by Ivy Sparks
Mated to the Alien Beast
Fated Mates of Adonia - Book 1
Ivy Sparks
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Epilogue
Chapter One
Ellie
“Fight! Fight! Fight!” the men around me shouted, their fists punching the stale air. The crowd of dirty, sweaty men circled around us. Their hands pushed me forward, making me stumble into the center of the rusty pit. Luckily I caught myself with my hands just before hitting the ground.
I wiped the oil from my face and yanked the goggles from my head. It was hot down in the auxiliary rooms, making my greasy blonde hair stick up in tufts.
The metal walls echoed with the clanging of wrenches the men hit against the ground. The Orion’s ceiling jangled above with a gust of wind, quite common on Adonia. I looked up, watching the shackles swing and clash against each other. Must’ve been a storm outside. I worried if this was the day our rusted, decrepit planetary base would finally crumble.
The Orion, once a research facility built on the planet of Adonia, was nearing its one hundredth year. This place was once a grand source of science, but that was long ago. Now it acted as the only safe haven for human refugees on this planet, but without the means to support this many people.
The ancient oxygen scrubbers were running on a prayer. While the rations were growing thinner and thinner, no one had quite figured out how to farm the soil, or adapt to the atmosphere outside. Only the Adonians, the natives of the planet, were able to offer some kind of aid.
However, mankind was more of a curiosity to them, as opposed to a species in desperate need of help. They’d make brief visits for our brothels and drugs, but that was about it. We’d get at least some outside resources in trade that way, but it brought in nowhere near what we needed to survive comfortably.
I shook my head and turned away from the rattling pipes above, redirecting my attention back to Matthew Horden, who stood across from me in all his cocky glory.
He was a gaunt man, showing off his biceps and bumping chests against the men behind him in some sort of macho man ritual. I couldn’t stop my eye roll even if I wanted to. Of all the days to pick a fight with me, he had to choose today.
Today was a special day. But never mind that.
“Hey Ellie,” Matthew called, turning around with his flaccid little thing hanging out over the rim of his pants. He shook it at me. “Think you can suck this?” The men around him roared with laughter.
I crossed my arms in front of my chest, my dirty gloves smudging my raggedy shirt, which was stuffed inside my high-waisted carpenter pants. I cocked my hips, trying to look intimidating for a 5’2” woman. The men often hassled me, calling me whore, demanding I give my job to a more able man—a stronger man.
But being a wrench turner wasn’t all about muscle. I graduated in the top ten percent of my class. I knew my tools. I understood how gadgets worked. Hell, I even created my own goggles which could zero in on fine points with just a turn of my fingers.
I’d been fixing things ever since Dad left, creating new gadgets I could sell in order to put me through school. I could probably fix half the Orion with my eyes closed. Probably. Yet, all they saw was a puny little girl.
I laughed at Matthew’s sad little display then said, “I wouldn’t touch that thing even if you were the last man in this metal box.”
The men surrounding us stopped chanting. They watched, waiting for Matthew’s retort. I felt my lips twitch at his scowl. A smirk broke out across my face. I waited, tapping my foot. I knew I was being a bitch, but I didn’t care.
I was so sick of them. All of them. Pushing me around as if I were a fly in their way. Treating me like I was nothing. They’d hide my tool box, scatter my things, cut my tool belt, and refuse to offer me aid. They’d lock me down in the cold, damp cellars while ignoring my pleas of help. Maybe one simple fight was all it would take to prove myself. That I could be one of them.
Honestly, this whole thing broke out because Matthew dumped my tools into the sludge room, which was really the bathroom, causing me to lose my cool and jump him. Those things were expensive. It wasn’t like I made a pile of money fixing up O2 scrubbers, dozers, and the Orion.
Actually, this all really started when Matthew Horden invited me out for a beer. When I said no, his poor little ego got hurt.
Talk about a big man baby.
“What?” I called when Matthew didn’t say anything. “Did you actually expect me to be impressed or something?”
Matthew tilted his head, sneering. He angled his cock and pissed in the space between us. My face contorted instantly, while my nose wiggled at the stench. That was definitely not the response I had in mind.
“Enough,” I said, raising my fists to my face. “I know you want to fight. Let’s get this over with so we can all get back to work.”
Matthew lunged forward, his fist aiming for my face, but I ducked and swept his legs with a kick of my own. The great thing about being short was being low enough to the ground for sneaky moves like that.
Matthew fell back with a grunt. I moved my leg, wanting to kick him hard in the head, but he grabbed my foot. I tried to stop myself, but instead I stumbled, smashing my face into the cement. Matthew straddled me, grabbing my hair. I gasped in pain. I tried to wiggle myself free, but he was too heavy. He leaned forward, breathing hard in my face. I tried not to gag from the rot I smelled in his breath. Bad hygiene was pretty much the norm around here, but I would never get used to it.
