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Iris grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the window. “We need to hide.”
Despite the shrillness of her grandmother’s tone, Flora shot her an impatient look. “It was thunder, Grandma, not gunfire. Why would we need to hide?”
As if to answer her question, the kitchen door flew open, smacking against the wall. She jumped back, instinctively raising her arms to ward off whatever was coming. Terror sped her heart and dried out her mouth. Her mind spun trying to explain what was transpiring right in front of her. Three armed soldiers rushed into the kitchen, decked out from head to toe in body armor. Maybe it had been gunfire after all.
She looked at her grandmother and fear gave way to anger. Iris’s face was pale, her features tense, lips trembling. There was no excuse for terrifying an old woman!
“What do you want?” Flora demanded. “You have no right to burst in here like this.”
One of the soldiers walked up to Iris and stated, “Iris Hays, you are under arrest for opening an illegal portal and transporting General Turin’s offspring to a restricted planet without his permission. You are also charged with the kidnapping of Luna Borak and Cara Slanar.”
Flora moved in front of her grandmother, using concern about Iris to make herself brave. “Show me an arrest warrant right now or get the hell out of our house!” It was impossible to gauge his reaction. His helmet had a dark visor so she couldn’t see his face. His form, however, was clearly outlined by the armor. He was well over six feet tall, with broad shoulders, muscular arms, and a sharply tapered torso.
“Move back, Mistress Turin, or I will be forced—”
“My name is FloraHays. You are clearly in the wrong house.” So how had he known her grandmother’s name? And who was Iris accused of kidnapping?
Rather than argue with her, he motioned one of his companions forward. The second soldier wrapped his arm around Flora and easily dragged her away from Iris.
“Let go of me, you jackass!” She thrashed, twisting and leveraging herself against his chest so she could kick wildly. “You are going to be in so much trouble when you realize—”
“Flora.” Her grandmother’s calm voice cut through Flora’s rising emotions. “This isn’t a mistake. You need to settle down.”
Shocked by the suggestion, Flora stopped fighting. “What are you talking about? This has to be a mistake.”
“Everything will be explained once we are aboard my ship,” the apparent leader told her. “Now, where are the other two?”
“Flora is the sole survivor.” Iris’ answer was immediate and insistent.
He turned his head sharply and said, “You are facing a long and difficult incarceration. Cooperation is in your best interest.” His tone grew gruff and inflexible. “Where are the other two?”
He had to mean her sisters. She wasn’t sure what this was about, but she did not want her sisters mixed up in it. “Grandma’s right. My sisters are dead, just like my parents.”
The leader slung his rifle into the harness strapped to his back then slowly took off his helmet. Each movement was deliberate and intimidating. “I was hoping to talk this over like civilized beings once we are aboard my ship, but clearly you have been on this primitive planet for too long.”
‘Primitive planet’? Did he mean Earth? That inferred that he was from somewhere else. She swallowed hard and focused on the leader.
Closing the distance between them, he cupped her chin. He tilted her head back, ensuring that he had her attention. “I am Commander Draven Aldar and you belong to me.”
“I don’tbelongto anyone,” she insisted, twisting out of his hold. The coarse fibers of his glove scratched her skin but she couldn’t drag her gaze away from his face. His skin was so pale it appeared white. Was he wearing theatrical makeup? And prosthetics? The sharpness of his cheekbones was echoed by the rest of his features. He looked human, and yet he didn’t. Long, dark hair had been pulled back from his face and bound at the base of his neck. And his eyes. She had never seen eyes so dark and reflective. There was no difference between his irises and pupils, adding to his alien appearance.
“Your father arranged our union three weeks after your fifteenth birthday, as is the custom on our planet,” he clarified.
“My father died long before I turned fifteen. He couldn’t have arranged anything.” Her mind refused to accept what the visual clues were indicating. She looked at her grandmother, frantically grasping at the last rational explanation. “If this is your idea of a joke, I don’t think it’s funny.” Her grandmother had no reason to arrange this. Still, the alternative was impossible. Real aliens didn’t exist.
Iris licked her lips and looked from Flora to Draven and back. “He could be telling the truth. The custom is real.”
“But he saidmy fatherarranged it,” Flora cried, fear sharpening her tone. “What the hell is going on? Do you know this guy?”
Iris looked even more uncomfortable than Flora felt. “Try to stay calm. You need to—”
“If he won’t leave, I will!” She spun around and headed for the front door.
He closed his long fingers around Flora’s upper arm and tingling heat sank into her muscles. It felt electric and intense, stopping just short of painful.
“Don’t touch me.” Confused and afraid of the strange reaction, she jerked her arm out of his grasp.
“There will be time later to correct your rudeness,” he growled out the subtle threat. “Where are Cara and Luna? You will tell me now or there will be consequences.”
