An Alien To Love (18 page)

Taking the elevator, her brothers headed for the lobby. Her opportunity to escape was growing shorter.

“Help me, please!” There had to be someone around to assist her. But no one came to her rescue. A cold chill surrounded her.

Then a familiar tingle of pure energy raced through every cell. They were planning to dematerialize.
Where are they taking me?
  She could only hope for a transporter accident. If she didn’t form back together properly, no one would want her and that had to be better than a future with Ghorkle. The hotel lobby disappeared, replaced by the walls of an unfamiliar ship when she rematerialized. The stench of raw sewage, a scent far worse than that of the alley she’d landed in, triggered her gag reflex. Unable to cover her nose or mouth to block the smell, she retched.

Her head spun. A shrill ring pierced her eardrums before fading to a buzz and her vision cleared. With a deep breath, she drew in an ounce of courage. “You’ve got me here, now untie me.”

Volan laid her on a pile of cushions. “You’re not my responsibility anymore. I will concede that duty to your future husband.”

Skylar whimpered, watching her brothers exit the room, leaving her alone with the tentacled space pirate.

His gaze bored through her like a laser. “I should have broken you in long ago. Maybe then, you wouldn’t have run.”

Courage bubbled inside her. Hands still bound, she struggled onto her knees, then to her feet.

“I still would have run, you alien asshole.”

His deep laugh filled the room, filling her with icy dread. “And I still would have found you. I will always find you, s-sweetheart. You’re mine. Never forget that.”

In the blink of an eye, he drew a knife, slicing through the sheets still wrapped around her. The linens dropped to the floor, exposing her to the monster. He knocked her back onto the pillows, stealing her breath away. Pressing a thick arm across her chest, he prevented her from any movement, even the slightest. She lay at his mercy.

“Now, it’s-s time for you to be properly broken in,” he hissed.

A cold tentacle slithered up her leg, inching closer and closer to her sex.

“Please don’t hurt me,” she cried. Closing her eyes, she imagined being elsewhere, away from this ship and the beast who owned her.

Daran grinned, waltzing down the corridor to the observatory. His last hour had consisted of frantic calls with Galan and Volan, as well as the witch on Rebed who sold girls as a commodity. But he stayed confident in his decision. He only hoped Skylar agreed.

Pulling open the door, he tensed at the screams echoing inside the room.
Skylar. Oh, gods!
  He raced through the hallway into the auditorium.

The sweet angel he’d made love to thrashed on the mattress, the blankets tangled around her legs. Her cries of fear pierced his heart and in a rush, he joined her on the mattress and grabbed her flailing arms.

“Skylar, stop. It’s just a dream.”

“Don’t touch me!” She pounded on his chest, her face drained of all color. “You’re a monster.”

“It’s me, Skylar. It’s Daran. I’m not going to hurt you.” Gods, what had happened on that planet to give her such horrible nightmares? “Wake up, sunshine. Open your eyes.”

Her eyelids fluttered then lifted, her dark pupils so wide he barely saw any of the stunning blue that mesmerized him each time he looked at her. Her chest heaved with her ragged gasps.

“Daran?”

“Yes, my love, I’m here.” He waited to hold her, to ensure she’d fully woken. He didn’t want a fist in the jaw. The knee in the groin the day before had been enough.

Bottom lip quivering, she glanced at him. “You’re not going to disappear, not going to send me back?”

“Never. I gave you my word.” More confident with the decision, he guided Skylar onto his lap, gently rubbing the soft skin of her back.

She rested her head on his shoulder, her sobs subsiding. “I want to believe you, I really do, but that nightmare felt so real. Ghorkle, he—”

“Will never hurt you.” He’d made sure of that.

“But, how can you be so certain my brothers won’t come and get me, or that Ghorkle won’t hunt me down?”

“Because I’ve guaranteed that will never happen.” He kissed her forehead. “I just came back from talking with Galan.”

She tensed as if ready to flee. “Is he coming here?”

He gripped her tight, not wanting to have to chase her again. “Eventually, but that wasn’t my reason for contacting him.”

“Why, then?”

“I—”
Shit
. Had he made the right decision? “I bought your contract.”

She closed her eyes, opened them again and gave him a glassy stare. “You...you what?”

“Please don’t be mad at me.” He ran his thumb along the back of her hand, apprehension and worry racing along his nerve endings. “But I bought your contract from Ghorkle. He doesn’t own you anymore.”

“And now you do.”

Daran swallowed down his optimism with her blank expression. “No. I had the contract put in your name. No one owns you now. Not that evil woman on Rebed, not the space pirate, your brothers, or me. You’re free to do whatever you desire.”

She stared at the ground, her hand limp in his. “Oh, thank you.”

Her monotonous tone didn’t match her words. Not at all the reaction he’d expected or hoped for.

“You’re not happy. I thought I did the right thing, but I guess not.”

She shifted off his lap and stood, gathering her clothes. “I’m grateful for what you did, I really am. It’s just....”

A quick glance from her revealed her tears.

What had he done to make her cry? He didn’t understand her at all. He ran a hand over his face. “What is it?”

“I just hoped you would put the contract in your name, that you would marry me, and that you wanted me long after tonight.”

Gods, he did. More than she could ever imagine. Rising, he clasped her arms, needing her to understand. “I want you more than anything, Skylar. But not because you’re bound by a contract to be with me. I don’t wish to own you.”

He lifted her chin, staring into her radiant blue eyes, his heart melting with each passing second. “I’m giving you the choice to be with whoever you long for. And I’m hoping that’s me.”

