by T. J. Quinn
But, after lunch, they were kindly invited to return to their own rooms, escorted by one of the ship’s guards.
Sasha was about to follow the one assigned to her when Asgar showed up. “I’ll take you,” he said, grabbing her by her elbow and guiding her in an entirely different direction.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked, with a frown.
“I thought you wanted to see your friend,” he replied in a cold tone.
“Is she awake?”
“Not yet, but Colborn thinks she will be, very soon.”
Once in the infirmary, the doctor took them to Eleanor’s room.
She was opening her eyes the moment they entered the room.
“Hey, sleepy head, how are you feeling?” Sasha asked her, caressing her auburn hair.
“Hey…” her friend fluttered her eyes open, with a faint smile on her lips.
Sasha hugged her tight, hiding her face in the crack of her neck. “I thought I was never going to see you again,” she murmured.
“I know… I thought the same,” Eleanor admitted as tears ran down her cheeks, while she wrapped her arms around Sasha as well.
They spent a few minutes talking, answering Eleanor’s questions about her situation on the ship and when they finally left her to get back to sleep, Sasha wasn’t pleased.
“You’re not killing her, are you?” she spurted out the minute the left the infirmary.
“Of course not. If I were, I wouldn’t have wasted so much money on her. I’ll find a way to keep her safe. You just have to give me some time,” he said in a stern tone. He wasn’t about to reveal the only reason he had bought Eleanor was that she had asked him.
He would do pretty much anything to make her happy, but she wasn’t ready for that kind of truth.
“Thank you. I know what I think has no importance for you, but I really appreciate all you’re doing for her,” she said, in a very serious tone.
“Don’t thank me. We still don’t know it that was a good decision.”
“No matter what happens in the future, I still feel grateful.”
He nodded but didn’t comment. He guided her back to the room, staying at the door. “We’ll reach Zuvrak during the night, but we won’t leave the ship until the sun is up. So try to get some rest,” he explained, and with another nod, he disappeared down the hall, after he locked her door.
Sleeping was out of the question. Sasha had way too many things running wild through her mind, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to arrive at his home planet. On board the ship, she felt relatively safe, but she had no way of knowing what was expected of her and her friends when they landed on the planet.
By the time Asgar and Egil came back to pick her and the rest of the girls up, she was ready and waiting.
She managed to call Asgar’s attention without the other girls noticing. “What about Eleanor?” she whispered.
“Colborn will take care of her and move her to my own house. She couldn’t be in better hands.”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
“Let’s go. The king and the other councils are waiting for us,” he explained.
They were transported in a vehicle that was similar to a van, but like the other vehicles circulating through the place, this one didn’t have wheels. It hovered.
The trip to the huge palace on the hill wasn’t very long, and it gave them an opportunity to see the city that was supposed to become their new home.
The first thing you would notice was the tall buildings around the place. They all looked alike, apparently made of the same material, some sort of gray metal. Though it seemed like a nice town, it was very dull. Nothing appeared to break the monotony of the gray buildings.
Chapter Four
The vehicle finally stopped in front of a massive door, and they were guided inside, towards the council room, as Asgar explained.
The girls were tense and feeling clearly uncomfortable. They were about to find out about their destinies, and Sasha was sure they all shared the same feelings: fear and distrust.
They were invited to take a seat around a huge table before the king started his speech.
The man was quite impressive. Unlike Asgar, his hair was platinum, but he had the same gray eyes, tall body, and muscular complexion. A breathtaking man, no doubt, and the aura of power surrounding him were quite evident. Nonetheless, he had no attraction to her.
“I’m sure you all want to know why you were brought here,” he said.
“I thought that was quite clear,” Sasha grumbled.
The king smiled and shook his head. “I know you were sold as sex slaves, but that is not why we bought you,” he continued. “We are a small planet of Drogon Warriors, and due to the harsh conditions of our world, there are only a few millions of us. Most of this planet is too cold and too arid for people to live in it, so most of the population lives in the few cities we have built.”
A large hologram was displayed in front of the man, showing images of the cities, the mountains and even of the inhospitable parts. They clearly had chosen the best videos and pictures they could find to present the best face of the planet to the newcomers. In many aspects, the world was quite similar to their home planet.
“On the last one hundred rotations to our sun, the number of females born among us decreased to alarming figures,” he continued, in a solemn tone. “We reached a point where we had to make hard decisions, and one of them was to start looking for our mates on the closest planets, and though we have been searching for several rotations now, we have failed to find suitable partners amongst their females.”
“Why was that? For what I could see on the auction and of the other women auctioned with us, there are several species quite similar to you and to us.” Sasha asked, with a suspicious frown on her face.
“Yes, I’m sure of that. Unfortunately, for us to successfully mate with a female, there has to be something else.”
“Like what?” Anya, one of the other women asked.
“It’s hard to explain. More than a thing, it’s a feeling, an instinct that wakes up in us and tells us we have found our soulmate,” The King explained.
“Oh, come on, you have to be kidding me,” Sasha snorted, incredulous.
