by Melody Adams
I heard Pain shouting angrily. Several Alien Breeds had to forcefully stop him from charging over here.
"Send your males away or I'll slit her throat," threatened the Jingg behind me.
Freedom raised his hands defensively.
"No reason for bloodshed. We do as you ask."
He turned to the Alien Breeds.
"Go back to the village! Make sure Pain doesn't do anything stupid," Freedom said. "I'll bring her back unharmed. I promise it on my life, Pain!"
Pain gave me a look. I nodded to him bravely and tried to smile. Would I see him again? What would happen if all Alien Breeds were gone except Freedom? I saw the same question in Pain's eyes before he turned away and slowly retreated with the other men.
"My males left as you asked," Freedom finally said. "Now let her go."
"Stand with your back against the tree," the Jingg behind me demanded.
"What are you going to do," Freedom wanted to know, the Jinggs suspiciously scrutinizing.
"DO, WHAT I SAID," the Jingg shouted at him and pressed the knife again so deeply into my flesh that more blood run down my throat.
With defensively raised hands, Freedom stepped backwards until his back hit the trunk of the tree the Jingg had pointed to.
"Tie him up," commanded the Jingg with the knife, and four others stepped forward and tied Freedom to the tree.
When they were finished, the Jingg pushed me towards Freedom. When I turned to the Jinggs, they were gone.
"Freedom," I shouted with relief. "They're gone!"
Freedom nodded grimly, but I could also see the relief in his eyes.
"Untie me!"
"Yes ... yes, of course," I stammered excitedly. "Wait!"
I set about loosening the knot, which was not so easy. Again and again my trembling fingers slipped off, until I screamed, frustrated.
"Calm down," Freedom said calmly. "Take a deep breath and try again.
I did as Freedom had said and took a few deep breaths, then I forced myself to calm as I took the next approach. Finally I got the miserable knot loosened a bit and after a few minutes fiddling around, I finally had it open. Freedom stripped off the ropes.
"Let me see your neck," he demanded and raised my head to look at the wound the Jingg had inflicted on me. "The bleeding stopped. I leave it to your mate to heal it. Come! Let’s not wait any longer. Pain will be sick with worry until I bring you back to him safe and sound.
Pain
Waiting idly for Freedom to bring Julia home was an ordeal. I ran around in circles until Steel had had enough and yelled at me to sit down. Disgruntled, I dropped into an armchair just to jump up and run out of the house minutes later. I just couldn't wait any longer. Worrying about Julia made me lose my mind.
"Where are you going?" Steel shouted after me. "Damn IDIOT!"
I didn't let myself get stopped and hurried along the street. I heard Steel coming after me. He cursed and called me every name under the sun, but I didn’t give a shit.
"Leave him alone," I heard Hunter behind me. "No Breed can wait idly until you bring his mate back, believe me! You will see when..." I didn't hear any more when I turned the corner and left everyone behind me.
I left the village behind me and ran across the meadow towards the forest. In my mind the pictures of Julia's eyes widened with fear, and those of my son mixed. I couldn’t lose my mate. Not her! I wouldn’t survive that. Even Holly wouldn't be able to bring me back if something happened to Julia. She meant everything to me. She was my reason to breathe, the reason to face my past and make peace with it. Without her I was nothing, only an empty shell that had no value.
I entered the forest, jumped over fallen tree trunks and broke through dense thorny bushes. I made no detour, ran stubbornly straight ahead, taking every obstacle as it came. Sweating and scratched up, I landed on the path that led to the place where we had left Julia and Freedom with the damn Jinggs behind. On the way I gained speed. Then in the distance I saw two figures coming towards me and my heart jumped when I recognized Freedom and Julia. They were safe. No sign of the Jinggs.
"Julia," I shouted and sprinted off like a lunatic.
She must have recognized me, because she suddenly started running as well.
"Pain," I heard her shout.
Relief and joy brought tears to my eyes.
