by Rena Marks
TAKEN
Miranda & Aschero
Rena Marks
Taken
Rena Marks
Book 3 in the Blue Barbarian series.
Alien abductions are real. Who knew I’d find out by being taken from my planet?
Fortunately for all the humans locked in the spaceship, we crash land on the planet Blaedonia. The natives are tall, strong and sexy, and we need them to protect us from the dangers of their blackened nights. Every one of them vies for our attentions, and I decide to play the field and flirt my way through the hunter’s tribe, sampling the offered charms one by one. Since being sold into alien slavery by my ex-boyfriend, I’m no longer the trusting sort to settle for just one.
But then I meet Aschero. He’s enough of a sexy, blue barbarian temptation to make me leave all my other toys behind.
Now, I worry. If he, or anyone finds out the secret I’m keeping, they’re sure to kick me to the curb.
* Publisher’s Note: While each Blue Barbarian Series book is a standalone, the greatest enjoyment will come from reading them in series order.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Captive
Shared By Wolves
Kiss Me Before I Die
Abducted
Stargazer Series
The Hunter
About the Author
Also by Rena Marks
Prologue
MIRANDA:
Michael McGill and I are on assignment, finishing up our last project of the year. He’d been an asshole today, not even bothering to help me collect the rock specimens we need.
I’ve done it all—the entire fucking project—and I’m fed up. I’m hot, tired, sweaty and hungry. So when he tries to paw me, it’s about all I can take.
“Knock it off,” I yell, slapping his hand off my boob.
“Come on, baby. We’re dating, aren’t we?” He pinches my nipple and a rage hits at the intrusion, heating up the back of my neck just under my hairline.
“Hands off!” I yell.
His face hardens. “You prude,” he sneers.
The jerk is my ride. What was I thinking, letting him drive me out here instead of meeting him?
So I sigh. “It’s dark. Let’s get back.” It’s not too far to the car, and we do have flashlights. Suddenly it dawns on me. The bastard kept me out until dark on purpose. Seriously? Did he really think I was going to jump into his skinny arms?
But the air grows still and there’s a giant boom across the horizon. I look that way, but Michael continues to watch me instead.
“What is that?” I stare at the dot in the sky. At first it looks like any other star, until I realize it’s not as bright.
And it’s shooting across the night sky.
“Yes!” Michael McGill finally turns around, and slaps his hand on his thigh. “It’s my payment.”
“Your payment for what?” I’m confused enough to tear my eyes away from the strange object in the dark. Michael is never expressive and the excitement in his voice makes him seem like a completely different person.
“Remember months ago when I told you about the Abolishers?” The Abolishers were a human race who decided to fight against the Stargazer race that had landed on Earth to live among us. As far as I could tell, the new race of aliens didn’t seem dangerous. They looked just like us, or would if they wore sunglasses to cover up their brightly colored eyes.
I snort. “Yes, a bunch of quacks who believe in a larger scale of white supremacy.”
The usual anger darkens Michael’s face. “I told you. It’s not white supremacy. It’s survival of the fittest, and baby, humans are low man on the totem pole.”
For the billionth time, I decide I need to dump this loser. Unfortunately, in my profession of rock-studying geek, men and dates are hard to come by. Plus, he’s my lab partner, so talk about awkward.
“I joined them,” Michael continues.
My mouth drops. “Are you kidding? They’re dangerous. Crazy. Once you’re in…” I let my words trail off, because he’s not listening anyway. The wind is picking up and drowning out my voice. But the Abolishers—it’s like joining a gang. When you’re in, you already know too much. They’ll never let you go. I thought Michael was dumb, but it’s plain as day he’s beyond stupid. Why the hell didn’t I break up with him before now? Oh, yeah. Because he’s my lab partner. Never mix business with pleasure. Lesson learned.
“My test was to bring someone who would never be missed to sell to the aliens. In exchange, they’ll reward me with a little something from their planet. Then I can take that to the Abolishers as proof of my loyalty. Because who better to sell than the love of my life?” His voice is mocking. While I’d love to continue staring at him in confusion, I’m aware of the wind’s sudden increase. It picks up my thick mane of hair and lifts the entire frame from my shoulders. My heart pounds as adrenaline shoots through my limbs, making my fingers and toes tingle. I’m afraid to turn around and look into the sky, because it feels close.
In an inexplicable way, I almost know what I’ll find. But Michael is staring at the object in the sky with fascination. I turn my head slightly to see what’s there. Part of me hopes against hope it’ll be empty.
I’m not so lucky.
A huge flying saucer hovers overhead, just above the trees. I can’t imagine how it’s here without triggering government radar. Scratch that. I can’t believe a real, live, honest-to-goodness UFO is here, period. Radar or not.
I’m still staring in disbelief. A red light turns on in the bowels of the ship, shining a bright red beam onto the ground of the desert below. The triangle-shaped light is dangerously close to us.
“Happy hiking,” Michael mutters, and pushes me forcefully into it.
