She loved this about him though, that his body showed signs of hard labor. Her own hands were coarse from the farm work she’d been doing since she was a young girl. She’d fed animals, mucked out stalls, and stayed up late fixing faulty robots. Her nights usually ended in her work room, welding together wiring for another robo-tractor.
The nail artist on Singapore had been horrified at Darcy’s broken nails and roughened hands, but Darcy hadn’t cared, she was proud of her accomplishments, proud of her hard work and that her hands reflected that. She’d already broken a nail while prying open a panel in the cargo bay. It had only taken two diurnals for her to ruin her manicure.
And then she remembered why she’d been opening those panels and she glanced at the tablet Daxon had given her and smiled. He’d pulled the fancy new tablet out of the cabinet for her like it was nothing, just an extra piece of equipment lying around. But there was nothing this advanced where she’d lived. With a single tap or a swipe of her finger, the whole of the four sectors was now open to her, and it easily fit into her small hands, light as air. It was pretty shocking. She was good at sourcing old parts and repurposing them because brand-new parts were rare on New Earth. Only recently had contemporary technology started flooding her planet, and even then, it was probably things that were old tech elsewhere.
But this…this was the newest generation tablet manufactured by the best tech company in the four sectors. She reached out and touched it, unable to keep from petting the sleek architecture. She’d even kept it on the bunk next to her while she slept, which was kinda silly, but…she loved the damn thing, okay?
Yesterday, she’d walked around and opened every panel on the ship, making sure she understood the access points to all of the systems. Then she’d spent a lot of time sitting in seats on the bridge or in Daxon’s quarters, using the tablet to watch instructional vids on how to run diagnostics for this model of ship.
She glanced down at him again.
Daxon had gifted her with this special device and allowed her the freedom to examine his entire ship, and he seemed genuinely happy at the thought of her training to become a mechanic who specialized in Bounty Hunter tech.
Hmm… He was a nice male. This Xylan had placed his honor before hers and he appeared to be keeping his vow. And spending time on his ship had been strangely enjoyable. This last day and a half with him, traveling together to the Hunter Station, had been pleasant. Being with him, talking, kept her mind off the fact that Gurpreet was trying to find her and that her family might be in jeopardy.
Chatting with Daxon was nice, he was easy to talk to, and they were becoming fast friends. In fact, she had to admit he could easily turn into her best friend. She let out a soft snort. A male Illibrium miner was becoming her best friend? Who would’ve thought?
Daxon’s hazel eyes flicked open and he met her gaze. A lazy smile spread across his face. “Are you staring at me?” he asked.
Her face heated, which seemed to be happening a lot lately. “Maaaybe.”
“Does this mean my female is finally ready to test mating compatibility?”
Her eyes widened. “Nooooo.” Jeez. This guy. Did he ever give up? “Daxon, we’re friends. Only friends. But I want you to know the reason I’m saying no to your request isn’t some personal rejection. I like you. I’m just not marrying anyone right now.”
“As I told you yesterday, I am happy that you have upgraded our relationship status to friendship. Mates are always each other’s best friend. But are you sure you consider me as only your friend?” he questioned, throwing her a skeptical glance.
Then he made a big show of inhaling her scent. Ugh. She rolled onto her stomach and hid her face in her arms. The jig was up. Her body was melting, her core throbbing and slick, ready for attention and now he knew it. Gods, it was so embarrassing, never had she felt this overwhelming urge to have sex with someone. Every moment with Daxon was spent ready and primed.
She’d once had a crush on a boy in school and they’d hidden in the bushes behind the classrooms and kissed. It had been naughty and breathless and involved lots of groping. But then days later he was walking hand in hand with another girl, and basically Darcy had felt stupid for feeling anything at all for that jerk.
Never had she felt anything beyond friendship towards Dale. And her body had remained stone cold in the presence of Gurpreet. But the moment she’d met Daxon she’d lit up inside. Her breasts constantly felt heavy and her nipples begged to be touched. Her core was slick and needy. She found herself squirming in bed, her legs scissoring.
Last night, after the lights went out in Daxon’s quarters, she lay there listening to his breaths, and when they evened out and she thought he was asleep, she seriously considered reaching down and trying to quietly masturbate to relieve the tension, except she knew he could smell her arousal. Would he wake and hear her because she couldn’t keep quiet and then comment on how her smell had peaked and discover what she was doing? Wasn’t his hearing better than a human’s? The thought of all of this had been like having cold water thrown on her. There’d been no relief—she’d just have to suffer through it.
All she needed to do was clasp his hand and then he said if they really were mates, he’d be instantly inflamed and sooooo ready to have all the sex with her.
But Xylan didn’t pleasure mate. It wasn’t like they could make out right now. He couldn’t “perform” or feel passion towards anyone beyond his true mate—the female he claimed. Daxon’s amazing masculine body was dormant and he might feel possessive of her because he seemed very certain she was going to turn out to be his mate, but if she leaned over and tried to kiss him she was certain he would be shocked and maybe a little horrified. And all that would happen was that yet again he’d request for her hand in a testing ceremony so they could become mates.