I pulled her into my arms and she burst into tears. My heart was beating wildly as I pressed her firmly against me, mumbling her name over and over. She trembled, and I moved away from her a little to look her in the eyes. She was clearly in shock after everything she had experienced. Without thinking about it, I lifted her up onto my arms.
"It's over," I said calmly. "You are safe."
Freedom reached us.
"Thank you," I said to him. He just nodded and patted me on the shoulder.
"See you in the village," he said and made his way home. I wasn't in such a hurry anymore, was glad to know my mate safely in my arms. She had nestled her face against my shoulder when I made my way back. Her sobs ebbed after a while and she no longer trembled. I would bring her to Jessie first, so that she could be thoroughly examined, then I would bring her to my house. I intended never to let her out of my sight again. No more tours through the forest if I wasn't with her. Never again would I take the risk of losing her.
Julia
Pain carried me all the way back to the village, pouring his heart out. I snuggled up to him and inhaled his familiar smell. I was exhausted and overwhelmed with concern for Diamond, but it was good to be close to Pain, to feel his strong arms around me and to hear his voice.
"I was such a fucking idiot," he said quietly. "I was afraid to develop feelings and lose you like I lost my son. I wanted to stay away from you and yet I couldn’t keep my fingers off you. I hurt you just because I was too cowardly to take a risk. – And see what it brought me? I almost lost you and I didn't even tell you how much I love you and how much I need you."
I felt something wet landing on my forehead. Did Pain cry? A warm feeling rose in my chest and I lifted my head to look at him. There were really tears in his eyes.
"I love you, Julia. I can't live without you. You are all I have that gives meaning to my life. Can you forgive me for what I have done to you?"
I nodded and raised a hand to wipe a tear from his cheek.
"I love you too, Pain. I think I fell in love with you when you showed me the bayaka. I knew you had been through a lot and I probably wouldn't have a chance with you, but I couldn't prevent what I started to feel for you."
"I was an idiot," Pain replied. "I was just so scared – after what happened to my son. It ate me up that I couldn't save him. I will never forgive myself that I have his death on my conscience."
"Oh, Pain. I am so sorry. – But it's not your fault. DMI is the only guilty one."
Pain shook his head grimly.
"No! If I ... if I had done what they asked me to do, then..."
"And give them another victim? – No, Pain. You did the right thing. Sooner or later they would have killed him anyway if they hadn't used him as leverage. Have you considered what would have happened if you had fathered a healthy child? Then your first son would have been worth nothing to them and they probably would have killed him. They were unscrupulous monsters without conscience. You went through so much pain just to protect your son. I can't imagine what you have suffered. It's too..."
"Nothing was as bad as the fear I have endured for you," he replied and pressed me closer to his body.
For a while he ran silently and I closed my eyes. I was so tired, but sleep was out of the question. Diamond's fate went through my mind.
"We have to get Diamond out of there," I said without opening my eyes. I just didn't have the strength.
"We will. We won't rest until we've freed her," Pain promised, and I knew he meant it. The Alien Breeds would probably turn each stone one by one until they found the Jinggs' village.
"We're there," said Pain. "I'll take you to J
essie first so she can examine you."
I blinked and saw the fence and the settlement behind it. Some people came running towards us. I was too exhausted to keep my eyes open.
"Is she okay?" I heard Pearl's worried voice.
"I think she's okay so far," Pain replied without pausing. "I'm taking her to the infirmary for a check-up."
"Jessie can look at her at your place," said Pearl.
"Put her here," I heard Jessie's voice and opened my eyes a little.
Pain laid me down on a couch and Jessie bent over me.
"I will examine you briefly now," she said and took my hand to measure my pulse. "When I'm done with you, you can sleep it off. I'll give you something so that you sleep well."
"Apart from a bruise on her arm and the cut, she's fine," I heard Jessie’s voice coming from far away. The shot she had given me was already working and I felt myself drifting off to sleep.
I awoke a little disoriented and sat up carefully. I looked around and realized that I wasn't lying in my own bed, even though the room was almost identically furnished as my own bedroom. Slowly, the memories came back. I had to be in Pains bed. He had said he would take me to his house. But a look beside me showed me that I was alone.
