Heart of the Hunted Read online

  Bree leaned up and watched as Arix flickered in and out of visibility as the men surrounded him. When they surged together and surrounded him, she screamed.

  Her captor bounced her on his shoulder, and she lost her grip. “Quiet, Breeder.”

  She fought to see where Arix was, but every time she got purchase on his back to lift herself up, he jolted her back down.

  The light of the afternoon suddenly dimmed, and the man carrying her entered a hall that seemed to have sprung out of the soil itself.

  In the distance, she heard a bellow that could only belong to the skark. She tried to turn her head, but he jolted her again and the entry sealed up. They were underground.

  Bree froze when she was strapped to the table for the exam. The medic was an alien and that shocked her. The Rrassic preferred to have their medics in their own species.

  “Relax, miss. This will be quick. I simply need to compare your current hormone levels to your baseline scans. Nothing too invasive.”

  She bit her lower lip when he withdrew a blood sample, and she waited while a Zjin and a Regiz looked at her with the type of gaze she reserved for dessert.

  A few minutes later, the doctor returned to her side. His scarred skin and tufts of hair in a monochromatic blue made him look like a mangy cat in a dye shop, but he had surprisingly kind eyes. “You are not quite in season, but it will be a matter of days. The scout that located you was right. You are an excellent candidate.”

  “Scout?”

  He nodded. “Yes. All of the Rrassic outposts have scouts looking for suitable females for the men to begin their alternative plan for survival.”

  The Regiz cleared his throat with a snarl. “Doctor Yem, you are speaking above your pay grade.”

  “Right. Sorry, sir.” The doctor released the straps and nodded to the men glaring at them.

  “You can take her now. I will need to monitor her for changes in her chemical balance.”

  The Zjin nodded. “We know the drill. Come on; we will get that stench off you.”

  Bree sat up slowly. “What happened to my companion?”

  “The Luthin? He was dealt with. Our warriors will enjoy destroying that herd that you sheltered with.”

  Bree’s shoulders slumped as she was tugged to her feet and she was led through the halls with one of the Rrassic on either side.

  “Where are we going?”

  “The bathing pools. You will scrub off the stench of the skark and wear something more appropriate. This clothing is not only filthy, it is unsuitable.”

  She tightened her mouth but didn’t say anything. Her captor on the way in had stroked his hand up casually between her thighs as if it was a handshake and she hadn’t been able to do more than clench her legs together. He parted her knees with one elbow, and she was stuck.

  Bree was subdued right then. She knew what they had planned for her, and organized and calculated sex by force was still rape. She just happened to be the only one in the process that felt that way.

  The signage said Baths, so they turned right and heading into air that got progressively more humid.

  When they were inside the baths proper, the Regiz pulled some fabric out of a cupboard and led the way.

  They passed a few other triads. Women with a fantastic array of skins were all bathing in a pool watched by no less than two Rrassic. Each.

  At a small bench, they stopped and gestured to her clothing. The Zjin said, “Strip.”

  The Zjin gave her a blank look, and the Regiz leered. “Remove your clothing, or I will shred it off you.”

  She slowly lifted her tunic and unfastened her blousy trousers. She kicked off her shoes and set them aside before she let the pants hit the floor. Her tunic was pulled over her head and set aside a moment later. She folded the fabric and set the outfit on the bench.

  “Neatly done. Turn for us.” The Regiz smirked.

  She stiffened and scowled. “Why?”

  “I wish to see our prize. You are ours until you bear one of us a child. You may as well get used to the idea.”

  Bree stared from one to another. “You are kidding.”

  The Zjin cocked his head, his striped features finally showing amusement. “I know I do not have a sense of humour, and as for Lemir... he has a sense of cruelty that is matched by few. I would suggest you do as he said.”

  She did a slow turn and then crossed her arms over her breasts. “Can I take a bath now?”

  Her guards smirked, and the Regiz nodded toward the pool. “Scrub well. I will be checking on your thoroughness. One hint of skark will get you one strike on that curvy ass of yours.”

  She didn’t comment. The bath looked warm enough, and the soap and shampoo was along one side of the stone ledge. Bree stepped into the water and doused herself thoroughly.

  She started with her hair and tried to ignore the watching Rrassic as well as the women from other worlds.

  The soap lathered in her fingers, and a few rounds of scrubbing made sure that there were no traces of dirt, leaves or scent in her hair.

  Her body was tingling by the time she finished lathering and rinsing half a dozen times. She even got the soles of her feet, just in case. The cloudy water swirled away, and the fresh cascaded over her as she cleansed herself as thoroughly as she could.

  She was the last woman in the pool when her guards demanded that she leave the water. The skin on her fingers and toes were wrinkled, but she tried to move as if she had just stepped into the water and not been in there for over half an hour.

  “You took your time.” The Regiz tossed her a drying cloth.

  “It was my time to take. I didn’t want to chance the scent of skark on me.”

  The Zjin smiled slightly and watched as she towelled off. “Your clothing has been destroyed. From now on, you will wear the Breeder robes.”

