“This planet is called Agron,” he says as his friend returns, holding a key. I almost cry in relief as he pushes it into the lock and the cage door swings open.
We file out of the cage, and Tinker Bell snarls at one of the aliens who can’t seem to keep his eyes off the blood pouring from her head. She needs a doctor.
We’re all hurt, my elbow sending blinding pain up my arm each time I move it. But head injuries are the worst, and they’re the most likely to kill you.
We slowly make our way upstairs, and my mouth drops open. All the purple aliens are dead, and not all of them from the crash. I eye Karok, who smiles at me again. I’m not an idiot. I watch CSI. And there has been one hell of a fight up here.
Lingerie growls at me to keep walking, and I take two steps out of the ship only to freeze, making her curse at me.
I can see the sky. The green sky.
Oh God. It really happened. We’re really on an alien planet. The sky isn’t a dark green, more of a turquoise, but it’s nothing I’ve ever seen on Earth.
“Well, at least we can breathe the air,” Nevada says, and my throat almost closes in panic at the thought of not being able to.
The aliens help us climb down from the wreckage until we’re all standing in front of the ship.
“If you will follow us,” Karok says, “we will be back at our camp by nightfall.
I grew up in the South, where a simple “bless your heart” can mean everything from “you’re an idiot” to “fuck you.” From the time I was a small child, my sister and mother would smile even as they hissed hurtful words and backhanded compliments. I quickly learned not to trust what people say.
Trust what they do instead.
These new aliens are all smiles, showcasing their sharp teeth. They haven’t touched us, other than to help us from the ship, but something about the way their eyes dart between us and the way they murmur to each other has the hair on the back of my neck standing up.
“Are you sure we should trust them?” I mutter to Nevada.
She raises her eyebrow in surprise, but it’s Lingerie who speaks up.
“Who else do you see around here helping us escape that awful ship? They promised us food, water, and doctors. What more do you want?”
The others are silent, no one jumping to my defense, and I shrug. Lingerie sends me an impatient look and turns, beaming at Karok. “We’re ready when you are.”
Firefighter moves closer to me. “Don’t worry, girl. We’re survivors. These aliens try anything, and we’ll make them beg for mercy.”
I like her attitude, but she’s greatly overestimating my ability to make anyone beg for anything.
“What’s your name?”
She smiles at me. “Ivy. You’re Ellie, right?”
We talk for a few minutes, but we’re mostly too stunned to pay attention to each other.
We’ve been walking for hours when I contemplate sitting down and just not getting back up. Everything hurts. Tinker Bell’s head won’t stop bleeding, so we manage to tear most of one leg off my flannel pajama pants to use as a rough bandage. Ivy helps me make a sling for my arm with the other leg of my pajamas, and we’re a quiet group as we follow Karok and his friends.
The forest is just plain creepy. The huge trees have white trunks, the branches reaching toward us like bony fingers. We’re all jumpy, tensing at every sound even as we peer into the dark forest, keeping an eye out for beasties.
There are ten or twelve of the new aliens, but other than Karok, none of them introduce themselves to us. They mostly just talk amongst themselves in hushed voices. Within a couple of hours, my thighs are burning—both from the difficult terrain and the chafing as they rub together.
Tears prick my eyes, and I regret all the times I complained about my life in New York. If I had known that this is how I’d end up, abducted on an alien planet, my thighs rubbing together so much they’re practically starting a fire, I would’ve appreciated my quiet life.
“I need a break,” Tinker Bell finally says quietly. I glance at her, and my mouth drops open. I know head wounds bleed more than almost any other injury, but she looks like a zombie—bruised, so pale she’s almost gray, and covered in blood.
I wince as I step on a particularly sharp stone. None of us have shoes, and our feet are paying the price.
Karok frowns. “We must keep moving if we are to make it to our camp my nightfall.”
Nevada narrows her eyes at him. “Charlie isn’t feeling well. We can take ten minutes.”
Charlie. At least I can stop calling her Tinker Bell now. We all stop in solidarity, all of us needing a break. My mouth is so dry I’m attempting to collect my spit, and I glance at where Karok is huddled with two other aliens.
“Please,” I say, my voice hoarse. “Do you know where we can find some water?”
Karok smiles at us again, and I can’t explain why, but I see my death in that smile. He shakes his head, and I scowl at him.
We’re standing in a small clearing, surrounded by trees. Surely there has to be a lake or a river—or even a fucking pond—somewhere, right?
I glance around, planning my exit route, which is why I’m the first to see the warriors when they appear.
Terex
We have managed to track the Voildi to an area just beyond our territory. From the stink they left behind, they have once again crossed through our domain. They grow ever bolder.
I hear voices in a language I have not heard before. Thankfully, when our planet was discovered by visitors centuries ago, they carried translator chips, which are inserted deep within the ear canal. These chips allow all species on Agron to understand each other.
We all freeze, stunned as a voice sounds.
A female.
Another replies, her voice musical and soft, and something in my gut clenches. I must know the owner of that voice.
I glance at Deraz and Asroz, and they nod, moving to surround the Voildi. I don’t understand how they found these females and why the females are not screaming and crying at the thought of being taken by the Voildi.
I move closer and look through the trees, careful to stay out of sight. There are more than two females; in fact, I count eight at first glance. One of them is bleeding heavily and surrounded by three females. I nod, approving. We must ensure that they are kept together so that they will not be killed by the Voildi when we attack.
“Please,” a female says, and the rest of the world falls away as I watch her. This was the voice I heard earlier. “Do you know where we can find some water?”
I almost snort as one of the Voildi smiles at her and shakes his head. The Voildi could not care less if their prey is dying of thirst.
The female doesn’t look pleased at this response and narrows her eyes at him, glancing around as if she is considering leaving to find water herself.
She is small and shapely, her skin pale, although her cheeks are flushed. I scan her body, frowning. She holds her arm to her as if it pains her, and like the other females, she is covered in bruises.
Her hair is light and falls down her back to her waist, knotted and tangled. I find myself wishing I could brush that glorious hair while she relaxes by my fire, and my gaze is immediately drawn to her plump ass and full breasts.
This female looks as if she was made to be tumbled.