“I wish I were, believe me. We wouldn’t be having this conversation right now,” The king replied in a cold tone. “We were about to lose all hope of finding a matching species when Asgar came across the Slythonian’s vessel and the first humans we ever entered into contact with. Up to then, we didn’t even know about your solar system.”
“When was that?” Miranda asked, trying to understand.
“A few weeks ago. That first time, he brought back two females of your species, two women. They were immediately mated, and after a period of adaptation, I’m sure they will accept to join their lives with the males fate linked them to.”
“What do you mean with immediately mated?” Sasha asked again.
“It means the male has identified her and claimed her as his soulmate,” Asgar was the one answering that question, locking his eyes with hers.
“What if she wants nothing to do with this so-called soulmate?” she asked again, with a sarcastic tone.
“Though she might resist the idea at the beginning, in time she will submit to the bonds connecting their souls. They wouldn’t be true soulmates if wasn’t like that,” Brynjar explained.
“Have any of us been claimed so far?” Gil Ra asked, curious. The little Asian girl was completely thrilled with the whole story.
“Just one, but I am sure, it won’t take long for all of you to find your life partners. Meanwhile, you’ll all be my guests here at the palace,” he concluded. “Do you have any more questions?”
“Are you going to tell us who was claimed and by whom?” Sasha asked, crossing her arms over her chest, with a deep frown.
“No, we think it’s better to let the females find that out.”
“Isn’t that a bit unfair? After all, the male does know it from t
he start,” she wasn’t pleased.
Brynjar glanced at Asgar with a mischievous smile. “Perhaps, but we realized telling the women wouldn’t help the males’ cause,” he assured her, with a naughty smile.
“So you say,” she snorted.
“Now, we would like to know more about all of you. Your names, where you come from and what you used to do back on your planet. We want you to feel at home, as much as possible,” Brynjar suggested.
“Maybe we would rather go back home,” Sasha replied.
“I understand your wishes, but I’m afraid that’s not possible. We can’t send you back to your own planet, and even if we could, we wouldn’t. You are a key piece to our future and the survival of our race,” he explained. “Desperate times require desperate measures, and I don’t think we’ve had times more desperate than the present one.” He stood firm on his position. “Perhaps you could start,” he suggested, staring at Sasha, admiring her commanding presence and her beauty. She wasn’t much different from their own females, with her height, and her long, black hair, though she was fairest and her eyes were the bluest he had ever seen.
“Sure, why not?” I’m Sasha O’Donnell; I used to live in the United States of America where I worked as a lawyer. I don’t know if you understand the concept,” she informed.
“No, I don’t think our translation is accurate,” Brynjar confirmed.
“Well, we defend people accused of transgressions or crimes before a court of law.”
“Why don’t people defend themselves?”
“Some people simply have no idea of how to do that. An innocent person, confused and unable to explain the facts can easily be misjudged,” she explained.
“Yes, I guess that could happen. Our liar detectors work quite perfectly, though,” The King explained. “Did you leave any family or friends behind?”
“No, I haven’t, and I’m sure none of us here present has. The lizards were very cautious with that, according to what they told me. They look for people that won’t be missed much.”
“Lizards?” he asked, puzzled with the unfamiliar name.
The other women chuckled. “That’s what we called the Slythonians. They are very similar to some animals we have back on Earth.”
“Ah, I see,” The king smiled and turned to Miranda, the brunette with warm eyes and contagious smile. Her skin was darker than the ones of the other women, but still, she was incredibly beautiful. “What about you?”
“My name is Miranda González, and I come from México, I used to be an astronomy teacher in one of the capital’s universities. This abduction, despite the awful parts, is a dream come true. I had always dreamed of becoming an astronaut, but my country doesn’t send people to the moon.”
“That’s fascinating,” Geir, one of the councils, said. “Perhaps you can help us identify your galaxy on our intergalactic maps.”
“I would be more than pleased,” she assured him.
“And you?” it was Gil Ra’s turn. He looked at her intrigued with her almond shaped eyes, quite different from the ones of the other women. She was also smaller than the others and very delicate. He was amazed at Planet Earth’s variety of races.
“I’m Gil Ra, and I come from South Korea. I was still a student, getting prepared to work in the fashion world,” she explained with a vivacious grin. “I can’t wait to know more about your fabrics.”
“I’m sure we can find someone to help you with that,” Brynjar assured her, turning to look at Anya. “What about you?” Like Sasha, this woman was tall, but all resemblances ended there. She was incredibly fair, and her eyes were almost as gray as the ones of all Drogons.
“I’m Anya Haugen, and I’m an agronomist. I come from Norway, and our weather is quite similar to the one you seem to have here. We had been working on several experiments to grow more vegetables in such a harsh climate.”
“That sounds fascinating; perhaps you can exchange some of those ideas with our own agronomists, as you call them,” he suggested.
“I would love that. Though I’m sure, you are far more advanced than what we are.”
