Dawn of Inception (Felidian Warriors Book 2)
Page 3
She’d seen the aliens kill a lot of people today. Whole families were slaughtered without a backwards glance. Judging by the ones who died, compared to the ones who were taken, it was obvious their first priority was to fill their ship with women. It didn’t take a genius to figure the reason for that. The big green guy that dropped her in here only reinforced her belief. But he had another thing coming if he thought she would go without a fight.
Because she was so small, her parents insisted she learn how to take care of herself. Self-defense classes, along with years of training in martial arts, she could take down an opponent twice her size.
She waited until she heard the soft whoosh of the closing door before she opened her eyes. Looking around, all she saw was slate grey walls and thick bars. A cage.
For a moment the feelings of fear nearly overwhelmed her. She had to find a way out of here. Her plans to escape and take all the others with her wouldn’t be thwarted by a cage. Cages. That’s what they looked like. Not jail cells, cages like zoos in the old movies. Brushing her hands against her jeans, she examined her prison. Walking toward what must have been the door, she gave it a hard shake. Stepping back, her gaze swept from ceiling to the floor.
“It is secure, female. If it weren’t, we would have killed every Terrapian aboard this ship by now.”
She glanced over at a very tall man standing inside a neighboring cage. His hands fisted the bars while he studied her. Shrugging it off, she knew he was just as much a prisoner as she was, therefore would be of no help.
“You should continue to feign sleep. The guard that brought you in here plans to take you from that cell and—"
“Yeah, I know what dickwad plans to do.” She continued to study the bars.
“If he knows you’re awake…”
“If fuckface comes back, I plan to hand him his ass. He’s high if he thinks I’m going to just stand around and let him rape me.”
Words from further down the line of cages shouted back, “Bravo, Cub. You are mighty. Too bad you can’t back your words up.”
Aubree looked past big hairy dude number one, to another big hairy dude in the next cage. “Damn! You are fucking hot, and I just want to lick you from top to bottom.” Never in her life had she seen a man that gorgeous. Tall, lean, and built! She decided that even his muscles had muscles. When he reached up to brush his long hair away from his face, Aubree knew she would have to have him. “Dude, is your hair orange?”
Aubree squeezed through the bars, then walked over to Seth’s cage. “It is Orange, and…seriously? You look like a creamsicle! Double yum!”
The man two cages over was exactly her type. She could see it from where she stood. A bad boy. Exactly the kind of man her dad had always tried to keep her away from.
She eyed the bars again. Could it really be so simple? The lizards must be used to people a lot bigger than her. Stretching one leg through the widely spaced bars, she continued to squeeze through. Squinting her eyes, gritting her teeth, she forced her head through last.
Strolling past the other cages, she came to the one that contained the hunk with the tiger striped hair. “Are you purring?” Aubree pushed one leg through the bars, only to have the man jump forward to push it out, before jumping back again. “Dude! What’s your problem?”
Seth didn’t trust himself that close to this female, if she succeeded in coming through the bars, he knew he would take her. Honor demanded he put more space between the two of them. Never had he scented a female that smelled as good as she did. Hands fisted, he gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and willed himself back under control. Although, as long as he could smell her, he knew he wouldn’t be able to control his impulses. Taking deep breaths through his mouth didn’t help. Instead, it only made it worse, because not only could he smell her, but he could taste her as well.
Growling his frustration he stalked closer to his brother’s cage. In a low voice, he pleaded with Dante. “I can’t. It’s out of control. Brother, please…I beseech you—”
A second later he was lying in a heap on the floor of his cage.
“Whoa! You decked him!” Aubree narrowed her eyes, her brows creased. She was fighting mad. Unsure why she felt what she did, she marched over to the cage of the one who dared to hurt her own personal hunk of meat. Thoughts of what she wanted to do to the man with the orange hair caused her body to do strange things. Things she’d never felt before. It wasn’t just lust, she felt a great need to protect him, especially now that he was down.
Anger burned when the other man laughed. Actually laughed at her. Why did men always misjudge her? Didn’t matter. He’d learn, just like all the others…after he found himself rolling around on the floor cupping his most precious parts.
Aubree squeezed through the bars and stalked toward the cage that contained the other man. The closer she got to him, she noticed the anger from moments before began to fade. By the time she stood in front of his cage, instead of rage, she only felt confusion. For the first time in her life she was speechless.
Relaxing her clenched fists, she squeezed through the bars and walked toward the back of the cage. Leaning against the wall, she allowed herself to slide down. “Damn! My head is killing me!”
Dante watched the small female, who he decided was not a cub at all, but a grown woman. “Looks like someone didn’t like something you said.” He walked over and sat next to her.
“Wow. We’ve known each other all of five minutes and already you’ve got me pegged.” She rested a bruised cheek against the cold steel.
“I think, like my brother,” he cocked his head toward the prone form sitting next to him, “you speak your thoughts too freely.”
She looked at, what she’d come to think of, her man, then back at the other one. “Brothers, huh? Why’d you clock him?” She shrugged, “I’m sure my sister has considered doing the same a time or two, but so far all she’s done is glare at me.”
