Theron Destiny (Brides of Theron) (6 page)

He spoke something again and proceeded to demonstrate on himself what he planned to do with the object. He seemed to be trying to tell her that the object in his hand was some kind of hearing device. She scooted forward again and nodded her head. He once again brushed her hair behind her ear then turned her face to the side so that he could have access to her right ear.

He removed a smooth, curled piece of plastic from the box he was holding and began to press it into shape around the back of her ear. It felt like she was wearing a hearing aid similar to the one her aunt Lilly wore, and when he finally pressed the earpiece into her ear lobe. She looked back at him questioningly.

“My name is Zeb.” Her eyes opened wide as she realized she understood what he had said.

“Can you understand me now?” Zeb asked when she didn’t say anything.

With brows drawn in she said, “Yes, but how?”

“The ear piece is a temporary translation device. You will receive a permanent one in a few days. Each one of us is talking in our own language, but the device translates it immediately into the language that you know. You will be able to understand anyone on the ship now.”

“But you don’t have one on your ear.”

“We are fitted with a micro translation device surgically embedded into our ear when we become a warrior. You will receive the same kind.” Zeb watched as she took in the new information.

Avery wasn’t sure what to say next so she just blurted out, “I want to go home.”

“I am sorry Avery. That is not possible. Your government has an agreement with us that allows us to take females from your planet. This is your new home now until we return to our world.”

“Your world? I don’t want to go to your world. I want to be returned to mine. You have no right. I have a life that your people have stolen from me.” As she talked she got angrier and angrier.

“Your life is here with me now. You were selected to become the mother of my children. I bought you at the auction for a great sum.  If I had not bought you, your fate would be with Lars right now. A fate, I am sure you would definitely not like. Lars did not have the intentions of making you his mate. He was going to exact his revenge on you for the injury you caused him.” He watched for her reaction and it wasn’t long before he got it.

“Lars is the name of the one I keyed in the eye?”

Nodding his head and responding at the same time, “Yes.”

“Why me? What did you see in me that made you want to kidnap me from my home? I liked my life and I want it back. NOW!”

Chapter 6

“I told you. This is your home now. You might as well accept it. It will do you no good to fight.” Zeb stood and walked away from Avery. He went into went an area that looked like the kitchen and started to open cabinets looking for something to fix for their first dinner together. “I don’t know what kind of food you may like, so I will fix us simple things to eat until you become accustomed to Theron food.”

“I don’t want any of your food. I want to go home. Don’t you understand that?” Avery stood up on her good foot and hobbled over to the counter that separated the two rooms. “I don’t want to be your mate or whatever you called it. I didn’t ask for this.” Her voice was getting louder with each word she spit out at him. “I. AM. NOT.YOUR.MATE!” As she said these last words she spied a plant in a glass container sitting on the counter. She grabbed hold of the container and threw it across the counter with the intentions of it hitting Zeb.

Zeb, not watching her at the moment, was startled when the plant came crashing at his feet. He spun around in time to see that she had another plant in her hand and was aiming at his head. She let go of it just as he was about to say something but instead, had to duck before the plant hit its target.

“You will be sorry if you throw another thing at me.” Zeb eyed her to see what she was going to do next and to his amazement he watched as she looked for something else to throw at him. She found what she was looking for in the form of a small clock that sat on a table next to the counter. She launched the clock at once.  Again aiming for his head but missed as he easily side stepped out of the way.  At this point she was breathing hard and her vision was blurred because she was so angry. Before she knew it, Zeb was on the other side of the counter with her and was reaching for her hands.

“I warned you Avery, not to throw another thing.” As he said that, she swung her arms wildly at him hoping to land a punch in his face. But with her anger so out of control he was able to catch her flailing arms and pin them to her sides. She kicked out with her good foot and managed to land a kick right into his shin.

