Chapter 3
“Strip.”
Sasha’s heart gave a vicious thump before settling. The command was uttered in a cold neutral tone from one of the uniformed guards surrounding the prisoners. The lack of emotion concerned her. Emotions could be manipulated, twisted by anger one could provide an opening.
None of that was possible yet. Helmets preserved their identity. She removed her jumper without protest, then her underwear. Some of her co-prisoners whined and sniffled as they slowly undressed.
A group of shivering males came out of a cleansing unit escorted by two heavily armed guards. The matte helmets obscured their identity as well not that it mattered. They paid little heed to any of them, treating everyone like chattel.
Once those in her group were naked, a gray clad guard gestured forward. Sasha and the females hobbling beside her walked toward an open door and the steam whistling out. Their feet slapped against wet tile as they moved forward en mass. The pungent scent of sanitizer filled the air along with the bitter bite of fear.
Sasha understood fear. It helped keep you on edge in bad situations. This was a really bad situation. She glanced around the blue and white space, the open stalls offering no pretense of privacy. She’d been in bad situations a time or two.
As soon as they were all inside the cleansing room, misters in the ceiling flickered to life and doused them in cleanser. Terrorized gazes darted continually to the helmeted guard, who stood at attention by the only exit from the room, with a laser directly aimed their way.
Ignoring him, Sasha used the opportunity to wipe off dried sweat and grime from her fight with Orland and his accomplice. As a shifter, nudity didn’t bother her, but the five other women tried to hide themselves while using the sanitizer. She wanted to be prepared if an opportunity presented itself and that meant maintaining the appearance of going along with whatever this was.
None of them knew what to expect since disembarking from the ship which had brought them here. Wherever here was.
Within minutes, hot water from above doused them. Shrieks from the others pierced her ears. Sasha hissed, slicking back her hair and controlling the urge to launch for the doorway just to get away from the screaming women. Unfortunately, her dash would look like an ill-advised escape attempt. She rinsed off as fast as possible and waited when she finished, her gaze staying on the unmoving guard.
Once done, they were all herded in a single line back to a grouping of cages strategically placed in a perfect square. The position enabled them to face one another at any given time. Some of the males decided to make a run for it and were promptly hit with shock sticks. The blonde female standing next to Sasha whimpered.
Two more gray clad guards entered and pushed and tugged the unconscious men until they ended up in the individual cages anyway. Sasha held still, watching it all. A brave green skinned female lashed out with her tail and ran, her aim the closed door they’d come through.
The guards didn’t even step aside. They waited and as soon as she was in range they stunned her. Others gasped and in the same void voice, one of the guards spoke. “It is futile to attempt to leave. Enter the cage of your designation.”
Sasha inspected the cells closer. It wasn’t hard to make out the single word in digital display. Argoran.
Feraki.
The bars clanked behind her as soon as she was inside. The sound repeated as fifteen others accepted their spots. When the guards exited, sudden silence echoed around.
Sasha paced the small confines. What had Orland gotten her into?
***
3 days later
Time moved at a different speed here and with no way of tracking, Sasha had no idea how long she’d been held. All she’d managed to gather so far was that she was in a research facility of some sort and even that was questionable.
Workers in white jumpsuits came in to observe. Sometimes one of her fellow prisoners were dragged out from the cell. If they fought, they were stunned and carried away. All came back slumped over a guard’s shoulder and thrown to the floor unconscious.
At other times, Sasha watched prisoners escorted out only to return in worse condition. A Chamele with large sections of his skin peeled from his chest quivered in a corner, a Serpine with exposed genitals where the protective groin slit had been torn and countless other atrocities. More and more their numbers dwindled. Another check around and Sasha realized only five remained of the original fifteen. Four women, one man and herself.
No one touched Sasha. Yet. If a gaze turned in her direction, her lips curled in a tight snarl and she flashed her claws to show she wouldn’t be easy prey. It worked for now, but Sasha knew her time approached. She just wished she knew what went on beyond these walls. Asking questions didn’t help.
The one time a prisoner attempted a conversation with her, one of the guards rushed in and hit him with a shock stick. The alien had fallen to the floor convulsing and crying out.
No one talked after that.
Last night, at least she assumed it was night, one of the women in the cage next to her left with a guard, but didn’t come back. That hadn’t happened in a while. Usually they returned. Broken and battered, but they returned.
Worry set in at this change in pattern. Sasha ramped up her pace until she almost jogged in her tiny space, feeling the burn of unused muscles flexing. A thin line of sweat ran down the side of her face and air puffed from her lips. Slowing down to a walk, she shook her arms out at her sides. No need exhausting herself.
