BROOKE

When I wake up, we’re alone, and Taushen’s in a bad mood. Some chewy, awful ration bars of some kind have been left, along with two drink boxes of water, and I eat and drink my share, trying to be calm. I’ve been in a situation like this before. I know what to expect, and I’m going to need my strength.

Taushen just paces, back and forth, back and forth. His tail flicks wildly as he does. Every conversation I try to start goes nowhere, so I eventually give up and nap.

Time passes. I don’t know how long we’re locked up. The room we’re in doesn’t have a clock, and the lights remain on all the time. I sleep fitfully, and Taushen just paces. If he naps, it’s when I’m asleep. Food continues to be left for us, and the aliens come by to quiz me again some time later. This time, they don’t touch my hair, just ask me how many others are out there.

And they don’t look happy with my answer, which makes me wonder what’s going on.

There’s not much to do in the cell, especially since Taushen isn’t talking anymore. So I fiddle with my hair, braiding it back and forth. Fishtail braid, French braid, four-strand braids, Dutch braids, anything I can think of. My hair isn’t all that long, so I have to get creative and use small sections. Taushen’s hair is better than mine, and I’m itching to braid it, but every time I make the suggestion, he just shoots me an angry look and goes back to pacing.

It feels like days are passing, but maybe I’m wrong. Maybe it’s only been one day and I’m just so stir-crazy it feels like more.

I’m picking apart my latest braid when the door opens. Taushen and I immediately jerk to alertness, and he steps in front of me protectively, baring his sharp teeth at them.

One alien raises his gun at Taushen, as if daring him.

Taushen starts to take a step forward, but I put a hand on his ankle, a silent plea for him not to. If he gets knocked out again, it doesn’t help either of us. He pauses, and then, snarling, takes a step back.

They gesture he should move aside.

Taushen doesn’t. He continues to stand in front of me, an army of one.

“It’s okay,” I tell him softly. “Don’t get yourself killed over me. I’m not worth it.”

This time, his angry gaze is focused on me, and he stalks away a few feet to glower from afar.

One of the aliens moves to squat next to me on the floor. “Haaaannndd.”

Ugh, is he checking to see if I’m pregnant? I consider telling him the truth, that I know I’m not pregnant, but that seems stupid after all I’ve been through. I obediently hold my hand out and only wince a little when he sticks me with his gauge.

“No…conceptionnnn,” he says. “Youuuu are not tryyyying harrrd enoughhh.”

I’m about to protest when the other makes that wheezing sound. Oh, a joke. Great. I suppose that answers whether or not they noticed Taushen and I having sex. My guess is that they did. I just keep a smile pasted to my face and pretend like I didn’t understand the question. “What do you mean?”

But he changes tactics on me. The look on his face grows angry. “Therrrr arrr moooorrr of youuuu,” he says, his words practically garbled in his haste to spit them out. “Youuuu lieeee.”

Oops. Well, too late to change stories now. I blink my eyes innocently and twirl a piece of my hair. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. You captured everyone I know of.”

His face tightens and for a moment, I think he’s going to slap me. Instead, he pulls something out of his pocket. I recognize that bottle. “Do yuuuu waaaannntt thisssss?”

I glance at it and then back at him. It’s clear that he knows I don’t. “Not…really?”

“Thennnn talllkkk.”

They’re going to roofie me again unless I do what they ask. A small whimper escapes my throat at the thought, because I don’t want that. I want to be able to choose my own adventure, damn it.

Taushen growls with rage, and the alien brandishes his gun again. Taushen’s collar lights up, and it’s clear that it’s a warning. Just try it.

Except I know Taushen’s man enough to try it again. I know he’ll do anything to keep me safe, and the thought is weirdly comforting. I don’t want him to get hurt, but the thought that he’s willing to go that far to protect me does a lot for my mental state. I can be brave. I can.

“Whoooo issss outtt therrrrr?” my alien captor asks again, waving the bottle at me in a threat.

I swallow hard. I can be brave. I can. “No one.”

