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  Everything I wanted from him is here, and I don’t want to listen any longer. I start redistributing the items along the wall.

  “How do you feel?” And here it comes. Any weakness is a potential boon to another.

  Standing up to my full height, I look down on him. “Fine.”

  He’s moved behind his cart again, knowing he’s pissing me off. The little mother fucker is so nosy. I may be sick, but I won’t die overnight. Try to come take my shit. I fucking dare them.

  Except for my unsettled nerves, I feel strong. My muscles twitch as if they could bust right out of my skin. It’s just the prickling and unease I sense that lets me know something isn’t right with me.

  “Okay, okay. Fine.” He moves away as my eyes narrow to stare him down. “I’ll check on you in a couple days. Send me a communication if you need anything before then.” His pace picks up before he swings to let his back hit the door first as he exits with his cart. He leaves to go talk the ear off some other unfortunate—but probably more willing—fool.

  I load up my arms with my stuff before walking it down into my food prep area. As I put away the supplies, I think about the unfortunate females that are now in the clutches of Warden Benard.

  There is nothing that can be done. His followers have set up a tight fortification in the hub of the dome. Everyone comes into the prison through the shuttle bay. Their offices and apartments are all centrally ringed around that space. They control it.

  When I first arrived, they tried to control me as they do all the other incoming prisoners. That didn’t last long.

  I’m larger, stronger and smarter. Now, they leave me alone.

  If the council was informed of how many males actually live under this dome, they wouldn’t send as many supplies. Benard's crew can only house and control so many with their numbers around the shuttle bay. They can pick and choose the weak that they truly keep as prisoners. Slaves to serve them in any capacity.

  Many of the extra rations and supplies are traded out to legal and illegal merchants who drop in. That’s how they get luxuries and drugs. It’s ironic that most of the merchants are Quasarians from the council families. The council probably knows exactly what is going on.

  How could they not?

  I no longer dwell upon it. This is my life. Here. Under this dome. Alone.

  CHAPTER THREE

  - Jenny

  “You are on the planet Dactyles and as such, under the protection of the Quasar Council and all their representatives aboard the Discovery.”

  What?

  A man looms over me as I blink rapidly to clear my fuzzy eyes. My memory comes back slowly. The study group, the lights… I must be dead.

  Right? But what did he say?

  “Is… is this heaven?” My throat is parched. I watch him smile as he pulls away to bring a circular glass into my line of vision. A flexible straw is pressed between my lips and I suck greedily.

  “I’m afraid not.” He looks at me seriously before adding. “I think this might be as far from paradise as you could get.”

  What does that mean?

  Releasing the drink, I notice my body ache as I slowly work to prop my elbows under me to get a glimpse around. Bare walls, very little furniture. A high-tech bed with rails as an option. It looks like a hospital room.

  “I’m Selas.” Dropping onto my back, I groan. “We weren’t exactly sure how much pain medication to give you and your companions. We didn’t want to keep you sedated any longer than is necessary.”

  He said companions. Does that mean what I think it means? “Is Rachel here? Wait—where am I again?”

  “I’m sorry. Here, let me…” The bed rises, similar to a hospital bed. But there’s no mechanical whine as it does. I’m in a small room with just the bed. Everything is white. The ceiling, walls, and bedding. It sure seems like a medical center of some kind.

  I jump as the wall in front of me flickers before a familiar looking woman is displayed. The entire wall is a screen! How cool is that?

  “Jenny! We’re so glad you’re awake.” Her animated voice is playing in speakers behind me. Her body shifts and I see Shelly and Beth in beds behind her. “Your friends and I were so worried about you. You’re the last to wake up. How do you feel?”

  What the heck? This is crazy. Where are they?

  “Selas, is she okay?” The worried, female face fills the entire wall again, blocking out Shelly and Beth. They're clearly recovering just like I am.

  My hand is enclosed in a warm squeeze. “Jenny?”

