by C. Baely
“We won’t stay here! I refuse, and I’ll keep running away until you get fed up with it and let me go, so you might as well let us go now!” she screamed at the alien.
“You’re not going anywhere.” Another voice from behind her nearly startled her out of her skin. The new voice affected Orora, who jerked behind Sara reacting to the masculine sound. Sara looked back instinctively to her friend. Orora ogled the man, the blood draining from her face. She stared wildly in different directions, searching for an escape route. She gasped, realizing there was nowhere to go. Her hand rose mechanically to her mouth and a choking sound slipped from her lips.
Sara pushed herself in front of her friend and backed them both away until Orora suddenly stopped. It seemed they had hit a tree. They could go no farther for now. Sara stopped and prepared to stand her ground, so to speak, seeing as they were sitting.
Archail tilted his head curiously to the side. He blinked. “Why did you run?” He stood there peacefully. None of his body language or the look in his eyes seemed malicious or angry. He seemed merely curious. Dar on the other hand seemed shifted his weight from one leg to the other and rubbed the back of his neck showing obvious signs of irritation and impatience.
Sara opened her mouth ready to speak, but her voice came out somewhat broken, so she swallowed a deep breath and tried again. “I will not stand by and let you slaughter us like animals. You have no right to take our lives, these new lives we’ve been given. We just arrived on this planet, and you’re already talking about killing us? What kind of people are you?” She’d never spoken positively about being brought back to life until now. She really did have a new life, Even if it was on this strange, accursed planet. And even though she had welcomed death back on Earth, her survival instincts had obviously been restored with her youth. “What?” Sara asked.
Dar scratched his cheek seeming absentminded, looking very confused and even more irritated than before.
Archail rubbed his chin for a moment, looking equally confused. “Where did you get this idea?”
Orora finally spoke up in a small, frightened voice from behind Sara. “I-I heard you! Y-you said you’d kill us, Dar. You spoke with another man about the women before us who died because of th-that injection!”
Archail and Dar gazed at each other. The Vasil pressed his lips tight, looking very disappointed. His subordinate immediately went on the defensive. “I told her nothing. Of this I am certain. I was going to explain a few things today, but she disappeared before I could even begin. You were going to do the same, were you not?”
“I was, but if you did not tell her, then who did? Did someone impersonate you and your voice?” Archail asked accusingly.
“No! I heard it straight from him and another while I was pretending to be unconscious on the ground!” stated Orora fiercely, her courage increasing as she continued to speak from behind Sara’s shoulder. “I heard them talking. They thought I was still unconscious. It’s true! You were going to kill us!”
“Enough!” Archail’s voice boomed out, scaring the nearby wildlife enough to flee before the forest once again went quiet. Orora hid behind Sara once more as Sara puffed out her chest, her protective instincts not letting up. “All you need to know for now.” Archail paused shaking his head thoughtfully, as he stared the women down emphasizing each word he spoke, sounding a little calmer than a moment ago. “Is that you will not be killed by anyone. You have my word on that.”
Sara still looked at him suspiciously, but she didn’t move when he came closer and extended his big, long hand to her, offering to help her up. She looked at it for what seemed a long time, before turning her gaze to his. “And you expect us to just take your word on that?” she spat out.
“I expect you to do as you are told, or there will be consequences.” There was a threatening promise in his words that seemed directed at her alone. He turned to Dar and exchanged a silent glance that looked like an unspoken warning. “Take them back. I will follow shortly.”
Dar nodded and moved toward the women, but Sara quickly rose. Orora rose with her, staying close by her side, but her eyes followed Dar as they walked. She kept her gaze on him, and Sara wasn’t sure if Orora was glancing with worry or attraction. She considered if Dar had seduced her or made false promises like Archail. Was Archail really telling the truth? Sara wondered silently as her feet automatically reacted to changes in the path they walked. If any fallen branches blocked the way, she stepped over them. If there was a tree trunk or large rock, she’d step around it. The same went for any stream or rock they encountered.
