“What now,” Lydia said softly.
“We have a sleeping area for them,” Gregor said.
“Why are you doing this,” Lydia asked.
“It will all be explained by my lord,” Gregor said. “Please, trust me for a little while longer.”
Lydia stared long and hard into his eyes. She expected to see malice, ill intent from him but saw none. They treated them well. She and Nic exchanged a look with Nic shrugging this time. “Very well,” Lydia said. She struggled to push the heavy chair back. With a look from Gregor, one of the men helped pull the chair away from the table.
“If you will allow,” Gregor said. “I will carry this one.” He indicated Hannah.
“Hannah,” Lydia whispered. The girl opened her eyes reluctantly.
Gregor asked, “Will you allow me to carry you to your bed, little miss?”
Trustingly she put her arms up to him. Lydia lifted Abby, struggled to carry the small girl but didn’t relinquish her hold when Gregor looked at her questioningly. He led them down a hall, through another set of double doors. “There are several bedrooms in this hall. You’re welcome to take as many of them as you wish,” Gregor told her. One of his men opened a door, the room so large they could have fit enough beds for all of them. “All the doors lock. I only ask you remain here in this hall until I return.” He lay Hannah on the king sized bed. Hannah curled into a ball never opening her eyes.
“Will that be soon,” Lydia asked as she laid Abby next to Hannah on the bed.
Dani and Rachel leaned against the bed. They waited to see if they were all sharing. Rarely did they split up. It was too dangerous to sleep alone on the streets.
“They do not need to share,” Gregor insisted. “My lord has other business to attend to but wishes to speak with you tonight, mistress.”
“We stay together,” Nic said motioning for the remaining girls to crawl on the bed. It was a luxury. They normally slept on a concrete floor.
“As you wish,” Gregor said. “Please excuse me.”
“Will the guards remain,” Lydia asked.
“They will be outside this hall,” Gregor said. “You will not be accosted by them but if you need them, you have only to call out.”
“If we want to leave,” Nic asked.
“I ask you to wait until after my lord has spoken to you, mistress,” Gregor said.
Lydia and Nic watched as the men retreated out of the room, out of the hall. The double doors closed behind the last man.
Nic slipped down the hall and locked the doors. As she came back, she looked in the other rooms. “There’s windows in all the rooms,” she said. “We could probably slip out of them.”
“To where,” Lydia said. “We have no idea where we are. Did you see a fence or even the end of the driveway? With a house like this, there’s gonna be huge grounds.”
“Do you expect us to stay here,” Nic said.
“No,” Lydia said. “I expect us to figure out a good plan, like we always do.”
“What do you think they want,” Nic said.
Lydia looked down at the silky nightgown she wore. The robe was soft and warm but the gown revealed much of her cleavage, her breasts bulged over the top of the material. “I think I’ll have a lover,” Lydia said softly, blushing.
“Then let’s get the hell out of here now,” Nic said.
“You want me to say no to you and the girls having a roof over their head and food in their stomachs because I don’t want to have sex,” Lydia said giving a derisive snort.
“I know we talked about the brothels but,” Nic said.
“One man or fifty,” Lydia said. “Does it matter?”
“You shouldn’t have to sacrifice for all of us,” Nic said.
“What would you do,” Lydia said. “If you were me.”
Nic hugged her. “What’re we gonna do?”
“See what they have to offer,” Lydia said. “Curl up and get some sleep.”
“What about you,” Nic said.
“I have a date,” Lydia said with a wry twist to her mouth.
Nic sat on the outside of the bed, shielding the girls with her body. Lydia sat in a chair watching them sleep. Her mind racing with options. Sex. Surprisingly, it was something she hadn’t done. In six years, she’d managed to avoid the rape gangs and selling herself to get food. Would she really sell herself to secure a home for all her girls? Yes. She knew the answer without even thinking about it.
