by C. R. Jane
I turned to face Thane, barely able to breath as fear shook me from the inside out. He wore a black uniform with the double sun emblem on his chest, and looked strong and so damn sexy, but my heart was pounding too hard with dread. “Then why are all those people out there? And what are those drone-like things flying outside? Cameras?”
He sighed a heavy exhale. “Mating rituals that receive applications from more than fifty potential females end up being broadcast to the public.”
“Fifty?” I breathed, a surge of jealousy swirling in my chest that so many wanted to be with these three Vepar. Not that I could blame them because if these three bachelors were seeking a mate, I’d be inclined to put up my hand too if I wasn’t being forced to.
I gaped at him. “So fifty women are going to be traipsing through the woods? That tells me it’s gotta be a process of elimination so this hike you mentioned is more than a hike, isn’t it? How am I going to win against that many?”
“Your only competitor in this challenge is yourself. The council has selected nine females from the submission, plus you.” He stretched a hand toward me and cupped the side of my face. I softened against his touch, except his comfort did little to chase away the worry drumming on my mind.
I saw the resolve in his gaze, the admittance that his hands were tied, all of ours were, and he was trying to soften the blow of the upcoming test.
“We never meant for this to happen,” he added as if he could read my mind. “Or for everything to get out of hand so fast. We are doing everything we can to help you. Follow our lead, and trust us.”
I wanted to protest, wanted to yell with frustration, wanted to beg him to just sneak me into a ship and take me back home. Except then what? I prayed the enemies roaming on earth didn’t find me and make me their personal snack machine? And I’d grow weaker without taking the Vepar’s blood because I’d someone become a vampire now apparently. Or whatever the bond exchange between me and these Vepar had done to me.
“I don’t have much of an option,” I muttered. “Looks like I have to succeed.”
He dragged me into his arms, and I pressed myself against him, inhaling his timber and musky scent that drove me crazy. Except now, it gave me the confidence to keep going, to know I wasn’t alone. It was more than I had on Earth.
Someone cleared their throats and Thane broke away from me. Derrial and Corran stood at the entrance to the waiting room, both dressed the same, and between the three of them, I let myself fall under their trance.
“They’re about to start.”
The Councilmen appeared in the hallway and Thane’s posture stiffened.
Offering me a smile, he mouthed, good luck, and strode out of the room. Derrial winked at me while Corran blew me a kiss, and within seconds they were all gone. I returned to the window to watch them emerge from the Council’s building, and the crowd broke into a cheer as if they were celebrities.
I kept running my hands over the simple, straight dress that hung off my shoulders and fell to my feet like a sack. Nothing like the gowns the women outside wore. A requirement for the challenge apparently.
I turned to the empty room and paced to an oversized TV screen and back, unable to quiet my brain as I waited to be called. Half an hour later, the shrill sound of a siren shattered through the room, and I flinched. It blew three times in short sequences. After which the mass of Vepar outside broke into a cheer.
A man appeared at my door, his hair white and tumbling his waist. With small horns the color of snow, he reminded me of an elf. He had a softness in his eyes.
“This way, little one.” He waved me to leave the room, and I quickened my steps, my stomach doing somersaults.
In the hallway nine women lined up in front of the rear door, all dressed in similar clothing to me, their hair plaited, or tied up, and I hurried to collect mine into a ponytail, before curling it in on itself. I joined the end of the line, so nervous that perspiration dripped down my spine.
Each of the women were stunningly beautiful, and I didn’t belong here, not with them. A few of them looked my way, their noses wrinkled at the sight of me. They wore wry smirks as if I were nothing but a bug they stepped on.
I held their stares, refusing to look away as a sense of wanting to prove them wrong collided into me. Show weakness and they’d treat me that way, but when the girl standing in front of me turned a bit to face me. I lost my breath as I recognized her. Her auburn hair was plaited and wrapped around her horns,
Hell, just great. She’d visited me in the cell the other night, sprouting threats.
Her bow-shaped lips thinned, and the same cruel glint passed behind her eyes… I remembered her earlier warning about making my life here an absolute nightmare. Well fuck… I was spending two days in the woods with her, and if I said I wasn’t afraid, I’d be lying.
“Do you remember me now?” she whispered, her tone mocking, clearly still upset I didn’t know who she was.
“Face the front,” the elf man called out, and she sneered before snapping back around.
Wonderful, so not only was I having to carry out a challenge on an alien planet, but a jealous psycho was joining me. Why did nothing ever go easy for me?
At once, the doors to the outside opened wide, and a fluttering of cool air rushed inside, grabbing for my dress.
And we were moving, one at a time. We emerged from the house, receiving applause. The Vepar females waved, strolling with a swing in their hips, while me… I just wanted this over with.
I stepped outside, the clapping subsiding with my presence, and my breath caught in my lungs. It was one thing to walk out in a line on parade, but to be singled out and stared at like a freak was terrible. Following the others, I stood on the lawn facing the four Councilman. My three Vepar joined them. I did a double take, my eyes widening.