Time slowed for Sara as her mind wandered into uncharted territory. She’d never been in a situation like this before. What was she supposed to do? What was going to happen to them, and could she resist it? Did they have any choice whatsoever in what would happen here?
“Sara.” Orora placed a small hand on Sara’s shoulder, bringing her thoughts back to reality. “We’re back.”
Sara looked around, soaking in the sudden change, before turning toward Orora. A large blue hand closed over Orora’s shoulder and startled the young woman. Sara’s hand instinctively gripped Orora’s wrist as her eyes met Dar’s.
Dar simply stared back, in cold indifference, with Sara’s quiet protective instincts. “I need not remind you that Orora is mine. Archail has already told you to obey, and it would be best for you not to cross him,” proclaimed Dar, his voice clean and clear.
Sara’s auburn hair splayed out as she shook her head and refused to let go. “I don’t care. I still don’t trust you.”
One of his brows rose, and the next words he spoke were in a low warning tone, yet unexpectedly sincere. “You will not disrespect me. Archail has told you everything you need to know at this time, and he has not lied.” Dar’s eyes still had something behind them, something left unsaid. She didn’t get a chance to question him, because he took Orora away without another word and quietly made his way toward the rock wall.
Sara’s thoughts once again troubled her as she walked back to the lake clearing. She was forced to forget about Orora for now, but her friend’s words still echoed in her mind.
Why did those women before die? What did Archail mean when he said, ‘to be united by blood,’ when the human women and Pradorian males were lined up earlier that day? She then recalled the women’s expressions when they assembled before Archail that morning. What had happened to them? Were they forced to do something horrible?
Why is this ceremony mentioned so often, and why is it so important? She recalled Archail mentioning it, too, just before he let Dar leave. This was getting more and more confusing by the minute. She had so many questions, but the more she learned, the more confused she became.
Maybe Archail was responsible for the women’s deaths and had accepted the consequences for whatever might go wrong again. Isn’t that what Dar had meant when he had let slip about consequences earlier? Had it been an accident? Or was Archail a killer? An unnerving chill ran down her spine.
With him still in her thoughts, she walked by the lakeside until she stopped abruptly. Just a few feet away from her was Archail, lying naked on the brown sand. His hands covered his eyes, so she was sure he hadn’t seen her. Since he wasn’t moving, Sara felt it was safe to stand there and observe him carefully. He was a strange male, she thought. Sometimes he was tender and caring, like the last few days when she was recovering, but there was another side to him. He was a hunter, a warrior, and a predator. Could he be a killer? She watched him. Or was he the caring male she had come to know during the past few days? Her questions ran wild in her mind as she observed him carefully.
His body lay stretched out in the sun, his muscles outlined like a bronze-sculpted statue of a Greek god, yet he looked dark and distant too. Her eyes moved down his body, regarding the stretched skin on his stomach and abdomen. She observed the tight muscles and flat bulging skin. She raised her eyebrows in amazement, as her eyes moved lower between his strong, thick thighs. Her attention was drawn to a large, r
ising bulge that stretched his skin and looked like it would rip open at any minute. What is that? It grew even bigger. A surgical line in his skin then parted enough for a protruding male member to rise freely to its full length.
Sara was aghast as she realized she had just witnessed the great Pradorian getting an erection. She backed away slowly, praying he wouldn’t notice her presence.
“Are you leaving already?” His thick, deep voice caused her to freeze.
Her heart raced, and her mind panicked. Trying to find something to say, she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. “I… I was just passing through, observing the plants.” She realized how stupid that sounded before she even finished her sentence.
“Were you now?” A gentle sarcasm embedded in his words.
She watched him cautiously as he rose to stand. His yellow-flecked eyes stared at hers searchingly, as if they anticipated finding something. Maybe they were probing for her thoughts as she had observed him.
That thought made blood rise to her cheeks and her eyelids lower like a thick red curtain, hiding her eyes from his searching gaze.
“Did you see anything you liked?” He spoke softly, toying with her now as he came even closer.
