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  She’s not safe. My mate. My beautiful, fragile Jenny is calling for me even now. She doesn’t even have to do it conscientiously. Every cell in my body is responding to her silence and fear.

  I must get to her! And when I do, I won’t hesitate. I’ll do whatever needs to be done to get her back and make sure she never has to fear living here again.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  - Jenny

  A jarring vibration running through my head brings me abruptly to the land of the living. I realize immediately that Mahku still has me because my hands are tied together behind my back. They’re cramping uncomfortably between the seat I’m in and my body. Pulling myself forward, I shift to take the pressure off them.

  I can see out the front of the two-seater shuttle we’re in. It reminds me of a motorcycle, only enclosed. I’m sitting right behind him.

  “What do you want? Where are you taking me?” Pounding in my temples and crown enunciates every word. What did he hit me with?

  “Well, hello there, Jenny. Can you understand me?” He’s speaking his language and I comprehend him perfectly. His accent is totally different from Devlin’s.

  Devlin! He will be freaking out when he comes back and realizes I’m missing.

  “Yes.” I answer in his language. Is it called Quasarian? I never asked.

  “Well, this is an unexpected pleasure.” He actually has the audacity to turn and smile at me. Like we’re best buddies or something and I’m doing him a favor. “How are you feeling?” His eyes flicker back and run up my body and I realize that my skirt is up around my waist. He doesn’t have time to stare long though since we are traveling through a narrow tunnel.

  “Are we underground?” Shifting up to my knees, I manage wiggling my dress into my lap.

  “Yes, we are. You must be doing okay. You’re curious and talking. I was hoping I didn’t hit you too hard.” So, the crazy guy knocked me over the head. Nice.

  Taking a deep breath, I lean forward and try to get my bearings. But there’s nothing. No landmarks or signs. The lights on the exterior of this shuttle don’t light very far ahead into the darkness ahead.

  “Where are you taking me?” I squint, trying to peer further down the tunnel. But it’s hopeless. I don’t even have my glasses and that worries me. Did I put them on before he grabbed me? Or did they get smashed in the scuffle with him? Living without glasses will suck.

  “I’m glad you asked.” His conversational tone is aggravating me. I wish he’d be mean or antagonistic. Instead, he acts like I agreed to go out on a date with him and he’s doing exactly what I want.

  His hair is less structured than most of the aliens around here. A lot of it is just floating up around his head and it flickers into my view as I try to glimpse around him at where we’re going. “These tunnels were the original structures we put on this planet. Were you informed we terraformed and brought this entire rock to life?”

  He wants an answer. A few seconds of silence pass before he turns to glance at me briefly. He comes across so innocent, with a boy-next-door charm. Eager and talkative.

  “Uh… no… did you help with that?” He seems happy with my response as he continues talking like we are having a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

  “No. This was started way before I arrived. When we first made trips out into space, we knew long term we should search for other options. The original bases on this planet were underground. Over time, as things progressed, we installed the dome and then many years later, we didn’t even need that. But the initial tunnels are all over the place under the dome. Outside the dome. It’s extensive.”

  Wow. That doesn’t make me feel good. I’m not sure how I feel about being underground. Some people hate it, but I’ve honestly never experienced it before this. I think the trick is not to panic, right? Thinking about all that dirt over top of you…

  But I know Devlin will find me—I think. According to Selas, he’ll sense me or something. This guy is an idiot. Did he never learn that part about mates?

  “Wow. That’s… interesting.” What do I say? He kidnapped me and now acts like he wants to hang out and chat.

  Abruptly, he stops the shuttle. With a push of a button, the top of the shuttle disappears, and he stands up and steps out. Looking up at him, I’m reminded how large they all are. Fighting with him would be stupid.

  He reaches in and helps me stand on my wobbly legs before lifting me like a child out of the space. I don’t catch what he does, but a second later, the top of the shuttle is back. Thankfully, the lights on the exterior are still on and we can discern the surrounding area.

