by K. D. Jones
Keep focused, Ava. You can do this. Just keep looking for something sharp enough. Free yourself and run. Survive for AshOR.
She gasped a little when her finger was pricked by something sharp. It was a little bit out of her way, so she scooted over closer and closer until she finally had the rock in her hands. She used one hand and began to cut against the rope. The way they tied her, she would have to cut the rope on each wrist so that it would loosen enough for her to get out of.
Sweat beaded up on her forehead. She brought her knee up and tried to wipe the sweat off with it. She heard boots coming her way and moved her foot back. The Morin came up and knelt down next to her. She heard him set something down next to her. He sniffed at her, and she tried not to breathe at all. She felt the buttons on her top being undone and a hand reached inside to squeeze her breast brutally.
“You’re kind of small compared to some of your kind that we have seen. You can open your eyes now, I know you’re not still out.” When she refused to respond, he used his sharp nail and cut her nipple right through the bra she had on.
She opened her eyes and glared at him. She couldn’t help it. “You’ve made a big mistake. My mate will come for me and there won’t be anything left of you when he’s done.”
The Morin growled and slapped her face hard.
“Stop playing with her, we are almost ready to take off,” the other Morin called out.
The Morin spit on her as he stood up and walked back over to the shuttle. She rubbed her face in the dirt to get the yellow slime off of her. She had to get away. If they got her in that shuttle, she would soon be dead or would want to be. Ava noticed that the Morin had left the part of the shuttle they were working on next to her. She scooted closer to it, taking it in her hand. Whatever it was, she didn’t want them to have it. She concentrated harder on cutting the rope. One side finally gave, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Now she had to do the other side. Thoughts of AshOR kept her focused and helped her ignore the pain she felt. She would do anything to see him one more time. I love you, AshOR.
*****
Teagan was on the floor trying to connect the wires for her homemade radio to the computer console in Balar’s tower. It was pretty impressive what they had set up, a real nice security and monitoring system. It would have caught just about anyone that approached their planet, but the Morins had a kind of satellite cloaking system going on, and there was no defense against something like that. Not unless they could take it out, which was why she was on the floor.
Everything was so different than what she was used to on Earth. She had a huge aptitude for mechanics and engineering, but because she came from a very poor family, she’d never gotten the official schooling that would have helped train and cultivate her intelligence.
When she became legally able to live on her own, she had no education to get anything more than manual labor jobs. She hated waiting tables and constantly having to fight off unwanted male attention. Then one day she watched as a cable guy drove by. Knowing that she probably knew more about satellites than that guy did, she filled out an application and was surprised that she actually got hired. It was fine for a while and paid better than waitressing.
Then the aliens came to Earth. She was living a boring life, and the chance to travel somewhere new for free was just too good to pass up. It wasn’t until she showed up for the interview the Katierans were conducting for applicants who wanted to relocate, that she realized that these aliens were looking for women. She could have backed out, but she didn’t. She wanted to learn about their advanced technology. Now she was on a new planet meeting more aliens. Her life was so much more exciting.
“Got it.” She started to slide out from under the console and found two hands on either side of her waiting to help her up. Sighing, she took both hands and let the men pull her up. This was getting ridiculous. Toro and LemAN had not left her side the entire time. Toro was overly friendly and flirting constantly. LemAN was just bad-tempered and growled non-stop.
“So, you have not mated yet?” Toro asked for like the tenth time.
“No.” Teagan typed on the computer, entering the security code that Toro had given her. She was in, and oh wow, these guys were very well endowed with their technology. It was fascinating, and she wished she had time to sit down and explore everything, but she didn’t.
“I have no mate either.”
LemAN snorted. “You told her that three times already.”
Toro ignored him and kept talking to her, leaning down in her space. “You traveled here with the Katierans?”
“Yes.” She frowned at the screen, not really paying attention to him.
“They are fools if none of them have not mated you by now. You need a real male. I’m looking for a mate, and I would gladly take you as mine. You would be taken care of and lack for nothing.”
“Stop flirting with the female,” LemAN snarled shoving Toro back.
“How dare you touch me, Katieran!”
She’d had enough of this male macho shit. She shoved both of them away. What the hell! That hurt her hands. What were they made out of, steel?
“Back off. I almost got this.” She typed new coordinates, then moved the small satellite she had placed on the top of the console. “Damn it, it doesn’t have a clear view. Hey, Commander Bozo!” She turned toward LemAN.
“My name is Commander LemAN.”
“Whatever. Take this and go to the top of the tower outside. I need an unobstructed view of the sky.”
He grudgingly took the satellite, glaring at Toro on his way out. “He really doesn’t like you,” she commented.
Toro snorted. “The feeling is mutual.”
“Look, ease up on him and stop with all the flirting. You’re not really interested in me.”
He smiled at her and cupped her cheek. “You're quite intelligent, little one, but you are wrong if you think I don’t want you.”
