Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 86162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
No—no! She tried desperately to push the memory away but it wouldn’t go. She had been told by a therapist that Aunt Rose insisted she see for a few sessions after Henry had attacked her, that she had some form of PTSD and that she might experience symptoms from time to time.
Abbey had brushed the idea aside. She was strong and Major had stopped the attack before it had gone all the way—before he’d been able to hurt her like that bastard Chris had, back in high school. That had been truly terrible but she had buried it—hidden it away. She told herself that both attacks didn’t affect her anymore—that she had gotten over them.
But she could no longer lie to herself. Now that she found herself in this situation—helpless prey to yet another predator—a male who was bigger and stronger than her, who was taking her away somewhere to hurt her, she was feeling panic and fear so strong that it was nearly making her faint.
I can’t faint—maybe I’ll still be able to get away somehow. I have to stay conscious!
But how? How could she get away once he got her up to the Monstrum Mother Ship? It was in orbit around Mars, for God’s sake! How was she supposed to get back to Earth and Aunt Rose?
I’ll find a place to lock myself away, she thought. Maybe the bathroom. I’ll say I have to go and once he lets me, I’ll lock the door somehow and stay in there where he can’t get me.
For a whole month? whispered a skeptical little voice in her brain. What about food, Abbey?
I’ll starve, she thought grimly. I’d rather starve than go through that again.
For a minute she remembered both attacks—the feeling of a heavy male body on hers, pinning her down. Hot breath that reeked of alcohol blowing in her face, angry, hungry hands roaming over her body, ripping at her clothes. A knee between her legs, forcing them apart. And then the pain and humiliation of—
“We’re here,” a deep, rumbling voice beside her said.
Abbey jerked out of the horrible memory but it lingered in the back of her mind.
Hide, she thought. I have to hide as soon as I can. He can’t get me—I have to find a place he can’t hurt me—can’t force me.
But until she got to that place, she would have to play along with her captor. If she fought him now, he’d know she wasn’t willing and he wouldn’t trust her enough to let her go off on her own.
Calm, Abbey—be calm, she told herself. So though her heart was pounding fiercely, she kept her face blank as he came around to help her out of the ship.
She would have to bide her time and find the right moment to run and hide.
12
SOLON
Abbey seemed considerably calmer than she had been earlier, which was a good thing, Solon thought. She didn’t say much but she wrapped her small hands around his elbow and held on tightly as he led her away from the Docking Bay and through the massive Monstrum Mother Ship.
She stumbled several times, but Solon put that down to stress. He wished he could put an arm around her shoulders and draw her closer to him, but he decided she probably wasn’t ready for that yet. At least she was touching him voluntarily—that was good, right?
He tried to tell himself it was. He just wished he could feel her emotions but since he was wearing his long-sleeved uniform shirt, her hands weren’t touching his fur or skin, so he couldn’t Feel her. As they walked, he pointed out several landmarks.
“That’s the tram station—we don’t need to use it now because my suite is fairly close to the Docking Bay,” he told her. “But later we can take it and I’ll give you a tour of the whole Monstrum Mother Ship—well, everything but the Dark Side. Over there is a nice little bar, if you ever want to go for drinks.”
Abbey didn’t say anything and she also didn’t look in the direction that he pointed. Was she ignoring him for some reason?
Before Solon could decide if she was or not, they reached the entrance to his suite.
“This is my suite—where we’ll be staying for the next month during our Claiming Period,” he told Abbey.
He placed his palm against the silver door and it whooshed to the side almost silently, revealing the darkened interior.
Solon started to step forward but Abbey was hanging back, still holding onto his arm but clearly unwilling to step into the living area.
She must not like how dark it is, he thought. Aloud, he said,
“Lights, medium,” in a clear, commanding voice.
The lights blinked on at once, bathing them both in a golden glow. They came from a special vine growing on the ceiling called a glownus which had small, white, bioluminescent flowers. The Monstrum had bio-engineered them to be sensitive to sound and to respond to voice commands.