Chapter 10 #2
The thought would forever remain, sizzling every cell, igniting the fire that had already almost consumed me. I kept my fists clenched as she was finally positioned just in front of the stage. “They want children.”
“We all want a family, Erik. The promise of additional human females means hope that our species can live on.” This time, Brexin’s words seemed practiced.
They’d been given their own line of political bullshit.
Was it even possible? “I’ve always wanted family and a home.
I live in a city where children don’t exist, but I remember the joy of seeing families together. ”
What memory of any family had been wiped away, but I had extreme sadness at the thought, as if I should remember more. I remained bitter in realizing that fertility was vital for the Galerians or there would be eventual extinction, much like that for the inhabitants of Earth.
“It is time for the selection,” Steen said above the din of the crowd. “Once a mate is chosen, there can be no retraction. The four will be mated for life.”
The crowd roared their appreciation, although there were continued outcries.
“My choices have specific reasons and are not to be questioned,” Steen continued. He took several seconds to glance around the room, locking eyes with the few dissenters. “My first selection is not from our clan, but a hybrid.”
I was prepared for a level of anger. The way the crowd reacted could mean anarchy.
Several soldiers entered the room, their weapons in full display.
“Enough!” Steen roared. “I. Am. Your. King. The hybrids will be a part of our world. There is no other choice.”
I felt the heated looks shifting in my direction, their rage in full bloom.
“This man will be a great addition to our clan. Please bring him in.” Once again, the soldiers opened the doors.
David. I wasn’t surprised by the selection, only the change in the man I’d known in a few short days.
I took a step closer. He was no longer lean, sick from the experiments.
In walked a formidable man, his features similar to my own, bulging muscles covering his massive frame.
There was no hesitation on his part, walking in with purpose and his head held high.
If the disease was a reality, there was no sense that he’d contracted it.
Maybe Brexin was wrong, but my hackles remained raised.
Finally, the ugly murmurs died down.
“My second choice is one I think you will approve. Brexin.”
Brexin’s eyes opened wide, the obvious honor written on his stunned face. He gave me a single fleeting look before taking his place.
There was little reaction on Cassia’s face, but her eyes told me everything as she searched for me in the crowd. I moved closer until we locked eyes. I was just as shaken as she was and for the first time in two days, I felt true despair.
“And my third choice is one that I believe will mean a better future for all of us. Erik, a leader and a true friend.” Steen held out his hand, the gesture gracious. “A reward for his loyalty.”
A jolt of current shot through my system, a series of images rolling in a strangling flash.
“You will be given a special reward for your service, Erik Trebold.” He laughed and laughed, the sound more annoying than the first time.
In his hand he held a syringe, needle glimmering in the fluorescent lighting.
“I don’t want a damn reward,” I scoffed, straining against the steel shackles, chained like a mother fucking beast. The rattling sounds filtered into the dense space, the stench filling my mouth with bile.
I let out an intense growl, my muscles bulging from the exertion.
“Do I need to further restrain you, Mr. Trebold, or will you be able to control your behavior?”
I snapped at him, grinding my teeth together. For once, he seemed terrified.
The hard cracking of the whip against my naked back drove me forward.
I grunted, refusing to give the guards that satisfaction of crying out in pain.
I was fed up with the tests and examinations.
The harsh reality was that my world was the same as being in prison, the locked cage only larger, the food tastier.
“You have one last chance, Mr. Trebold. There won’t be another.” The doctor grimaced, his skin paling, but I would never forget the evil in his eyes.
“Are you all right?” Brexin asked, breaking the spell.
“Perfectly fine,” I barked, determined to block out the wretched memory as well as the hatred spewed from the depths of the room as I walked forward. There was no place of peace for a man like me. All I could concentrate on was the beauty standing in front of me.
Reaching out, she grasped both my hands, the same quiver in her lower lip jutting into my system, cutting a jagged slice in my heart.
We were still in danger, perhaps more so than before.
Could I manage to keep her safe? My mind jerked back to yet another damning vision, one from earlier. Why the fuck was I experiencing them now?
