Abducted Read online

  “Well claiming’s all well and good,” I pointed out. “But he still hasn’t actually said that he loves me. He just said we’re chemically bonded. Apparently it’s like some kind of addiction.” I sighed. Even now I could feel a craving for him—I had a strong urge to find him and sink into his arms and never leave. Only my pride and the uncertainty I felt held me back.

  “Oh yes—it is like an addiction.” Sellah nodded. “Especially when you’re newly bonded. I’ve heard that the craving for your beloved gets easier to bear after a few cycles but it’s very strong and urgent at first.”

  “Yeah, well…” I sighed and crossed my arms, fighting the urge to go to the big alien with all my might. I needed to figure this out before I went rushing into anything else. “Maybe I don’t want to be addicted. Maybe…maybe I want to go home.”

  “You can visit your home planet, I’m certain,” Sellah said. “Sarden’s not a tyrant—he wouldn’t refuse to take you.”

  “Visiting once in a while isn’t the same as living there,” I said. “I have friends there and a life. Not a very exciting life but still… It’s a hard choice to make. Especially since I’m not sure what he wants.”

  “Well, ask him.” Sellah sounded exasperated. “Tell him you love him.”

  “Uh-uh.” I shook my head firmly. “Look, I’ve been in relationships before where I said the L word first—it was a complete disaster. You can’t do that—the girl can’t I mean. I’m a feminist but also a realist—and the reality is, the guy wants to be the one to say it first. If the girl says it first…” I shook my head. “I just don’t want him to feel like I’m pressuring him into anything.”

  “I don’t think he would feel pressured,” Sellah said quietly. “And I don’t think he’d be upset if you told him—out loud—how you really feel. You don’t give my brother enough credit—I’m certain he’s wished for years that he could find a female he was able to bond with.”

  “No offense to your brother,” I said carefully. “But I’m not going to assume he’s dying to jump into a life-long commitment unless he says so.”

  “But you’re already in a life-long commitment,” she pointed out. “Your bond—”

  “Is it completely unbreakable?” I interrupted. “I mean, not that I want to break it because, well, I don’t.” I shrugged uncomfortably. “But what if Sarden wants to? What then?”

  Sellah shook her head. “What strange customs you must have on your planet. Among the Twelve Peoples that grew from the seeds planted by the Ancient Ones, it’s known that a bond between a male and a female is inviolable. It might fade in time, if you were determined to live apart, but part of you will always be bonded to part of Sarden, no matter what.”

  “Wow,” I muttered, shaking my head. “Who knew that unprotected sex could have such long-reaching consequences?”

  “It’s not just physical intimacy that forms the bond—although that is what seals it,” Sellah lectured. “It’s the fact that you couldn’t bond with one who was wrong for you. The biological reaction simply wouldn’t happen with an incompatible male, no matter how many times you, uh, made love with them.”

  She blushed as she spoke and I realized something about her.

  “Oh my God, you’re a virgin, aren’t you?”

  Still blushing, she nodded. “And I’ll have to remain one my entire life. The Ria of Eloim is not allowed to be bonded to any male but the Rea. But if the Rea is her blood relative rather than her mate, she must remain celibate throughout her reign.”

  “Wow—that’s tough,” I said sympathetically. “No wonder you don’t want to rule.”

  “It’s not just that.” She sighed. “Although, I have to be honest that’s a big part of it. I wish I could find a male who would care for me the way my brother cares for you—but I never will. It is forbidden.”

  She looked so sad that I put an arm around her shoulders and gave her an impulsive hug. After a moment, Sellah hugged me back and sighed again.

  “Well, it doesn’t matter what I want. I have to try and take the throne back for the good of Eloim. Even before he had me snatched away, Hurxx was already implementing some policies that favored the rich over the poor and were designed to line his pockets and the pockets of his advisors. The Goddess of Mercy alone knows what he’s gotten up to since he got me out of the way.”

  “You’ll fix it,” I said. “As soon as you kick him out.”

  She shook her head. “It might not be that easy. The Council of the People is going to be very reluctant to de-throne a sitting Rae, especially one wearing the Star of Wisdom. In fact, as long as he has the Star on, he’s legally the ruler of Eloim and no one can say otherwise.”

  “And you can’t take it off him?” I asked.

  She shrugged. “I could try, I suppose, though traditionally only the Rae himself is supposed to remove it. But if the Star truly believes he is worthy to rule, it will refuse to be removed.”

  “You have to try, though,” I said. “It sounds like the only way to prove what a fake he is.”

  She gave a short, unhappy laugh. “I doubt he’ll give me a chance. He has a personal guard around him at all times—no one gets within ten feet of him.”

  “Well…maybe it will be enough just to accuse him publicly and tell everyone what he did,” I said lamely.

  “Maybe.” Sellah shrugged. “All I can do is try.” Reaching for my hand, she squeezed it and smiled gratefully. “I’m just glad you and my brother will be there for me when I do it.”

  “We wouldn’t miss it,” I promised, squeezing back.

  But inside I wondered how in the world we were going to manage this. How could we put Sellah back on the throne if we couldn’t prove that Hurxx was unfit to rule in the first place?

  I had no idea, but as Sellah said, all we could do was try. And as for my bond with Sarden, well, I would worry about it later, when all this was taken care of.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Zoe

  “This is it. Are you ready? You certainly look ready. You look gorgeous.”

  I looked Sellah up and down, completely in awe of how royal she looked. Al had really outdone himself with the clothing synthesizer this time. Sellah looked like the queen she was in the long red gown and white fur cape he had made for her. The red of her dress brought out the creamy tones of her brown skin, making her look absolutely regal and beautiful. Her dark hair was loose and flowed over her shoulders in glossy profusion that made me jealous—why couldn’t my hair behave like that?

  For me, Al had made a similar gown but in blue instead of red. The cape I was wearing was black and not as long. In fact, it was more like a half-cape and I thought it looked kind of weird but Al assured me that it was the latest in Eloim fashion. At least the dress was pretty—the deep blue material was cut low in the front and dipped in to hug my curves and show off my hourglass shape. The shoes that went with it were sort of like a cross between clogs and flip-flops with tall wooden heels and a jeweled thong that went between my toes. They were surprisingly comfortable.

  “I think we both look ready. That color of blue really brings out your eyes.” Sellah smiled at me. “Blue is such an exotic color for eyes.”

  I laughed. “Says the girl with gorgeous golden peepers.”

  She made a face. “Everyone on Eloim has golden eyes and dark hair. Believe me, Zoe, they’re going to take one look at your beautiful red hair and blue eyes and fall madly in love with you. Especially when they hear you’re a La-ti-zal.”

  “Well, they’re not going to be focusing on me—it’s you we want to highlight,” I pointed out.

  “I know.” She shrugged her slim shoulders. “I’m just saying that having you as a bonded mate may go a long way towards making Sarden more…respectable. It’s a known fact that not just any male can secure a La-ti-zal as a mate. Having you at his side will make him appear more legitimate in the eyes of the people.”

  “Well, if you say so.” I shrugged. �€