by S. E. Smith
Vox chuckled as her meaning sank in. “I have never heard of that before. I will wait until Lodar and Tor have returned before I go do my ‘thing’. You can always join me while I do my business,” he suggested teasingly before he remembered to glance at her hands to see if she had anything in them.
“I don’t think so,” she sniffed and shrugged indignantly.
Vox took a step closer to her, forcing her backwards several steps until she was pressed against the rock wall behind her. Riley swallowed nervously. Her eyes darted looking for any type of distraction she could use. She cursed the fact that she had left her pepper spray under her pillow. She could never think straight in the morning. If she could get her hands into her handbag she could probably find something to use as a weapon. She had everything but the kitchen sink in it. Hell, she even had multiples of items like the Leatherman and Leatherman micro that was in the bottom of the damn thing somewhere. One had scissors while the other had pliers. She was always needing one or the other. Right now, she could really use the knife on one of them.
“What are you doing?” She asked breathlessly, looking up into his determined eyes. “You need to just stay back! Remember what happens when you get close to me. I don’t want to have to hurt you again.”
Vox reached out and gripped her wrists in a tight but tender hold. “Then, don’t,” he whispered huskily. “I plan to kiss you, Riley St. Claire of Denver, Colorado. I plan to mark you so that there can be no doubt that you belong to me. And finally, I plan to claim you as my own.”
Riley shook her head and pressed back as far as she could against the hard wall behind her. “No, I’ve seen what happens in the movies. I don’t want you. I don’t….” her voice faded as Vox covered her lips with his own in a tender, possessive kiss.
His groan matched hers as he pressed deeper when her lips opened under his. The gentle kiss he planned grew heated as the touch and taste of her swept through him. He stepped closer, raising her arms up over her head so that her plump breasts were pressed against his chest. He deepened the kiss, pushing his tongue through her glistening lips and running it along her smooth teeth. He felt his cock jerk painfully in reaction to her taste. His cat purred and rubbed up against his skin, wanting a chance to rub up against his mate. He stepped closer, forcing her to open her legs for him so he could slide between them and rub his swollen cock against her. He placed both of her wrists together, holding them in one large hand and stroked her with his free one. He ran his fingers lightly over her cheek wanting to see if her skin felt as smooth and silky as it looked. The soft touch shook him. He had never felt this deep feeling of need, desire, and the overwhelming urge to protect before.
He pulled back enough so he could look down into her dazed eyes. “I claim you as my queen, Riley St. Claire,” he muttered passionately.
Riley’s brain cleared as his words sunk in. She began to struggle as she realized the perilous situation she was in. She should never have let him close to her. He was an alien. Aliens were bad. Aliens were always bad in the movies, well most movies anyway. She also repeated her vow that she would not say yes to any guy without a ring on her finger. She decided she better clarify that. She would not say yes to any ‘human’ guy without a ring on her finger and she would never say yes to an alien.
Remember, Aliens. Remember, Predators. Remember, Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Remember, Freddie, Riley shook her head. No, not Freddie. He was a human. Remember, remember.....
“No, no, no, no, no!” She said forcefully, focusing back on the alien holding her. “Let me go! I do not belong to you. I do not want to be a queen. I do not want to be claimed. I DO NOT WANT YOU!” She added forcefully. “Now let me go, damn it! The only thing I want is to go home.”
“Vox, guards are approaching,” Lodar said coming out of the bathroom.
Riley took advantage of his distraction to twist free and duck under his arm. She moved rapidly to stand behind Lodar. Vox twisted around and frowned at her in displeasure. When he moved toward her again. She squeaked and pulled Tor, who was walking out of the bathroom, in front of her as well. She stood peeking out behind the two tall warriors, glaring at Vox.
“Go do your business so I can get something to eat,” Riley snapped out from where she was hiding behind Tor and Lodar. “And I’m warning you, if you try to touch me again I’ll pop you on the nose!”
