As soon as the door shut, the tears glossed and wobbled down her cheeks. She swiped them away and sniffed.
How could he do this to me?
Sydney didn’t want to leave him, and she should be happy, but he hadn’t given her the choice. He didn’t ask, and when he chained her to him, he didn’t even have the decency to tell her. He just assumed she’d be okay with it.
The others probably wanted to laugh when she demanded guest quarters and insisted on getting to know him first. According to Jakke, they could smell that he had mated her already; they must have thought this Human was a real joke.
And then there was the other problem: He hadn’t wanted to mate her. It was an accident. An accident!
And now he had to keep her or risk never mating anyone else or having kids. Not once had he uttered the L word. Sydney had gone from filthy, poverty-stricken, orphaned Human, to breeding stock and sex slave of an alien who wasn’t entirely unlike a vampire in physical appearance.
Well isn’t that just fantastic, she thought bitterly, lower lip quivering. Not that I ever really expected to have the big fancy wedding with the white dress and the cake and dancing—I mean, Earth is basically dead now and who knows what’s going to happen to the rest of Humanity—but some loveless obligatory…mating…or whatever…isn’t much of a step up from that dirty little basement and talking to myself, scrounging like a rat in the gutter just to survive one more day... And now I’m going to be the only Human woman on a planet which has a culture more alien than I ever dreamed possible. How the hell am I supposed to live like that?
By the time she lay down on the bed, hugging the pillow to her chest, Sydney was barely holding herself together.
How had this happened? She swiped her nose on her sleeve.
The ache in her heart and betrayal made the tears stream like rivers. She sobbed into the pillow, wishing for her mother, who would have known what to do.
She wept for her parents, for her friends and her old life, for Earth…and for herself.
Crying to the point of vomiting, Sydney found herself racing to the bathroom. Standing up from the toilet, she splashed cold water on her face and brushed her teeth to get the horrid taste out of her mouth.
Staring at herself in the mirror, she rubbed her eyes and tried to think rationally.
The door chimed, and when she didn’t open it, Takkeo walked in anyway with a solemn look on his face.
“Hey, Takkeo,” she said, unable to muster a smile.
Takkeo walk over to the chair and took a seat, lacing his fingers together before finally asking, “What happened with you and Jakke?
“Why do you ask?” She took the white cloth and patted her face dry.
“He’s on the bridge, barking out orders left and right. Everyone is afraid to approach him.”
“Oh.”
“What happened that made him so unapproachable?”
“Unapproachable,” she mouthed. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Takkeo.”
“Did you two have an argument?” he asked nervously.
“An argument…” she mused. “You mean when he told she that he had accidentally mated me—a Human—and I couldn’t return to Earth? Why yes, I suppose you might say we had an argument.”
“I thought you liked Jakke? I thought you would be happy staying here with him?” Takkeo said in visible confusion.
Heading out of the bathroom, she plopped down on the edge of the bed. Takkeo twisted his body around so he could see her. “I do like Jakke…”
“Then what’s the problem?” he interrupted.
“The problem is that he mated me by accident. He didn’t want a Human mate, but since your species mates for life, he’s stuck with me. Couple that with the fact that he kept it from me…well, let’s just say that I don’t want to be anyone’s obligation.”
“You are not an obligation! I see how he is with you. He’s not like that with the others.”
Her gaze snapped to his, heart pounding and palms sweaty as she licked suddenly dry lips. “What…‘others’?”
Takkeo pressed his lips together.
“I must go,” he said quickly, and practically sprinted out of the room.
Her heart now hurt for an entirely different reason as she kept thinking about that one word: Others. Surely she had to be reading too much into the situation; Takkeo must’ve meant Jakke’s old girlfriends, or whatever they called them on Azziar.
And yet, she worried.
Jakke
Jakke was sitting at his desk when Takkeo barged in. Apparently, his foul mood hadn’t scared off his little brother.