The girls settled down, shifted, cuddled into the comfortable bed. Lydia wondered what his lordship would offer. She knew the aliens had few women on their world. It was one of the reasons they came to this world. Women outnumbered men here.
The plagues took sixty-five percent of the world’s population but in the last six years, the human population experienced a population surge. She scrubbed her hands over her face. Sex. She’d known about it. Her mother had explained it when she started menstruating. You didn’t grow up on the streets and not know what the act looked like, smelled like, and sounded like. She didn’t know what it felt like.
She considered her options. What would they do if she refused? Would they let them go? If they did, what could she do to support the girls? She couldn’t handle the streets anymore. She knew that. Scrubbing her hands over her face, she wasn’t any nearer a solution than she had been for weeks of considering options.
A soft knock brought her out of the chair. She didn’t bother waking Nic. She went to the door and unlocked it. Gregor stood there with another man. “Mistress, may I introduce Lord Mycos, High Lord of the Hylatian family and prominent emissary to the human world.”
The tall man bowed his head, dark gray eyes narrowing as the young woman watched him. “How do you do,” he said formally.
“Why have you brought us here? You have no right to kidnap us,” she said softly not acknowledging his status.
“Please tell me your name,” Mycos asked. “Before you start making demands.”
Anger narrowed her eyes. She stepped into the hall, closing the doors behind her. “Why should I? You’ve kidnapped us. You arranged to have the police pick us up and bring us to you. We aren’t for sale,” she said.
“No. You aren’t,” Mycos said clamping down on his laughter. No one on his world dared speak to him in this manner. “Have you not been treated well since you arrived?”
“No. Yes.. no. What are your intentions towards these children,” she asked. “You think you can scoop up six children off the street and use them how you want, you can think again. I won’t let you hurt them.”
Assessing her small stature, he wanted to dominate her. He remembered her actions in the alley when threatened.
“We do not harm children,” he stated. “Gregor has told you this. We have shown this by our actions. Will you not let your guard down enough to tell me your name?”
“What do you want from us,” she demanded again, crossing her arms over her breasts. The material taut against her breasts accentuated them, drawing his eyes there.
“It is more pleasant to negotiate a deal when you know the name of the person you negotiate with,” Mycos said. “I can wait. When you are ready to tell me your name, I will return.”
She let him turn away. She let him walk away from her. Fear ripped at her. How could she ensure the girls’ safety if he wouldn’t answer her questions? Her name. Her name wasn’t much to ask for. “Lydia Witter,” she said softly to his retreating back.
Her soft words reached him. He stopped, looked over his shoulder. “Was that so difficult,” he drawled.
She didn’t answer him. “What do you want from us,” she demanded again.
He returned to stand in front of her. “Please come with me,” he asked indicating she should precede him.
“I’m not leaving the girls,” she said.
“We are once again at an impasse,” Mycos said. “I will not have our adult conversation in front of children.”
“I will not leave the girls unprotected,” Lyd
ia said.
“We will need to compromise,” he said but his tone implied she needed to compromise.
“I see no need to compromise. Let us go. We'll be out of your home and there's no need for further discussion,” she said.
“This is where we disagree,” he said. He reached out to touch a soft strand of hair. Fire in the moonlight, he tucked the loose strand behind her ear. “What will make you comfortable enough to leave them?”
Lydia looked at the men lining the corridor. They all carried weapons on their hips. Shaped like a gun but she could tell it was not a gun. “Give me a weapon,” she said.
“No,” Mycos said. “I will not arm children.”
Lydia snorted, “You can’t possibly think we’re still children.”
“You, no. The others, yes,” Mycos said. “Do you trust Gregor?”
“He’s your man,” Lydia said. “Why would I trust him?”
“You allowed him to carry Hannah,” Mycos said.
“Hannah allowed him to carry her,” Lydia said.
“We will not harm your girls,” Gregor assured her. She almost believed him. She wanted to believe him. Six lives depended on her ability to read their intentions.
