by Sabrina Kade
Korben bobs his head and takes his place behind me, a moving wall of muscle and flesh. It’s hard not to want to sneak in a quickie before we go.
“The women are in the Gathering Room,” Korben says slowly, guiding me down a hall I haven’t seen before. The air is moist and damp as we continue to walk, and I can’t help but dread the accommodations waiting for me.
Several other Sidyths are walking around the halls, more open spaces with curtains, and a few larger open spaces that don’t have curtains. I recognize one of the Sidyths from the night before – Azan, the one with the mask – and he dips his chin at me before going by. I’m still curious about that mask, but Korben grips my shoulder, surprising me and the question dies in my throat.
“They are through there,” he rumbles, pointing a thick finger ahead.
My eyes lift to a large hole carved out in the dirt, and I can hear voices talking inside. I’m almost afraid to go in at first, but I turn to Korben, and he’s almost smiling, urging me to go inside.
“I will not follow, but I will be close by.”
“Thank you.” I’m still shocked to see what lies behind the curtain. My fingers curl around the fabric, and my eyes water. I hear them.
York. Alaska. Sloane. Ellis. The others who I can’t remember clearly.
And I push it aside.
And then there’s silence. I quickly count them out, making sure everyone is accounted for, and sure enough, there are thirteen. Meaning the other six – which must include Phoebe and Arizona – are at the other lair. Everyone looks well enough, and no one’s screaming or crying, so I have to assume Korben’s been true to his word. They’re all safe.
York is the first to stand, the usual sarcastic sneer on her face replaced by something I’ve never seen before. She’s happy to see me.
“Blythe?” She cocks an eyebrow as though she’s worried she’s going crazy, and she turns to the rest of the girls. “I’m not losing my mind, right? Blythe is standing there.”
“It’s me,” I say, trying to keep my voice from cracking. I’m so overcome with emotion that I haven’t failed or come too late, that I rush ahead and tug York into my arms. Shockingly, she wraps her arms around my shoulders. “Oh my God, I was so worried about you guys…”
“Worried about us? Bitch, we were worried about you!” York laughs into my shoulder. “These bastards won’t tell us anything. We only managed to figure out that the one who took you is royal or some shit.” She quickly pushes me away, locking her eyes on mine. “Seriously though, are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I laugh, almost unsure what to make of York’s attention. She’s touching my hair and brushing her thumbs against my cheeks like a nervous mother about to send her kid to the prom with a known playboy. This is even more amusing because I’m several inches taller than York. I turn away to seek out the others who are also slowly rising to their feet and coming to stand closer.
“How long has it been?” one asks.
“Almost a week,” I say.
“Maybe longer,” York says, hugging me again. “Oh God, who knows? It doesn’t matter. Geezus, well now I can finally feel okay about everything that’s going on.”
“What’s been going on?” I ask, stepping further away to send a small smile towards Sloane and Ellis. I glance around the space. “And what is this place? Korben said they call it the Gathering Room?” My eyes widen. This place has been appropriately named. It’s large and open, with plenty of room for all of the girls to sleep and relax – much like the room on the Todas’ ship.
“Korben?” Sloane finally speaks. “Is that the name of the one that took you?”
“Yes.”
“Did he…”
“No!” I’m horrified for any of them thinking Korben has been anything but kind. “No, he hasn’t done anything bad.”
“He took you for a week,” Sloane says. “He’s a Sidyth. They all are.”
“I know, but I promise you, things are going to be okay.” I glance over my shoulder. Korben isn’t there, but a few others are passing with interest as the girls cluster around me and speak in low voices. “Korben hasn’t done anything terrible. He’s not like the Sidyths we’ve been around.”
“They’ve all been coming to look at what Prince-y bought them,” York says. “But you’re right; they haven’t done anything. But damn, these bastards are interested in us. There are two of them, huge guys, and they always stop by. They don’t say much, but they check in to make sure we’re doing okay. Always asking if we want something to drink. There’s small talk with the one…” She trails off with a small smile on her lips, “… but the rest seems only to be appraising us.”
