by Ruby Winter
“Yes, I did, my son. Do not worry. I will honor our bargain,” he said, nodding thoughtfully. “You’ve done very well. Finding this base is very important to the Council, and you’ve proven that spending time with the human female has not changed your heart. If you don’t want a human female at all as your mate, then I can no longer stand in your way.”
I closed my eyes and breathed a sigh of relief at my father’s words.
“But please wait a week before declaring this to the public,” my father asked. “I need to clear things up with the Council, as they will not take it lightly you are refusing the gift of a human female to mate with. Please allow me to work on it after we see to this raid on the base.”
“Sure, Father. I can work with that,” I said, nodding in agreement.
“Then let us go to the Council and tell them what you found,” he said, walking out of the quarters with me hot on his heels.
We went to the Council, and I reported everything Molly and I had seen. It was a long and grueling meeting, but the most important part was they wanted me to lead a raid, which was to happen in a few days. It would keep my mind off of things in the meantime, and I couldn’t wait to take the commands.
After the meeting, I went back home to my living quarters. I was very tired after not slept much the night before, and I needed some rest. I was about to open my door when I heard someone call my name. I turned around and saw Karah moving towards me, looking very distressed.
“Where have you been?!” she shrieked, putting her hands on her hips. “I’ve been looking all over for you. They told me you left!”
“My father sent me out on a mission, and he wanted me to leave immediately, it was a very delicate matter. Please stop fretting,” I told her. I was already feeling guilty because of what I had done, and I didn’t need more from Karah’s jealousy to be added to the pile.
“I was worried,” she said, pouting as she tried putting her arms around me, letting her initial anger evaporate. I pulled away from her.
“I’m very tired, Karah,” I said, my words not completely a lie. “I haven’t slept in two days. Forgive me, but I’m going to rest now,” as she attempted one last time to grab me. I took her hands off and pushed her away from me delicately. She frowned but nodded.
“I understand. You must be very tired. I’ll see you later then. But I must know, Jaider, have you spoken to your father about us again?” she asked, and I nodded.
“Karah, I already talked to you about this.” I said.
“Why should I believe you?” she said angrily, her eyes blazing in a way I’ve never noticed before. “You wanted to kiss me before in the past. Did you not?” she said. “And you have always made it known to everyone in the community your commitment to Revian females, despite our barrenness. But maybe I should start seeing the truth about your real intentions. I’ve seen the way you interact with that human female,” she boasted. I sighed, already tired of this back and forth squabble.
“Please, Karah. Let us speak about this later. I haven’t the strength to discuss this right now. I’ll meet you for lunch tomorrow and we can talk some more,” I said, patting her on the shoulder before she could protest. I walked away into my living quarters, and closed the door.
I could barely take the guilt I was already feeling, let alone Karah’s craziness on top of it. Tomorrow Karah must know that she can no longer be a part of my life, and she must stay away from me for good going forward.
***
I awoke in the afternoon, and waited for Karah to arrive, but she never came. I shrugged it off, thinking she was going to come by a little later, and figured she must still be very annoyed with me.
If she were to ever find out the truth with Molly, her jealousy would boil over, and that is what I’m most afraid of.
I decided to go see my father again to talk about the plans for the raid. Our discussion was going fine until he asked me something that took me completely off-guard.
“Son, did you mate with the human female?” he asked while I looked over the battle plans. I froze up and looked up at him, my eyes wide. How did he know?
“Why do you ask?” I probed, not giving him a straight answer.
“It is something I will need to know before approaching the council about your refusal of her,” my father answered grimly. “If you’ve mated with her, then how do you know she isn’t carrying your child as a result? If she is, then it’ll make things much more complicated with the Council, and you’ll be forced to take her as your wife. Do you understand where I’m getting at here?” he asked.
I swallowed, unable to say a word. I hadn’t thought of this possibility. I was so focused on keeping what came about with Molly a secret, that I didn’t thoroughly think about the consequences of what happened, and what it would mean to the Council. Of course, they wouldn’t accept that I would use a human female for breeding, and then just throw her away. It didn’t work that way.
I moved away from the table and sat down, holding my head in my hands. I heard my father hiss sharply.
“Your silence makes me think you did mate with her on your mission,” he said, and I could hear the disapproval in his voice. “I will not go to the Council and tell them you refuse her as a wife until you figure this out. This is your mess now,” he declared.
“How long? How long does it take to know if a human female is with offspring?” I asked, and he shrugged.
“Only a couple of days. It just takes a very short time for them to be tested, and you’ll know whether or not she is pregnant with Revian offspring,” he answered.
“Then Molly should be tested tomorrow or the day after.” I said.
“Take these, then,” my father spoke, taking my hand and dropping a ring of keys in my palms and closing my fingers around them. I looked at them in confusion.
“What are these?” I asked.
