When I woke up, my eyes fluttered open slowly. I felt more rested than I had for weeks. Granted, I was no longer being tortured and was in a proper bed, but something had felt different. I almost felt... happy.
I jerked up in bed when I remembered I was no longer in my own room. My eyes darted around the space quickly, looking for the muscled alien that had comforted me when my nightmare had overcome me with absolute terror. My cheeks warmed considerably at the memory.
What was his motive? I couldn't help but think to myself. Surely he was going to be getting something out of being nice to me.
A cute little alien baby, that's what. I grit my teeth at the thought.
Thinking about it now, I had always wanted to have children one day. Not right now in this minute, but someday. Did turning in to an alien change that for me now?
I realized the answer was a reluctant no. Unless the process was completely different. I shuddered, imagining an alien baby ripping out of my stomach like in the cheesy alien abduction movies.
I stopped what I was doing, my eyes wide as thoughts swirled in my head. In a way, I had totally been abducted by aliens. Technically, humans had started the process... but currently I was stuck in an alien facility deep in the desert. Abducted. By. Aliens.
I rolled by eyes, shaking my head at the thought as I lazily stretched and got out of the plush, silky sheets. I was getting far too comfortable for someone who had been abducted by aliens.
However... they had another thing coming if they thought they could choose who I was going to be with. I didn't know how things worked back on Nauria, but it was the twenty-first century and women got to choose what they wanted for themselves and their bodies. Even if Kade was frustratingly attractive.
I meandered to the bathroom slowly, still sleepy from just waking up, but feeling energized in a way I hadn't felt before. I wondered it it was a side affect of the powers running through my blood.
I brushed my teeth casually, taking my time. The nerves in my stomach squeezed as I thought about the doctors appointment I was scheduled to have at some point today. I almost didn't want to know what was going on within my own body.
Despite being so nervous I wanted to throw up, I knew that was just my fear talking. I would always prefer to know what is going on rather than being kept in the dark. I shivered at the thought of the unknown.
I shook off the dark thoughts before they could consume me. I brushed my hair and braided it down the side, smiling slightly in the mirror. I changed quickly into the clothes that had once again been laid out for me. By who, I didn't know. But whoever they were, I was glad they had picked out comfortable attire for me so far. Once again, I found myself dressed head to toe in an all black outfit.
Not particularly wanting to wait for someone to come and collect me, I decided to venture out into the hallways on my own.
I turned the knob slowly, half expecting a high pitched beep to sound throughout the building to let them know I had exited my room, but to my relief nothing happened. I hadn't been alone long enough to explore since I had gotten here. I was half comforted knowing that most of the civilians were many floors up from where I currently was and that I didn't run much of a risk of running in to anyone.
As far as I knew, they only came down here to train in the arena. I wasn't sure where their classes were held, but I had a feeling they were probably located somewhere within this labyrinth of hallways I was currently attempting to navigate.
I walked silently down the concrete hallways, listening to my shoes smack the floor lightly. There was no one in sight. I shrugged, continuing on my way, exploring my new surroundings. I poked my head into every unlocked room I came across. Most of them looked the same, either used for storage or empty besides the odd piece of unused furniture.
One room looked a little different than the rest. There was a star painted in the center of the door, so I moved forwards curiously, but hesitantly. As if the next corner I turned I'd come across some sort of mutilated human experiments.
My stomach twisted at the thought.
I turned the knob slowly, biting my lip with unease.
I moved forwards, waiting for the light to turn on as most of the lighting within the rooms were motion censored. When it flicked on, I gasped. My hand flew to my mouth as I backed up a step, feeling like I had severely intruded on their privacy.
I was staring at a memorial site. For not just one person, but hundreds. The room was enormous, bigger than a football field from what I could see from where I was currently standing. Row upon row of gravestones marked with plaques of all sizes, many adorning the same symbol that had been painted on the door that led in to the room.
I swallowed hard. I reluctantly stepped forwards once more, feeling like I should pay some sort of respect to the Naurians that had somehow lost their lives. As I walked along the second row of gravestones, I realized that this is where the Naurians came to mourn their females. I walked past dozens of names, all women. There was an odd speckling of men throughout the memorial plaques, but for the most part, it was their mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts...
Tears pricked my eyes. I found myself remembering my own family, knowing exactly what they must be going through in losing their loved ones.
I didn't hear him when he entered. I jolted in surprise when a hand clamped down on my shoulder. When I whirled to face him, Kade was looking down at me with a hardened expression. When he saw the tears that were threatening to spill, his eyes softened immediately.
