Primitive, p.15
Primitive, page 15
“Let me go,” I pleaded once, knowing my answer would be silence.
Other guards followed them, all taking the same footsteps in formation. They were actual soldiers. There was much more to this alien culture than even Erik knew. Or did he? I tried to scan the area, taking in everything that I could, buildings and signs, locations. By the time they stopped in front of a more ornate building, I was almost hyperventilating, the fear parching my throat.
There was no further hesitation, the two holding onto me taking me inside. I was surprised at the appearance, stark with little furniture. But the bright lights I would never forget hovering overhead. I was taken to some kind of cell, although the door was made of glass, sliding in place without any interaction.
I immediately rushed forward, slapping my hands on the surface. “What are you doing?”
The guards didn’t bother looking in my direction, their duties obviously fulfilled. They left the room, moving completely out of sight.
Shrinking back, I took several breaths in an effort to calm my nerves. This was all wrong. Everything about this place was very Earthlike in appearance. “Let me out of here!” My words echoed then just stopped, silence surrounding me. The lights were blinding, the white on white of the walls and ceiling stark. There was no bed, only a toilet of some kind. This was nothing more than a holding cell.
“Please don’t leave me in here. Please. I can’t take it.” I knew my cries had fallen on deaf ears. They weren’t listening. They didn’t care. I was a prisoner. I couldn’t be here. No, they would come for me. Erik would come for me. I knew that in my heart and soul.
But how long would I be forced to wait? Even through the walls were glass, I could see nothing and no one else. I slammed my hands on the glass until they stung. Until tears slipped past my lashes. I let out one last frustrated scream before crouching down in the corner, holding my head in my hands. My eyelids were almost instantly heavy. I was so tired. Tired of running. Tired of the fear. Tired of the worry.
I just...
“I have a gift for you.”
“A gift?” I asked, twisting my head in his direction. In his hands was a box of some type, plain white in design. He never gave me any kind of gift. Not for my birthday. Not for any holiday. Why now? Leery of his gesture, I moved away from the table, just like a good little girl. My caretaker required me to be respectful at all times, lording it over me when necessary. I was a grown woman, but still treated like a child.
“You’ve been so good that I thought you deserved it. Besides, your work has been exemplary lately.” His smile was so polished, his dark eyes locked onto mine.
I hated the man, loathed him in fact, but he’d been the only reason I’d survived. I could still remember my mother and father being gunned down in front of me. I’d never forget the horrible screams as my mother attempted to race toward me, her hand barely touching mine when the gunshots rang out. My caretaker had been the only one to come forward, assuring me that everything was going to be all right.
And I’d believed him after a time, learning to trust. I’d been such a fool.
“Come. Now,” he commanded, his tone growing more annoyed.
I knew better than to keep him waiting. I moved to within one foot of him, holding my hands in front of me as he’d taught me to do at the age of five. My posture was straight, my toes pointed forward, but my head was lowered out of respect.
Just as he required.
“Yes, sir.”
He chuckled in his same usual evil manner before rubbing his hand down my arm, lifting it so my hand was ready to receive his damning gift. “This is for your future. You are very special to me and I am excited that you’re going to be a part of the next civilization.”
“Thank you, sir,” I said with the sweetest inflection I could manage. I held the box, glaring at the tiny gold bow positioned exactly in the center. Everything had to be very precise with him at all times. The house. The lab. My clothes. My room. Everything.
Or I would be punished, only his kind of discipline wasn’t something that anyone wanted to endure.
“Well, go on. Open it. Tonight, we’ll celebrate your good fortune.” He leaned back, still all smiles.
I swallowed hard before opening the box, peeling away the pretty pink tissue. There was a crisp white card inside with gold lettering. I dared give him a look, questioning what kind of a gift this could be.
“Well, read the card, my sweet girl,” he instructed.
I eased it into my shaking fingers, struggling to form the words. I had no clue what they meant for the first few seconds. “Approved ticket for one.”
