N'ashtar The Alien Prince Page 4

  “Come.” This was one of the bigger Caterri, one who grabbed at my hair and gestured for me to follow. I ignored the flash of pain, refusing to show it, and followed him towards the fire. Then he shoved me to sit, which I did. I just made the movement slower than he would have liked, showing it was my choice and not his even though it wasn’t.

  “What’s up, boys?” I asked blithely.

  “She is soft,” Caterri A said, almost stroking my hair. The gesture gave me the creeps, but I kept still. “So soft.”

  “Yet I can still hit you with something hard,” I retorted. It was easy to cast my gaze around the camp, looking for anything I could use for a weapon.

  It was just as easy to ignore the snort-laugh-buzz that seemed to serve the Caterri when they were amused.

  “Her enlarged mammary glands are appealing,” Caterri B said, moving forward and reaching out a hand as if to touch them.

  “Uh, no thank you.” I shielded myself from him as best I could with handcuffs, which only seemed to make them angry.

  “Where do you come from?” A asked angrily, his black eyes seeming to glint as he squatted in front of me. I couldn’t help but wonder how his pants stayed together like that. Even in a woman, that kind of crouch could rip jeans, and there he was doing it in leather.

  Maybe it was crushing his man bits. A girl could hope.

  “That direction,” I answered, pointing back in the direction we’d came. “Same as you.”

  B rolled his eyes in a distinctly human gesture, something that surprised me. Was eye rolling universal, or was it something his people had picked up from someone? Were there other humans on the planet? Had we ended up there intentionally? I couldn’t help but think about the mystery of the Twelve, how all the men had ended up dead and the women had survived. Was that on purpose? Was someone supposed to have survived to deliver us to the Caterri, but died instead?

  “What is your purpose on this planet?” Caterri C asked. And so it went. For every question, I quipped an answer in return. It often got me disgust, a leer, or a blatant grope, but I ignored it and kept placid as ever.

  “It is clear she will not give us the information,” A said bitterly. I half-expected to see ant antennae sprout from his forehead and twitch in my direction.

  Damn right I wouldn’t tell them anything. I was loyal to my people, and maybe a tiny bit towards the obnoxious, self-centered N’Akron leader who had answered many of my questions over the time we had met.

  “If she is not good for information, she must be good for something else,” B hissed, sounding oddly like the N’Akron in a way that made me uncomfortable. He stepped forward and then blatantly groped between my legs, making me kick out. He was able to stop my kick with a single hand, telling me the Caterri were much stronger than they appeared, but he looked at his other hand with distaste.

  “What is it?” A asked impatiently, already moving to hold me down. C was stroking an erect dick through his pants, clearly excited by whatever was going to happen.

  Great. I was going to get raped. By all of them. Definitely something on my ‘did not want to happen’ list, but it didn’t seem like there was much I could do about it.

  “She is wet.” B showed the pale skin of his hand, covered in blood, to the other Caterri. I’d never been more grateful for the start of my period in my life.

  “It’s because I have a sickness,” I said seriously. “A disease that will cause me to slowly hemorrhage and is highly contagious sexually.” I saw B shift and look uneasily at his hand like it was about to contaminate him, and A had left go of me and was backing up with C. “So by all means, put your dick in me. All of you should. I’m more than happy to share what I’ve got with you.”

  I got a flash of delight as they ran to the edges of camp, sorting through something and pouring out a liquid on B’s hand that made him hiss. Probably some sort of bleach then, I thought with amusement. Not something that was helpful to bare skin, but I didn’t want helpful, not at the moment.

  Turning my attention to my surroundings, I wasn’t surprised to see some of the Caterri asleep and a couple actively standing watch. Yet there wasn’t anyone in my vicinity, not when the bigger Caterri (no way in hell would I call them knights) had been all over me seconds before. I wanted to try to escape, to run away, but a quick pull at my handcuffs told me it wasn’t a good idea. Even if I could escape, where would I go? How would I get them off? The technology seemed above whatever the N’Akron had, so it was likely they wouldn’t be able to get them off me. If I didn’t run into any of them, there was no way in hell I could survive on my own with handcuffs.

