Captured By The Alien Barbarian: A Sci-fi Alien Romance series (Planet Atraxis Warriors)

Chapter 14

Itry to hold back the tears, but the dam is crumbling. I believed that my life is going to get better, that I would have control over my destiny. Sure, I knew relocating to a newly discovered planet wouldn’t be all sunshine and spa days. After all, I signed up for wide-open spaces and daring adventures.

But now, I’m not sure what I’ve gotten myself into. Did I just trade a miserable life with Walter away for a controlling monster? Is this what my life is truly going to be like? Sitting in some cave that I’m never allowed to even leave?

I sit in the bed of furs, clinging to them as if they were a barrier against the outside world. I snort at myself and my foolish thoughts.

I consider running, but I have exactly one arrow. Even with practice, I’m not sure I could hit a moving target if the fate of the galaxy depends on it. And boy, do I wish I could now.

I’m not even sure Taccit understands what he did wrong. He can’t just take away someone’s freedom. Sure, Taccit and I can have meaningful conversations, but he tends to get lost when it comes to the more... human sensibilities. Like, say, not locking up your houseguests. I mean, that should be a pretty straightforward and simple concept!

At least this time he didn’t tie me down... No, instead, he’s blocked the door from the outside. He literally locked me in his cave like a prisoner.

Taccit is right about one thing. I am a prisoner. I’m just deluding myself if I think otherwise.

I jerk at the sound of the rope outside the door being untied, wobbling in its sturdy frame.

My eyes widen and swing towards the sound. Oh God, has he returned? I just can’t deal with this anymore. I thought I was stronger than this. But faced with reality? I have no way to fight back. I can’t even retreat to safe ground, to gather my resources and find a way to make a stand on my own turf.

The light that streams in from the entrance blinds me, reminding me that I should have kept the fire burning. At least then I would have been able to see who stands there.

The door swings open fully, revealing a figure that’s decidedly not Taccit. Well, unless a shrink ray was involved.

“Who’s there?” I say. Fear claws at my throat. Every memory of Taccit talking about the other tribes and how dangerous they could be comes rushing back.

Heart pounding, I grasp for my bow, only to recall I left it near the front. Right beside the door. What a stupid place to leave it! It makes sense when leaving the home, having it so close to the entrance to easily grab. But with someone invading my home, I have no hope of defending myself. Similarly, my only hope for a weapon—a set of cooking knives that Taccit stores high up on a shelf—lies tantalizingly out of reach. There is no way I will be able to reach them in time.

As I brace myself for an inevitable fate worse than death, a voice interrupts. “Miss Ariana?”

Relief floods through my body. I sag into the furs. Immediately, tears flood my cheeks.

I recognize that voice. It belongs to Maya’s husband, a man whose voice I’ve heard many times, yet barely ever spoken to.

A human! I was beginning to truly believe that I’d never see another human ever again.

“Miss Ariana?” the voice hisses again. I watch with horror as the figure of the hunter turns, moving as if to leave the cave behind. To leave me behind.

I scramble from the bed, rushing towards him. It was James Lewis, Maya’s husband. “Mr. Lewis!”

His eyes widen at the sight of me as I step into the light, and I can’t blame him. I probably look hideous, truth be told. All puffy-eyed, dressed in some rough barbarian furs. But right now, I don’t care.

I fling myself into his arms. Mr. Lewis stumbles back, and I belatedly realize that he barely moved his hunting knife out of the way of my collapsing body.

“Oh, Mr. Lewis!” There’s so much I want to say, and yet no words come clearly. Everything in my mind is a jumble, a torrent of thoughts rushing by so fast that I can barely grasp a single one.

“Can you walk?” Mr. Lewis pushes me away from him, holding me at arm’s length. His steely-blue gaze roams over my body, critical eyes taking in the sight of my knee-length tunic and belt. And bared legs, which are still scabbed and healing. His lips purse, the mustache on his top lip bristling.

“We have to go. Now.”

But do I want to leave? Hesitating for a moment, I ponder the time I spent with Taccit. There had been some good times. And he had brought me those seeds, after all. But he sees me as nothing more than a prisoner, and I can’t live my life like that. I’m not happy with what I overheard Walter talking about, but there are plenty of humans at the colony that I know. One of them will help me, I am sure of it.

“I can walk,” I reply.

