The Arcav Guard's Female Read online

  “I disagree,” I say. “I’m a… healer on Earth. I save lives. My time is valuable.”

  Take that, Vazta. He snarls and I manage not to flinch, ignoring him even as Varian glances at him.

  “What are you suggesting, Vazta?”

  “She needs to stay for one year. That is long enough for us to get to know each other.” I feel his eyes on me again and I meet his eyes. His face is hopeful, and I stiffen. How could he possibly think I would want to stay here after everything that’s happened?

  I glance away even as he continues “All I want is a chance to be with you.”

  I ignore that, even as something twinges in my chest. I’m sorry for this guy, sorry that he ended up with me as a mate. But I’m not staying here.

  “Unacceptable,” I say. “I will stay for two months.”

  Harlow shifts and Varian immediately turns his attention to her.

  “May I make a suggestion?” she asks.

  “Of course, my love.”

  “It turns out that the male who bought these women was not actually killed. There’s also the matter of Jessica’s baby. The father may still be alive, and she would like him found. Perhaps we can consider these facts in the negotiations?”

  Varian narrows his eyes slightly as he looks at his mate and I realize he’s likely onto us. Whatever. I push my hair behind my ear and meet Varian’s eyes, attempting to look innocent.

  “If Your Majesty would be willing to help me kill this man and find the father of Jessica’s baby, I would be willing to stay for a few extra months.”

  I struggle to keep eye contact with Varian, and even widen my own slightly, hoping it looks like the idea has just occurred to me.

  “You would be willing to stay for longer, even though you just stated that you would like to go home immediately.” Varian says, and I sigh.

  “I want him dead,” I say. “What he did to us…” I take a moment to collect myself. He’s not here. He can’t hurt us anymore. My hands shake anyway, and I freeze as Vazta gets to his feet.

  I stare at Eve, who has her hand on her weapon. She won’t let anything happen to me. I know that much. There’s something about her that inspires confidence. I wish I had half as much courage as she does.

  “Six months and we will find these males,” Varian says, turning to Vazta. “Is this agreeable to you?”

  I feel Vazta’s eyes on me. “Look at me,” he says softly, and I ignore him. “Look at me,” he says, voice hardening, and I comply, fighting back a flinch at the determination in his eyes.

  “I want a date with you every day,” he says.

  I shake my head. I don’t know who’s been talking to him about dates, but it’s not happening.

  Harlow interjects. “How about once a month?”

  “That is only six dates,” Vazta says. “Unacceptable.”

  Varian leans back. “Peyton will stay on Arcavia for six months. Vazta, you may take her on one of these ‘dates’ once every human week. If you are not happily mated at the end of six months, Peyton may return to her healing.”

  Vazta’s horns straighten and I swallow, averting my eyes.

  “You will never leave me,” he says, and I hold up my middle finger, placing it back down as Varian sends me a look.

  “Is there anything else?” Varian asks

  “Yes,” Eve says, getting to her feet. Her face is pale, and she looks rough.

  “You will sit down,” Korva says and I inhale.

  “Excuse me?”

  “You are unwell.”

  “I’m going to pretend like you’re not messing with my life. Either shut up or leave.”

  Varian glances at Korva and then back to Eve.

  “Can this be accomplished in less than five minutes?”

  “Sure, as long as you’re agreeable,” Eve says sweetly, and even I crack a smile as Harlow laughs.

  I sit back and ignore the rest of the meeting, conscious of Vazta’s eyes on me the whole time.

  Weekly dates. What the hell will I do with that giant male every week? He’s just so big and fierce looking, with huge, lethal horns and sharp claws. His hands could snap me in half if I made him angry. I blow out a breath. Getting myself all worked up is just going to escalate the situation. God knows there’s enough testosterone in here as it is.

  I eye Korva, who seems to be in an even darker mood than Vazta. As terrifying as these giant males are, I’ve never seen them lay a hand on a woman. Varian looks at Harlow as if she walks on water, and Eve goes head to head with Korva every time I see them together.

