The orange liquid that came out of it was quite a surprise, but she was feeling so sticky and sweaty, she didn’t doubt getting under the warm stream.
The water felt so good, she allowed herself to stay there more than she usually did, and she looked for some kind of soap and found a bottle with a whitish liquid that resembled a lot like soap. She tried it on, pouring some in her fingers and when it created foam, she decided to use it. A few minutes later, she was out of the shower wearing the clean tunic and feeling a lot better than she did a few hours ago.
She wanted to see Eleanor, she needed to be sure her friend was really here and that she was safe, at least for now. She had no idea what the future held for any of them, but knowing she was safe somehow made things easier.
She paced her room for a while, trying to decide what to do when the swishing sound of the door announced a visit.
“You could knock, don’t you think?” she protested when she saw him coming in.
“Perhaps I could, but I really don’t see why I should,” he replied, in a sassy tone, leaning against the closed door.
She pursed her lips and snorted. “Do you have a name?” she asked, suddenly realizing she had no idea who he was, other than he had bought them all.
“Yes, I have a name,” he nodded but didn’t provide it.
“Is it that ugly you don’t share it with others?” she asked, arching her eyebrows.
He chuckled. “That’s for you to judge, don’t you think? I’m Asgar, Captain of this vessel and head of the War Council, back home,” he explained.
“I see,” she crossed her arms over her chest.
“What about you? What’s your name?”
“I’m Sasha O’Donnell,” she replied, in a cold tone as she approached him a little bit. “When can I see my friend?” she asked.
“She’s still sedated.”
“I just want to see her,” she insisted.
“You don’t trust my word.” It wasn’t a question.
“And that surprises you? Would you, if you were in my place?” she asked him, in a sarcastic tone.
He nodded granting her reason. He stepped away from the door and stretched his hand out to her. “Come, I’ll take you to the infirmary to see her,” he offered.
Sasha looked at his hand and considered to ignore it. She didn’t want to touch him. Not because he disgusted her, quite the opposite. Each time he touched her, strange things happened to her body. She couldn’t remember last time she had felt this attracted to someone and that didn’t please her at all. This wasn’t a moment to think of her primal needs. This was a time to fight for her life and her freedom.
Taking a deep breath, she rested her hand on his, determined to ignore anything she might feel.
But it was easier said than done. The moment her hand touched his, she was able to feel the jolt of energy that rushed through her arm and spread through her whole body.
‘Damn man.’
With a wicked smile, he guided her out of the room, through the dim lit hallways. The place was a real labyrinth, and she was sure she would get lost easily. The hallways all looked alike; there was nothing different to help you figure out where you were.
Asgar finally stopped in front of a door and pushed a button to open it up. She immediately recognized the infirmary, though it looked like something out of a science fiction movie.
“Colborn, do you have news for me?” he asked, greeting a man that was coming out of a room on the other side of the infirmary.
“No, I told you she would sleep the whole night,” the man replied. “I’ll be around, just in case.”
“Allow me to introduce you to Sasha O’Donnell, she’s the other female’s friend,” Asgar said.
“She has a name, you know. It’s Eleanor, and I need to see her, make sure she is alright,” she demanded.
Colborn looked at her with an amused smile, while he examined her. Tall, almost six feet tall, with a powerful body, not muscled, but yes, strong and fit, but still very feminine and voluptuous, clearly defined under the loose tunic she was wearing. Her black, long, straight hair was quite similar to Asgar’s mane, but her amazing blue eyes was definitely the feature that stood out on her face.
Asgar cleared his throat, with a deep frown on his forehead, not happy with the way the other man was looking at her.
Colborn looked at his friend, and his smile became wider. “Of course, allow me to take you to her room.”
He guided her to the room he had left from, and Sasha was able to let out a sigh of relief when she saw her friend lying in bed. She was extremely pale, more than usual, but other than that she looked very well.
“She will be alright,” Colborn assured her.
“Will you tell me when she’s awake?” she asked, caressing her friend’s forehead.
“Of course. But she will sleep the whole night.”
“You also need to get some rest,” Asgar intervened, from the door.
She tilted her head to the side to look at him, clearly not very happy. She let out a deep sigh and walked to where he was.
“I guess I don’t have a choice, do I?” she asked, sarcastically.
“I guess not,” he replied, mimicking her tone, as he took her by the elbow and guided her out the infirmary. “I’ll see you in the morning, Colborn.”
Sasha pulled her arm from his grip, but he didn’t release her. “I won’t run away,” she spurted out, feeling the warmness of his hand spreading through her body.
“I know,” he said, tightening his grip even more.
She snorted, furious.
He took her directly to her room, but instead of leaving her at the door, he insisted on going in with her.
She tensed up when he closed the door behind them, walking away from him as much as she could.
“Are you pleased now?” he asked.
“Yes, thank you. It was very kind of you to take me to see my friend,” she said, through gritted teeth; sure, he was there to collect the favor.