  Turning my head, I glance at Selas again. Now I’m a little more awake, I realize he doesn’t seem to be entirely human. The biggest difference is the hair. He has a lot!

  In fact, I’ve never seen a man with that much hair. It’s pulled back into an elaborate and intricate design I only saw when he looked at the screen.

  “I’m okay.” Managing two words is all my stunned brain can focus on right this second.

  The woman smiles encouraged. “Well, I don’t want you to wonder any longer than necessary. I’m Hannah Becker. Do you remember me?”

  I nod wordlessly. No wonder she looked familiar! Hannah Becker was lost in space just a little while ago. It was a huge deal with news on every channel. They claimed the Mars Skylab blew up, and she died.

  But she looks no deader than I am!

  “I'm aware this is a lot to take in, so I’ll try to fill you in as quickly as possible, alright?” She runs her hands back from her forehead, smoothing her hair down. She looks like she's gathering her thoughts. She can have all the time in the world. I’m still taking it all in.

  “We don’t know exactly how you ended up being taken off Earth… specifically. But now you are on a planet called Dactyles which is a prison planet for the Quasar species. You met Selas?” She pauses and I look at Selas again briefly. He’s stepped back and is leaning against the wall listening. When I stare at him, he smiles.

  Directing my attention back to Hannah, I reply. “Yes.”

  “Okay. So, basically, I was found on the Mars Skylab by the Discovery, their spacecraft. That was about a month ago. Bren, the captain of their spacecraft, pulled me off. He realized that his boarding the craft started a count down for it to explode.”

  “What… wow!” I gape at her and she rolls her eyes. I immediately apologize. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  She waves her hand, showing its nothing. “Yeah, I realize how crazy it is. That was a NASA fail safe to keep any information and technology out of alien hands. But anyway, I ended up on their ship and Bren and I mated. It’s pretty much an arranged marriage on steroids. It’s predestined, but it always seems to work out.” My confusion and disbelief must show on my face. “Yes, it sounds crazy. They have a history of it even though it hadn’t happened in their society for a couple thousand years.”

  I don’t even know what to say to respond to that. It sounds crazy. And how exactly does all that apply to me?

  “I can tell you aren’t buying this but believe me, you will.” I can hear Shelly and Beth talking behind her. Except for a brief peek over her shoulder, she ignores them. “So, back to you. We stopped at the prison planet to drop off prisoners. Another ship with three crew members left the Discovery three weeks ago. It crashed into the planet with you on it. Along with Shelly, Susan, and Beth. But no more crew.”

  “Tell her why she’s there!” I hear Shelly yell in the background and Hannah visibly cringes.

  What’s going on? That’s a good point. If we were all on the ship together why am I not with them now?

  “To make a long story short, when two people are destined to mate, what’s called mating marks show up on their skin. Turn your arm around.” She demonstrates by rotating her shoulder and arm towards me and the camera. There are elaborate designs on her skin. Deep colors shift through them. Even though it’s a camera, I see they aren't tattoos.

  My heart is speeding up and making it hard to breathe. Slowly, I turn my arm, much thinner and
paler than hers, in front of myself. Starting at my shoulder and going down the back of my arm are faint lines. They are only red marks. Not colored like hers.

  “What is it?” My gasp is as rough as my voice before I start coughing.

  Hannah pauses as I continue to cough. Selas helps me shift forward with a hand under my arm. He hands me my drink again, as the coughing forces phlegm into my mouth.

  “Those are mating marks.” Her voice is serious, but she has a smile on her face. I can tell she’s trying to be upbeat. “Susan mated to Matthias, Bren’s brother. When we found you, Shelly and Beth there, we brought you up to the ship. But within hours your mating marks appeared. That’s why we sent you back down to the planet. So you can meet him.”

  She’s still smiling, and I can tell she’s trying to keep this positive. My eyes narrow as everything processes slowly.

  “But why do I have to meet him here? Wait, are you him?” Turning my attention to Selas, his eyes widen. Both Hannah and Selas answer no together.