  She blinked. “What?”

  “You will not leave this facility, and you will wear the scarlet robes until you are pregnant. The gown is transparent, and the outer robe will allow you to hide your body. If you disobey us, we simply take the outer robe away.”

  She nodded nervously. “Right. Okay. So, where is the gown?”

  Lemir reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled out a tiny fold of fabric. He tossed it to her, and she dropped her towel to catch it. The fold unravelled into a gown so thin she could see right through it. Fabulous.

  It was still better than nothing, so she pulled the gown over her head and settled it on her damp skin. It fell to her ankles in light waves and swirled around her calves.

  The expression in their eyes told her what she didn’t want to know. The fabric was exaggerating all the hollows and valleys of her body to a fascinating degree. She was more exposed than if she was naked, but that was definitely not an option.

  She towelled her hair dry and looked around for a comb.

  Lemir smiled. “You will have a chance to groom in your new quarters. Skaath and I will visit you every evening for the next two lunar cycles. If you are not pregnant by then, you will be given to two more warriors in procession until you have born a Rrassic child.”

  Nausea was a mild way to describe her feelings. “After that I go free?”

  Skaath shook his head. “No. After you bear one child, the other warrior will have his two lunar cycles before you are sent to the next pair. You will be a breeding queen of the Rrassic and will be shown all honour.”

  She swayed. “As long as I am content to live my life having child after child.”

  “We are not interested in war. We want to survive, and if our own females are not available, we will make do with what we can find. That includes any new species brought into our collected worlds.”

  “Humans are one of them.” It was a statement.

  “They are. You are the first at this colony. A few others have been taken elsewhere, but we will see how you do here.” Lemir smirked.

  She shivered and slowly set the towel down o
n the bench.

  Skaath inclined his head and gestured for her to precede them.

  She walked ahead of the two feline Rrassic and tried to ignore the stares as the humidity made the thin silk cling to her faithfully.

  Bree nearly teared up when an attendant near the doorway to the baths came forward with a wide, scarlet robe. A sash held it tight to her body, and she sighed in relief. It was nearly a kimono but lighter weight, and the combined layers made it decent. It didn’t take a genius to work out what was going on. She was wearing a signal flare. If she tried to run, she would look like a beacon that even a blind man could see.

  Her two guards and potential mates escorted her through the halls and into an area where women were wearing the same outfit as Bree, though their skin was definitely different.

  She was home, so to speak.

  Chapter Five

  Bree had one day to figure out what was going on before she would start being visited on a nightly basis. The biggest problem was the language barrier. None of the ladies spoke Rrassic, and they certainly didn’t speak English.

  Bree ate, drank and tried to work on a plan to escape, but with the heavy security and the lack of ability to coordinate with anyone, she was stuck.

  If it was a movie, she would have found her way out using a piece of alien technology or have found a compatriot who would help her escape. If it was a romance novel, she would have touched the heart of one of the Rrassic and he would have helped her get out.

  Reality bit the big one.

  She was pacing in the room they had assigned her, nervously stalking back and forth as evening deepened.

  “Bree, don’t react.”

  She didn’t pause, she simply kept walking back and forth. Back and forth.

  “I have disabled the heat detection systems. We only have a few minutes. Do you have anything else to wear?”

  She continued to pace. “Getting stuck in this stupid gown with nothing else to wear. This sucks.”

  “Right. Well, I need you to shed the dress and I will carry you out. Can you do that?”

  She flicked off the lights, flung herself onto the bed and clawed off the gown, throwing it to the ground as if repulsed by it. She sobbed a few times for effect before she felt the familiar hand of Arix wrap around her ribs as he lifted her against him.

  It was going to be awkward for him to carry her out of the building, but she had no choice. She hated being a burden, but now, she was literally his weight to bear.

  They couldn’t speak as they went through the halls, past the other Rrassic and steadily toward the entryway.

  The alarm sounded on their way out. Arix broke into a run that would have put a cheetah to shame. He elbowed the Rrassic who tried to stop them and knocked them off balance.

  The starry night that was visible was enough to give Bree hope. If Arix was fast enough, they would make it out. She had no idea what would happen after that, but she was hoping that they would be free and clear.

  Arix’s feet thudded on the metal floor until he went to silent running and headed across the plain.

  “I can run on my own now.”

  He grunted. “You have no footwear. This is no place to go barefoot.”

  “They are going to be after us in a moment.”

  “A moment is all I need.”

  He let out a shrill whistle and the thunder of hooves sounded around them. She looked at the plain, and it seemed to swell as she watched.

  “Skark?”

  “Yes. They called in reinforcements.”

  The shouts of the Rrassic behind them turned to screams. Arix kept running.

  A light glowed a few hundred metres away, and he pushed himself hard, carrying her across the grasses and into the light.

  They skidded across the floor and shouts were heard. She held tight to Arix, and his fingers relaxed from their grip on her waist. She felt the sting of the wounds he had made to transfer his camouflage, and the sight of a medical team rushing in was surprisingly comforting.

