by Leslie Chase
Gwen took me to a small room with grating on the floor. Not an inviting shower, but better than nothing.
“How does the teleporter work?” I asked as she moved to some controls behind a clear screen. She shook her head, frowning at me, but I pressed the question. “Can we use them? There has to be a way off the ship.”
“I don’t know, they don’t tell me anything except what to do,” Gwen said, turning a knob. Ice cold water splashed over me and I gasped. If not for Dhannar’s gift, I’d have screamed, and even with that protection it was still cold enough to be unpleasant.
“You must have some idea,” I said, shivering and washing quickly. “You managed to teleport the clothes off me last time.”
Gwen frowned and fidgeted, looking very uncomfortable. “Okay, sure, but they only showed me how to use some of the preset systems. Not how to beam someone down safely — they’d never trust me with that.”
“But you could try?” I insisted, teeth starting to chatter. Gwen looked at me through the scratched plastic screen and nodded reluctantly.
“I can’t promise you’d survive, or even come through in one piece. You might end up like something from a horror show. And I can’t come with you. Someone has to stay at the controls to run the teleporter.”
Okay, that wasn’t reassuring, but it was a start. Now… if we could get to the teleporter, and Gwen could beam me down without killing me, and I could find Dhannar…
Who are you trying to kid? The sensible voice in my head resurfaced. Just keep your head down, try to survive this, and hope for the best. Trying anything else is just going to end painfully.
I couldn’t argue. I didn’t even have a plan. But I had to do something and staying while the scroogian commander celebrated his victory wasn’t on the cards. No way I’d be his Christmas gift.
The water stopped and hot, dry air followed, drying me quickly. As Gwen dressed me again, I pressed her for what she knew about the layout of the ship. It wasn’t much.
Any detail might help though. And it kept my mind off just how doomed I was. Finally, I was back in my ridiculous costume, and ready to go.
The door slid open and I stepped through, almost running into the huge expanse of a scroogian’s chest. This one wore dozens of medals on his crimson uniform, and gold epaulettes marked him as special. I stepped back, swallowing nervously, and looked up into the face of my captor. I knew at once who this had to be.
“Yes, you will do nicely,” the Commander said, chuckling a disgusting gurgle. He reached for me with a huge, gross hand and I slapped it away. Red eyes narrowed in anger and he balled his hand into a fist. I almost regretted resisting. Almost.
“Keep your paws off me,” I said, doing my best to emulate Dhannar’s calm confidence. I must have gotten something right because the alien warrior hesitated. Our eyes locked, letting me see the calculating selfish hate inside the scroogian Commander.
When he laughed, it sounded forced. “They said you had spirit. Good. It will be fun to break you, but first I’m going to collect my other Christmas guest.”
A gesture from him brought a pair of scroogians into the chamber to grab my arms and drag me along after him.
I didn’t fight. What would be the point? Either of the guards looked able to tear me in half — all resisting would do was prove that I was helpless. Going along with them left the illusion that I had a choice.
To my surprise and relief, they didn’t drag me straight to the Commander’s quarters. Instead they brought me to what looked like a bridge. It was nothing like the comfortable, friendly, welcoming bridge of the colony ship that brought me to Nicholasville. The warship was run from a room made of cold, hard angles, crewed by scroogians who looked barely happier to be there than I was.
They hunched over consoles which had seen better days, in some cases with exposed wiring showing. Nothing was in good condition, even the chairs were battered and broken, stuffing exposed or arm rests broken.
The aliens took no better care of their ship than they did the colony they’d invaded.
“Report,” the Commander snapped, throwing himself down into the captain’s chair. One of the scroogians turned, looking deeply uncomfortable.
“Commander, we’ve lost contact with the landing team,” he said, cringing as he delivered the bad news. “It seems the reilendeer has taken them all out.”
“To be expected once they lost air support, I suppose,” the Commander replied, waving a hand. I stared, appalled by his callous disregard for his own people’s lives, but the bridge crew seemed unsurprised.