“Enough of this!” Without another thought Zeb pulled her down to the floor and sat on top of her. Her legs were pinned beneath the weight of his body and arms held down to the floor with his massive hands. She squirmed and tried to twist herself loose but it was no use. “If you don’t calm yourself, I will call for Zane and have him administer you a sedative.”

“I will continue to fight you until you decide to return me to my home.” She threw back into his face.

“If that’s the way you want it then fine.” Zeb stared into her hazel eyes and spoke out loud into the room, “Infirmary.”

Another voice came out of the wood work, “Hey Zeb. How’s it going?”

“Zane, I need a sedative. Things aren’t going very well at the moment.” He looked back down at the woman he had pinned beneath his body only to find  that she was still struggling to get loose.

“I’m on my way.”

With that said she stopped struggling for a moment and looked at Zeb.

“Are you going to cease your foolishness?”

“No.” She resumed her struggles and continued to twist and turn beneath the man who was now supposed to be her mate. She tugged and pulled desperately to get one of her arms loose from his grip, but the harder she struggled the tighter his grip became. “I hate you. I want to go home. Get off me!” It was no use she couldn’t free herself.

Not long passed before they both heard the sound of the door to the apartment hissing open then close. Around the corner came Zane carrying a small white bag.

Zane began to laugh, “You have got to be kidding me! Is she really that much of a threat, this little bitty female?”

Zeb answered back, “Shut up, Zane.”

“Avery, this is Doctor Zane. Remember me from the infirmary? I am going to give you something that will help calm you down. Ok?”

“Leave me alone. I don’t want any of your alien medicines. Get away from me!” She knew she was out of control now. Her head ached from struggling with Zeb and her arms felt like rubber.   Yet still she continued to fight. She wasn’t going to give up easily.

“Then you leave me no choice. Believe me, this will help. It will relax you.” Zane opened the bag and withdrew a syringe that had already been loaded with the medication. “Here it goes, a little stick.”

Avery felt the needle puncture the skin of her left arm. The medication burned as it entered her body but it quickly gave her a warm feeling throughout her body. She slowly stopped fighting Zeb and just lie on the floor, becoming limp and still underneath him, continuing to breathe hard.

Eventually all her struggles ceased and a feeling of complete exhaustion took over. Tears started to well up in her eyes and her voice was much softer than earlier, “Please, take me home.”

Zeb eased his large frame off of her and sat next to her on the floor. “I am sorry little one. I cannot do that. This is your home now. I know you are upset and angry. But, I promise to give you a good life. You will get used to being here and being with me.”

Her eyes were becoming heavier each time she blinked. She turned her head so that she could see both Zane and Zeb. Zane smiled down at her and told her, “Avery, this may be of a small consolation for you.  I have taken your friend Gracie as my mate. She is eager to see you. But, I will not allow her to see you in this state. When you are calm and more at ease with your situation, I will bring her to see you.”

All she could manage to do before she fell asleep was nod her head in acknowledgement and let her tears fall.

“My Gods Zeb. What in the hell did you say to set her off like that?” Zane shifted his body so that he could get up off the floor.

“I didn’t say anything in particular. She just kept saying she wanted to go home, then next thing I know she is throwing things at me. Damn near got me the first time.” Zeb got to his feet then squatted back down to lift Avery up off the floor and carry her to the bedroom.

Zane pulled back the covers on the over-sized bed and stepped aside so that Zeb could place her gently on the bed. He pulled the covers back up over her body then brushed back the hair that had fallen over her face. It felt so soft and silky. He wanted at that moment to be able to run his fingers through all of her hair. It was long and had a color he had never seen before, a rich soil color with streaks of fire and sun. That was one of the things that had attracted him to her. One day he would have that hair loose and flowing all over his body. The thought of that made his heart beat faster and he felt desire start to spring up in his pants.

“Hello? Zeb?” Zane’s voice broke the trance Zeb had had found himself in.

“Sorry. What did you say?”