I heard soft voices. Pain and some others were talking in the living room. What time was it? How long had I slept? My gaze traveled to the curtain-covered window. I saw a faint light flashing through the slit, so it had to be daytime. Since I had certainly slept more than a few hours, it was probably already the next day. I swung my legs out of bed. I felt a little weak, but okay so far. A little thirsty perhaps. Carefully, I rose from the bed and looked for my clothes, but couldn't find them. They had been dirty and torn anyway. But I could hardly go into the living room in my underwear when Pain had visitors. I decided to go to the toilet first. There hung a dark blue bathrobe and I put it on after I had been to the toilet. That was better. A look in the mirror showed me that my hair stood wildly away from my head and I had dark shadows under my eyes, but I couldn't do anything about it now. Pain would have to get my things out of my house later. Sighing, I turned away from the mirror and went back into the bedroom. A little undecided I stood in front of the door to the living room. Should I? I didn't think I was overly vain, but I looked really terrible and I was reluctant to show myself like that. My stomach finally took the decision away from me when it began to growl loudly. I was hungry and needed something to eat. Breathing deeply, I reached for the door handle and opened the door.
Immediately all eyes turned to me. Hunter, Pearl, Rage, Jessie, Steel and Freedom sat on the couch. Pain stood on the other side of the room, holding a tray in his hands and smiled at me.
"I was about to bring you breakfast," he said. "Come sit with us and eat first. You must be hungry – it's already past eleven o'clock."
"Nice to see you," Jessie said and the others said similar things as I went to the couch to sit between Steel and Freedom, where Pain had put the tray on the table. Hungry, I started over the fried eggs and toast.
"We're discussing a plan to free Diamond," Freedom said. "I know you were blindfolded, but do you have any idea where the Jinggs village is or what it looks like? How many warriors they have, what weapons. Anything you can think of that might be important to us."
I told them everything I knew between the bites. When I told them about the Oggrrul and his deal with Diamond, the faces of those present darkened.
"That fucking bastard," said Pearl. "When he touches Diamond, I'll cut his balls off myself and shove them into his blue face!"
"You will do no such thing," Hunter objected. "I won't let you anywhere near those blue barbarians. You stay here in the camp where you are safe!"
"Then bring me the son of a bitch here alive," Pearl demanded and Jessie nodded in agreement.
"Yes, he should bleed for what he did," Jessie agreed.
"Listen to the females," Steel said, grinning. "They are more bloodthirsty than us males. I almost feel sorry for the blue devil."
"And you say he's bigger and wider than the other Jinggs?" Freedom wanted to know.
I nodded.
"Yes, he is a giant. And unscrupulous. He had one of his men killed just because he hadn't brought me straight to him, but had obviously wanted me for himself," I replied.
Pain growled.
"Good," he said grimly. "Otherwise I would have killed the guy for wanting you. – I hope he didn't touch you!"
I shook my head.
"No, I told him I already had a mate and he decided to take me to his leader."
Pain seemed relieved. Then the men began to forge ahead with their rescue plan.
Pain
The search party had left three hours ago and I hoped Diamond would soon be found. I had offered to come, but Freedom felt that Julia needed me more. I was relieved, because the thought of leaving her here alone didn’t appeal to me, even though it should be safe in the village. I felt better if I could keep an eye on her. She was now sitting in the bathtub and I prepared us a light dinner.
"Hey," Julia's soft voice sounded and I looked up from the salad I had just stirred.
She stood, leaning against the doorframe, and looked at me timidly. She was wearing one of my T-shirts and it reached down to her knees. I gave her a smile.
"Did you enjoy your bath?" I asked.
She nodded.
"Yes, I feel like I've been reborn."
"The food will be ready any minute," I said and put the salad on the dining table. "Come, sit down."
Slowly, she crossed the living room and took a seat at the dining table. I kissed her slightly on the forehead.