  I glance at Vazta, who has determination written all over his face as he watches me. Harlow recently called him an overgrown puppy. Somehow, I think he’s a lot more dangerous than that.

  Vazta

  Three days after our meeting with Varian, I arrive at my female’s quarters. She has not yet moved from the medi-center, preferring to stay with the other human females. I have tried to give her time to come to terms with her situation, but now I must leave her to travel with the Arcav King and Queen.

  It is difficult, knowing I must go without spending any time with her. But I know she will be kept safe here, and unfortunately, she prefers to be around almost anyone else but me.

  The door is opened and one of the other human females answers. Ruby, I think her name is. Her mouth drops open when she sees me, and she scuttles back.

  “Peyton,” she says, her voice high. “Someone’s here to see you.”

  Peyton appears immediately, placing her hand reassuringly on Ruby’s shoulder.

  “What are you doing here?” she asks as Ruby turns, moving away.

  “I would like to speak with you.”

  “You saw me three days ago. It hasn’t been a week yet.”

  So, this is how it will go. Even speaking to my female must be done during our dates. I grind my teeth but manage to calm myself before Peyton reacts. She is sensitive, this female, her eyes continually taking in the behavior of everyone around her.

  “Regardless, I would like to speak to you now.”

  She opens her mouth, likely to refuse, but Jessica’s voice sounds from further in the room.

  “Take it outside, Peyton, you guys are upsetting Shauna.”

  Peyton flinches, and I hold back a growl. Thankfully, she complies, moving outside and shutting the door behind her. There are no longer guards on this door, but I will ensure that they return when I leave. If I am not here to keep my female safe, someone else must.

  “What do you want?” Peyton asks, placing her back against the wall while she stares up at me, eyes wide.

  “I must leave on a trip with Harlow and Varian,” I say. “We may be gone for a few weeks.”

  Peyton doesn’t ask where we are going, but her shoulders slump.

  I narrow my eyes.

  “I tell my female that I will be away from her for weeks and her immediate reaction is relief,” I say bitterly.

  She does not argue.

  “I don’t know what you want me to say.”

  I let a growl slip, and surprisingly, her fear does not scent the air. Maybe it is because she knows that I soon will not be around to beg for scraps of her attention.

  “Say you will miss me, female.”

  She is silent and I narrow my eyes.

  Finally, she throws up her hands. “Would you like me to lie to you?”

  I raise an eyebrow at the rare show of spirit.

  “Forget it,” I growl. “I will see you when I get back.”

  Her face turns blank and she nods, whirling toward the door. I silently curse. This could not have gone worse.

  I turn to go, annoyed at myself for wanting something that simply does not exist.

  “Vazta?”

  I freeze at the sound of my name on her lips and turn back. She is poised in the doorway, chewing on her lush lip.

  “Yes?”

  “This mission… is it dangerous?”

  Triumph hits me. Some tiny part of my female does care. I bi
te down on my urge to lie to her, to tell her that I am risking death and ensure she thinks of me, worries for me while I am gone.

  “No,” I say instead. “There are more than enough Arcav on this mission. I will return in one piece and we will have our date.”

  Her eyes widen at that and I nod, leaving my female alone.

  Chapter Three

  Peyton

  We’re huddled together, all of us in Udan’s dungeons. It’s freezing here, so we sleep together for warmth, Ruby between us since she’s the youngest.

  We’re in deep shit. Jessica has begun to show. We’re not given enough food to carry any extra weight, and even though she must only be a few months pregnant, the tiniest bump is evident if you pay attention to her midsection.

  Ruby, Shauna, and I all make sure to keep Jessica covered with our bodies. Mostly, we’re kept almost naked here, wearing thin shift dresses that don’t provide any protection from the damp chill in the stone cells. Last time Udan was down here, I asked him if he meant for us to freeze to death. Everyone in the vicinity had gasped, and I’d waited for him to kill me. Instead, he’d narrowed his eyes, stepping closer. Grabbing my chin, he’d stroked my face, and all the hair on the back of my neck rose as he tilted my head.