“Those are keys to new living quarters. Take Molly there. This is where she’ll be staying until we figure out exactly what’s going on with her.” Father replied. “If she’s caring your offspring, then she’s going to need a very comfortable space, and she’ll have the freedom to roam the village.”
“Is that wise, Father? To allow her to walk around the place?” I asked, brows furrowed.
“Where can she go?” he countered. “She cannot run away. Also, it’s better for her to start adapting to our lives here, and she can only do that if she becomes a part of it, and not living as a captive.”
“I see. I understand. I’ll go to her now and take her there,” I said, nodding.
A few moments later, the guard unlocked the door and let me inside Molly and the other human females’ living quarters.
She blanched when she saw me.
“Molly, come with me,” I said, stepping into the doorway. She said nothing as she stared at me, making no effort or saying anything to defy my order. Instead, she stood up and quietly followed me.
“Your silence is startling me. Are you not going to ask me where we’re going, or a hundred other follow-up questions?” I asked playfully in an effort to lighten the atmosphere. She kept her head down and refused to look at me.
“I have nothing to say to you,” she murmured.
Now I really did think it was possible she was carrying my offspring. I suddenly felt more connected to her, and I wanted to take care of her, make her to feel safe with me, and most of all, for her to look into my eyes and speak to me again. I was craving for her attention.
What the hell is happening? What are all these emotions surging inside of me?
“I understand why you’re upset, but you should know you’re being rewarded. The mission you and I completed was well-received by the Council, and therefore, you are being given your freedom and your own living quarters,” I told her. She raised her head up, her eyes twinkling and making my heart beat faster.
“Freedom?” she repeated happily, her smile growing. “You mean I can go back to Earth?” she asked, and
my shoulders slumped.
“No, I mean you have the freedom to roam the village as you please,” I clarified, frowning at her. “You can learn about our village life, and roam the forest trails if you want to. This is your new home.”
I stopped in front of a small round building located only a few buildings over from my own home. I handed her the keys and she gasped in shock.
“This is for me?” she asked and I nodded, grinning. “But what about the others? What about Betty and Amy?” I shook my head.
“I don’t know their fate. For now, enjoy the village, and I’ll return when I know more,” I replied, opening the door for her.
I walked away and went off to find Karah. I still didn’t know why she hadn’t come to me yesterday, but I had enough of her tantrums, and I needed to clear this matter up with her before she finds out more on her own.
After searching for a while, I finally found her alone, walking down a forest path.
“Karah, what are you doing here?” I called, jogging up to her. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. You didn’t come to me for lunch,” I said, and she shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I didn’t come to you because I was angry,” she answered simply, steeling me with a glare. “After I left, I went to the landing port to find out where you went, and do you know what I found out?”
I looked at her, not saying anything.
“I found out you were spending a lot more time with that human female Molly, and she went with you on your mission,” she hissed, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.
“It’s true,” I said, feeling a little guilty for some reason.
“It was something my father forced on me,” I answered.
“Did you mate with her?” she whispered, and I swallowed the lump in my throat before nodding once.
“Yes.”
“No! No, no, no!” she cried, putting her hands over her mouth as she shook her head in denial. “How could you?! You are scum!”
“I am sorry, I have no excuse,” I said, my chest tightening.
“I hate you!” she cried before turning around and running away.
I hated myself too in that moment. What had I done? I felt I had broken the trust of all Revian females in that moment, and now everything I stood for was in question.
Chapter 7
Molly Sandrian
I was very surprised when Jaider showed up offering me a place to live on my own. I also didn’t expect the freedom that came with it, either. Granted, it wasn’t fair to Betty and Amy, who were still being kept under lock and key, but I tried to make the most of it. I took the time to walk around the village, and I was surprised by how efficient everything ran. I hadn’t seen much while kept in captivity, but now I was learning more about daily Revian life. It was a simple way of living combined with a highly advanced technology.
The Revians appeared to live in harmony with nature, and I spent a lot of time observing the plant life as well. No matter how much I saw the trees and flowers, they never ceased to amaze me, especially how big everything grew. And it wasn’t just the height and size of the flowers, but the trees must have towered at least 300 ft. I’m sure there are many more amazing things to see beyond, but most of my time was spent wandering in and out of the forest path around the village.
When I wasn’t learning about the plant life, I was meeting other humans. I had made some new friends with the women already assigned a mate for offspring. Most said they had been here for many years, and I heard many telling’s of their own unique abduction stories. When they learned I had just recently arrived from Earth, they asked me about current events and other information from our planet back home.
All of them had the same outlook toward the Revians, though. They loved them, and they were very happy to be here where they have found love and happiness amongst these giant beings. There wasn’t one human female I came across begging to go back to Earth, which I found to be very fascinating.
