“Crath wouldn’t have abandoned a slave. We’re protective of females. Did you happen to see any scars on him?”
She gave a nod. “He had one on his neck.” She reached up and pointed at her own to show where it was located.
That seemed to excite the lion guy. “That’s my brother. What happened next?”
“We ran. He told me that he had a shuttle hidden to get us off the planet, and he’d take me somewhere safe. He also said my timing was perfect, since they were just about to move him to a more secure location. Only…we didn’t make it. A group of aliens caught us. We both fought, but they shot him with some kind of knockout darts. Me too. Next thing I knew, I woke up in another cell. There were two green aliens that looked like toads in the cell with me. They wanted to know if I was ‘the Tressie’s life-lock.’”
“Tryleskian.”
“Sorry. I’m new with alien names. That sounds right. I told them I didn’t know. Then they asked me where he was taking me. I lied, saying I wasn’t sure. I had hoped that he’d escape a second time and maybe he’d come back to take me to his shuttle. He was my only hope.”
“I’m sure Crath would have come back for you if he were able. Are you his life-lock?”
“I still don’t know what that means.”
“His mate?”
Jill was stunned. “No! I mean, we said like twenty words max to each other. If even that. We were running for our lives.” A memory surfaced. “He mentioned his brother!” She stared up at him. “You?”
“What did he say?”
“‘My brother will help you stay safe.’ I think those were his exact words.”
The tall male sighed. “That makes sense. Crath must have meant our older brother. Cathian and some males on his crew have life-locked to human females, including our cousin. You’d call it marriage. We’ve joked that The Vorge has become a human sanctuary for females. Do you know where they took my brother?”
She tried to think, focusing on being locked in that tiny room where she was questioned. Something else clicked. “They said I might see him again if he won me in a fight. They laughed, saying that was the most likely outcome since the overlord would find weaker males to go against him to make sure he stayed alive. I was pretty beat up and not feeling well. Then the toad aliens took me to another place. It was a dark cell, and I was shivering from the cold. One gave me a blanket. I passed out, sure I was going to die. And then…I woke here.”
Cavas stepped forward and offered his hand once more. “Let’s get you cleaned and fed. Did you ever hear of something called the pits?”
She’d taken his hand to ease herself off the tall med bed, but froze at his question, staring directly into his eyes. Jill nodded warily.
He leaned in, getting close. He did have beautiful eyes. The shape and golden color reminded her of the eyes of a lion. She didn’t fear him…but she did fear the memory of Cia’s stories.
“What do you know about the pits? It’s important.”
“Cia said our master was a regular at the pits, which is also called the arena. That was another reason never to make him angry. It’s somewhere deep in the desert, where arrested criminals are sent if they’re sentenced to die. The prisoners are forced to fight each other to the death to entertain the rich. They bet large sums of money on the outcomes. Cia insisted all the men who go bring one or two of their sex slaves to the fights. It’s like a status thing, to show us off to their friends…but she warned that sometimes, it’s also how owners get rid of slaves they grow tired of or angry with. Owners bet on a fighter and offer their slaves as rewards, extra incentives to the criminals if their wagers win.” Jill shuddered. “She also told me what happens then. If it’s true, it’s a nightmare.”
He helped her off the table to stand. “What?”
She gazed up at him, craning her neck because he was almost a foot taller, and he stood so close. “The slaves are thrown into the arena from the stands. Only one person ever walks out of the arena alive. That’s the rule. The women are raped and then murdered by the criminals who win the fights. If they make it extra entertaining for the audience, by prolonging the abuse, they’re offered more incentives…extra food, time off to heal before their next fight.”
He snarled.
She snatched her hand of out his. The sound he’d made was terrifying.
Cavas backed away. “My anger isn’t directed at you. Apologies. The idea that Crath might have been taken to fight for his life…that’s what upsets me. You’re in no danger. I give my vow.”
“You believe they took him to the pits?”
“It fits. Tryleskians mostly run that planet. To have one fight would draw spectators. My brother is an excellent fighter. The criminal who took him might want to make some money off Crath.”
She nodded hesitantly. “I’d really like that shower and clean clothing now. You said there are other humans here? Could I meet them?”
He nodded. “Of course. Follow me.”
Cavas tried to get a handle on his boiling rage. Had Beltsen Vellar known how sick and twisted his old friend Trevis had become? What had his father been thinking by putting Crath’s life into a criminal’s hands?
He opened the door to the guest cabin next to his and waved the female inside. “You never told me your name.”
She entered, openly gazing around. “Jill. This is very nice.”
“It’s your new home for now.”
She spun quickly. “I live alone? No one is going to bother me?”
“Yes, alone. This is your private cabin. No one on The Vorge will harm you in any way. As a matter of fact, all the male crew members, besides the Pods, are already life-locked to females. It means they would not have an interest in you.”
“The Pods?”
“Small white aliens.” He demonstrated their low height with a motion of his hand. “The Pods don’t take mates or have sex with others. When they reproduce, they just decide to, and they have little Pods on their own. I should also warn you that they can read minds. It’s not something they do to invade your privacy. It’s just as natural to them as us seeing or hearing with our senses. They don’t share what they learn with others, unless my brother has concerns. Cathian might ask them to scan your thoughts to make sure you’re not a threat to his crew or this ship.”