Derrial sported blood red horns like traditional devil one’s, a contrast against his light golden hair, and a tail that curled around his leg. Thane’s horns were black but merely stubs like they’d been snapped off, while iridescent looking scales ran down the sides of his face and neck. Black, cork-screw horns adorned Corran’s head, his caramel eyes glowing. Several months ago I might have been repelled by their Vepar appearances, now… there was something so sexy and masculine about their true forms. Unlike what everyone thought, the beauty of Vepar were their own but they simply concealed their additional features.
All three studied me, watched for my reaction, and my gaze swept from one to the other, with a smile stretching my lips. In response, Derrial’s tale unfurled from his leg, and slithered on the ground in my direction.. only a couple of feet forward.
“Welcome,” the one-horned Council Vepar announced, rising to his feet from his seat, tearing me away from Derrial’s stare.
“Today, we are blessed with a mating ritual to leave the heavenly gods envious. Three highly outstanding Vepar have come together and requested a mate to share. For the first time ever, we’ve received over eight-hundred entries.” Everyone broke out into oohs and ahhs while the crazy brunette next to me groaned under her breath.
But I was still stuck on the number of applicants. Holy crap! I thought Thane had said 50.
“Let’s give Derrial, Thane, and Corran recognition.”
The cheers rose into a deafening boom of applause and a weird clucking of their tongues.
I caught Derrial’s gaze, and his wink softened the nerves racing up my spine. No denying, he was hypnotizingly handsome... as were the other two.
“As is customary, the selected will now undergo three compatibility tests,” the Council Vepar stated. “First up is the Endurance challenge. Over two days, each participant must cross difficult terrain. This will reveal the strong from the weak, those who persevere when times grow hard, and we can evaluate their decision making skills.”
His words ran through my mind, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes because they were deciding who was good enough for mating based on being a freaking warrior, which I wasn’t.
“We live in a hostile world, and three powerful Vepar deserves only the best woman by their side.” He looked upward and I followed suit, spotting a small space vessel, not too different to the one Corran had used to fly us to Hawaii.
Everyone parted and the ship descended before landing on the lawn so gracefully and smoothly, no one batted an eye.
The side door opened and a set of steps slid out.
“Aery from house of Teaxer, do you accept this challenge?” The first in the line stepped closer to the Council member and stretched out her hand to him. He clasped her wrist, and she offered my Vepar her pearly whites. Then she spun and strolled toward the ship before climbing inside.
The rest were called in the same manner.
“Zeni from house of Julthorn, do you accept this challenge?”
The crazy one next to me sauntered over, her eyes glued to Derrial, even as she offered her arm to the Councilman. She blew him a kiss and twirled on the spot before lightly running to the ship.
“Ella from house of Monroe, will you accept this challenge?”
My legs wouldn’t move at first, but I pushed myself, to stop everyone from staring, to get out of the limelight. I lacked the enthusiasm the others carried.
“This will help us track your vitals,” the Councilman whispered.
He snapped my bracelet, and I turned away from him.
A quick look at my Vepar and their grins were filled with encouragement, I needed every inch of it. Without a word, I tracked my way to the vessel, keeping my head down to avoid the glares. Their snide remarks still found me though.
“She’s a human. Such a primitive race.”
"Disgraceful to be allowed in this ritual.”
I sped up and scrambled onto the plane to find a line of seats lining both sides of the ship. I slid into the last one available toward the rear. On a bright note, Zeni sat across from me and closer to the front.
The door shut and we lifted with barely a shudder or sound. I curled in on my seat.
Just two days of hiking. I’d keep to myself and get this done fast. How hard could it be to trek through the woods?
The brunette next to me with the whitest eyes I’d ever seen smiled at me and leaned closer. “So you came from your planet with Derrial, Thane and Corran. What are they like?”
A few of the others looked my way, interested in me for the first time.
“You don’t know them?”
She shook her head. “We’ve only read about them, seen them on our monitors. And I barely held it together at seeing them in the flesh and up close. It would be a dream to be selected by them.” Her eyes smiled with so much excitement, except she’d never get that chance. I’d make sure of that.
“Why would a human know anything about them?” Zeni spat. “I dated them, you should be asking me questions.”
The women all gushed and turned to Zeni, asking her dozens of questions, which was fine. Most days I toggled between hate and lust and a growing attraction for them.
It wasn’t long before we landed, the ship giving a slight jump, and I glanced outside the front window to find greenery everywhere, mountains in the distance.
This was happening.
Once the door opened, we all filed out into a small clearing. Lofty trees with enormous umbrella style branches surrounded us. The trunks were patterned as if carved by a rainbow. They streaked the bark in random strokes, the colors muted but so varied and beautiful.
The elf Vepar stood there, hands on hips, his horns glistening beneath the sunlight.
“Please drop your clothing where you are, then come and collect your survival bag.”
“Wait, what?” I rocked on my heels, convinced I’d heard wrong. Except the females around me were pulling their dresses up and over their heads. Boobs everywhere I looked, their nipples glistened different colors to match their horns. Then they dragged down their underwear and each went to collect their bag. I shouldn’t have stared, but I’d never seen female aliens and curiosity got the better of me. The hair between their legs was a thin line only, and each of them was the same. Maybe it was a trend of styling? And they were colored in all kinds of shades from gold to white to vibrant blues. I didn’t know where to look but one thing was certain, Vepar females had all the same bits I did.