Vox muttered a curse, glaring at her in frustration. He turned away in aggravation to take care of his needs. He glanced down the corridor as several Antrox guards marched down the corridor toward them and he knew he wouldn’t have much time. His observation proved to be correct. When he left the bathroom a few minutes later, ten guards holding stunning rods stood at attention waiting for him. A shiver rippled down his spine. From all the reports he had of the Antrox, this was an unusual number for six prisoners. Since each prisoner, save the females, wore an explosive shock collar to control them. The Antrox normally only budgeted one guard for a group of twenty or more. If the guard was threatened or attacked in any way, one push of a button would kill any prisoner within 15 meters. Without the right tools, if a prisoner tried to remove the collar, it would also explode. Normally, the Antrox paired one male and one female. They discarded the threat that the female would know how to help the male escape. In their case, there were five males and one female. If they could get their hands on the right tools, Vox knew Tor could figure out how to dismantle the collars.
“Darling, I really am going to write a scathing review for this establishment,” Riley was telling the lead guard as he came out of the cleansing room. “Your wake up call is far too early, your idea of bathroom accommodations is horrid, and breakfast hasn’t even been mentioned! How do you expect my poor, sweet, fragile mates to survive if you don’t feed them? I want the name, number and address to your corporate headquarters. They are going to hear from me! Why, look at my poor baby. Fred sweetheart, are you okay? You are definitely looking a little green around the gills,” Riley said, pulling the struggling Tiliqua closer to her and petting one of his heads affectionately.
Vox grind his teeth together as he watched her gently stroking Fred. “He is supposed to be that color and Tiliqua’s don’t have gills,” he bit out, feeling jealous of the attention she was giving the little two-headed reptilian Pactor dung.
Riley rolled her eyes at Vox’s tone, put her hand on her hip, and pointed an accusing finger at him. “You see that?” She demanded of the lead guard. “He is just a grouchy bear! He needs to be fed. How do you expect me to keep him happy if he is hungry? I want a full breakfast immediately for my mates.”
Antrox 157 snarled at Riley. He had been sent by 785. It was his job to guard the Sarafin royal and his men until they received the credits promised for disposing of him. 157 had no problems following orders from his superior but he was having problems with dealing with the bossy female who had started in on him the moment he had arrived. She was making all kinds of demands. He had been shocked to find additional supplies had been given to her yesterday by some of the newer guards. Unlike most Antrox, he did not always follow the rules governed by his people. That was why 785 gave him this position. It afforded him extra credits.
“Silence female,” 157 said coldly. “You will keep your mates happy. I only have to keep one of them alive. If you are not silent, I will feed one of your mates each hour to a Pactor.”
“Well!” Riley growled back. “Somebody woke up with a stick up their ass this morning. You touch one slimy little green nail on one of my boys and I’ll rip it off and feed it to the Pactor with the rest of you. No one messes with my boys but me, got it?”
157 looked shocked for a moment before his face became passive. He took a step closer to Riley, trying to crowd her. “One more word and I’ll silence you.”
“I’d like to see you try, you overgrown piece of cow paddy,” Riley snapped back in a temper.
Vox decided it would be in everyone’s best interest if he silence his mate before she got them all
killed. He stepped up behind her as she opened her mouth to say something else. Wrapping his large hands around her waist, he almost groaned out loud at the feel of her soft curves under his palms. Instead, he picked her up ignoring her squeal of indignation and turned until she was in front of him with her back pressed against his chest.
“I think we will survive without anything to eat for a little longer,” he said quietly in her ear. “I would like to keep us alive for a little longer, my fierce tiger. We do appreciate your concern for us, though,” he added hastily when she opened her mouth to protest.
“So help me, if that pile of walking sticks pisses me off or messes with one of you I’ll plant my foot up his ass so far it will be coming out of his mouth,” she growled, throwing a heated look at the Antrox guard over her shoulder. “You let me at him. I’ll show him one more word!”