That stunned her. “Me? Is that a joke?” She wanted to snort. Then Jill remembered that she’d already told him she’d killed the alien who’d bought her. “The bug alien’s death was self-defense. I can’t say I’m sorry he’s dead, but I didn’t want to be raped.”
His expression softened. “I’m glad the slave owner is dead. No one here would think badly of you for that. Truly. If you’re unsure whether I’m being honest, or believe this is a trick to falsely earn your trust, maybe thinking of doing something rash or trying to escape…there’s no need for that. This ship is a human sanctuary. All the females willingly agreed to life-lock with the males they’re with. They have deep feelings for each other. Tryleskians with honor do not believe in slavery or rape. We abhor it. Cathian is the ambassador who represents the residents from our home world. He’s also my brother. We have honor, Jill.”
She stared at him with trepidation. It reminded him of how fragile her race must feel around aliens that were bigger and stronger. Humans didn’t have sharp teeth, claws, or even the muscle mass to defend themselves against most alien kind.
“You’ve been through a lot, from what you’ve shared with me, including your own planet Earth betraying you.” He reached up and touched his chest. “I give my solemn vow that everything I say to you is true. The Vorge is a sanctuary. On your planet, does that word translate into a safe place to live, where no harm befalls you?”
“Yes.”
“No male will force anything on you. You are not a slave anymore. This is your home.”
She opened her mouth, then closed it.
“My cousin’s life-lock, Lilly, has family on Earth. It’s not safe for her to visit but my brothe
r said she communicates with them every few weeks using the bridge to call home. We know your planet hasn’t been honest with your people about selling females to other races, nor have they admitted to nearly causing wars by their actions in space. They’ve attacked a peaceful planet to steal from them. There have been more transgressions, but that is the most widely known. It wouldn’t be safe to send you back. Those in power on Earth could kill you to prevent their lies from being exposed.”
“That sounds about right.” Her thin shoulders slumped. “I already figured out I can’t ever go home. They’d just sell me again, especially after I’ve been labeled a criminal.”
She looked too defenseless to ever be a threat. “You said not having a job is a crime there?”
“Apparently. That’s what they said when they showed up at my place to arrest me, two hours after I quit my job.”
“Why did you quit?”
“My boss was a creep. He wanted me to blow him. I flat-out refused, so he tried to force me. I had to punch him in the face to get away, and I immediately quit. I knew I couldn’t ever go back.”
“Blow?” He didn’t know that term.
Her pale cheeks turned pink. It was oddly attractive. “All employers have access to our medical records. He must have looked mine up, because he knew I wasn’t on an implant to prevent pregnancy. That meant he couldn’t have sex with me. Instead, he decided my mouth would work just as well. It’s called oral sex. Putting my mouth on his dick. Is that clear enough to understand what he wanted? He had grabbed my hair and tried to push me to my knees in front of him. I fought back and got away.”
Anger boiled under Cavas’s skin yet again. “Why wasn’t he arrested? He should have been stripped of power, whipped, and locked away for such a crime.”
The pink left her cheeks, and she studied him again before speaking. “It used to be like that. I mean, men got punished for sexually assaulting women, but then the birthrates drastically changed over several decades. Women fought hard for equality ages ago, but it all went to hell real fast when there were way fewer boys than girls being born. You’d think women would rule then, but that wasn’t the case. Men were given unfair advantages, including jobs that put them in charge and earning more money.
“Bottom line—men are rare. Women are plenty. To put a man in prison is seen as a bad thing, since men have sperm. They control who can have babies, with some women even paying huge amounts of money for the privilege. A man would have to kill a few people just to be considered dangerous enough to be arrested. Crimes like beating up a woman or even sexual assault are…”
She trailed off, shaking her head. “The police will just tell you to stay away from the man to avoid it happening again. Most women don’t even bother to file charges. There’s no point, since they won’t do anything to the men. I had a friend who was raped a few years ago. Do you know what the cops said to her?”
Cavas tried to imagine a world like that. He couldn’t. It sounded horrible for the females. “What?”
“That she should feel lucky—because he managed to get her pregnant during the attack. She didn’t have to pay some guy a huge fee to birth a baby. She ended up having to give her daughter up for adoption to a rich woman, since she could barely support herself. How in the hell was that lucky? It broke her heart.”
“That’s tragic.” He couldn’t imagine having to give a child to someone else. “Would you like to communicate with your family on Earth? I’m sure the crew would be happy to do it.”
The human turned, peering around the room. “I don’t have anyone left…but thank you for the offer. You said something about a shower? Is it here? I’ve never been on a spaceship before. The cage in the cargo hold didn’t really count.”
He moved around her, leading her to the bathroom and showing her how to use everything. She kept her distance, seeming almost fearful. Cavas felt a bit sorry for her. After all she’d been through, he could understand her mistrust. He exited the bathroom but paused at the door.
“I’ll send a female to you with clothing. Is it permissible if she enters your cabin while you get clean? That way, you’ll have an Earth face and female to speak to when you’re done.”
