Chapter 1
ONE
I moan as my head thumps in pain. My whole body feels heavy as I lie on something cold and hard, making me even more cold than I already am. Why am I so chilly? Am I dying?
“Adryn. I’m over here,” Luna whispers.
I hiss as the lights hurt my eyes. Why is it so bright in here? I push myself to sitting, holding my temple as the throbbing gets worse. My body feels even heavier and off. “Where are we?” I whimper, looking in her direction, trying to find out where she is.
“Venkoria. It must be the name of this planet.” I meet her gaze and gasp when I see her in a cage that’s hanging in the air, an odd-looking collar around her neck. “I’m scared.”
That’s when I realize I’m also in a cage. Why are we in cages? Are we going to be kept in here for the rest of our lives? Is that what Headmistress Helena knew and wanted from us?
I grip one of the bars and look around, trying to find an escape route but I don’t see any. I’m stuck in here.
“I know. Be brave,” she says. “Listen. Don’t fight against the collar. It won’t do you any good, and it allows you to understand what the aliens are saying.”
I look at her, confused. What is she talking about? The collar is the translator, but Headmistress Helena didn’t have that on at the space station.
The door opens, and I watch as three men walk in and head straight toward Luna. He says something I can’t understand before the cage is unlocked and Luna is in his arms. Where are they taking her?
I try to push myself to the front of the cage to see past the door, but their wide figures block everything. The door shuts behind them, leaving me alone in this cold and dark room.
After pulling my knees up to my chest, I wrap my arms around to try and keep my body warm as I wait. What’s going to happen to Luna?
My teeth start chattering as I look at all the other empty cages. There is no way to inform the other girls what’s waiting for them here. They are doomed just like Luna and me.
I don’t know how much time has passed, but the increased pressure in my bladder tells me I’ve been here for a while.
My eyes scan the small cage, not finding anything to use to go to the bathroom.
What am I going to do? I’m not going to be able to hold this in much longer, and I don’t want to make a mess of myself.
But as the time passes and the pressure increases, I have a harder time holding it in. Are they going to come in before I pee myself? Will I be able to communicate with them to let them know I have to go, or will they watch me pee myself and laugh at me?
Tears pool in my eyes as I clench my thighs together, holding my legs harder as the pressure becomes painful, my bladder begging me to let go, but I can’t. I can’t pee myself. How humiliating would that be? I would be sitting in it until they came and got me… Whenever that will be.
I try to distract myself by looking at my old and worn dress, colorless after so many washes.
None of us on the ship had clothing with color on them.
It’s made me almost forget what colors they were to begin with.
I like to believe mine was a light pastel, but after years of seeing the faded material, I can’t imagine or remember what it was before.
I whimper, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, trying to calm myself down, but it’s no use.
Tears spill down my face as I start peeing, not able to hold it in any longer.
The wetness surrounds me, soaking into my dress around my thighs.
Burying my face in my knees, I hug my legs tighter, trying not to think about what just happened.
I continue to cry as time passes, completely embarrassed that I’m still sitting in a puddle of my own pee.
The door opens and three men walk into the room, heading straight toward me.
Two of them I recognize from when they came for Luna.
They are both wearing all black and have weapons, one has red hair, and the other is blond.
They stop in front of my cage, their feet the only things I can see. They start talking and I don’t understand them. Nerves run through me as their voices get louder. I didn’t have time to look at the third person, but I didn’t recognize him at all. It wasn’t the same person who came for Luna.
“Pl-please,” I stutter, the cold affecting me along with the nerves.
Hands are the first thing I see as they unlock the cage, and before I know it, he’s grabbing my arm and hauling me out of the cage.
My head hangs heavily as he holds me in the air and says several words.
From the corner of my eye, I can see the third person looking over my body, analyzing everything, before turning, nodding, and saying some words.
The blond man holding me starts walking and places me on a table. I’m on my hands and knees like a dog would be. My hair gets moved to the side, and before I know it, I feel the coldness of a collar being fastened around my neck.
“Maybe this girl will be as intelligent as the other one,” the man holding my head in place says.
I jerk back, not expecting to understand them. Are they speaking English?
“P-please,” I whimper, my dress sticking to my bottom and legs.
“Maybe not. She wet herself before we got here. Maybe she is the unintelligent one,” the red-haired man said.
“I’m intelligent!” I yell, twitching. The man holding my head lets go, and I fall to the side, hitting the edge of the table and tumbling.
