I saw Clair climb into the backseat behind them, all the while keeping her eyes down and her shoulders slightly hunched. She’d definitely been taken by them and trained as to their ways. I should hate her for the dirty trick she used to capture me, but I couldn’t bring myself to. The rumors of what the Vakarrans did to their captives were at the forefront of my mind. She’d probably suffered, I couldn’t even guess.
With a heavy swallow, I turned back and glanced at their horned heads, and caught the eyes of one of them, the leader.
“I never got your name,” I retorted, feeling the need to display my displeasure at being handled like an animal. Almost as if he could read my thoughts, he smirked in my direction.
“I’m Commander Zaavyr. I’m going to enjoy breaking you, Kira Stryke. I look forward to the day when you beg to fall to your knees for me,” he answered, and I scoffed at his words.
Arrogant prick.
I fucking hated the Vakarrans. I’d show them they couldn’t conquer me that easily. They would rue the day that they captured me. I curled my body up tight in a ball and looked out the window into the great blue sky above, imagining the ways I could kill each and every one of them.
I’d get away, eventually.
Once they started the engine, I felt the vehicle rise off the forest floor and fly off into the distance, toward the female training camp and my doom. The tree tops flew by beneath us as the car rumbled quietly. All too quickly, the scenery turned from heavy forest to places that looked much more inhabited. Tall steel buildings began to rise up from the dust and trees, leftover marks from a once great city long ago. Now, it just looked like a sad, forgotten, and ignored place, yet I knew there were survivors there, somewhere.
We flew over the crumbling city, previously known as Atlanta, and approached a large area of white tents set up in a wide circle. At the center, there was a tent large enough to hold a three-ring circus, with plenty of room for an audience and I shivered at what that meant.
Clair had said they would punish me for all to see. What did that mean? Would they spank me? Bare my bottom and show everyone what happens to naughty little rebels? Even as I thought about it, I shook my head. No. They wouldn’t do that. They probably had bigger plans for me.
They’d more than likely beat me bloody for what I’d done. I’d killed their kin and they knew it. I should be terrified, but I just felt numb, probably from being captured in the first place. I was probably still in some form of shock, at least that’s what the textbooks would say. Mostly, I wasn’t worried about myself though, I could handle whatever they threw at me. Mainly, I was concerned for my family, my sisters, as well as the rest of my human refugees.
I wondered how my sister Alaina would fare without me, when she’d realize I’d been taken, how’d she’d react to becoming leader all in one fell swoop. I knew she was strong, but I still worried for her sake anyway. She’d protect Danika and Kaela nonetheless, and I knew she’d do a good job at it. Maybe I just missed them.
I sighed, feeling my imminent defeat still to come.
I shook myself then, reminding myself that I was strong too, that these bastards wouldn’t break me and that I would escape as soon as I could. I had people to get back to and to protect, people who I loved, and they loved me in return.
The vehicle circled around in the air, gradually making its way to the ground before landing down in the dirt. Biting my lip, I watched silently as the Vakarrans climbed out of the truck and Clair followed, waiting for her next direction.
Zaavyr leaned toward her and whispered something in her ear, but I couldn’t make out what he said. Regardless, the woman nodded gently and walked away. I vaguely wondered if I’d ever see her again.
At that moment, all four aliens turned in my direction. The effect of all their eyes on me at once caused me to shiver unintentionally before I stood up straight in defiance.
The leader, Commander Zaavyr stared me down, almost in some form of contest. Neither of us backed down as he stepped toward me. He walked until he was standing in front of me. With a sort of gentleness that I hadn’t expected, he took my cuffed wrists in his grasp and lifted them up, moving the leather out of the way so that he could inspect my arms.
My pale wrists beneath them were slightly pink and he smiled softly as his ran his thumb along my sensitized skin. My lips parted, his touch sending shockwaves across my flesh. I didn’t have time to analyze my body’s traitorous reaction though, because he then clipped a leash to the chain between the cuffs. I must have pleased him in some way because he looked at me appreciatively then. I couldn’t help but squirm a little as his eyes perused up and down my body. Even through my thin shirt and bra, my nipples peaked then, and by the sudden light in his eyes, I knew he could see them. I couldn’t even move to cover them up as he pulled my wrists forward.
“Come, let’s get you settled in for the night. We’ll tackle the issue of your punishment in the morning,” he replied, and the three others grinned in response.
I felt like my blood ran cold then.
He jerked me forward harshly and I staggered, almost falling on my face in the dirt before I caught myself. He chuckled under his breath.
Bastard.
I was given no choice but to follow them into a small tent off to the side. If I had to guess, I would have to think it was their own personal quarters. Commanding officers like them had special chambers, right?
What did they have hidden in there?
As I walked behind them, I held my head high and my shoulders back. I knew people had heard my arrival and seen the landing of the all-terrain vehicle. They had to see me being led into the tents, that I was no longer free. I had to continue being strong. I’d show them I wasn’t afraid, no matter what.
Chapter Four
Coltan
I watched as Zaavyr dragged Kira into our tent. In my opinion, he was being far too gentle with her so far and the other Vakarrans in the compound would begin to question our leadership, but I trusted him. He knew what he was doing.
Kira’s features remained stoic, a certain fierceness in her movements that never left her, despite her capture at our hands and it drew me to her. Usually, when humans were captured, or even when they turned themselves in, they tended to be more submissive from the start, scared and subdued, but not this one. She was different.