Shades of Werewolf

by T. S. Ryder

  Had Strath given my info to the Dolcivs Regime? No, I couldn’t believe it. He wasn’t part of the Regime, he was a free man and always would be. He wouldn’t betray me. They must have found me on their own.

  Panic flooded my brain. I knew now that I would never last under torture. I would tell them everything. I would give them the plans and I would tell them how Strath helped me.

  A message came in for me. It was the standard order to shut down my weapons system and prepare my ship for docking. Yeah right, I thought. I kicked on an engine burst and backed away from the ship. Maybe there was a chance I could lose it in the mist. I zoomed into the red mist of the planet going as fast as my engine would allow. But the Dolcivs ship was faster than mine. No matter what I did or how fast I flew, it was always right behind me.

  I flew faster, my engines straining. I tried to get lost in the mist, but it was impossible. The Dolcivs ship was too fast. It would have me soon; I wouldn’t last much longer. The Dolcivs ship was broadcasting its message over and over again, but I ignored it. I would rather die than be captured.

  I felt their tethers hit my ship, locking on with a strong magnetic force. The Zephyr shuddered and then slowed as the Regime ship reversed their engines and the tethers began to reel me in. This was bad, really bad.

  The only way to get rid of them was to cut them off. I fired a missile at the ship, but their countermeasures blew it away. They suffered no damage at all. I shot everything I had at them. I emptied my weapons, but the Dolcivs ship struck them all out of the sky. Their defenses were better than my offenses and slowly I was being pulled into their ship.

  I looked around my panel, desperately wondering what was left for me to do. My engines were straining, I was out of weapons, I had a small escape vessel, but it would never survive the dangerous gasses of this planet. I was lost. I was going to lose the plans and then be captured and the Regime would pull out every secret I had.

  Just then, just when all seemed lost, another ship emerged from the mist.

  It had the markings of Historan Strath. It flew up through the mists and with two quick laser bursts it cut the cords connecting me to the other ship. Once free I zoomed forward, but I didn’t get far before my engines stalled. This most recent battle had been too hard on them. With a loud whine, they shut down and my computer told me it would be at least five minutes before they could come back on.

  I was stuck in the mists, but Strath’s ship flew and settled between me and the Regime ship. He had come for me. I couldn’t believe it. He was angering the Regime, all for me. My heart swelled in my chest. I could never repay him for this.

  “This is a ship of the Dolcivs Regime on official Regime business. That ship and its Captain are under arrest. Cease your actions immediately,” the ship that had tethered me was announcing this message to both my and Strath’s ship.

  “This isn’t a Regime controlled system. This is my system,” was the stern voice of Strath. My heart pounded in my chest as I heard his voice. I wanted to see him. I wanted to be in the same room with him. I wanted to feel his strong presence and his hands on me. “Leave now, or your ship will be destroyed.” The powerful weapons on his ship came to life and I watched the Dolcivs ship back off and then to my relief, it flew away.

  Chapter Ten

  I docked my ship to Strath’s and waited. I paced up and down my bridge as my engines slowly came back to life. I was worrying my hands, nervously rubbing them together as I waited for him. What would he say? What would he do?

  He entered wearing a dark, well-fitting jumpsuit. I wanted to run to him, wrap my arms around him and feel him holding me tight. I wanted his strong arms comforting me and telling me he would always keep me safe, but I held myself back.

  He looked around my ship, appraising every inch of it. “Are you alright?” he finally asked.

  “Yes. You saved me, how?”

  “I had my men put a tracking device on your ship. I’ve been watching you since you left. When this other ship entered the system I knew it was coming for you and I knew I had to beat them.” He stepped towards me and I looked up at him. “When you left, it was like my heart left with you.”

  I reached up and put my hand on his chest, over his heart. I could hear the thumping, feel it under my fingers. “I didn’t want to leave.”

  “But you had to,” he finished my sentence for me. “Did you get what you needed? That which was so important?”

  I nodded, “I almost lost it again, but thanks to you, it’s safe.”

  I wrapped my hand around his neck and pulled him down. I needed to kiss him. I needed to know that he was really here. We kissed long and hard, I finally broke the kiss to talk to him.

  “I’m not free,” I said, looking up at him. “I’m not and I never can be. I can’t be some woman who just sits around waiting for a man. That’s not who I am.”

  “I know,” he said with a nod, as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

  “It’s easy for you to not be involved in the war. But I can’t. My people are losing. I have to fight for them. I can’t sit back and do nothing.”

  “That’s what I love about you,” he said, “your fire and your passion and your wits. I would never take that away from you. I am not truly free either. I am indebted to my people. I must think of them and their safety and happiness.”

  “And now because of me, you’re involved.”

  He shrugged, “I can handle the Regime. I’m not without my own resources.”

  “You could help us, you know,” I said. “I know you appreciate Earth’s arts and culture. If the Dolcivs Regime has its way, all of that will be lost.”

  He nodded, “Tell me where you need to go. I’ll go with you. Anywhere you go, I’ll be with you.”

  Andromeda smiled, her heart bursting, a tear trickled down her cheek. She couldn’t remember the last time she was this happy. Was she ever this happy, she wondered? Having Strath by her side, she felt she had it all.