Vox could hear Tor and Lodar fighting to hold in their laughter as he fought to keep her from turning back and attacking their guards. He shook his head in exasperation. He and his men towered over the female, were known to be one of the fiercest species in the ten known galaxies and she was ready to kick the asses of their guards because they had not been fed when she wanted them to be fed.
“Come, let us get to work so we can eat soon,” Vox muttered.
*.*.*
Riley twisted her hair back up into the ponytail where it had fallen loose again when she bent over to pick up some of the rocks that the men were breaking through. All five of the men had argued that she wasn’t supposed to work. She was just supposed to sit and watch as they worked. Like she could just sit around all day. She was already bored out of her mind. So, she ignored all of them and did what she wanted, singing in an off key the song from Snow White when the dwarfs were going off to work. Fred had soon joined her, gathering the rocks alongside her and muttering under his breath.
“So, how did you end up is this delightful shit hole?” Riley asked as she dumped another pile of rocks into the bins used to haul it out.
“My older brother sold me to a trader,” Fred responded with a grunt as he pushed the large rock he was carrying into the bin. “He did not want me in his way.”
Riley paused in horror. “Why would he think you were in the way?” She asked as she walked back over to the ever growing pile of rocks the men were creating. “Hell, even my sainted sister wouldn’t sell me, no matter how much I piss her off, which is about every time I open my mouth.”
“I am the second oldest. My older brother is not good with our father’s business. I am very good and my father decided I should take over instead of my older brother. He paid credits to some traders to take me. Now, I will die here,” he said disgruntledly.
Riley stopped from where she was lifting another large rock. “Like hell you will! I’ll take care of you. You are not going to die in this shit hole. We just have to escape,” she responded confidently. “Do you know how to fly one of those spaceships?”
“No,” Fred replied sadly before perking up. “But the cat warriors know how. They are known for their fighting skills and their warships are renowned for their speed.”
“Cat warriors?” Riley asked as she walked back over and dumped the large rock in the bin with all the others.
“Yes, your mate is their king. I have heard about him. He is very scary. He kills those who defy him,” Fred said struggling to lift a particularly large rock over the side.
Riley frowned as she bent to help him. Why the hell did he call them the ‘cat’ warriors? She thought they were called Sara-something.
She stretched once the rock was in and rubbed her aching back. She was exhausted and they had only been at it for about two hours. She really needed some coffee. A nice latte would be fabulous right about now.
Fred must be mistaken, she thought as she looked over at where Vox, Lodar, and Tor were swinging the strange shaped curved pick axes.
All three had muscles out the yin-yang and their bodies glistened with sweat as they worked to clear another section of the cave. They didn’t talk while they worked. Bob was working on another section and appeared to be having problems holding the ax correctly because his pile of rocks was miniscule compared to the others. The Antrox guards were stationed at the different exits leading into the area they had been brought to and were ignoring them.
She turned back to study all three men carefully for a moment as they worked. Each had a different pattern of spots on their upper body that ran down their chest and backs before disappearing under the low waist of their pants. She felt a shiver of apprehension run through her as she remembered their eyes. All three had similar eyes but what caught her attention the most was their pupils were slits instead of round like a human. A bad feeling began to sink in as she noticed other differences. They had no problems seeing in the dim corridors. She would have walked into a wall or tripped a dozen times if it hadn’t been for Vox as they were marched deeper into the mine. They moved lightly on their feet just like the old cat she had when she was a kid. Half the time she couldn’t even hear them walking. And Vox had roared like a wounded cat when she sprayed him with the pepper spray. He sounded a lot like that lion that came on before a movie from MGM studios. Other details came back as well. She remembered the way his chest rumbled when he was kissing her, as if he was purring.
“Shit!” She said as her eyes widened as the pieces fell into place.
Fred looked at her puzzled. “You have need for the cleansing room? I can ask a guard to escort you if you have a need,” his left head said looking at her in concern.
