I continue to stare at Earth as if to somehow wake myself up from a horrible nightmare. “Why did you pick me?” Tears fill my eyes. What is going to happen to me? Why am I being called a breeder?
Aladar moves to stand in front of the porthole, and my eyes flicker up to stare at him. The tears spill down my cheeks as I try to twist my head to see the porthole again. “We need a female that can handle our sexual drives. As a race, we are dying. We would not have taken you were it not a dire situation.”
“Race? Sexual drive?” I feel like screaming at the top of my lungs, but it hurts just to breathe. Whatever Aladar did before I blacked out for a second time made it hard to take in any oxygen. It was as if he had used a taser or shocked me with electricity. It was intense, painful, and burned my entire body from the crown of my head to the end of my toes.
Aladar nods and crouches down to my eyelevel. “Yes! The Starling race, our race, is dying. Only males are born. So, every few years, we go to a planet to find us a female that can handle our lineage—”
“The same way you were probed,” Alistar says off to the side. I don’t even bother to look at him.
I’ve been probed. Is that their idea of fun?
“—and now we have found our female. You.” Aladar continues to smile as if I am a shiny new toy wrapped up under a Christmas tree.
“I’m not going to be your female.”
“You do not have a choice in the matter,” Alistar says gruffly as he moves to touch his brother’s shoulder. “Either you will choose Aladar or myself, or we will simply decide for you and you will be forced into the task. Decide now.”
“No,” I say, glaring up at him.
Alistar growls, flicks out his divided tongue, and hisses.
“Brother, give her some time. She needs to learn to trust us,” Aladar says as he reaches out to pet me on the head. He is definitely acting nicer and more casual about this whole ordeal than his brother is.
“I will never trust you. Either of you,” I say with as much venom in my voice as I can muster.
Aladar frowns but stands, the smirk playing on the corners of his mouth. “We shall see about that, Penny.”
Chapter 4
I don’t know how long I have been lying on the table, my hands and ankles having long since gone numb. Hours might have gone by. My eyes flicker to the doors as they slide open and Aladar wanders in with that stupid smile on his face. “Have you chosen yet?” he asks as if he were the luckiest man in the world.
I scowl. “No, and I never will.”
Aladar furrows his dark eyebrows and purses his lips but lifts his shoulders in a half shrug. “You will choose in time.”
A thought comes to mind.
“Actually, I would be more willing to choose…” I trail off, and his bright eyes widen as I mumble, “…if only I could rest, eat, and be free of these?” I tug on the energy straps.
He nods enthusiastically. “Of course! My apologies for not having thought of that sooner.” Aladar moves to undo the crystallized energy straps as the doors slid open, and Alistar stops when he spies Aladar bent over the table.
“What are you doing?” Alistar snaps, and I have to blink in surprise when he moves like the speed of light and shoves his brother away. I wince when Aladar crashes against the wall. He shakes his head, and something white trickles from the corner of his lips. He reaches up to wipe it away, and the white liquid disappears.
“I was just untying her—”
“You are a disgrace to our kind!” Alistar snaps as Aladar stands. “You cannot just let her go. She will try to figure out the control system to return to Earth.”
Aladar frowns as his brother turns and stalks back out of the room. His piercing yellow eyes glance at me sideways. “Would you have tried to leave us?” he asks, his broken voice matching the sadness in his eyes.
I swallow hard and look away. “I need to go back home.”
“Did you not wish for adventure and love?” he asks in a quiet voice.
My head snaps up to stare at him. “W-What? How did you—?”
Aladar gives a soft smile as he stares down at me. “We are of the Starling race. We grant wishes when our ships fly by.”
“Your ship was the star I wished on?” I ask curiously.
Aladar nods fervently. “Of course. Only females wish on stars. Which is why I knew you were the perfect one for us when I heard your wish. What better way to find love and adventure then here, with us?”
I shake my head. “When I wished on that star, I wished to travel the world. Not be kidnapped by aliens,” I mumble bitterly.
