Norlanian Brides Volume One Page 26

  For a Norlanian soldier like Dex, losing the alien woman promised to him by the soul-walk was devastating to his self-esteem and his place in the Norlanian military. He’s sure he’s meant to be alone for the remainder of his life. When he’s tasked with finding a human woman who escaped from the government-owned brothel, he knows the assignment is meant to humiliate him, but he vows to bring her back to the brothel and slowly work his way back to the top ranks.

  Bella would rather die running than live forever as a sex slave on Norlan. When she escapes from the brothel, she knows it’s just a matter of time before she’s found and taken back to the living hell she was brought to after she refused to marry the alien who had her abducted from Earth.

  When an alien male saves her life, she knows her only chance to get away is to leave him fighting for his life, but she can’t walk away, even if it might mean that she spends the rest of her days as a slave. Will Dex let her go or is saving him the biggest mistake she’ll ever make?

  Chapter 1

  Bella took a calming breath and wrapped the dirty blanket a little more tightly around her shoulders as she waited for the military patrol to move by her. She hid in the shadows between two trash containers behind the most awful building she’d ever been inside. The Bordelayz was a brothel, plain and simple. She’d been sold into sexual slavery by aliens. Her whole life over the last five months had been a series of disasters, beginning with the moment she’d accepted a necklace with a strange pink stone in it and woken up hours later on a spaceship. The aliens, from the planet Norlan, had told her she’d been chosen as a soulmate by a guy named Iliam. Bella didn’t want anything to do with the guy, and she made it very clear that she didn’t care what machine had said they were meant to be together, she wanted to go back to Earth. When they reached the alien planet, Iliam had given her to the military and then demanded he get his necklace back because it had cost him so much money. A soldier removed her necklace before taking her to the Bordelayz. She quickly learned that because she hadn’t accepted her place as Iliam’s bride, she was now the property of the government and they would drug her into submission and let any males or females who wanted use of her body have it.

  The owner hadn’t been too intent on making her a sex slave right away, maybe because she fought so much, or maybe because he seemed to have plenty of slaves at the moment. Whatever the reason, he’d put her in the kitchen instead, where she was made to stand on her feet all day and cook and clean. She never complained, because she would much rather clean than be drugged and raped. For two weeks, she worked in the kitchen for eighteen hours a day with only one meal break. Then one day, a male came into her room and said he wanted a wife, and he would buy her contract and give her time to love him. He took her to his home and let her have the large bedroom all to herself. For three weeks, he treated her like a maid and she cooked and cleaned for him, and each night he would ask her if she was ready to be his wife in every way. She never was. She just wasn’t attracted to him, and in spite of knowing that she would eventually end up back at the Bordelayz unless she became his wife, she couldn’t bring herself to lie. She hated the aliens and everything they stood for. She wished she’d never accepted the gift of the necklace that had been used in her abduction. Eventually, the male had gotten tired of her not being ready to be his wife, and at the end of three weeks, he had returned her to the Bordelayz and gotten his money back. The morning after she was returned to the brothel, the owner told her that she wasn’t returning to the kitchen to work, but instead was going to begin her new life spreading her legs for anyone who wanted her.

  “The drugs are coming in the morning,” he said, as he looked at her standing against the wall of the tiny cell that was going to be her home. “Don’t expect any other males to be foolish enough to try to buy your contract again. The two males you rejected were important members of our society and have spread the word that you’re useless as a wife.”

  “I just want to go home.”

  He gestured around him. “This is your home. If you’re smart, you won’t be any trouble for me or any of the customers.”

  Tears stung her eyes. “I never asked for this! How can you treat people this way?”

  “You’re not a person, human; you’re property. I own you and you’ll do as you’re told.” He looked her up and down with a gaze that made her skin crawl. “Today you can rest. I’ll be generous. In the morning, you’ll begin your new life. On your knees, on your back, whatever the customers want.”

  He turned on his heels and the cell door slammed shut. She had collapsed to the floor in tears and wept. She’d allowed herself time to get it together and then she put into action a plan she’d been working on before she’d been taken to the male’s home for three weeks. She’d ingratiated herself to the guards who watched over the brothel, bringing them treats she secured from the kitchen where she’d been working. When one of the guards passed by her cell that evening, she struck up a conversation with him and he let her out to use the communal bathroom. It hadn’t taken much in the way of misdirection with the guard for her to refocus his attention while she swiped his security card. An hour later, she was crouching in some kind of squishy, smelly filth as the patrols walked by. She held her breath and tried to make herself as small as possible.

  When the two soldiers had passed her, she stole away from the Bordelayz. She knew it was only a matter of time before the guard realized his security card was missing and put two and two together, and then an alarm would sound and all the guards and the soldiers would be looking for her. She’d heard the alarms one other time. A male slave had escaped in a delivery vehicle. He’d been so badly beaten by the soldiers that he later died from his injuries. Bella didn’t want to think about what the soldiers would do to her if she was found, which was why she had to be sure she never was.