“Would you trust, if our places were reversed,” Lydia asked.
Mycos and Gregor exchanged a look. “Probably not,” Mycos said. “You and I need to speak alone. I will not have the conversation in the hearing of the children. How do we resolve this?”
The doors opened at her back. “Lydia,” Nic said. “Abby’s restless.”
Immediately, Lydia turned back into the room. With the doors open, loud whimpers echoed down the hall. Nic eyed the men suspiciously but knew Lydia would need help. Abby was having one of her bad nights.
“It’s all right, my lovely little one,” Lydia said. She brushed the hair out of Abby’s eyes as she quietly soothed the girl. “No one’s here but us girls. It’s all right.” Kissing her forehead, she soothed and cooed as the small girl curled into her.
“Lyd,” she murmured.
“Right here,” Lydia said letting Abby cling to her.
“Bad man,” Abby mumbled.
“No bad men here,” Lydia assured her. “It’s just us girls.”
“Bad man,” Abby whimpered. “Hurts.”
“What hurts,” Lydia asked immediately.
“Arm,” Abby’s eyes blinked open filled with tears spilling out.
Mycos said, “She has a sprain. Justinian can treat it, heal it.”
“No one can heal a sprain,” Lydia said.
“We can,” Mycos said. Gregor hovered worried for the little one. He squatted next to the bed.
Lydia had heard about their healing abilities. Abby whimpered again. “You can take away her pain,” Lydia asked.
“Yes,” Gregor said. “Please let us help her.”
“Nic, you stay here with the others,” Lydia said. She started to lift Abby.
Gregor said, “Please, allow me. I want only to ease her journey to the healer.”
“S’kay,” Abby mumbled allowing the big man with the warm eyes to carry her.
Abby watched Gregor the whole time he carried her. He smiled down on her. “Justinian may seem grumpy but he makes everything stop hurting, I promise.”
Back in the med room, Lydia asked, “What will you do to her?”
“I can show you,” Justinian said, pointing to her wrists.
Lydia held out her arm, he placed a device on her wrist. Her wrist got warm then her body got warm. She swayed when he moved the device to her other wrist. Mycos put an arm around her to steady her, she didn’t object. Her other arm got warm. She watched as the injury seemed to heal itself in a matter of seconds. Justinian placed the device on her face where the cop hit her. She jerked back but Mycos held her steady. Her face warmed, the back of her head heated as he continued to heal her. Gregor held Abby who watched intently as Justinian healed Lydia. “That is what he’ll do to you,” Gregor whispered. “It will not hurt. It will take away the pain.”
“Lyd,” Abby said as Lydia went very white.
“I have you,” Mycos said as Lydia swayed. He settled her into a chair. “It can be a little disconcerting.”
Justinian brought a glass of water. “Sip this. It is water,” he told her at her suspicious look.
Mycos held it to her mouth. She sipped, tasted only water. She felt her body settle, her nerves settle. The pain disappeared. The headache and aches she fought to ignore simply faded.
“Will you allow me to treat her,” Justinian asked.
Clearing her throat, she said, “Yes.”
“Lay her here,” Justinian said indicating the bed next to where Lydia sat.
Lydia sat forward, held Abby’s hand. “It will be all right. It’s like a warm blanket.”
Justinian placed his device on Abby’s arm making her whimper. “I know. It hurts at first. I am sorry. Give it a moment,” he murmured to her, reassuring her. He glanced at the readings. The scanner picked up both their readings.
Mycos rubbed Lydia’s shoulders as she held Abby’s hand. The machine hummed softly. Mycos felt compelled to touch her and she didn’t seem to notice. Suddenly she looked at him, green eyes spearing into him. She noticed, apparently but she didn’t object. Turning to Abby, she hummed the lullaby she didn’t remember the words to. Abby’s eyes drifted closed as the pain in her arm eased.