What in the hell?
A full minute ticked by. Then I knew. I’d been chosen.
“Aren’t you happy?” he demanded. “You have no idea what I had to do to get that for you. They are like gold, Cassia. Gold. People are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for a single chance for the lottery. Imagine how much an actual ticket is worth.”
I was being allowed to go to Earth Two over so many others, everyone else left to die. There would be chaos, anarchy, and after horrific fires and massive floods as the Earth began to fall apart, the air would run out.
“Yes. Sir.” I had no idea if I’d even said the words, but his satisfied smile told me I’d managed to do so. God help us all. I wanted to lash out, to scream that this wasn’t right, and I knew then that he had more control over the selection than he’d told me.
“Excellent. Now, I will say that you’re going to have to perform for me, but that won’t be a problem for you. You’re an excellent actress. We’ll go over that later after champagne. You’re going to have a fabulous new life, my fabulous girl.”
Jerking up, I gasped for air, terror unlike anything I’d ever known rushing into me. The vision wasn’t a dream, but a memory I’d blocked out. Oh, my God. “No!” The scream jetted from my mouth just as the glass door slid open. “No. Please. This can’t be true. Please.”
“Jesus Christ. Cassia. What’s wrong?” Erik growled.
Steen stood with Klar and Erik flanking his side. Immediately he rushed closer, all three kneeling by my side. “What happened? Did one of my guards hurt you?”
I blinked several times before I was able to focus, struggling and fighting to wipe away the vision. There had to be more to the memory. But what? What horrible thing had I blocked out?
Erik crowded beside me, taking me into his arms. “What is going on? What did those bastards do to her?”
“Nothing. They were instructed to bring her here and nothing more. Tell us what happened.” Steen’s voice was just as commanding as Dr. Forrester’s, his entire body language a reminder. But he wasn’t the asshole who’d raised me, trained me, bullied me, and punished me. He wasn’t the monster who believed he was the ultimate savior to man. He was simply...
An alien.
The nervous laugh that bubbled to the surface was completely inappropriate, but I found it difficult to stop.
“Get her onto her feet,” Klar suggested.
Erik pulled me into a standing position, but I clung to him, still shaken. “Why did you escape? What was so important that you disobeyed my orders?”
My defiance remained, the fear even more palpable. I knew that there was so much more to this story, the ugly mystery surrounding all of us. “Because I had to know whether others like you were created.”
Steen sighed, rising to his full height. “Erik is right. You disobeyed direct orders. There are reasons for them. While we have a wall surrounding us, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t various predators stalking the woods at night, including those in human form. You could have been abducted or worse.”
“Said like my caretaker,” I commented, uncertain that I wanted to be in Erik’s arms. I understood the lack of trust better than anyone. “And wasn’t I already abducted?”
This time, Steen moved closer. I expected retaliation. Instead, he brushed the backs of his fingers across my cheek. “You have no reason to fear us, no matter what you think. You are a very special young woman, already dear to Erik and soon you will be to all of us. I’m sorry that you felt the need to escape, but your disobedience can’t go unpunished.”
“Leave her alone, Steen. She’s been through enough,” Erik hissed through clenched teeth.
“And I can’t do that. I run several cities, trying to keep peace and order. Even Cassia must follow my orders and the laws of our people.” Steen twisted his hand until he was able to run his thumb across my lips, bringing his finger to his mouth.
There was something very evocative about the way he sucked on his finger, his shimmering eyes never leaving mine. I knew right then and there that he was one of my mates. I shuddered at the thought, the word he’d issued when he’d been behind his own glass cage shoving away the horrible memory from my past.
“I will take her to prepare,” Klar said, taking my hand into his. His grip was firm, but his method of handling me unexpected, calming at least some of my nerves.
“I will be with her, Steen,” Erik said, defiant as always.
“Very well and you should be.”