She swallowed hard. Her throat felt dry, and her pulse was now beating stronger, echoing in the depths of her ears.
“No,” she said, feeling cornered by his closeness.
Archail smiled. “I have a feeling you did like something,” he said again, close enough to touch her now.
“Yes… I mean no!” She corrected herself quickly and wondered how fast she could run to escape his torturous toying.
“Which is it Sara: yes or no?” He kept his voice low, his smile dangerous and masculine at the same time. Sara tried not to be afraid as his hand rose to cup her warm cheek, gently forcing her face upward. “Maybe we should find out.” It sounded more like a threat than a promise.
Sara wanted to back away from him, but her feet wouldn’t obey. It was as if the sand itself was holding her in place. Feeling his touch—a touch that was warm, gentle, and pleasant—she reminded herself that she didn’t want this to happen. She opened her mouth to protest, but before any sound came out, Archail had claimed her open mouth with his own.
His lips touched hers firmly. His tongue at first tasted her, but without waiting, he probed deeper into her mouth, tasting more of her and trying to trigger a response in her.
She was shocked at first by his onslaught, and she remained still beneath his persistent perusal of her mouth. But to her surprise, she found his warm taste quite pleasing and arousing. She felt sensations that were new to her, and without thinking of the danger, she opened her lips further, allowing him free access to her mouth.
When a soft moan escaped her lips, he took the liberty of allowing his hands to follow their own path. His left hand circled around her, supporting her back and pressing her closer to his aroused body, while the right hand slipped easily under her short top, claiming one of her juicy, full breasts. He cupped it in his large hand and made soft circling moves with a finger around her rising red bud, sending pleasure throughout her now trembling body.
Lost in the ecstasy he evoked within her, Sara moaned once in pleasure and again in protest as his mouth left her lips to follow the path of his right hand, meeting the rosy peak of her breast. The sensation of his mouth on her aroused peak, felt like burning lava liquidating everything in its path. As the sensation traveled lower through her body, it created kindling flames in the depths of her female center. Sara’s moans deepened, and as her knees weakened from under her, she felt herself falling.
Archail lowered her gently in his strong arms. Sara landed softly on the sand below as he continued to pleasure her body.
Sara lost herself in the sensations of divine pleasure as he kept teasing her breast. With one lustful lick after another, his tongue wet her. Soft, slow nips with his teeth played along her nipple, and his sucking made her body crave more. Logic played no part in her mind anymore. She was lost in the promise of pleasurable fulfillment. Her blood pounded through her veins, leading her deeper down this flaming path. Her body arched, meeting his touch with eagerness and yearning for more of him.
“Yes,” Archail moaned, in a low passionate growl. “Yes, my little one.” He drew back away from her for a moment and impatiently pulled aside the small colorful skirt she was wearing. He then positioned himself between her legs and pressed the hard tip of his arousal against the soft, wet entrance of her burning center.
He was ready to push deep inside her when the aroused haze of Sara’s mind cleared and she realized what she was about to do. She was about to give herself to a male who was holding her captive, a male who was using her and had done the same to others like her. This male, an alien, had probably killed others like her. Had she gone insane?
“No.”
He pushed slightly, pressing her entrance to open for him.
“No!” She yelled this time and pushed his chest as hard as she could. She hit him as she tried to force him off her. “Stop!” she yelled, hitting him again, this time on his jaw to emphasize her words.
Archail went still for a moment that seemed like an eternity, his face as hard as a granite stone, and his breathing coming in sharp gasps as he held himself still.
Sara held perfectly still, watching the battle for control rage in his eyes. Finally, he managed to calm himself and regain his wits enough to look down at Sara’s face. He was still on top of her, and the tip of his arousal had broken through her soft entrance. She held her breath and waited. Archail pulled away from her in a decisive movement. Standing up straight, he looked down at her his brows furrowing low above dark gold eyes, before saying in a cold, drawn voice, “I am not a rapist, but next time you want to play, think carefully about how far you want things to go.” He then turned his broad back to her and walked away.