The guards dragged me into a clear space in front of the captain’s chair. Lights shimmered around me as they stepped back, a forcefield keeping me in.
One of the bridge officers adjusted some settings at his console and bright lights struck me. His display lit up with an image of me, frightened and alone, looking ridiculous in my outfit.
“Broadcast ready Commander,” the officer said. The Commander made a sharp gesture and everyone else fell silent.
“I know you’re out there, reilendeer. Show yourself, or what happens to this female will be on your head,” the Commander said, loud and clear, and I realized what was happening. The ship had hologram display capabilities, and they were going showing me to the world outside.
I tried to step out of the light, out of view of the cameras, only to run into the forcefield. No, I wasn’t going anywhere.
“Don’t listen to him, Dhannar,” I shouted. The Commander laughed and hit a button on the armrest of his chair.
PAIN.
I couldn’t breathe. Every inch of me was on fire, as though I’d been dropped into a volcano. There was nothing else, only the agony.
It only lasted a moment. When the pain vanished, I was in mid-fall, and the deck knocked the breath out of me. Panting for air, I tried to gather myself.
“Yes, indeed, stay hidden,” the Commander said, sadistic glee in his voice. “I will enjoy playing with your human until her mind snaps, and you can watch. Or you can come out of hiding, surrender, and I’ll let her go with the other wretched humans. I have what I want from this planet, I don’t need her.”
His finger caressed the pain switch again and I flinched. No pain this time, but his small eyes sparkled evilly as he watched my fear.
“Don’t, Dhannar,” I shouted again. As much as I feared the agonizer, I refused to condemn the man I loved to this fate along with me. “He won’t stop if you surrender—”
My captor touched the switch again, sending a jolt of pain through me. This time just enough to make me gasp and fall silent. He’d made his point.
“That’s a reasonable concern,” the Commander admitted. “But what choice do you have? You can stay hidden in the woods and listen to your female scream until her mind breaks — or you can trust me and step forward. What’s it to be?”
Silence stretched out, broken only by my pained, ragged breathing. I watched the screens, gaze darting from one to another, not sure what I was hoping for. Dhannar had to stay safe… but if he did, I wouldn’t last long.
And there was no hope for mercy from the scroogians. I promised myself I wouldn’t make a spectacle of myself by begging: it would only amuse them.
Denying them that satisfaction was a small victory, but it would have to be enough.
“Very well,” the Commander said, sounding pleased. “Let’s see how long you can stand listening to her scream.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, clenching my jaw tight to stop myself speaking. Bracing for the pain, I huddled on the floor and prayed silently.
No pain. Nothing. I opened my eyes cautiously to see the bridge crew staring at a hologram display.
Following their gaze, I saw Dhannar. He strode from the woods, his head held high and arms raised, no weapons visible. No fear showed on his expression, only anger and contempt for an enemy who’d use such cowardly tactics.
My heart swelled with love despite myself. I didn’t want him to fall into scroogian hands, and
I knew that he’d suffer for it. So did he, and he’d made that choice. To spare me pain, he’d stick his head into the lion’s mouth and dare death to take him.
A tumult of mixed emotions washed through me. Anger at myself for being the bait that flushed Dhannar from hiding, and at him for taking the bait. Sorrow at what would happen to him now.
And overwhelming all that, love for the man who would put himself in harm’s way for me without a second thought.
“Teleporter, bring him aboard,” the Commander ordered.
14
Dhannar
The teleport beam struck me and my world dissolved into strange swirling lights. I braced myself for the brief jaunt across hyperspace to bring me aboard my captor’s ship. That was both good news and bad.
They might have simply shot me. A warship’s guns would obliterate me and that would have been the end. Instead, I was alive which meant there was still hope.
On the other hand, it meant that they had worse plans than death for me. And I had no more plans of my own — hope was all I had left.