The door to their area slammed open, causing the others to cringe. Sasha gripped the solid bars of her cage to get a better view. Two uniformed guards struggled on the way in due to the weight of the tall man they dragged between them. Each held an arm propped over their shoulders and the blond male’s legs slid across the floor behind them. With his head slumped down, she couldn’t see his face, but the rest of the view offered a prime slice of his nude body.
As they drew closer and headed for the newly emptied cage beside hers, the familiar scent of the cleanser wafted from him. One guard tapped out the code on the gate then the scanner. The bars swung open as they tossed him in without a care. She winced as his head thumped twice on the floor.
For the first time since her imprisonment, one of them spoke directly to her. “We brought you a new neighbor.”
Flashing her sharp teeth and claws sent him scurrying backward much to his partner’s vocal amusement. From the center of her cage, Sasha gave him a deadly glare and throttled back her growl. Standing up to them could very well be the only reason no one risked letting her out of her cage. As far as she was concerned, this was the safest place to be because someone on the other side of these doors conducted very ugly experiments and she didn’t want to be a part of it.
After grumbling about her lack of a verbal response, the two guards shuffled away and the lock engaged, leaving the quiet wisp of bare feet in cages. With their departure, her nerves settled a bit. Sasha turned and went straight to the left side where she could see the new guest to join them in this house of horror.
Long legs stretched out with one knee bent presenting her a more than appreciative eyeful of his groin area. As much as she wanted to, Sasha didn’t let her gaze linger. His feet were large, the toes short and stubby. Sasha smiled not really knowing why that amused her. She raised her gaze to start over from the top and wished the golden waves of his hair didn’t hide his face. All she could glimpse was a sharp jaw line.
Thick arms nicely muscled spread away from his torso, his fingers wide and palms flat down on the floor. Broad shoulders led down the curved line of his sleek back and ended at round butt cheeks. Really nice butt cheeks.
Flushing, Sasha pretty much cast him as humanoid, though she couldn’t discern what race. Based on the others remaining, she shared her current fate with two women and a man. The missing prisoner recently from this cage had been something otherworldly.
Curiosity nudged at her senses. Her eyes stayed on the downed male. Unexplained need compelled her to see if his face matched his body. Sasha wanted to hear what such a perfect male specimen sounded like. Of course, it depended on if his implant contained a universal translator. Still, no one would wish to remain unaware in these surroundings. “Wake up!”
Gasps and sharp inhalations revealed the reaction of her fellow inmates. Terrorized described their behavior perfectly, but Sasha ignored them. She grasped the bars between her hands, face pressed to the cold metal. “Wake up! Wake up! Get the fuck up!”
He startled, that incredible body twitching. The fine lines of his back grew rigid. Sasha’s pulse accelerated. “Don’t let them win, handsome. Wake up now!”
He rolled over onto his back in a sprawl and groaned. Sasha almost moaned aloud as his new position placed him on full display. Stars above the man had been gifted and needed no reason to be modest. Blond strands fell away from his smooth brow in disarray, full lips parted as he uttered another deep throated groan. Sasha could see why. He’d been worked over good, dark bruises marring one side of his ripped torso.
Stifling her ill-placed attraction, she waited. She couldn’t afford the distraction of a pretty face, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t enjoy the pleasure of looking. After another harsh exhale, he flipped to his side and pressed his hands to the floor. Corded muscles flexed with the motion as he heaved up into a crouch then rose to his feet. He shoved his hands through his hair, pushing it out of the way as he gripped the back of his neck tight enough his knuckles shown white.
Dark blond lashes flickered and his lids lifted, gaze going unerringly toward Sasha. “Where am I? Who are you?”
It wasn’t intentional or planned, but she dropped her eyes and witnessed the hardening of his cock. Powerful thighs shifted as he lowered his hands and stumbled toward her, hitting the bars of the cage.
“Are you alright?” she asked, stretching her arm out to catch him. The cages butted close enough her hand made contact with his warm shoulders. His skin twitched beneath her fingers.
He shook his head. “Drugged. I think.”
Must be wearing off because already she could sense the change in him as he stood taller, slipping away from her touch, blue eyes growing steadier. He didn’t seem to notice his burgeoning erection or perhaps he didn’t care.
“Where am I?”
Sasha stepped back from the bars and shrugged, though he missed the gesture as he stared around them. “Your guess is as good as.”
His gaze stalled on the bowl-shaped seat in the corner. Yeah, not much thought to figure out the purpose for such a device.
“Don’t talk,” the male whispered to them, gaze shifting toward the door and back.
Shuffling around, the women in the other cells nodded in agreement. The new prisoner huffed and walked the perimeter of his cage, at one point squatting near a corner and studying where the bar and floor met. Checking for weaknesses. Sasha decided she liked his thought process.