Her bottom lip trembled as he wiped away her tears. “Oh, gods, I’m such an idiot.”

“No, not at all.” He couldn’t fault her vulnerability. In her position, he’d be wary, too.

“Thank you.” Skylar pressed a hand to his chest. “Thank you for helping me when no one else would.”

“I just wish I could have helped sooner. If I’d have known what you were going through there....”

Her lips met his and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight.

“It’s all over now.” She gazed at him, her eyes filled with happiness and lust. “I’m finally where I want to be. With you.”

And Daran had everything he’d ever longed for on Earth: acceptance and the woman he’d loved for a lifetime.

Two Earth years later
....

Skylar glanced across the auditorium, taking in all of the eager faces staring back at her.

“This is for real?” Tan’ya asked, her dark eyes so full of hope. “You’re not going to change your mind?”

With a smile, Skylar shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere. This is all real. Za’lar has left Rebed, and your lives and your bodies are no longer for sale.”

An eruption of cheers filled the air and some of the girls burst into tears. Skylar gripped Daran’s hand in an attempt to restrain her own joy as well as her fears. During her life on Rebed, she’d dreamed of someone coming to her rescue, taking her far away. But she’d had to escape on her own, to travel across the galaxy in order to find her hero. Now, he stood by her side, his ring on her finger representing the promise of a lifetime together, and his love in her heart.

Little had she realized upon her marriage, she would receive a large sum of money, an amount no one, not even her brothers, had known about. As much as she’d enjoyed the beginning of her happy life on Earth, she couldn’t break free of the survivor’s guilt that constantly consumed her, leaving her distracted and depressed. She’d left her friends behind, could have tried to take a few with her instead of sneaking out on her own. None of the other girls had been given the chance to escape, and with her gone, would have been taken in her place by Ghorkle or other devious, ill-intentioned space pirates.

But not anymore.

Daran rubbed her arm. “You did the right thing.”

“
We
did the right thing.” She leaned against his broad chest, letting her worries about such a ginormous decision melt away for the moment. Without his support, she could not have organized the takeover.

Yes, she’d lived through so much on her own already, but with Daran by her side, and the support of her brothers and sister-in-law, she could accomplish anything.

Stepping forward, she clasped her hands in front of her. “Okay, first things first, I need you all to change clothes.”

The girls needed to be comfortable, not dressed for the meat market of cretins who used to visit Rebed.

“There are new outfits in your rooms. After you’re dressed, join me in the dining hall where we’ll eat our first meal together and go over more of the positive changes coming to our home.”

Home
. Her heart pounded as the room cleared out. Finally, all of Skylar’s seemingly impossible dreams had become her reality. She’d broken free from her nightmare, found her fantasy man, and returned to the horror-filled planet to liberate those she’d left behind. A full circle and a much happier life. All because she’d taken a chance and found her true love as a result. With a little help from Madame Eve.

Dedication

To Kate and Valerie for making the 1Night Stand stories so much fun to write. And to Rebecca Royce for starting me with this series in the first place.

A 1Night Stand Story

By

Jessica E. Subject

Melinda Rose tossed a quarter into the gleaming-white marble fountain near the porte cochère.
I wish to find my soul mate, the man I’m going to marry, in the next year
. She’d waited long enough, dated men of all ages and races, but had yet to come across her forever man.

Her friends leaned forward and stared at her, Michelle bobbing her head up and down as if waiting for her to say something.

Tara bumped Melinda’s hip, almost knocking her into Michelle. “So…? What did you wish for?”

“A billion dollars.” No way would she tell them all she wanted was a guy to settle down with. According to her online friends, she reigned as queen of single women, the one who tossed men away like she held her own “guy card” and then wrote books about them the way composers wrote music about their relationships.

She could tell when a man wanted her for nothing but sex. They offered effusive compliments, and sneaked quick peeks at other women in case someone younger or skinnier came along. Often, she didn’t object to a night or two of raw, dirty sex—her stories needed some fresh inspiration—but she grew tired of the game. How long did she have to wait to locate her future husband, her very own hero? At thirty-five, she hadn’t even had a nibble on her line, not a single relationship with any promise. Yet, a couple of her friends already enjoyed life with their second and third husbands. She only asked for one.

“So you can travel the world and sleep with a man from every country?” Amber’s eyes lit up at the thought, the poor thing having lost her husband in a motorcycle accident less than a year before.

Melinda cringed inside. She didn’t want to be the friend her peers lived their fantasies vicariously through. Why couldn’t she unearth a guy to spend the rest of her life with? “Sure. I’ll definitely have to stock up on condoms before I go on that trip.” Though, if her wish came true, she could bring a man,
the man
, with her. She just had to stumble upon him first.

Sabrina, Tara, Michelle, and Lauren all tossed coins into the fountain. What wishes did they make? As a child, Melinda never would have guessed she’d be sharing her hopes and dreams with readers in stories. If only one of them would come true.

Melinda shrugged off her woes, ready to enjoy her first romance conference of the year. “Okay, are we all ready to check in?” Though, after driving four hours to meet her friends, some she’d never met except online, she yearned for the chance to crash on her bed for a few minutes of rest before the event began.

“Yes! Let’s get this party started!” Sabrina sashayed through the entrance of the hotel as if leading a parade. Thank goodness she’d roomed with Lauren again. Melinda didn’t know if she could handle Sabrina’s excess energy for an entire weekend. Sure, she enjoyed the social aspects of conferences, meeting readers in person as well as other authors she’d connected with online and connecting with new ones, too, but she liked her downtime.