Beast Planet 1: Captive Surrender (8 page)

“You have no male to take care of you?” Morrdrook shook out the dark brown cloth, handing it back to me; I re-wrapped it around my body, as he fetched something from his box under the bed. At first I thought it was a mini rake clenched in his hand, but he motioned for me to turn around. I hesitated, before obeying. He started combing it through my hair, gently teasing out the tangles.

No one had brushed my hair since I was eight. Dad caught Wade, the youngest of my four brothers brushing it for me,
before school one morning. He informed all my brothers not to pamper me; I was old enough to do things for myself. Dad always treated me like one of the boys.

Hell, when I got my first period, dad handed me a box of condoms telling me I was now a woman and to be car
e
ful. Thankfully, Philip, my oldest brother asked his girlfriend teach me about the facts of life and the mechanics of sex.

“I have four brothers and a father, but we all took care of ourselves.” I knotted the cloth on my shoulder, sighing at how wonderful
Morrdrook’s
grooming felt. “Human females are very strong willed and independent, well, when we’re not kidnapped by bug aliens.”

“Your world very different.”

I can’t argue with that.

Finished with my hair, he ran the comb roughly though his own, dark main, before placing it back in the box. A chime sounded and he grabbed my hand hurrying me out and down the hall, in the opposite direction to the meal room.

“No running, dangerous, if another catch you, I will have to fight them, kill them.”

A trickle of fear ran down my spine. “I won’t run again.” Even with my self-defence training, taking down one of these trained gladiators would be more or less impossible. Compared to larger muscular frames, I
was
a petite little female. Lord knew how the shorter women were getting on. “
Zakiu
do not like to kill
Zakiu
, but I will, if any try to steal my
Aunna
.”

“I’m yours.” I gave his hand a squeeze, hoping it gave him some sense I would be true to my words.

Chapter Seven

The training room was half the size of the arena. It felt warmer than the areas I
've
been in so far. I breathed the scent of sweat and sand and alien air.

From what I could see, there were different sections surrounding a large, circular pit.  Along one side were racks of weapons, swords, spears, and other dangerous looking objects. Hovering target boards with mutable prongs, off to the left. Another area had ten foot tall spider-like, web structures. Working out on some kind of weight machines, I saw several red skinned, muscular aliens, with two inch black spikes on top of their heads instead of hair. The rest of them looked humanoid except for their hoofed feet. A handful of different aliens, also humanoid, stood watching from the far wall, their skin a pasty yellow colour. The tips of their ears were larger and pointed, matching their sharp, angular, facial features. As they
moved towards the weapons rack, I noticed gill-like slits along the sides of their necks and webbing on their hands. Their hair was inky black much like the
Zakiu
.

“Those are
Fraxi
, from the red planet...” Morrdrook nodded towards the red aliens. “…
others
are
Gillip
, home planet covered in large waters.”

It explained the webbing and gills. Filing in behind us came more
Zakiu
, holding their women’s hands tightly. Morrdrook walked me over to a seating area, against a far wall, with benches similar to those in the meal room. A few other human women were sitting together. Catching me around the waist, he lifted me, gently placing me on the bench. Even with my height, my feet dangled a few inches off the ground.

“Stay here, I come get you when practice over.” He pointed to the end of the room
where
I saw a long trough of water, hanging on hooks were more of the jug-like cups.
“If you thirst.”

“Morrdrook,” greeted a
Zakiu
, who approached holding tightly to a little redhead woman, her blue eyes wide as she stared between Morrdrook and me.

“My little flame, sit with your female.”

“A good thought,
Nular
, my
Aunna
not alone now. Remember stay.”

“I know, I know, stay put,
got
it.” He nodded, turned and strode towards a small group of
Zakiu
standing by the weapon racks.

Nular
scooped up the redhead placing her next to me and followed after Morrdrook.

I smiled at her. “Hi, I’m Anna.”

“Abigail, or Abby, I guess it doesn’t matter, does it?” Her Irish accent came though clearly. She had clear, pale skin and cute, youthful features with freckles across the bridge of her nose.

“Of course
,
it matters. So, how’s your guy working out?” My gaze wandered back to where Morrdrook stood with his arms folded, making his arm and shoulder muscles bulge.

“Oh, for a big alien fighter, he’s kind of sweet, even if he does scare the
shite
out of me most the time.”

I turned my focus back to Abby and smiled. “Yeah, mine too
;
heck I’m a big girl, but he makes me feel very small.”

“Australian, right?”

“Got it in one, Irish?”

“Dublin, guess those
fuckin
’
Druel
snatched us up from all over Earth.”

“
Nular
told you why we’re here?”

“Yes.” Abby’s blue eyes saddened. “Told me mum I never wanted a man or a baby, was studying to be a doctor, you know, before the
fuckin
’
Druel
plucked me
from the
university’s grounds, walking back from med class.”

I slipped my arm around her,
while
tears welled in her eyes, spilling over her cheeks. “Guess those plans are fucked now.” She swiped at her tears. “So, what did you do back on Earth? How were you taken?”

“I’m a remedial therapist, worked in a small clinic in Melbourne. I was at home with my flat mate. They crashed right through our window. Sandy, my
flat mate
… she… she didn’t make it past the
Druel
screening.