“Tetrian steel. Floor and bars. Guards come in twice daily, rotation for food. Once in the morning and once in the evening. Standard fare. Prisoners are taken out with no definable routine.” She rattled off the information she’d managed to gather up to this point.
New guy, as she dubbed him, spun around on his heel still in a crouch. One blond brow winged up and appreciation glinted in his blue eyes. Why that made her stand up straighter with pride she couldn’t fathom.
“Any idea who or why?”
“Not yet.” A woman to her left whimpered at their rebellious conversation, but Sasha never took her gaze off of new guy. “I know I was set up by a former peer and awoke in a cage with electro-bars.” He winced. One wrong touch of electro-bars and you were done. “I know. Then I was transported via cargo ship if that helps any. After the public washing down, they put me in this cage here with the others.”
He absorbed everything she said with narrow eyed focus. Danger and strength swirled around him. Two of her few downfalls. Her lower region tingled and her traitorous nipples budded from the potent combination.
“Have they expressed an interest in questioning you? What do they do when they take you out?”
His quiet intensity gave Sasha pause. Though she appreciated how specific his questions were, it made her wonder exactly who he was. No one else bothered trying to figure anything out. At last she had someone with the same mind set. “I’m not sure. I’ve yet to be taken out.”
Head tilted in silent inquiry, he studied her face. “Why?”
She flicked a hand in his direction and her claws popped out. “I think this is a deterrent.”
“Argoran.” He made the claim more statement than question.
“Problem with it?” She folded her arms over her breasts to hide her nipples perking up. Sasha always believed in giving credit where credit was due. Never did his gaze dip below her collarbone and considering she was as naked as the other women in the room that meant something.
“Enotian. And no.” He stood to his full height, unabashed in his own glorious nude state.
Sasha licked her lips, not bothering to afford him the same courtesy as she looked her fill. His body warranted a stare or two and she wasn’t going to pretend otherwise. At least she now knew the reason for the blond hair and blue eyes. All Enotians bore similar coloring.
“Can any of you give details on what happens when they take you out?” The Enotian raised his voice to speak to the others.
Expecting silence, it surprised Sasha when the blue male answered. “Test. Lots of tests. Blood work, probes, surgical procedures.”
He paled on the last, going a light shade of blue. Then as if remembering the no talking rule, he hurried toward the other side of his cage and gave them his back. Not as well formed as her Enotian and he’d also lost weight in the time they’d been here, making him scrawny in comparison.
Her Enotian?
Sasha froze and her pulse kicked up a notch. He wasn’t her anything.
“Do you have a name?”
Her head snapped back around, coming face to face with her neighboring cell mate and his dwindling erection. Perhaps it was a side effect of the drugs they’d used on him. Or maybe the reality of their situation began to sink in.
Usually she avoided giving her identity. In this instance, it probably didn’t matter. There was no way he could discover more than she wanted about her background. A well-paid tech made sure of that long ago. Plus, Sasha certainly didn’t plan to reveal her occupation. Some were leery of Bounty Retrievers. “Sasha F’lan.”
She waited for him to reciprocate but he prowled his cage again, this time tension radiating from him. He stretched and she once more enjoyed the play of muscles. Heavy thoughts pulled his brows low and occasionally he grunted to himself. Stubborn will dictated she not ask for his name. Sometimes the curious nature of being Argoran sucked.
Maybe she was horny. Sasha tried to remember her last lover. Well, after Orland who’d been selfish and left her unsatisfied. Thoughts strained and she couldn’t pull up a face. Not a good sign, since it usually meant the experience wasn’t memorable. Argorans loved physical contact through sex and though Sasha occasionally suppressed her need for affection and touch, she hadn’t quite beat back her body’s urge for release.
Calming her over active sex drive, she held her tongue for as long as she could. After new guy paced in full twice, she leaned a shoulder against the bars at the front of her cage and crossed her ankles. His silence grated. “Do I get a name?”
He barely reacted to her tone. “Jaron.”
“First name only, huh?”
He came to a stop in the center of his allotted space. The corner of his mouth kicked up in a grin of pure wicked humor, which tickled her cat. “It’s best.”
“Too bad. I only sleep with men who give me their full name.” She dropped the little bomb and waited.
Slowly and in a very deliberate fashion, Jaron lowered his gaze and worked his way back up one inch at a time. Tingles licked along her insides and her breasts swelled. He paused, lips parting then continued up to her face.
When they finally stared at one another again, blue flames lit his eyes and a flush highlighted his cheeks. “Now you have me wishing we met under better circumstances.”
Heat. A burst of it exploded from her center and spiraled its way through her body. All Argorans accepted their sexuality at an early age. No shame existed for those who freely gave of themselves. In this moment, Sasha hated Orland all the more. Not because of her situation which appeared extremely bad, but because she couldn’t take this Enotian up on the promise in those blue depths. She’d bet her current account balance he would not be a disappointment.