“What do you want?” Jakke barked without looking up.
“You haven’t told her about the others…about Cassia?” Takkeo half-asked, half-accused.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but no, I haven’t. She’ll adjust.”
“You are a fool!”
When the chair scraped on the floor, the door closed, and Jakke sighed as irritation warred with exhaustion. It was almost time to go down to Azziar, and he needed to talk to Sydney before that happened. Maybe she’d feel better and just accept what she could not change. He had. He hadn’t wanted to mate a Human, but now he wouldn’t change anything. He enjoyed her company as well as her body.
“Commander, we are ready to depart.”
“Thanks, Kavvan. I’ll let you know when we’re ready.”
Heading down the corridor, he entered his quarters. He found Sydney sitting on the side of the bed with a few clothes folded neatly beside her. She now wore a form-fitting pair of black pants—or jeans, as he remembered she called them—with a royal blue shirt, once again showing an ample amount of cleavage.
“You look beautiful, but you will need to change your clothes,” he said cautiously, watching her expression.
“Thank you, but I like what I’m wearing.”
“It is not appropriate on Azziar. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to change,” he repeated apologetically.
“No.” She fingered the hem of her shirt. “Either I go like this, or you can take me back to Earth.”
And then she shrugged.
He wasn’t sure what to do. Everyone did as they were told on Azziar, especially the females.
“Sydney…” he said, a warning in his tone.
Her head snapped up and she pierced him with a glare. “Listen up, buddy! I am NOT Azziarin! I’m comfortable wearing this, and I want to be comfortable when I see an entire planet full of aliens!”
He watched as she tried to suppress the tears glistening in her eyes. Feeling his chest tighten, he couldn’t help but reach out and pull her to him. She did not return his embrace.
“I don’t want to argue. I should have stated things differently earlier.” He leaned back and with one finger under her chin, tilted her head up so he could look into her eyes. He wanted to make sure she understood. “It’s true that I didn’t want to mate a Human. Now that I know you, however, I wouldn’t change anything. Given the choice again, I would choose you.”
She tore away, turning her back and crossing her arms. “You’re just saying that.
“I am not.”
“If you could have controlled yourself, you would have never willingly given in.”
“I would have, but I would have done things differently.”
She peered over her shoulder.
“I would have talked to you,” he continued. “Told you about our ways. Persuaded you to stay, and then asked you to be my mate. But my reaction to you was so strong, it stole both our choices away.”
She turned. Jakke closed the distance and wrapped his arms around her. After a minute, she wrapped her arms even tighter around his neck.
“I’m scared,” she whispered, sending his protectiveness went into overdrive.
“Do not be scared, you are safe with me.”
“Can I wear my clothes?” She swiped the unwanted stray tear from her eye.
“If it makes you feel better.” He stepped ou
t of her embrace, taking her hand. “Come, Father is waiting for us.”
“Wait!” she cried, startling him. “Can we just sit down for a few minutes? It’s been a very stressful day and I need to get my bearings.”
“If that will help, then that is what we will do.”
Sitting on the couch, Jakke pulled her into his lap. If she needed a little reassurance after the argument, then he would give it to her. In that moment, he felt he might give her anything she wanted.
She will adjust, he told himself firmly. Just as my people will adjust to her and her…clothing…and culture. It is fated.
Chapter 17
Sydney
As Sydney was questioning everything, Jakke sweet-talked her into believing that he would have chosen her if given the choice to truly know her first. She couldn’t argue with that logic. That was more the Human way. Her heart clung to every word, mending the crack. She needed him as a partner, a husband, and needed him by her side when they were on the planet.
“What’s your family like?” she asked, needing to understand what she was up against.
“Father has been grieving since my mother passed away.”
“Oh! What happened to her?”
“The Tureis attacked our world.”
Sydney sucked in a sharp breath. Maybe Jakke could understand a little of what she had been through.