  Now that I’m looking back the way we came, I realize we passed a smaller door in the side of the tunnel. He grips my arm tightly as he walks us over. Where does he think I will go? Does he think I’m stupid enough to run off down into the pitch-black way we came?

  I’m not stupid, but I’m worried. A little scared. Maybe if I haven’t seen Devlin in a day or so I’ll panic. But right now, I know I need to play along.

  “So, this is one of the old settlements?” We’ve stopped at the door and he pulls out a small tool that he inserts into a hole in the metal. When he twists it, I realize that’s probably their version of a key. I watch him drop it into a pocket.

  “Exactly!” He’s animated as he shuts the door behind us and continues talking while leading me into a dark room. “We’ve been working on outfitting some of these spaces as a back up. Only a few of us knew about them and unfortunately, all of them are dead now.”

  Once we took a few steps in, dim lights flicker on around us. They look like fluorescent tubes up near the top of the walls but only about half of them work. We’re in a large space that has boxes and equipment scattered around. It’s disorganized and dirty but he doesn’t stop. Continuing through the room, he reaches another door identical to the last.

  Using the same tool, he opens this one and then pulls me inside. As the lights flicker on here, things are much more organized. Off to the left, is a small desk area with monitors and buttons all over the walls. It looks old fashioned and dusty. But to the right, is a living area that is easily forty feet square.

  Groupings of chairs are scattered around. About half of them are covered with material. Dust covers? He leads me past the office setting on the left. The space opens into a food prep area with a huge island and counter tops. It looks like a commercial kitchen.

  “So, as you can see, we can stay down here comfortably for a long time. We have been working on getting out from under the council’s rule for years. Before this all went down in the last week, we’d been planning on making it appear everyone was dead here. Those council bitches would just send a few males around with limited knowledge and we’d be free.”

  “Aren’t you already kind of free?” I’m confused about everything around here. What’s so bad? This pales in comparison to prison in most societies. Definitely better than Earth.

  His face darkens. “Free to die. Free to live fighting for scraps. Free to either take from others or be taken from.” His voice raises as he talks, clearly agitated.

  Nodding my head, I furrow my brow and try to appear I'm buying and that what he’s saying makes total sense. This means a lot to him. When he pauses, I try to smooth over his ruffled feathers. “I haven’t been here long and don’t understand your society or even how everyone ended up here. From what I’ve heard, most of you ended up here unjustly.”

  “Exactly!” Pulling me into the kitchen area, he holds up his hands. “Now, I don’t want to hurt you or keep you tied up. As you can see,” he waves around us, “there isn’t really any place to go here. I hoped that since you’re new, you could settle in and not mind staying here with me. It’s nice, right?”

  Still trying to settle my nerves and play along, I slowly turn in a circle as if taking it all in. “Yes. Nice.” That’s pushing it but I’m sure God won’t mind a little white lie in these circumstances.

  “Don’t move.” My arms loosen behind my back. Pins
and needles shoot down my neck and arms as the blood flow rushes through them. Hunching forward, I lean against the countertop waiting for the pain to subside.

  I stiffen as he immediately steps up behind me. Pressing his body along my hips and butt, he begins to rub my shoulders and upper arms. Groaning, I try to ignore everything. His unwelcome hands on my arms seem to cause additional pain as he rubs.

  Throwing my arms up on the island I’m leaning on, I whimper. “Stop. I’m good. I’m good.” His hands leave my shoulders but settle onto the countertop next to my shoulders. I’m pinned beneath him. Dropping my face onto the solid surface under me, I roll from my cheek to my forehead.

  Stay calm. I expected this, but not so soon. I just have to play along for a little while, right?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  - Devlin

  I skid to a halt, realizing that I’m moving away from her now. How did that happen? Grabbing my head, I pull my hair that’s floating out around me, trying to focus.

  Everything looks the same. Rock walls. Rock Ceiling. Tight tunnels. I haven’t passed any branches or ladders to the surface. What did I miss?