I scream, and the sound is cut off abruptly as soon as I enter the light. The beam feels like a magnet lifting me, and suddenly, I weigh nothing. I start floating in midair, arms and legs flailing madly in the cool night air. Below me, Michael is looking up, a huge smile plastered across his pathetic face.
Asshole.
I unfasten the heavy backpack from on my back, and suddenly the bag of rocks isn’t so heavy. Like me, it’s weightless in the beam of light. So I drop it back down to Michael.
Like the idiot he is, he holds his arms wide to catch it. It floats gracefully down, down, down. The distance between us stretches in a silent stillness until I can barely see the features of his face. Yet his arms are still outstretched, as if I’d really gift him the precious rocks I’d collected for studying.
We were on the geology field trip together, but the prick didn’t do any of the work. I did it all. Funny that he thinks to turn in our assignment without me. Funnier still that he thinks I’d be okay with leaving him with it.
At the last minute, the backpack leaves the red beam and a split second before it hits, Michael’s face turns to horror. Without the strange lack of gravity in the red laser, the bag of rocks falls like a truck through the gravitational pull of Earth. In a split second, it hits Michael square in the face, knocking him backward. As one last parting gift, I think I see the bright red spurt of blood covering his head as he sprawls on the ground below, his head smashed.
I squint, trying to make sure that is what I see, right before I’m suc
ked with a slurp into a membrane of the spaceship. The pressure is squeezed from my lungs, and for a moment it’s so painful I wonder if this is what it’s like to die.
Suddenly, I’m sealed into a glass container, still weightless, but without the red beam.
Two creatures stand on the other side of the glass and stare at me. They’re gray with the bulging eyes of a fly. They have tiny slits for mouths and are completely bald. When one turns to talk to the one next to him, his enormous head has an exposed brain on the back side.
I’m going to get sick.
Then one of the guys turns and leaves. The other one pushes a button on the side of my jar, and gas hisses through. For a moment I think about holding my breath, but what good will that do?
So I go ahead and inhale. The gas numbs me. It slows my movements, my responses, and my limbs grow heavy like my eyelids. Then the glass is opened and the alien creature stands there, grinning at me.
My legs are too heavy to stand upright, and I begin to sink to the floor. He enters the cage, reaches under my arms and lifts me easily. A frisson of fear shoots through me at how strong he is. He drags me down a sterile, white hallway.
There’s the sound of a door opening and he drags me through, flinging me onto a table. In the room are frozen, naked women in a state of stasis.
Just like me, except I’m clothed and conscious.
Then the creep is attacking me, ripping my clothes off my body. My limbs are too heavy to fight him, and I’m helpless. He’s breathing hard and looks happy, especially with the hard-on outlined in his crotch.
Once I’m naked, his hand moves upward as if to cup my cheek. He has two fingers.
Two. Like a claw, or a pair of scissors. I shiver, not wanting him to touch me. Please, please, please don’t touch me.
But he does, and then one finger traces down my throat, my chest, and over a breast. I struggle against him, in my slow mode, and he laughs. Then his large, weird hand wraps my throat, and squeezes. I gasp, but darkness pricks behind my eyes.
“What is happening to her?” Lucie screams.
Lucie? Who is Lucie? I know…but I’ve forgotten.
Something is plucked from my hands.
“This herb,” an older, feminine voice says. “It is one of my medicinals. Not for every-day drinking. It forces you to relive unwanted memories.”
Strong, muscular arms pick me up, and hold me to a broad chest. For a second, I’m confused.
The chest is blue.
Chapter One
Miranda’s memory:
Six months earlier
The next thing I remember, I’m laying on a table and there’s two waif-like, scroungy women peering at me, mirrored worry on their expressions. One is a brunette, one is blond. Both have circles under their eyes, like they’re malnourished. They’re also dressed the same way, in matching, identical hospital gowns. I’m dazed, and briefly wonder where I am. Am I in a hospital? Am I in school? Is this a psych ward?
“I’m Niki. This is Lucie. What’s your name?”
“Miranda.” My voice is a whisper, at first, as I still wonder where I am.
No, wait. There were aliens. I remember gray aliens stripping me naked. I open my mouth to tell the two girls, when the door opens. I turn my gaze toward the sound and standing there in the doorway is a massive, seven foot blue alien. In his arms lays a dead girl.
I scream bloody murder. The other two girls look surprised. Can they not see the alien holding the girl he’s killed? Do they not realize we’ve been abducted?
The blonde covers my mouth with her hand, and hushes me. “Shut up,” she hisses. “This is Drakar. Without him, you’d be dead.”
Huh? There are good aliens and bad aliens? Bad guys, gray. Good guys, blue. The room is quiet while this sinks in. They all watch me—wary, as if I’m the bad guy.
“Miranda, grab a gown and sit in that chair so we can lay the next one down,” the first girl says.
I look down and realize I’m naked as the day I was born. I use one hand to cover my sex, and the other to hide my breasts.
I jump off the table, and the world sways. The other one—Lucie—grabs my arm and maneuvers me to a chair. I watch the giant blue alien lay the girl down, and then he says something to Niki in his language. She nods.