Aladar arches a dark eyebrow and tilts his head. “We do not travel the world. We travel the galaxies. We meet different races and species. You will find that we are similar in that regard.”
“Well…” I try to think for a moment. “I didn’t ask to be paired up with a man I don’t know.”
“You wished to find love,” Aladar points out, and I nod.
“Yes, but not with either of you. Someone I know and can trust.”
He frowns. “Well, as I stated previously, you will come to trust one of us in time.” He blinks as if wanting to add more. “Although, the sooner you choose, the better.”
There is something bothering me. “How am I able to understand you now when I couldn’t in the fields before?”
Aladar gives me another heart-stopping smile that causes my chest to tighten. “All languages can be understood through lip contact.”
“Lip contact?” My cheeks flush red at the thought.
He nods. “Of course! How else would I be able to speak your language?”
“Wait! Does that mean your brother…?”
“Did he kiss you as well?” Aladar offers, and I hesitate before nodding. He shakes his head. “No. Just me.”
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I had been holding, and he continues to smile and moves closer. “What was coming out of your mouth earlier?” I ask softly. My eyes flicker from his lips to his gaze then back to his mouth.
“My blood. We are not born with red but with white blood. Much like our ancestors.”
“Who were your ancestors?” I ask.
Aladar crouches down near my face and leans closer, his mouth seeming to call to me. “The stars.” And then he closes the distance and presses his lips to mine.
Chapter 5
I let out a soft gasp but close my eyes. His mouth is soft against my open lips. I crane my neck to kiss him better, and my eyelashes flutter against my reddening cheeks. Aladar’s cool but nimble fingers are touching the energy straps, and then my hands are free. But I don’t move them to break away from the kiss, instead wrapping them around his neck to pull him closer.
Aladar lets out a small hiss, and then my lips part and his divided tongue slides inside, battling against my own. I tug on my legs to free them, but they remain as Aladar gathers my face between his hands, continuing to mold his mouth against my own. Now he is atop my body, and his legs dangle on either side of the table.
The energy straps wrapped around my ankles give way, and then my legs are entangling with the lower half of his body. My heart gallops in my chest, but I can’t seem to get enough of him. His touch is magnetizing. I feel as if I’m floating on a cloud. His body feels like magic across my exposed skin. I let out a soft moan, and Aladar hums in agreement.
His hands leave my face, but he’s trailing soft fingertips against the curve of my neck and down the column of my throat, as if to explore. I tilt back my head as his lips break free from mine and let out a short gasp as he kisses my exposed neck and then glides his mouth down to my collarbone.
The tearing sound of fabric is what has my eyes snapping open and jerking against his touch. Aladar pulls back, and I stare up at him, unable to believe how close I’d gotten to him in the span of a few seconds, minutes at most. He marvels down at my exposed chest, and I curse myself repeatedly for forgetting to put on a bra. When you live in the country and not many people are aro
und, you can get away with stuff like that.
Aladar pushes the remaining shredded material of my leftover top away and gently cups my breasts, one in each hand. My breathing is ragged as he rubs his thumbs against my swollen nubs. My back arches at his touch, unwilling to part ways as he gives me a slow, lazy smile.
Everything in me screams to get away from him, that he’s dangerous. I do want to get away from him but find myself not wanting him to stop his exploration of my body.
“Your mind may not want me, but your body does. I can feel it. Sense it in the way you respond to my touch,” Aladar says with a hint of approval as he pinches my nubs and then releases my swollen, aching breasts begging to be touched. My legs tighten around him briefly, and then I am struggling to get away from him.
“I will never want you,” I gasp out as he continues to smile and leans forward.
“We will see about that.” And then he was off me in a flash, leaving me gasping on the table as the doors close shut behind him. With no shirt and my entire body aching with a need I hadn’t felt before, I’m powerless to admit that my body craved his touch.
Chapter 6
I hear the doors slide open and footsteps enter the room but don’t bother to lift my head. My stomach lets out a low gurgle as I stare down and rub at my raw wrists.