  Backing up, I retrace my steps, picking up speed to a jog. It doesn’t take long before I feel like I’m moving away from her again. Stopping, frustrated, I turn around again.

  This time, I walk the length of tunnel, looking at the surface closely. This is an older branch with rough walls and no lighting. It hadn’t dawned on me that there was no lighting. My eyesight seems fine in the dark. It’s not like daytime brightness, but light enough. Similar to sunset when the shadows are throwing their shade.

  I run my palm along the wall as I travel back. Nothing.

  No cracks or obvious openings show under my hand.

  When I detect the pull to Jenny behind me, I turn around again. The next pass though, my hair picks up a subtle breeze. Where is that coming from?

  Looking up, I see a fine fissure at the top of the wall where it meets what looks like a rough curved ceiling. Following the crack with my finger, I feel the air movement seeping through. Yes!

  I don’t have the patience to figure out how this opens. Someone, probably the Warden and his men, knew all the secret tunnels in this vicinity. Selas won’t mind if I expose what I find.

  Gripping the top with both hands, the rock wall breaks off under my fingers in large chunks. Maybe this isn’t real rock? From how easy the wall crumbles, it must be something fabricated for the area.

  After pulling out a few handfuls, I can feel the other side of the wall a hand-width back. I get better leverage, tearing the rock apart. Watching my feet, I pull out a section until there's a large enough opening for me to lift myself up and drop behind.

  The tunnel I land in is much narrower. I can touch both sides as I move through it, picking up speed. I have to crouch, but hunching doesn’t slow me much. Now I can feel Jenny’s much closer.

  I see the door this time. It’s not hidden or camouflaged as rock. Just past it, there’s a parked mini shuttle, the most common kind on this planet. They're also perfect for tunnels and small spaces. I must be close, and Jenny’s fear is like bile on my tongue.

  Common sense says be cautious. I’m no good to her if I get stunned or shot. I also don’t want him to take off with her if he incapacitates me somehow. Reaching under the shuttle, I pull off one of the battery cells, crushing it in my palm. That should do it.

  Now, to deal with him.

  There’s no sense in stealth. Slamming my body into the door, the door crumples under my weight, caving in. The metal frame around it pulls from the rock, twisting from the force of my body. As it slams to the floor, my roar of anger echoes in the large room beyond!

  I have arrived. Get ready to die.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  - Jenny

  “It aches like when your arm falls asleep. When the blood flow comes back and the limb tingles and throbs painfully? And my head hurts.” Rolling my forehead on the cool counter top to my cheek, I glance behind me to catch him looking down my body. “Do you have any painkillers?”

  As soon as I ask, I wonder if I’ve made a mistake. What if he gives me something that knocks me out? Our physiology could be so different. But I want him off me. Maybe I can pretend to take it?

  His weight leaves me slowly. “I do.” Retrieving a cup from an upper cabinet, I’m impressed to see that there’s running water and everything. Sure, it’s brown for a minute before turning clear, but he waits before filling the glass.

  Before handing the glass to me, he takes a small bottle from one of the top shelves and puts a drop into the water. Okay.

  “Will I get sleepy?” His eyes turn hungry at my question. As if he’ll be just waiting for me to pass out.

  “A little. Drink up and I’ll show you the sleeping platform.” Ignoring his comment, I take a slight sip. I watch him fill a glass for himself before reaching up for another vial on the same shelf. He must have a headache too, because he puts a drop in his glass.

  Guzzling it down, I notice his throat bob. A wolf in sheep’s clothing. That’s what he is. He looks so innocent. He’s acting kind. But he’s also desperate. What can he possibly hope to accomplish?

  Running the water, I flush my glass with over half the original water still in it. He doesn’t comment and may not have noticed.

  Grabbing my hand, he tugs me towards an opening past the living area as he smiles. The whole experience reminds of a horror movie. Deep underground. Kidnapped by aliens. An abandoned bunker. Dark hallways.