“But no one’s hurt you?” I ask, glancing around the room. Slowly, all the names come back to me. Layla and Alaska. Celeste and Adrienne. Lacey. Rene and Devyn. I still can’t remember the last three, but I’m hoping that I will have some time to learn and remember the rest of them.
“We’re okay.” Alaska steps forward. She looks well enough, too. Her shoulders are somehow tanner than the last time I saw her, and the rest of the girls look darker too. I step closer and pull her into an awkward hug next, but Alaska lowers her voice to a whisper. “I haven’t heard anything about the other girls. Not Arizona or Phoebe, either. They won’t tell us anything.”
“I’ll talk to Korben,” I say, meaning it. “He’s kind of in charge here.”
“And he’ll listen to you?” She looks skeptical.
“Yes.”
Alaska doesn’t look convinced as she pulls away. “They’re Sidyths, Blythe. Don’t forget that. Hopefully, you haven’t gotten into anything stupid.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just that. You may have been having a good time, but the rest of here have been sitting in this room with no one else to talk to but each other.”
“Well, I’ve only had him,” I say accusingly.
“Exactly. Let’s try to keep things in perspective, okay?”
I narrow my eyes, but with everything that’s been happening, I guess I can’t blame her. It wasn’t as though I thought things were wonderful with Korben from the beginning. It took time for him to convince me that he wasn’t going to hurt me. These girls have nothing to go on yet, other than the reputations of Sidyths around the galaxy.
“Well, you know what? I don’t care about keeping things in perspective; because all that matters to me is no one’s touched me. Or raped me. And that seems like a pretty good deal so far.” I glance towards the owner of the voice and tilt my head. She looks exasperated. “Krista,” she says, thankfully reminding me of her name. Her skin is as dark as night, but her eyes are surprisingly light. “I’ve never been on any assignment where I didn’t have to spread my legs the first night. If the worst thing to happen is these creepos leer at me, I can make it work.”
“It’s never that easy,” Alaska says. “And judging by your expression, you’ve broken one of the cardinal rules of being a human whore.”
“Shut up,” I mutter.
“What?” Sloane and the two dark haired girls peer at me curiously.
“She’s been fucking him. Or he’s been fucking her. Either way, it looks like she’s already developed feelings for one of them.” Alaska shakes her head as though she’s disappointed in me. “That’s pathetic.”
I take in a trembling breath, and before I have a chance to say anything, the curtain bursts open and Korben strides inside. The girls all back up in fear other than York and me, and Korben’s glaring at them before he wraps a possessive arm around my shoulder. The weight is heavy, and he pulls me close to his chest, and I can’t help but blush. This isn’t going to help clear things up.
“I have never taken advantage of my Chosen,” Korben says firmly.
“Yeah, right,” Alaska says in a bored tone. “Call it whatever you want, but you did something to her. And it’s going to happen to the rest of us.”
“No harm will come to you,” Korben continues, keeping his vo
ice low, but hinting with a hiss. “My brothers know they are not to touch or harm you in any way. That is not why you were brought here. Blythe is with me because she wants to be.”
Oh shit. I almost smacked my forehead in complete and utter embarrassment, but York is quickly by my side.
“You know what? I believe her.”
The girl’s eyes widen, and a few finally stop cowering and come closer.
“You, York?” Ellis seems surprised. “You think…”
“She doesn’t look like she’s been raped to me,” York continues. “And if she were miserable, the big guy here wouldn’t be so willing to let us see her. It doesn’t make sense. Sidyths are cruel, but they’re not stupid.”
Korben stiffens against me, and I try to pat his chest. His eyes soften as his chin dips and find me peering up at him.
“It’s okay,” I say quietly.
York hums. “So if we’re not here to get raped and carry babies, what exactly do these guys want with us?”
I don’t bother to mention we’re still going to have to carry offspring, because I’m trying to get the others to warm up to Korben. He’s making it pretty hard though with his low hissing voices and posturing to intimidate them. I square my shoulders.
