Mate Her

by Jenika Snow

  There was a buzzing that filled her ears and vibrations that surrounded her body. It was strange, unusual, but slightly comforting. She opened her eyes, not feeling tired, hungry, or in any kind of discomfort, which was odd since every day she had woken up those were the three things that assaulted her. She blinked several times and kept her attention on the space above her. She was on her back, on something that was warm and hard, but not uncomfortable. Steel and bolts, lights and weird pieces of metal covered what she assumed to be the ceiling of wherever she was. Trying to remember how she even got here only brought her to the last memory she had.

  Running. The Razzora Beast chasing her. Pain from the quill in her neck. All of that came rushing back to her, but she kept still, kept quiet, and tried to slow her breathing.

  Obviously she wasn’t dead, or at least she assumed she wasn’t, but she didn’t feel sick or tired, and nothing on her hurt. Surely she would be in some serious pain if she had survived that Razzora chase. Pushing up on her elbows, she glanced down at the small tube in her arm, followed that to the machine that was attached to a system above her, and then glanced around the rest of the room. She was clearly on some kind of ship, and she knew that because of all the metal and technology that surrounded her. She also knew she was on a spacecraft because of the familiar hum in the room. There was a table beside her, and it was dark, smooth, and made up of this shiny, onyx kind of stone. It was empty, but there was a tube similar to the one in her arm that sat on top of it.

  “You’re up.” The deep male voice came from beside her.

  Minka turned around swiftly, her head feeling slightly dizzy from the jarring movement. She gripped onto the table and stared at this man, no, this monster that stood just a few feet from her. He leaned against the entryway, his arms crossed over his bare chest, and stared at her as if he was trying to figure her out. She still wore her ratty clothes, and knew she was dirty as hell, but this alien looked upon her as if he wanted to devour every inch of her.

  “Where am I?” Her throat was so dry, her palms sweaty, and her heart beating a fast rhythm.

  “On our ship,” he said evenly, but didn’t move closer. For that she was so thankful.

  She looked around again, and then faced her alien savior—or abductor—once more. Licking her lips, she nodded slowly, trying to decide how to best proceed. On the one hand this male clearly saved her life. She remembered falling to the ground, and then everything had gone black. That Razzora Beast was right on her heels, but somehow, by some miracle, this man had come to her rescue. But what did he want in return for keeping her safe, and clearly mending her health?

  He moved away from the entryway and over to the contraption that displayed this weird language full of symbols, shapes, and flashing lights. It was the machine she was currently hooked up to, and her heart started working overtime as she watched him punch in some commands. But she didn’t know what she expected him to do. Hurt her after saving her? Make her some kind of slave to his people? She had seen many aliens while onboard that auction cargo ship, but she had never seen this demon-looking breed. His body itself was frightening just in the height and muscle mass. He was easily seven feet tall, and even though she was five-foot-eight inches in human height, which was above average for her species, this man made her look tiny and childlike. His red tinted skin also cemented the thought that he resembled one of the demon species that lived on the hotter planets in the galaxy. His back was massive and broad, with muscles that were layered and bunched beneath the other. But it was the dark wing tattoos that covered the entire space of his red back that had her transfixed. Was that just a marking of his kind, or did wings come out of his muscular flesh? She knew many breeds had the ability to transform their shapes, whether it being turning into horrid looking beasts, having extra deadly limbs, or even having wings sprout from their bodies.

  “How do you feel?” he asked and then turned around. His chest had these strange lines over his pectoral muscles. Maybe war wounds, or war markings of his victories? His eyes were the same dark, cold blackness that matched his short black hair and the ink on his back. And then there were the deadly looking claws that tipped his fingers, ones that looked like they could tear her apart with no effort.

  God, she was here sizing him up and she had no clue what he wanted with her. “I’m fine,” she said softly.

  He nodded once and went back to crossing his arms over his chest. He kept his stare on her, as if it were some kind of tether to her and he couldn’t break it. “I can see the nutrients Thorque gave you are already putting some meat on your bones.”

  She knitted her brows and glanced down, only to see that her belly wasn’t as concave as it had been, her ribs were not protruding as much as they were earlier, and that she didn’t have that gnawing hunger in the pit of her stomach.

  “What are you planning on doing with me?” She pushed everything else aside and focused on why she was here, and what he, or they, planned on doing with her.

  “I’m Brawn, and currently you’re on the spacecraft I have with my two brothers, Thorque and Lukin.” He was silent for a moment, possibly to have her processing that information.

  So she was on an alien spaceship with not one demon looking male, but three. She glanced at the tube in her arm, and as if she said the words out loud, Brawn was standing right beside her and disconnecting it from her.

  “What are you called?” he asked.

  She ran her palms over her thighs and took a steadying breath. “Minka.” She had no last name. No humans did. She knew before the collapse of her species’ home planet, Earth, far before she was even born, humans had thrived. Minka didn’t even know if the stories she had heard were the truth. How specific and exact could they actually be when the ones who told them had heard them from others and not experienced it for themselves? Surely information got mixedup and changed. It didn’t matter anyway, because that was a time long ago. Time had passed, war raged between species and galaxies, and humans were all but extinct now. Now humans were nothing more than a weak species that was at the mercy of any and all aliens that wished to take them, use them, or simply kill them off.