  She raced away from the brothel, staying in the shadows as much as possible to avoid detection, and headed for a wooded area. In the distance, she knew there was a mountain, and she hoped she might be able to find a cave to hide in. She didn’t know how she was going to survive, but she was going to do her damnedest to make it on her own. She’d hoped that there would be people on this planet who would help a woman in distress, but the only aliens she’d ever met were either slaves themselves or disgusting men who thought nothing of treating other people like commodities to be sold and traded.

  Tears burned in her eyes as she melted into the shadows of the woods and began to run, and she fought not to cry until she was far away from Kyvern City, the Bordelayz, and aliens.

  She realized she might die trying to run, but she’d rather die trying than live a life of slavery. She had to try, there was no other choice.

  Chapter 2

  Dex unbuttoned his uniform shirt in the tiny room that was now his home. Ever since he’d been demoted from his rank in the military, he’d lost nearly everything. His status, his large room in the military housing, and most of his friends. Although he supposed if they’d been true friends, they would have stood by him instead of turning on him. He felt like he was a ghost just drifting through life. Only the other guards would acknowledge him, and the doctors and non-military personnel, but everyone knew he’d been humiliated by an alien and had lost his mind for a brief moment when he’d attacked his fellow soldiers for taunting him.

  Dropping onto the uncomfortable cot, he tossed the light gray shirt over a chair, the only other piece of furniture in the room. He could hardly stand to look around the room. The guards were among the lowest government rank in their society. He’d once stood proudly with his fellow soldiers, but now males he’d fought beside in battle treated him as if he were dead.

  He wished he’d never taken that damned soul-walk. He hadn’t wanted a mate, but the government was pushing the military to do their duty and contribute to the population by taking an alien for a mate and impregnating her. Dex hadn’t exactly hated the idea of having a wife, but the female the soul-walk had chosen for him hadn’t wanted an
ything to do with him. He’d thought that on their long journey back to Norlan that the alien would grow to care for him, but she’d remained angry the entire trip.

  He had felt guilty for leaving her at the Bordelayz, but the truth was that her rejection of him had cut him deeply and he hadn’t known what to do with her. It wasn’t that he loved her, because he didn’t know a thing about her, it was that it was the first time he’d failed at something he’d attempted. He’d been arrogant in his assumption that the female would have immediate feelings toward him.

  She’d had feelings all right; they just hadn’t been the kind that would precede love.

  The female, Kate, was safe now, though. Fully mated and bonded to a male who clearly worshipped the ground she walked on. Dex had arranged for them to be mated officially so that no one would be able to force her into the Bordelayz again. Although expensive, it had been worth the cost to try to make up for what he’d done to her.

  It wasn’t the first time that he wished he’d never taken the soul-walk. Being in this room, which was little bigger than a prison cell, made him hate everything about his life. He wanted to claw his way back into the military, to leave the security position behind and join his fellow soldiers once more, but he didn’t know if he’d ever be able to do that. It was entirely possible that he would be a guard for the remainder of his life and that he would be alone, too. Unwanted. Unloved.

  He grunted as he realized he’d just thoroughly depressed himself. Shaking his head, he lay back on the cot and stared up at the ceiling. It didn’t have to be like this. He was a good soldier from a strong military family. He could get back to what his life had been. It would be a long, hard road, but he would do it. He had no choice, really. This was no way to live. Somehow, he’d find a way to get his life back.

  * * *

  Dex sat down in the cafeteria with his meal tray and opened the lid to his drink. He took a swig and set the bottle down, lifting his eating utensil, when a shadow fell over him.

  He looked up at Rays, the head of the guards. “You’re wanted at headquarters.”

  “Headquarters? You mean the guards?”

  Rays shook his head. “No, the military headquarters. You’ve been summoned by General Todu.”

  At the general’s name, Dex’s brows rose. When Dex had been stripped of his rank in the military for getting into a fight with fellow soldiers, one of the males he’d injured was the general’s son.

  Dex hadn’t met with any of the military leaders since he’d been stripped of rank. He stood and picked up his tray. “Thank you, Rays. Do you know why they summoned me?”

  “What am I, your secretary? Find out for yourself.” The male turned and stalked away.

  His mind spun as he put his tray on the conveyor to be disposed of and walked hurriedly from the cafeteria. The military headquarters were in Kyvern City, next to the medical center where Dex guarded doctors and medical staff. He left the medical building and walked to the headquarters. He was frisked at the front door, which he tried not to let bother him, and was then escorted by three soldiers to a meeting room.

  The room was empty and the soldiers stood near the door, ignoring Dex expertly. It felt like an eternity before General Todu walked into the room. Dex stood, unsure if he should salute or offer to shake the general’s hand. The general, it appeared, didn’t care for either, because he only glanced at Dex once and then sat at the head of a long table.

  “I’m certain that you’re unhappy with your current state, Dex Hallorhan.”

  “Yes, Sir,” Dex said.

  “Right. You fucked up, plain and simple.” The general leaned back in his chair and stared at Dex. It made him feel about two feet tall. “We have a problem that needs to be handled quietly and without direct intervention of the military.” He glanced at the soldiers in the room and they exited swiftly. When the door slid shut, General Todu pushed a digi-reader across the table to Dex.

