by Sabrina Kade
I didn’t expect any of this.
But I know I want to stay with him. I want to be his Chosen and possibly even carry his child. How is it possible that I’ve fallen so hard for him so quickly? I’m almost embarrassed by it.
Until he looks at me with that possessive smile – one that he would have never shown me last week – and I’m all but a puddle on the floor.
Does time matter in space when it comes to finding someone who cares about you? Am I willing to throw everything I’ve ever known away on the chance I’ll go back to a life I’m already used to anyway?
The group stops suddenly, and I can see the Gathering Room up ahead. There’s a young looking Sidyth standing in front of the doorway, and several of the girls are there, peering past the open curtain. Ellis and Sloane are the first faces I see, and I can’t help but smile when I know they’re a few steps away. I move, but Korben keeps me close.
“It’s best for you to stay beside me,” Korben rumbles.
He doesn’t have to explain to me that running ahead would not look good. If I run, then one of his brothers may run. And if one runs, they’ll all run. I remember some of the names from earlier, and it’s easy to figure out who’s going to be the most interested in trying to win over one of the girls. Dolan. Taylis. Iriel. I’m not sure if I like any of them, but perhaps there’s a diamond in the rough of these horny, pale, scaly aliens.
“Look at that one’s hair,” one says from behind me. “It’s the color of human blood. Does she rub blood into her hair?”
I want to correct him but decide to focus as Korben steps fully ahead of the pack and puts his back to the Gathering Room, so the women are hidden from view as he speaks.
“You cannot claim a Chosen if she does not claim you,” he reminds them in a rumbling voice. “If anyone is trying to manipulate or harm any of the women, you will have to answer to me.”
“And me,” Hujun says.
Azan remains silent, but we can all feel his intimidating presence at the back of the group. All of the Sidyths are antsy and making no attempt to hide it as Korben steps aside, and some of them attempt to push ahead. I quickly jump ahead of the pack and hold out my hand despite Korben’s grumbling protests.
“Not all at once!” I say, hating that my voice squeaks. “Maybe we should… uh… I don’t know, send out one at a time, or something?”
“What? Like we’re on a runway or something?” York calls from the doorway, and I spin around to face her with a smile. “We’re not for sale anymore, as far as I know, and I’d like to let them all in here.”
“I’m not sure.”
“Let them come.” York waves her hand. “Back up, girls and make room for them. Some of them in the back are considerably bigger than the prince. But none as big as…” she stops short, eyes widening at something behind my head and quickly ducks back under the curtain. Sloane and Ellis smirk, but do as she says, parting, to create an entryway.
I want to be the first one in, so, despite Korben’s glare, I dart ahead and make sure I can say hi to everyone and make sure everyone’s okay with this. For the most part, they all look nervous and excited, just like the Sidyths and I can’t help but feel like a mom about to let her daughter go to prom with an entire football team.
“How’s everyone?” I keep my back to the doorway. “Anyone want to back out?”
“Of what?” Sloane asks. “Freedom? No thanks.”
I shake my head. “A lot of these guys think they’re going to find their Chosen today.”
“And if we don’t want them, we say no, right?” Ellis says. “I’m not looking for a fuck buddy today. I want to walk around outside of this room. Go outside.”
“I don’t think we’re going outside today. It’s more of a meet and greet. For everyone to feel each other out.”
“So we’re not going outside?” York pouts. “You signed us up for some intergalactic dating service?”
My cheeks grow hot. “No!” Have I planned this all wrong? “It’s so everyone knows everyone—” and York’s laughter makes me pause.
“Chill. I’m only messing with you. They’re guys, Blythe.” The rest of them elbow each other as the Sidyths slowly file into the large space. It’s difficult not to feel their presence, especially Korben breaking away to rest a hand on my shoulder. But this doesn’t cause York to hold her tongue in the least. If anything, she grows ballsier. “It’s only natural for a guy with a cock to want to stick it somewhere. We know all that, and we all talked about it.”