“Allow me to have a minute with her.”
Steen looked from Erik to me then nodded to Klar. “We will be outside.”
Erik’s eyes were full of venom. He turned toward me, gripping both arms. “What did you see after you escaped?”
I hesitated but my heart was convinced that he and I were meant to be together against the odds. “There is a warehouse-style building that they are guarding. I could swear that’s where they’re keeping the hybrids. It’s an enormous location, indicating that a large group could be held there easily. Do you know this place?”
He narrowed his eyes and darted a look at Steen. “No. I have no idea where you’re talking about. Did you see any of the hybrids?”
“No, just my gut telling me this. If they are, you know what that means. They were working with Kevin on this experiment. Maybe they need their DNA replicated just like we do.”
“That’s farfetched, but I will find out. And the vision?”
I twisted my jaw, trying to formulate words. “I was given a ticket to Earth Two like it was a tremendous gift. I’d pushed that out of my memory banks for some reason. I know now that only two thousand are going to be issued.”
“Two thousand? There are hundreds of thousands of people still left on Earth. What. The. Hell?”
“There has to be more to the memory, but I don’t know yet. He did tell me I’d have to do something for him.”
Erik shrank back, a snarl curling on his upper lip. “Something. Like come to Earth Two ahead of time to put finishing touches on his bastardized project.”
I nodded, my entire body shaking. What had Steve Forrester done to me? I’d never considered him my father, although I was certain he would have preferred I used the term. He’d provided me with food and shelter, education and clothing. There’d been no love, no caring. “That’s what I believe. Dr. Forrester was intent on keeping me locked away as I worked on the various experiments. He told me because the media attention was becoming brutal, fears increasing Earth Two wouldn’t be ready in time. I bought his bullshit.”
“There was no reason you shouldn’t.”
“Dr. Forrester needs me for one final test.”
The words hung in the air.
“I promise you, Cassia, that I will protect you with my life.” His entire body was shaking, the veins in his neck standing at full attention.
His words were stilling, easing the fears that had nearly derailed me. I had no idea what to expect or what would happen, but I did feel safe in his arms, much more so than I’d ever experienced.
“We need to get to the bottom of this soon, Erik.”
Erik closed his eyes briefly, kissing my forehead. “Be careful what you say and who you trust,” he whispered only seconds before Steen took several steps closer.
This time, his words left a cold chill trickling through my system.
“Come. Our people are ready for a celebration,” Steen said, beckoning. “Punishment first.”
I would never understand a male-dominated race, although humans had certainly changed over the last thirty years. I was still shaking, fearful of everything and everyone, but at least there was some odd sense of comfort building. Erik would find out what was housed in the warehouse. He would help me ascertain what was really going on.
I had to believe in him.
I had to believe in his honor.
* * *
I wasn’t wearing the gorgeous silk dress that had been brought to me before. Instead, the slender silver frock was translucent, barely hiding my nakedness. Brexin had watched over me as I’d been dressed and prepped by two female aliens, their attention to detail over my preparation as if I was getting married instead of being disciplined.
I’d noticed the way he’d studied me, even though he’d kept his distance. I’d grown fond of him, his mannerisms and the way he treated me. And right now, I needed the comfort he was offering.
I was led into yet another building, the massive design similar to that of an arena, soaring rafters and sweeping views of the city. I expected to see hundreds if not thousands of Galerians, only to find a handful sitting in stiff wooden chairs facing a cross-style apparatus.
“You will be fine,” Brexin said quietly as he walked beside me, remaining by my side as I was positioned in front of the cross. I’d seen something similar in kinky reference books, BDSM and other dark sex no longer allowed on Earth. The metal was illuminated by a series of blue lights, all directed toward the apparatus. Trembling, I tried to find Erik, something reassuring to place my mind at ease. I had no way of knowing how harsh the punishment would be. There was no way of preparing, no concept of understanding. What had occurred with Erik was mild. Of that I had no doubt.