“Was that animalistic growl coming from you?” Alistar stops in front of where I sit on the metal table, and I swallow back the retort on the tip of my tongue. “Oh. Playing the quiet human game, are we?” he continues. When he gets no response, he lets out a weary sigh. “And here I thought you would be defiant. But just look at you! A weak, pathetic little creature.”
My head snaps up to send a glare his way. “I am not pathetic, and I’m not little.”
Alistar’s lips twitch up into a smirk. “Oh, I know. You are not little in the slightest.” His bright yellow eyes survey my exposed chest, and I grind my jaw, trying not to think about climbing off the table to punch him in the mouth.
He holds up a small piece of cloth that dangles by two threads and offers it toward me. I furrow my eyebrows at him in confusion. “Aladar told me what he did.” Alistar’s eyes narrow slightly. “My brother is not very patient when it comes to getting what he wants.”
“Really? Could have fooled me,” I mumble under my breath. “You’re just as bad, if not worse.”
Alistar frowns, and his jaw ticks as if my words have angered him, not that I really care what he thinks. He tosses the material onto my lap, and I glance down at the soft fabric, tracing my fingers across the swirly pattern design along the top. “Our females normally do not cover their assets. However—” He stops, hesitating. My eyes meet his. “I know this transition must be difficult for you.”
I blink a few times. Alistar surprised me by this random gesture of kindness. I look down at the material again and hold it up to my chest.
“Here. Let me assist you,” he mumbles, and before I can open my mouth to tell him “no,” he is already behind me, pushing my long, dark hair aside, and holding the thread in both hands. His nimble fingers tie the strings to rest against the nape of my neck, and I try not to shudder at the coolness of his fingertips.
The fabric comes down to cover my nipples and leaves the bottom half of my breasts exposed, but at least they’re halfway covered, so it doesn’t bother me as much. I expect Alistar to move back toward the door with his lightning speed, but he does the exact opposite. His breath fans the back of my neck. My lips part as my pulse races.
“You smell…” He trails off, and then I hear him give a long inhale. His nose is pressed against the strands of my hair. “…pleasant,” he mumbles, and goosebumps rise up along my skin. I have to blink furiously to avoid the same mistake that had happened with Aladar. Although Alistar smells my hair, he never once tries anything else, and it makes me wonder why he is being so gentle when it’s just us two and why he seems to have a kinder personality toward me.
When Alistar stops sniffing, I blink, and he’s back to standing in front of me. “Come. I will show you where you can rest.”
My stomach gurgles louder, and I have to avert my gaze when he arches a dark eyebrow at me. He, too, is bald, and when my eyes move away, I notice something I hadn’t before. Both brothers wear a simple draped cloth similar to the one now around my chest and nothing else.
“And I suppose eating would be a necessity,” Alistar muses aloud before he turns and beckons me with his hand.
I go to stand but let out a soft gasp when my legs threaten to buckle beneath me. In a flash, Alistar is by my side, holding onto my forearm so I don’t face-plant the ground. “Thanks,” I mumble and try not to wince when my head spins.
How long has it been since I last ate, drank?
Alistar doesn’t let go of my forearm as he gently leads me out the sliding doors and into a small darkened hallway. I stumble forward a little, but his grip remains firm and I move blindly beside him. He gives a low chuckle. “Watch where you step.”
“Kind of you to notice that I have two left feet,” I retort. “In any case, I can’t see a thing.”
“Humans do not have the senses the Starling race does,” Alistar states matter-of-fact. I roll my eyes as we move down the long hallway before we reach another set of doors. They slide open with no sound, and I have look away from the bright lights.
“Penny! Brother, you brought her in here? Why? Is something wrong?”
I have to lean back when Aladar gets all up in my personal bubble, grabbing my face with his hands and twisting my neck a little painfully from side to side. Alistar’s grip loosens, and then his touch his gone.
“Enough, brother. She is well,” Alistar mutters and shoulders Aladar out of the way, causing him to drop his hands and move backward. I take several deep breaths and blink a few times.