He looked down at her and smiled, “Because he knew he would not be able to control himself with you. What are you called, female?”
She shoved a hand into his face, “Aubree,” she frowned when he looked from her hand, then back to her face.
Dante wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do, so he brought her hand to his nose and sniffed it. “Yes, you do smell quite good. If my brother weren’t so enchanted by you, I would be interested in taking you for the night.”
“And now you had to go and make it all weird.” She yanked her hand back, wiping it on her jeans, “Eew.” Looking back up at him, she scooted over another foot, “What’s your name? You know…that’s the polite thing to do. Or do they have manners where you come from?”
Dante knew the female had no idea of the extent of her insult. She had no way of knowing to whom she spoke. He also had no intention of disclosing that information. The Terrapians were always listening, and if they even suspected who they held in these cages, neither brother would survive the night. “It isn’t safe for me to speak my name.” He glanced up at the corner by the door.
“Ah, I get it, incognito, huh? Can you whisper it?” She waited until he shook his head. “Damn, those must be some pretty powerful cameras.”
Standing up, she walked toward the door to Dante’s cage. Throwing her middle finger up, she shouted, “Eat this, assholes.”
Grinning, she turned back to face tall hairy dude number one, “That’s my cue to return to my cage.” She gave him a wink, then squeezed through the bars. “Just one question…these lizards, they got balls, right?”
Back in her cage, she prepared to meet her captors, knowing that the action would get their attention. When the metal door slid open and the lizard who decked her walked in, she was ready.
“Shake it out,” whispering, she relaxed her muscles before taking a stance. She waited, while mumbling under her breath, “Come on, bastard.”
She smiled up at him, “That’s it, lover boy, come to mamma.” With a crooked finger, Aubree gave him a coy smile.
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��Ah, a willing female. A good night this will be indeed.”
Willing female my ass, she bet this guy had never seen a willing female. She also guessed he’d never met anyone like her. If she had her way, he wouldn’t get the chance, either.
“I know you’ll want to hear me screaming your name later, so give it to me now.” Licking her lips, she crouched lower.
“Mardal, little female. I shall enjoy taking you many times this night before turning you over to the other guards.”
She watched him pull a small card out of his pocket. He held it next to the lock, then a soft click was followed by the door swinging open. Watching him pocket the card, she knew she would need it to get the others out of the cages.
“Ah, so that’s the plan, is it?” She grinned, “Now I know exactly what I need to do next.”
“Come closer, tall and puke colored cold-blooded sack of shit.” She lifted her arms toward his shoulders. The Terrapian not only didn’t hear her insults, he completely let his guard down. Aubree gripped his shoulders, then brought a knee up toward what she hoped was his groin. As the male groaned and began to double over, she brought the other knee up, connecting with his chin. The Terrapian guard slumped soundlessly to the floor of the cage.
Aubree reached into his pocket, pulled out the card, then slid it across his neck. Bright red blood spurted from his throat as she jerked the key from his pants. “Share this asshole.” She stepped over his body.
Within minutes she’d opened all the cages and freed the few females who’d survived the trip from Earth to the ship. Standing in front of the last two cages, she studied the males locked inside. “You know how to fly a spaceship?”
“I can get us out of here, yes.” Dante shifted side to side, his hands flexing in front of the bars. Quick glances toward the sealed door did nothing to reassure their safety. “You must hurry. Remember, they listen. I’m sure by now somebody has realized what’s going on in here. The Terrapian should have a weapon, we’ll need that if we expect to make it out of here alive.”
Aubree glanced at the entrance, then back at the tall man, “Promise me you’ll take me back to Earth. I have to find my sister. I know she’s going nuts worrying about me. Otherwise, I’ll leave your ass in there to rot.”
“Fine, yes. You have my word. Just get this opened before the guards get here.” Dante gripped the bars, ready to spring into action the moment the lock released. A second later, he was rushing into the other cage. Weapon in hand, he crouched, prepared for the guards he was certain were about to pour through the door. “Open my brother’s cage, I’m going to need his help as well.”
Aubree gave him a dubious look. She remembered what happened the last time she’d gotten close to the other man. “Do you really think that’s a good idea?”
“He should be able to control himself this time. He had just gotten back after an interrogation, and wasn’t at his best.”
Aubree released the door, then pushed through mumbling, “I wasn’t talking about him.” Kneeling by the handsome man, she studied him for a moment longer, then leaned closer. Laying a soft kiss on his forehead, she whispered, “I’m sorry, guy. But this is the quickest way I know…” Rising to the balls of her feet, she glanced once at the opened door, then raised her hand high above his head.
Never was she happier for quick reflexes. Aubree was out the door half a second after her palm connected with his face. The man she’d been admiring was now crouched in an attack position, his fingers curled like claws. A loud roar echoed off the steel walls a second before all hell broke loose. Seth was out the door, ripping Terrapians apart before Dante got his first shot off.
Within seconds it was over. Seven Terrapians lay dead on the ground, along with one of the girls who didn’t survive the battle. Aubree couldn’t stop looking at the unseeing eyes of the young woman. Who was she? Did she have a family that would miss her? Was she someone’s little sister, as well? Did she have children? The last thought jerked her back to reality. No, there was no one back home waiting for the woman’s return. She’d seen what the Terrapians did to the humans they didn’t need. Her gaze wandered over to a blonde, one of the last to join their group.