“I said that I was leaving. I want to get back to Gracie.”

Zeb faced Zane and said, “Thanks for the help. How long will she be out?”

“I would think she should be out until the morning. I only gave her a small dose since I wasn’t sure how it would affect a human. Just keep an eye on her and call me if there are any problems.”

Zeb walked Zane to the door and gave him a pat on the back as he went out.  He secured the lock on the door after it slid shut and walked back to the bedroom then went into the bathroom where he turned on the shower. Stripping out of his uniform and tossing it onto the floor.  He stepped into the hot shower and let the water run over him. He leaned his head down so that the water beat down on his neck massaging it. He reached over to the wall and pressed the button that turned on the jets that sprayed water out of the side of the shower. The heat and water pulsing on his skin felt good on his tense body. Slowly the tension began to fade and he was able to wash his body while he thought over what had happened tonight.

He never thought she was going to react like she did. Sure, he figured she would be upset about leaving her home but never to the extremes had she taken it. He had to figure out a way to make her transition a bit easier.

He dried himself off with one of the absorbent towels that hung in the bathroom. He continued to rack his brain looking for a way to please her as he reached for his sleeping pants that he kept hanging in the bathroom closet.  He pulled them on and exited the bathroom, walking to the side of the bed where she lay.  Zeb was at a loss for what he could do. He watched her sleep, remembering that he had spent many lonely nights in this bed. Walking around to his side of the bed, he pulled back the covers and carefully slipped into the bed.
“Lights off” he said in a whisper. Everything went dark except for a small light the remained on so that he would be able to see during the night if the need arose for him to use the bathroom.

Turning onto his side so that he could watch her more closely while she slept, he had the sudden urge to touch her, to feel her skin.

Reaching out his hand, he softly caressed her cheek.  It was still tear stained from earlier. Her skin was soft and unblemished. He shifted his body so that he could touch her arm. He wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her tight to let her know that everything was going to be alright. She may not like him very much right now, but he sure was going to try his damnedest to get her to at least like him in the near future.

As he lay there watching her sleep, an idea began to form in his mind that he was sure would at least allow him to win her trust. He was going to have to let Brylon in on it.  He was going to need the ship’s engineer to help him carry out his plan. If it worked, she could feel more at ease in her new environment and hopefully be able to accept that she was his now.

Avery awoke hours later to the sound of snoring right next to her ear. It was dark in the room except for a glow coming from a small light on the wall. When she turned her head she was able to make out the features of the man sleeping soundly beside her. She had to admit to herself that he had strong prominent features. His full lips were slightly parted and she could feel his breath on her face as he breathed in and out. His hair was dark brown and cut in a military style much like the soldiers she saw at home.  His eyebrows and long thick lashes were the same dark brown color. Her eyes traveled down to his chest that was bare and virtually hairless. She could see well defined muscles in his chest and in his abdomen as her eyes continued to travel downward.

The sheet was wrapped around his lower body, but one long lean leg was sticking out. Compared to him she felt like a child. She figured him to be at least six foot ten inches.  He was taller than any man she had ever come across. Her eyes moved back up to his arms that lay so casually next to her. These arms held her in a protective grip as they were brought aboard the ship, carried her to the holding room, then finally carried her here to his living quarters.

She had felt so safe in those arms but her mind was trying to tell her that she didn’t belong here. She needed to find out if there was any chance of escaping and returning to her life back in Louisiana.

Lifting the covers off her as carefully as she could, she slipped out of the bed and carefully hobbled on her bad ankle into the outer room. It was dark in there as well, except for small dim lights that were dotted along the walls. She made her way over to the sofa holding on to pieces of furniture along the way. She sat on the part of the sofa that was furthest away from the bedroom and closest to the wall of curtains. Her curiosity got the best of her as she continued to look at the curtains. She was close enough to be able to reach over and grab hold of them and pull them back. The sight that confronted her was one of pure magical beauty.