by Sara Fields
The last one crossed his arms and nodded in my direction. I squirmed under his gaze, feeling almost like a naughty child even though I hadn’t done anything wrong. I pressed my legs together, his scrutiny warming my body unexpectedly. My dirty fingers played with the hem of my filthy dress and I bit my lip.
“I’m Xandaar,” he said simply.
“Don’t fight us, we just want to help you,” Roan said softly, his tone soothing, but I was wary. I chewed my lip, taking a step backwards, away from him and away from everything. I felt the other three stiffen around me.
Zac, the one who had initially tried to grab me, held up his hands in mock surrender.
“Easy, girl,” he said.
The air around me grew tense and my skin crawled with it.
Roan slowly moved to wind his arm around my waist and the only thing I could think of was the feeling of Neil’s goons’ arms on me when Kaze was shot. I saw his eyes die again, the memory washing over me like it was happening all over again and I screamed. I kicked, I punched, and I fought against my captors, but I was no longer fully present. Caught up in my very own nightmare, I couldn’t tell what was real anymore. Aliens. Humans. Murder and pain. It all blurred into one.
I tore out of their grasp, running with all the energy I had left. I had to get far, far away.
Somewhere behind me, I heard Roan yell something about a tranquilizer and a soft click echoed before something jabbed me in the back of my neck. My eyesight wavered, the edges of my vision turning gray before everything started to fade until eventually, it all went black. Someone caught me before I fell to the ground and I was quietly thankful.
At last, I finally found peace.
* * *
When I awoke, I was in some sort of tent. Surrounded by thick beige canvas, I could tell it was daytime outside as the light peeked through just a little bit. I blinked, my eyelids still heavy with sleep. My limbs felt especially languid and I made no effort to move them. I kind of just wanted to go back to sleep. I hadn’t dreamed at all and maybe for the first time in weeks, I’d slept through the entire night without waking up screaming from the nightmares.
The toll of such little sleep had been rough. That and the little food and constant beatings. I groaned softly, finally convincing myself to stretch and move a little bit. Yawning, I arched my back and closed my eyes and heard someone clear their throat.
Fuck. I wasn’t alone.
I hesitantly opened my eyes and slowly pressed my arms down on the bed, pushing myself up to a seated position. Four Vakarrans were sitting at a table on the other side of the tent, just watching me.
I curled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. I was still in my dress from last night. Against the stark white of the sheets, I looked filthy. With horror, I realized how dirty I had made the pristine cloth.
“I’m sorry about the bed,” I said softly. I flinched, wondering if they were going to hurt me for soiling them. Beat me like the rumors said they would. I wondered if it would be terrible to be their slave. My eyes darted around, looking for a whip or something meant to hurt me.
Roan, the leader of the four, stood up and walked over to the bed, sitting beside me with a gentle smile on his lips. His movements were hesitant, almost like he was holding back for my sake. That couldn’t be right, could it?
“How are you feeling? You looked so peaceful sleeping that I didn’t have the heart to wake you,” he said softly.
His kindness left me speechless. I hadn’t expected that. Neil and his goons definitely would have beaten me for less. And they had. Many, many times.
I bit my lip, confused and unsure. I half expected Roan to slap me, but he never did.
Roan sighed and brushed his thumb against my cheek and I could have sworn that my heart stopped. My skin tingled, electrified. My entire body warmed, a pulse of desire shooting straight to my core.
He didn’t hit me.
“You don’t care about the sheets?” I finally asked, still unable to process the fact that he hadn’t struck me or anything for dirtying their bed with my filthy body.
“Not at all. I’ll have them washed after we get you all cleaned up. Now come. Take off your dress and we’ll get you in the bath,” he said.
I blinked. Take off my dress? Be completely naked in front of four alien men?
I think not. They were crazy to think I’d just disrobe, just like that.
“No.” I replied nervously.
