Beast Planet 1: Captive Surrender (16 page)

Morrdrook helped me and the other women down, so we could run across the sands towards the waiting
Zakiu
men.

“
Forrdrool
,
Bular
, take these women, make claim on them, best in our care than the
Fraxi
or
Druel
.” Morrdrook rumbled.

The women hesitated, Sarah glancing back to
her
fallen
Zakiu
and
burst into tears.
Bular
stepped forward wrapping his arm around her, lifting her off her feet and
carried her back inside, the other
Zakiu
took Rita.

The
Druel
crowd hollered and howled, but I shut it out, focusing on my man, letting Morrdrook lead me back inside. This time, come hell or high water, I was never going to let him out of my sight, ever again.

* * * *

Over the next few days, the flurry of activity of the robots increased. There was no more training, only a tense waiting and a time to mourn friends lost. I barely caught sight of Sarah and Rita since
the
Hurl beast battle. Abby, as a self-appointed doctor, visited both women. She told me in confidence Sarah is catatonic, but
Barooki
was taking care of her as best he could. Rita was
coping
only a little better. My heart ached for them. Morrdrook survived with only a few bruises and scrapes.

He held me tight in his arms at night when nightmares plagued my dreams. He stroked and soothed me at my trembling and crying when I awoke. His love making was gentle and tender, making me want to cry even more.

I felt overwrought with bombarding emotions. “I don’t know what’s wrong with
me,
I’m not usually this sensitive.” I muttered after another bout of tears. The thought struck me. I wiped at my face and sat up on our bed. Morrdrook raised a curious eyebrow.

“I know it’s our last day, but can we go check.”
My heart hopeful.

He climbed off the bed. My wrap dress, as I’d named it, was still slightly damp from its regular washing, but I quickly wrapped it around me and followed Morrdrook out, heading towards the meal room, but then he turned off to the left instead of the right.

The medical room
to treat injuries was basic.
The
Druel
let the fighters use the equipment.
The other women
, who were pregnant, told me step inside the scanner machine and let it scan
my
body.

Fear of not being pregnant, mixed with the hope and possibility I may be with child, made my body tremble.

“It be alright, no matter if we make bud or not.
Still mine,
Aunna
.”
He bent, tenderly kissing my cheek.

I smiled at him, lovingly and he opened the clear door for me to step inside. I took
note of the unlit traffic light
,
green for pregnant and yellow for not pregnant indicators. When he pressed the activate button on the side, I jumped. The beam scanned me from head to toe.

Morrdrook ripped open the door with a huge shit-eating grin on his face.

“Green, we make bud!”

I squealed, throwing myself into his arms. He swung me around and we kissed in a passionate celebration. He pulled back and gently ran his hand down over my tummy, caressing it.

“My heart filled with much joy. I work hard, protect you. Care for our family.”

I reached out, trailing my hand over his chest. “I love you, Morrdrook, more than anything else in the universe.”

He bent his head, taking my lips in a soft kiss. “I love my
Aunna
, my heart always be yours.”

The alarm sounded, it was time. My heart pounded when Morrdrook placed a woefully brief kiss to my lips before setting me on my feet.

Freedom was so close, yet it seemed so far away. A new hope and a new fear of how to protect our family swirled in my mind.

“They take us home
,
now.”

It didn’t matter if it was on the
Druel
planet, Earth or
Zakiu
,
my home was wherever Morrdrook was.

We walked the corridors, joining the other fighters making their way out. Silently, we followed the line of blinking octo bots, out of the slave quarters and into the busy streets. I saw the long line of ships looking like massive, black, beetle bugs, with extended tongues hanging out. The remaining
Gillip
, three in all, split off and were herded towards a different ship and the
Fraxi
to another, while all the
Zakiu
and the human women wal
ked straight head.

Morrdrook squeezed my hand in reassurance while we approached the ship
'
s ramp and he led me up and into the belly of
a
Druel
ship. I held on
him tightly, thankful to have the strong support of the man I love. With him, I have confidence to face what ever the future throws at us.

To be continued…

Beast Planet will continue in
early
2013