"I was wondering where you went." Was all he said as he walked forwards, heading towards the back of the room. I numbly followed after him, feeling guilty for coming in here in the first place. Despite my guilt, I almost felt relieved to see that they truly did respect and love their women.
We walked until we reached the back wall of the room. Here, there was a large statue of a beautiful woman. The longer I studied it, the more filled with awe I became. She was beautiful. Strong, wise, and loving. That was what this statue depicted of her. A Queen.
Looking back at Kade, I found him staring up at the statue, his lip set into a deep frown. I could almost feel the sadness rolling off of him in waves.
I decided to break the silence. "So this was your mother." I stated, finding myself once again staring up at the beautiful statue. Her hands were outstretched, almost as though she was spreading her unyielding love throughout the room, to the fallen that lay in front of her. It was like her statue was standing guard over them. Both the fallen and the living that came to pay their respects.
Kade's jaw set, flexing slightly as he grit his teeth. He gave a curt nod, still staring up at his mother. His expression told me everything that I had already suspected. He was still broken himself.
"You must really miss her." I said quietly. I looked away nervously, not knowing how far I had overstepped their boundaries and if I would find myself locked in my bedroom for finding this place as punishment.
No. They aren't like that here. I attempted to reassure myself.
To my surprise, Kade looked at me finally. "I do." His voice was pained. He gestured around him. "I miss them all. They died several years ago now, but it still feels like it was yesterday. The halls are so quiet without their laughter, their warmth. They brought joy to our lives. Without them, we are merely a shell of who and what we used to be."
I swallowed hard. "How many women are left?" I all but whispered. I had only seen a couple of them since arriving.
Kade's eyes slid to me slowly, seeming to debate whether or not to answer that question.
"Fifty-Seven." He responded, sounding nearly lifeless. His shoulder slumped as he looked around him. "We couldn't protect them. Not from this. This was unlike anything we had ever experienced before." Kade's eyes flashed dangerously.
"And we will get revenge one day." He stated with finality.
I looked up at him in confusion. "Revenge?" I asked, my eyebrows raising slightly. "I thought they passed away from a plague?"
Kade breathed out a long breath of air. "You could call it that. There was a plague on our planet like no other has ever experienced. But that is a story for another time." He said, closing the conversation with finality before I could question him further.
He took me by the elbow silently, leading be back through the room, past the unimaginable amount of gravestones and back into the seemingly innocent hallway once more. After finding that room, I promised myself I wouldn't go exploring for a while.
Now both in somber moods, we walked quietly back towards our room.
"Where are we going?" I asked him, staring at the ground as we walked.
"We're late, but the Doctors are ready to assess you." He merely responded, sounding faraway and stuck in his own head. I wasn't quite sure what I had been expecting, but after last night I had expected him to be a little... warmer.
"Assess me how?" My voice was higher than usual. My nerves were clearly showing as I bit the side of my lip, refusing to make any sort of eye contact with him. I moved away from the light touch his fingers brushed upon the inside of my elbow. I didn't need any more confusion in the mix at the moment.
"They're going to run some tests, see how successful the gene mutation really was." He said, eyeing my arm as if he were about to grab it once more. My skin almost ached for his touch. I grit my teeth, resisting the feeling of wanting to be closer to him.
I didn't understand how both my mind and my body could be so incredibly opposite from one another.
"Great." I drawled out. Now on top of everything else, I was probably about to find out that I was a complete freak and didn't belong in either world now.
Kade didn't respond further as we neared yet another room I hadn't been in before. This time, when we entered I was surprised to find it looked exactly like the doctors offices back home. There was a soft, kind looking older woman at the front desk, typing incredibly fast. When she saw us come in, she stood up with a smile.
"Emily. It's so nice to finally get to meet you." She smiled at me genuinely, coming around the counter to stand in front of me. I moved to extend my hand, assuming she was going for a handshake. I was shocked when her lips softly kissed my cheek in welcoming.
I blinked at her in shock, quickly recovering as to not be rude. "It's nice to meet you too." I responded shyly. My tone almost implied a question. She seemed to understand, shaking her head at her behaviour.
"Of course, my apologies! My name is Royama, but my friends just call me Ama." Her eyes crinkled at the sides. I knew I liked her immediately.
"Well," She clapped her hands excitedly, "shall we get started then?" She asked, looking between Kade and I expectantly. She didn't wait for a response before she began busying herself with gathering items on the shelves.
Kade's blue eyes twinkled in amusement as I looked at her in confusion. "Get started with what?" I asked her, looking around for the doctors that I was supposedly meeting with.