Guards stood waiting for me when I rematerialized, their blasters drawn and ready. I grinned at the pair of them and the weapons shook in their hands. Even as their prisoner, they feared me. And well they should, given the number of their comrades I’d slain in defense of my mate.
“Put these on,” one said, throwing me a pair of shackles. I snatched them out of the air, looked at them, and shook my head.
“First I see Megan released unharmed,” I told them. “Once that deal is done, you may do with me as you like.”
“Oh, may we?” The other scroogian scoffed, puffing himself up with false bravado. “You’ll do as you’re told or the Commander will punish her for it. Don’t push him.”
I met his gaze levelly, refusing to let the stab of fear and pain his words sent through me show. The anger, though? That I gave full rein.
“He can hurt her,” I growled. “I can’t stop that now. But I can kill the two of you, and I will if I hear one sound of pain from her.”
The guard flinched and I smiled, baring my teeth. The shackles clattered to the floor at my feet and neither of the guards said any more about them.
They stayed a safe distance behind me, weapons trained on my back, as we made our way to the bridge. Everything I saw increased my contempt for these invaders — their ship was a mess, the decaying ruin of a once-powerful warship. Rust, damaged panels, patched wiring; it was a wonder that any of it worked.
Still dangerous enough to deal with an undefended colony, I reminded myself as the blast doors to the bridge slid open. And that’s all that matters now.
“Welcome, welcome,” the false cheer of the scroogian leader grated on my ears as he waved me in. “Dhannar, is it? I think we’re going to have a lot of fun.”
His laugh sounded like bubbles of escaping swamp gas. “I know I am, at least.”
I didn’t dignify that with a reply, barely even looking at him. My full attention was on Megan.
She stood in a forcefield circle in front of the captain’s chair, under the muzzles of a pair of ceiling-mounted agonizers. My fingers twitched at the sight of them, wanting to tear them from the ceiling and beat the Commander to death with them. Restraining myself, I gave her my best reassuring smile.
It wasn’t enough. Megan hugged herself, face pale and tears running down her face. Dressed as a present once more, this time it wasn’t appealing, only enraging. These thugs, these monsters, had taken my beautiful beloved and both hurt and humiliated her.
Calm. Anger won’t help her. I crossed the bridge to stand beside her, pressing a hand to the forcefield separating us.
“You will be fine, beloved,” I said, hoping I’d be able to keep that promise. “Don’t worry, I’m here now.”
“Asshole,” she said, sad and fond. Her hand pressed to the field between us, and tears ran freely down her face. “You know I didn’t want you to come, right? You ought to be free.”
My heart ached. “I can’t leave you in danger, Megan. If it costs me my life, that’s a small price.”
“For you maybe,” she shot back. “You don’t have to live with it.”
A nasty, gurgling laugh interrupted us, forcing me to acknowledge the Commander’s presence. I shot him a glare.
“You don’t have to live with anything, human,” he said, unimpressed. “Die with him if you wish. But I will keep my promise — you are free to leave.”
A great weight lifted from me. Trusting the scroogians to hold to their promise had been a risk, but even these pirates valued a reputation for keeping their promises. Megan would live. That was enough.
I nodded respect to the Commander. In this one thing he had my thanks.
“I’m not going anywhere without Dhannar,” Megan said. I spun to face her, opening my mouth to object, but her wounded look silenced me. “You’re my mate, you said so yourself. I won’t abandon you any more than you would me.”
My mouth opened and closed without a word escaping my lips. Behind me, the scroogian Commander laughed again, enjoying my shock.
“Shall I put your disobedient woman off the ship for you? Or perhaps I should listen to her and let her share your fate.” Cloying, mocking concern filled his voice and white-hot rage threatened to overwhelm my judgement. Only the fact that Megan would die in agony if I attacked him spared the Commander’s life.
“Let me speak with her, I will convince her to go,” I said. He made an unconvinced noise and I swore under my breath, readying myself to attack. It would be suicide, death for me and Megan, but if we were both going to die anyway, I wouldn’t go quietly.
