Page 11 of Beauty and the Alien Beast
Sheryl whistled. “Okay, don’t sweat it. As soon as Baldy gets back, I’ll let him know about your translator.” She rubbed her eyes. “I just wish I’d been conscious for that mess… Maybe they are drugging me.”
Or maybe we were both just short on sleep. This place was not at all kind to us in that respect. Sometimes we’d be able to grab a few hours of rest here and there, either lightly from anxiety or like a stone from exhaustion. But our accommodations were not exactly five star, and being balled up at the bottoms of our cages like some damn kittens was uncomfortable as hell. And to add to the indignity, we were expected to smile for potential buyers, be charming and demurely sexy—while we were constantly disoriented, hungry, cold, tired, and stiff from being caged like zoo animals.
Glancing around, I watched some of the women, who looked like they had cracked altogether, rocking back and forth. Frankly, I could see why many women probably picked being conditioned by the aliens as opposed to resistance. Their treatment of us was brutal, and insanity could easily slip into your mind before you knew it was happening. Maybe it was Stockholm syndrome or just the simple acceptance of circumstances. I didn’t know, but I was going to fight—mentally and physically—to the bitter end.
“Thank you, Sheryl,” I said very sincerely.
I didn’t know what was going to happen next, but if I had to live without even knowing what my captors were saying to and about me, I might be the one ending up balled up and rocking on the floor of my cage.
9
Teken
My body was humming,electrified by adrenaline as I paced restlessly in my room with Brax at my heels. I’d nearly gone berserk and shifted into my Wulfaen. I’d been consumed with the need to rip the cage open and claim what I instinctually recognized as mine.
She’d smelled so good, female and musky, frightened yet aroused… My burgeoning erection arose at the memory.
She’s my one true mate. My sheleki. I’m certain of it. The gloriously beautiful female with long black hair, dark eyes, plush lips, skin the color of tree bark… and human.
So the Omers were correct—the earthlings are compatible with my race. But how can I be bonded to a female from another race?
The notion of having a sheleki that was not a descendant of a Wulfaen Gladiator was unheard of among our people. But as soon as I smelled her alluring scent and locked eyes with her, I knew she was mine. My beast had growled in contentment, brushing against the inside of my skin. He started fighting to break free and make his own unique mark of claim on our earthling. I’d heard many stories of what it was like for Gladiators who finally found their mate—the animal urge to claim and mate nearly sending them crazy. Now I’d experienced the raw, primal hunger. I understood how it called to both forms in a way that defied anything I’d ever experienced.
And those despicable slavers had my female locked inside a cage like an animal. A dark-red haze of fury slid over my vision. Never had I experienced such a murderous rage. I didn’t want to hurt, disarm, and disable. I needed to attack, demolish, and destroy—and my Wulfaen approved.
But I had to get my mood under control. I’d come here to do a job—one that would eventually lead to all of the females being freed. But now that I’d found my mate, she took priority over the initial mission.
I must free her. She is suffering, enraged, and must be loosed from her shackles and taken from this place.
I could not only see her frustration and fear, but I sensed her inner turmoil, which twisted up my guts with emotions.
I must get her out of here tonight!
My grandfather had instilled in me the value of intuition. Logic was a powerful force, but some things could not be reasoned. They could only be felt.
And right now, I had to get my female out of the slavers’ grip—and I had to do it without blowing my cover. But I had to prepare the elders for my drastic change of plans. I was still obliged to complete my mission, but I refused to leave without her. I had the credits to buy her freedom, but I didn’t want the slavers who held her captive to profit from setting her free.
Storming over to the wall of windows that overlooked the luxuriantly planted courtyard, I pushed open the huge middle section. The jungle scents washed my nostrils, cleaning the aromas of perfume, sweat, and old wine that permeated this horrible place. Pulling a folded messenger drone from my belt—because I couldn’t afford anyone picking up my broadcast—I pressed the tip of the little capsule, which glowed yellow, and spoke in a low tone.
“I must leave at once,” I insisted. “I will explain when I get back to the pack. I will be bringing my ma—” I cut off the word. I did not want to raise expectations among the elders or pack that the earthlings were the solution to our race’s mating problem when finding my mate among them could just be an anomaly.
“I will be bringing one of the informants that we need with me. Someone will need to come and take my place here, and you can expect higher security due to my disappearance. I will explain upon my return.”
I released the drone into the air.
I hated having to abandon my mission, but the pounding, desperate urgency to free my mate would not leave my head. My job was to obey the visceral need to protect her while making sure she knew she could trust me.
I needed private access to her to communicate that I intended to get her out of this place. But the only way to do that and not arouse suspicion had been to order her sent to my room for my night’s “entertainment.” Yet another stomach-turning practice of this place—and apparently, she would be drugged as well. Fortunately, I had ways of dealing with that.
I just hoped I could keep from making a fool of myself if she was delivered stuffed full of aphrodisiacs, but I pushed aside the thought. I was a man of honor, and I would do nothing to take advantage of her.
Brax sensed me relaxing slightly and sat beside me, his tail thudding against my hip. I scratched his ears. “Well, old friend, there’s been a change of plans. I know you probably would like to sleep in that fine bed all night, but we’ve got some traveling to do.”
The genetically engineered creature cocked his head at me, then rolled over, demanding belly scratches. Of all the alien base species we had taken for modification, Earth dogs were one of the absolute best. Especially when they were big enough to carry two people over crazy terrain, fight off monsters, and hunt their own meat. I knew the creature that had emerged from our labs was very large by Earth standards and had some other modifications, but I hoped Brax’s presence would help calm the female.
Hopefully, she would not be so broken down by her experiences thus far that I would be unable to reach her with a reasoned explanation. If I could just talk to her for a few minutes, I was certain I could gain her trust enough to facilitate our escape.
All I needed right now was a stroke of luck.
