Mated Against Her Will (Captives of Pra'Kir Book 2) Read online

  “I…I was just about to call you. I’m glad you came back, Sarai. I need a chance to explain—”

  “Get out of my way,” she responded coolly.

  Peter wasn’t a tall guy, though he stood at least a head taller than her own 5’4. His brown hair was already thinning at the age of thirty two and he was all lean, hard angles, but she’d fallen in love with his intelligence and his dry sense of humor. She’d had more than one gentle inquiry about why a girl like her, with her curvy figure, bright red curls and porcelain skin, would be with a guy like him. The truth was, looks just weren’t that important to her.

  Being faithful, on the other hand, very much was. Which he already knew, which was why he was looking at her with that pleading expression.

  “Can’t we talk?”

  “I said, get out of my way.” She didn’t raise her voice. She wasn’t a yeller by nature, and although she felt that she could make an exception in this case, she didn’t want to waste any of what precious time and energy she had left on someone who obviously wasn’t worth it.

  Peter ran his hand through his thinning hair and sighed as he stepped aside.

  Smiling to herself as she felt the tiniest surge of victory, Sarai pushed past him and made her way into the bedroom. It was only slightly derailed by the fact that he was following behind her.

  “Listen, Sarai, I know I made a mistake. I know that. Baby, please. Is that a suitcase? Don’t you think that’s a bit of an overreaction?”

  “No,” she replied, just as cool and collected as she tossed it onto the bed and unzipped it. “Hopping on the first shuttle out of here and going to live on another planet…now, that would be an overreaction, but as it happens, that’s exactly what I’m doing.” Without even glancing at him to see how he was taking the news she walked to her closet and began to flick through the hangers. This was as good a time as any to clean out her wardrobe, she supposed. And since what she could take was limited, she would only be carrying the essentials with her.

  “You…you got the assignment?”

  His voice was as awed as she imagined her own had sounded when Piece had asked her. He sounded absolutely floored, and for a moment she hated him for it. Why should he be surprised? She was the best in her field, after all!

  “Sarai, that’s…that’s amazing.”

  Maybe he wasn’t surprised. Maybe, as a man who had only been middle of the bar all of his life, who would, she guessed, continue to be so, he was jealous.

  “You’re…you’re going to take it? You’re going to go?”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “But…what about us?”

  She threw the sweater she was holding into the suitcase more forcefully than she’d intended and whirled on him. “Peter, are you freakin’ kidding? There is no us. You saw to that.”

  “Sarai…Honey, you have no idea how bad I feel. It was just a moment of weakness, a moment. You don’t want to throw away everything we have for a moment, do you?”

  She locked eyes with him and stared at him until he began to fidget uncomfortably. “I’m not the one who threw us away for a moment, Peter. You did.”

  He fell silent and she went back to packing. She could feel his eyes on her, but she didn’t let it bother her as she continued to decide what would stay and what would come with her. He didn’t say another word until she’d gone through all of her closet and her dresser drawers. Only when she’d begun to zip the suitcase closed did he speak again.

  “So you’re just going to leave, just like that?”

  “That’s the plan.”

  “You’re going to regret this, Sarai. I can promise you that. Yeah, you’re mad right now, but what happens when you get on that shuttle and you wish you could come back? You won’t be able to do it, you know that. Don’t be hasty. Stay here with me tonight. Come on, let’s talk this through.”

  Sarai turned to him, her posture rigid. “There’s nothing to talk about, Peter. My mind’s made up, and once I make a decision, I don’t change it. You know that.”

  “Well, what am I supposed to do then?”

  Suddenly, she didn’t see him as a charming, funny man, but as a rather selfish child. In this moment, even after how he’d betrayed her, all he cared about was himself. “I don’t have the faintest idea. I guess you can see if you can make things work with Ms. Big Boobs.”

  “We didn’t mean for this to happen,” he tried again. “She has a boyfriend, so…”

  “Oh,” she said softly. “Well, in that case, I have to warn you: once a cheater, always a cheater. Goodbye, Peter.”

  Chapter 2

  The three months until the shuttle’s departure passed so quickly that Sarai was reminded of cartoons that showed pages of the calendar being flung off in quick succession to indicate the passing of time. That was exactly what it felt like. She hardly slept at all, she was so hyped up on adrenaline and excitement in addition to having a very strict deadline in which to pack up and say goodbye to her life. She went over her possessions with a practical, unemotional eye and divided them among her family and friends. Her brother was the one she chose to receive her car.

  “But…that’s your baby!” he’d spluttered in disbelief when she’d told him.

  “Yeah, well, I can’t take her with me, and you’re the only actually having a baby.”

  “Actually, I think I’ll let Katie handle that part.”

  Sarai had rolled her eyes, but grinned. “Either way, you’ll need a bigger vehicle.”

  “Are you sure, Sis? No offense, but you changed your mind once…what if you chicken out and decide to stay? Once you hand over those keys it’s going to be no taksie-backsies.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh. Rob had, more than any other person, always been able to make her laugh despite the circumstances. “I understand.”