“Hey, Ellie,” he whispered in my ear. A shiver crawled up my spine, like a spider walking across exposed skin. The men laughed around me, cheering on Matthew. I bit his arm and smacked his shoulder, but he either dodged or ignored my feeble attempts. He grabbed my breast with one hand and I froze. “Shall I make you a woman right here?” he asked, squeezing my breast while simultaneously licking my ear.
I didn’t know what exactly came over me. It was as if I was outside my body, looking down, watching as everything played out. I slammed my head back into Matthew. He groaned, stunned, so I took my chances and rolled away.
I jumped up while he crouched, holding his bleeding nose. Seeing an opening, I kicked him in his gut. He fell backwards. I kicked him again hard in the ribs. He curled into a fetal position. “Don’t you ever,” I gasped, my booted foot making impact once more, “ever,” my foot just wouldn’t stop kicking his body, “touch me.”
I kicked him one last time, this time in the groin. He groaned. The silence permeated around me. Stares followed my movement, but I didn’t care. “Do you hear me?” I spat on his face as he shielded himself, flinching when I lunged once more forward.
A nod was all I received.
Good enough, I decided. I stalked back to my toolbox and gathered my ruined items, shoving them inside. The men still watched me, not saying anything. I walked past them, then past my boss who stared at me with wide eyes, mouth open, not knowing what to say. He glanced quickly back and forth between me and Matthew, who was still rolling around on the floor groaning.
/> He had taken a chance on me, and I appreciated that, but he definitely made no efforts after that to keep the rest of his crew in line.
What did he expect me to do? His boys were only getting more and more rowdy with me.
I watched him as I passed, waiting for his response.
“Ellie, you’re fired,” he said.
I scoffed. “Yeah, fuck you too.” My eyes were stinging, but I refused to acknowledge them. I didn’t bother looking back as I left the auxiliary room. I didn’t want them to see the tears streaming down my cheeks.
I could already smell the stew cooking before I unlocked the door to our small apartment. Lyra hummed happily in the kitchen, still in her high school uniform. She looked like a younger version of myself with long blonde hair she kept in a high ponytail. The all-black uniform sagged on her thin frame. Her collarbones jutted out.
The Orion citizens were typically gaunt and pale. Pale from the lack of sunlight, and gaunt from the lack of food. We didn’t even have a window, having to make do with UV lights instead. Lyra and I were born here in this rickety box. We had never seen the outside. I suspected we never would. Only researchers were permitted to leave the premises to take samples of the soil.
Another issue was the atmosphere outside, which was difficult to adapt to without the proper medications and gear. The medications we ran out of a very long time ago and the Adonians weren’t interested in sharing their technology with us. About a week ago, researchers were stuck out in a dozer while taking samples. Its wheels got jammed in a trench near the west peaks. The scientists spent several hours in their space suits, running out of oxygen. They were still in the med bay, getting tested for any respiratory issues.
“Welcome home,” Lyra called, stirring the pot of stew.
I peeled off my boots despite my desire to keep them on. Lyra hated when I wore shoes inside. She complained that they tracked in oil and grit, but our apartment was already a dump with my dirty clothes haphazardly tossed in a pile on the couch. Half-eaten boxes of microwaveable dinners we often shared stood in stacks on the small table. They towered over Lyra’s letter from Artemis.
My eyes prickled at the sight of the rectangular blue card. The letter from Artemis was a transparent glassy card addressed to Lyra. All she needed to do was press her thumb onto the PRINT REQUIRED space and all the information would be released.
I bit back a sob. It was supposed to be a special night. We were going to find out whether or not Lyra had been accepted. This particular academy was on the Artemis space station hovering above our planet. We were going to open it after I finished work, then we were going to have a little party if she was accepted.
“You’re home early.”
I sighed as I leaned on the wall, banging my head against it. Lyra ladled the stew into two small bowls. Her face looked so sallow. I wished things were different. I wished Mom was still here. Lyra didn’t deserve this. She was smart. She was skilled. At the age of thirteen she had already learned German, as well as four alien languages, including Adonian. With her grades, she could go anywhere, be anything.
How was I going to tell Lyra that we couldn’t afford the tuition?
“Ellie?” Lyra sat at the table, staring at me. Her eyebrows tented in concern. “Are you okay? Did something happen?”
It wasn’t fair.
I forced a smile, dragging my body away from the wall. “Yeah.” My pitch was too high, my voice too forced. She must have read right through it, because she still stared at me as if I were going to crumble at any moment.
She was always too good at reading me.
I sat down across from her and picked up the letter, dancing it in front of her as if it were a spoon of canned peas and she was two. Lyra laughed as she snatched the letter from me. “Shall we open it?” I asked, elbows on the table. I stacked my hands and rested my chin on them, watching her fight through her anxiety. She didn’t need to worry.
Lyra delicately placed her thumb on the space. The blue screen rippled before forming letters.
