Page 3 of Keeping His Mate

We stand in the med room, huddled around the tube as Kaiva begins the process of waking the human female from stasis.

“I heard she attacked her owner and bit his nose the moment she awoke, so we should be careful,” I warn them. Varrek, Kaiva, and Ahlvo back up a step while Cloh-ee’s and Aye-vah’s feet remain planted as they laugh.

“That’s awesome,” Aye-vah says.

“Yep. She already fits in nicely,” Cloh-ee adds.

“It is almost complete,” Kaiva notes as she looks up from her screen pad. The glass top of the tube opens with a hissing sound, and as the sleeping human female comes into view, Aye-vah and Cloh-ee both gasp.

“Ohh shit,” Cloh-ee mutters.

“What bothers you?” I ask as I look down at the female who is about to join our clan.

“Her hand,” Aye-vah says, pointing. “See the ring? She’s married.”

CHAPTER 2

ELEANOR

Do these women know how creepy they look right now? I’m guessing not. I could tell them, but I can’t seem to get the words out. Being pulled in and out of stasis for I don’t even know how long is bound to make one’s throat a little scratchy.

I’ve got to do something though, if only to get them to stop smiling at me like they’re about to slather me in butter and chop me up into bite-sized chunks. “Hi,” I say, the word coming out in more of a whisper.

Their eyes widen with excitement as they look at each other and then back down at me. “Hello!” the one with wavy reddish-brown hair, porcelain skin, and big brown eyes says. “Eleanor, right?”

I nod, offering a meek smile.Please be normal. Please don’t kill me.I silently pray. I have no idea where I am, but the presence of humans is a good sign. I hope.

“This is Chloe, and I’m Ava,” the one with the glowing brown skin and curly hair tied in neat twists adds as she places a hand over her heart. The creepy smiles have vanished, thank god, and I have a hunch these two are trying to make me feel comfortable. I appreciate the effort, regardless of the dreadful delivery.

“Um,” I mumble before releasing a hoarse cough. I clear my throat before continuing. “May I have some water, please?”

“Oh god! Of course!” the one named Chloe exclaims as she scurries out of view and whispers something. She’s back within seconds, and I take the cup from her hand and greedily swallow the contents in two gulps. “More?” she asks with a softer smile.

I take a deep breath, mentally compiling a list of the questions I need answered. “No, thanks. The date. What is the date?”

Ava chews on the inside of her cheek for a moment, eyes on the ceiling. “Right. Well, since Earth time is similar to Oluura time, we estimate it’s early February. But we might be off by a week or two.”

February. That means I’ve been floating in space for three months. I’ve been woken a handful of times, only to realize that I’m somewhere new, and I’ve been sold to a new alien. Then the scenario plays out the same way each time. I try to get my bearings, figure out where I am and how to escape, and I realize there is no escape, that I’ll never return to Earth, to my job, to Frank. I scream internally for about a minute straight, and then I focus on the fact that I’m still alive, and there are only so many things I can control.

“Three months,” I mumble aloud to myself, still struggling to accept how long I’ve been gone.

“I’m sure you have a million questions,” Ava says softly, breaking through the whirlwind of confusion in my mind. “And we’re happy to answer all of them. But first, I’ll give you the basics.”

“Okay,” I reply, my voice still cracking, but now with emotion I’m trying to hide.

“So, you were kidnapped from Earth by aliens. We were too,” she says, pointing between her and Chloe. “Along with another woman you’ll meet later.”

“You ended up in the hands of Bzzsil Chi, who is a terrible dude. Like, Uncle Scar fromThe Lion King-level evil,” Chloe adds.

“Luckily, Bruvix got you out of there just in time,” Ava continues, “and now you’re on a planet called Oluura. The majority of our clan is from Trovilia. They settled here years ago. You’re safe in our village, and you’ll be fed and clothed and given shelter, and nothing bad will happen to you.”

Okay. That sounds nice. Certainly better treatment than what I’ve endured since I was taken. But a few of those words aren’t registering. “Bruh-vix? And… who is a terrible dude?” I ask.

“Right, right, right,” Chloe says in a rush, waving a dismissive hand. “Let me tell you about the clan…”

She continues talking, but I struggle to remain focused because what I really need right now is to get back to Earth. Specifically, to Frank. He needs me. I pull myself into a seated position inside the sterile white tube thing I’m in and notice there are others in the room.

“Gah!” I shout. Pinching my eyes shut, I briefly wonder if I’m hallucinating. When I reopen them, I know I’m not.

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