“All of you?” Jealously tickles my stomach as they agree. They’ve been talking about things without me because I’ve been with Korben. It’s hard not to feel a little left out, and if anyone notices my pout, they’re doing a fine job at ignoring it.
“Yeah,” Ellis continues, and I notice she’s braided her thick curly hair away from her face. “We all know this is a lot better than a lot of our meet and greets, so we’re open to the idea. Who knows, maybe they’re not like the Sidyths I remember.” She glances around my shoulder, seeming to eye up the group.
“And the rest of you?” I ask, scanning over the others. “You’re all okay with this?”
Heads lift slowly and make eye contact as the room slowly fills with Sidyths. They’re all watching us with interest and curiosity in their eyes, but some look softened. Maybe after Korben’s speech, they are finally seeing that we are not like the women they are used to. We’re tiny compared to most of them, especially Azan and Hujun who tower over both groups. York and Ellis seem to be doing alright, taking the lead and not showing fear. Sloane and Layla both stand a little further back along with Rene and Devyn, who seem to be permanently attached at the hip. There are a few others – Aoi, Krista, and Rhyan – who can’t seem to decide to join the girls towards the center of the room or hang back with…
“Alaska?” I call over to the beautiful blonde with her friend Kansas. “Are you guys okay with this?”
Neither of them answers, but don’t argue either, choosing to remain in the corner of the room. I look to York for some much-needed answers, but she shrugs it off.
“I wouldn’t worry too much about them. I told them you promised we could see Arizona and Dakota soon, but I’m not sure if they believe me. I bet they’ll come around once they know the others girls are okay.” York lowers her voice. “Are the other girls okay?”
“I don’t know,” I admit, trying not to focus too much on the wall of living flesh behind me. Luckily, Korben is glancing over his shoulder, not hearing the entirety of the conversation. “I’m sure I can talk to him about it tonight.”
“You should do that. It would ease a lot of the tension in here.”
“Right.” I’m still not sure what to make of York falling into the leader role. I was so sure that it was mine, but I guess I can’t be surprised someone’s filled in for me. After all, I’ve been with Korben having great sex and hearing promises of a beautiful life together, while the rest of the girls have been bonding in the Gathering Room. An apology bubbles, threatening to spill out when York cups my cheek in her hand.
“Hey, girl. Relax. We all know Arizona’s crew is a bunch of bitches. This is a lot for them to take in, you know? They’re not used to being separated, and now some of the cruelest members of the galaxy are suddenly tame because they’ve been booted from home? Some of them have been in this business for a long time. It’s not as easy as flipping a switch, and none of them have been…” she glances at my crotch with a smirk, “… in your position.”
Lifting my eyes, most of the girls agree, and it’s hard not to feel ashamed for enjoying myself so much. But York is right in a way. Arizona’s crew has never been kind. They would teach when asked, offer pointers when told, but they’ve always been the experts, so it’s mostly been on their terms.
“Hujun,” Korben rumbles above my head suddenly, and we’re all jumping in surprise. Talking to some of the girls for a brief moment of time, I’ve almost forgotten how low and rumbling the voices of the Sidyt
h are when they’re close and not just being translated. “Come here.” He waves for his largest guard to come forward and dips to whisper to me. “Can you bring the curly haired one a bit closer?”
I look around the room. “Ellis?” I squeak. “Does Hujun… uh… like her or something?” I’m still not sure about what to call the situation, but I’m left standing there like an idiot, so rather than ask questions, I call her over. Her braids look adorable today, and it’s hard not to appreciate her curves. She’s much thicker than the rest of us, and despite having a face like a teenager, I’m pretty sure that she’s a year or two older than me. She quirks a brow at my request but saunters over just as Hujun does the same.
“What’s up?” Ellis asks, peering nervously up at Korben. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No. I simply wanted you to meet my most trusted brother. This is Hujun.”