“Danika,” Roan warned, his voice rising with an unknown threat. “We’ll be patient with you, but in something like this, we can’t. We have to see the damage those humans did to you, for your sake. Do it now, or Xandaar will slice your dress right off of you.”
I shivered, my eyes passing to Xandaar, who grinned at the prospect of being the one to take my clothes off. Roan offered me a hand and I took it hesitantly. He helped me stand up, for which I was silently grateful since my legs felt weak.
“Did you drug me last night?” I asked, yawning again.
“We tranquilized you for your own safety. We couldn’t have you hurting yourself in such a fragile state. Now, don’t change the subject. Take your dress off, so we can get you clean. We’re off to the medical tents after that so that we can give you a full examination and any treatments you need,” Roan replied. He was used to being obeyed. Now I was sure he was holding back before. Keeping himself calm, his voice gentle.
“I don’t want you to see,” I murmured softly, playing with the fabric of my dirty beige dress.
“You don’t have a choice when it comes to your welfare. Take it off, or we’ll do it for you,” Roan commanded, his voice firm. Something about its tone made my stomach clench. Like a bad girl in trouble. “If you don’t take it off now, we’re going to punish you once you’re medically cleared. And I remember everything, little human, so don’t test me.”
“You’ll punish me?” I croaked, my terror creeping back in. Memories of Neil’s boots kicking my ribs and the men slapping my face tore through me. Deep fear rooted me still.
A slap echoed in the tent and it took me a long time to realize that Roan had smacked my ass. Not my face. My ass. My mouth agape, I stared at him in shock. I hadn’t expected that.
My right ass cheek stung a little.
“You spanked me,” I said in disbelief.
“You’ll be punished, little human, if you disobey me. Remember that,” he said. “Now quit stalling. Take your dress off.”
I swallowed heavily. Even though he’d smacked my ass, it felt different than anything Neil and his crew had ever done to me. My body heated immensely, my core pounding with desire. My thighs clenched together, and I could feel my pussy beginning to get wet. My lips parted softly, and I took a deep breath, trying not to think about the fact that I was about to be entirely naked in front of four alien men.
I took the bottom hem of my dress in my fingers and slowly pulled it upward, exposing my thighs, and then my pussy and stomach and at last my breasts. I tugged the material over my head and once it was clear of my body, I tossed it to the floor. Biting my lip, I tried to cover my pussy before Roan knocked my hands away.
For a long few minutes, the four of them just stared at me. I saw anger, horror, and sadness pass through their gazes. I didn’t know how to react, so I stayed still, hoping that they wouldn’t hurt me. I kind of wanted to cry.
Roan took my hand in his and led me to a hidden corner of the tent where there was a full, steaming bath waiting for me.
I gasped in shock. I hadn’t seen anything like this since I was a little girl before the Vakarrans had come.
Seriously? Now this was fucking luxury.
“There’s a special sensor attached, so if it falls below a certain temperature, it uses the heat from ultra-red wavelengths to warm it up,” he said.
Carefully, he lifted me, taking me by the hips and slowly allowing my body to acclimate to the temperature of the water. I moaned quietly, the heat enveloping me like a glove, a decadent feeling th
at left me breathless and wanting more.
“Oh, my God. This is amazing,” I murmured.
And then Roan started to clean me. He started first with my hair, taking great care to massage the shampoo into my scalp slowly, so that I could enjoy every last second. I moaned at the tingles his touch caused with every motion and tried not to think about the amount of dirt and filth that he was washing away.
Goosebumps rose over my skin. He rinsed my hair then, before rubbing essential oils and conditioners into my long brown locks. Gently, he used a comb to work out the tangles, before rinsing it with clean water once again. Next, he had me stand up and he used a soft cloth to soap up and wash my body. I blushed as he ran the soft material over my breasts, awakening my nipples and they hardened before him.
My clit throbbed with pleasure, enjoying the pampering Roan was giving me. I wondered if he could see the wetness pooling between my thighs.