  “No, Jenny. And I’m sorry about this but he’s a prisoner there.”

  A prisoner? Is this a bad joke?

  Instead of waking up in heaven, I’ve woken up on a prison planet mated to a prisoner?

  CHAPTER FOUR

  - Jenny

  “We won’t leave you alone with him. You’ll be chaperoned. Right, Selas?” Hannah turns to Selas for confirmation. I’m not sure if this makes me feel better. He looks very serious as he nods. “Have you approached him yet?”

  Taking a step towards the screen and away from the wall, I see his hair fluttering around his head like there’s a breeze. I eye the ceiling, looking for a vent but get distracted by their conversation. “No. We were informed who he is from one of the trade distributors who dealt with him yesterday. His marks were clear and noticeable, but he keeps to himself and has his own sector he’s claimed in a building. I suspected it prudent to wait until Jenny was awake. I didn’t want him here while we discussed the mating with her. He also may want to come over right away. I thought we should speak to her alone first.”

  “Good point.” Hannah is cut off by Beth and Shelly behind her.

  “Are we aware of what he’s in prison for?” Shelly’s voice is shrill as she tries to join the conversation. That’s a good question.

  Hannah looks at Selas who’s already nodding no. “Unfortunately, the prison records don’t hold that kind of information.”

  “How can that be?” Even Hannah looks skeptical as Shelly sits forward, her anger apparent on her red face. I’m thankful to have such good friends supporting me. My head is still so muddled, I never would have considered asking these questions.

  “We suspect it’s because most of them aren’t legitimate. And they may be in the system somewhere but Warden Benard is not exactly cooperating.” Everybody is nodding but there must be something I missed?

  “What happened? Why is the warden not helping you?” My innocent question has Selas stiffening and looking to Hannah on the wall to explain.

  “Well, to sum it all up… everyone is corrupt.” Shelly snorts her agreement to Hannah’s quick summary and Beth just shakes her head. “When Bren and Matthias went down with the prisoner drop-off, he found you all in the warden’s room. Tied up.”

  Hannah’s voice trails off but Shelly cuts right in. “They’re a bunch of fucking pigs! The warden had Susan tied to his bed and if they hadn’t arrived when they did, we all would’ve been passed around!” Her face is even redder now. “This whole thing is fucking bullshit. Jenny, you can just tell them you want to come back up here with us.”

  “Wait! Let me explain this a bit more.” Hannah moves away from the camera and closer to Shelly. “Jenny should understand everything that’s going on before she makes that decision.”

  “But it’s dangerous there.” Beth’s voice is soft, and she seems more tired than Shelly.

  “Selas is there, and he’s taking care of coordinating a new warden and guards. Give them some time.” Hannah swings around and walks closer, filling the screen. “Are you doing okay over there? Any questions yet?”

  Uh, yeah. A ton. But I’m also still processing everything she’s said.

  Selas moves closer and passes the drink again. The cool water feels wonderful on my dry throat. Shelly and Beth’s voices are a murmur behind Hannah who watches me closely. Waiting.

  Selas is right there to take the drink as I finish. “What do you mean by a mate? Like a couple?”

  Hannah takes a deep breath. “It will sound stupid and cliche, but it’s like your perfect match. You get matching marks on your bodies and when you meet him, you will be attracted to him. Sexually.”

  Stiffening, I consider this as she watches me.

  I’ve never had a boyfriend or any kind of relationship. Our church doctrine is very clear and abstinence until marriage is expected. I’ve had youth outings and tons of friends but never anyone special in my life.

  A tingle of excitement shoots through my system. A mate. I can’t help being intrigued.

  But what if he doesn’t like me? “But… how can you be sure… he may not like me.”

  Hannah snorts, then laughs. “I’m sorry!” She suppresses her giggles as she waves her hands at the screen. “I’m sorry. But there’s more to this. They haven’t had mates in over two thousand years. Most of these guys have no idea what’s going on. Bren wasn’t even sure what was going on with him. Even though he had the marks, it wasn’t until he met me he realized we were mates. He was even having visions about me in his daily reflections. He assumed I was someone he would meet—but not that we would be mates.”

