The Arcav Guard's Female

by Hope Hart

  “Yes. You need more time to get to know me. It is good that we have many dates left, correct?”

  I scowl at him and he looks surprised and then a hint of pleasure shows in his eyes. I gape as those icy eyes darken with amusement.

  “You like it when I’m mad at you?”

  “If you are angry with me, you are not afraid. It is your terror that I cannot stand.”

  “I think you should find someone else,” I say carefully.

  He waves that away. “You are my female.”

  “Don’t you want someone who wants to be here?”

  “You just need time,” he says stubbornly, a dimple appearing in his cheek as I narrow my eyes at him.

  “Please do not patronize me,” I say. “The only reason I’m here is because I want someone dead more than I want to return to Earth.”

  He nods. “You desire vengeance. I understand this. I will kill this male for you.”

  “You don’t get it,” I say between clenched teeth. “I will kill him myself.”

  He studies my face and slowly nods again. “If this is what you wish, I will help you. I only want your happiness.”

  “If you wanted my happiness, you wouldn’t make me go on these dates.”

  Vazta pauses, tilting his head. “I want your happiness with me.”

  I sigh and sit back in my seat, sipping my tea. There’s no getting through to the stubborn man.

  “Tell me about yourself,” he orders.

  “Why?”

  He raises one eyebrow and the amusement leaves his face. “We will be spending time together, Peyton. This time will be more pleasant for both of us if we enjoy each other’s company. Would you not like a friend here?”

  I know what he’s doing. He’s playing me like a chess piece. Unless he’s an idiot, he likely realizes that I’m lonely and since I’ve said I won’t be his female, he’s offering friendship instead.

  I take a moment to study him. He’s leaned forward, eyes on my face, body tense. It looks as if he’s barely breathing as he focuses intently on me.

  Oh Vazta.

  My heart suddenly hurts. The guy wants something that I just can’t give him. Wants it enough that he’s desperate for me to simply be his friend.

  Before I know it, I’m nodding my head and he grins at me. I can’t help but stare. His grin is wide, teeth white. Like all Arcav, he has fangs, but they’re strangely attractive in his handsome face. I glance away, reaching for my drink again.

  “I’m a surgeon on Earth,” I say.

  He nods. “This is like a healer?”

  “Similar. I don’t know quite how your healers work here, as your technology is so much better than ours. But I’m a cardiothoracic surgeon. I mostly work on the heart and lungs, treating diseases, defects, and congenital conditions.”

  For a moment I long so badly for the OR that my hands almost shake. When I’m operating, it’s like nothing else exists. All that matters is the next decision, and the next.

  “You love this,” Vazta says, and I nod.

  “I do.”

  “Perhaps you could talk to Brin or Kazta about becoming a healer here.”

  My mouth dropped open. The thought hadn’t even occurred to me, because I’m not staying here. It has obviously occurred to Vazta though, because despite my insistence that I will be returning home, he seems to think I’ll be staying long enough to start a new career.

  I eye him and he frowns at me, likely realizing he’s misstepped.

  “I think I should go now,” I say, getting to my feet.

  He clenches his jaw but nods, standing.

  Someone moves suddenly behind me, and I jump forward as the action hits my peripheral vision. I trip slightly and Vazta reaches for me, even as I correct my footing. His hands are strong on my arms, and he slides one around my waist, pulling me close as he growls at whoever got too close behind me. From the shuffling sound and the apologies, that person is heading straight out the door and away from Vazta’s killing look.

  Strangely, I’m not afraid. My heart is beating faster than usual, but in Vazta’s arms, I feel… safe. I peer up at him, stunned, and his brow furrows as he leans closer.

  “Ahem.”

  I push against Vazta’s chest and he immediately glowers over my shoulder. I turn and meet Eve’s amused eyes.

  She raises an eyebrow and I stare back.

  “You look happy,” I say, taking in her wide grin.

  “What can I say? Life is good.” She gestures to where Korva is waiting at the entrance to the cafe. “I finally gave in and allowed Korva to be my love muffin,” she says, and we both wince.