  *****

  THE END

  Auctioned to the Barbarian Warrior

  Description

  I am the chosen one. The only one who can help him save his planet

  Lord Aurzac is the powerful Durlan Warlord, devoid of emotions and fiercely loyal to his land. He is in desperate need to find his mate. Without her, his planet Terrgius will die and his people will perish.

  Renaya is single, lonely and not very successful. Her bland life suddenly turns into a nightmare when she is taken from her bed and abducted to another planet. Scared and confused, she is auctioned in front of a barbaric crowd to the highest bidder.

  Who is this cold and heartless warlord who bought her? Why does he make her feel so hot deep down in her belly?

  Lord Aurzac knows she is the chosen one, the only one who can save his dying planet. Too bad that she demands freedom, not willing to be his slave. Torn between her desire for the irresistible man, the responsibility of saving a planet and her longing for freedom, Renaya must choose to do what’s right.

  And as if that isn’t enough, there is an opponent who plans to destroy the pair and the planet. Renaya is taken captive once again. Will Lord Aurzac rescue her again? Will Terrgius return to be the paradise it once was?

  Prologue

  The force sucked him into the void and he was transported to an unchartered territory. He felt a presence near him. Dark eyes gazed at him with a fiery spirit that burned within, challenging him. Her hands and feet were in chains as her intoxicating scent ensnared his senses. It made him lose his strength. He could feel it... the connection... as strong as any, binding them. The darkness slowly descended, engulfing them both. Her beautiful features contorted with pain and she opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out, as the dark force dragged her back into the shadows...

  Lord Aurzac snapped open his eyes and stared into the black void. The universe spread before him like a dark fabric speckled with tiny sparkling gems interspersed with splashes of color: purple, blue and vermilion. His hand
some features contorted with pain as a throbbing headache nagged at him. The vision was recurring frequently. He must find that girl before it was too late. She wasn't from his world. She was too different...her pale skin and long dark hair that framed her delicate features made her too fragile. He knew that she belonged to a small planet in a far off galaxy. His Elders spoke of it. If he could find her, he knew she would bring back life to his planet Terrgius. He took a deep breath and stared into space. If he were destined to meet her, he would, no matter what.

  Chapter One

  Rain spattered on the polished coffin as it was lowered into the cold wet earth. Renaya gripped her umbrella tightly, her knuckles turning white as she started filling up the grave with wet soil. Her grandmother’s coffin disappeared out of sight. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks. As the cold rain hammered down, the noise filled the emptiness inside her. With her delicate features and ivory skin, she looked fragile as she stood there. She was numb with grief while the others slowly drifted away.

  The last of the funeral guests left and she slowly walked back to her bedroom. Taking off her dark dress, she stepped into the shower. Cool water slid down her lithe body as she closed her eyes and thought about her life.

  At twenty-seven, she was single, lonely and not very successful. Her parents died in a car crash when she was only two. Ever since then, she had lived with her grandmother.

  She didn't have any real friends. She had always felt out of place. Even in school, she kept to herself. Not talking much. Only with her grandma she had felt at home. And now she was alone... really alone. She could hear her grandmother’s voice inside her head--her soft melodic voice and grandma’s bright unforgettable eyes flashed through her mind.

  She was twenty-one back then. Her grandma stood on the patio tending Azaleas, her gray hair tied back, her blue eyes serene as she looked at the flowers.

  “I had a dream last night...” she had said gently tending the flowers.

  “Renaya you must believe. There might come a time when life puts you to test and you have to make an important decision. At that moment, you must believe and choose wisely,” her grandma said looking straight into her eyes.

  “Believe in what Grandma?” she had asked puzzled. She wondered what she was talking about. And there was a strange light in her eyes as she said those words.

  “Renaya, you should know that you are precious. Always remember that.”

  “I don’t understand what you are saying.”

  “In time, you will understand Renaya,” she had said cryptically. She had then taken off her emerald ring and placed it in Renaya’s hand. “You must wear it at all times. Keep it safe.”

  Tears welled up in her eyes at the memory. She still wasn’t sure why her grandma said such a thing. And she still wore the beautiful ring every day. Her stomach knotted and she couldn’t shrug the feeling of emptiness that filled her heart.

  Stepping out of the shower she changed into her pajamas and a loose t-shirt. Her hair still damp, she drew aside the drapes and opened the bedroom window. It had stopped raining. The cool breeze brought the scent of rain on the wet soil as she took a deep breath. The sky had cleared bringing out the starlight and the moon crept up from behind the clouds. With her thoughts wandering, she wondered if there was another world out there... somewhere far away. Maybe she would fit in there. Something nagged at the pit of her stomach. What was it? Suddenly feeling tired, she lay down and snuggled under the covers, as her head dropped on the pillow. The house was quiet and empty... eerily quiet. Sleep evaded her as a chill ran down her spine making her shiver. Little did she know that this would be the last night of her life on Earth.

