Page 5 of Tortured

The trader winces.

“You went down to that granthing planet and took them, didn’t you?” I ask between gritted teeth.

A sullen nod is my only answer.

I glare at him and growl, “Get this piece of filth out of my sight.”

Varnak takes command of the trader and knocks him into the other ones on the bridge. Not one of them even considers arguing with the angry male.

“I suppose we should introduce ourselves to our guests.” Pushing my hand through my gleaming white hair, I sigh and groan. “Let’s go. Varnak, for now let’s lock these idiots in here. Zaycor, fix the system so it doesn’t let them release themselves. Then we’ll head to the holding cells.”

Five minutes later, we’re opening the door to the brig area of the ship that’s been made into a makeshift holding cell that’s barely suitable for animals let alone the beautiful creatures waiting inside.

My eyes lock with one of them and my heart races out of control. She’s the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen and my body tightens, an intense hunger growing inside me, ravaging what little control I have.

I need this female.

3

LACEY

“Psst!” Alex whispers. “Are you awake, Lacey?”

I groan. “Not really, Alex.”

“Can you move yet? I hear some noises outside the door. It sounds like fighting. Do you think someone’s here to save us?”

I grimace and pull myself painfully to my feet, my breath whooshing out. Leaning against the cold metal bars, I eye the door skeptically. “Who, Alex? Who could be here to save us on an alien ship in the middle of deep space? I don’t think we’re anywhere close to earth and even if we were, who on earth can travel to space to kick the asses of a bunch of crazy, human-trafficking aliens!”

I can see Alex’s slim shoulders droop. “Yeah. I don’t think I really thought that through.”

“How are Jenna and Ruby?”

“I can’t really see Ruby from here but Jenna won’t answer me. She’s just staring off into space. She’s not even touching that nasty slop they have been trying to get us to eat.”

I grimace, tightening my full lips. “I can’t hardly keep it down either.”

Both of us turn when shouts and short bursts of some strange sound ring out from a distance.

“Do you think someone’s fighting these guys?”

I sigh, leaning heavily on the bars, wrapping my fingers around the metal barrier. “It sounds like it but are these guys good aliens or even worse aliens?”

I’m not sure I want to know.

The door chimes and slides open slowly. Alex and I immediately scramble to the back of the cages.

Instead of seeing the flabby bulk of the aliens who kidnapped us, four tall, blue-skinned aliens with long, flowing hair tied back in elaborate braids step carefully through the door. The one in the lead pauses, his white eyebrows shooting up into his hairline. His pale violet eyes widen and he hisses out a sharp breath. When his mouth opens I see just a quick flash of sharp incisors that makes my heart pound.

My eyes meet his and I feel my heart thudding against my ribs. This alien is nothing like our captors. His full lips tighten as his lean cheeks darken angrily. I scrunch even further into the wall, attempting to hide from him. My breath huffs and a traitorous warmth invades my body, heating my core.

He begins speaking but I can’t understand him. Apparently the chips that we’ve been implanted with don’t cover this alien’s language.

I shake my head, my long hair sticking to my face. Immediately his pale pansy eyes snap to mine. They widen slightly and then narrow on me. He paces closer but then says something to one of the other alien’s. That one steps forward and runs something over the scanner which beeps and then swings open. My breath catches and I scramble as far away as I can. His enormous body steps inside my cage. I look up and up for what seems like forever, past miles of shifting, defined muscles until I feel like I’m drowning in the soft amethyst of his fierce gaze.

God, he’s gorgeous! So big and strong. His eyes are the strangest shade I’ve ever seen of a pale, pansy purple. He’s got to be at least seven feet tall and ripped. Muscles shifting as he stalks me around the cage until I’m able to see daylight past him in the open doorway. My eyes shift and I gather my muscles to spring forward. I need to get out of here. I need to get some space from his overwhelming presence.

He glares at me and says something again. This time I have no trouble understanding what he’s saying.

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