Page 39 of The Stolen Tribute
“Yes, the g-force made you pass out. I brought you here to recover, and it it didn’t take long. I’m happy to see you doing well,” Dal said. His voice was sweet, but his eyes were hungry for something more.
I forced myself up and against the wall. I didn’t want him close to me. “It’s stuffy in here. Can we go somewhere else?” I asked.
“Of course, my mate.” Dal extended his hand to me.
The word mate almost made me gag. I didn’t belong to anyone, not like that. I would have never made a good Tribute. I couldn’t believe I signed up for something so stupid. But, if I hadn’t, then I wouldn’t have met Jaxir.
I took his hand gingerly. “Sure.”
Dal led me out of the tiny room and down a short corridor. The white hallway led to a larger area. This must have been the central command area.
“Welcome to the Zexian G-9 Corvette, as you humans call it,” He said, puffing out his chest slightly as he spoke about the beautifully designed ship. The chrome finishes reflected the colored lights that twinkled along the control boards. “This starfighter is built to house a crew of up to twenty, but thanks to our new AI, the entire thing is piloted by computer,” He said. “Which means it’s just you and me, darling.”
The front window stretched around most of the room. We were floating still in space, with stars twinkling in the distance.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“Right now, we’re in the middle of nowhere,” Dal said with a chuckle. “Shall I tell the computer to bring us home?”
Home. The Zexian mothership.
“Wait,” I said.
Dal was too close to me. “What is it, my mate?” He asked.
I took a tiny step back, hoping he wouldn’t notice how much he repulsed me. I had to crane my neck to look up at him properly. “What about the trash trawler?” I asked.
“Oh, right,” Dal said as if he’d forgotten.
He sauntered over to one of the control panels and hit a few buttons. A screen flickered on, and the view rotated until we could see the trash trawler in the distance. It looked so small from here.
I sucked in a breath. Jaxir and his crew still had a chance. The ship looked calm and peaceful.
“You know, I’d nearly forgotten about that traitor and his crew. It’s been years since I saw his face. I thought he’d died in some prison planet by now. It was quite the shock to see he was alive,” Dal said. He put his hand on my shoulder.
I flinched.
“When he stole you away, I went crazy,” Dal said, his grip tightening on my shoulder. “I couldn’t believe he would try to steal my mate from me.”
“He didn’t steal me, it was an accident,” I said.
“Don’t tell me the lies he told you, my dear,” Dal said. His deep voice rumbled. “I have no doubt that he tried to get into your head and told you terrible lies about me.”
Jaxir had only spoken the truth. I had no proof of that but the feeling in my gut. Somehow I just knew. I knew that he was a better person. I could feel his passion and care whenever he touched me, and I saw the sincerity in his eyes.
I winced, pain flaring up in my shoulder as Dal squeezed. “Please, let go of me,” I said.
“You’re my bride, and I’ll touch you however I want,” Dal said.
Anger flared up in my, and I rolled my shoulder away and wrestled out of his grip. “If you want a human bride, you need to treat her with respect. On Earth, we have this little thing called consent,” I snapped.
Dal’s face went dark with anger. “Don’t speak back to me, Earthling woman,” He warned.
I stepped back, raising my chin defiantly. I needed to keep stalling; Jaxir and his crew should be rescuing me soon, right? I flicked my eyes to the screen.
The trawler had not made a single move.
Dal caught my glance and chuckled. “Oh, my dear, did that rogue make you fall for him? I thought you were better than that,” He said.
