by Olivia Black
He placed his hands on the glass, but the thick barrier prevented him from closer contact. Regin wished there was a way he could touch Sebastian. He wanted to see if the human’s skin was as soft as it appeared. “Soon,” he whispered. “You’ll be mine, and I’ll be allowed to touch you whenever I want.”
Chapter Three
Sebastian woke up encased in glass. Blinking his eyes, he gave himself a couple of minutes to adjust. He pressed both his hands against the slick surface of the cryosleep chamber and pushed. The door hissed as it opened, letting in the frigid air. Sebastian shivered as he tried to acclimate to the change in temperature. He pulled the air deep into his lungs as he stretched out his muscles. After a few minutes, Sebastian forced himself to sit up. He gripped the edge of the pod as his head spun.
“Are you okay?” Aaron asked.
Sebastian cleared his throat and licked his dry lips. “Head rush.”
“Move slowly. Your body needs time to adjust.”
“Yeah,” he groaned. “I figured that out.”
Sebastian yawned. He swung his legs over the side of the pod and sat there for several minutes. He moved slowly, worried he might get another dizzy spell. When his eyes finally adjusted to the bright overhead lights, Sebastian looked around the room. It seemed like most of the other men were awake and moving around. Not wanting to be the last human out of his pod, Sebastian jumped out and landed on the unforgiving ground. The cold metal grate against his bare feet sent a sharp pain up his legs.
“Fuck,” Sebastian cursed.
“I told you to go slow.”
Sebastian took a deep breath and let it out. He didn’t want to snap at Aaron, but truth be told, Sebastian was having a hard time adjusting. His body ached, and his skin itched.
“Where are my clothes?”
“I don’t know. When I woke up, mine were gone. I think we’re supposed to wear the clothes they gave us.”
Sebastian nodded. “That makes sense.”
“Good day,” a voice chirped happily over the speaker system. “We are approaching Planet Glecerus and will be landing shortly. If you are having any difficulties adjusting, please make your way across the deck to medical and one of our well-trained doctors will assist you. Otherwise, make yourself comfortable.”
“Do you want to go to medical?” Aaron asked.
“No.” He shook his head. “I’ll be fine. I just need to walk around and stretch out my muscles.”
Sebastian took an unsteady step, and his knees nearly buckled beneath his weight. His legs felt weak after going so long without use. Holding on to the side of the pod, Sebastian stretched out his muscles. He walked in a circle, keeping one hand firmly planted on the glass tomb for support. After a few minutes, he started to feel a bit stronger. Sebastian dropped his hand and took a lap around the room.
When he stepped out in the corridor, Sebastian looked both ways. There was a small window at one end, giving him a perfect view of space. Making his way over to the porthole, Sebastian peered out. He watched in amazement as the starship drew closer to an icy mountain-scape, which he assumed was Planet Glecerus. Towering silver icicles shot up from the ground at grotesque angles. From his viewpoint, the world seemed uninhabitable.
Where were the people? Where were the buildings? How could he possibly live in the frigid-cold temperatures?
As the ship continued its descent, Sebastian held his breath. He searched the ground, wondering where they could possibly land without damaging the ship. When a metal hatch on the ground eased open, he was able to breathe easier. The ship jerked, and Sebastian stumbled, righting himself before he fell. The ship dropped down, slowly sinking beneath the earth.
“Sebastian,” Aaron murmured. “What are you doing out here?”
“Take a look.” He stepped to the side and let Aaron take his place.
“Wow,” he breathed out. “We’re going underground.”
“Yeah.”
“I wonder if this was in the manual,” Aaron grumbled.
Sebastian started laughing. He couldn’t help himself. The entire situation seemed surreal, and he couldn’t blame anyone but himself.
Aaron turned his head and looked at him. “Do you think there will be any more surprises?”
The look on his face was hopeful, and although Sebastian hated to be the bearer of bad news, he couldn’t lie to the kid.
