The next morning after arriving in Cardalph, I awoke to find Togtulir moving about in the room, shuffling back and forth from the closet to the bathroom with a purpose. “Good morning, Sunshine. What’s with all the rustling about?” I smiled and propped myself up on my elbows, covering my naked breasts with the sheets. We had enjoyed our own rustling about last night in his massive bed fit for a king and queen. His sheets were satin and so soft it was almost instantaneous that I fell asleep after our lovemaking session.

My brain shifted gears and flashed back to last night and his rock-hard cock entering me as I gripped the silky sheets and nearly melted into them. I arched my back when his penetration surged me over the edge. I had moaned out wildly and dug my nails into his back, wrapping my legs around his waist as we came together. Sex with him was incredible and I was becoming addicted.

This morning, he seemed to have shifted gears. He seemed distracted and brushed off my question with a mumble of something I couldn’t detect. “What’s going on?” I sat up more on the bed waiting for him to stop pacing.

He flashed his eyes at me but kept on moving. “Togtulir, what in the world is going on? Why are you so frantic?”

He came and sat down on the edge of the bed with me, taking my hands in his. “I’m sorry to disappoint you so early on in our relationship, but I have a destiny to fulfill as I’ve explained to you.”

“Yeah, okay. Well what does that mean exactly and how does that tie into what you are doing right now?” I asked in confusion.

“You know how I have to prove to my planet that I’m worthy enough to fill my father’s footsteps and take over the ruling and protection of my people? Well, my first challenge is about to happen and I can’t screw this up.” He stood back up and moved over to the window, looking out the window nervously.

“What do you have to do?” I got up and slipped my nighty back on over my head.

“I have to leave Cardalph and go to Batorlurn. It’s a planet not far from here. The other species I told you about, the Daklins are there. Remember hearing about them? They are our enemies. Think of them as space bullies. They want to rule the entire galaxy and it’s my job to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“So, what do they want to do on Batorlurn?” I was still confused and needed a little clarification from him. I found it odd and a little suspicious that as soon as I came back to his planet, suddenly he had to run off and leave me here where I knew no one and had no idea where I was or what to do here.

“They want to invade Batorlurn. I have to stop that from happening.” He looked at me with stony eyes that made me recoil slightly.

“Okay,” I whispered and trailed off, not really sure what else to say. It’s not like I had a choice as to whether he stayed or left. I wasn’t even sure I had that same option if it came to wanting to go back home to Earth.

He softened and came back over to hold onto me. His grip was so tight I thought he might never let me go. He kissed the top of my head and told me he would be back as soon as he could. “I have to go now.”

Before I could respond he raced out of the room and down the stairs. It was so quiet in the house that I could hear him slam the door behind him. I had no choice but to sit here and wait for his return, not knowing whether that was ever going to happen.

* * *

Later that afternoon I was eating lunch alone that was prepared by one of his servants. I was outside on the palace lawn, overlooking his shimmering swimming pool. If I had any type of bathing suit to wear I might have been tempted to cannonball right into it.

I heard the back doors open and turned my head quickly to see if Togtulir had returned early, hoping for the best. To my chagrin, it was only Drozalia, and the vibe in the air quickly depleted around me. There was something about her that made me wary.

Today she was smiling, dressed in a long red dress that accented her large breasts. I couldn’t help but stare at them because she was flaunting them. “Hello, Cindy,” she drawled and came to sit next to me in a pool chair.

“Hello,” I said shyly, putting down the sandwich I was eating. Suddenly, I had lost my appetite.

“Togtulir has asked me to show you around Cardalph while he’s gone, to help you properly get acquainted with your new surroundings.” She pursued her lips together as if it was the last thing she wanted to do with her day.

“Okay, that sounds fun,” I admitted because I was curious about the city.

Drozalia stood up and beckoned me to follow her. We got into a very modern looking car that had windows covering nearly the entire vessel except for the frame where the wheels fit on. “Wow, this car is pretty cool.”

She smiled at me and told me that Cardalph was a little ahead when it came to technological advances. I had been afraid to touch all the gadgets in Togtulir’s palace in case I broke something.

“So, how do you know Togtulir?” I asked after we had set off down the road with a driver.

“Togtulir and I go way back, to when we were kids.” Drozalia stared out the window nostalgically. “I know him better than anyone. He trusts me with everything. We are extremely close.” She turned around to look at me, but I broke eye contact with her, feeling uncomfortable.

We arrived at a building that appeared shabby and rundown, almost like a prison. “Where are we?” I asked as we got out of the car.