"Your exam!" Ama grinned, beckoning me forwards as she donned a white jacket and led us to a room near the back.
I stared at her in shock, completely taken aback that this carefree woman in front of me was the doctor I had been stressing out about seeing earlier.
"You're the doctor?" I asked, sounding surprised even to my own ears. I cringed a little, not wanting to appear rude.
Ama chuckled to herself. "I guess I should have stared out with that during our introductions. But yes, I am the Doctor that will be conducting the genealogy tests today."
I felt a little relieved that I wasn't going to be poked and prodded by men I didn't know. Ama seemed likable enough so far. She looked between Kade and I, as if to ask if we would be going in together or if I'd rather go in myself.
The thought of being left alone on an examination table caused my heartbeat to spike dramatically and I had to take a deep breath before I opened my mouth to respond. I had been about to tell Kade I'd see him outside, but he cut in quickly.
"I'll be staying." Was his curt reply. My heartbeat slowed slightly, my body automatically relaxing as I took in his words.
"Are you sure? Emily may be more comfortable with just the two of us." Doctor Ama looked at me expectantly. She clearly didn't believe I wanted Kade's company throughout the appointment. I bit my lip nervously.
"He can stay." I answered quietly. I hoped what she had to say wasn't going to be too embarrassing.
Kade's face remained impassive as we walked through the doors to the examination room. Ama handed me a hospital gown to change in to and left the room, leaving Kade and I inside.
I coughed, gesturing him to turn around and face the door. "No looking." I said flatly, glaring at his wicked looking grin.
Kade turned around, leaning against the back of the examination table as he faced the opposite direction. I glared at his back as I scrambled to undress and put on the embarrassingly thin fabric that would only cover my most important areas. I was now regretting the choice to have him stay in here with me. This felt entirely too intimate.
What was I thinking? I hardly knew the guy and here he was accompanying me to a doctors appointment. I rolled my eyes at my own desperation.
"You can leave," I offered. I was feeling extremely conflicted about being alone in here, but if I could save myself from some sort of embarrassment I should probably at least attempt.
Kade laughed darkly. "I'm not leaving." His words left no room for disagreement as I glared at his back. I sighed dramatically, slipping off my leggings and donning the skimpy hospital clothes.
I sat on the edge of the bed gingerly, waiting for Ama to come back inside. The nerves in my stomach were wreaking havoc on my stomach. As soon as I sat on the crinkled paper of the bed, Kade turned around. His eyes studied me intently as he came around the side of the bed. He was standing oddly close from the distant way he had been acting earlier.
"Why do you look nervous?" I asked him suspiciously.
Kade narrowed his blue eyes at me, but didn't bother to answer. It was as if he was telling me I should know why he was nervous. I wanted to strangle him.
Ama opened the door after knocking lightly, ensuring I was comfortably dressed.
She gave me a broad smile as she entered. "Well, welcome to our world Emily. I'm sure you have lots of questions for me." She looked at me meaningfully.
I pursed my lips. I didn't even know where to start.
"Well, let's start with how you're feeling," She gazed at me with the same blue eyes I now had. "Physically feeling," She smiled at me knowingly, sensing that I was about to unleash a storm of emotions onto her.
I looked at her sheepishly. "I've felt great since getting here." I responded honestly.
Ama grinned, nodding. "That's fantastic. Now, I have been told that you were not ill when you were changed. So that does cut out many tests that I would have normally thought to take. However, I will take some blood today and send it off for tests to make sure everything looks as it should. How is your hearing, your eyesight?" She inquired. She had a pen and a clipboard out, ready to make notes on my responses.
Opening my mouth to respond, Kade cut me off.
"I've been muting her senses until she gets used to things here. I didn't want her to be overwhelmed." His tone was blunt. When I turned to him with confusion, he narrowed his eyes at me.
"You nearly turned into a fireball in the arena over how attractive you find me. The last thing we need to add to that is overwhelming you with every one of your senses dramatically increasing." Kade's eyes swam with amusement as my face turned beet red.
"You had no right to do that-" I began, but Doctor Ama cut me off apologetically.
"Emily, although Kade probably should have told you what he was doing if not solely to avoid you feeling as though you have been deceived, he did have good intentions. This has never been done before, and he was merely taking precautions to ensure you don't get hurt, overwhelmed, or end up accidentally exposing us."
I let a deep breath of air exhale through my nose, trying to get a hold of my rising temper before I proved to them just how unstable I really was.
Kade's amused stare showed me he knew exactly that. I glared at him, wondering just how much of myself I didn't understand since I had been turned in to one of them.