She nodded.
“I’ll leave now. She’ll make sure you’re fed, too.”
He’d barely left her cabin before he’d touched the ship’s communication device, activating it for the entire crew to hear. “I need one of the life-locks in our guest’s quarters. The female needs clothing and food. Whoever comes can just enter while she’s showering. Her name is Jill. I’m going to be on the bridge searching the planet’s surface for the fighting arena.”
Cathian answered immediately. “An arena?”
Cavas’s fury returned. “It seems our youngest littermate might be fighting for his life to amuse those bastards. Yorlian Trevis hosts death matches somewhere in the desert for the entertainment of his wealthy residents.”
His older brother snarled. “I’ll meet you on the bridge. Nara will take the new female clothing. I’ll have Midgel prepare her a favorite Earth dish and drop it off.”
Cavas didn’t need to hear more. The rescued female would be tended to. Crath needed to be found and rescued before he was murdered.
Then they could deal with their father.
Chapter Three
Jill finally felt clean, and whatever the robot had done to her was appreciated. All her injuries were healing at an accelerated rate. The bruises had already faded completely. She wrapped a towel around her body and hesitantly opened the door to peer into the large cabin.
The sight of two human women waiting about eight feet away was a relief. The lion man alien hadn’t lied to her. She stepped out, studying them. She couldn’t help but look for signs of abuse, but she found none. They weren’t even wearing collars, or one of the wristbands that could cause pain—something else Cia had warned her about.
“I’m Nara,” the blonde greeted. “This is Sara. Welcome to The Vorge. It’s a big ambassador vessel from the planet Tryleskian. My husband—otherwise known as a life-lock—is Cathian, the captain and ambassador of this space love boat.” She grinned.
The brunette with big green eyes smiled, as well. “We call it that now as a joke. Earth sold me, too. Cavas said they did the same to you. Our home world sucks.” She held a folded pile of clothing in her arms. “These are for you. My mate York overbuys for me, so I donated my clothes until we can get you some of your own. Keep them if you want.”
“I’m Jillian Yates. Call me Jill.” She glanced between them. “Are we really safe here?”
Sara set the clothing down—then surprised her with a hug. “Yes.”
Jill felt the rounded bump of her stomach, and she gasped, looking between them when Sara backed up. The woman touched her slightly extended belly and grinned. “I’m carrying a blue baby in there. At least I hope this kid looks like York. He’s a Parri. Think big and blue.”
Sara was pregnant with an alien! Jill had heard it was possible, been warned her womb might be rented out, but to actually know it was true came as a shock. “You’re happy about it?”
“Yep! We tried hard to get pregnant.” Sara winked. “I love York. I take it you haven’t been in space long?”
Jill shook her head. “About a month. I think. Time is hard to keep track of.”
Nara came closer. “I read your medical scans. I hope that doesn’t offend you. I wanted to know what we were dealing with. I’m kind of in charge of the humans onboard. We don’t have a counselor for therapy, but we’re here if you want to talk to someone about whatever horrors you were exposed to. The scans done on you showed no signs of sexual abuse, but you were beaten. Is that correct?” she asked gently.
Jill nodded. She just hoped they didn’t ask for details. She shared enough with Cavas. She didn’t want to go over them again, or even think about the alien bug jerk who’d died. It still made her shudder.
Sara looked relieved. “We’re glad the scans were right. I mean, a beati
ng is bad enough, but it could have been much worse. I was lucky enough to be rescued before the sicko alien who bought me was able to pick me up. He owned a harem of sex slaves. I had to stay in a shelter for a bit with other alien women who’d been forced into slavery. Let’s just say that people from Earth aren’t well-liked by aliens. That’s how I met York. He was nice to me, and not prejudiced like so many others.”
“I met Cathian after getting arrested for smuggling medicine for sick people. It was bullshit. They gave me a choice of going to prison, where I’d have become food for the inmates, or becoming a sex slave for a year. This crew bought my contract for their captain, and…we fell in love!”
Nara chuckled. “The point is, nothing you’ve been through will shock us. The other two humans on this ship are Mari and Lilly. Mari’s parents sold her into slavery as a kid, which was just shitty. Luckily, the aliens who bought her put her to work as a mechanic. She wasn’t severely abused but they did a number on her head. She had the whole slave mentality down pat. Then she was freed and got a job on our ship, and Dovis fell in love with her. Lilly was kidnapped off a ship while working on a research vessel and sold to a whorehouse. She broke free before her first customer could hurt her and ran straight into Raff, and they’re together now. He’s my husband’s cousin.”
Sara nodded. “Dovis is like an alien werewolf shifter. Don’t freak out when you see him. He looks scary but he won’t hurt you. Also, don’t flip out if you see a stranger who almost looks human, but not quite. That’s Dovis when he’s not in werewolf form. But since he and Mari got together, he sticks to being in skin more.”
Jill glanced between them, her mind spinning. “Okay.”
“We’re dumping too much information on you, aren’t we? Sorry.” Nara motioned to the table. “Are you hungry? We brought you clothing and food.”
Cavas (The Vorge Crew Book 5) Page 3