“Oh… okay?” Ellis looks beyond confused but thrusts her hand towards the massive Sidyth. He narrows his eyes and Ellis lowers her hand. “Seriously, though. Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing’s wrong!” I elbow Korben in the stomach. He doesn’t even react. “I was telling Korben that you’re one of the girls I bonded with before we got here.” There’s no way Ellis is going to buy this, but she’s still eying up Hujun. I have to say, he’s not ugly – not as far as Sidyths go – but he’s so huge. And Ellis is one of the shortest girls here. I would worry about him breaking her.
“It is a pleasure,” Hujun says. “I have been told by Prince Korben to keep an eye on you.”
Well, so much for subtlety.
Ellis’ eyes widen in shock, and she turns to me. “Did you know about this?”
“No,” I stammer, shooting Korben a glare. “Is that what you told him?”
“It is.” Korben bobs his head, not missing a beat. “But that is merely because I trust Hujun to keep an eye on her.”
“That’s not an explanation.” Ellis crosses her arms as a few of the other Sidyths move past to make their own introductions. It’s wise since it’s beginning to dawn on me that Korben has about all the subtlety as a volcano. “And why, Prince Korben, do I need someone watching over me?”
“It’s nothing—” Korben speaks over me before I can finish, making my cheeks grow hot.
“It is because you are very tiny compared to the other women,” he explains. “Not to mention your look is incredibly different than the others here. I am afraid some of my brothers may fixate on that and bother you more than I think you will be comfortable with. And I am trying to make sure none of the women are uncomfortable during their time here. And most of my brothers either fear or respect Hujun. You will be safe to roam around as you please.”
“With him as an escort.” Ellis sneers.
Korben shakes his head. “Of course not. He will not even acknowledge you if you would prefer.”
Ellis uncrosses her arms, peering curiously up at Hujun. “Well… no. I wouldn’t… I wouldn’t prefer him to think he can’t talk to me…” she trails off, rubbing the top of her braided head. “God, I guess I’m not prepared for kind Sidyths. I’m sorry. Uh, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Hujun,” she says again, not bothering to try and shake his hand this time. “And you… uh… you can talk to me if you want.”
I’m stunned. Beyond stunned. For a moment I worried Korben was playing matchmaker without me and he’s looking out after the girls. Though I’m sure there’s a little bit of an ulterior motive, I am sure Ellis likes the idea of the scariest Sidyth making sure no one messes with her. A meet and greet with Sidyth rebels is intimidating enough.
Hujun bows again. “I should make a round around the room,” he rumbles, turning to look at Ellis. “Would you like to join me?”
“For a walk around the room? Why not?” Ellis falls into step with the massive Sidyth. It’s almost funny to watch them walking together, the top of Ellis’ head barely at Hujun’s waist, but it’s cute as well. He’s standing on the outside, closer to the center of the room to make sure none of the excited Sidyths bump into her. It’s cute. Too fucking cute.
Korben looks too pleased with himself.
“You’re trying to hook them up, aren’t you?” I accuse before some of the others try to talk to us. Korben doesn’t answer, still watching Hujun with a soft expression. Well damn, I guess he did have good intentions after all. But still. “Don’t do that anymore,” I say.
“Why not? She seems interested in him. And Hujun is a good—”
“He’s a good man,” I say rolling my eyes. “So you’ve said. Many times. Let everyone figure things out on their own. Don’t push shit. Remember how you said you were finished underestimating humans and women? Try to stick with that.” I stand on my tiptoes to kiss his chiseled jaw. “It’s a lot sexier when you don’t butt in.”
He nods again before falling silent, and this gives me another chance to scan the room. Most of the Sidyths seem to be on good behavior, especially since most of the girls are moving in clusters.
Except for York.