He had me spread my legs and I groaned with embarrassment. If I had any doubts before, I certainly didn’t have them anymore. He could see everything. The fabric caressed my folds, working between them and gliding over my clit.
“You’ve been fairly well behaved for your bath,” he murmured, using his fingers to circle my throbbing bud. My legs shook with pleasure from it.
His fingers moved more insistently, and my fingers curled around his wrist.
“Remove your hand,” he warned.
I didn’t want to but then I did, eventually, only because I wanted to know more. I was curious as to what he would do to me. I had a feeling I didn’t have much choice in the matter. He was a Vakarran and I was a human. I was his captive now.
I was his slave. His to use as he saw fit.
His thumb teased my clit and I faltered.
“Roan, please don’t,” I begged quietly, knowing it was a lie the moment the words left my mouth. His fingers pressed and pinched my folds, making my pussy clench with need. My blood heated, and I tried to hold back a quiet moan. His lip curled up in a smirk, knowing that he was winning.
“You want to come, don’t you, Danika,” he asked seductively, his dark purple skin flashing even darker. He was wearing only a thin black t-shirt, leaving little to the imagination. He was big and strong and sculpted like a Greek god. His muscles were chiseled, and it was more than clear that he was used to being obeyed. He got off on it.
Here I was, completely naked and him, fully clothed. The dichotomy made me feel tiny compared to him as he towered over me.
“Release your hand or else I’ll have to punish you, and then, you’ll be walking around camp with a red ass for everyone to see,” he warned, and I gasped.
“You’d spank me?” I replied in disbelief.
“Happily. I’d enjoy every second. But, I’m not sure you would, naughty little human,” he answered. I shivered with desire. My pussy clenched, his threats of punishment turning me on. His fingers continued to swirl and pinch my clit.
“I can feel your excitement, Danika,” he added darkly, his copper-colored eyes darkening to a more vibrant red.
I removed my fingers from his wrist after a long moment, completely ashamed of my body’s reaction. When I did, he pinched my clit hard and I curled my arms around his neck. I cried out, my pleasure almost full to bursting inside of me.
Fuck. I hadn’t known it could feel like this. I’d never had a man’s hands on me like this before, hadn’t realized that it could be this good. All I’d known was cruelty, apart from Kaze’s kiss. My blood rushed through my veins and I moaned, unable to hold back the pleasure that was trying to break free. It consumed me, forcing away the darkness for a short time.
My thighs twitched with passion and then, his head curled down and he kissed my neck softly. Like a lightning bolt, pleasure raced straight to my clit and I moaned. In that moment, it was all too much. I couldn’t hold back. My orgasm exploded over me, all the tension I’d felt from the past few weeks leaving me completely. I moaned, my thighs tightening around his wrist between my legs. My pleasure burned white hot, rushing over me like burning lava. My eyes pressed closed as I experienced my ecstasy and when it slowly faded, I groaned with disappointment.
He chuckled.
“Next time, you’ll ask for permission to come,” he commanded, his tone raw and sexy. Slowly, I melted down into the water with his help, my skin hot and tingly as I rinsed all the soap away. He sat down nearby and watched me for a little while.
For a while, I was silent, trying to grapple with the events that had just occurred. Roan had bathed me, gently and sweetly, despite the fact that I was a human and he was an alien. Then, instead of beating me for being dirty, he had given me pleasure. Had touched me between my legs with a certain kindness. Had allowed me to experience ecstasy instead of pain for the very first time. I didn’t quite know how to handle it. He was a Vakarran. This went against everything I had ever been told about them. Everything I had ever seen.
It was mind-boggling.
I didn’t know if I should be mad or angry or sad or even scared.
For a good hour or so, I soaked in the tub while Roan watched over me. I expected the water to be especially dirty, since I couldn’t wash myself regularly while I was Neil’s prisoner, but the water was extremely clear. Investigating my own skin, I discovered I was much cleaner than I had started, and my skin was even taking on a pale rosy glow.
