Fire

  Evernight Publishing ®

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2015 Berengaria Brown

  ISBN: 978-1-77233-552-1

  Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

  Editor: Katelyn Uplinger

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  This series of books is dedicated to the original Anny. A wise woman society would do well to pay attention to.

  FIRE

  Born to Rule, 2

  Berengaria Brown

  Copyright © 2015

  Prologue

  Old Anny told all the community the story of their history, but it was most important that Terah, Flame, Raine, and Skye understood it. She’d named them when they were born, and she was the only one who understood the meaning in the names she’d given these girls. The future of Earth depended on them, but they didn’t know it yet.

  She drew the four little girls to her and said, “When my grandmother’s grandmother was a little girl just like you, there was a place called North Korea. The leader there hated South Korea and America. He knew if he attacked America he wouldn’t be able to defeat them, but South Korea wasn’t as big and strong so he had his soldiers fire nuclear rockets and weapons filled with diseases at South Korea. Other countries who disagreed with their neighbors took the opportunity to start fights as well. The Islamic State in particular sent suicide fighters to many countries to cause unrest while their soldiers expanded their borders.”

  She looked at the children seated at her feet. Flame with her bright red hair, Skye with her white-blonde hair neatly braided, Raine with her enormous blue eyes, and Terah their leader. All were listening to her intently.

  Old Anny continued her story. “Within a few years many countries were fighting, some in major wars, others just annoying their neighbors, trying to get back at them over long-held grievances. But the bacteria and diseases began to spread rapidly in the unrest. Nations were too busy fighting to deliver good healthcare fast enough to stop pandemics from developing so many people died. Entire villages became empty. Warriors came from a distant planet and stole some of our women away to be their slaves. Some went willingly as conditions were so bad in their countries. Our people were smart enough to hide and remain safe. Once in every generation the aliens return for more slaves. They will come in your generation, too, but we will be prepared and hide where we can’t be found because we have always survived.”

  Old Anny shifted on her blanket, reality returning to her mind. The girls were no longer small children. She had taught them everything she knew and trained them as best she could. Several moons had passed since the time had come to send them away and they had left. She’d drawn them a map of how to get to the ocean, to where they would find their future. They’d left the community and journeyed to the edge of the land. It was up to them now. She could do no more except think of them and wish them well with all her heart. Before the aliens came again she would be walking in the world of her people’s ancestors, not here on Earth.

  Chapter One

  One minute Flame had been standing on a hillside staring down at an abandoned village beside the ocean. She’d been so excited that after days and days and days, hands and feet far more than she could count, of walking, walking, always walking, they were finally within sight of their destination.

  Her friends, Skye and Raine, were worrying over where to find drinking water, while Flame just stared out at the village.

  And then Terah had yelled for them all to run, but it was too late.

  A group of enormous aliens had appeared from nowhere. One of them had scooped her up into his arms, which were bigger than her thighs, and run with her down the hill at a dizzying speed. She was so terrified he’d fall and kill her that she hadn’t even had the breath to scream.

  She’d been taken inside a building like she’d never seen before with shimmering walls, and thrust into a small room. Moments later Raine had been pushed through the door, and then Skye. But although they’d watched and waited Terah hadn’t appeared.

  And she was thirsty. Dreadfully thirsty. “I don’t suppose there’s any water left in the cooking pot?” she asked Raine, who carried the pot.

  Raine shook her head. “The alien caught me unawares and it was tipped over when I tried to run away.”

  Skye parted Raine’s back. “They caught us all unawares. Except maybe Terah. Perhaps she got away.”

  “But how will she survive all alone? It might have been better to be captured,” Flame said. Although she wasn’t sure. Just because they hadn’t been beaten or hurt yet, didn’t mean they’d be treated well. “Or perhaps she can help us escape,” she suggested.

  “Even if we escape where will we go? This was where Old Anny sent us and the aliens found it first. Maybe there isn’t anywhere safe,” Skye said.

  Flame stood up and looked around the room they were in. It wasn’t very big, but they could lie down on the floor if they wanted to. It was wider than they were tall. The walls had lines on them as if they were the edges of doors, but there was no way to open them and no windows to look out of.

  Flame opened her pack and pulled her blanket around her, sitting on it to make the floor a little softer. She wrapped her few possessions tightly in her spare shirt, making sure her fire starting rocks were in the center of the bundle and couldn’t possibly get lost. They were her most precious possessions and none of the other woman had a set so they were essential to the safety of the entire group.

  Raine copied her, curling up in her blanket to sleep, but Skye sat perfectly still, legs crossed and stared at the door.

  It was a long time later when the door vanished into the wall and a huge alien appeared in the gap. He placed a container on the floor and said, “Wash your faces and hands. Soon we’ll eat.”