“I’m sorry,” she offered, knowing that nothing would really help.
Jakke cleared his throat. “You already know Takkeo. My other brothers are like me. They command their own vessels. And then there is Risshi and Kattlyn; where we take after Father, they take after my mother.”
“Big family,” she mused. Blowing out a slow breath, Sydney entwined her fingers with Jakke’s. “Okay, let’s get this over with.”
Standing, they walked hand-in-hand to a shuttlecraft. Her heart pounded in her chest as butterflies filled her stomach.
This is it, she thought anxiously. A new planet!
Stepping into the shuttle, she met Kavvan’s gaze. Takkeo gave her a reassuring smile.
Maybe things won’t be so bad, she thought. Maybe it’ll even be exciting.
“Ready?” Jakke asked, smiling down at her.
“I guess.”
He strapped a harness over her head, clicking it into place somewhere under the seat, before securing his own. Curious. Of course, she didn’t remember the initial ride from Earth anyway…
Taking her hand, he nodded to someone. The shuttle left the spaceship. Peering at the planet, it was a mixture of brown, green, and lavender.
Beautiful!
As Sydney admired the view, it felt like the floor dropped out and the shuttlecraft dropped straight down.
With her stomach in her throat, Sydney clenched her jaw tight, holding in a scream as she squeezed Jakke’s hand until she heard him grunt in pain.
When it finally came to a halt, she threw him an irritated glance. “What the hell? You couldn’t have warned me that I would be riding the dropping tower of death?”
“It was a normal ride,” Jakke shrugged, “so I never thought about it.”
At least he looked sheepish.
“Next time, a little warning would be nice.”
Releasing her harness after releasing his own, Jakke waited with Sydney as all the others filed out one at a time.
I can do this, she thought, taking a deep breath.
Hands trembling, she mused that Jakke claimed Azziarins could smell fear.
Well, his nose is probably clogged with the scent by now…
Standing in the doorway, Sydney’s mouth fell open. The scene looked like something from a story book.
In the distance, overgrown trees, at least ten times larger than the largest Earth tree, stood grouped together, watching like sentinels.
Trying to gather her nerve, Sydney’s gaze bypassed the people, focusing on the strange brownish-green grass covering the ground. Walking down the ramp, she reached the bottom and stepped onto the springy surface, each step offering a light bounce.
A grin lit her face as she whispered to Jakke, “How does it do that?”
“Do what?”
“Bounce.”
“The grassy covering is infused with air so when you step, your feet never really touch the ground. It bounces off the plant covering the ground.”
“Huh…”
Interesting concept. This will be a lot of fun.
Finally looking up, Sydney gaped at the rows upon rows of Azziarins staring at her, and her step faltered.
Talk about a bug under a microscope, she thought, mortified.
“Come on,” Jakke urged, nudging her forward to the regal, authoritative Azziarin standing in front.
He’s got to be a king, she mused.
Stopping in front of him, Jakke bowed slightly and said, “Father, it is good to be home.”
Silence. Sydney’s eyes widened. If this was Jakke’s father, and he really was a king…
Gesturing to Sydney, Jakke added, “This is Sydney, from planet Earth.”
Jakke’s father still said nothing; he just stared with an intensity that made her uncomfortable. When he focused on Jakke again, she felt her shoulders relax a little.
“Let us adjourn to the castle. I’ve ordered food prepared to celebrate your arrival,” the king said, and then turned and walked away.
Sydney felt his disapproval in the tense air, and tried not to panic.
“Castle?” she mouthed to Jakke. “Your father…he’s a king?”
Jakke nodded. “Yes.”
“And you’re a prince?”
“I am.”
“And I’m your mate, forever.”
“You are.”
“Were you going to tell me about his part?”
“I was, yes,” Jakke replied with a touch of unease.
Narrowing her eyes at him, she asked, “What else have you not told me?”
But now they had reached the castle, and for a moment, the sheer awe Sydney felt at the sight of it pushed away her questions. For now.