In order to simply kiss this man, she had to marry him.
And she didn’t want to marry anyone.
The whole situation really sucked. They couldn’t just date and get to know one another and then if she felt comfortable, they could take this relationship to another level. No, it was all or nothing. So, she had to continue to choose nothing. And there was too much going on in her mind and heart right now. Her chest started to ache as she thought yet again of what had happened these last few months. It was just…too much.
“Female, what is wrong?” he asked. “Are you upset that I know of your intense arousal for me?”
“No, it’s not just that,” she muttered. Although that was bad too. She turned her head to see Daxon sitting up, watching her with concern. A Xylan warrior with golden skin and hazel eyes, his long hair in silky braids down his back. The dense horizontal ridges that lined his forehead always made him appear so serious. She stared at him, trying to pry from her lips all the worries that were filling her heart and mind, but replaying all of her faults was difficult. An awkward silence settled in the room.
“Darcy…”
“I’m just really upset over everything that happened back on New Earth that caused me to leave,” she finally burst out, pushing herself into a sitting position. She crossed her legs and pulled the sheets over her lap. “It’s on my mind so much, it’s hard for me to think of anything else,” she admitted. “I was on the tablet a lot yesterday, which took my mind off of my worries. But I feel terrible about what happened and I can’t let it go.”
“Okay. I want you to tell me everything because like you said, we are friends. I will get us both some Traq. Keep talking. I am listening.” Then he stood and walked to the tiny kitchen and began tapping on the food dispenser.
He really was being a good friend, and she found the courage to tell him the root of all the guilt that had settled like a ball of metal in the pit of her stomach. “It’s all my fault that Gurpreet took me. All. My. Fault. And because of me my family is now in jeopardy from reprisals by the Singh family.”
He glanced back at her. “Your fault?”
She nodded. “I was the brat who snuck into
my parents’ vehicle and then into another cart and ended up exactly where I shouldn’t. If I’d just listened and stayed home like I’d been told, nothing of this would be happening. I’d be at home—at the farm.”
A ding sounded, letting them know their drinks were finished. He reached forward and opened the dispenser. “No, if you’d listened to them you’d be married to the eldest son of the neighboring farming unit, instead of here, with me, where you belong.”
She let out a snort of laughter.
Daxon walked over and handed her an aromatic mug of warm liquid. Then he sat down on the edge of the bunk and took a sip from his own mug. She had to admit this felt good, having a friend sitting so close wanting to listen and encouraging her to tell the whole horrible story.
“Well, of course you’d say that, but I’m sure Hector and my parents have a different perspective. I feel terrible for what I’ve put them through. I wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near the Tulare Ag Expo. The problem was, I hadn’t realized that Expo was also the last scheduled stop on the Singh Bridal Tour. I’d barely stepped out of the cart when I was suddenly swept into line with all the other young girls on their way to being presented to Gurpreet Singh.”
“Wait,” he said, holding up a claw. “Explain this to me. Out of all the unmated females on your planet, you were given the highest standing, and this was based solely on your physical appearance? Therefore, you are considered to be the most beautiful unmated female of your species?”
“Well…yes.”
Daxon shook his head, seeming to find this unbelievable. She felt an unexpected twinge of disappointment at his reaction. She’d convinced herself that she’d hated that title and wanted nothing to do with it, and yet the thought of Daxon not thinking she was worthy was…unsettling.
“You’ve said this before,” he commented, “and that lazhul confirmed, but it is still very strange that your people have placed you above all others.”
“Whu…” She opened her mouth, then closed it. No one had ever questioned the fact that she’d won. No one. “You don’t think I’m attractive?”
“Well… You are pleasant for a human.”
“Pleasant? For a human?” She swallowed. Oh gods. This man was truthful to a fault.
He shrugged. “We don’t have contests judging the physical appearance of our citizens in contrast to one another. I find the idea distasteful. Does your planet also hold this same type of contest for unmated males?”
“No,” she laughed. “No, that would never happen.”
He shook his head and sipped his Traq. “Humans are very primitive,” he commented.
She rolled her eyes. “We just do things differently, it doesn’t mean we’re primitive. And that title was sort of forced on me. But the main thing here is that I was the one who put myself there and none of it needed to happen.”
“It is good of you to reflect upon your part in any difficult situation so you can avoid replicating these same mistakes in the future.”
She blinked. “Yeah. That’s what I’m trying to do, figure out what I did wrong and try to never do something like that again.”
“Whenever a warrior makes a fatal error in judgment, he or she goes to the nearest multigod altar or temple to make a vow of absolution.”
Her eyes grew hot. “My family is also multigod. I know of this vow. You’re right, I should do that.”
“Also, later you can formally apologize to your line, this will help.”
She thought of performing these solutions and the idea lightened her heart. It felt like she had a plan forward, when before she was just stuck in the middle of failure with no escape, berating herself on constant loop. She took a sip of Traq. She really liked discussing her problems with this warrior. He was sensible and sensitive at the same time, which she’d thought wasn’t an attribute many males had.
“And I am assuming responsibility for the safety of your line. You do not have to worry about any retributions.”