“I’m sure there will be a lot of surprises. But I don’t want you to be scared. This may be a different world, but they want us here. Nobody is going to hurt you.”
“I would feel a lot better if they let us stay together.”
“Me, too,” Sebastian told him honestly.
“Attention passengers.” The voice was back. “We have arrived at the docking bay and will start to disembark momentarily.”
Sebastian grabbed ahold of Aaron’s hand and pulled him back down the corridor to the room with the pods.
“To help us expedite this process, it would be helpful if you could form a single file line. Thank you.”
Sebastian let the other passengers step in front of him. Most of them seemed to know what was happening, even if he didn’t. Once everyone was in line, they started moving.
He kept Aaron close to his side as they exited the room and headed back down the corridor. There wasn’t much to see except sleek, silver walls that rose to an arched ceiling overhead and the grated floors beneath his feet. He kept his steps light since he was barefoot and the metal was a bit harsh on his soles. They didn’t exit the ship as they had entered on a conveyer belt. This time, they were led down a series of staircases and out a different door.
Glancing around, Sebastian realized that they were in some sort of starship hangar. It looked as if all the ships in the Glecerus fleet were lined up across a great distance as far as the eye could see. He wanted to explore, but it seemed their guide had other plans.
The group, which Sebastian only just realized consisted of half the numbers than before, was quickly ushered into an elevator. He exchanged a few looks with Aaron, but neither of them spoke since nobody else in the group seemed to be in a chatty mood.
When the doors opened, Sebastian tilted his head to get a better view. He tried to take in his new surroundings, but from one minute to the next, he found himself completely overwhelmed. In this room, there were several stations set up, each one resembling a medical exam room. Except here, there was no privacy. Metal tables. Medical implements. Tubes and wires. And other tools he didn’t recognize decorated each space.
Sebastian wasn’t sure what was going to happen next. He tried to appear calm because he didn’t want to frighten Aaron any more than he already was. The kid was holding his arm in a death grip, digging his blunt fingernails into Sebastian’s flesh.
“What are they going to do to us?” he hissed frantically.
“I don’t know, but remember what I told you. They’re not going to hurt you, Aaron.” Sebastian carefully peeled Aaron’s fingers from his arm. “Be strong.”
A Glecerian male walked up to the group, holding a tablet in his hand. “When you hear your name, please walk down the aisle to the first available station for your treatment.” There was a short pause before he said, “Aaron Butler.”
“What?” Aaron gasped. “I’m first?”
“Just walk down the aisle. You can do it.”
Aaron shot him a disgruntled look before stepping away from the group. He dragged his feet against the floor as he moved down the aisle. The Glecerian reading off their names didn’t seem to notice Aaron’s reaction. He stayed focused on his task.
“Anthony Oliver. Austin Edwards. Bobby Bradshaw. Bryson Garrett. Charles Merritt.”
Sebastian stood silently, watching the men leave the group. One by one, they were called away.
“Dale Williamson. Daniel Barlow. Dennis Osborne. Edwin Underwood. Eli Shaw. Eric Wilson. Evan Meyers. George Larson.”
The list went on and on until finally his name was called. Sebastian made his way to the fir
st available station. He stood beside the table, waiting for the Glecerian to acknowledge his presence.
“Name?” the male asked.
He looked similar to the other aliens, except his hair was cut short, and he was wearing a light blue jumpsuit.
“Sebastian Cain.”
He scribbled something down on a computerized notepad with the pad of his finger. “Take off your clothing, please.”
“Why? What’s going on?”
“Now is not the time for questions,” he said, his voice firm but soft. “You volunteered to be here. You were given the manual so you know what is expected of you. Please, strip down. We don’t have a lot of time.”