  ***

  She woke up with a jolt. The bed shook violently as she sat up. The curtains quivered and a glass filled with water fell off the table, smashing to the floor. Renaya steadied herself as she got out of bed, her heart racing. She went over to the window and looked outside, wishing the earthquake would stop. The trees were broken and strewn across the road along with the poles and wires. It was pitch black outside and she couldn’t make out much in the moonlit night. Stumbling back and trying to steady herself through the tremors, she held onto the edge of the bed. Suddenly it stopped.

  An eerie silence filled the air. She reached for the bedside table drawer, pulling it out. Hands trembling, she groped for the flashlight and turned it on. Fear knotted her stomach as she made her way into the hallway and toward the kitchen. Something wasn’t right... her subconscious kept telling her. Suddenly a wailing siren ripped through the silent night. She staggered back, pushing herself against the wall as she turned the flashlight off. She heard heavy footsteps outside the kitchen door and moved further back into the shadows. The door suddenly burst open and a harsh light blinded her. Her mind racing, she shielded her eyes with the back of her hands. The orb of light moved away as the huge hulking figures of two men, dressed in dark leather suits approached her. One of them moved in closer and sniffed her. Then she saw their faces... The man in front of her had blue-gray skin, strange green eyes, and dark limp hair. He was almost seven feet tall as he sniffed at her neck.

  Renaya screamed. She was definitely having a nightmare. The man said something to his partner and all she heard was a guttural voice and grumbled words. The first one grabbed her.

  “Get away from me!” she screamed again, trying to futilely wriggle out of his grip as he picked her up. “Let me go!”

  They did not answer her.

  “Who are you? What do you want from me?” she whimpered, still struggling. They were definitely not human, she realized, and they were going to kill her.

  They would not answer her and kept talking to each other in their guttural tongue. Exhausted, she stopped struggling, her body going limp. Tears streamed down her face as they took her outside and around the back into the night.

  More lights flashed in the sky as the siren kept wailing. Soon the men entered a triangular door that opened into a dim lit dark room.

  “Please don’t kill me...” she whispered in a quivering voice, as tears trickled down her face.

  They said something she didn’t understand. Her vision blurred as her mind tried to grasp at the last thread of reality, hoping that she would wake up and all this would be a bad dream.

  The other man brought a small silver device and handed it to the one carrying Renaya. He pressed the cold thing onto her neck, then threw her on the dark floor. Renaya felt the skin on her neck grow warm as she fell down. The floor felt weird beneath her. The tranquilizer only took a minute to take effect and the last thing she saw were the two men towering over her.

  And then darkness engulfed her, taking her into oblivion.

  ***

  “Do you think she will do?” the one man asked the other.

  “Of course, she smells unique,” Ex’ilk grunted. “I will get a good price on the market for this one,” he said, taking in the small figure lying on the floor.

  “I don’t know... She seems small and weak,” the other said, shrugging. He still sounded doubtful.

  “You let me worry about that. Let’s go and round up the others. We leave now,” Ex’ilk replied.

  They left, leaving her in the dark room.

  The triangular spacecraft carried Renaya and the alien men, who were from a species known as the Zorg. They soared upward and zipped through the night sky. It reached the outer limits of the Earth’s atmosphere toward the huge Zorg mother-ship that was stationed high above and entered its designated docking station. Many other smaller space crafts, similar to the one carrying Renaya, were docking at the ship. Soon the mother-ship went into warp drive and left for Andromeda 13, a far off space station in the heart of Omega Centauri.

  Renaya woke up in the dimly lit cabin. Her vision was blurry. She blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the strange light. She tried sitting up, but a wave of nausea hit her. At the same time, a splitting headache forced her to lie back down. The floor felt odd. It was as if it changed from be
neath her. It felt like reptilian skin. The only familiar thing was the cold.

  She tried to gather her thoughts as she very slowly sat up. Trying to pull the strand of hair away from her eyes, she found her feet restrained by shackles. Her wrists were also bound, and she instinctively pulled on them in a futile effort as they cut through her wrists.

  Then it all came back to her as images of strange beings abducting her flashed through her mind. She was far from home in a strange alien ship. The room had a dim lime-green light that made the metallic walls look greenish-gray. The place smelled of metal and rust. The air was heavy in the room and her breathing gradually became labored.

  The wall toward her right started to shift and she heard a low rumbling sound as if metal was grinding against metal. A dim ray of light appeared from the triangular opening in the wall. An oddly shaped form silhouetted against the doorway. The shadow entered. It held something. She shuddered at the sight, moving further back towards the wall. The creature was small, with lanky arms and legs and a skinny body that had ridges all over its chest and abdomen, giving it an insect-like appearance. Its head was elongated, with ridges on both sides, and it rested on a long narrow neck. It had big liquid black eyes that scanned her all over.

  Fear seized her, making her tremble. The creature moved forward. She froze, her pupils dilating. It held a tray in one hand which he put down. Then, quick as lightning, it put something in her ear. After some buzzing noise, a computerized male voice greeted her as it came in sync with the creature’s lips.

  “Master sends food for you,” she heard the creature say through the translator.

  “Wh... where am I? Who are you?” she stammered and her breathing became shallow.

  “We are in the Zorg mother-ship,” he said, tilting his head and staring at her as if fascinated by her fear.