  “Love muffin?”

  “Yeah, I heard it. We’re trying out new things,” she says, then turns to Vazta. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about how you let him kidnap me off that ship. My revenge will be swift and unexpected.”

  I eye him, and his grin tells me that he’s not at all repentant.

  “I hate to break you two up, but we need to go to the guard meeting,” Eve says.

  I choose to ignore that comment and simply nod, moving away.

  “I will walk you back to your quarters,” Vazta says.

  I spot Jessica walking in, Bree by her side.

  “No need, I’ll walk back with Jess. Bye.”

  I shift, turning to go until he moves closer.

  “Peyton,” his deep voice rumbles, sending a shiver down my spine. I turn and he meets my eyes. “I will see you soon.”

  I don’t like the promise in those eyes and I glance away.

  “See you in a week,” I say, walking out the door.

  Chapter Four

  Vazta

  My female is stubborn, but I allow her her space. I wait a week, desperate to see any glimpse of her, but she mostly stays within her quarters, likely only leaving them when she knows I have a shift with Harlow.

  Finally, it is time to see her again, and I drink her in as she opens the door, wearing a long, bright dress. Colored beads hang from her ears and I take a moment to imagine she dressed up for me, even as her eyes spark and then shutter as she takes me in.

  “Are you ready?” I ask, clenching my fists so I will not do something stupid like pull her close and take her lips with mine. I have only kissed once before, a human woman who found great pleasure in teaching many Arcav males how to perform this task to her satisfaction. But the thought of Peyton’s lips under mine…

  I shudder and she immediately tilts her head, always aware of my body language.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I hope you are hungry.”

  She shrugs, and I hope she will eat with me. She is too thin. I walk out with her and gesture to her pod, attempting to ignore the fear that makes her tremble as we both get in the enclosed space. She moves all the way over to the door and I sigh, turning to her.

  “Are you okay?”

  She frowns at me, but strangely, her fear seems to dissipate at the question.

  “I… am,” she says, sounding surprised. I simply nod, pleased, and navigate us to the restaurant.

  I chose a small, intimate eating place close to the market. Perhaps, one day, Peyton will allow me to show her the bustling space with the many stalls filled with products from across the universe. For now, I hope she will enjoy the food.

  Her large eyes take in the dimly lit restaurant, and for a moment I think she will refuse to eat here. It is still public, but we are unlikely to be stared at here, and even less likely to be interrupted by people we know.

  “How was your week?” I ask, watching as she places her napkin on her lap, even as she chews nervously on her lower lip. Lust hits me at the sight of her small teeth. I wish I could stroke her lip with my tongue, even as I pull her close and—

  Her tongue darts out to lick her lip and I almost groan, meeting her eyes. She blushes at whatever she sees on my face and I lean back, attempting to regain control.

  “It was okay. I had some self-defense lessons with Eve,” she says
.

  I nod. Eve runs a self-defense class for human women in Arcavia, many of them survivors of domestic abuse, abduction, and more.

  The waiter places a plate of small foods to share on the table and Peyton hesitates.

  “Why do you not eat?”

  She narrows her eyes at me and then sighs.

  “It’s a habit, I guess. Udan… sometimes he wouldn’t feed us for days. If we’d really pissed him off, he’d have food brought in for us, and ensure it was taken away right before we could eat it.”

  I growl and her eyes dart up to meet mine.

  “Never again will someone take food away from you, Peyton,” I say, forcing my voice to be gentle. “I swear it.”

  She looks at me for a long moment, and I wish I could read her mind. Finally, she nods, placing a few choices on her plate, and I smile at her.

  “You have a beautiful smile,” she says, and I struggle to keep my mouth from dropping open.

  “If you believe this, then I will gift you with as many smiles as you like,” I say, feeling my smile widen.

  She blushes but takes a bite, and I look away, stunned at my need for this tiny female.