“I didn’t want you to be worried about her the whole night,” he assured her, taking a couple of steps into the middle of the room.
“I’m sure you didn’t,” she nodded, with disbelief written all over her face. “Now, I’ll be able to sleep in peace.”
“Exactly. Will you need anything else?”
“No, I’m fine, thank you,” she assured him.
“Good. We’ll reach Zuvrak in the day after tomorrow,” he informed.
“What’s Zuvrak?” she asked, unable to hold back her curiosity.
“Our home planet. I’m sure you’ll like it there,” he said with a smile.
“You’re assuming way too much. All I want is to go home, back to my own planet,” she grumbled.
“That’s not even possible,” he said in a cold tone. “Have a good night. I’ll let you know when your friend wakes up.” With those words, he turned around and left the room.
Sasha let out a sigh of sheer frustration and walked to the small window. She was expecting to see a starry night, but it was evident they were traveling at unknown speeds for people on Earth because all she could see was flashes of light.
She bumped her head against the cold glass of the window, a few times, trying to make any sense of everything that had happened to her.
Sure, these guys had treated them a lot better than the lizards. They weren’t locked in cells but yes locked on bedrooms. They were still locked, but there was a huge difference. They had provided them with clothes, and they hadn’t been mistreated in any way. But they didn’t have any guarantees that would remain the same, once they arrived at their planet. She was sure they hadn’t bought them to save them from the lizards or from being purchased by the other aliens gathered at the auction. They served a purpose, and she was sure they would soon tell them about it.
She decided to get some rest. She needed all her energies to face whatever was waiting for her the following day.
Asgar leaned on the closed door and took a deep breath, as he rubbed his face. It was becoming harder and harder to control his instincts with her around. He wanted to make her his, as soon as possible. Patience had never been one of his strengths, and he had always struggled with it, especially when he was in the middle of a battle.
He guessed he would have to fight the hardest war ever, against her mistrust and her contempt. He couldn’t imagine her believing they meant no harm to her or her friends. Sasha was distrustful and quarrelsome. Something told him she wouldn’t buy the soulmates explanation, even when it was the purest truth.
He understood her feelings, he would be feeling the same, if he was in her place, but in the face of all the problems they were facing back on his planet, he had to disregard them and hope for the best. They didn’t have any other choice.
He walked back to his own quarters and prepared himself to spend another sleepless night. Having her so close wasn’t going to help, that was for sure.
Despite her resolution, Sasha wasn’t able to sleep, too many things running wild through her mind. Not knowing what to expect was worst the part, it unleashed all kinds of dreadful possibilities, and though she tried to control herself, she hadn’t been able to do so.
After a few hours, she gave up and got up, starting to pace the room.
At some point, she was so stressed; she walked to the door and tried to open it up. To her surprise, it was open. With a wicked smile, she took a peek out of the door, and when she didn’t see anyone around, she decided to go for a walk. She was probably getting in trouble, but she didn’t care. Not even a little bit.
With a mischievous smile, she scurried away from her room, determined to explore the vessel as much as she could, before they realized she was out of her room.
The halls were as dull as the rooms, with no adornments and just the basic furniture. But walking through them it was a lot better than being locked between four walls.
His communicator buzzed on top of the small table next to his bed, and Asgar growled before he picked it up. “What’s up, Egil?” he asked.
“You forgot to lock her door. She’s wondering around.” His second in charge scolded him in an amused tone.
Asgar closed his eyes and smiled. Yes, he had forgotten to lock her up. He had his mind focused on other things. “Where is she?”
“On aisle five, about to reach your quarters.” The other man informed, clearly smiling.
Asgar grunted. “I’ll take care of her.”
“I’m sure you will.” This time, Asgar was able to hear him chuckle.
He ended the call and jumped out of bed, determined to intercept her.
Quickly, he put on a loose tunic most people used to sleep and left his room to go after her.
It only took him a couple of seconds to find her. She saw him the minute he spotted her, and she froze, for a second.
“Looking for me?” he asked, in a devious tone.
She scowled, turning around she ran away from him.
Asgar let out a loud laugh, amused. Did she really think she could escape him? There was no place on board his own vessel, where she could hide from him. Not her anyway. Her scent flooded his nostrils, and he knew he would be able to find her wherever she was. But he was faster than her, she didn’t stand a chance.
He rushed after her, with a predator’s smile on his face. A bit of chase would do wonders to his soul.
He captured her just a few yards away, throwing his powerful body on hers, turning at the last moment so that he would be the one hitting the floor and not her.
“Let me go,” she grumbled, struggling in his arms.
“Why should I? I captured you, so you’re mine,” he whispered in her ear, loving to feel her body against his.
She gasped loudly. “No, I’m not. Let go,” she struggled some more, her body wagging over his.
He chuckled, tightening his grip on her, feeling the way his body responded to her proximity.
She felt it too.