  “Daily reflections?”

  “It’s like meditating—or praying. They’ve been taught since they were young to start and end their day with them. It’s also used for relaxation. Brock, one of the guys up here has done studies on it. He thinks the daily reflections are part of their lifestyle and religion for a reason. He hypothesizes that it helps control their hormones. They go through a second puberty when they develop mating marks.”

  Hannah shakes her head. “I’m getting a little off topic, but I can guarantee, he will like you. And this is for life. I’m sorry, Jenny, but there’s no going back to Earth.”

  That’s a punch in the gut and my eyes fill with tears. I’m not surprised to hear it—but still. I love my family. Yes, I chafed under the strictness but knew it was out of love.

  They wanted the best for me. All the years of prayer and being surrounded by their support, it kept me strong. Through hospital stays and long doctor tests, we always placed our trust in the Lord.

  I have to do that now.

  I’ve been taken by an alien society and given a new future. A mate. The Lord has new plans for me.

  “What are you thinking?” I look up at Hannah, then over at Selas who is silently leaning against the door. She looks healthy and happy.

  “I think I need to spend time praying and then I’d like to clean up and see my new home.”

  Hannah looks shocked before her face cracks into a relieved smile. “You’re doing the right thing. Meeting him, I mean.” She looks over at Selas, “Can you give her some time? What do you think, Jenny? Thirty minutes or so?”

  “Sure. Thank you.”

  “We will check back in with you a little later in the day after you’ve had time to clean up and meet… Devlin, right, Selas?”

  Selas nods. “I’ll be back with some clothes and to take you to a cleaning facility.”

  The door closes quietly behind him and Hannah and I look at each other before she takes a few steps away. “Shelly, Beth, let’s give her some time. Bye, Jenny.”

  “Bye.” Their voices echo together.

  “Bye, you guys.” Slumping back, I let myself relax.

  Well, I thought I was dead. I’m not.

  Instead, I’ve been thrown into an adventure I could never have imagined. Isn’t this what I was looking for when I left for school?

  The only hard part is my family
. A tear sneaks out as I contemplate never seeing them again. But I don’t believe in chance. This was the Lord’s Will.

  Maybe eventually, it will be His Will for me to see them again. I’ll pray for that.

  Right now though, I need to ask for strength and guidance. I’ve been given a husband.

  There’s no way he’s a criminal. I recognize that deep in my heart. The Lord wouldn’t do that to me. I’m moving forward and treating him as a gift.

  Closing my eyes, I relax.

  “Lord, thank you for bringing me to this planet with my friends. Thank you we are unharmed and able to communicate with each other even if we can’t be together all the time.

  Thank you for this man I’ve been given. I know he will be perfect for me because it’s Your will…”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  - Devlin

  I overhear the males, moving towards my building before Brice calls out. “Devlin. Can we talk?”

  Fuck me. This isn’t good. Did he report me as sick as I suspected he would?

  He has at least six males with him. None of them I recognize. His bright yellow prison uniform is totally different from the dark gray they’re wearing.

  I remember those uniforms… from the Discovery that brought me here.

  “What do you want?” Brice never comes down the hall. It might have something to do with the time I pinned him to the wall by his throat and told him to come no further.

  I've learned to set boundaries though. He spread the word once I did that.

  “I have Selas here with me. He’s from the Discovery and he’s taken over for Warden Benard. Can I bring him down?” Oh. So, a new warden is getting set up. I hope he isn’t worse than Benard but it’s better for me to get this meeting over with. He’s probably making the rounds and meeting all the prisoners.

  “I’ll be out in a minute.” Growling under my breath, I pull on a semi-clean yellow prison shirt to match my tattered yellow pants.

  I’ve been here a long time, and it’s always been Benard. He’s a fucked up degenerate fool but he surrounds himself with men who can plan and coordinate. That’s his strength as a leader.