“Well one thing’s for certain, I don’t want you guys hanging out in this room anymore. It’s cruel.”
“This is the safest place for women,” Korben explains.
“But it’s got to be lonely,” I say. “I’m sure no one wants to spend their entire time here watched in a little room while other Sidyths check them out.” Korben’s eyes narrow as he glances around the room. I can’t help the pang of jealousy when he focuses on some of the others for a longer period. Is he checking them out? Is he looking for a less mouthy partner? I lean closer to him as though to remind him I’m there, and some of my worries are put to rest when he squeezes me more into his bulky frame.
“This is how things are usually done,” Korben says to the room. “Females do not usually wish to interact unless mating is involved.”
“Human females?” I ask.
“Sidyth females.”
“Exactly. We’re not Sidyths, Korben.” It doesn’t seem fair. And yes, while it’s great none of the others have been hurt, I almost feel bad I’ve been tended to and cared for and uh… given orgasms by Korben. And if things are like he says, if the others truly are like him, then there is no reason for the girls to fear to be around other Sidyths.
“We should all stay here,” Alaska says. “Unless one of us is needed. I don’t like the idea of us being broken up into different rooms because this one had a few orgasms.”
My cheeks blazed with embarrassment, but York quickly comes to my side.
I guess a few days worrying someone is dead has done something to her.
Or she’s thinking about the Sidyth she’s had an occasional small talk with and wondering if she can spend a bit of time with him and look as happy as I do.
“For now, I say we give these guys a chance. Look at Blythe. She’s looking alright, isn’t she? Rene? Devyn?” She gives a hard look to the two dark haired girls who look alike, and they shrug. “And the big guy, Azan? He hasn’t done anything, right?” Everyone shakes their heads no. “I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t think is a bad situation.”
“Like I want to be a Sidyth’s Chosen.” Alaska crosses her arms as Korben pulls me more tightly against him. His grip is getting to be a bit painful. “You all seem to be forgetting what that means.”
“Don’t,” Korben hisses.
“So where are the hunting grounds, eh?” Alaska continues, stepping forward. “Where are we all going to be killed? What was the price? What was the bounty, huh?”
“Killed?” Sloane gasps.
“Hunting ground?”
“Or haven’t you heard?” Alaska says, spinning her attention towards me. “Once a Sidyth male chooses you, he’s going to kill you; you know that, right?”
“That’s for Sidyth females.” I’m losing my faith in Korben as he darts towards Alaska. The others shrink back too.
“No. That’s what Prince-y here told you. The truth is that’s what Sidyth do. They choose a female, and they woo her, to prove how simple we are. They get off on it. And when you choose them? When they hear you say the words that you want them as much as they want you, that’s when they kill you. They dump you in some open area and hunt you for sport.”
“That’s different!” I stammer.
“Yeah? Why don’t you tell that to my friend Washington? Last time I checked, she was a human. And now she’s nothing more than a body in a pit of a Sidyth hunting ground.” She continues to step forward, and this is the most worked up I’ve ever seen Alaska. Her eyes burn with anger. “You may have tricked the rest of them, but you’re never going to trick me. I know if I don’t say I choose any of you, that I’ll be able to live. I know your so-called customs. And I’m not going to die.”
“Alaska, I don’t… I mean… Korben’s different,” I try to find the words to defend him, but none will come. What Alaska is saying makes sense. All this time Korben’s been asking me to consent to him. To say I want him. And for what? Now that we’ve had sex, am I going to die? Is he going to hunt me? I turn around, lifting my chin towards Korben, hating the fear in my eyes that he hates so much is appearing again. “It’s not true, is it?”
He looks away, and my fear builds, and finally, I push away from his chest and towards the other girls.
“So it’s true?”
“Blythe, of course not.” Korben reaches for me.
“Liar!” Alaska screams.