“And at last, but not least, you are?” he turned to look at the last woman, an exquisite brunette, with a wide smile and a voluptuous body.
“I’m Patricia Sousa. I came from Brazil, a South American country and I used to be a chef. Food is my thing.”
“Perhaps one day you’ll delight us with some of your favorite dishes,” he suggested smiling.
“I would love that, as much as I would love to study your cuisine.”
“Of course,” Brynjar got up. “Thank you all for answering our questions. I’m sure this whole situation isn’t easy for any of you and I appreciate the effort you are making to assimilate into your new reality,” he made a pause. “For now, you’ll be escorted to your quarters, and though you aren’t our prisoners, I would like you to refrain from going out of the palace on your own.”
“If we’re not your prisoners, why are we still wearing these damn collars?” Sasha inquired, with a deep frown.
His whole explanation sounded like a stupid fairytale, and she was sure they weren’t telling them the whole truth.
“I understand your annoyance, but for now, we need a way to control you. After all, you are still strangers, and the safety of our people comes first. I’m sure you can understand that,” he replied, in a stern tone.
She nodded and got up, being followed by all of the others.
“Of course.”
They left the room guided by one of the guards. Asgar stayed behind.
“I would like to take Sasha home with me if you agree with that,” he asked, keeping his eyes low. He knew Brynjar was very perceptive and the last thing he wanted was for him to suspect anything.
“I know that she’s your soulmate, but I really believe it would be better for both of you if she stays here for a while,” he advised.
“I won’t tell her that, and you know that, but I think she has better chances of accepting Zuvrak as her new home if I keep her with me. You saw her, she’s bellicose, she doesn’t shut up when she’s not happy, not even when that means she’ll get in trouble. I was able to witness that,” he advocated for his cause.
“Haakon won’t like that. He has wanted to take Rosalind up to his mountain, for some time now,” Brynjar sighed.
“Perhaps, it’s time to let him. Trust me on this; allow me to take Sasha with me,” he asked once more. Keeping Sasha away from her friend was a sure recipe for disaster.
“Under what excuse? That will make her suspect she’s the one mated,” Brynjar said.
“She won’t, believe me.”
He looked at his friend, and suddenly he was sure he was hiding something from him. He had no idea what it could be, but he also knew it couldn’t be that important, so he decided to accept his petition.
“Very well. Take her with you.”
“Thank you very much. I owe you one.” The relief in Asgar’s face was almost comical.
“You owe me several,” The king let out a tired sigh. “When are the Slythonians coming back?”
Asgar’s expression changed completely.
“Not soon enough. They didn’t give me a date, but the captain told me they wouldn’t be in this quadrant in a while. Our best chance is to find the planet and go there by ourselves,” he admitted.
“That’s a possibility, but not the fastest. The Slythonians have all the knowledge we lack. They know how to look for the women, without being spotted by the locals and they also seem to know exactly which ones they can abduct,” Brynjar stated.
“You have a point there. The other alternative would be to hire them to do the hunting for us. But not just five or six women, at least a thousand of them. Such a number should be enough to bring hope to our people.”
“We’ll have to think this through. The priority now is to have all of the women mated and united. The first female baby will be the respite we need.”
“You’re right, of course. Bel
ieve me; I’ll do all in my power to make that happen as soon as possible.”
The king nodded, and Asgar went looking for Sasha. She had been put in a room next to the other girls, so he was able to find her quickly.
He barged into her room, finding her at the window. “Your mother never taught you to knock?” she grumbled, without even turning around to look at him.
“Oh, she tried, thousands of times, until she realized it was a lost cause,” he replied, amused.
“I pity her,” she said, tilting her head to glance at him. “I hope you came up with a plan to take me out of here. I won’t stay away from Eleanor,” she added, in a demanding tone.
“And how exactly do you plan on doing that?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest, eager to see how far she would go.
She turned around to face him. “Honey, you don’t know me, if you think you can hold me prisoner for a long time. When we were flying here, I didn’t have many options, but here things are completely different,” she threatened.
“I would love to put you to the test, but for now, you won’t need that,” he stated. “I convinced the king to allow you to move in with me,” he explained.
“Under what excuse?” she asked, with a deep frown.
“Let’s call it the captain’s privilege. I bought you, right?” he explained, sure his words would infuriate her.
“What? You have to be kidding me,” she let out a bitter laugh. “What happened with all the crap of the soulmates things?” she grumbled, oozing disdain.
“You haven’t been claimed, so I’m entitled to… enjoy your company,” he said with a wicked smile.
“You have lost your mind if you think…” she wasn’t able to finish the sentence.
He closed the distance between them and cradling her face, he claimed a fierce kiss from her lips, silencing all her protests efficiently.
Chapter Five
The passion between them exploded at the first touch, and soon they were lost in that kiss, allowing their arousal to take over their bodies. His rough tongue conjured sensations in her, she had never felt before, and she wanted more. Any coherent thought had disappeared from her mind, and all she wanted was to be in his arms and feel all the pleasure he was able to give her.