We then talked about the mating, and I was able to meet several of their cute little babies. After being with Jaider, it made me think if I was with a child by him. Was it possible? I tried not to think about it too often, as I had no idea what was going to happen to me, but the more I thought about it, the more it grew in my mind.
What if I was with his child? What then?
In that moment, I realized that maybe I would be okay with not returning to Earth anymore. I would be okay living my life on this strange and beautiful planet with Jaider and our baby.
…if he wanted me.
We could raise our child together, and be a family.
I found myself fantasizing more and more about it as I sat alone in my new home. All the while I thought Jaider might come and visit me, but he never did. And alone I sat, dreaming and wondering about my future…
***
Days went by and I still hadn’t seen Jaider anywhere. I was a bit confused by it all, but I also knew they were launching a raid on the Compier base any day now. I had hoped to see him before he left, as I knew it was going to be dangerous, and I didn’t want him to get hurt, but I also couldn’t forget about Emma and her safety as well.
My brain was going around in circles, so I decided to distract myself by going for a walk in the forest like I usual do. I was thinking about Jaider when I overheard a familiar female voice talking to an unseen stranger.
“That human female named Molly,” I heard the voice say. “I want you to get rid of her. I don’t care what you have to do, just take her away from the village,” she said.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up in fear, so I hid amongst the plants, continuing to listen to their conversation.
For a brief moment I was able to peek through the bush and get a glimpse of the female speaking. She was Revian, one I had seen before talking to Jaider, and she was continuing to speak awful and violent things about me.
I felt panicked in that moment, but I didn’t move. I couldn’t. I waited for her to finish, and when she finally left the path, I stayed in the bushes for a long time as I tried to compose myself and steady my breathing.
Finally, I stood up and ran off. I felt like I had no one to turn to. I quickly ran to Jaider’s, but he wasn’t at his home, so I ran back to my new living quarters and locked myself in there. I spent the next two days not leaving the house, scared and alone, but on the third day, I realized there was someone I could turn to.
I could ask Jaider’s father for help. He was the one who wanted me to marry his son, so if I told him what I heard in the forest, perhaps he would believe me and protect me.
I left my home that morning ready to find my way to the Captain. I was scared to death to make the journey out in the open, but I had to get there. As I trotted along, suddenly everything went black. In an instant, a cloak was put over my head, and I began to scream loudly.
“Help! Help! Let me go!” I screamed repeatedly, but it was futile. I hadn’t the strength to escape them, and it seemed no one could see or hear me. Within seconds, I felt that all too familiar jolt of a ship starting its engine, and my heart plummeted.
“Please let me go. I don’t know who you are or why you’re doing this, but please let me return me to the village,” I said, trying to plead with whoever had taken me. My abductor remained silent, and I didn’t know what else to do.
In that moment, I realized just how much I cared for Jaider, and the pain I felt that I might never see him again began to overtake me. I felt so many emotions, so much pain, because I was deeply in love with him, and I was finally admitting it to myself.
I should’ve told him I loved him when I had the chance, but I was too much of a coward to say it. I feared he would never reciprocate that love in return, and now I would regret it to my death.
The ship ran fast for a couple of hours, but it didn’t feel like we ever left to go into space. The motor stopped its humming until it slowed to a stop. I assumed we were still on the plan
et. Suddenly a pair of arms picks me up from my seat and carry’s me out of the ship, the cloth still on my head.
I concentrated on my other senses, hoping I could hear or smell something to give me an idea of where we could be. I heard a lot of commotion and speaking in a strange accent, accompanied by a lisping sound of sorts. I inhaled deeply through my nose, and the scent of the air triggered something familiar. It was the same smell from the trees of the Torik Forest, where Jaider and I had gone together on his mission.
Could it be near the area where Jaider and I made love? It seemed impossible, but regardless, the smell was so intense and exact that I knew I had to be right.
I was put on the cold hard floor before the cloth on my head was finally taken off. I blinked rapidly as my eyes adjusted to the dim light of the evening, and when it finally did, I couldn’t believe what I saw.
Chapter 8
Commander Jaider Katon
A few days passed and I had not seen Molly. I couldn’t bring myself to get her tested for pregnancy, as I still needed some space to figure out what I was going to do if she was with my child.
I would have no choice but to marry her, of course, but I was surprised at how happy I was feeling about it. I enjoyed being with her, and ever since that night, I had thought of her every day. I could see myself growing old with her and loving her, and I imagined a beautiful life with her going forward.
But the guilt I felt toward my people kept me from developing the feelings Molly deserved from a husband. It was very painful and hard to deal with, so I thought it best to just lay low a little while as I prepared to leave for the raid.
I knew I was the one at fault for creating this mess I was in, but I needed to shake all of those thoughts away for the moment, and focus on my responsibilities as a warrior.
I was in the middle of accomplishing the last preps to get the raid in order before we launched, when I remembered I was scheduled to meet with my father and go over some last minutes details once more.