Page 8 of A Mate for Traxx

The sound of an engine grows louder the closer we get to our destination, and my heart pounds out a staccato beat to match.

I completely despise the circumstance in which I find myself. I keep searching for Traxx, hoping that he’s coming for me, but I see nothing. No sign of my blue and purple alien mate. He would not fail me now, but where is he? It is strange to put so much faith into him when we’ve only just met, but I feel nothing except comfort around him. I crave his safety now when I am so far away from him.

I close my eyes and say a prayer. “Find me, Traxx.”

A few seconds later, a new voice speaks into my mind.I am here, my love. Tell me where you are. What’s surrounding you? I’m coming for you.

My heart ticks at his response.You can hear me?

Yes, now… tell me where you are.

They’re taking me to their ship. I’m outside the compound, Traxx. I’m scared.

We pass under a willow tree filled with light. Tiny flying buds surround me. They land on my shoulders and brush against my face like a caress.

“Traxx!” A shove from behind forces me onto the ship against my will. I miss a step and fall face forward, my knees scraping along the floor, leaving what I’m sure will be a lovely bruise. One of the aliens' hands wraps around my arm and pulls me back up. I wince at the pain he inflicts as he shoves me forward roughly, no doubt bruising the soft tissue.

I’m coming!He shouts to me in my mind, but I don’t think he will get here in time, and that thought has me panicking and fighting to think of ways out of this, ways to fight back.

I hate the alien’s grip on me. It is nothing like my tender mate’s. I can easily compare this alien to a robot—cold and emotionless. Slave to the leader of this motley crew. I kick and fight, try to deadweight myself, but nothing works. The one time where being a curvy girl fails me miserably.

“Listen here, you slimy piece of dog shit. My mate is coming for you, and I promise he won’t be happy when he gets here.” Having finally had it with this treatment, I use the rage and fear bubbling inside to fight back with words, since strength isn’t working, and let these aliens know just who they’re dealing with.

“Yourmate”—he spits the word at me like an amphibian—“will have to find you at the human market. I have several buyers who would be very interested in a little thing like you.”

“I’m not little, you fucktwat.”

The grip around my arm tightens as we walk. I must be offending them with my language. Or maybe they’ve never beenaround a female who chooses to stick up for herself instead of just bowing down.

“You will learn, little one. Eventually you will be broken enough to realize your place.”

“Try me.” I glare at him, and he has the audacity to laugh at me.

I swear to God, I am going to kill these fuckers, Traxx.I shout it into my mind.

Do not do anything. They are more powerful than you, Rhea. Believe me, love.The sound of his voice in my mind should scare me, but right now it provides much needed comfort.

The hatch on the second level of the ship is the second door-like structure I’ve walked through since stepping onto it.

The aliens rumble between themselves, speaking in their own language. I know it’s about me by the way they keep looking over at me every other word. “You know, it’s really fucking rude to talk about someone in front of them, right?”

“This one speaks too much,” one of my alien caretakers states plainly.

The leader laughs a low, dark, theatrical type of laugh that chills me to the bone.

I don’t know what’s happening until I feel a hard slap to the side of my face that knocks the wind from my lungs. Pain radiates through my cheek as I reach up to hold it. It’s then I realize that perhaps staying quiet is my best bet.

I am shoved into a chair on the outside of the room as the aliens depart from me to discuss their plans. I'm assuming it’s about what to do with me now that they’ve captured me.

What do they want with me? Am I merely something for the human market? It's not like they know the commander is my mate. How could they?

Traxx… You need to hurry.

I’m here.I scan the room, looking for any sign of him, but I don’t see him. The aliens are completely oblivious to my whereabouts, so I take the chance I have and run.

I take the tunnel as fast as my chubby little legs will take me, curving around a bend before finding the large storage area I’d been dragged through just moments earlier.

My heart pounds in my chest, and I wonder if they can pick up on it. If Traxx can sense my emotions, hear my thoughts, and sense my arousal, I wonder if it is the same for the other aliens. I get just a few feet away before shouting sounds behind me, followed by heavy, angry footsteps.

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