  “Well, I tell you what, I think I’ll pay ol’ Peter a visit and kick him in the nuts for you. Then we’ll be even.”

  “Sounds like a deal to me,” she’d said as she dropped the keys into his outstretched palm.

  “And, uh, Sarai…”

  “You don’t have to say it. I already know that you don’t want me to go.”

  “Well, I didn’t, but since I just got a car out of the deal…”

  They were not a touchy-feely family. They hadn’t been raised that way, and as brother and sister almost six years apart, they didn’t hug often. But Sarai decided to hell with it—she’d never get another chance—and reached over and wrapped her arms around his waist. Rob patted her on the back without protest.

  “I’m going to miss you, Bro.”

  “I know. It’s pretty safe to say you won’t find anyone with my level of awesomeness where you’re going. Who knows, maybe ten years from now I’ll talk Katie into making the trip ourselves.”

  “Yeah, use that time to learn a marketable skill,” she said with a laugh.

  “Hey! Just for that, the first thing I’m going to do is have this baby painted.”

  She pulled back, giving him a stern glare. “You better not touch the paint job. She’s perfect the way she is.”

  “She’s also mine,” he reminded her, his tone taunting as he dangled the car keys just out of her reach.

  Sarai was going to miss them—all of them. Well, with the exception of the cheating asshat she’d thought she loved. Sometimes the sadness of it was almost overwhelming. And in those moments, she just pushed through, packing some more boxes that were either being donated or designated for an individual.

  She saw as much of her family and friends as she could, because as hard as it was for her to spend time with everyone knowing that the clock was running out, she also knew that she would regret it if she didn’t. And that was the kind of regret she couldn’t bear to carry around with her for the rest of her life.

  Her parents had presented her with new, high quality luggage. She’d gasped at the expense and her father had grumbled good-naturedly about it as her mother had told him to hush.

  “Consider it your Christmas and birthday presents for the next…well…” Her mother’s eyes had filled with tears, but she smiled through them as Sarai oohed and ahhed over it, running her fingertips over the butter-soft leather.

  They’d all piled onto the couch, even Rob and Katie who looked more green around the gills than glowing at four months pregnant, and watched The Wonder Years start to finish. It had been the family favorite when she’d been growing up and it was so special to watch it with everyone again. True, some episodes it was just her and her mom, sometimes only her dad, but at least for the first and last episodes everyone was present, and as the credits rolled on that last episode it provided a good excuse as to why everyone’s eyes misted over.

  Sarai had lived in the same neighborhood with her parents until she’d turned eighteen. Even when she’d gone away to college, she’d stayed in town. The apartment she’d shared with Peter for the last three years had only been a few blocks away. And now, the girl who’d never had even one state separate her from her family would be planets apart. It was a lot to take in.

  But as Sarai approached the shuttle, all those thoughts fled. She’d seen it before, but knowing that she was here to step onboard and quite literally take her place in history made it quite an imposing shuttle indeed. The one and only time she’d laid eyes on it to be briefed on her mission, it had been her and the three senior individuals in charge of the project. They’d been cordial, but pleasantries had been kept to a minimum. And it wasn’t any wonder—everyone had a job to do here, and they all knew it.

  To say that things were different today, on the day of takeoff, would be a gross understatement such as saying that running the country was a tough gig. Actually, speaking of, wasn’t that the president she saw over there, being guarded by half a dozen Secret Service agents? Sarai was awed to notice it, but unsurprised. Of course the President wouldn’t miss being present on a day like today.

  But he only got to watch whereas she—Sarai Johannsen—actually got to take part in it. Goosebumps raised on her arms as the enormity of the day hit her. Wow. The culmination of a lifetime’s worth of work rewarded in a single day.

  The entire place was bustling with noise and activity. There was a crowd some thirty feet off behind ropes watching and cheering. Most of them would be family members of those boarding the shuttle. Sarai had asked her own parents not to come. She was horrible at goodbyes, and she didn’t want to have her throat close up over all the words she should say, leaving them with a memory that fell flat. She’d rather remember them all huddled together on the couch misty eyed as Kevin and Winnie kissed for the last time, and the narrator talked about how life didn’t always end up as you planned.

  Wasn’t that the truth? This time next year she would be on another planet. She would be rising to greet each new day knowing it would be an adventure. She knew there would be hard, frustrating days ahead, but there would also be new discoveries to be made. She would be living a life more fulfilling than anything she could have had here, which was precisely why she’d ignored all seventeen phone calls and sixty-two texts she’d gotten from Peter. She’d deleted his messages without even listening to them. She couldn’t risk allowing him to sway her, and while she doubted that he could say anything that would make her less furious, she wasn’t willing to take that chance. Besides, the journey she was about to embark on would be so much more meaningful than walking down the aisle to pledge her life to someone who, at this point, she wasn’t fully sure she could trust.

  Sarai felt herself being jostled from behind, which was the only thing that made her realize she’d been stopped and gawking at the shuttle for a good, long time.

  “Oh, sorry. I hope I didn’t hurt you,”

  She turned to look at the woman standing behind her wearing an apologetic smile. Her voice was breathless with excitement—much how she imagined her own would sound. She moved the shoulder that had been bumped to test it, grinning the whole while. “Nope, everything seems in order here. No harm done.”