  “How was your week?” she asks, and I smile again. She is attempting to be my friend, just as we agreed. She knows that I want much, much more than her friendship, but she is conversing with me regardless.

  “It was long. I wish you would allow me to see you through the week,” I say, and she remains stubbornly silent. I sigh, searching for something else to say. “Meghan and Methi have returned,” I grin at the thought of them. “Newly mated and bringing the Lahmu Queen with them.”

  Peyton’s eyes spark with interest. “Lahmu?”

  “Winged beings. The Queen allowed her father to torture Meghan,” I say, hands fisting at the thought. Peyton’s eyes drop to where my hand is clenched on the table and I open it, attempting to relax.

  “And she brought her back?”

  “Her mother arranged for her father to be killed. Saria is here to negotiate with the Arcav King. She’s asking him for help to retake her throne.”

  “Wow. Wings,” she murmurs. “That must be nice.”

  “Her wings do not function. Her father had them mutilated when she was just a youngling. This happens to all females on her planet.”

  Peyton’s eyes widen and her mouth twists. “This universe is disgusting,” she says suddenly, her voice bitter.

  “There is good and bad everywhere,” I say gently. The Lahmu Queen is going to retake her crown so that no female will ever experience that pain again.”

  She nods, but I can tell her mind is elsewhere.

  “Tell me,” I say, desperate to remove those shadows from her eyes. “What will you do for the rest of the day?”

  Peyton reaches out and gulps at her wine and I gesture for the server to refill it.

  “I’m meeting with Harlow and Amanda. Your people are still looking for the rest of the human women who were sold on Gule. We’re going to compare what we know.”

  She looks miserable at the thought and I fight down every instinct that urges me to carry her away, to keep her somewhere where no one can ever hurt her again.

  “I will go with you,” I say.

  She opens her mouth and I brace myself for her refusal, but to my surprise, she hesitates and then nods.

  Satisfaction roars through me. My female is learning to rely on me.

  Peyton

  I’m not sure why I’m letting Vazta come with me to the Royal Quarters, and I slide a glance his way as we walk through the palace. The thought of talking about my abduction makes my palms sweat and my stomach churn, but it has to be done.

  Ruby won’t leave our room and Shauna won’t even speak. Jessica… Jessica has been depressed ever since she learned she may only have a couple of months left until her baby is born. Based on the size of the baby, it’s likely that she’s further along than we initially thought. I know she wants nothing more than to have Agaz by her side.

  I’m the obvious choice.

  Vazta no longer scares me. Okay, that’s a big fat lie. Sometimes, when he moves suddenly, or when I’m trapped in a confined space with his huge body, I still panic. But Vazta himself no longer scares me. If anything, I know he would fight to protect me.

  I feel bad for using him like this. I shouldn’t be spending any more time with him than necessary. It’s not fair to let him get attached to me, just to leave him in a few months after Udan is dead. But the thought of reliving that time…

  “It will be okay, Peyton,” Vazta rumbles and I give him a weak smile.

  Moments later, we reach the Royal Quarters and we both study the wreath hanging on the door.

  It’s Christmas in a few days, and Harlow has been decorating like crazy. She invited us to Christmas lunch, but seemed to quickly realize that there was no way Shauna and Ruby would be able to deal with so many people. So instead, she has promised to send up our own little Christmas feast so we can celebrate in private.

  There’s not much to celebrate, but at least we’re no longer on Cilphi.

  The doors open and Amanda smiles at us.

  “Hi guys. Thanks for coming.”

  Harlow’s sitting on the couch with her feet up while Varian works at his desk. He nods at us as we enter and Harlow waves at us to take a seat.

  “I know this sucks,” she says frankly. “And if it wasn’t important, I wouldn’t make you go through it again. First, I have to ask, are you sure you don’t want me to get Jen?”

  I shake my head. Jen’s the therapist, but she’s also Meghan’s mom. Her daughter just returned after she was presumed dead. I’m not going to drag her away and make her hold my hand through this.