"O-kay," I drawled out, "so we've figured out my senses are still remarkably human, thanks to Kade. Now, what else is there we need to check?" I was getting impatient and frustrated. There were so many things I wanted to know, but the problem was that I didn't even know what questions I should be asking, because I didn't know anything about their kind and what I should be experiencing.
Ama gave me a pained smile. "Well," She looked uncomfortable as she glanced at Kade, who looked anything but. His shoulders were relaxed and he gazed at me with a all-knowing smirk.
"How have you been feeling... towards Kade?" She asked, looking solely at me now.
I pursed my lips, not knowing how much I was supposed to share, and how much I wanted to share; especially with him being in the same room, looking as smug as he did at the moment.
"Now remember, this is important information for us to see exactly where you're at. If you'd like Kade can-" Doctor Royama began, but Kade cut her off with a simple glare in her direction.
She looked nervous before giving him a curt nod. "Just please don't hold back, Emily. I guarantee that everything you're feeling is to be expected. It just lets us know how to proceed from here."
I wanted to pinch the bridge of my nose out of frustration, so I merely pretended Kade wasn't still looking at me, waiting for me to admit exactly what he wanted me to say.
"I find him to be the most insufferable person in this large metal bunker." I responded. Ama's eyes widened and glanced between us, jotting down notes on her clipboard. She almost looked afraid of Kade. While he had been a brooding ass at some points, he had never scared me or made me feel as though he had the potential to hurt me. I made a mental note to ask her when we were alone next.
Kade's eyes darkened, but not in an angry way. I could see the fire ignite within them as he moved slightly closer to me, as if he were about to prove my lie right then and there right on top of this table. His nostrils flared slightly, as if he smelt something he couldn't get enough of.
My face paled, having a feeling I knew exactly what that something was as my body began to feel hot once more.
Ama nodded to herself, writing several more notes down on the paper. "Are there any emotions you can describe yourself feeling while in his presence?"
I nodded with a wry grin. "Angry, annoyed, perplexed..." I moved as if I were to carry on but Ama sighed, looking a little frustrated as she put her hand up as a sign for me to stop. Kade snorted, looking happy as a clam to see me so uncomfortable.
She turned to him, nervous and a little shaky. "Prince Kadeon, I'm sorry but I think for the sake of our appointment you may need to step out of the room for this part." He looked like he was about to object but instead gave her a curt nod, and sent me a long look that I couldn't decipher. "I will call you in when we are at a point that we can continue."
As Kade left the room, I began to feel anxious. I wanted to scream at the annoying attachment I had grown to feel while around him.
When the door clicked shut, I sighed. Doctor Ama moved to sit in a chair in front of me. She gave me a comforting smile, nodding for me to continue what I had been saying before. Only honestly this time.
"It doesn't seem right to feel this way, I only just met him." I responded instead. Ama grinned, writing more things down on the paper.
"I know you may feel that way at the moment, but it won't always be that way. We're just trying to adjust right now, but when we get on the right path things will move quickly."
I stared at her doubtfully. "What do you mean by quickly?" I asked suspiciously.
Ama shook her head, continuing on. "Now, when you see him, do you feel like he calms you down? That it settles your soul for him to be nearby? Make you warm in all of the right places?"
I gaped at her, my face reddening rapidly. I stuttered, "I don't know, I guess so... I mean he's obviously good looking." I said the last part reluctantly. Ama nodded in response.
"Well, I think I will start off by explaining the mating process of our kind. Naurians are much different than to your humans here on Earth."
"You don't say," I muttered darkly.
Ama ignored me, continuing. "When our kind finds a partner, a mate... we mate for life. There is no going back once it has been done."
She could sense the question forming on my lips. "The way it happens is still partly unknown even to us. Decades ago, back on Nauria things were much simpler. There were millions of us, and once our females came of age they would attend the Hunt. It's quite archaic, but it still exists back on our home planet for those that stayed behind while we sought out a solution. However, the males would compete, even to the extent of brutal matches among each other, in order to win the hand of the Naurian female they desired."
My nose crinkled in disgust. "So you're telling me these females had no choice in the matter?"The feminist in me was getting riled up.
Ama snorted. "No, the female has all the choice. At least, back then." She gave me an apologetic smile, knowing I hadn't had much choice in what had happened to me, whether that had been their choice or not.
"Once the male had won amongst any other suitors that desired that particular female, she would either accept or deny him. If she accepted him, they would begin the mating ritual. Under normal circumstances, the male and female would mark one another, biting into their neck and leaving a mark, at the time exchanging a blood vow and starting the natural chemistry that goes in to being mates. Enhanced feelings, smoldering lust, unrivaled protective instincts, extreme jealousy and possessiveness, and enhanced chances to conceive a child." Doctor Ama looked at me then, judging my expression.
