“Do you have everything you need?”
What? Did he think that I had luggage? Like this was a resort and he was my chauffeur?
His lips quirked up at the corner. “I will take that as a yes.”
The drakcol gestured to the door. Tryk watched us with a sneer before turning back to his waiting client, dismissing my existence.
The sunlight, while meager, blinded me. The yellow smog was thick, softening the rough metal buildings that crowded the street, which was lined with trash, puddles of piss, and aliens of all kinds. People called out their services from windows, doors, and from where they roamed the streets. Many of these “services” weren’t what I would call reputable; they were everything from pleasure houses to stolen goods to taxi services. Shuttles zoomed overhead, making me flinch and crane my neck to watch them rush by. Foul odors of sewage, sweat, and an acrid chemical scent punched me in the face with every inhale.
But all I could truly focus on was the drakcol beside me, who breathed in an even rhythm while heat emanated from him and sank into my very bones.
As we took our first steps away from the pleasure house, I glanced around. Maybe I could make a run for it. Life on the street had to be better than whatever this alien wanted with me. Didn’t it? Or would another Tryk snatch me up? Could I even get away? Probably not. I did have a tracker in my arm.
The drakcol’s long fingers curled around my bicep, easily meeting. “Please do not run. I will not hurt you, but I assure you, I will chase you.”
I recoiled from his burning touch. I hated the feel of his smooth scales on my skin; I hated the feel ofanyskin on my skin.
A scoff built in my throat at his words. Not hurt me? Unlikely. That’s all aliens did to me.
He released me. “A human named Bartholomew asked me to retrieve you.”
I staggered. “Teddy?”
“I believe that’s his endearment.”
“You have Teddy?” I asked, my voice dropping. “What the fuck are you doing to him? Where is he? If you hurt him, I will kill you. I swear it.”
“He’s safe.”
“Where. Is. He?” I demanded. I probably shouldn’t shout. This muscular alien could beat me to a pulp and not break a sweat, but this was about Teddy. He’d been my sole comfort, my sole companion. I would protect him no matter the cost.
“You are protective. Interesting.” The alien led me through the crowd with ease, not touching me as he gestured where he wished me to go. “Bartholomew is safe on my ship. I will take you to him.”
My hands fisted, shaking. I wanted to fight, because this wasclearlya lie, but I wouldn’t make it far. He owned me. There was no escape. There wasneverany escape.
When we reached the bustling port, the drakcol gestured to a sleek shuttle that stood out like a sore thumb. All of the other ships were boxy heaps of junk that appeared unable to fly, or at least not safely, but his shuttle was elegant with a pointed nose and perfectly painted markings on the sleek silver metal that I couldn’t read. At least he had money. I would probably be able to eat most nights—as long as he wasn’t an ass who enjoyed starving people. That was always a possibility. Fun times.
The alien glanced at me, forehead crinkled, and I couldn’t say why. I hadn’t spoken.
Stepping into the back of the shuttle, he led me into a room lined with stools on the sides and nothing else. Well, nothing besides four other human men that sat in there, huddling together near the back wall.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“I’m here for you. All of you,” he said in an even voice. “I cannot retrieve all of the humans who have been stolen from Earth, but I can save all of you who remain on this planet.”
The alien helped me sit down when my knees buckled, though I yanked out of his grasp as soon as physically possible. Either he was the kindest alien in existence, or he was planning something truly horrific. I assumed the latter. If being taken by aliens had taught me anything, it was that the universe was a hard place and the worst always happened.
He lingered in front of me, hands behind his back. “You are safe here.”
I sincerely doubted that.
The crowd teemed around me, shouting at me to come spend my money for whatever disreputable service they offered. I kept an eye peeled for trouble as the thoughts and emotions of those surrounding me crashed like an unending tide through me. Most of the time, I could keep a barrier between my thoughts and others’ to calm the noise, though it was impossible to completely silence it. That human, Vince, had unnerved me.
His pale-pinkish skin, brown eyes so dark they appeared black, and straight black hair didn’t set him apart from any of the other humans I’d seen, though he was smaller. Thin and delicate, too. His sharp features made his aspect pleasing to the eye as well.
None of that had distracted me, though. It was the dark swirl of despair, like a black hole in his mind, that had made me wish to pull away from him. Every time I’d touched him, my awareness had intensified. My inner fire was inconvenient most of the time, for I stole the thoughts and emotions of others, but physical touch made it far worse. And this human… When I touched him, the anguish had been far too much to bear.Then the human had thought of Seth. My youngest brother Kalvoxrencol’s mate, Seth.
How did they know each other? Seth hadn’t indicated knowing him; he hadn’t even thought about it. Bartholomew knew Vince and wanted to retrieve him. They’d been bought together. Serlotminden, my immediate younger brother, had taken Bartholomew as his mate, and he would never let his mate be upset. And we drakcol couldn’t leave any human in captivity. It was our fault they were here. We were honor-bound to save and return them to Earth if they so desired.