  “I’ve turned the machine off anyway since your medic cycle is complete, and over the course of the next few days your weight will continue to increase.”

  Minka looked at his face, felt this fear settle inside of her because of his sheer size alone, but then also felt this gratitude that he had saved her. He could have easily left her here to die, which given that she was a human and one of the weakest species in the galaxy, would have been far easier for him in the long run. She couldn’t contribute to him, his brothers, or his ship, not in any way that she could think of.

  “Once we have you settled we can explain everything to you.”

  Explain everything to her?

  “But you’re safe, so don’t worry about that.”

  “Thank you,” she said instantly, knowing that she had been so worried about everything else that she hadn’t said the small token of gratitude. “I’m not sure why you saved me, but thank you anyway. I certainly didn’t want to die, and not by a Razzora Beast.”

  He didn’t respond right away, but there was this expression that covered his face for a split second. He nodded then, and said, “I certainly couldn’t leave you there, not when I plan on having you as my mate.”

  “And ours.” Another male voice came from behind her.

  Minka stared at the other two red-skinned men, and her heart stalled. When she looked at the man named Brawn again she felt the world around her fade away. “A mate?”

  Brawn nodded. “Our mate, for the three of us to be more specific.”

  She shook her head, not knowing what that term meant to their kind. She knew to some species it was a term of slavery, of servitude that pushed the “mate” to the breaking point. To other species it meant nothing more than a vessel to procreate, to bring more bi-species into the galaxy, and then when the “mate” had served its purpose they were disca
rded as nothing more than trash. What exactly did that term mean to this breed of men? She licked her lips, looked among the three of them again, and then catalogued the whole mate thing in her brain for the time being. “How long have I been out?” She started to rub at the crook of her arm where the tube had gone in, but the gel Brawn had placed on the small puncture wound was accelerating the healing process.

  “One sunset and sunrise,” one of the other men said. She didn’t know which one was Thorque and which one was Lukin. But she supposed it didn’t matter anyway. “I gave you a substantial amount of nutrients to increase your weight, but you’ll need to supplement that weight gain by eating solid foods.” One of the men stepped forward. “I’m Thorque by the way.”

  She didn’t respond, because frankly she didn’t know what to say to any of this. They all looked similar in appearance, but where Brawn had cropped hair, the one named Thorque had longer hair that brushed the tops of his broad shoulders. The one she assumed to be named Lukin was still leaning against the entryway in the same manner that Brawn had done when she first woke. But Lukin’s head was shaved, and only the lightest dusting of black hair lined his head. Either way they all frightened her, and she was at their mercy.

  “Well, come on then, because I’m starving,” Lukin said, his gaze trained on her and the feeling that he could see right through her ratty clothes slammed into her.

  Brawn was right beside her again and had his hand on her arm. She jerked back, but not from fear, surprisingly, but because his skin was hot to the touch.

  “I guess I should have explained that the warriors of Hades have a higher temperature than most other species in this galaxy.” Brawn looked at Lukin, said something in this very strange, yet beautiful language, and then looked back at her again. “And especially since you are human, we will feel well above your own body temperature.”

  “Come on.” Brawn took her hand, and she snapped her attention to him.

  If they had meant to harm her, or put her into slavery, surely they wouldn’t be acting so kind to her? She allowed him to help her down, and as they moved away from the room she had been in, and down a long, sterile feeling and metal hallway, Brawn veered her off to the side.

  “Lukin thinks with his stomach most days, but I assume you’ll enjoy bathing first?” Brawn asked. He pressed a button on the metal wall, and a door materialized right in front of her.

  Inside there was a bathing chamber with a large dipped in crevice, where she assumed the water accumulated, and a spout at the top of the chamber. A small shelf held some drying rags, and a bowl, which she assumed was used for personal matters, was beside that.

  “The necessary bathing tools and washing equipment are all there.” He spoke like a soldier: hard, clipped, and with a slight hardness to him. “When you’re finished and dressed in one of the body wraps, just head down the hallway and it’ll open up to the dining module.” He went to leave her alone, but she started speaking before she realized what she was doing.

  “Why are you doing this?”

  He stopped and faced her again. “I told you. You’re our mate.”

  “But what does that mean?” Her heart started going faster, threatening to burst from her chest.

  He moved closer to her until she felt his body heat pierce her flesh. “It means you’re ours. You’re our woman, our female, and our mate. You’re the one that will bear us strong Hades sons. The one that will give us pleasure as well as receive it.”

  Her throat tightened. Her mouth dried. And her body felt as though it was disconnecting from itself.

  “I won’t be a sex slave. I won’t be a breeder.” She blinked rapidly, feeling the ground tilt beneath her. Minka would rather die than be an alien male’s whore. She had barely breathed the words out, but when he took a step closer to her, he cupped her cheek in his strong hand and tilted her head back. “If that’s what you plan you might as well kill me now.” Minka refused to back down, although the smart thing to do would be just that. These men could crush her with as much effort as it took her to breathe. “I won’t be stock for some race of men that think all I’m good for is popping out soldiers for them.”

