Beast Planet 1: Captive Surrender (6 page)

Despite the hunger, I found myself smiling back, liking his unique way of making me feel better about myself.

He sat me down on the edge of the bed, knelt down and reached under the bunk, dragging out a metal crate the size of a baby bath. Curious, I peered in. It held, what I assumed was clothing. He pulled out a large square of dark fabric, handing it to me.

“Cover tups. No want other
Zakiu
to see what is mine.”

“Thank you.” I was more than grateful to have something to wear. Standing on wobbly legs, I wrapped the material, from my upper thighs,
and over
my generous breast much like a toga. I knotted it on my shoulder, to ensure it stayed in place.

Morrdrook nodded his approval. When I glanced back, he put his loincloth and butt flap back on. Admiring his muscular frame, I giggled as an image of Morrdrook as Tarzan flashed through my mind. Oh, god, I
had
totally lost it.

His brow arched in curious amusement.

“Sorry, males on my planet, they um, don’t wear,
your
um, kind of covering.”

He shrugged with a small smile. “They cover more or less?”

“Oh
,
much more.
Humans like to be covered.”
Mostly
.
I felt the heat creep up my neck and into my cheeks.

“This easier for battle practice.
We use armour and weapons to fight big beasts.” He offered his hand. Without hesitation, I placed my smaller, pink hand into his. So many questions bounced in my brain.

With a firm, secure grip, he tugged me along towards the door. To my surprise, it slid open.

“I thought we were locked in a prison.”

“Not to go beyond outer walls, machines will drag back,
Druel
will punish. Inside we eat, train and fight. But now,” he paused at the door, lifting his hand to stroke his knuckles down the side of my face, “give us new females.”

“You said there were other females?”

He dropped his hand from my face and resumed walking, tugging me along beside him. “Other species, they bring us, put into our cells. At first, we not even try, too different.
Druel
take away. Give us different ones. Try to find ones like us. Some scream and scream when try to breed.
It no work.
Again they take away, destroy.” His hand tightened. “
Hu
-
mon
females, small like child, but more same
like
Zakiu
. No want them to take away my
Aunna
.”

God, the pressure to get pregnant fast was dizzying. Despite the tenderness between my legs, sex with Morrdrook hadn’t been a bad experience at all, thanks to his skilled attentions. Heck, I was even quite willing to go at it
again,
just to be sure I survived.

I should be appalled at myself thinking like
this
, but
I
wasn’t.

“Why do they want to breed you?”

“There no more
Zakiu
females.
We their best fighters.
No more
Zakiu
, no more games for
Druel
.”

Holy shit, they were just like Gladiators of ancient Roman times. Only the
Druel
used them to the point of extinction. Now, they were desperate to keep their pet fighters alive, so they wouldn’t run out of entertainment. If the arena in which they fought for us was any indication, it was a bigger pastime than sport-worshiping humans, back on earth.

Swallowing, I glanced around the long wide corridors, whirling with activity, mostly robots, zooming back and forth. Beneath my bare feet was compacted dirt. I caught the odd glimpse of other alien
creatures, but not the bug-like
Druel
. My thoughts turned to the other women, somewhere within this labyrinth of a prison.

“The other human women, are they okay, are they safe?”

“
Druel
made us choose and fight for the female we wanted. They know if
Zakiu
fight and win, it belongs to us, we protective. Other
hu
-
mon
females are safe in their care. You safe with me, you are mine.”

“Yeah, I got that the first time.” Annoyed he kept repeating the whole ‘I own you’ thing
;
I could have sworn he cocked an amused eyebrow at me, but said nothing.

Entering through a set of doors, we walked into a long hall, lined with silver
,
metal tables and benches. To the far right, a long thin table attached to the wall held different metal boxes and flashing lights. There was no one else, except for one of the other human women, seated at the table next to her
Zakiu
. He was attempting to feed her something from his hand. Her arms were folded as she glared at the alien—I recognised the American lady.

“You must eat,” the other
Zakiu
growled softly at her. He pushed the pink
,
spongy thing between his fingers, towards her lips.

“Leave me the fuck alone, you overgrown alien ape. I’m not eating that shit.” She slapped his hand away. The
Zakiu
growled in clear frustration.

Morrdrook pulled me away toward the line of boxes, pressing the first button. I watched
while
several trays popped up, with an assortment of multi-coloured cubes, I could only guess to be food.

Handing me a tray, Morrdrook started piling it high with the cubes. At the end of the line was a large jug. He gripped it and ushered me to the table. I walked ahead, quickly bee-lining for the other side where the American and her
Zakiu
sat.

The two
Zakiu
acknowledged each other with nods. Morrdrook took the tray from my hands, set it and the jug down. Before I could scramble onto the bench, he scooped me into his arms and placed me on his lap. He picked up a clear orange cube, resembling diced jelly.

“Eat.” I was so hungry I opened my mouth without question. He smiled in
approval, I moaned in delight as an orangey tang exploded in my mouth.

I licked my lips and swallowed. “Wow, I like that.”

The American woman glared at me and the
Zakiu
glanced from me to Morrdrook. The other
Zakiu
spoke.