  He lifted it and found himself staring at an image of a beautiful female. She was clearly an alien. Her hair was long and the color of pure gold, and her eyes were a beautiful green. It took some difficulty, but Dex managed to tear his eyes away from the digi-reader screen to look at the general.

  “The alien fugitive escaped late last night. She stole a security card from one of the Bordelayz guards and disappeared. Hupi were used to track her, but they lost her scent when she crossed the stream in the woods behind the building.”

  Dex frowned. “Sir?”

  “I want you to find her and bring her back. She’s the property of the Bordelayz and is to be returned immediately. I’m tasking you with finding her because I know you’re good at tracking people. Find her and return her, and I’ll consider reinstating you with the military.”

  Dex opened his mouth to speak but didn’t know what to say. He managed to get out, “Thank you, Sir.”

  General Todu snorted. “Don’t thank me. You’re a disgrace and I’d just as soon shoot you as look at you again after you injured my son so badly, but if I send one of my soldiers to find her, then the general population will discover that one of the slaves escaped, and that wouldn’t be good.”

  Dex didn’t think that a female from Earth would do any great harm. Most likely she’d die from exposure or be killed by one of the creatures that roamed the woods. If she was heading for the mountains, unless she was trained, or exceptionally lucky, she wouldn’t last more than a few dins. Which made him wonder why they were expending time and resources to find her.

  “If I may, Sir, why does one slave matter? She won’t last long on her own. The Bordelayz isn’t known for treating its slaves that well, so she’s probably half-dead already.”

  General Todu narrowed his eyes. “Because I say that it matters. You’ll find her, or I’ll make sure that you remain in your position of disgrace for the remainder of your days.”

  Dex didn’t particularly like being threatened, but he knew better than to say anything. He was being given a gift of sorts – a chance to work his way up from the dregs to his old life, and he wasn’t going to waste it.

  Dex stared at the digi-reader and the image of the female. A frisson of guilt slid through him, because her situation was so similar to Kate’s. He’d condemned Kate to the Bordelayz, and if it hadn’t been for her mate, then she would have suffered untold abuse. He might not believe that the abductions were right, but it was the way of their people. Pushing aside the guilt, he said, “I’ll find her and bring her back.”

  “See that you do. You’re dismissed.”

  After the general sent the image of the woman to his communicator, Dex strode from the meeting room and left the headquarters. He didn’t really need to save the picture of her, whatever her name was, because he knew he would never forget the golden hue of her hair or the beautiful green of her eyes.

  When he returned to his room, he changed into civilian clothing of trousers and a tunic. He thought the female might not be so frightened of him if he didn’t look like a soldier. Grabbing a bag from a shelf in his small closet, he put two sets of clothing inside – a spare for himself and one for the female, because he wagered she was wearing the plain dress that all the slaves wore and he wanted her to be comfortable – and then he filled the bag with supplies. Food bars, water, a small med kit, and tracking devices. Dex had been trained by his father at a young age to use his own natural abilities to track. The devices used by the military to track their people would be useful, but he planned to use his own skills to find her.

  As he messaged his supervisor that he was taking several days off work, he tried not to think about the female or the guilt that kept trying to surface. He wanted to be back in the military. What did it matter if he was using a slave, one who had successfully escaped, to do so? He was tired of being looked down upon by soldiers he’d known his entire life, tired of feeling like he had no value just because he’d been demoted.

  He slipped a jacket on to protect himself from the night chill and shouldered his bag. When the door t
o his room closed, he strode down the hall and outside, heading to the Bordelayz to begin his search.

  Chapter 3

  Bella stood at the base of the mountain and stared upward. She was not a climber by any stretch, but she could see what looked like caves in the side of the mountain and she hoped at least one would be big enough for her to hide in.

  Glancing to the right, she saw a trail carved into the side of the mountain, so she hurried along the rough ground and began to hike. The trail was steep and narrow, and she hunched over as she moved to try to make herself as small as possible. She knew that the slave owners would be looking for her. She really had no illusions that they had given up on her. She’d been told from the beginning that she was property, only good for what was between her legs, and of no value in any other way.

  She remembered how terrified she’d been on the ship when she woke up and was told she was going to be the wife of a guy who had some kind of trippy drug-induced dream about her and said she was his. She didn’t give a damn what that guy thought, because she was her own person and she wouldn’t willingly go to anyone’s bed unless she had feelings for him. She knew she’d been foolish, in a way, for not choosing to stick it out with him or with the other male who had taken her from the brothel, but she couldn’t bring herself to have sex with a male she didn’t at least care for and find attractive, it just wasn’t in her nature. She hated the aliens with a deep passion. She wondered if the other kidnapped women had been told that their choices were either stay with the guy who took them or become a whore. She’d never been told of her choices, and hadn’t even been given a choice to be abducted in the first place – that a debt was put on her head because of her abduction was absolute craziness. If she ever saw the guy who had her abducted, she’d kick him square in the nuts with all she was worth.