“I am glad!” Aladar gives me a warm smile, and I give him one weakly in return. I still feel dizzy and somewhat off-balance, but it isn’t be all bad. Feeling this weightlessness. “Now that you are free to move about, you must be exhausted. You can share with me.” He reaches out to grab my wrist, and I flinch. His fingertips dig against the raw skin, and I let out a quiet hiss of pain.
A rush of wind goes past my ears, and then I let out a gasp as Alistar says, “She is not sharing a bed with anyone.” He shoves Aladar backward, and he releases his hold on me, a frown on his lips.
“I do not see why not. There are only two.” My eyes flit to where Aladar forks a thumb over his shoulder. Built into the side of the wall of the ship are two bunk beds big enough for two adults each. One is freshly made, and the other is unkempt. I can’t guess which bed is whose.
Alistar shrugs as he turns to look at me, and my gaze finds his. “You will sleep in my bed, and I will take the floor.”
I hesitate when Aladar scoffs. He moves closer and scowls. “No. She will take my bed, and I will take the floor.” He gestures for me to move forward, and I do. Once standing by the bunk beds, I look over my shoulder at the two brothers.
“Which one is yours?” I ask Aladar. He points to the top bunk where the bed is clean and freshly made. I stare at the top bed with a small frown.
They must sense my unease, because it’s Alistar that speaks up. “What is it?”
“I don’t—” I chew on the inside of my cheek as I try to think. “I don’t know how to get up on the bed.”
Aladar is by my side in a nanosecond, and I jump a little at his close proximity. “I will help you,” he mumbles, and before I can respond, he crouches down and scoops me up bridal style in his arms. I let out a small shriek and have to hold on to his powerful shoulders as his feet lift off the ground and hover so I can reach the bed. I grab the edge, and he deposits me on top.
He gives me a playful smile then says in a husky voice, “Now I have you right where I want you.”
Alistar gives a loud cough from below. “Now is not the time for playing, brother. She almost passed out from lack of nutrients.”
Aladar sighs
but keeps his bright eyes on me, and they narrow slightly. I swallow hard at the possessive gleam in his gaze. “I see. We will have to fix that immediately.”
Just what is his problem, and why is he acting so possessive of me?
Chapter 7
My lips part, and I toss my head back, my spine arching as a low moan escapes my mouth. My breathing is heavy, and I can feel my heart racing as if I drank a boosting energy drink and am buzzed from the sugar rush. Another low moan escapes past my lips, and I hear distant humming in the background.
The humming grows louder, and then gentle fingers are stroking my cheek, down my neck, and trailing down my exposed chest. “Beautiful,” a husky voice whispers in my ear. A hand is hooking the waistband of my shorts and tugging them downward.
My eyes snap open, and I let out a small gasp, sitting up halfway in the darkened room. Heart nearly beating out of my chest, I snatch at the thin blanket and hoist it up to tuck it beneath my chin. I scan the room and let out an uneasy breath when I don’t see either brother.
What the hell was I dreaming about?
Shaking my head, I press my lips into a thin line and scrub a hand across my face. The memories of the past few hours come back to taunt me as I swing my legs over the edge of the rather stiff bed before looking down at how far I would have to jump without twisting my ankle.
Aladar had to force feed me some strange blue insect that still squirmed in his grasp. It had tasted awful and burned like vodka going down my throat. He had told me the insect might have been small but would expand in my stomach and I would be full for at least a week.
I pat my stomach for good measure, thankful the insect is dead and not squirming around like a tapeworm. Ugh. I’d throw it back up if I could. My throat had been parched, but the insect they’d given me seemed to have subsided my usual normalcy for wanting water. With my appetite curved, I can focus on how to get off the ship and back to Earth. Counting to three inside my head, I slide down and wince when my knees almost buckle as I hit the floor. I have to lean against Alistar’s bed to steady myself and rotate my ankles to make sure nothing is twisted or broken.
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