Sebastian wanted to object. The words sat on his tongue, ready to be spat out. But as he glanced around the room at the other men, he realized the only thing he could do was cooperate. Sebastian pulled off the loose-fitting pajamas and dropped them to the floor. He climbed up on the table and lay down. A chill ran through his body, and he shivered involuntarily. He was prepared to be cold, but to his surprise, the table was warm and comfortable. The table wasn’t metal. It seemed to be some sort of gel material that cushioned his body.
The Glecerian didn’t waste any time. He grabbed hold of a hose, lifting it over Sebastian. He pressed his thumb against a flashing light, and warm purplish fluid poured out from the nozzle, splashing onto Sebastian’s chest.
“What is that?”
“Keep your mouth closed. You don’t want to swallow any of these chemicals.”
Sebastian clamped his mouth shut, sealing his lips together. He tilted his head back, doing his best to avoid getting any off the liquid on his face.
“Close your eyes so I can wash your hair and face.”
Sebastian cringed but did as he was told. He took a deep breath and held it as the chemical-infused water ran over his face and through his hair. He slowly exhaled out of his nose, so that none of the liquid entered his nasal passage. The Glecerian placed the hose on the table beside Sebastian’s hip, and the liquid ran down his backside. When two strong hands touched Sebastian’s leg, his eyes flew open, and he yelped in surprise.
The other male ignored him as he moved his palms up and down Sebastian’s body, scrubbing him with some kind of coarse, sweet-smelling soap.
Sebastian stared up at the ceiling the entire time, refusing to make eye contact with the other man. He kept reminding himself that he’d signed up for this. He volunteered to become a mate.
The groomer, as Sebastian started to refer to the male inside his mind, scrubbed Sebastian’s body multiple times with different types of soap. He gave Sebastian a manicure and pedicure, buffing his nails until they shined. He washed, conditioned, and trimmed Sebastian’s hair. And the damn alien gave him a series of inoculations in his abdomen.
When Sebastian didn’t think it was possible for the groomer to do anything else to him, the male waved a metal wand over him, front and back, removing his body hair, the only exception being the top of his head and eyebrows. Every crack and crevice was clean and hairless.
“Turn your head.”
Sebastian hesitated for only a moment. He turned his head to the side and watched the man closely. The Glecerian gently grasped Sebastian’s earlobe with one hand and held a foreign piece of medical equipment with the other.
“What is that?” he asked.
A cool puff of air shot into his ear canal. Sebastian gasped in surprise. He tried to jerk away, but the other man kept him from moving. Within seconds, sharp pain shot through his head, and Sebastian cried out. It hurt. Moisture filled his eyes, tears welling up, threatening to spill over, but he refused to cry. He didn’t want to appear weak.
“It’s a language translator. You’ll be able to understand and speak many different languages.”
“You put something in my head?”
“It’s perfectly safe.”
Sebastian scoffed. Yeah, I’m sure it is. The Glecerian grabbed a tightly sealed bag and brought it over to the table.
“Your treatment is complete.” He helped Sebastian to sit up and placed the bag on Sebastian’s lap, discreetly covering his cock. “All you need to do is get dressed, and then I’ll escort you to the dormitory.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He smiled, flashing a row of perfectly white teeth. His features instantly changed, all the hard lines softening. Now that Sebastian was looking at him, really looking, he had to admit that the other male was attractive.
Sebastian slid off the side of the table, holding the bag over his crotch. He didn’t really need to hide his nudity after lying on the table for hours, but Sebastian still turned away. He ripped open the bag and pulled out a pair of loose-fitting pajamas. They were similar to the ones he’d been given on the starship, white and soft. Sebastian pulled the pants on first, adjusting the waistband so that they sat low on his hips. He grabbed the shirt, shaking it out. He noticed the number 28 on the back but ignored it as he pulled it on over his head.
“Shoes.” The Glecerian dropped a pair to the floor in front of Sebastian.
“My feet thank you,” he said, slipping the shoes on his feet.
“Are you ready to go to the dormitory?”
Sebastian nodded. “Sure.”
