Chapter 2
In her wildest dreams, Midori had never expected to be abducted by aliens.
But I suppose one never does. I don't know if it could be considered an abduction if you're expecting it to happen.
Midori realized her thoughts were rambling. Her brain tended to do that, particularly when terrified. And right then, she was scared shitless. A group of big blue aliens had just walked into the shower room and were staring at her naked body.
One was already enough, but at least he tried to give her privacy. She was shaking like a leaf, so there was no way she was going to look over at them. Still, she sensed their gaze accosting her as they ogled her like a piece of meat at the grocer.
Midori wished she could disappear. Just melt into the wall and hide away. Be invisible like she was on Earth. Well, not invisible—but not noticeable. Ignored. Unimportant. She had grown used to living like that. Here, she and the other women who were taken were the center of attention. She hated it.
A growl came from the front of the room, and Midori turned just enough to see the big blue four-armed guard she spilled food all over stomping to the door and blocking the way in.
"This room is occupied. Leave."
The threat in his voice was unmistakable, and she shivered again—both from fear and from being a little turned on by his ferocious protectiveness.
"There's more than enough room for all of us in here," the one in front said. "Besides, we're only looking. We promise to keep all our hands to ourselves, brother."
Her protector snarled at him. "You can either leave on your own two feet, or you can exit the door with my boot up your ass. You decide, brother."
From the corner of her eye, Midori saw the guard glancing at those who came in with him. Looking for support maybe? But she supposed he didn't get it, because the next thing she knew he said, "Fine. But don't take too long. We also have matters to attend to.”
The door swished closed, and Midori stole a quick glance at the ridiculously tall and blue four-armed guard. He still had his broad muscular back to her. His long blue monkey-tail swished back and forth, and she was hit with a confusing wave of disappointment which she didn't understand. Having someone watch her shower was a terrifying idea, but for some reason she wanted him to want to look at her.
Good god, what is this!? She didn't understand herself and the competing emotions of fear and desire.
Instead of trying to figure it out, she shook her head and went back to washing her body as quickly as possible. The sooner she got out of there and back to her sister, April, and their new friend, Valentina, the better.
Midori gathered her courage. "Thank you for making them leave."
The big blue alien grunted, which she supposed was his way of saying, "You're welcome."
She finished and deactivated the water using her palm on the hand reader. As soon as the water stopped, jets of warm air streamed from the ceiling and the floor, drying her in just seconds.
"I'm done," she said, doing her best to cover her nakedness with her hands, even though he was still facing away and keeping his promise to give her some privacy.
The guard walked over to the combination clothes washer and dryer, which worked amazingly fast. It made a shrill noise, indicating her clothes were clean. Another amazing alien technology—clothes washing and drying within a few minutes. No more waiting an hour for her favorite pair of jeans to dry. What I wouldn't give for those jeans. She wondered if she'd ever see any of her stuff ever again. She wondered if she'd ever see home again.
The threat of tears made her eyes sting, but Midori forced them back. I will not cry. It won't help anything, and I've cried for weeks already. No, I'm going to suck it up and do my best to act like April and Valentina.
Valentina was a natural leader and problem solver. She had been from the moment their ship to Rivia was attacked and the three women were abducted. Her sister April, however, was just plain stubborn. And angry. Really, really angry about the whole situation.
Midori was also angry about being taken, but mostly she was scared. None of the guards bothered to share information with them, even though the women were fitted with communication patches which gave them the ability to understand the foreign languages. It seemed like the aliens who took them were deliberately keeping them in the dark, and Midori was frightened to think why that might be.
At first she worried their alien abductors might want to eat them. Maybe barbecued human was considered a delicacy on their planet. But, after a few days of being ogled over in the showers, the women realized the aliens had taken them for baser reasons and were pretty sure their captors were going to sell them in some sort of slave trade. Thankfully, no one had tried to touch them. Yet. Midori was afraid once the ship reached its destination, that wouldn't remain the case.
The alien retrieved her clothing from the cleaner and held them out to her behind his back, stretching toward her with two of his four hands. "They're cleansed. You may dress now."
Midori's feet didn't want to move at first, in case he spun around and attacked. But she told herself he could have taken advantage of her at any time and hadn't. This huge and blue four-armed alien had been a complete gentleman. She thought she could trust him, at least for the moment.
Midori slipped her clothes from his grip and dressed in the same black leggings and purple shirt dress she'd worn for weeks. Despite being grateful for the opportunity to clean herself and her clothes, she yearned for a wardrobe change. Unfortunately, all their luggage was left behind on the Rivian ship when they were abducted.
"I'm dressed now. You can turn around."
The alien did, and Midori's heart pounded in her chest as she looked up into his startling silver eyes. She wondered if he heard her heart thrumming. It was beating so hard and fast.
Midori wasn't sure what it was about him that made her pulse pound and her breath catch in her lungs, but whatever was happening sure was making her uncomfortable. She wanted it to stop, and yet she hoped it never did.
Don't be stupid. To him you're just an object to be traded and forgotten. It doesn't matter how imposing and attractive he is. He's with the aliens who kidnapped you. You can't trust him.
Her heart didn't agree with her mind.