  “Arix, are you all right?” She stroked his jaw and took in the marks and bloody streaks all over his body.

  “They outnumbered me, but the skark helped. They drove off the Rrassic who left me for dead.”

  Medics pulled her away from him, and she touched his face one more time before they succeeded in getting her out of arms’ reach.

  She was wrapped in cloth and carried off on a stretcher. She saw Arix surrounded by medics and being loaded onto a stretcher of his own. She lay back and relaxed. He was good. He would be taken care of, just like he had taken care of her.

  “Bree? How are you doing?” One of the medics spoke quietly to her as they took her to the health centre.

  “Good. A little freaked out. I just have a little cut, no reason to panic.” She smiled slightly.

  “There is no panic, but we need to see if you have been keyed to Hunter Arix.”

  “What?”

  “He has slipped his nails under your skin. That could be enough to create the alteration.”

  “I didn’t know that it was possible.”

  “It isn’t under usual circumstances, but we are not here under usual circumstances.” The human medic smiled and patted her hand.

  The trip into the health centre was accomplished on her back.

  “Is Arix being treated here as well?”

  “He will be in the Rrassic wing, but yeah, he is going to be here.”

  “Good. He risked a lot for me.”

  The woman smiled as she manoeuvered the gurney into an exam room. “That is his job.”

  “His job was to bring me back, not die in the attempt. I know the difference.”

  “Good. Remember it.”

  The sober sound of the medic’s voice was serious. Bree looked at the other woman in surprise.

  The medic set up the scanners and started the exam protocols. “We were brought here to help fight a war. The Rrassic wouldn’t have grabbed us if they had a choice. They need us and we are being treated well, considering.”

  Bree lay back as the scanners worked their exams.

  She didn’t want to say anything to the medic about what she had seen, but she knew she was going to tell someone.

  “The scans are done, and I will treat your wounds. The administrators will have the reports within the hour. A secure room has been set up for you, and you can have a companion if you wish one.”

  Bree sighed. “I just want to be alone with some proper clothing.”

  “I can definitely cover that.” The medic patted her leg. “Back in a minute, and then, we will get those wounds sealed.”

  The medic was true to her word. She returned with folded cotton clothes and a pair of sandals.

  She set them to the side and got the med kit.

  “Um, Medic? I don’t mean to doubt you, but why are we alone?”

  “Because there might have been a sexual assault, the docs agreed to let me treat you. It isn’t the case, and for that, I am relieved. I am Ursula by the way.”

  “Bree.”

  They shook hands, and it was a surreal meeting. Two humans on an alien world.

  The fun part of the day began when Ursula cleaned and sealed the wounds on Bree’s ribs and waist.

  “The doctors will be in to discuss findings and take genetic samples later. For now, there is a comfortable room waiting where you can get a good night’s sleep and recuperate.”

  “I would like to walk there.”

  “Nope. But you can walk around in the room once you are in it.”

  She sighed. “I will take it.”

  “Good. Now, here are the clothes, we will put the shoes on the bed and you can slip them on when you want them.”

  Bree gladly put on the tunic and the tie front trousers. They were nearly as comfy as her previous set, still on Skekt somewhere.

  When she was dressed, Ursula pushed her bed out of the exam room and up to the lift. On the ninth
floor, she pushed the gurney out, scanned her palm and eyes before escorting Bree to her new room.

  Once in the room, Bree put on the shoes and got to her feet. Her ribs were sore, and even the synthetic skin she had been treated with didn’t stop the pain. Arix had torn her open for her own good, and she was feeling it.

  She looked out the window at the expanse of Imrahl and felt the sad but satisfying feeling of being home on a place that wasn’t home.

  Unable to think of what would come next, she crawled into her bed and got a good night’s rest.

  Before dawn, she sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. She got a glass of water, slipped on her shoes and walked to the door.

  It was the ward that was secure, not just her room. She walked up to the first guard she saw and smiled. “How do I find out how Hunter Arix is doing?”

  The guard was a Nool, and his expression was kind. “I will look it up for you, Miss.”

  She smiled at the immature Rrassic and waited. He went to the com station and spoke quietly for a moment. When he returned, he nodded. “If you wait a moment, I will take you to him.”

  She winced. “I just wanted to know how he is doing.”

  “He has been asking for you. He was badly injured.”

  Bree was immediately worried. “What are we waiting for?”

  Another guard appeared and took up the post that the first Nool had been holding.

  “I cannot leave my post without seeing my relief. Come with me, Miss.”

  She walked at his side through three secure checkpoints that caught her by surprise. “Why so much security?”

  The guard smiled. “We are living in dangerous times, and we are a people at war. We do not wish to be careless.”

  “Right. Of course.” She ran her palms down her trousers.

  “Are you nervous? We are nearly there.”

  “Nervous, hungry, not sure which. I have not seen Arix outside of our previous situation.”

  “I see. He was not a candidate for you?”

  “I don’t know. I was just getting into the Breeders’ quarters. I was out shopping when I was grabbed.”