Mr. Lewis latches onto my wrist and drags me towards the cave exit with the force of a bull. I gasp and stumble after him at the abrupt movement.

“Could you at least let me put on my boots?” I say, tugging futilely at his vice-like grip.

With a grunt, he releases me.

“Hurry then.” He waits impatiently, stamping from foot to foot, beside the cave door. His gaze consistently shifts from scanning the outside world to glaring at me. Not giving me a moment to even consider tying the shoelaces, he drags me out into the blinding light.

My vision still adjusting, I follow Mr. Lewis’ hurried steps down the once-overgrown path, now meticulously cleared. He leads me through the small clearing, past the table and chair where I had failed miserably at archery only days before. Taccit’s bloodied face flashes in my memory, along with the look of sheer happiness as he hands me the bag of seeds. A bittersweet smile crosses my face as I recall how proud he had been to present them to me, and how happy he made me in that moment. No one has ever risked their life just to make me happy.

“Ariana!” Mr. Lewis whirls around so suddenly that I collide with his chest. “Could we pick up the pace, please? Or do you plan on staying here to live like a savage beast?”

Ouch. I recoil at his words. They feel like a slap to the face. Shame burns my cheeks. Haven’t I called Taccit the very same?

“He’s not a beast,” I blurt out, my thoughts racing faster than I can control them. Sure, Taccit is an alien, but that doesn’t make him bad. And if being different is all it takes for someone to be evil, then what about me? I am the only female to set foot in the mines. And what about Maya, who spends even her free time leaning over all her tools and machines? We don’t fit the stereotype of females.

All Taccit really does is live a simple life, without the usual bells and whistles that our cities provide. Is that so wrong? He’s lived a hard life, away from even his tribe. He doesn’t communicate his feelings well, but he’s never been unduly harsh. He’s strong enough to turn me into a human pretzel, but he’s never laid a hand against me.

Mr. Lewis snorts at my defense. “All the aliens here are monsters. Every time a hunter has encountered them, they act all innocent and charming, but the moment you let your guard down, they pounce. Like unpredictable, uncivilized savages.”

The truth in his words pierce my heart. One moment Taccit is kind and gentle, and the next he is crude and controlling. He’s unpredictable.

“I’ll feel much better once we reach the colony again,” Mr. Lewis says, dragging me behind him again, practically rolling his eyes as he speaks. “I hate taking unnecessary risks like this. Let’s avoid any more stupidity, shall we? Just stay quiet and keep walking. We’ll be safe soon.”

With my head down, I follow after him. Maybe he’s right; staying with my own kind is the safer option. Staying here with Taccit was a stupid idea.

* * *

By the timewe trudge into the colony, my brain is reeling, and my body feels like it’s minutes away from collapsing into a heap. Walking uphill isn’t exactly my forte, and James must’ve thought we were in some sort of Olympic speed walking race. He hasn’t stopped to give me a break, not even once.

I fully expect to be taken to my house, the colony’s town hall, or maybe even the medic. I’m shivering like a wet dog from the chilly air, and my limbs are a delightful collage of scratches and bruises, courtesy of my numerous run-ins with thick bushes and unexpected cliff side trips. Meanwhile, James is practically snug as a bug in his cozy layered clothing, warm and safe from harm. It must be nice. James had a much easier time of traveling, wrapped securely in his thick clothing, warm and safe. It never even occurs to him to offer me his jacket.

Blinking in weary confusion and swaying, I try to get my bearings.

James swings open a door and shoves me over the threshold.

What greets me is a sight I haven’t laid eyes on in an eon—plush couches encircle a gleaming tea table, a luxurious rug begging to be walked on with bare feet, and there’s even large artwork adorning the walls.

“Sit,” James commands, flippantly gesturing at one of the couches. “Wait there.”

I gracefully stumble over to it and sink down, moaning as my body sinks into the soft pillows.

James disappears into another room. He speaks to someone, voices muffled.

I wind up waiting far longer than anticipated. Are they summoning a doctor? Or maybe arranging for some food and drink? Anything would be great right about now.

Barely managing to keep my eyes from slamming shut, I fight the urge to lay my head on the enticing pillow beside me and just pass out. Adjusting a fancy red pillow adorned with golden stitching, I wince at the dirt trapped under my fingernails, the scratches and grime covering my whole arm. I’ve even left a dirt trail from my shoes. Pretty sure they won’t be thrilled about that.