“Follow me.” Drozalia had a devilish grin on her face and I wasn’t sure what to make of it.

We entered the building and it smelled musty and was very dark. I started to feel anxious; uncertain about why she would bring me to a place like this. I had been hoping we were going shopping or to explore the center of town.

“What is this place?” I whispered and looked over my shoulder suspiciously.

“We are at the cages.” She walked in front of me and then before I could ask what that meant, I saw it.

There were dozens of cages with actual people in them. They were different looking than Drozalia and Togtulir. Their skin tone was green and they were hairless. They looked more like aliens than Drozalia and Togtulir did. I walked directly in the center of the hallway because I was afraid what would happen if I got too close.

But upon further inspection, they appeared more frightened of us than we were of them. They cowered at the sight of Drozalia and ran to the corners of their cells, covering their bodies protectively. They were caked with dirt, and chains were attached to their wrists.

I looked over at Drozalia and she had a smug look of satisfaction spread across her face. I followed her through another hallway that led to a set of double doors, and then we were back outside. There was a low fog that had set in near the ground and the sky was gray and cloudy. I shivered not only from the temperature but from the way I felt inside too.

“Who were they? Why were they green?”

Drozalia smiled and walked slowly around the edge of the building, tossing her long braid around between her fingers. “Those are the Daklin prisoners. They are there to be tortured.

“Tortured? But why? They seemed harmless to me if anything they acted as if they feared us not the other way around.”

“Togtulir likes to keep people in check. He wants everyone to know he is the supreme ruler. He doesn’t want anyone to forget his reign of power.” She glared at me as if to warn me.

My head was spinning and I wasn’t sure what to think of what she’d just told me. If Togtulir had really put these people here to torture them just for fun, then he was dangerous and I needed to escape this planet as soon as I could. It didn’t seem to fit the personality I had witnessed from him, but then again, I didn’t know him very well yet.

“Maybe it was a mistake in coming here. I’m not sure what I’ve gotten myself into.” I looked at the ground, feeling defeated and used.

Drozalia came over to me and placed her hand on my shoulder, her demeanor changing completely. She was now a woman wanting to help another woman out in a sticky situation. It was human nature for women to empower each other to a certain extent and throw a lifeline to a sister in need. If she was acting I was none the wiser.

Normally I was good at getting a feel for new people and for reading their emotions and vibes. I was completely blocked when it came to Drozalia. I couldn’t figure her out, and that made me feel very unsettled.

“I can help you leave, darling. But you must promise to never tell Togtulir. If he finds out I helped you, he will kill us both. Don’t think you can hide from him because it’s not possible.” She was so close to my face I could smell her breath. Her eyes were sparkling as if she were plotting something risky and loved the adrenaline rush of not getting caught.

I had adrenaline pumping through my veins too, but for a different reason. I was almost frozen with fear. “Why would he kill us? Is he really that dangerous?” I felt terrified, and it felt like my windpipe was becoming narrower by the second. I struggled for air because I felt like I had just wasted all this time to come here to a different planet. I was feeling hopeless. I couldn’t even find true love on a different planet. How did I ever expect to find a man to love me on Earth if I’d traveled what I assumed were millions of miles and had struck out when it came to men in the middle of the galaxy as well?

My self-confidence was already bruised and battered from the years of emotional abuse I had endured from my parents and from Todd. I was getting beat into the ground now with the realization that even the guys in outer space were no different from guys on Earth.

I felt hurt because Togtulir had been so kind and welcoming to me, going out of his way to make sure I felt comfortable with him and my surroundings. The intimate moments we had spent on the beach together were precious in my mind. I had trouble swallowing the fact that he could be such a soulless monster.

“Okay, how can I leave without him knowing?” I stepped back to bring some space between us.

“There is a way off the planet, but it will involve sedation, just like it did when you arrived. We will place you in a space aircraft that will lift you off Cardalph headed back toward Earth. It’s simple really. But we must do it before he returns from his mission.” Drozalia’s eyes were wild but I got the intuitive feeling that I should believe her. If for nothing more than what I had just witnessed; prisoners he kept chained up in dark cells seemingly just for the fun of a power trip he was riding on.

I nodded fervently. I needed to protect myself, and it wouldn’t be worth it to stay in harm’s way just to have a companion and a place to live. I had to believe Drozalia would help me.

“Okay, I’m in. Help me get off this planet.” As I looked back up at Drozalia, she was grinning wickedly.