“You have a decision to make, Erik, and I don’t have much time. What is your decision?”
The words cut through me like a bloody blade, a reminder that I had no choice if I wanted to live.
I’d been allowed a feast in terms of what I was used to, meats and cheeses, fresh fruit and bread, but I hadn’t been able to stomach any of it.
I was sick. Sick at heart. Sick in my body. Sick in my mind.
I was still the murderous creature they’d dragged from the streets, tossed away like an animal. There was no recourse unless I signed, unless I agreed. Snarling, I glared at the man, my head throbbing and my eyes still unfocused, more exhausted than I’d ever been. “Give me a pen.”
“Excellent. After this, your new life begins. Just imagine being able to mate.”
Mate… The single word was a reminder that this entire game had been well planned.
The memory was fresh, as if the event had occurred only yesterday.
I glared at Steen, refusing to process what was being forced upon me.
I had no choice to make, just like I hadn’t months before.
I was simply a man tossed to the wolves.
This time, the wolves were in predator’s clothing.
I laughed, the sound booming into the great hall.
“What’s wrong?” Cassia whispered, inching closer.
“Not a damn thing.” My answer was for Steen’s benefit.
“Go. Enjoy your first night together. Tomorrow, we will plan for a battle.” Steen held his smile, more practiced than I’d seen before. Hiding. Waiting.
And he would be watching.
Several armed guards led us through a series of corridors and to a long, dark hallway, a single room at the end.
They said nothing, merely opening the door and allowing us inside.
I knew they would stand guard all night, making certain we followed through with our duties.
And once again, I would play the part, acting as required.
But tomorrow was another day.
* * *
Cassia
Mated to three, two who’d once been very human and one true alien.
Beast. Monster. All the names that I’d heard them called rushed into the back of my mind.
I had no sense of reality, no way of understanding the ramifications of what I’d just been forced into.
I was now their property, required to follow their rules, playing the obedient little female human. Nothing made any sense any longer.
I’d seen Erik’s twisted face, the enraged expression just seconds before we were led out of the great hall. He wasn’t just worried about our future. He was prepared to perfect his desired level of revenge. What in the hell had occurred in a few short hours?
I grabbed onto the last memory before boarding the shuttle, the very last time I walked out of my apartment, never knowing it was the last time. Another gift had been sent, the most beautiful roses, yet another forbidden item in the world of the endangered humans.
From my caretaker, and the salutation on the card? His hope for the future.
I shuddered. Nothing made any sense, but I’d come to accept that I would be mated.
The thought was both shameful as well as stimulating.
I’d remained on fire since the punishment, even though whatever lotion the Galerian women applied had lessened the pain to a mild irritation.
But I knew I was in for another spanking.
At least I cared for Erik, Brexin as well, my body hungering for both. Could I learn to care for David?
“What… What happens now?” I finally asked. I was shocked at the sight of David. He’d changed in only a few days, virile and full of life. Whatever I imagined happening to the hybrids, I was obviously wrong. He was healthy. He was strong.
He was magnificent.
My mouth watered, the reaction involuntary, but I was aroused by the very thought of him. Of them.
Inhaling, even the scent of all three was more intoxicating that I could imagine. Fully aroused, I was able to gather the scent of my pussy, wet and aching. I walked closer to David, fearful of touching him, as if the man would break. No, he was far too rugged.
His hair was longer, the coloration kissed by the very gods of sunshine.
His massive chest and rippled pecs almost bursting through the simple uniform.
His arms and legs were sculpted from the finest stone, the proportions exquisite.
The effects of the transformation were nothing like I expected. Then again, I’d never seen another.
He was gorgeous, roguish in the same kind of Viking manner as Erik, taking my breath away.
I gazed from one to the other, my gaze settling on Erik.
The full-blown electricity was undeniable.
There could never be the same kind of connection as I had with him, but at least I believed they would all protect and care for me no matter the circumstances.
Or the danger.
“We taste our little mate. Then…” Brexin’s words trailed off, a twinkle in his eye. Walking closer, he allowed his hand to trail down from my cheek to my neck, instantly giving me shivers.