As exhausted as I am, sleep seems impossible now. After spending recent days in a cave, this pristine environment feels almost surreal. I feel so out of place. So unwelcome.

“Thank you for returning her,” Walter’s voice snaps me back to reality. I attempt to rise, but apparently my legs have filed for early retirement. They are honestly so sore that I don’t know if I’m even capable of standing on my own at this point. All I can muster is a weak smile, which isn’t exactly reciprocated—he barely looks at me, no sign of happiness to see me or maybe just disappointment at my awful condition. Ouch. I try not to let the rejection and dismissal hurt.

James paces into the room after him. He shrugs off Walter’s praise. “Good work for good pay.”

Walter’s lips purse. “Of course.”

I watch with curiosity as he moves over to the wall opposite us. He flicks open a small wooden box, ornately carved, and rustles about inside it. He turns and hands a small pouch to James, saying, “At least I know where you stand.”

James opens the pouch’s drawstring and allows several shiny objects to fall into his hand. Gems! They’re small, about the size of my fingernail, and emit a faint glow as he shuffles them around in his palm.

He’s holding an absolute fortune in his hand.

I struggle to my feet to get a better look. How did they manage to get so many refined gems away from the tightly controlled mine?

Catching me gawking at his new treasures, James quickly pours the gems back into the pouch and stuffs it into his pocket.

“You have your wife back,” he says, “so that concludes our business.”

James pauses at the front door and shoots me an unreadable look. “I expect Maya will be happy to see you returned. I shall send her to you tomorrow.”

And with that, the door slams behind him. The room falls into an uncomfortable silence.

I stare at the door he left through, my brain rushing through a hundred scattered thoughts and unanswered questions.

“Why did he call me your wife?” I say before I can stop myself. Of all the things to pick up on, and that’s what my brain fixates on? Sheesh. It’s not even true! That word, that claim... It feels so wrong for Walter to use it.

Walter, ever the multitasker, locks his treasure box without even glancing my way. “You’d fall for my charms sooner or later,” he says, “I just pushed the timeline forward a bit.”

I practically choke on my indignation. Who does this guy think he is? Here I am, fresh from weeks of living like a fugitive outside the colony, probably beaten and battered by my captor, and he has the nerve to act like he’s done me a favor? Where are the questions asking about my health? Does he fuss over me? No.

“It’s so nice to see you too,” I say, laying on the sarcasm. If he expects me to swoon into his arms in gratitude, impressed by his orchestrated rescue, he’s got another think coming. He should have at least pretended to care.

At least Taccit had the decency to clean and treat my wounds.

Walter’s eyes snap to me, and for the first time, he looks me up and down properly. His eyebrows shoot up, and I hope it’s an expression of surprise. Had he seriously not noticed how rough I looked when he waltzed in?

“Now, if you don’t mind,” he says with a disdainful sniff, “could you please remove your dirty body from my furniture? We’ll have to get you cleaned up.” His voice drips with condescension—and something else. Disgust? He talks about me like I am some puppy that’s just come inside from playing in the mud, not like I am a human being bleeding out in front of him.

Contrary to his oh-so-subtle put-down, it’s not like I’m covered in grime by choice. I was pretty clean before James dragged me through a forest and up and down cliff sides, thank you very much.

But fine. Two can play this game. If he’s not going to be polite, then I see no need to be so myself.

“I’d like to see a doctor now,” I say, gesturing to my injury-ridden legs and the dried blood staining my clothes. “I can get clean afterward.” If he even does this much, I’ll also clean up my act.

“I’m not footing the bill for a doctor unless it’s absolutely necessary,” Walter says dismissively.

“Find the bathing chamber through there,” he says, pointing at a doorway. “And you can borrow a clean dress in the master bedroom for now. Just wait for me there until I’ve wrapped things up with the other hunters.”

With that, Walter is already making to leave the room, leaving me to patch myself up and ponder my new reality as his “wife.”

My jaw hits the floor. “We are not married! And given your appalling behavior, that’s a good thing!”

My shout echoes around the rooms, bouncing off the walls.

Walter’s steps slow until he’s standing still. He turns toward me slowly, his body moving stiffly.

My heart picks up at seeing the heavy scowl on his face and the thunderstorm swirling in his eyes. His lips are pinched together in one hard, white line.