  “You are bold, little human,” he’d said, then turned and walked away. I’d nearly peed myself in terror, and Jessica snapped at me when he’d left, asking if I was trying to be killed.

  Udan doesn’t fuck around. I once saw him snap a man’s neck because he didn’t move fast enough when he told him to bring him his favorite whip.

  The next day, four large blankets were brought to our cell.

  I huddle under mine. It’s finally starting to sink in. We’re never getting out of here.

  I wake, gasping, and reach for Jessica. She’s asleep, but I cuddle close anyway, silently thanking God that we’re no longer trapped in that cell.

  Udan was the worst kind of evil. He bought us in the auction on Gule, all of us naked and terrified while creatures from across the universe bid on us. Some of the women were sold separately but Udan bought all four of us and had us loaded onto his ship, along with some of the biggest, baddest aliens kept in chains.

  The asshole ran a gladiator ring on his planet. He collected males from across the universe, making them fight for luxuries like food and clothes. If they won his sick competitions, they were given one of the female aliens he collected at the same auctions.

  We were the only humans, but there were plenty of other women of all species, all of us terrified that we would be next.

  I shake it off and sit up. I’m not going to get back to sleep. I crawl out of bed and throw on my clothes. I’ll go to the training center and get a workout in instead.

  Strangely, the last ten days have crawled by. To be fair, it’s not like my life was full of excitement before Vazta left. But Harlow, Eve, and Amanda are gone too, and Ruby and Shauna still refuse to leave the medi-center.

  I’m starting to get better with the blaster. Now, I can usually at least hit the target, even if it’s not exactly in a place that would slow a huge alien down.

  Bree is working out when I arrive.

  “You’re up early.”

  “So are you. Couldn’t sleep?”

  I shake my head and she doesn’t pry.

  “Feel like sparring?”

  Rage is eating away at me, and I don’t think I can be trusted to spar with a woman who’s slowly becoming someone I could almost call a friend. I shake my head.

  “I’m going to go for a run. Want to grab breakfast after though?”

  She smiles and nods, and we split up, heading to different parts of the huge training center. It’s the size of an Olympic stadium, and there’s not a form of exercise you can’t do here.

  I run for an hour, planning Udan’s death the entire time. I’m going to make him beg to die before I kill him. And he’s going to pay for everything he did to me, to Jessica, to Ruby, and especially to Shauna.

  I grind my teeth as I cool down. Shauna’s still not talking. I’ve begged her to see Jen, the therapist Harlow recommended, but she simply shook her head, returning to her constant staring out the window.

  “Peyton?”

  I turn and find Bree staring at me. She’s obviously been calling my name for a while.

  “Sorry, I’m ready.”

  We go to the small cafe attached to the training center. Varian has given us plenty of whatever the currency is here, encouraging us to ask if there’s anything we need. For now, I fumble with the strange shapes of the coins as we order breakfast, blowing out a breath when we take a seat.

  “How are you going?” Bree asks.

  “Oh, you know, the usual.”

  “Vazta’s away with Varian and Harlow, right?”

  I nod. If my eyes continue to search for him whenever I’m in the palace or the training center, that’s my business.

  “How are you guys doing?”

  I shrug. “He left before we could have our first date,” I say. “I hope he realizes that the time he’s away still counts toward the six months I have to stay here for.”

  Bree studies my face silently.

  “What?” I ask, pushing my hair behind my ear.

  “You know, Vazta is a good guy,” she says carefully.

  “I’m sure he is.”

  “Have you thought about giving him a chance?”

  “I am. I have to go on these dates with him as part of our deal.”

  Bree gives me a look. “Come on. You and I both know that you have no intention of giving him an actual chance.”