“Then let me say it like this, I’m not interested in mating anyone right now.” She moved past him and over to the console. She typed in a special tracking code and smiled. “Bingo. Got you, motherfuckers.” She used the comm link that Commander TylOR had given her earlier.
“Commander, I found the transport.”
“Give me the coordinates.”
Chapter 19
“Leader Krosis, we detect movement coming closer in. Should we put up our shields?” the Morin lieutenant called out.
“They cannot detect our presence.” The Leader sat in his chair smugly. Their enemy may have followed them through the wormhole to hunt them, but they certainly couldn’t catch them.
“As soon as they leave we will resume our claiming of the planet. There are plenty of females there we can take back with us.” Krosis crossed his arms over his chest. He wasn’t prepared for the ship to shake and knock him off his seat.
The emergency lights flashed. “What the hell is going on?”
“We’re under attack!”
“How in Kitana did they find us?” He had to hold on to the sides of his chair to keep from falling out of it as they were hit with another blast.
“They hit the satellites!”
“Raise the shields!”
“Shields are failing. They’re at forty percent, thirty-five, thirty…”
“Send out our warships!” He watched in horror as one by one their enemies’ warships shot down their own warships.
“Sir, the shields are at twenty percent!”
“Fire the transport weapons! Take out as many as we can until we are able to escape.”
“Sir, our shields are gone and we are losing power!”
Kitana! Krosis got up and backed out of the command center, then turned and walked briskly down the corridor. He had to get to a shuttle and escape. The shields were down and losing power, leaving them defenseless. If the power gave out completely there would be no way to launch a ship to escape. His only chance for survival would be to let all the fire be drawn to the transport while he escap
ed to the moon on his shuttle.
The ship shook and tilted to the side. “Move out of my way!” He shoved one of his warriors to the floor and stepped on him to get by. He could do it; he was almost to the docking bay. Just a little further... The alarms went to red and he froze. “No!!”
*****
“Sir the Morin transport is dead, all power has been cut off. They have only a few hours left of oxygen and the docking bays have been destroyed!”
TylOR smiled. “Lieutenant, give me the coordinates of the Morin shuttle.” A few minutes later he used his comm link.
“This is Commander AshOR. Give me some good news.”
“The shuttle is less than a mile to the west of you.”
“What about the Morin transport?”
“Dead in space. I’m sending a shuttle your way with a few medics.”
“Thanks.” AshOR disconnected his comm link and pointed his ship to the west. He prayed that the medics would not be needed.
*****
Ava knew something was up. One of the Morins had gone into the shuttle to communicate with the transport orbiting somewhere above. The other one started toward her, and then there was shouting. Now they were getting their stuff together in a hurry. They definitely looked panicked.
“Find the aerial adjuster, we can’t fly the shuttle without it!”
“I had it a few minutes ago!”
That must be the part that the Morin had left next to her. She finished getting the final rope cut. She had no time to waste; this was the perfect moment for her to make her escape, while they were distracted. She placed the aerial adjuster in her back pocket, then got to her hands and knees and slowly started to crawl backwards until she was behind the boulder. She used the large stone to pull herself to her feet. Damn, her legs felt like jelly. She had to go, like right now.
She stepped backwards until she was further in the trees. Then she turned around and began running as best she could. She had been immobile for a while, so she tripped a lot. She wasn’t sure how long it would take until they noticed that she was gone, but it was imperative she get as far as she could.
It was getting dark, and the forest’s canopy was blocking the sunlight. She fumbled and fell because she couldn’t see very well. There were times she wondered if she’d gotten turned around. Her face hit a low limb, and she knew she would have a bruise along with the cuts and scrapes she already had. Damn, she really couldn’t see anything. She hadn’t heard movement behind her. Maybe they found a way to leave without the missing part and decided she wasn’t worth chasing.
She stopped and looked back. Big mistake. Yellow eyes glowed between the trees, and they were getting closer. Fuck! She started running again, hoping and praying she was going in the right direction. She could be heading away from the city, toward the mountains. It was just too dark for her human eyes to see anything.
Ava’s heart raced and panic set in when she heard footsteps close behind her. There was yelling, and she thought she heard weapons going off. She couldn’t afford to look. A growl behind her made her stumble, and then she was shoved from behind hard.
She tumbled to the ground and a hard heavy body came down on top of her. The Morin grabbed her and turned her over to her back. He straddled her, glaring down as he searched her for the part to the shuttle.
“I should kill you now, female. You have been more trouble than you are worth.”
She was breathing heavy and she hurt all over. She wouldn’t give up, she would continue to fight to free herself. “I would rather die than be anywhere near you!”
“Too bad, you’re coming with me.” He moved off of her and gripped her hair, dragging her behind him through the woods and back to the shuttle.
Ava tried to slow him down by planting her feet hard on the ground, but he yanked her forward. She reached up and scratched at his hand. He had a good strong hold on her, and he wasn’t about to let her go.
She knew if he got her off the planet she was a dead woman. It was just a matter of how long she would last, and she would rather die than let them have her. Her head hit something, and she cried out in pain, seeing stars.