  Brawn held onto her face, stared into her hands, and she knew that this man was more than just physically strong. Just looking into his face she could see the thoughts moving through his head, the intelligence in him, and the fact he was determined in everything he did. How she knew any of that was beyond her, but it was cemented inside of her as he watched her.

  “We don’t want a slave, or just a vessel for our sons. What we want is a female that is our equal, who is strong and can handle the type of passion a Hades warrior can give her.” He grinned and flashed straight white teeth with a set of fangs. “And in fact I like that you are not afraid to put me in my place when the time calls for it.”

  He sounded so sure of himself, so determined to make her see that what he said he was the truth. And stupid her she wanted to believe him. Minka wanted to forget about the short, horrifying time she spent on that godforsaken planet, of the people that turned their backs on her at the last moment, and of almost dying. The only person she cared about was now dead, and he had saved her life in the process. What else did she have aside from giving this new life a chance?

  “Will this be easy?” he asked, and then let go of her face. “I doubt anything worthwhile in this world is easy, but if you give us a chance, I promise to prove to you that not all beings in the galaxy are what you need to fear.” He took a step back, and then nodded toward the bathing receptacle. “Bathe, and then join us, please.” He smiled, and despite his frightening appearance, that one act of kindness made him transform into something gentler. He turned and left her alone, and Minka stood there and thought about everything that had happened so far.

  Minka stared at the bathing chamber, closed her eyes and breathed out. She was in for one hell of a journey, she knew that without a doubt, and she didn’t know if she was okay with that, or if she should run at the first opportunity she had.

  Chapter Three

  “Do you think she’ll fight us on this?” Lukin asked as he lounged on the chair by the observation deck.

  Thorque shrugged. “It would be the appropriate response given the life she has clearly led.”

  Brawn looked over at his brothers. They were eating rehydrated sticks of Hekka boar meat, and although it would sustain them, it was a far cry from a piece of fresh meat. He had explained to his brothers the worry she had, and although her reaction to what they wanted from her was understandable, she’d need to accept her fate. Living out there in the world without someone to protect her, make sure she was well fed and taken care of, and above all else safe, meant she’d have to accept what they wanted from her.

  “She seems strong,” Lukin said but kept his focus on the view before him.

  Before Brawn could respond the sound of soft footsteps had all three of them standing and facing Minka. She stopped when she saw them, and took a step back. The scent of her unease came at him like a whip to his chest, and although he wanted her to be comfortable with them, he also understood where she came from. But what he was grateful for was that there was no fear that came from her, although she had every right to be afraid of them. She glanced among them, and then looked at the window directly behind them. He knew that she was probably overwhelmed by all of this, and he could see the stunned disbelief on her face at the fact they were already in space and headed straight for Hades.

  “Oh.” She breathed out and moved closer.

  Her tiny hands were clasped together in front of her, and the scent of her freshly cleaned body as she moved by them had his cock pushing out in need. He wanted her, needed to breed with her, but he knew that forcing the issue would only have her running in the other direction.

  “I didn’t know we were already off the planet.” She stopped in front of the observation window that covered one wall of the dining deck, and then lifted her hands and placed them on the window. “It’s warm in
here,” she said almost absently.

  “We can adjust the temperature,” Brawn said. “If it’s too uncomfortable for you.”

  She shook her head but didn’t turn around. “It feels nice actually. That planet was colder than normal, and more times than not I had to huddle with the humans…” She stopped talking and curled her fingertips against the glass.

  They would need to talk about where she had originally come from, and how she had gotten on the planet in the first place. Brawn looked at Thorque, who watched her with this intensity, and the scent of his brother’s need for this human female was just as strong and potent as his. Lukin was chewing on a Monel stick, which had calming properties and an almost euphoric sensation after the person ingested it. His eyelids were at half-mast, and although that was most likely from the Monel and the drugging effect, Brawn could also see it was his brother’s arousal that was taking control. He shouldn’t have taken the Monel, although Brawn knew he probably thought it would help curb his desire for Minka. Clearly it was having the opposite effect.

  “How did you get on Arambria?” Lukin asked.

  She had yet to turn around, but she did answer. “I was taken off of Moira-Ten by a slave trader ship.”

  Fuck. She had been going to the auctions, but somehow landed on the planet of Arambria. Humans were a dwindling race because of their weakness and their lack of intelligence and technological advances compared to the rest of the galaxy. But because of the thinking of some species—most really—that humans were inferior, there were aliens that searched for them, took them away, and sold them as cattle, slaves, even breeder pets.

  “The auction ship went down on Arambria, and when some Razzora Beasts attacked a handful of the humans escaped. We had found a cave to live in that was remotely safe, but the day you found me was when I lost the only person I cared about.” She glanced over her shoulder at them. “He died saving my life, and when I needed help the others just went back in the cave and forgot about me.”