“Same.”
***
Jaron cursed under his breath several times to no avail. Awakening in a solitary cage with four others…bad. Not wearing his uniform even worse. Because the tracking device implanted in the collar wouldn’t be able to direct his Unit to find him.
What should have been a simple mission had escalated to one of epic proportions and Jaron had no one to blame but himself. He’d deal with the fall out later. First, he needed to get an idea of what he dealt with.
To his left, a man with blue skin and pointed ears occupied the cage. From their brief exchange, Jaron knew he’d be no help. On the right, three females sat in their respective cages lining the room next to one another. His gaze froze on a sight he hadn’t expected and his heart ramped up its pace. A human from Earth.
Jaron noted everything about her. Pretty, blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Young and beyond afraid. How did she end up here? What if the females back on Enotia knew her? Torkel’s Chosen, Faye, would not be pleased at this development. More and more females from her own world were ending in bad situations due to a program her people started in order to deal with their lack of available men. This wasn’t what should happen.
A low growl rasped. Jaron jerked his gaze to the cage right next to his and its occupant. He forced himself to release the breath he’d subconsciously held at seeing the human and focused on the female who’d addressed him. Her stare had burned into his back during his initial inspection of his surroundings.
Facing her now, his gut clenched. Green eyes sparkled with a mixture of curiosity and frustration. No doubt the latter related to their situation. Midnight curls swept across her arched brows and tumbled about her head, the short length flying every which way like an unruly toddler’s. Pert nose, full lips and bright green eyes complimented her oval face. Her voice lilted on the end of each accented word spoken. Stunning. But no more so then the body attached to such a pretty package. A body he took time to visually enjoy since they were all naked.
Apparently, their captors expected them to be more manageable without clothes. It didn’t bother him. As a Jutak warrior part of his intense training covered every type of hostage situation. His instructors put the elite soldiers through a multitude of challenges and Jaron blew through each scenario. While not graduating at the top of his class, an honor belonging solely to Rydak, Jaron’s record showed he more than qualified for the program.
His cell mate’s nudity however disturbed him on all levels. Faye had introduced Jaron to a delicacy which she said reminded her of an old-fashioned Earth treat.
Caramel.
Jaron loved it more than he loved his childhood favorite snack though, he’d never admit it to Faye.
Sasha had skin like the smoothest caramel over the lean lines of a well-maintained body. She folded her arms over her chest as she leaned against the bars of her cell. Her biceps bunched into hard bumps even when her arms relaxed.
Catching his gaze, she dropped them as if unconcerned by him seeing her naked breasts. He tried not to stare at the perfect globes topped with slightly darker nipples in a shade of deep brown. Compact abs covered a slim torso and a thin line of black hair barely hid the folds at the apex of her thighs. Curvy, long legs hinted at strength and grace.
Together the total package comprised a woman he’d love to spend one night with tangled in sheets. Jaron thought he’d grown immune to such instant attraction and yet here he stood, struck silent as she pulled the unbidden reaction from him. Then she dropped her little shocker on him.
“Too bad. I only sleep with men who give me their full name.”
Not one to miss a beat, his response fired from his lips without thought. “Now you have me wishing we met under better circumstances.”
The green gaze sharpened, her cocky smile showing a hint of fang. “Same.”
Flirtation aside, Jaron studied her while making another round of his cell. She didn’t bother with pretense, her eyes tracking his every move. The length of the cage separated them, but Jaron knew she never lost sight of his actions. Watchful. He noted a few other things as well in the mental file he began to compile on her.
Sasha. The name flowed through his mind with the same rich texture. Chills peppered his back. “Anything else you can share with me?”
A determined shake of her head and a mulish twist to her lips. Done with the conversation, she turned her back on him and sank into a cross-legged seat. From this angle with her head bent, the slim column of her bared nape teased. Tiny bumps marked the curvature of her spine, ending at the base of her back and the top of her firm and tight heart shaped ass.
Jaron swallowed and pressed a palm to his rising cock. Biting his tongue kept his moan from breaking free. Barely. If Jaron shifted a little from where he stood, he’d catch another glimpse of her full breasts. He remained rooted in his spot and tipped his head back toward the ceiling as he drew in several gulping breaths.
Only when he thought himself in control again did Jaron relax. He glanced around to observe the others. None of them raised a concern on his radar. The women hid their bodies by partially sitting to the side. The male, lay on his side, arms folded under his head, eyes closed as if asleep. No obvious signs of injury, leaving him to wonder what sort of facility he was in.
Steel walls, solid floors, and individual cages implied one of two things. Lab or slave trade. It all depending on who had him, The Collector or Lothar.
Neither alternative filled Jaron with a sense of comfort.