“But Daxon, how can you protect my family? You’re not on New Earth and you don’t even know them.”
“Leave it to me,” he stated.
She couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped her lips. This man was supremely confident, and it wasn’t boasting, just him stating facts about his own abilities, which made it even more amazing.
“There’s more,” she said, forcing herself to tell him everything, to leave nothing unspoken. “I also worry about what’s happening back in Singapore in the Singh family’s Palace. I left, but what of the other women and children left behind? Right this second as I’m sitting here perfectly safe, and someone else is potentially being hurt. How is it fair that I got away, but they didn’t?”
“What exactly did you witness? What is that lazhul doing?”
She blew out a breath. “One night I snuck out of my room, determined to finally meet the famous Mr. Singh. I thought if I could speak with him alone I could convince him to let me go. After the initial pronouncement I immediately said I didn’t want to marry him or leave home, but no one listened to me. They laughed it off, like I was making a joke. And then there was a big troop of guards and I was being whisked off. I’ll never forget how pale my mother was and how she was trying so hard to not cry. Although if she cried everyone would’ve thought they were happy tears. I thought if I could just explain to him how I didn’t want to marry him and how I wanted to return home, I could fix all of this and go back to my life. He could marry some other girl. He could easily declare a different girl the most beautiful girl on the planet instead of me. Why me? It just seemed silly. In fact I’d always felt like he’d made a mistake anyway, he really should’ve picked the girl he’d found during his first month in Paris. Now that girl had been gorgeous and she seemed to actually admire Gurpreet and genuinely wanted to marry him, while I’d barely known he’d existed. I’d never make Gurpreet a good bride. I had to make him understand that we’d never be happy together.
“When I made it to his room I could see through the crack in the door that he was in there with someone. I could hear their voices. A beautiful young woman with long blond hair and blue eyes sat on the edge his bed. And she was naked and heavily pregnant. Gurpreet was standing next to her wearing expensive silky pajamas.”
She paused and swallowed.
“Tell me,” Daxon said.
“Okay, he said to her…‘none of you were virgins when I found you, you’re nothing but prostitutes. Darcy is a virgin and my father has demanded nothing but the best for me, a bride who is virginal and the most beautiful woman on New Earth. And I have found her. The doctors confirmed her hymen is intact. And tomorrow night I’m going to take her in this bed and fill her up with my seed and get her as round as you are. Meanwhile, suck my dick. I need relief while I wait for my new bride.’”
Darcy’s cheeks heated, remembering that cold, horrific medical examination and Gurpreet’s sickening words and actions.
“He told her to move quicker and slapped the woman alongside the head. She slipped and fell to the floor, her hand protecting her huge belly. He yelled at her to get up and attend to him. She crawled into position and…”
Darcy had turned her head, closing her eyes to what was happening, her stomach sick. “I didn’t see what happened next and I snuck back to my room. I didn’t tell anyone about what I’d seen. It turned out he didn’t care about finding an actual wife. He didn’t want a relationship like my parents have or I see among the rest of my family and friends. He wanted someone to use to breed his children. And then he would do with us as he saw fit.”
“I will kill him,” Daxon vowed.
“Daxon, he’s not worth it. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt or arrested.”
“No, I will kill him myself, or I will make sure others are implementing my work.”
“What are you going to do, put out a Bounty on him?”
“That’s a good idea,” he grinned.
A tone sounded. Daxon looked up and walked over to grab his tablet off the
side table. “The secure code to reach your brother is ready.” He tapped the screen. “I sent it to you.”
“Oh good. Thanks.”
Daxon walked into the restroom to use the cleansing unit. Meanwhile, Darcy put the vid through to Hector, eagerly waiting to see her brother’s familiar face. The signal alerted on and on and never picked up and went directly to his message system. She decided not to leave a message, worried it might fall into the wrong hands. She tried again and again to reach him. Nothing. This was unlike him. She knew he kept his tablet next to him at all times, especially now that he’d be waiting on her call.
“What did your brother say?” Daxon asked, coming out of the restroom looking fresh and clean, with new clothes on.
“I tried to get ahold of Hector, but he’s not answering.” She bit her lip, unshed tears heating her eyes.
“Up,” Daxon ordered. “Time to get to work. I will fix this. First, I will feed you, then I will check on your brother and your parents. And there is much to be done with the maintenance of this ship. The amount of paperwork a Bounty Hunter needs to fill out is ridiculous, and I am already behind.”
“But—”
“We will work and I will take care of this,” he repeated. “Trust me.”
10
Darcy settled into the seat Daxon had brought her, tucking her feet to the side. He’d pulled it out of the bridge and bolted it into the floor of his room, so now there were two comfy chairs placed on either side of the tiny side table. Darcy sat at one and Daxon sat at the other. It had been a long day filled with lots of activity on Daxon’s Hunter ship. And now they were finally settled down, dinner was finished and they were resting, quietly tapping on their own individual tablets.
She tried again to reach Hector, wondering if trying at a different time during New Earth’s diurnal she might have a better chance of finding him…but still no answer.
Daxon's Hostage (Alien Bounty Hunters Book 6) Page 7