She’d watched in horror as the woman’s entire family was murdered in front of her. Her husband, who stood protectively in front of his wife was the first to go. The pale green soldier shot him in the head. When the woman tried to protect her baby, he ripped the child out of her arms, tossed it across the room, then shot it before it came to rest on the floor. The creature then went through and shot every child, all of whom were obviously male or under the age of twelve.
“Hey,” Aubree knelt beside the rocking woman who’d lost so much. Her silky blonde waves dragged the floor behind her. “What’s your name?” She ducked her head lower, attempting to make eye contact. It was useless. The woman’s sad green eyes were stuck reliving the horrors that would haunt her forever.
“They’re dead now, we can leave.” She gripped the woman’s arm and pulled her up, then began to lead her toward the opened door. Guided through the maze of bodies, the woman’s foot nocked into the arm of the same pale green alien that invaded her house. “See, he’s dead. He can’t hurt anyone ever again.” Aubree coaxed her to move past the body.
Faster than anyone could react, the woman dropped to the floor, pulled out the alien’s weapon and pointed it at his head. Finger on the trigger, she squeezed. A narrow band of white light burned a thin hole through the alien’s skull. Hand shaking, she continued to pour the beam into the lifeless corpse until the weapon ceased firing. Turning her glare from the alien to Aubree, with one side of her mouth curled, “My name’s Bea. Beatrice Small. Let’s kill as many of these bastards as we can on the way out.”
Dante stopped beside them, “How about we blow the whole thing up?”
Chapter Five
Seth watched his brother stalk down a dark hallway. Crouching, he turned toward a different one, going in the opposite direction. Glancing back, he wanted to ensure the cub was behind him. There was something about this young female that called to him. He could wait, it wouldn’t be easy, but he could do it. The thought of the Terrapian rolling around with her threatened to send him over the edge. He only wished it was him who’d killed the male. He wouldn’t be so quick about it. The male would die knowing who killed him and why.
“We need more weapons.” Seth startled at hearing her voice so close to him.
“Get behind me, female.” He reached out to grip her arm, then found himself on the ground looking up at two very purple eyes. “Your eyes match your hair. Are all the people of your world like this?” At that moment he knew he could stare into her beautiful eyes for the rest of his life. Shaking his head, he reminded himself that she was but a cub. Looking over at another female, he saw that her hair was as light as the sun, but with eyes as dark as night.
“Bud, I don’t take orders from anyone. Least of all the guy I rescued.”
She stepped in front of the next door, crouched and waited. “Everybody stay back. Whoever is in there is probably going to come out shooting.”
The door slid open and a white beam of light shot over her head, leaving a black scar on the grey wall behind her. Not waiting for him to adjust his aim, she leveled her weapon and fired. A narrow beam of light bore a small hole into the center of his head, directly above his eyes.
“Thanks, Dad.” She looked up, kissed two fingers and held them above her head. “Sorry for all the complaining when you took me to target practice.”
She stood up and turned toward the next door. “I just don’t understand why it had to be so freaking early in the morning.” He watched her waving her hands in the air, “It’s not like fishing.” She shook her head, “Because we have to get there while the targets are still biting.”
Cocking his head, he wondered about the strange conversation she seemed to be having with herself. Chuckling, he watched the young female reprimand herself, “Get your mind in the game, Bree.”
She sent him an angry glare, then cocked her head, leaning back, her expression cleared. “Hey, you with the orange hair…what’s your name?”
Seth ducked around the corner just as the door opened and narrow beams of white light centered on the same spot the female had been kneeling moments ago.
Reaching around the corner, he gripped the mottled green alien. A second later a small hole appeared in the Terrapian’s temple.
“Seth Balliol.” If he would have waited a few seconds longer, things would have ended very differently. Glaring at the cub, he warned her, “Always be prepared for anything,” nodding, he ducked down another hall.
The female, she called herself Bree, stormed around the corner, flinging bits of blood and brain off her face and out of her hair. “So, yeah…eew. I guess we’re even now. I can’t wait to go home and change clothes.”
He smirked, typical of any cub her age. Memory of his sister returned, causing his grin to die. She’d been at school when their planet was attacked. When the troops arrived, they found more than half the school had been massacred, the rest taken captive. The Terrapians knew they would never be able to succeed with overtaking Felidia, so they settled with taking as many female captives as they could, killing the rest.
“So…” she looked down the brightly lit corridor, “how big is this ship, anyway?”
Her question was answered when the next door opened and she saw Dante and the other women climbing into one of the smaller, sleek ships.
“You go ahead with the females you have. After I set the bombs, I’ll bring the rest with me.”
Seth ducked inside, returning later with more of the same weapons.
“Those don’t look like bombs,” Aubree commented as she watched him work.
Seth walked over to the console that controlled the docking bay, removed the cover of one of the weapons, made a few adjustments, then tossed it across the room. Repeating the process a few more times, he motioned for the women to enter the ship.