  In a way, I was stuck. I hated being stuck.

  A returned dressed in what had to be the Caterri equivalent of a biohazard suit. He grabbed me roughly and dragged me back towards the cart, undoing my handcuffs just to cuff me to the edge of it. “You are to stay here,” A told me sharply.

  I raised my hands and jangled the cuffs at him. “Not going anywhere.”

  A scowled at me some more as if that was his only facial expression, and I watched him storm off back to the others. They were obviously discussing me and my dangerous disease, at least that was what it seemed like from the looks they kept shooting in my direction. I would have laughed if the situation wasn’t both ludicrous and tenable.

  “Should we kill her?” B asked quietly, his voice just low enough to carry.

  Ah, fuck. I hadn’t considered that being an option. I’d just wanted to not have any of their hands or cocks in my pants.

  “What if she infects us all?” C asked. Both were clearly talking to A, who seemed to be the leader. “Should we risk contaminating the unit? Or do we take her to a healer?”

  “We will take her to the unit healer,” A decided. “If we brought her to our leader, he would take her for himself, and I am tired of giving all of the spoils and receiving nothing in return.”

  “So she’ll be ours?” There was a slavish tint to B’s words that I really didn’t like.

  “If the healer can save her, yes,” A said. “Otherwise, we’ll kill her and dispose of her body like we never caught her. That way Kohta will never find out.”

  I leaned against the cart, trying not to stare too obviously up at the sky in my desperation to figure out what to do. Great. So while I hadn’t been raped, I had now convinced them that I had a fatal illness and they were going to take me to their healer so they could attempt to fix me so they could keep me as their sex slave.

  I wasn’t sure if that was better or worse, really.

  The cold was starting to get unbearable, so I curled up into a ball the best I could. It wasn’t a very useful one, given the whole handcuffs thing, but I did my best. I was still shivering, but at least it was a little less and the Caterri seemed to have gotten onto a different topic. At least they weren’t giving me the same leers they had, which was a change I could get on board with.

  Instead of moping, I turned to look at the cart I was attached to. Cart was not really the right word. Hovercraft was closer, and even then, not entirely right. It was shaped like a wagon but with nothing touching the ground, instead hovering maybe a foot off the ground. It was clearly sleek metal, although the design itself seemed to be clumsily put together, like it was someone who had been gifted the original and told to replicate it without having any idea of what they were doing.

  The Caterri were far different than I had expected from what I’d seen so far. No, not in them being lewd assholes, but in the technology they used. The Caterri we had faced at O’Rrin’s side were equipped with swords, not magic guns, and they’d never had something like the cart with them. Was it technology not granted to patrols, or was it something else? Had the group we’d come across tormenting the Setti been a rebel rank of soldiers?

  So many questions, so few answers.

  Then there was how they could understand me. Was it my translator, or was it theirs? Was their language recognizable that my translator could handle it, or was I relying on the one
I used with the N’Akron?

  Of course, that made me think of N’Ashtar. I thought of his tall, strong build, his gold eyes, his dark scales. The way his eyes could flash a darker gold in amusement, even when he attempted to look stern. The way the brow ridges tried to make him look intimidating but failed when he laughed. I turned to look in the direction I thought we’d come from, even though I was a bit turned around. I was tired, freezing, and had almost been assaulted, so wishing N’Ashtar would come rescue me was probably ridiculous. Wishing he was at my side was even worse. But I did.

  “Here.” Squire’s voice caught me off guard and I bit back a squeak as I jumped.

  I turned to look at the smaller Caterri just as a bedroll thumped to the ground, a surprisingly warm-looking blanket on top of it. “I also brought some food, although it is just our travel rations.” Squire actually looked discomfited at the thought. “We do not have much to spare, and I could not risk taking extra and having them find out.”

  “You’re giving me your dinner?” I pieced together the dots.