  Skye picked up the container and took it back to where they were sitting and lying against the far wall. The room was so small it was only a few steps.

  “Do you think the water is safe to drink? I’m really thirsty,” Flame said.

  Raine was their expert on water. She dipped a finger in it and said, “It’s warm.”

  Flame didn’t mind whether it was cold or warm or anywhere in between. “But is it drinkable?”

  Raine licked her finger and screwed up her nose. “Yuck, no.”

  Flame refused to let her disappointment show. The alien had mentioned food so maybe they’d get some water soon as well.

  Silently they cleaned their faces and hands as they’d been told to do, and then they waited some more.

  This time two aliens came to get them. One led the way and the other followed close behind them. Flame smelled the food before they reached the room where it was being cooked. Rich scents of spices and meat and other things she couldn’t identify assailed her nose. Huge aliens filled the room, but Terah sat at the other end of the table. She smiled at them although she didn’t say anything. She sat beside one of the aliens, so perhaps he’d chosen her as his slave already. At least she was alive and safe. Well, as safe as any of them were.

  Was that what would happen now? Was she going to be assessed and chosen as a slave?

  Flame shook her red bangs out of her eyes. She had no choice. She’d been captured and if she was to be a slave she couldn’t change the facts. All she could do was hope her captor wasn’t horrible to her.

  Tera
h had smiled and had no bruises on her face, so that was a hopeful sign.

  Then the aliens served the food. A huge bowl of meat and vegetables all for herself. She didn’t have to share with anyone at all. And she was even given a spoon to eat it with. She had to struggle to remember how to hold a spoon. It’d been many years since she’d seen one. Her people moved from place to place scavenging food as they went. It was rare that they stayed in one of the old houses that might have things in it like bowls and spoons.

  Finally she was given a cupful of hot black liquid that tasted as good as the food had, and quenched her thirst completely.

  The alien beside Terah stood up and said, “My name is Andreas and I’m in charge of this mission from Mu Arae 7 to Earth. I captured Terah. She is my bride.”

  So Terah belonged to him. She had been captured by him as Flame had guessed. Then the man pointed to her and Flame almost shook with fear before she realized she was supposed to say her name. “Flame,” she said in as firm a voice as she could manage.

  One by one everyone said their name until a black-haired man’s turn. He said, “I’m Chad the chef here. When I’m permitted to touch Flame I will prove to you all she is my bride. I knew it as soon as I scented her body.”

  Flame shut her eyes. He’d chosen her as his slave and there was nothing she could do but obey him.

  The man in charge said, “You may take her to your room.” The black-haired man came over to her and held out his hand. Silently Flame stood up and took it. His hand was huge. He was enormous. Much taller than her and his body was a lot wider than hers.

  Hearing that she was being taken to the man’s room made Flame think just one thing. He would fuck her. And if she wasn’t good enough maybe he’d beat her, or even kill her. How could she be good enough for him? She was a virgin and didn’t know how to pleasure a man. She lived in a community, so she wasn’t completely clueless, but she’d never touched a man’s cock and had no idea what would make him come.

  Fear rolled through her body. Flame walked behind him up a narrow twisted staircase, breathing shallowly with the tension of what was about to happen to her. Sweat trickled down her spine and she had to grit her teeth so they wouldn’t click together with nervousness. He took a black thing from some hidden part of his clothing and a wall slid open. Inside was a small room with a bed, a table, and chair. It was clear that her guess had been accurate. She’d have to please him, even though she didn’t know how.

  Chapter Two

  Chad had been one of the group of Mu Araen warriors to climb the hill and capture the four women. As soon as he’d crested the hill his spine had tingled with the certain knowledge that he’d located his bride.

  The only person guaranteed to find his bride at the beginning of their mission to Earth was Andreas, the leader. They’d been directed to this particular place because they’d known she would be here. Or if not right here, within a day’s hard march of here. The other men knew they’d locate their brides eventually, but it might be months or even years in their future.

  So when Chad had sensed his bride was nearby he’d been overjoyed. However, he had a job to do, which was capture the women. There were four women on that hill, and Duncan, Erle, Andreas, and himself, so he had no time to work out which of the fleeing Earthlings was his bride. He ran and captured one and took her to the ship as fast as he could. But the blonde one he captured wasn’t his woman.

  He was the chef on the ship and had a meal to prepare. However, when he served the hearty meat and vegetable stew into bowls for them all to eat, he moved around the table handing each person their meal. Andreas had ordered the men categorically not to touch any woman unless they were certain she was their bride. Chad obeyed his leader but he stood close to each one as he served her meal and his nose told him which one was his. The one with red hair. Even standing behind her his cock stretched inside his uniform and ached to be inside her instead, in reaction to her enticing scent.