“Dear Lyra Harris,” she began. I leaned forward in my seat, my hands now clasped together. “Congratulations! On behalf of the Artemis Academy, I am pleased to announce your admission—”
I didn’t bother listening to the rest. I grabbed her, pulling her into a hug. “That is so great, hun!”
“I can’t believe this is happening,” Lyra said, staring down at the screen. “I can’t believe all my dreams are coming true.”
“You should believe it,” I said, kissing her forehead. She was saying something, but I wasn’t listening. My gaze focused on the floor, already plotting out a way to earn the money. I had maybe half of one year’s tuition saved. She could apply for financial aid. Possibly a scholarship. Or I could just call Lucy. I had some lingerie. One night could earn me a lot.
I ground my teeth. My jaw clenched painfully as I remembered Lucy’s words: “If you ever need quick money, just call me.” I remembered taking her card, promising myself to never use it. Yet, it was in my room, hidden in a drawer.
It was as if deep down I knew it would come to this.
I released Lyra so she could video chat with her friends and tell them the good news. Watching her skip away, I inhaled deeply and stalked into my room. I rifled through my drawers until I found that card. I went over to the communication console and typed in the number.
There was no going back now.
Chapter Two
Vorian
The air on the Orion was stale and thin, yet somehow stunk of citrus, which permeated the air, accosting my senses. It was masking a hint of sweat and something I wasn’t quite able to put my finger on. The human, Ryan, sat next to me as he continued to rattle on about how Orion could serve my company to the betterment of the Adonian people.
I looked over at Valk. He was my age, but his body was untouched by war. He had a plastic look to his features, like he had surgery done. He kept his long hair pulled into a ponytail, accentuating his lineless face. He sat on the other side of Ryan, who was leaning in, nodding along as if the human’s speech had any validity. With the base’s flickering lights, stunted research, and measly technology, they had nothing to offer but manpower. Yet, looking around at the gaunt, puny forms, I surmised they didn’t even have the ability to bring that to the table.
How Valk got me to come to this place was still beyond me. I kept running it over through my mind. “The humans keep requesting a meeting,” he said. “It could be fun,” he said, knowing full well we would offer nothing.
It was a complete waste of my time, yet still I was here.
After the topic drew away from talk of the Adonian courts and the war, I quickly tuned out. Human life was of no interest to me, with the Orion as proof. I mean, just the food itself was vile. I moved my fork back and forth on the plate. There was no way I was finishing this. Whatever it was, it wasn’t fresh. It was flavorless. Even the little bite I took of it was enough to last me a lifetime. After all these years, the humans were still acclimating to our environment, their society still completely stunted.
Perhaps the previous generations had a plan with the Orion, but now it housed a population without direction, and without the means to escape this place. I did pity them for that.
I looked at Ryan’s associates who sat across from me, eating their food dutifully. They avoided Valk’s and my blue gazes before and continued to do so, offering no more than a greeting. The common tongue was English, however I did hear some Chinese in the tunnels I passed. English rolled off my tongue easily and sounded blunt and dull to my ears, unlike the sing-song language of Adonian. I looked over my shoulder, noticing the humans’ glances in my direction while they quickly retrieved their food.
It was shocking to think they survived our planet this long given how small and frail they appeared to be. Valk and I towered over them by at least a foot, which made walking on the Orion base inconvenient. I had to dodge lamplights while ducking under rafters and pipes too many times to count. The
atmosphere within the base was thin compared to the outside.
I returned my gaze to Ryan, trying to catch some part of the conversation, but was distracted by the bald spot on the top of his head. He wore a black uniform, which seemed to be the latest fashion on the base, as no one donned anything else. His associates fidgeted in their seats across from me. The one with red hair kept glancing at my wings. Or more specifically, my one amputated wing, which was now augmented with a robotic prosthetic.
“Do you see something that interests you?” I asked, holding back a snarl.
The boy flinched, looking away. “N-n-no,” he stammered. “I was just, just—”
Ryan chuckled and clapped me on my back. I made no effort to contain my snarl. “Excuse them,” he said, nodding toward his staring associates. “Neither one of them has seen anyone like you before.”
I removed Ryan’s arm from my back, careful he didn’t touch my wings. “Staring like that can get you thrown off a cliff,” I said before downing the rest of my beer. The taste was absolutely foul, but I needed something to take the edge off.
Ryan fidgeted in his seat before plastering on his best smile. He turned away from me and back to Valk. “Now, with the use of your labs, we’ll be able to create enough medicine to aid our people in surviving your atmosphere,” Ryan rattled on.
I didn’t know what was more ridiculous. This Ryan thinking Valk owned my labs, or the idea that they had anything worth trading for my technology. What they needed was charity, not a business deal.
“Of course we’ll need a week or two to consider your proposal,” Valk said, glancing my way briefly with a smirk.