At the mention of a child my shoulders tightened. I knew that their failing population was why they had come to Earth, but the second that it was brought up my walls came back up defensively.
When I didn't say anything, Ama relaxed as she continued her story.
"Something quite literally changes the way our bodies are made up. The chemistry, the cells in our bodies change once the blood oath is completed." She looked meaningfully at me.
"This all sounds absolutely barbaric." I muttered, unimpressed with the history lesson she was giving me. Although, when she said smoldering lust, my ears had definitely perked up once more.
She frowned. "While I know it is definitely different for someone who used to be a human to understand, the results speak for themselves. Those who have the potential to become mates can sense it in each others scent. The attraction stems from the pheromones that each creates naturally. On your planet, divorces, break-ups, the whole lot of it is quite common. On Nauria and amongst our kind, it is nearly unheard of. Once mated, it is for life. But it is a happy life." Her own cheeks turned pink at the memories she was recalling as she explained.
When she saw I was still unimpressed with her explanation, she shrugged. "Something you may find interesting is that unprotected intercourse among our kind does not result in pregnancy unless it is among mated couples. That is exactly what I mean when I say that the blood oath and mating completely changes our body chemistry. This is also a big reason as to why our population is failing, having little to none females among our kind makes finding a mate nearly impossible."
I nodded, finding that this was quite interesting to learn about after all.
A memory dawned on me and I slowly looked up at her with discomfort and to my annoyance, excitement. There was absolutely no way this could be true.
"The experiment with your government failed many times. It is uncommon for human females to carry the pheromones that show a successful potential mating among our kind. However... yours did."
I frowned at her, "What do you mean?" I had a feeling I was not going to like what she was about to say.
Ama cringed slightly at my tone. "Well, when you arrived at your government facility, they sent samples to us. Of strands of hair, saliva left on a water bottle, the scent of your clothes..." She trailed off, eluding that they had plenty of evidence to test my pheromones. "Every female they had they sent samples to us. None were ever compatible with our Naurian males. Until you. You matched with nearly half of them. We had many fights break out just after smelling the sample of your scent." Ama looked at me, staring at her with wide blue eyes.
I was beginning to panic. This went so much further than I had ever imagined.
"It was up to the King to decide whom you matched with, since you were quite possibly the one and only human that was compatible... that was, if you survived the transition."
At my hardened expression and fiery eyes, she looked at me sadly. "We had no idea what conditions you were kept in Emily. No idea what they had done to those before you either. When we made the agreement with the humans, their one unwavering stipulation was that we were not going to be allowed inside the facility and that the experiment would be done under their regulations. We had assumed that they were worried that we would mistreat the women of Earth and that was why. Now we know it was just because they wanted to find alternate ways of... success. To study the way our bodies work, how to possibly win in a war if it ever came down to it."
"Now that you know about it, what are you doing to make sure that it won't happen again?" I asked her genuinely. I did believe her when she said they didn't know what was happening in that dreadful, horrid place.
Her eyes softened. "The King would be the best person to ask, but believe me when I say that things are about to drastically change."
I nodded, finally feeling a little braver to ask the question that had been bugging me for what felt like ages now.
"Why did Kade call me his mate?" I asked quietly.
Ama stilled, her eyes widening slightly. Her mouth opened, then closed as if she were searching for an explanation. I heard Kade moving outside the door. I had no doubt that he had heard everything that was said within this room. My cheeks warmed for the millionth time.
"From your explanation, being someone's mate isn't possible without a blood oath being done. We can't possibly be mates." I had a sinking feeling in my gut, somehow knowing I didn't know everything yet.
Doctor Ama swallowed hard. "The King picked you as a mate for his son, Prince Kadeon. The blood that was used in order to turn you was Kade's. The mating process is nearly halfway complete already." Her voice was soft, in an attempt to calm my raging heartbeat.
"What?" I all but hissed out. My voice was deadly. An anger that I had never experienced before tore through my body.
Not even a second later, Kade had materialized in front of me. His mouth was set in a hard line, staring down at me expectantly. Before he had a chance to use his annoying calming powers on me, I made my hand into a fist and punched him right in the nose.
_______
Bit of a long one for you guys! :)
What did you think of the chapter!? What do you think is going to happen next?
Thank you so so so so much for reading, and sorry this wasn't up last night, took a bit longer than I had expected.
Please COMMENT and vote if you enjoyed it and want a new chapter asap :)
Love
Kyla