Riley looked down with dazed eyes at Fred. “Can they…. Can they change into a cat?” She asked in a hushed whisper.
Fred looked at her before turning one head to look at the three warriors working steadily. “Of course not,” he said, not understanding Riley’s sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness for that,” Riley murmured before Fred finished his sentence.
“The shock collars prevent them from shifting. But, if they were to be removed they can,” he finished with a twist of envy coloring his voice.
Riley’s sigh of relief turned to a gasp of horror. She was stuck in a freaking Science Fiction, shifter, romance novel nightmare!
*.*.*
Vox frowned as his mate moved her plate of food away from his and went to sit down between Bob and Fred. For the past couple of days, she had done everything she could to avoid him. She spent most of her time dancing around the huge Gelatian or keeping the small Tiliqua between her and him. Hell, she had even used Tor and Lodar as a shield but only when the other two couldn’t get away from her. Both of his men had noticed how skittish she had been around them after the first day in the mine. It had grown worse after they had finished their first work shift. They had been escorted to the eating room shortly after their shift ended. The skittish distance had turned into a frigid ice block by the time they were done.
On the third day Vox discovered he, Lodar, and Tor were not the only Sarafin warriors held prisoner. His best friend and cousin Titus, a member of the lead council who had disappeared over a month before, was among the prisoners, as well as his younger brother Banu. There was also one Curizan warrior and one Valdier warrior that Vox recognized. Both of them had been working undercover to bring down Raffvin and Ben’qumain’s rule. Titus explained he had found some damning evidence of his own against several of those inside the Sarafin palace who were working with Raffvin. They were the ones behind his and his brother’s kidnapping and subsequent imprisonment.
“Who are they?” Vox growled out in a low voice.
“Two are females who share your bed,” Titus said quietly. “Eldora and Pursia. They were relating information to Bragnar, a male who works in the kitchens.”
Vox turned to look at Riley when she sniffed loudly. He frowned when she gave him a deadly stare before turning to look the other way and focus on what Bob and Fred were saying. He had reached to touch her hand but she jerked it away from him before he could even get close to it.
“Who is the female?” Titus asked curiously, watching their interaction with interest. “She is much more pleasing to the eye than the one who selected me,” he said with a dismissive nod toward the slender purple figure sitting on the other side of him.
“She is my mate,” Vox said, perplexed at his mate’s sudden quiet behavior.
“As in she chose you or as in you chose her?” Titus asked. “Because if I had to guess, she doesn’t look any happier with you than mine is with me.”
“Both,” Vox said grumpily. “She chose the five of us but I knew the moment I heard her voice she was my mate.”
“What species is she? I don’t think I have ever seen one like her before,” Titus said, picking at the items on his plate in disgust.
“I don’t know,” Vox admitted reluctantly. “I forgot to ask her. We need to get off this asteroid as soon as possible,” he said changing the subject. “I have a Valdier royal to kill.”
“You and me both,” Titus said, throwing down the few pieces of his food that was left. “Supply ships arrive every seven days. One came today,” Titus murmured quickly before standing up as an Antrox guard came over to order him and his mate back to their quarters.
Vox nodded before turning his attention to the other warriors sitting across from them. They each nodded in return before rising as a guard called out to them to stand. He returned their nod. They would be off this rock in seven days if he had his way which he always did when he put his mind to it. His eyes turned to the stiff, defiant figure of his mate sitting next to him.
Yes, he thought with a small smile at the frozen face of his mate. I always get my way when I want something.
*.*.*
Now, he wondered how he was going to be able to fulfill his promise. Over the past six days all five of them plus Titus, his brother, and the other two warriors had zero luck in getting their hands on any type of tool that would work to remove the collars around their neck. Something was telling him that they didn’t have much time left either. He paced the room. They would be escorted to their evening meal soon. Tomorrow another supply ship would arrive and Vox’s gut was telling him it would be their only chance of escape. He growled out in frustration as he paced back and forth in the narrow room.