  He shrugged. “You need it more than I do.” He shifted uncomfortably, glancing at the handcuffs before rolling out the bedroll next to me. “I am not allowed to remove the handcuffs, so I am afraid I must feed you.”

  “Not that things can get more embarrassing,” I muttered. I thought of my period, how I was probably bleeding through everything but not really giving a damn because none of it was mine. If they had to wash themselves in hand sanitizer when they were done, it was their problem.

  “I am sorry for their behavior.” Squire spoke softly, breaking off a corner of what looked almost like an oatmeal bar before offering it to me. “I am sorry I could not stop them.”

  “Why do you tolerate that sort of stuff?” I asked between bites. I was hungrier than I’d expected, although that wasn’t surprising given how little they had fed me. He was polite about it too, trying to make as little physical as contact as possible. I was surprised how soft his skin was against mine. They really were human-like on their upper torsos.

  When Squire’s eyes met mine, there was a bleakness to them I had seen before. “Sometimes you do not have a choice,” he answered.

  My heart ached for him. That was how it always was, wasn’t it? The people in power did whatever they wanted, and those without suffered. “The human world gets like that too,” I said softly. I didn’t think that entirely absolved him, because he was still an enabler of killers, but if they threatened the smaller Caterri anything like they threatened me, I knew from experience those types of threats worked.

  “Tell me more about your people?” I asked, trying not to whimper in gratefulness when he pulled out a water skin and carefully poured some in my mouth.

  “I am afraid I do not know much,” Squire admitted. “We do not talk of our origin. If you ask most of my people, it has been this way for many generations.” He shrugged. “It is our responsibility to guide the lesser cultures so they can achieve our greatness.”

  The respect I’d been developing for him took a quick turn to the left and I winced visibly, even though I drank the water he was offering. For all Squire was seeming to be a good guy, that was the type of BS I didn’t want to deal with. I opened my mouth to educate him but he quickly stopped me by raising a hand, his whole body alert. He was listening to something I couldn’t hear, alarm clear on his face.

  Then he rose to his feet in a fluid motion, leaving the food and water skin. “I am coming,” he called, turning away from me and walking back towards the fire without a glance back.

  Clearly he’d been called for duty. I frowned at his back, watching as he got close enough that one of the bigger Caterri (looked like B from my distance, but I couldn’t tell) could smack him over the head in what was clearly an insult.

  Assholes.

  I watched them for a while longer, trying to learn everything I could about my enemies. I didn’t think Squire was one, not really, but he was part of their troop. There was no guarantee he wouldn’t take whatever I told him straight to his leader for a promotion or commendation or whatever his people did. I couldn’t trust him. I couldn’t trust anyone.

  Letting out a deep sigh, I crawled into the bedroll as best I could. It was awkward, having my hands out, and when I relaxed into the bonds, they cut into my wrists, but it was as good as I was going to get and I’d take advantage of it. Then I looked up at the sky, at the stars flickering ahead.

  Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight. Please let N’Ashtar find me and take me home. I closed my eyes, an unfamiliar ache in my heart. I’d done what I could. All I could do was wait for tomorrow.

  5

  N’Ashtar

  I crouched in the thick patches of grass, staring intently at the Caterri as they seemed to settle into whatever is their night’s routine. It was difficult to assess the camp, being that far away, but getting any closer, I risked being caught. There were more of them than I expected, too. From what the dying Caterri had said, from what I had seen, I expected six at the most, but there seemed to be twice that.

  There also seemed to not be many swords. Most of the Caterri were not armed, although maybe that was because they didn’t want to wear weapons the prisoner could reach. I tried not to feel smug at the thought. If anyone could steal a weapon and escape, it would be Dana. However, I hadn’t been able to see her. Unease gripped my heart tightly. Was I following the wrong group? Had they somehow smuggled her off somewhere?