  Vazta reaches for my hand and for a moment I wonder if he read my mind. Then I realize I’ve been twisting my hands together in my lap.

  “Those other women are likely in the same or worse position than us. If there’s anything I can do to help them, I will. Let’s just get this over with.”

  Harlow nods, turning to Amanda. “You don’t want Jaret?”

  Amanda shakes her head. “He’s got a big day today. I’ll be okay.”

  From Harlow’s skeptical expression, I’ve got a feeling Amanda’s stern mate won’t be pleased that she didn’t tell him about our little talk.

  “Okay,” Harlow says. “What can you guys tell me about how it all went down when you were taken?”

  I glance at Amanda who nods.

  “I was one of the last to wake up. I don’t know if that means that I was one of the last to be abducted, or if whatever they did to knock us out simply lasted longer for me.” Her hands shake as she pushes her hair off her face. “When I woke up… we were in some kind of cage. One of the other women told me that we’d all been kidnapped and I kind of lost it for a moment.”

  I let out a shaky breath. Kind of lost it is an understatement. I remember her now.

  “Your sister.” It all clicks. “Bree was your sister. She was in a coma.”

  Amanda nods. “She was dying and I’d woken up on an alien ship. What the fuck, right? So I attacked one of the guards. I wasn’t thinking straight, and he jolted me with some kind of blaster. Then I just lay and drooled on myself for a while.”

  She turns to me and I clear my throat.

  “I was near the back of the cage. One of the women was naked so we were trying to find her some clothes. I heard the Grivath debating about how many of us they’d unload when we landed, and how many they’d take on the riskier trip to Durin.”

  Amanda nods. “There was a girl named Charlie,” she says. “She was kind of a badass. She was whispering escape plans in my ear while I lay there, uselessly.” Her mouth twists.

  “There was nothing you could’ve done. We were all taken off then. All of us who were going to be sold in Gule anyway.”

  Vazta’s silent beside me, but his thumb begins gently stroking the back of my hand and I blow out a shaky breath.

  “We were loaded off and
taken straight to the auction. I think they’d been waiting for us or something cause we were immediately lined up and the bidding began.”

  Rage hits me. They’d bid on us like we were pieces of meat.

  “Udan picked us out. He wanted more of us, but apparently humans are all the rage on slave planets or something, cause it only took a few minutes for each slaver to negotiate with the Grivath in charge of us.”

  Harlow shifts. “Do you remember his name?” Her voice is choked, sympathy in her eyes and Varian looks up, immediately getting to his feet and prowling toward us. I can’t handle the huge Arcav on his feet while I’m sitting, Vazta’s massive body beside me. I get to my feet and blow out a breath as I collect myself.

  “No. It was a language I’d never heard before and I’m not good with names. Sorry.”

  The Arcav ordered all humans to have translators implanted into their ears when they invaded. While that means that we can understand other languages, it’s not because we actually know what each word means.

  Now I wish I’d listened. At the time, I’d been desperately hoping to wake up from my nightmare and trying to console some of the younger women who looked like they were straight out of college.

  “Keep going,” Amanda says. “You’re doing great.”

  Varian sits next to Harlow, wrapping his arm around her and she snuggles close. I stay on my feet but stare out the window as I take myself back.

  “It was chaos,” I say flatly. “I don’t know how many of us there were, but there was a group of about eight or nine women sold together. I remember because Udan was livid. He’d wanted to take them with us but he was outbid.”

  “Okay,” Harlow says quietly. “From what we’ve managed to put together, those are the women we’re still looking for. What can you tell us about whoever bought them?”

  I blink as something brushes against my ankles, and realize it’s Harlow’s cat, Tom. I sit down on the floor and hold out my hand and he allows me to stroke him while I go back to one of the worst moments of my life.

  “They were a pale purple color. They had horns, but not like yours. They were more like… goat horns. And they were vicious too. One of the women tripped and this asshole kicked her right in the ribs while she was down. Hard enough that if he didn’t at least crack her rib, I’d be surprised.”