The gigantic, pristine white marble walls appeared seamless as they twisted and curved down various corridors. Sydney kept her jaws clamped tight to keep from gaping like a tourist.
Jakke led her into an immaculate dining hall, where it was impossible not to stare. The shiny black table stretched the entire length of the room, set with what she could only describe as fine china and crystal, though even that didn’t do it justice. Servants darted in and out, setting platters upon platters of food on the table.
Jakke took her arm and guided her to a seat adjacent to the head of the table. When she looked up, many Azziarin men were staring at her in open fascination. The women, however, stared at her with hostility and contempt. She felt like an intruder on their planet.
The king took his seat at the head of the table, with Jakke to his right and Sydney next to Jakke. Another couple sat to her right, and she felt their heavy intense scrutiny. “Prince Jakke, who have you brought home with you?” the female asked politely.
“Madam Sunnuri, this is Sydney, my mate,” Jakke replied with a formality she had never heard from him before.
“What an odd creature,” the male replied.
Jakke tensed beside her. “With all due respect, she is not a ‘creature.’ You will apologize to my mate.”
Sydney squeezed his hand under the table; the last thing she wanted was for him to cause a scene.
“Jakke, perhaps you would like to tell us how you met your mate,” the king suggested.
Be nice if someone thought to acknowledge I’m an intelligent being who can talk, she thought irritably, biting her tongue.
All eyes focused on Jakke.
“Takkeo left the ship without permission,” he began. “While he was on Sydney’s planet, the Tureis pursued him. He managed to get away but broke his leg in the process. Sydney rescued him, hid him from the enemy, and fed him while he recovered.”
And then he fell silent, as if that e
xplained everything.
Wondering why he was leaving out so many details, such as the mating fever, or Takkeo bringing her aboard without his permission, Sydney glanced sidelong at Jakke. His tone had been curt, cool, and matter of fact, as though he either didn’t want to elaborate further or simply felt he wasn’t required to do so.
Well, she mused, he’s not exactly been too forthcoming with me either. Maybe it’s just habit.
The king shifted his calculating gaze on her. She wished she knew his name but was too nervous to ask.
“You have my gratitude for saving my youngest son,” he said formally. Without waiting for a reply, his eyes slid back to Jakke. “I will speak with Takkeo. I am certain this is the reason he has made himself scarce.”
“I’m sure.” Jakke smiled.
“There is much we need to discuss so I have taken the liberty to have your rooms prepared. You may return home tomorrow.” His father grinned/ “I’m sure you have been missed.”
Sydney caught the strange look that passed between the two of them and swallowed hard. Who had missed Jakke exactly?
Her stomach, which had been bothering her a lot lately, decided it didn’t like the suspicion any more than she did as it churned. That and the alien food just didn’t agree with her this time. She only hoped no one would notice she wasn’t eating a single bite.
Jakke
As soon as they landed, Kavvan gave orders for securing and unloading the ship while Takkeo took off.
Jakke knew his father, King Malick, took issue with him mating a non-Azziarin female, but Jakke had never expected such blatant disrespect. Sydney felt it too; he scented her discomfort and noted how stiff her shoulders had become.
This would be more difficult than he initially anticipated.
Following him inside, Jakke highly disapproved of the sheer gawking stares directed at his mate, as though she was an exotic animal from another world.
When he finally told them how he met Sydney, leaving out several details, he relaxed a little at his father expressing gratitude.
But then he followed it up by telling Jakke he had been missed. That was Father’s way of dismissing his mate. He had already deemed her unimportant, but Jakke didn’t understand why. He could only have one mate and he had marked Sydney, injected her with his essence and readying her body for offspring. Azziarins only had one chance, and Jakke had chosen Sydney. He could not undo it even if he wanted to. He would never have children from another female other than Sydney.
Jakke (The Azziarin Series Book 1) Page 11