Who’s standing next to Azan? Neither one seems to be talking, but they seem comfortable enough standing next to each other. She’s not afraid of Azan, and I’m honestly not surprised about that. But it’s still wild to take in the entire scene. This is working. Almost everyone seems to be comfortable in this situation, and even the ones who Korben’s the most worried about seem to be taken aback by the girls. Dolan’s following around Layla a bit too closely for my liking, but there are others near her to make sure he’s not bothering her too much. I try to relax and remember that most of these men believe in the same cause as Korben.
They don’t want to be seen as monsters anymore.
They want to show that they can be kind.
Still, after a few hours of talking and mingling, I can tell that things should come to an end. Sloane looks tired and bored from a corner of the room and Alaska would appreciate having some time to herself. Some have even left the room completely.
“If people want to go, they should be able to,” I say to Korben. “Maybe we should all separate for one more time and consider living arrangements.” It angers me that I haven’t considered this before. If the girls want to stay here, they can, but what about the ones who want some room for themselves? I’m not comfortable to have one of them stay with Korben and me, but I also don’t expect them to shack up with a Sidyth on the first night.
Korben’s about to answer me, when Layla runs up and grabs my arm. “The big guy can get one of these guys to leave me alone, right?” Her near black eyes dart back and forth and immediately Korben tenses up and scans the crowd. I join him, and sure enough, Azan’s little brother Dolan stands a few steps away with a heated expression. “I don’t want to be the person who’s kicking a gift horse in the mouth, but he’s creeping me out.”
“What is the problem?” Korben asks.
“He keeps saying that he can prove he’s worthy to be chosen,” she shudders. “And that’s fine, but he won’t even give me a chance to talk to anyone else.” As though to make her point, she looks over her shoulder at one of the most human looking Sidyths in the room who is casually keeping an eye on Sloane.
Oh God, I hadn’t even considered these types of problems yet.
“Blythe,” Layla squeaks, pulling my attention back to her. “Can you please—”
“I will have a word with him,” Korben says before she can finish. As though to comfort her, Korben rests a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently even though Layla winces a bit in surprise. “There is no reason for any of you to feel uncomfortable.”
“Please don’t… er, punish him or anything like that!” Layla squeaks nervously. “I don’t want to cause any problems. Besides, he’s not being… uh… nasty or anything like that. It’s just a lot, and there are others who I’d like to talk to.” Her heated gaze turns back to the humanoid Sidyth. I want to dissuade her, but it’s not my place. And so Korben walks away, and I turn back to Layla.
“He’s not goin
g to do anything cruel, is he?” Her voice still sounds so shaken and nervous. “He wasn’t doing anything wrong! I just… I need some space.”
I try to act casual. “Men are the same across the galaxy, I guess. Some of them don’t understand the word no.”
“Some of them never had to,” Layla says with a frown.
“Korben will take care of it,” I promise. “And if he can’t, I’m sure Azan or Hujun will help.” I scan the room, surprised that I can’t find either of Korben’s closest friends and frown.
“Are you looking for the one in the mask?” Layla asks shyly. “I bet he’s following York for water.”
“York?” I’m stunned but try not to let it show so obviously. I’m so out of the loop that I’m increasingly bothered by it. “York and Azan?”
“He really keeps a sharp eye on her.” She drops her voice to a whisper. “When she wants to leave the room, he always takes her.” Her lips purse in puzzlement. “Didn’t you know that?”
“Of course I knew,” I say quickly.
“It’s a good thing,” Layla continues easily. “He doesn’t talk, but he seems to open up to her. Though I’m not exactly sure how. It’s not a bad deal though for her, right? He’s freaking scary as hell. I bet he didn’t even want any of the other guys to even look at her.” She shudders. “Although there is something incredibly sexy and roguish about him. Do you know why he wears that mask? York won’t tell us. I don’t even think she knows.”
I shake my head. I didn’t know. Another thing I add to my list of things I don’t know about anyone. Sighing deeply, Layla seems to grow bored with my lack of conversation and pulls away, sauntering up to the Sidyth she was eying up earlier. He seems bored by her advances, but not threatening. I consider some of the others.