“Roan? Why isn’t the water dirty?” I asked with curiosity, my cheeks still blushing with shame about how I reacted to his touch.
“There’s a special, silent filtration system that cleans, disinfects, and sterilizes the water in real time. It saves us from filling and draining it with every use,” he responded nonchalantly, lifting his eyes from the table he was working on. His wristband projected a screen onto the wooden table and he was tapping things on it, navigating through different screens that I could only see if I pushed myself up and out of the water.
Finally, when my skin started to prune, I asked for his help getting out of the massive bathtub. He carefully lifted me out of the water as though I weighed nothing. Then, he handed me a large, soft towel, wrapping me up in it. He brushed my hair and squeezed the excess water out of it. I had never felt more pampered in my life.
We walked across the soft carpeting back to join the other Vakarrans and for the first time in a very long time, I was clean.
When we reached the others, Roan took the towel from me and I blushed as Taraik, Xandaar, and Zac looked up from their work.
“Wow. She cleans up nice,” Zac mused.
“That’s an understatement,” Taraik replied.
“They really hurt you, huh,” Xandaar said angrily. His demeanor made me nervous, but Roan placed a hand on my lower back and it was strangely calming. Xandaar approached me and gently pressed against a bruise on my ribs with two fingers. I whimpered as pain lanced through my chest. “Roan, she’s covered in bruises. The dirt covered most of these, but we’re definitely going to have to treat her for these and whatever else we can’t see.”
“I know. We have to get her to the medical tents right away in order to see if she has any serious injuries on top of what we can see now. She’ll need to be scanned for injuries and examined,” Roan answered.
“Absolutely. Let’s get her to my medical tent right away. I’ll carry her,” Taraik offered.
“I’m naked!” I exclaimed, but none of them seemed to care as they whisked me out of the tent into the great outdoors. I had zero chance of covering myself, so I hid my face until, at last, my curiosity got the best of me.
Chapter Four
Danika
Taraik carried me down what looked to be a well-worn dirt trail in an open field. On both sides of the path were rows of white tents. Off in the distance was a huge white one that looked to be the size of a circus tent. Simplistic. Temporary.
That’s when I saw the other humans. Small groups of naked human women kneeling around Vakarrans of all shapes and sizes. None of the women were fighting back. They were all
quiet, demure. Submissive.
“Where are we?” I wondered aloud.
“This is the female training camp. This is where we teach human women to submit to us before they’re sent off to serve officers and other important members of Vakarran society,” Xandaar answered, rather matter of fact.
I stiffened, narrowing my eyes back at him.
“But you said you wouldn’t be selling me off,” I replied in a panic.
“We’re not,” Roan answered. “By Vakarran law, if you find a rogue female, it is in your rights to keep her. And we intend to keep you for our own.”
I blinked.
“I’m to be yours? And be what, your sex slave?” I pushed, unable to keep my aggression from my voice.
Zac looked around nervously, but no one was close enough to hear me.
“Lower your voice, Danika. Here, things are different, and the rules are much stricter than you’re used to. Females are expected to be quiet, calm, and submissive and any deviation in behavior will lead to very strict punishment, which we will be unable to interfere in. You don’t want that. We won’t be able to stop it,” Roan warned, and I bit my lip.
I tried to quell my panic and Taraik’s arms tightened around me. Like he could read my thoughts, his hand snaked over my mouth, gently cupping over it as a reminder for me to keep quiet. He felt like my protector in that moment and as much as I expected to be terrified at being handled in such a way, his tight arms felt like a giant hug. It was especially calming.
We arrived at a group of smaller white tents in the corner of the community, set off in the back. The five of us walked till we reached the last one before going inside. I looked around and was reminded of a hospital room, with a variety of different beds and chairs, including a gynecological exam chair in one corner. My eyes widened, but Taraik laid me on a metal flat bed in the center, right beneath a rather large piece of technology. Xandaar walked over by me and with a few taps of his fingers, the device powered on, blue and green lights brightly shining over me.