He snarls low and mutters something to his companion. To my surprise, Taushen drops to his knees, groaning as a shock rips through him.

I gasp. “What are you doing?” But I know—they’re using him against me. They want me to talk, so they’re going to torture Taushen in the hopes that I’ll break. For some reason, it’s easier to think of being hurt myself than someone being tortured on my behalf. I can’t handle it. “Don’t, please!”

The two aliens pause, their round, fishlike eyes on me. “Whaaaat doooo yooooouuuu knowwww?” one hisses at me. “Speeeeeak.”

“There’s a hundred of us,” I lie quickly. “Lots of them waiting outside to take you down. You guys don’t stand a chance.”

The alien barks something, clearly seeing through my lie. He reaches forward and grabs me by the throat with his claw-like hand, tilting my head back as he raises the bottle. Me and my big mouth. Fuck. The alien squeezes my lips open by pressing on my jaw, but before he can pour the hated liquid down my throat, Taushen gives a cry of rage and flings himself across the room—and onto the other alien.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see the two of them tumble to the ground. Taushen’s larger body is all but covering the slaver, and they both twist on the ground. I can’t tell if Taushen’s been zapped and just landed lucky or if they’re truly fighting. The alien holding me hisses and then releases me. He gets to his feet, lifting his weapon.

Something sizzles in the air, and he collapses.

Everything goes quiet for a moment, and then Taushen flips onto his back. I think for a moment that he’s gone down, but to my surprise, he has the other alien pinned in front of him, one big arm across the enemy’s throat as the creature flails, gun useless in his hands. There’s another sizzle in the air, and the alien goes limp. Taushen blinks, surprised, and then looks at me.

I raise my hands. “I didn’t do it—”

“I did.” A familiar voice comes from the hallway, and I see a big blue body with long, silky black hair enter the room.

Warrek. He’s got one of the aliens’ guns tucked under his arm, and he offers a hand out to Taushen. Taushen takes it and jumps to his feet, then jerks, shuddering a little, and when Warrek releases him and then shakes out his hand, I realize Taushen’s still getting shocks sent through him.

And yet he did all that because he thought I was in danger.

“You have my thanks, Warrek,” Taushen grits out, tugging at his collar. “How did you get here?”

“Suh-mer,” he says simply, and then turns around and leaves, readying his gun once more. Somewhere else in the ship, I can hear Summer yelling at someone and the sound of more sizzling gunfire.

I feel weak with relief. We’re being rescued. I move closer to Taushen, because for some reason, I really want a hug right now. Or for him to put his arms around me and reassure me that we’re safe. I need…something.

He stares at me for a long moment, his expression unreadable.

I lean in, trying to slide my arms around his waist.

Taushen gently pushes me away. “I do not trust your touches, Brooke. Not when you are not yourself.”

“They didn’t drug me this time,” I protest, but he shakes his head again. Anger explodes through me, anger and hurt that he would turn me away when I need him. “Well, fuck you, too! I don’t want you to touch me, either.”

And I keep telling myself that.

* * *

We’re rescued all right. Summer’s ridden in and saved the day like a tiny, breathless, Asian badass, guns blazing. She and Warrek had this crazy plan to draw out our captors one by one, and between them and Mardok sabotaging the old ship from within, we were able to get free. Everyone’s looking at Summer as if she’s amazing, and they’re giving me suspicious looks.

I guess I deserve those. After all, I blabbed about families and babies to the aliens, and I nailed Taushen. Taushen, who’s ignoring me now that the others are around and acting as if we’re back to our normal cold dislike of each other. Fine then. Feeling’s mutual.

Except when it’s not, like right now. I’m just stewing in hurt.

Turns out that my grand plan of keeping families together didn’t do any good. I find out later that all of the couples were kept separated…except me and Taushen. Great. So my big plan only got me screwed. Literally.

But at least Summer and Warrek saved us from slavery. Now I just have to repair the relationships here and go on with my life like everything’s okay.

I’ve picked myself up off the floor before. I can do so again.