* * *
Archail swam in the lake, choosing to linger in the soothing waters for a long while before swimming ashore and donning his long leather cover.
He heard a noise between the trees and, watching carefully, saw his second-in-command approach. “Dar,” he called out, “What brings you this way?”
“I was asked to inform you that the ceremony will now take place earlier, within seven rises of the moons.” Dar imparted the information in a formal, distant voice.
“I see,” Archail said thoughtfully.
Dar hesitated for a second before speaking. “I will need to report back to the council. Is she informed yet, my Vasil?”
Archail shook his head. “I am aware of the council needing to hear of this.” His thoughts weighed heavily on his mind. “She will be informed tonight.”
Dar looked straight into Archail’s eyes. “We all know how crucial time is, don’t we?”
Archail stared back at his second-in-command. “Time hasn’t been a problem for us for quite some time now. Has it, Dar?”
“We made our choices long ago, Archail, and we have to live with them. Now it is their turn.” Dar stepped forward. He placed a hand on Archail’s shoulder. “If you have doubts about this, you can end it. You don’t have to go through with this. You weren’t meant to.”
Archail covered the hand on his shoulder with his own and patted it. “You may go. Tell them to be ready within seven moon cycles. She will be there willingly,” he said, ending the subject decisively.
Dar pulled back before replying, “The others agreed immediately. It will be very simple to achieve.”
Archail looked down for a moment, seeming to observe the ground. He looked up to Dar, his eyebrows softly lifting. His eyes looked slightly unfocused as though his mind was somewhere else. “Given the choice, I don’t see how any of them could say no.”
“Orora has agreed,” Dar proudly informed Archail.
Archail nodded curtly and grinned at his friend before glancing back toward his home. His smile melted away. “So there is one left.” He then left Dar to watch him walk away,
determination in his steps.
Chapter 8
The sun slowly descended toward the horizon, spreading its auburn light over the forest and setting the trees afire with color as they danced and swayed in the soft breeze.
Archail walked for some time, taking the longer path around an outcropping, so he would have the time to put his thoughts in order. He knew what he had to do. He had to succeed, and judging by her actions so far, she needed a push in the right direction. He knew exactly how to deliver it. The large Pradorian told himself it had nothing to do with the way his body felt every time he was around her or the way she responded to his touch when he held her. It was simple survival. Since the others had agreed, why wouldn’t she? As he headed toward the cave, he concluded it was time to give her the choice.
Sara sat quietly on one of the dining room chairs, drinking the purple alador liquid. Archail appeared in the room so suddenly that Sara almost jumped out of her seat. Good, she’s affected as much by my presence as I am by hers. The realization gave him a feeling of satisfaction. He recalled her eager response to his touch. His body immediately tensed with a need for her, but he forced himself to keep a distance, knowing very well the time had come for them to talk seriously.
He moved over to the chair opposite hers and pulled it to the other end of the table, putting some distance between them, before sitting down.
Sara watched him the entire time, her eyes tracking his every move.
“Sara.” He waited patiently for her to look at him, but when she didn’t, he continued in a smooth, deep voice. “We need to talk.”
“I have nothing to say to you,” Sara replied, sounding annoyed with him. Her eyes stared at the glass in her hands, as though it would give her a way out of this situation.
“I don’t need you to say anything. I just need you to listen to what I have to say,” he said patiently. “Can you do that?” he asked, prepared for her reaction.
“Well.” She raised her dark-blue eyes from the glass to stare straight at him with a fiery anger gleaming in their depths. “It’s about what you want, isn’t it?” She rose suddenly from her chair pushing it carelessly, causing it to bounce dangerously before it fell down on the floor, and ignoring it, she continued. “You wanted us here, so you got us here. You want us to sleep with you. You don’t have to ask, so you just take. You decide where we stay, what we do, and when we do it, right? You’re a monster!” She finally screamed out as she slammed her fist on the table. “Well what about what I want? I don’t want to talk to you, listen to you, sleep with you, or do anything else that involves you! Is that clear?”