Chapter Four
The walk over to the dormitory was uneventful and a little disappointing in Sebastian’s opinion. He was hoping to see more of Glecerus, but his groomer merely walked him out of the treatment room and down a short hallway to another spacious room.
There were sixty twin-sized beds in four perfectly straight lines. Each one had a black trunk located at the foot of the bed. There was an entertainment area, with a large screen mounted to the wall and a bunch of chairs that created a semi-circle facing it. The walls were plain and gray, except for five door-sized pieces of translucent glass. The cameras drew Sebastian’s attention. They were installed at various points along the ceiling. And he knew they were cameras because they were similar to the ones inside the Justice Building. But who was watching them and why?
Sebastian walked along the wall, searching the crowd, looking for Aaron. The men were in small groups, carrying on various conversations about their former lives on Earth and their expectations of the males on Glecerus.
“Hi,” an overly cheerful voice said, breaking into Sebastian’s thoughts and capturing his attention. The young man looked up at Sebastian with a big smile plastered on his face. He had hazel eyes, shaggy honey-brown hair, and dimples. “I’m George Larson, but my friends call me Georgie. What’s your name?”
“Sebastian Cain.”
“Wasn’t the treatment just divine?” His eyes lit up with excitement. “My skin is so smooth. I can’t stop touching myself.” Georgie ran his right hand up and down his left arm in a petting motion.
“Yeah,” Sebastian said sarcastically. “It was something.”
“They had to remove all the dirt, bacteria, and nasty germs that might be on our skin. It wouldn’t be good if something from Earth was introduced into their system. It could have deadly consequences.”
“Huh.” The way Georgie explained things made perfect sense. “Let me guess, you read the manual.”
“Only about a hundred times.” He chuckled. “I’m prepared for life on Glecerus or one of the other planets that they have an open trade agreement with.”
“Open trade agreement?”
“Jeez, I hope they take us on the tour soon,” he said, changing the subject. “I can’t wait to see the tunnels and the bridges and caverns. The whole world is inside the planet. It’s amazing!” Georgie grinned. “The market place is supposed to be fantastic. You can buy things from other planets, as long as they have an open trade agreement with Glecerus, of course.”
“Of course,” Sebastian agreed, even though he didn’t have a clue what Georgie was talking about. “How do they buy things? Do they have money?”
“They have a form of money called agorot. But the Glecerians only need to purchase th
ings they want because everyone is supplied with the things they need, although title, rank, and family name do come into consideration. But all the people of Glecerus have a home, food, and clothing. It’s an amazing system, really.”
“Title, rank, and family name.” Sebastian shook his head. “What does that mean?”
“Well, I can give you an example.” At Sebastian’s nod, Georgie continued. “The Glecerian warriors are given better living quarters because of their job title. Warriors take greater risks. They defend the planet and fight to keep their people safe. Therefore, they are given some extra privileges.”
“I see.”
“There are a lot of different levels and sections to this planet so where a person lives is based on what family they were born into. And there’s only one mode of transportation inside this planet.” He flashed another brilliant smile, and then whispered, “Boat.” He laughed, obviously thrilled with this bit of news. “I really hope that my mate is from the other side of the planet because I want to ride on a boat.”
Sebastian could only stare at the man in amazement. Thank goodness for Georgie. He was a walking, talking manual.
“Did you get a manual when you volunteered?” Georgie asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.
“I did, but I’m not as smart as you. I didn’t bother to read the damn thing.”
“He’s a wealth of knowledge.” Aaron said, joining them.
“Where have you been?” Sebastian asked.
“I almost had a meltdown in the treatment room. And Georgie helped me out. He told the aliens that I couldn’t read and that’s why I was scared, so they let me watch his treatment so that I would know what to expect.”
“That was really nice of you, Georgie. Thanks for taking care of Aaron.”
“No problem.” He practically beamed at the compliment.
“Yeah, well, now the aliens think I’m a moron.” Aaron chuckled.