  I watched one Caterri talk to another, handing him one of their long-distance weapons before the more obedient Caterri went to perch near the fire, apparently on watch. A sort of pointless watch, given he was in the middle of camp. These obviously were not top-notch soldier Caterri, not like the group that had come after us. Was that on purpose? I felt a wave of frustration. I did not enjoy having more questions than answers, and right now, I had a lot of questions.

  Sneaking closer to another patch of grass, I stared at the strange plastic tents. They seemed stiff and inflexible, not like the reasonable ones we used made of leather and bone. The fire seemed normal enough, except it burned higher than any sane N’Akron would, and I wasn’t quite sure what to make of that. Was it something weird like the plastic tents, or were they just inept?

  A familiar shout made my heart skip. I’d had it directed at me more than enough over the past menlin. I watched Dana being dragged kicking and shouting to the outskirts before quickly being handcuffed to the metal cart that floated in midair. I didn’t like that strange thing, nor did I like that Dana was quite so close to it. Such things were not used by my people, and none of us trusted the strange weapons and other things from the Caterri.

  I itched to move closer, to grab her and run. I did not know what these handcuffs were, but surely they could not be that hard to remove. They had chained her quite far away from the fire, and while I could not see her shivers, I knew how fragile humans were. Rage flooded through me, and I blazed red with the desire to end all of the Caterri there and now. Except I couldn’t. There were many of them and only one of me, and my focus needed to be getting Dana out of there safe and sound, not on proving my prowess as a warrior.

  To my surprise, one of the Caterri appeared again next to the cart, talking to my Dana and setting out a bedroll for her. My eyes narrowed to slits, anger and jealousy making them so red it was difficult to see. Forcing myself to calm, I watched as the Caterri fed my Dana, then helped her get in the bedroll.

  I made myself take deep breaths, to focus on Dana now. She was being fed, looked after, even though it was by the enemy. Yet the moment the Caterri left, apparently summoned by another, I made my move. There was no way in hell I wasn’t going to at least talk to her. If I could get the chains off, I would, and steal away with her like I should have many moons ago.

  It took much time to sneak my way towards the hovercraft, staying in the tall grass when I could and waiting for the minimal guard to pass on t
he occasion they did have one do rounds. It was pathetically easy, really. If that was how the Caterri regarded their security, I wasn’t certain how they had defeated the N’Akron in the first place.

  Ignoring the unease at the thought, I scooted closer, wondering how to get her attention. Then I hesitated, because she was clearly lying in the bedroll, her eyes closed. If she was sleeping, did I dare risk disturbing her, even if it was to rescue her?

  Mentally, I hissed at myself. That was a dumb question. Of course I did. This was my moment, my time to get her away from the others and get back to N’Akkar as quickly as we could.

  The slow slide over to her took forever, but for all their watch was inept, there was a watch, so I had to be careful. The last thing I wanted was to be spotted by the Caterri and my plans ruined. The Caterri were cruel, and it would be easy for them to take their frustration out on Dana. It was also why I had to be careful when I took any of them out.

  To my surprise, I heard rustling and then saw Dana turn over on her sack, peering suspiciously in my direction. I was being smart, keeping the strange metal cart between me and the Caterri so their watch couldn’t see me. However, it meant I was in the shadows, and I knew with my natural coloring I couldn’t be easy to catch sight of. The fact Dana seemed to sense something was surprising and pleasing at the same time.

  I shifted just enough that she could see my face, and it was mere moments before she narrowed in on me. The relief that flooded her face made my cock threaten to make a mess of my pants, and it took all my control to keep it withdrawn. I couldn’t get sidetracked by my cock. Not now, not when rescuing her was much more important.

  My tongue flickered out, my sense of smell acute, and I stiffened when I caught the scent of blood. Was she hurt? Had the Caterri done something to her? I inched closer, gesturing for her to remain silent. That earned me a roll of her eyes, a human gesture I was getting used to. It seemed to signal displeasure, not that her displeasure bothered me. My mate was spirited, and if something did not meet her standards, she was quick to tell. I couldn’t imagine a Caterri camp, especially one hastily set up, could come anywhere close to what she enjoyed for herself.