One minute she was being dragged like a sack of potatoes over every rock and stump, then the next thing she knew she wasn’t moving at all. The hard hand that had gripped her hair was yanked from her head. She lay there stunned, not sure what was happening. Everything was spinning and she couldn’t move at all. She wanted to move, to run away from the deadly sounds she was hearing. What the fuck was going on? Then there was silence.
She waited there, helpless to see what her fate would be. She closed her eyes and breathed.
“Ava, baby, are you okay?”
Wow, she was hearing AshOR’s voice. It was such a deep timbre and made her think of sex. “I love you, AshOR. Goodbye.”
“Where in Kitana are you going? Open your eyes, beautiful.”
She blinked and opened her eyes. Was she seeing things? Whatever she was seeing, there were two of them. “AshOR?”
“Thank the Goddess.” He gently lifted her up into his arms.
“Ouch.” Just breathing seemed to be hurting her.
“Oh honey, I am so sorry. I need a medic here right now!”
“I hurt.”
“I know, baby, I know. The medic is coming. Just hang on for me. Can you do you do that?”
“I would do anything for you. I love you.”
His hand gently cupped her uninjured cheek. “I am so in love with you, too.”
“You are? You’re sure about that?”
“I have been an idiot denying what I feel. I won’t make the same mistake again. You are my true bond mate, and as soon as we get back home I plan to have a naming ceremony to declare you mine to everyone.”
She patted his hand. “You’re supposed to ask a girl to marry you, not just tell her that she will be marrying you.”
He snorted. “I’m not giving you room to back out of our official mating. I will have Lizzie plan it all, she’s very organized.”
She laughed, but it turned to coughing. “I don’t feel so good.” She passed out in his arms.
*****
AshOR held his mate in his arms. She was weak and injured. He wanted to kill the Morin all over again. He caressed her bruised and cut face. She was so delicate; he shouldn’t expose her to dangers like this. She was a blessing from the Goddess, someone who could fill the void and emptiness he had in his heart with love and family. He had to do whatever it took to take care of her. He was determined to never let her be in danger like this again.
Chapter 20
Ava woke up in the medic wing on board the Colonial transport. The ship’s clock on the wall indicated that she had been there for about twelve hours, and she found she was able to sit up.
“Glad to see you’re awake.” Zander and his sister were standing next to her bed—actually, almost all of the Norads were gathered around her.
“I’m feeling better. Where’s AshOR? Is he okay?” Her first thoughts were of her mate and how he’d told her he loved her.
“He was here most of the time until the lead medic kicked him out. All the lieutenants were coming in to report and it was causing a lot of chaos.”
She felt herself blush. She hated to be causing problems.
“Don’t worry, he’ll be back soon. He refuses to stay away from you.”
She nodded. “How are you and your people doing?
“We’re good. We’ll be moving to the Katieran transport soon.”
She frowned. “I thought you were going to travel on the Kiljorn transport.”
“Commander TylOR was concerned about the thrusters not all being in working order. It’s going to take them almost twice as long to reach Kiljor. He didn’t want my people to have to be on board that length of time. We aren’t space travelers, and we aren’t used to being off planet. Keeping us confined to the medic wing while we learned slowly about their advanced technology was the right decision.”
She l
ooked at all the faces around her. She wasn’t used to so much attention.
“My people wanted to let you know how much we appreciate what you’ve done for us. We all wanted to be here when you woke up to let you know that,” Zander told her.
Ava felt tears forming behind her eyes. “I didn’t do much. The warrior and medics are the ones to thank.”
Zander’s sister stepped up to her and took her hand, squeezing it gently. She was very shy, and when she spoke her voice was light. “You sat at each of our bedsides, held our hands, comforted us when we couldn’t hold back tears, and you told us that everything would be okay. The medics healed our bodies, but you helped heal our souls.”
Okay, now the tears were coming freely. The young girl squeezed her hand again and moved to the side to allow another person to come forward and do the same. One by one, each of the Norad survivors came to thank her. Ava loved helping people; it was what made her happy. She didn’t do it for approval or recognition, but it made her heart full of joy to see that her efforts were appreciated and reciprocated. Now the tables were turned, and she was the one who needed comfort, and they were there for her.
“Thank you, everyone.” She wiped her tears away.
“Enough, she needs to get her rest,” the lead medic said, motioning them to move away.
“They don’t have to go.” Ava protested even as she yawned. The medic used his scope to scan her vitals. “I’m feeling much better, I only ache a little bit.”
“The nanos we gave you are working to help repair you from the inside. You should be able to return to your quarters tomorrow morning.”
“Wonderful, there are so many things I need to do.” Her face lit up with excitement.
The medic shook his head. “You are to remain in your bed another three days. After that we will evaluate you.”
She pouted. “Come on, I’m better.”
“You hit your head, badly. We want to make sure that there are no aftereffects from that. I’m not a human specialist, and it will be a few weeks before we reach our home world.”