"What would you like to drink?" I asked.
"Water please."
I went to the fridge and took out a jug of ice water and poured her a glass. She took it and drank a few sips.
"Thank you! That's good," she said, sighing softly. "I have a terrible thirst from the sleeping drug Jessie gave me."
"You slept like a baby," I said tenderly.
In fact, I had spent hours lying next to her and looking at her. She was finally where she belonged: in my house, in my bed and in my life. I never wanted to let her go again.
Julia blushed slightly.
I turned back to my food. The rice seemed to be ready, and I took the pot from the stove to put it aside and carefully stir it with a fork. No more water. – Perfect. I opened the oven and took out the chicken, which I had stewed with various vegetables.
"That smells delicious," Julia said behind me. "I'm hungry already."
"I hope so," I replied and put the food on the table.
We ate in silence, but it wasn't an unpleasant silence. We were both busy with our food and Julia already had her second portion on her plate. I was amazed at how good it felt to cook for her and eat with her. I was happy to take care of her. Tenderly, I let my gaze travel over her. I wanted to carry her into my bedroom and make love to her, make sure that she was okay and that everything was fine between us, but I feared that she would be too weak for sex. Yet I couldn’t prevent my cock from filling with blood, and the memories from our previous lovemaking coming back. I couldn't wait to bury myself again in her hot wet pussy, but I couldn't be selfish. Her needs came first, and at the moment she needed food and sleep. She also had to deal with the ordeal she had been through. Maybe we should go to Holly tomorrow. She could help Julia to get over the trauma of the kidnapping.
"Do you want more salad?" I asked.
She shook her head.
"No, thank you. I am full. – But it was very yummy. I could almost get used to being spoiled like that. I'm afraid I'm a miserable cook compared to you."
"I like to cook. I always watch the cooking show on TV and then I try the recipes," I explained. "Cooking and sports have helped me the most in my early days here."
"How are you getting on with Holly?" She asked.
"Good. At first it was pretty hard to talk about things, but by now it's going quite well." I took her hand over
the table. "I think it would be a good idea if you talk to her. Talk about the things that happened to you before they have time to fester in your soul."
"I ... Not much really happened," she objected. "I was neither abused nor raped. They even saved my life. I really hope the guys can free Diamond, but I think the Jinggs aren't quite as bad as we feared. I had time to think about everything and ... I've heard a lot of terrible things about rebels on Earth torturing and raping their hostages. Or DMI, what they did to you. Compared to some people, the Jinggs seem harmless to me."
"They kidnap our females," I interjected. "That's anything but harmless."
"Yet, they apparently don’t rape any of the women. When I told them that I was already taken, the Jingg didn’t touch me anymore and ... and Diamond ... I think this leader of them really wanted her, but he didn't take her against her will. He seemed ... he seemed to hope she would give herself to him voluntarily."
I snorted discontentedly.
"The blue devil can wait a long time! Diamond would never give himself voluntarily to the savage!"
"Let's talk about something else," Julia asked.
"You're right," I agreed. "What would you like to do?"
"Put me to bed, Pain," she said, and I couldn't stop my cock from twitching when she mentioned the word bed.
"Of course. You must be tired and sleep is important for healing," I said and rose from my chair.
Julia also stood up and stepped in front of me, laying her hands on my chest and looked up at me.
"I didn't mean that I wanted to sleep," she said. "Fuck me, Pain!"
"Are you sure?" I asked with a pounding heart.
"I am sure," she replied and stood on her toes, lifting her mouth towards me.
I pulled her into my arms, groaning, and lowered my mouth to hers. I should give her more time to recover, but I wanted her too much to follow my inner voice. Instead I followed the murmur of my blood, which began to fill my cock. Without letting go of her lips I lifted her onto my arms and carried her into my bedroom. I would have liked to take her here on the table, but I would save that for another time when she was in better shape. There were so many places where I wanted to fuck her and I intended to make all these secret fantasies come true. But now she deserved a soft bed. I wanted to spoil her extensively.