  He leads me into the very last door at the end of the long hallway. It’s a bedroom. Not much bigger than the bed with just enough room to walk around the sides. But there’s a bathroom attached that he checks before coming back out to stare at me expectantly.

  Now what?

  I’m not sure what he intends but I retreat to the bathroom. “I’ll just be a minute.” He smiles at me before I shut the door. What is up with him? He’s so weird.

  Unfortunately, there isn’t a lock on the door. That means he’ll be in here looking for me soon. I make good use of the facilities while I’m in here.

  Washing my hands, I examine myself in the mirror. Dark circles and pale skin. I look as bad as I feel.

  I need to go out and get him talking. Buy time. Devlin will come but I need to keep the conversation going. Otherwise, he may get other ideas.

  Plus, I’m curious what he thinks will happen here? That we’ll live happily ever after underground? How long does he plan to stay down here?

  Opening the door, I freeze. I almost shut it again because he’s naked! Totally buck-ass naked on the bed. Lying spread-eagled.

  With his feet towards me and legs spread, I can make out everything! And I mean everything! His hair, both on his head and between his legs appears statically charged. It waves back and forth above his body making him look underwater!

  Seeing him almost makes me run. I’m sure I’m as red as a fire truck! I have to steel myself not to instinctively look away. Devlin is the second guy I’ve seen naked in person. Amari’s friend at Selas’s place the other night had been during such chaos—it barely counts. In the midst of everything going on right now, I’m embarrassed.

  His head pops up. “I’m not quite ready yet.”

  Ready? Ready for what?

  He’s seen me. There’s no retreating. Stepping into the room, I’m almost looming over the bed with how small the space is.

  The confusion must show on my face because he pats the bed near his hip. Not on the side near the door, on the side away from the opening. So, I ignore him and travel around to sit closest to the door. “The Canesta takes a while. Hasn’t anyone explained this to you?”

  My mouth opens and closes. What am I supposed to say? I toss around the ideas I was thinking of in the bathroom. Most of them have disappeared and the ones that are left have been answered.

  What did he want me for? Sex. Check.

  “I know you’re worried that I can’t perform, b
ut I’ve used it before. It works for me.” I stare studiously at his face. There are so many things running through my head, but I can’t focus on any particular one.

  “Mm.” My non-committal sound of agreement is all I can manage. Okay. Think. “So, um, you’ve had an… Ermada before?”

  His hair picks up speed and I realize that it will be the best indicator of his mood. “Well, no. I’ve never been with a female before. But,” He grabs his penis, and I see him wave it back and forth, “This will work.”

  When he sits up abruptly, I hop to my feet. He grabs my arm quickly, pulling me back onto the bed. I’m stiff as a board as he tugs me closer, stroking my hair with his other hand. My heart is going a mile a minute and I’m panicking.

  “This feels so thin. It really has no feeling?” My mind has shut off because it takes long seconds before I realize he’s referring to my hair in his hand.

  Nodding slightly, I try to straighten up and away from him.

  “Let me touch you. Undress you. I promise to be gentle if you submit.”

  That’s it. I’m so out of here! Jumping up, I jerk my arm from him and sprint towards the door. I leave behind a handful of hair in his fist. The searing pain in my scalp brings tears to my eyes.

  I don’t care! I race down the long, dark hallway towards the kitchen area we left. All I can think about are all the horror movies I watched with my roommate around Halloween in our dorm room.

  I'll search for a knife or weapon in the kitchen, but I can’t see this ending well. I'm pretty positive, there's no way I can kill anyone.

  Defend myself? Yes. But actively go after someone... I'm screwed.

  The closed door at the end taunts me. I get closer and closer. I have to slow to to open it. Everything is in slow motion as my panic intensifies.

  As soon as I pull the door open, I hear a roar. A large weight hits me from behind and the floor meets my head, hitting just above my ear. Stunned, I can barely breathe from his crushing body grinding me into the hard floor.