Perhaps he read my intentions. The Commander laughed again. “Very well. I have a party to prepare for anyway: your fate will wait for the high point of the celebrations. The two of you can share a cell until then, and if she wishes to leave when we fetch you, so be it.”
The cell was exactly what I’d expected — a metal box barely big enough for the two of us. One door, heavy and securely locked. One light, flickering occasionally and buzzing. No furniture aside from a bare metal shelf that approximated a bed.
It didn’t matter, I supposed. We wouldn’t be here long enough to need anything more.
As soon as the door slid shut behind us, I swept Megan into my arms, held her tight, let her cry against me. She clung to me like a drowning sailor to a life raft.
Sitting on the hard bed I gathered her against me and stroked her hair, giving her the time she needed. Eventually she lifted her head, eyes red from crying, and looked at me.
“Why?” she demanded. “Why did you come? You could have lived.”
“It’s the only way to save you, my beloved. And that matters more to me than my life.” My words were simple, straightforward, and honest. Megan pulled an unhappy face.
“Didn’t it occur to you that I felt the same way?”
“Of course it did,” I said. “And I wish there was another way. There isn’t, though, and so long as you survive, I don’t care if you’re angry with me.”
“I’m not angry, asshole,” she snapped. “I’m frustrated, I’m hurt, and I’m desperate. But I can’t be angry with you when you’re giving up everything for me.”
She managed a weak smile, and the sight of it lifted my spirits. I pulled her back to me, held her tight, and tried to commit the sensation of her touch to memory. To hold in my mind everything she made me feel, as impossible as that was.
“I’m sorry.” Megan’s words were muffled, quiet, almost inaudible. Frowning, I lifted Megan’s head gently.
“You have nothing to apologize for,” I told her firmly.
“I do,” she insisted. “I failed. You set things up for me to finish your mission, and I fucked it up.”
“No.” I shook my head, frowned. “You did everything you could. I didn’t keep you safe, and that’s my failure.”
A sad smile on her face, Megan chuckled mournfully. “Are we going to spend our last hours together arguing about
whose fault this is?”
“We are not,” I said, determined to put these dark thoughts aside and give her a memory she’d look back on fondly. “All I require is that you not blame yourself for what has happened. I know this hurts, beloved, but you will survive and you will prosper.”
Her smile broadened just a touch and she raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I will? What are you going to do about it if I don’t, mister?”
I couldn’t help grinning at that, though I tried to keep my voice stern. If nothing else, her defiance took our minds off our predicament. “Careful, Megan, or I shall put you across my lap and spank you.”
Her face reddened at that and I saw her swallow. “You wouldn’t.”
“Try me.” In one quick movement I pulled Megan over my knee as she squeaked in surprise.
“Hey, no fair,” she protested, wriggling. “I didn’t argue!”
“Oh no? Then what are you doing now?”
Megan started to say something, then closed her mouth as she spotted my trap. There was nothing she could say now. She wasn’t even pretending to try to escape — her squirming just pressed her body against me as I ran my hand over her raised ass.
“You, Dhannar, are a dirty cheat,” she muttered, making me laugh.
“If you require another reason, remember that you called me an asshole,” I said, swatting her just hard enough to make her gasp. “That’s no way to talk to your mate.”
“I was under a lot of pressure,” she said, forgetting her determination not to argue. I grinned and brought my hand down again, a little harder this time. Megan yelped and moaned, writhing against me.
I felt her arousal growing, matching my own. Her pulse raced and her breathing quickened, her whole body trembling as I spanked her firmly. To my delight, Megan responded with whimpers of pleasure.
My body ached for her more than ever, and it was enough to drive all thought of our predicament from my mind. Whatever the future had in store for us, right now I would have my mate. Flipping up her short skirt, I smacked her raised ass and watched her cheeks redden under my hand. She squirmed delightfully against me, letting out a little moan.