I scream, my eyes going wide as I stare at the ceiling, waiting for my back to hit the ground, but before I can, arms wrap around me, pulling me tight against a chest.
“I’ve got you, Little companion,” a deep voice rumbles.
As I look up, I realize it’s the third man who came into the room. His blue eyes stare directly into mine. I open and close my mouth as I take in his features. Striking blue eyes, dark brown hair, and a little stubble across his face.
Handsome.
But not handsome enough for me to want to do anything with him. I struggle in his arms, but he keeps me close to him.
“Stop fighting, Little companion,” he growls.
“Allow me to inject her before you do anything,” one of the men suggests.
I struggle in his arms, not wanting to get whatever they are talking about, but he keeps my body still against his.
“Pl-please,” I whimper, not liking the sound of this.
Did Luna get one? Where is she now?
“Hurry up so I can clean her up and change her,” the man holding me growls.
“Hold her neck,” the blond says.
The man holding me keeps my head still, and before I know it, I feel a prick and sting as the needle slides into my neck. Without breathing, I close my eyes as whatever they have in the syringe is pushed in.
“Look at me, Little companion,” the man commands.
I open my eyes and stare at him, realizing nothing has happened. What did they inject me with?
“What did you do with Luna? What’s going to happen to me?” I ask before I can stop myself. “Please.”
“Quiet,” he gently says, but I don’t follow his command.
“I don’t need the collar. I don’t want to be here. Please, let me go, and I won’t tell anyone. Let me and Luna go,” I beg him as I yank on the collar.
The man holding me moves me to his left hip, pulling me against him as he grips my chin with his now free hand. “Listen to me and listen closely.”
My eyes are wide as I glare at him. His grip on my chin is tight, forcing me to look at him.
“You will never be able to take the collar off, Little companion. It will stay around your neck for the rest of your life and is equipped with a GPS locator, so if you try to run away from me, I will find you and punish you.” His voice drops an octave.
I suck in a breath, tears pooling in my eyes. I’m going to be owned like a pet for the rest of my life? Is that what Headmistress Helena knew?
“You may clean her up now, Raydn. The injection will start working in an hour,” the red-headed guy announces. “Though, from what I’ve heard from Julan, you may feel some things as well.”
Feeling what? What did they inject me with?
Raydn. Was that the name of the man holding me?
“Raydn?” I try to pronounce, but it’s harder than it sounds.
His grip tightens on my chin. “It’s Daddy to you.”
Daddy? My eyebrows pinch together. Where have I heard that term before?
“You are only permitted to call me Daddy. Anything else and you will be punished.” He lets go of my chin and starts to walk.
“Daddy?” I test the name out, and my eyes go wide once again as I stare at him in shock. “You aren’t my father!” I raise my voice.
My mood sours as I think about my father. I never met him once in my life, don’t even know what he looks like.
“I’m not your father, but I am your caregiver from now on, and you will call me Daddy.” He leaves no room for arguments.
I twist and turn in his arms, uncomfortable from the wetness in my panties sticking to me.
“Stop moving.” He pops me on the thigh.
My mouth falls open as I stare at him. “I’m wet!” I raise my voice, not caring.
His eyes narrow on me, and he stops walking. “You do not talk to me like that, Little companion.”
“Stop calling me Little companion. I’m not your companion. You aren’t my Daddy either!” I rebut.
Before I know what is happening, I’m hanging over his muscular arm, my bottom in the air, and my head pointing to the ground. Several swats land on my bottom, making me yell out in pain and shock.
“No!” I scream.
“Quiet, Little companion.” He swats my bottom several more times.
Tears pool in my eyes as I suck in a breath. “My name is Adryn, not Little companion!”
After several more swats to my bottom, he pulls me up to his chest and holds me close, rubbing my back as I continue to cry.
“Owie,” I mumble as my bottom rests on his forearm. I try to move, but he keeps me in place.
“Keep still,” he grumbles. “I don’t want to drop you.”
“I don’t want to be in your arms,” I lie.
It’s like something has shifted inside of me. I want to be as close to him as possible. I want to bury myself in his arms, crawl under his skin, and be part of him.
Daddy hums, a knowing smile on his face. “I think you are lying. Do you know what happens to Little companions who lie?”
I shake my head, gazing at him, waiting for him to tell me.
“They get punished,” he whispers, his face mere inches away from mine.