“You can throw a hissy fit all day long, but we are married,” Walter says slowly, pronouncing each word as if he were talking to a child. “Our matrimony has already been sanctioned with the local council and the paperwork was sent to the spaceship weeks ago.”

He looks me in the eye, and his expression is not one of a poor joke taken too far. He’s completely serious. A sinking feeling grips me.

“That can’t be,” I say. “I never consented to this madness. I haven’t signed anything!”

“I just need you to look the part, sweetheart. Keep up appearances. Even for you, that shouldn’t be too hard to do.” Walter accentuates my attire with a sweeping gesture.

My head feels faint. Does he really have my whole life planned out? Did he ever once consider asking for my opinion? Why does every male have the audacity to think they know what’s best for you?

“I’ll just tell the council what you’ve done. They’ll fix everything.”

Walter just sighs, like I am some child that’s testing his patience. “And who are they going to believe, huh? Me, the upstanding gentleman known throughout the town, or the poor girl that’s clearly struggling after being held captive by beasts?”

I look at him incredulously. Seriously, who does this guy think he is?

“You can’t do this!” I say. “There are laws, Walter! You can’t just treat me like this. The council will be forced to investigate. You can’t worm your way out of this.”

Walter releases an eerie, lifeless laugh. “Do you even hear yourself? The council won’t help you. My family has them wrapped around our little fingers. They’re in debt to us. Each and every one of them owes my family money. How do you think they even got to become council members in the first place?”

No. I refuse to believe it. There are systems set in place to stop corruption. Besides, none of them will force a woman to marry someone against her will. They won’t go that far.

I’ll go straight away and report this. Get it sorted. Then I’ll go home, regroup, and figure out what to do from there.

I stride across the room, intending to nudge him out of my way. I don’t deign to give him another glance. And boy, do I pay the price. Unprepared for the blow, I grunt when it lands on my back, propelling me into the unforgiving wall. My cheek and chin collide with the unyielding wood. Before I get the chance to conjure up a snarky complaint, his iron grip fastens around my arm. With brute force, he yanks me backward, launching me across the room.

“Ariana, you will learn to be a good wife,” Walter says as he looms over me, his eyes as cold as his heart.

“You—you hit me!” I say, stunned. Never in my wildest dreams do I anticipate him getting violent. Trembling, my fingers graze my throbbing cheek. “You can’t do that!”

Walter’s lips slowly curve. Smiling is an entirely human emotion. Yet somehow this feels even more terrifying than one of Taccit’s smiles.

Before I can scamper to safety, his booted foot connects with my side, its impact sharp and agonizing. I howl in response.

Cradling my ribs, I gasp for breath, pain searing my body. It hurts. Oh God, it hurts so bad. Who would have thought being kicked feels like waltzing face-first into a cactus?

Walter yanks my head up by my hair, bringing his face uncomfortably close to mine. His fetid breath is hot against my cheek. A malicious grin spreads across his face.

“That little love bite was merely an appetizer, Ariana. Defy me, and you’ll discover my bites pack a far more vicious punch. You’d be amazed at how much damage long sleeves and skirts can conceal.”

The room spins around me.

Peering down his nose, he snorts in derision. “Did you honestly think I’d want to marry someone as unattractive as you? The only appealing thing about you is your inheritance. So just remember, in the grand scheme of things, you’re utterly insignificant. Don’t ever forget your place, and definitely don’t disobey me.”

Yet, despite everything, I am not afraid of Walter. Sure, he might be intimidating, but he’s no match for my alien. Maybe it’s the knocks around the head that finally make it clear—Taccit is mine.

Almost involuntarily, the words tumble out of my mouth, “Taccit will come for me. He’ll rescue me. He’s not going to abandon me.”

Stupid. Why do I always have to open my big mouth? One would think that avoiding annoying the guy who’s currently giving you a pounding would be a no-brainer. Yet, here I am, throwing logic out the window right alongside my temper. Talk about a winning combination!

Walter cackles manically, like a villain straight from a comic book. What is wrong with this guy? “Oh, and your precious alien? It’s dead. I made sure of that just a few hours ago.”

Time seems to crawl to a halt at Walter’s words. Can he be telling the truth?

He leans down, his hot breath ghosting over my face. “No one is coming to save you.”

And, right on cue, the bone-chilling howling of a drolvden echoes through the distance, resonating deep within my core. The sound holds an undeniable finality to it.

Taccit is dead.