  “Glad to hear it. So…were you planning on getting on, or were you going to gawk some more?”

  Sarai laughed. She liked this girl already. “I hadn’t decided.”

  “Oh, okay. Because if you wanted to go in together, we could do that. Unless…you’re not sneaking onboard, are you?”

  “Would that be a problem?”

  “Not for me, but I’ve got my papers, so I wouldn’t be the one getting tackled and hauled off in handcuffs. Just, you know, in that case I probably shouldn’t stand so close.”

  “Do you really think they’d break out the handcuffs for something like that?” Sarai asked thoughtfully.

  “Oh, most definitely.”

  “Well, you’ll be relieved to know that you won’t be in danger of being run over on my account. I’m the communications specialist on this project.”

  “Whew.” She made a show of wiping her brow. “Good to know. In that case, I should probably introduce myself. I’m Brinley Lawson.” The cute, petite mahogany haired woman held out a hand.

  Sarai returned her grin and grasped her hand, giving it a firm shake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Sarai.”

  “Sarai,” Brinley repeated. “That’s an interesting name.”

  “Yeah.” She rolled her eyes. “I was supposed to be Sarah, but mom had a cousin who was pregnant at the same time and was due a month before me. I guess she must have really liked the name, because she gave it to her daughter and I ended up being Sarai.”

  “You’re kidding!”

  “Oh, I’d never joke about something like that. Mom and cousin Charlene still are quite chilly towards one another and it’s only been twenty-nine years.”

  Brinley laughed and Sarai joined in. It felt nice to have made a friend, especially since she hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly. Things were definitely looking up for her.

  “So, since neither of us is at risk of being arrested, you think we ought to get on?”

  Sarai turned her eyes back to the shuttle. Her pulse quickened just at the sight of it and her heart hammered in her chest. Wordlessly, she nodded. The pair fell into step together and began to walk forward.

  ***

  It was nothing like she’d imagined it would be. All those dreams she, the little-girl-hopeful, had clung to for a decade were dispelled in an instant. The truth was both better and not-so-great as she’d imagined it. For starters, much to her disappointment, people were not floating around using great strokes of their arms, tumbling through the air and high-fiving one another at the sheer awesomeness of it all. So, that was a bummer. Nor was anyone eating ice cream which, for some reason, she’d gotten it into her head was the main food group of people who went into space.

  But aside from those things, boarding the shuttle was mouth-droppingly amazing. Everything was shiny and official looking, like a real crew would use. Wow—in a few short hours, they would be a real crew. She’d better get ahold of herself so that her emotions didn’t show all over her face, else they’d wonder why they’d asked her to be a part of it—the very thing she herself was wondering right this minute.

  Sure, she knew how to add some numbers together really well and measure the elements. She could predict when it would rain, or when the best time to plant crops would be. And she was the best at it in her field—yet, right then it seemed like a silly, menial skill that didn’t even come close to making her worthy of being on this shuttle. But she was going to keep those thoughts to herself, at least until they were far enough away for it not to matter.

  “Wow,” Brinley murmured, startling her out of her own thoughts.

  “Wow,” she echoed, just as in awe as her new friend sounded to be.

  “I can’t believe I’m actually here.”

  “Ditto.”

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Brinley open her mouth to say something else, but before she got a chance an official-looking gentleman stepped forward with an equally official-looking clipboard and began making announcements about what the next hour would hold as every compartment was double-checked. (Although Sarai suspected that at this point it would be more like the twentieth time it was double-checked.) At some point during this briefing, Brinley had slipped away to meld with the crowd. When she turned her head again, there was a tall, shaggy-haired man who’d stepped up to take her place.

  Right as her eyes landed on him, he turned and gave her a smile. Huh. Despite the shaggy hair, he was actually kind of cute. Not that she should be thinking about such a thing at a time like this. She was literally living her dream. Who cared if there was a cute guy along for the ride?

  Although, the way he was looking at her, he seemed to care…

  He leaned over and stage whispered, “My name is Chris.”

  “Sarai,” she returned, keeping her voice cool and professional.

  “Hello, Sarai. I’m in research and development.”

  She crinkled her brow. “Research and development of what, precisely?”

  “I have the great honor of being responsible for this shuttle.” He grinned proudly, and despite herself, Sarai had to acknowledge that she was a little impressed. “It’s the cousin to the original shuttle launched a decade ago, but I have to say, it’s improved in nearly every way you can think of.”

  “You installed seat warmers for the pilots?” she guessed, deadpan.

  “Not only that,” Chris told her excitedly, clearly missing her attempt of humor, “but the cyrosleepers are absolutely top-of-the-line.”

  “Compared to ten years ago.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Hmm…” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. She knew that she should just nod and smile and let him be pleased as punch, but she couldn’t help it. “Except for one thing.”

  “Yeah? What’s that?”

  “Well, since no one has had contact with any of the people from the original shuttle, how would you know that you’ve improved the cyrosleepers?”

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