, he realized it was not a dream. He felt the psychic force of her consciousness pulling him into her mind. Her thoughts, her fear, her pain filled his mind. The little girl was down on Earth. She crouched alone in the dark, more afraid than she had ever been in the short span of her five years.
Her brother, Jerry told her to wait for him no matter what. He would come for her when he finished avenging their mother's death. He gave her the knife and fled. He'd be gone however long it took for him to find and kill the man who had killed their mother.
Hours passed. Michelle sat shivering in the corner against the cold brick wall---alone except for the rats. When they ventured too close, she menaced them with the sharp knife then pelted them with the pieces of broken pavement she had gathered before dark. Although she hit several with the concrete rocks, one broke through and came too close. She screamed and plunged the knife into it, killing it. After that, they stayed back for a while. Michelle shuddered, exhausted. Her body ached with the cold, and her eyelids drooped as she longed for sleep. But the rats were out there waiting. Sleep would mean death--endless sleep just like Mommy.
Some of the rats moved closer again, but the sound of their claws on the pavement opened her eyes wide with terror. She screamed, ending it in a sob as she stabbed at the closest one desperately with the knife.
Jerry, please come back! Don't leave me all alone like this. I want Mommy. Oh, God, I don't want to be alone.
She was sure nobody would hear or care what happened to her. But in blind desperation, she tapped her latent psionic ability and sent a mind-cry with such force that someone did sense her plea.
Hankura sat bolt upright in his bunk and brushed the wetness from his cheeks. The boy realized he was crying, but this time his tears were for someone else--- Michelle...and he reached out... He sensed the little girl was even more alone and scared than he was.