I heard the sound of the same tribal drums as had awakened me, their regular thumping matching the beat of my heart. I clenched my hands together, taking several deep breaths. The ceremonial aspect of everything they did was so unlike civilization on Earth.
A few murmurs could be heard, although there was no way of understanding what they were saying or their emotional status. I knew little about their culture, but my thoughts continued to shift to what Shane had said. They are dangerous and planning on taking over the universe.
Well, not necessarily. I was shivering as Steen approached. “We are so happy you are with us, Cassia Bloom, but as has been stated before, you are required to follow certain rules. There is no difference in our people versus our guests. You defied us by escaping your quarters. You will be punished in accordance with our laws.”
“Laws?” I asked.
He smiled, pressing his hand on the small of my back. “You will learn in time. I have faith. Prepare her.”
I heard his boots thudding against the tile floor as he walked away then felt the cold hands of two of the women as they untied the single rope holding the flimsy dress together. When the material slid to the floor, I was mortified, shuddering from absolute humiliation. My nipples immediately puckered, hardening from the chill in the air.
Liar...
I closed my eyes as I was led to the cross. They pointed at the four corners, expecting that I would follow their directions. And I did. I was shocked how easily I complied, clenching my fists and slamming them against the very cold steel. My legs were splayed out, wider than comfortable.
There was no cheering, no clapping from the audience. Just... silence.
The women took their time shackling my wrists and ankles, moving away quickly as if fearful they would be next. I wiggled, struggling with the thick leather bindings. There was no chance of escape, no concept of redemption without punishment. The lump in my throat remained as I pressed my face against the metal, counting numbers in my head as a calming effort.
One. Two. Three.
Dear God, get this underway. My skin was itching all over, goosebumps a reminder that I was a sinner. I’d misbehaved, something I should be used to.
The thought was riveting, another leftover memory from my life living with Steve Forrester. I was shaken to the core, my hands clammy, more nauseous than I’d ever been. This was so formal, corporal punishment in a room full of my peers, or perhaps my superiors.
When I reached twenty-five, I heard movement. The boots were heavier than Steen’s and more so than Erik’s. I twisted my head, trying to see who would become my disciplinarian. Who was he? I had no way of knowing, my mind reeling in my concept of accepting the upcoming anguish.
“Gentlemen of the Galerian clan, our guest will receive thirty lashes for her contempt of our laws. After this, there will be no one in this room or anyone else in this city who will bring this incident up again.”
“But why can we trust her?”
I heard the question, a husky voice coming from somewhere behind me. I also heard Steen’s intense growl, more barbaric in nature than he’d ever given before. The voice boomed in the expansive space, echoing in a way that actually gave me a smile.
“Because she will mate with members of our clan after this session. She will enable us to go on as a race. She will bear us children.”
The room was once again completely silent. When a few murmurs could be heard, I craned my neck to try to hear what they were saying.
“Enough!” Steen bellowed. “This is my choice as your king. Begin.”
I held my breath, praying that I would be able to tolerate the punishment. I heard the whooshing sound what seemed like seconds before a single crack. I was cognizant that whatever strap the disciplinarian was using had struck my bottom, but there was no pain, no blinding sensations. Yet my body was shoved hard against the steel, the force arching my back. Only a single breath escaped my mouth.
The second whoosh came quickly, another strike slapped against my ass cheeks. This time my skin tingled, but still no pain. By the third, fourth, and fifth, given in rapid succession, anguish bloomed, moving into a screaming agony. “Oh!”
I could hear Erik’s grumbles from behind me and knew that he was close, keeping watch on the woman he... loved. I knew he adored me. I could feel his heart beating with my own, could sense his dread and contempt of what was occurring, even though he’d spanked me on two occasions. This was entirely different. I took several deep breaths, holding them in as the creature resumed the spanking, the whooshing and cracking sounds melding together, echoing.