“Morrdrook, how you get your female to obey?”

“Have difficult female,
Makkiu
?”

The one named
Makkiu
frowned down at his American woman, nodding.

Hungry, I greedily accepted more cubed food from
Morrdrook’s
hand. He chuckled at my eagerness.

“Turned native already,” grumbled the American. I sighed not wanting to put up with her shit now.

“I’m Anna by the way, what’s your name.”

“Joan,” she muttered, trying to inch away from her
Zakiu
, but he hooked his arm around her waist, pulling her back against him.

“Look Joan,
Makkiu
doesn’t mean you any harm, the
Zakiu
are
slaves here as much as we are. Anyway, this food is good, tastes almost like real food—food from Earth.” I nodded towards her plate.
Morrdrook picked up a green cube, feeding it to me. It tasted like broccoli.

“
Zakiu
, how the hell do you know what they are?
I can’t understand the gibberish it says.”

“What are they saying?” Joan’s
Makkiu
glanced between Joan and
I
.

“You did not do a blood with your female,
Makkiu
?” Morrdrook kept feeding me.
A p
ink cube tasted like strawberries. I
love
strawberries! I hummed contently, as the juices slid down my throat. Morrdrook glanced down, smiled and fed me another.

“She refuses all I try to do. Ask your female to explain?” Hope flashed over
Makkiu’s
face.

“Why are you giving her a choice? You won her. She is yours, and it is up to you to make sure she protected, even from herself.”

“Her name is Joan,” I offered.
Makkiu
scowled at me, I realised he couldn’t understand me as neither he nor Joan had done a blood transfer.

“My
Aunna
says your female is named Joan.” Morrdrook translated, I smiled my thanks at Morrdrook.

“You can understand them?” Joan frowned at me.

I nodded. “
Makkiu
can’t understand me yet. You need to drink his blood, and let him drink yours. It’s kind of like a translation thingy. Don’t ask me how, I just know it works.”

Joan’s face scrunched in clear disgust.

“Joan.”
Makkiu
pronounced the word carefully. Joan’s eyes widened.

“Gratefulness, you are right Morrdrook, she is mine to protect. I will make her understand.”
Makkiu
stood abruptly, lifting Joan as if she weighed little more than a pillow. She kicked and screamed,
while
he carried her out of the eating area.

“He won’t hurt her, will he?” Worry made the food in my stomach feel like lead.

Morrdrook stroked my cheek. “You care for your fellow
hu-mon’s
. No fear for them,
Makkiu
will help care for her. You smart not to fight. Know what is good for you.”

He reached across the table commandeering the plate
Makkiu
left. “Eat more now. It quiet, but soon more will come for food. You like this one.” He picked up the pink cube.

“Do you have to feed me? I can do it myself you know.” Despite my protest, I
opened my mouth to accept the strawberry flavoured treat.

“It gives me happiness to care for you in everyway.”

Well, apart from the whole abduction and forced into being a breeder for an alien thing, his dedicated attention was kind of nice. If feeding me kept him happy, who was I to
argue.

He started wolfing down a healthy share of the cubes. Once he was satisfied I
ate
an adequate amount, he pushed the large jug at me.
“Drink.”
I obeyed. A watery
,
coconut flavour slid over my tongue. I drank deeply, before handing it back. Morrdrook finished the rest.

A chime sounded, and he twisted around to set me on my feet. “Come, we go before others arrive.”

“Why?”

“We have time before training, I want you again.” His blue eyes darkened, scanning down my body.

A rush of heat speared through me, my sex clenching in response
;
I winced realising how sore I was.

He kept his hand wrapped around mine. I had to jog to keep up with his long strides.

“I don’t want to say no to you. I know I have to get pregnant, but I… I’m not used to your… your size. I feel sore. If we have sex again, it will be painful for me.”

He stopped abruptly, bending to sweep me up in his arms. Automatically I wrapped my arms around his thick neck. He frowned, continuing at a faster pace. “Why you not tell me this before?”

My mind blanked. “Um, I… didn’t think.”

“No matter.
I make feel better, heal you.” His head bobbed in a resolute nod.

“Oh, okay.”

A crowd of mixed aliens filled the corridor, filing into the meal room, as Morrdrook carried me out. I saw many other human women being carried or walking beside their
Zakiu
gladiators. Some with mournful expressions, others still filled with fear. Not that I could blame them.

Make the most of any situation.
My dad drummed the motto into all
of
his five children. Mum died when I was barely five. It broke his heart.
Afterwards,
dad taught us to live life like it was our last day, because it was what mum wanted for us. My chest tightened, knowing I would
never see my family again. As much as my older brothers annoyed me, I knew they were also protective.

“Sad, faraway eyes,
Aunna
.”
Morrdrook’s
deep rumbling voice roused me from my memories.

“I miss my family, my home. I… I will never see them again.”

His grip tightened on me, his face darkened in visible rage. “I protect
Aunna
from
Druel
.
I family now.
You mine, no be sad. When cycle soon
be
over,
Druel
return us to home planet. I make you new home. We
be
safe.”