“It’s not a lie, I mean… it’s not.” For once Korben looks frightened. And not so much of Alaska’s shouting or York’s hard stare. He’s looking right at me. He’s afraid I’ll turn on him.
Can I?
His eyes lock with mine. “You know I’m not going to hurt you,” he says patiently, seeking to draw me back to his side. “I’ve been with you for days. I’ve never pressured you to do anything. I told you why I’m here.”
“So tell the others,” I say, waving behind me. “They have a right to know.”
“I can’t,” he says firmly.
“Why not?”
“Because I want my brothers to tell their own story,” he mutters. “It’s important to my brothers.”
“As important as proving women are weak?” I stammer. “Is that important to them too?”
“That’s different,” Korben says. “It’s more than that. It’s a promise we all made to each other when we brought you were. Our story would be our own to tell. I no longer wanted to be seen as only a prince. I wanted my brothers to have something of their own to share. We mean to change the meaning of Chosen. When I said I chose you, I did not mean for hunting. I would never hurt you!”
“You said you only hunted Sidyth women. Is that true as well? You mean to tell me you’ve never seen another race hunted?”
He lowers his head.
“Not me, personally, but yes. I’ve seen others hunted.”
“Humans?” Alaska asks.
He doesn’t answer. His silence gives any answer we’d need.
“So you see!” Alaska sneers. “I bet he watched Washington die. His Highness got a front row view. And now they’re bored. It’s not enough to bring Sidyths to their home planet for their sick games. They’re tired of it being so easy, I bet. Home field advantage and all. So what do they do? They rent out a planet. A planet for fuck’s sake and they pay a hefty fee for Human Whores. How many did you pay for, huh? Are ten of us are going to die? Maybe you could only afford to kill five? Are you going to kill us all?”
Fear breaks out in the tiny room, but no one is brave enough to face Korben standing in the doorway. Even I can’t help doubting him.
But I can’t forget what he said.
He’s in exile. I want to believe in him. God, I want to trust in him so much, but Alaska seems so sure. And I want to believe in her as well. Even bef
ore arriving here, I made a big deal about trusting each other and needing each other. And here I am, turning my back on her because I had a few good orgasms? Am I so weak?
Or was it more than that? After all, if Korben’s going to kill me, why would he bring me here? Why would he let me see the others? There’s cruelty, and there’s a psychopath, and I don’t see Korben in that light. Everything he said last night and over the past week has been nothing but sincere. And I can’t shake the look in his eyes when Taylis dropped me. It wasn’t the look of a man who wanted to protect a woman he planned to kill later. It was the look of a man who cared about someone. Who didn’t want to see me get hurt.
“You have to trust me,” I say, at last, knowing that this could be the beginning and the end of everything. If we did all manage to get out of this, Alaska was a part of Arizona’s posse. And if things turned sour, I could never count on getting a decent job again. They would all make sure I was given nothing but the dreg work of the universe.
But if I’m right about Korben…
“Korben – or the others aren’t going to kill us.” I raise my voice enough to drown out the chattering of the other girls. They’re still tittering like nervous mice, but I back into Korben, showing that I believe in him. “I can’t tell you why Korben and the others are here, but I can tell you that Korben’s been nothing but kind and protective. And in our line of work, there isn’t much more we can hope for. I believe that if they were going to kill us, they wouldn’t go through all of this nonsense. No one rents out a planet to hunt Human Whores. We’re… we’re not even worth that much.” I pinch my eyes shut, hating how worthless we are, but it’s a point I can focus on.
“I know you’re all confused and frightened by this assignment,” I continue, “but I can promise you that it’s nothing like you’ve had before. Korben may be a Sidyth, but he’s a good one. He’s here because he’s not like the ones we’ve met.” I turn around and look at him, smiling carefully as he dares to bring his arm around my shoulder. Several of the girls gasp, but I keep staring at him.
Maybe I’m looking for a crack in his armor, but there isn’t any. He stares right back. It’s a heated gaze, making me wet between my legs, but I don’t want the girls to know this.
