She took a deep breath before turning toward him. “A deal?”
“Yes, you will … grant something to me, and in return, I will tell you all about my life, about who I am, and about my planet, Trenu Zel. This is your chance to learn about an alien race. With my assistance, I will allow you to explore.” He hadn’t told her the whole truth, but that would come.
“This is…”
“Yes or no?”
She licked her lips, and he knew her need to research was too strong. While she’d been out, he’d garnered as much information on her profession as possible. She was a woman who thirsted for knowledge, and he was more than happy to give it to her for a price.
“I’ll be safe?”
“You will have no reason to be alarmed here.”
She nodded. “Deal.”
****
No reason to be alarmed.
She was on an alien planet, and the impossibly handsome Dhiro said there was no reason to be alarmed. Maybe for him, but for her, she’d been abducted—or was it kidnapped? No, an alien being had abducted her from her home. She had no clue where she was or when he’d bring her back to Earth. What were his intentions? There was nothing interesting or special about her compared to the rest of the human race.
She sat in Dhiro’s home. The journey from the ship to his home had been an intense one. So many people stared at her, not even trying to be discreet about it. She felt like a monkey in a zoo.
Dhiro was an alien, but he wasn’t green with three fingers or anything like that. He looked human, well, the perfect specimen of a human. They all looked like humans. Beautiful people but bigger, stronger. The men were large, muscular, and well, just bigger than human males could ever aspire to.
The mask Dhiro had given her helped her to breathe. The air was a little thin, like being up in the mountains, but he promised her she’d acclimate very soon.
She sat on a sofa in an alien abductor’s home, sipping on what she imagined was oxygen. Other aliens were still visiting him, some constantly knocking on the door.
The buildings were dome-shaped, white, and minimalist.
His mother was also present, and she was looking at her with worry.
This was all too much. She enjoyed doing the research, not being the guinea pig.
Slowly, she lowered the mask, testing the air. It was a little thin still, but she could breathe. She didn’t want to keep wearing the mask since it made her stand out even more.
Dhiro entered the room, carrying a tray. “I see you’re finally stable.” He put the tray down on a table.
“Thank you.”
“Well, at least she has manners,” his mother said.
It sounded like they expected her to behave like an animal. Maybe that was what she was in their eyes. Their technology and lifestyle seemed far more advanced compared to life on Earth.
“I think it’s time for you to leave, Mother.” He got to his feet, and before Ella could complain or ask the woman to stay, Dhiro had her out of the door.
Gritting her teeth, she was now alone with her alien abductor. This was crazy.
She closed her eyes and counted to ten. Her stomach growled.
“You’re hungry. You must eat. May I present our prized fruit from our island?” He began to say names she didn’t recognize. “Let me feed you.”
She wanted to turn him down, but he hadn’t once been cruel to her. All he’d done was save her from vicious wolves, bring her to an alien planet, make sure she could breathe, and now, he was going to feed her.
He was a good … person, from what she could tell.
At the flavor explosion from the fruit, she moaned. It was so tasty and juicy.
“That is incredible.” She closed her eyes as he gave her another piece.
More flavor explosion. Nothing like she’d ever tasted on Earth.
“We have plenty of fruits for you to enjoy, and many vegetables.”
She didn’t complain as he continued to feed her. Was this a custom for his people to feed their women? Either way, it was oddly … intimate. And titillating. She didn’t want to explore those feelings. She could claim the fruit was an aphrodisiac, but she knew damn well it was her own bodily reaction to Dhiro.
Don’t get used to this, Ella.
“You truly are beautiful,” he said. “I never expected to be attracted to a human. This has all been a learning experience.”
She smiled and averted her gaze.
“Have I offended you?”
“No, not at all. I’m not used to being called … beautiful.” This was cringeworthy. At twenty-four years old, she had zero experience with men. The few dates she’d been on had ended in disaster. None of the men liked her talking about rocks or meteorites. She was always called prude, cold, fickle. Of course, once she started to talk about alien lifeforms, well, they pretty much put her in the nutjob category and that was the end of the date.