Abby hugged me back. I
laughed,
humorlessly
. “I’m sorry, Anna.”

“Yeah, me too, I guess the universe beyond our planet is one fucked up place.”

Abby laughed. “At least the fucking is one thing I can’t complain about.”

We both giggled, watching each other blush.

“What the hell are you two sniggering about?”

Both Abby and I t
urned to see
Joan being placed onto the bench next to us. From
Makkiu’s
grim expression, I knew Joan was still being difficult.

“Fucking.”
Abby didn’t miss a beat. I snorted out a laugh. Abby giggled. Joan glared.

“Got the langue thing sorted out?” I smiled up at
Makkiu
.

“Talk good now.” He seemed hesitant to leave her, and then glanced at Abby and me. “Watch her for me,
Aunna
?”

Joan glared at
Makki
u
.
“Why
you asking them!”

“They good, obey. You will stay here, no wander off, mine Joan.”

“Yeah, whatever.”
She waved her hand dismissively at him. He growled low, turned and stalked away.

“You shouldn’t be so hard on the guy; he’s as much a slave here as we are.” Abby glared at Joan.

“Shut up, Irish, haven’t you figured out we’re worse than slaves?
Druel
brought us here to be fuck toys to overgrown, meat heads. There’s no way in hell I’m ever going to let that alien touch me.”

“You know the
Druel
will kill you if you don’t.” I said. “If any of us fail to get pregnant, then they simply dispose of us, rendered useless.”

“That’s bullshit! You may accept your slavery, like little whores, but I’ll never stoop that low.”

Abby stared at her in wide-eyed disbelief. “Swallow your fucking pride woman. You’re talking about your life. Sex isn’t the worst thing in the universe, you know.”

“So say the sluts.” Joan folded her arms and slid away.

“You
fuckin
believe this?” Abby turned to me.

I shook my head, as sad pity tugged at me. “I feel sorry for
Makkiu
, having to put up with her. You think life altering events change people, clearly not in her case.”

“You can’t help people who don’t want to be helped. I mean, things could have been worse for us. It’s a matter of perspective.
Nular
seems to care for me, he’s been nothing but gentle since winning me in the arena.”

I smiled liking Abby more and more. Ignoring the sulking Joan, Abby and I talked about other things we learned from
our
Zakiu
. More women were deposited and ordered to stay put, as their
Zakiu
men went to work out. Some joined us, pushing still grumpy Joan from the group, but she found other women to gripe and complain to.

My gaze kept wandering across the room. I could see Morrdrook at the web structures. His body glistened
with
sweat,
while
he used his arms to pull his weight up and down, making all those delicious muscles bulge and strain. He caught me staring more than once. I felt heat creep up my throat, blooming in my cheeks.

“Oh, Anna, I think you’ve got it bad.” Abby nudged me. “Mind you, mine’s pretty yummy, too.”

My blush deepened, “You think it’s wrong to lust after an alien? I even like the white and blue pattern on his body.”

“
Naah
, they’re big, buff, sexy and caring, so why the hell not. I’d be more worried if you were attracted to the red one, who looks like he swallowed nails and snorted them through his skull.”

“
Ewww
.”
I scrunched my face.

Other women laughed at Abby’s remark. “It’s the
Druel
we need to fear, they
hold everyone’s lives in their stubby, stupid hands.”

No one disagreed. Other women talked about their lives back on Earth. I couldn’t help but watch Morrdrook in the middle pit, sparing with a
Fraxi
. Both men used deadly sharp swords. I jumped when the swords clashed, the
Fraxi’s
face twisted in concentration as he attacked Morrdrook aggressively. It was like watching a dancer, as Morrdrook fluidly blocked and countered the
Fraxi’s
every blow. He jumped when one sword swung low, and at the same time, blocking as the
Fraxi’s
other sword tried to thrust up.

The other alien men were fighting in different parts. Some threw spears at the target boards while others fought with mechanical dummies.

I gasped, scrambling off the bench to my feet when the
Fraxi
suddenly charged at Morrdrook with his spiked head lowered. Morrdrook was fast, fluidly dancing out of the way, using the
Fraxi’s
momentum to trip him. The
Fraxi’s
sword nicking
Moordrook's
arm as the
Fraxi
went sprawling into the sand. Blue blood seeped down his arm.

“No, wait.”

Abby gripped my arm, holding me back from racing over, wanting to tend to
Morrdrook’s
wound.
“Watch.”

Morrdrook glanced down at his arm. He lifted it and licked the wound
and
within moments the cut healed. I
've
seen this twice before, but it still amazed me. Relieved, I climbed back onto the bench and leaned back against the wall. I sighed in relief, when Morrdrook reached out his hand to the
Fraxi
, helping him up.

“Human scientist and doctors would kill to know what healing properties are in their saliva.” I could see Abby’s doctor mind at work. “And it’s not just cuts, they heal.” Abby’s face turned bright red, matching the flaming colour of her hair. I guessed
Nular
used his tongue in other places. I
grinned,
glad to know I wasn’t the only one.

They went at it again and my heart dropped into my stomach, even though I knew it was practice, but what the practice precluded, didn’t sit well. What I saw in the arena, when Morrdrook fought for me, was just the tip of a bigger iceberg below. I felt a measure of relief when Morrdrook moved to another activity.