“Hurry up, Ella,” he said.
“No one said anything about doing this naked.”
Zeni glanced at me, smirking, proud of herself. “Why would anyone have told you? You’re not one of us. Drop out now, head back.” She turned and hurried into the woods, vanishing like the rest of the females.
“You can do just as well as the rest of them,” the elf Vepar stated. “Don’t let clothing come in the way of those you love.”
I met his pale eyes. “Thank you for being nice to me. It’s hard to find many here who are.” I pulled up my dress and tugged it over my head, finding myself in just my underwear. The coldness brushed past my skin, rippling it. I cupped my breasts at first, but then dropped my hands, remembering his words. I pushed down my underwear, feeling vulnerable and fought the urge to cover myself back up. Stepping out of my shoes, I hurried forward and collected the white bag with a long strap, clutching it against me like a lifeline.
“Inside you’ll find a map of where you need to go.” He glanced over his shoulder at two mountains at his back, to the valley and back at me, a brow raised. No words, but I understood that was where I had to go. “As well as a blade, firestarter, and pot.” He leaned closer, and up close I saw tiny white scales running across the tops of his eyelids. “I checked with Corran and you can drink the water and vegetation out here.”
I nodded, memorizing everything.”Now go show them what you can do.”
“Thank you.” I slid the strap over my head and lay it diagonally across my body before making my way into the woods. Foliage and dead twigs stabbed my soles, but I kept going, needing to catch up with everyone. A quick look behind and the ship was in the air, zipping out of sight. In its place several of the drones lingered in the air. Right, we’d be watched.
I stopped in a small clearing and opened my bag to find my supplies, then pulled out the map, showing a great expanse of woodland, rivers, and mountains. Start was marked where we were and a big cross sat over the mountains for my target. Except, it lay further to my right, compared to where the elf Vepar pointed. The mountains ahead offered three valleys.
So which way would I go? What if the Vepar lied to me so I’d lose since everyone else seemed to hate me? I swallowed the rock in my throat, knowing I’d have to make a decision soon as I didn’t have much time, plus I’d have to find somewhere safe to hide for the night.
I stuffed the map into the bag and headed off, part of me wanting to believe that there were nice Vepar on this planet amid the hatred. Plus Corran had mentioned that the water was safe for me to drink as well, so I raised my head and steered right, away from the direction of the target and to where he’d guided me. I prayed I wasn’t making a horrible mistake.
Chapter 11
Most of the day had passed by uneventfully, my shoulders were sun kissed, and I hadn’t crossed paths with anyone. The farther I traveled through the woods, the more I doubted my decision to follow the elf Vepar’s suggestion. The only sign of life were the insects that kept chewing on my skin, and I swatted another one on my arm.
Jitters lingered in my gut as I contemplated backtracking, taking the other path, except I’d come too far and going back meant I’d never reach the destination in time. So, I had to believe this was the right direction. Please let it be the case.
Mountains soared overhead like giants. Shadows already stretched over the landscape from the two suns dropping behind the hills. My stomach growled, but I checked my map for the tenth time for a river that should be around here. Finally, I emerged from the woods to an open cleared land, overshadowed by a sheer cliff where the most stunning crystal waterfall tumbling into a river.
A brilliant tranquility fell over the
place despite the roar of the water.
Dying of thirst, I rushed forward, dumped my bag on the bank, and quickly scanned the crystalline purplish water for any creatures, finding it all clear.
Maybe I underestimated how easy this test might be. I stepped into the cool water, the pebbles under my feet were slippery. I dove in at once, the water crisp against my skin, a refreshing sharpness awakening me.
I swam toward the edge of the fall, water splashing everywhere and I found my footing soon enough. I cupped my hands to collect the chilled drink and sipped it at first, then gulped it feverously. I’d watched enough survival shows to know a waterfall was safe to drink.
A sudden explosive cry came from behind me, and I jerked around, choking down the mouthful of water.
Out of instinct, I dipped under the water, just my eyes and top part of my head visible, and I stared at a massive boar trotting toward the river’s edge. The animal had three eyes, the center on the bridge of the nose. And he was purple. If it wasn’t for the four inch tusks and razor teeth, I might have found it cute.
High pitched battle cries burst out from the forest. Four of the female Vepars charged into the area, brandishing blades, targeting the pig.
The animal unleashed a sound that sounded more like someone plucking the strings on a guitar on the same note, over and over, merging together into a weird sound that confused me. The boar spun and scratched the ground, the back of its neck frizzing.
I watched in horror as the animal charged after them, kicking dirt in his wake.
The women, suddenly realizing this may not work out so well, yelped and darted in three different directions, the boar chasing after them.
I laughed quietly to myself.
But this meant I wasn’t so alone in this area after all, and maybe this was the right direction in the first place. When no one returned after a long wait, I rushed out of the water and grabbed my stuff, noting a dead red fish on the shore. I ran past it. As much as I’d love to eat something, I wouldn’t starve for a couple of days and refused to make myself sick by eating something that had been rotting for who knows how long.