This guy might be part of their group, but he just showed up today. I'm sure of it.
He wasn't there when they were taken, so maybe he felt differently about abducting and selling human women. Plus, he had been trustworthy so far.
Maybe . . .
"I will need to cleanse myself as well," he said, pulling Midori from her mental argument. "If my nakedness causes you discomfort, you are free to avert your eyes."
Midori nodded and turned around just as he stripped off his soiled clothing. She had done an excellent job of spilling their dinner all over him earlier in the hallway. He was covered in the gooey green gel from his thick chiseled chest down to his boot-clad feet. He put his black, skin-tight trousers and vest in the washer-dryer, and a few seconds later, the sound of splashing water filled the air.
Midori knew she shouldn't look. He had been kind enough to keep his eyes front and center for her. But then again, he didn't ask her not to look at him. He just said she could avert her eyes if seeing him naked made her uncomfortable. He seemed unfazed and indifferent about her seeing his naked body. And she really, really wanted to see it. The guy had four arms and a tail like a monkey! She knew it might be weird, but her curiosity was piqued to know what other parts of his alien anatomy might be different.
She chanced a glance over her shoulder. He was facing away from her, water streaming over the undulating muscles of his broad blue-skinned back covered in strange tattoos. Midori only intended to have a quick look, but she was fascinated by the strange image of his four arms all working to cleanse his body at the same time while his tail swished back and forth, just skimming the floor. Two hands washed his long black hair, while the other two hands rubbed soapy water over his chest. A mental image of those hands rubbing soapy water all over her body popped into her mind, and Midori's throat released a strange gurgling sound as she tried to shove the image away. The alien's head turned back, and he caught her staring at him.
Midori snapped her attention back to the front of the room, and heat flared through her cheeks. She couldn't believe the guard caught her peeking.
Oh god, how embarrassing.
The streaming water went on and on. While she wondered if he would ever finish, the washer-dryer signaled the clothes were done. She opened the door to retrieve the guard's clothes, and the shower stopped.
Finally!
As she stood there holding his clothes while the blower turned on behind her, Midori realized his shower probably wasn't so long. Her embarrassment at being caught as a peeping Tom just made it seem that way.
She draped his clothing over her arm, and a few moments later, the blower stopped. The alien approached, and Midori was all too aware of his huge naked body standing behind her. She heard his breathing and wondered what was taking him so long.
"I think I'll need those," he said, his deep voice rumbling over her.
Midori felt foolish as she glanced downward. She was pressing his clothes tight to her chest.
"Of course," she stammered and held out an arm with his clothes. He slid them off, and she shivered when his fingers glided across her skin.
A few seconds later, the guard said, "I am clothed now. I will return you to your dwelling."
He was quiet as they walked through the halls of the ship, but Midori didn't think it was an ominous quiet. It was just . . . comfortable. In fact, she thought he might be amenable to conversation if she could gather enough courage to ask a question.
After a few minutes, she cleared her throat and asked, "What is your name?"
His gaze turned down toward her, and the corner of his mouth lifted in a tiny smile. "I am named Cael."
"Like the plant?" As soon as the words left her mouth, Midori felt like an idiot.
Of course he isn't named after kale. Who knows if he even has any idea what that is?
His smile turned to a frown, and his brow furrowed. "You have a plant called Cael on your planet?"
"Yes. Though I'm sure it means something different in your language. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have?—"
"Is it delicious?" he asked, catching her off guard.
"I . . . um . . . some people like it."
"But not you."
"It's not my favorite. Too bitter for my liking."
He nodded as if he was weighing her words, but from the tilt of his lips, Midori could tell he was holding back a smile.
Is he laughing at me? I suppose that's better than pissing him off.
He had been nothing but a gentleman from the moment she spilled her dinner all over him, but that didn't mean she wanted to anger the seven-foot-tall alien with four bulging biceps.
Midori brought him to the room where she and the two other women were confined. They thought of it as their shared bedroom, though it was more like a prison cell. It's not like they could leave whenever they wanted.
Cael lifted his hand and hovered it over the palm scanner, refraining from pressing his skin against the metal to unlock the door. Midori wondered what he was waiting for.
He lowered his hand and turned to her, his silver eyes staring into hers. "You did not tell me your name."
"You didn't ask." Her voice was barely louder than a whisper.
Again, his tiny smile returned and his tail gave a swish. "Well then, what is your name?"
"Midori."
"Midori?" He looked thoughtful. "The nanite translator is telling me your name means green. Is this correct?"
"Yes. My mother is from Japan. Was . . . was from Japan. It's a country on my planet, Earth. And Midori means green, but it's also a fairly common name in Japan."
"And this plant you have on your planet which shares my name, is it green as well?"
"It is." She nodded, noticing for the first time his black silver-tipped hair held a deep blue tint to it. Midori wondered what it would feel like running through her fingers and then mentally kicked herself for caring.
"On my planet, green is a very lucky color indeed." He placed his hand on the scanner, and the door swished open.
Midori walked inside and turned to thank him for the way he treated her.
"I hope to see you again, Midori. And I hope, unlike the “Cael” of your planet, you will not find me too bitter for your liking."
The door swished close, and he was gone.