“She has some poorly healed ribs,” Justinian said. “Will you allow me to repair them?”
“How do you know this,” Lydia said.
Justinian said, “I can see the injuries. It’s why I’m a healer. The scanner also detects them. I can tell you her arm healed well from the break. How did she sustain these injuries?”
“Her step-father beat her, threw her down a flight of stairs and slammed a garbage dumpster lid on her. Hannah saw it, ran and got me,” Lydia whispered. “She didn’t talk for two months.”
“How did you get her arm to heal,” Justinian asked.
“I got a book from the library,” Lydia said. “We read about how to set an arm. It was difficult. I wasn’t sure when I set it if I got it back in place.” She hated it because Abby screamed and passed out. They found metal slats at the factory and wrapped her arm, kept it bundled. Hannah sat with her the whole time.
Reassuring, Justinian said, “It is healed properly. May I heal her other injuries?”
Mycos squeezed her shoulders feeling her worry. Lydia blinked away the tears and nodded. When he moved the device to her ribs, Abby moaned but once the heat started she lay still falling back asleep. Lydia hummed to her, brushing her hair, soothing her.
Justinian watched his scanner for several long moments. “She is healed. She will sleep soundly for several hours,” he said.
“You’re sure,” Lydia questioned, worry furrowing her brow.
“Yes, my lady,” Justinian said using the title of honor on their home world.
Lydia looked up sharply at him. “Thank you,” she said, her voice soft and thick with emotion.
“Allow me to carry her,” Gregor asked.
Lydia nodded but when she tried to let go of Abby’s hand, Abby clenched it. Gregor soothed, “A little ride for the little mistress,” he murmured. For a big man, his gentleness with the little girl surprised Lydia.
Lydia watched as Gregor laid her gently next to Hannah. Lydia tucked the blankets around the small girl. Nic noticed her wrists. “They really heal her?”
“Yes,” Lydia said.
“Go have your conversation,” Nic whispered linking hands with Lydia. “Don’t let him walk all over you.”
***
He offered her his arm. She looked uncomfortable but took it. His muscles bunched under her touch. Her scent washed over him. Inhaling, he wanted her, wanted to make her his. Reminding himself of her distrust, he took her to his office. He led her to a comfortable chair, sat in the one next to her.
She watched him, saw the desire flare when she touched him. She waited for
him to speak, waited for him to explain why he’d taken them.
“Do you want anything,” he asked hospitably. “I can have tea or something brought in.”
“No, thank you,” she said. “Why’d you bring us here?”
“You do not remember me,” he said.
She shook her head.
“Three days ago, you ran into me in the street. You ran from some teen boys,” he said.
“I… I’m sorry,” she said. “I know what you’re talking about but I don’t remember you.”
“Understandable. You were only in my arms for three seconds,” he said. “I followed you. There was something about you. It drew me to follow you.”
“You couldn’t have,” she said. “I was careful.”
“You were,” he said. “I was more careful.”
“Why? Why would you,” she said.
“Why would I follow a beautiful woman,” he asked. He rose, crossed to get a drink from the bar. He turned and looked at her. “I followed you because you are my mate. I know you have no idea what that means but with my people it is important.”
“I know what it means to mate,” she said blushing.
“Not mating,” he corrected her frowning as he considered sexual relations among the humans. “To be a mate. It is different than the fucking you humans do.”
“All right,” she said. “Explain it to me.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Mates are partners, lovers, lifelong lovers.”
“It’s a commitment,” she said. “Are your people faithful?”
“Yes,” he said returning to her. “There is only one mate in a lifetime. Only one ever.”
“How do you know I’m yours,” she said. Narrowing her eyes, she fell back on language she scolded Nic for using. “Maybe you just wanna fuck me.”
“If it were fucking, I would have taken you on the street,” he growled at her. “I would have treated you as those boys wanted to.”
She blushed, “I wouldn’t have let you.”
Seven Sisters Page 3