  “I want to go back to Earth,” I tell her firmly. “Look, I’m sure he’s a great person. I’ll even admit to finding him sexy when he’s not looming over me. But I’m a surgeon. I never asked to be abducted by the Grivath, and I sure as hell never asked to be bought by Udan. Going home? That’s my choice.”

  Bree nods. “Fair enough.”

  I can tell she doesn’t really get it.

  “What was your life like on Earth?” I ask.

  She smiles, but it’s brittle. “I was really sick. Cystic Fibrosis,” she says.

  “Shit.” CF is no joke. I’ve seen patients live long and happy lives with CF, but from the haunted look on Bree’s face, I’m guessing she wasn’t one of them.

  “Yeah. I was in a bad way when Amanda was taken. I’d fallen into a coma and it looked like it was all over. I was one of the unlucky ones, you know? I had infection after infection, and I spent more time in a hospital than out of it. My last memory is of the walls of my hospital room, and then I woke up here, completely cured.”

  “God, if only we had that technology on Earth.”

  Bree smiles. “I’m fighting for it. So is Eve. We at least want to arm our human first responders with the quick-healing instruments they have here. You should see them,” she says at my confused look. “They’re a complete game-changer.”

  “I think I might’ve seen one of them,” I say, frowning. When we first arrived, we were all pretty beat up. At one point, Vazta held me while a healer named Kehas ran a long wand-like device over my ribs. At the time, all I wanted was to gut Vazta for holding me against my will. Now, I wouldn’t mind getting a second look at that device.

  “Why hello, ladies,” a voice sounds, and we both whirl.

  “You’re back!” Bree says, jumping up as Eve and Amanda walk in.

  She hugs them both and I smile at them, attempting to hide my relief. If they’re back and smiling, everyone must be okay. Even Vazta.

  I’m not sure why it matters so much. Why he seems to matter so much. He scares the crap out of me, and he wants things from me that I just can’t give him.

  I cross and uncross my arms as I watch Bree chatting excitedly to her sister. If they’re back, Vazta will be coming to claim his first date sometime soon.

  I chew on my bottom lip as I picture his icy gaze.

  I’m not sure how to feel about that.

  Peyton

>   Vazta waits three hours before he knocks on my door.

  I eye him as he stands there.

  “Shouldn’t you be recovering from jetlag or something?”

  He slowly shakes his head. “Come, female, it is time to live up to your end of the bargain.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “I thought I would show you my garden.”

  I’m immediately shaking my head. I’m not ready to be alone with this huge male who could hurt me so easily.

  He pauses and takes a step back, holding his breath. He once said he could smell my fear. From the look on his face, he finds the smell personally offensive.

  “Somewhere public please,” I say, voice trembling.

  He studies me for a moment and then simply nods. He turns and I fall into step beside him, concentrating on slowing my heart rate.

  I was never this person. On Earth, I was a calm, confident woman, who held herself together under pressure and was only scared of failure and my parent’s disappointment. Here, I’m a weakling that has managed to alienate almost every Arcav who has come into contact with me.

  Vazta takes me to the small cafe near the training center. I’d asked to go somewhere public, but this is like a fishbowl, everyone staring as if waiting for us to suddenly make out like teenagers. Vazta glares at anyone who comes too close and orders the sweet tea I’ve recently acquired a taste for. I eye him.

  “You’ve been checking up on me.”

  He nods. “Did you think I wouldn’t? You are my female.”

  “What does that mean to you, Vazta?”

  He looks surprised by the question and leans forward. I flinch away, not expecting the sudden movement and he growls, slowly moving back.

  “Do you think I would hurt you, Peyton?”

  His voice is low and careful, and without quite knowing why, I’m suddenly blinking back tears.

  “No,” I say honestly. “I don’t. But I’m… not doing well. What we went through… you don’t just come back from that. It leaves scars.”

  He nods slowly. “I understand.”

  I blow out a breath of relief. “You do?”