She understands. She knows his language. How long have I been out? And what happened to Michael?
With a glance at me, he leaves again.
This time, I get to watch and see how they awaken someone. I slip the thin hospital gown over my head, and realize now I look like the other two. Niki and Lucie.
They inject the dead girl with something and then turn the orange lamp onto her. As it warms her, Lucie and Niki begin rubbing her arms and legs. Finally, she awakens.
The blue alien enters the room again, carrying another still form.
Lucie helps the newly-awakened girl up off the table, and I grab a gown to clothe her with. Like me, her body awakens before her mind. She hasn’t yet realized she’s the only one naked in the room. But no matter, she isn’t the first and she won’t be the last. We have an assembly line going.
The new girl is named Gigi and she’s in shock. I know the feeling. I whisper to her while they rouse the next girl, keeping her calm and making her feel safe. It’s all we have to go on, and I wish there was someone available to make me feel more at ease.
There are ten of us total, when it’s all said and done. Niki and the alien, Drakar, have disappeared to secure the ship and find us food. We’re under strict instructions to not leave the room.
Fine by me. I remember the gray aliens.
So the eight other girls and I huddle together in our thin gowns, and get to know each other.
“What about you, number three? Where are you from?” The gal with the funky pink and purple hair asks me.
“Technically, she’s number five,” Lucie says. “Numbers one and two died. Niki’s three. I’m four.”
That knowledge sobers us a little. Two of us didn’t make it.
One of the girls whimpers, and clings to Lucie’s arm. She only speaks Spanish and strangest thing is, not a single one of us abductees know the language. So the poor girl is completely baffled. Lucie speaks French and figured she could try. About all we got out of the Spanish girl is her name. Valencia.
“Pittsburgh. It’s my last year at the university for my bachelor’s. My boyfriend and I met there, we’re studying to be geologists.”
“Oh, what’s your boyfriend’s name?” Jillian asks. She’s a cute, blond thing.
“Asshole.”
Jaws drop.
“Okay,” Jezebel laughs. “Wasn’t expecting that one.”
“Turns out the prick is the one who sold me to the aliens. He’d gotten wrapped up in some anti-alien hate group, yet he sold me to aliens. How’s that for irony?”
“Wow, that’s rough.”
She has no idea.
“You know what was weird?” Lucie asks. We all turn toward her.
“How the gas in those glass pods keeps you from having to pee.”
I still don’t need to, and by the looks on the other faces, neither do they.
“That’s a good point,” Tessa says. She stretches out her smoothly-muscled legs. She’s told us she’s a ballerina.
“What do you do?” I ask Jezebel. As if I can’t tell by the pink and purple hair.
“I’m a cosmetologist,” she says proudly.
“The gas must have kept us from getting hungry, too,” Cammie says.
We’re kind of a random bunch, our statements bouncing around like this. Or else our brains aren’t quite working from whatever the gas was that they used on us.
“I’m getting a little hungry,” Gigi says.
“I wonder what there is to eat on this planet.”
Lucie shrugs. “It’s Drakar’s home planet, so he’ll know what’s edible. Whatever it is, I imagine we’ll have no choice but to get used to it.”
One of the girls sniffles, and
then the tears start. We soothe her, and soon Niki and Drakar come back with capes and thin mattresses that we spread out on the floor.
Drakar speaks to Niki in his strange, melodic language. She seems like she argues back, and apparently she wins. She loops her hand in his, and tells us they’re heading to the kitchen to make us dinner. Just then my stomach rumbles.
“Just in time, I see.” Niki grins.
They head back out.
“I guess he’s her boyfriend,” someone whispers.
“You could say that,” Lucie says.
“He’s huge,” someone else chimes in.
“You think they do it?”
“Definitely. He doesn’t look like he’d take a no too well.”
Tessa snorts. “Who’d say no? I’m sure he’s big all over.”
We giggle, but even at that, it sounds a bit nervous.
“What happens to us now?” Cammie says in a thin voice. She looks to Lucie for the answer.
“I guess we adapt.”
Everyone grows quiet.
“Ladies, we’re Earthlings, and we’re women. That gives us a double dose of strength. A lot of people, they’d curl up and want to die. Not us. We will survive.”
“We’ve already survived one fate,” I add. “Those gray aliens wanted to sell us as sex slaves. We’re not facing that any longer. And whatever happens, we have each other.”
The girls are quiet for a minute. “Funny how back home little things were important. Social status. Money. Now, I’m just glad I have you all,” Jillian says.
“We’re in this together,” Jezebel says.
The door opens and a smiley Niki walks in with Drakar. He has a ton of boxes, like they’ve been to a fast food restaurant.
“Interesting thing,” Niki says. “They’re kitchen is equipped with a microwave looking machine. You put the kill of whatever animal you hunted, and it cooks and slices it up for you.”
“Ohmigod, that smells delicious,” Cammie moans. “What is it?”
“Not sure,” Niki tells her. “We’re on a different planet. If I had to guess, I’d say chicken and beef.”