  And now he had permission to claim her. His precious bride. But first he had to use her language to explain to her what was happening. So far no man had dared talk to the women because of Andreas’s instructions. His bride knew nothing about him and he wanted her to understand him and cooperate with him. She must obey him. He was the warrior. But intelligent obedience would be better than her simply blindly following his orders.

  He pointed to the chair and said, “Sit.”

  She stared at it for a moment before turning it around so she faced him when she was sitting on the seat.

  “Did you not have chairs and tables in the houses in your village?” Chad had heard of some communities who sat on the floor on thick rugs, but that was before the wars that had devastated Earth.

  “My people are scavengers. We move constantly to search for food so we have only what we carry with us. But I have sat on chairs before, several times.”

  “You will have a permanent home here. We’ll build our community right here in this village.”

  She smiled at that and said softly, “It’ll be nice not to be constantly traveling.” Then a frown came over her face. “But, sir, how will we gather enough food if we don’t move around?”

  “Once the four brides are found and all the power is released we’ll be able to grow enough crops to feed us all.”

  It was clear from the look on her face that she didn’t understand all his words or grasp the concept behind what he said.

  Mentally Chad groaned. His cock was as hard as a rock. All it wanted to do was begin claiming her. Until she’d been completely claimed the power couldn’t even start. Maybe he should fuck her first and talk later. But no, that wasn’t fair. She deserved some explanation.

  “We come from Mu Arae 7. It’s a planet many light years from Earth. We came on this spaceship you’re on. Our mission is to find our brides and reclaim the Earth. Once we find our brides the power will be released and we can grow crops and plants and redeem this devastated planet.”

  She nodded, but once again he didn’t think she’d completely understood him. Well, too bad. His cock wouldn’t wait much longer.

  “Andreas is our pilot. You heard me tell him that you’re my bride, and you heard him tell me that I could take you. Do you understand that you belong to me now?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Well at least she spoke firmly that time. Clearly she knew she was his. That was enough. The claiming could begin. “We’ll begin by having a shower. Undress, please.”

  Chad was glad to remove his uniform. His cock was aching to be inside her. Her scent was so enticing it was driving him crazy and he knew it would continue to do so until he claimed her properly. There was a Mu Araen saying about how to claim a bride. “Morning, noon, and night, fuck her mouth, her cunt, and her ass.” He had to fill her body with his semen to release the power that would come between them so they could begin rebuilding her planet.

  She was wearing only a shirt, trousers, panties, and sandals so it didn’t take her long to undress, and then her body was displayed naked for his hungry gaze to feast on every inch of her. She was too thin. Every bone was visible beneath her skin.

  “You need to eat more food. I don’t wish to see your bones. I want to feel you soft against my body.”

  “Yes, sir.” her voice was barely a whisper.

  “Where is your pack? You need to shave.” Her bright red cunt hair was cute, but the hair under her arms was not. There was even a faint smattering of hair on her legs. Since she needed to shave her legs and underarms, she could shave her cunt completely at the same time.

  “My pack is in the room where we were put when we were brought here. I don’t understand what is shave, though, sir.”

  Chad mentally checked that he’d used the correct English word. Yes, shave was right. The sooner she gained her power and could speak Mu Araen than this uncivilized language the better.

  “Shave. Cut off your hair.”

  She reached up a hand to her head. “Cut off my hair? She looked worried but swal
lowed and said, “Raine has a knife. She can cut it off for me if you wish, sir.”

  Chad felt a pang of guilt. Damn her useless English language. Now he’d insulted her when he meant only to make her even more beautiful than she already was. Right now his dick was desperate to claim her and instead of starting the fucking he had to soothe her worries that he planned to fatten her up and then scalp her. Likely she thought he was some kind of cannibal who wanted her hair to weave into a necklace or something.

  He opened his bathroom door, pulled out the drawer under the sink, and held up his razor. He turned around to demonstrate it to her but she hadn’t followed him.

  “Come here,” he called impatiently. He was never going to get her into bed at this rate.

  She stood at the doorway and looked at him.

  “This is a razor. You need to shave your legs, your underarms, and your cunt. Then take a shower and come back to me.”

  He handed her the razor and pushed past her out of the bathroom, waving his arm to indicate that she should go inside.

  “Sir?”

  Her voice was wavering and soft and when he turned around he realized her body was shaking.

  “I’m very sorry, sir, and I will obey you, I promise, but I don’t know how to use the razor or what is the shower. I’m sorry.”

  Chad understood that in trying to make it better for her, he’d actually frightened her even more. She had her mouth closed tightly now, but she was shivering very obviously and it wasn’t cold in his room. The spaceship maintained an even temperature at all times.

  He took the razor from her hand and laid it on the sink, and then he pulled her into his arms, her body so slight and frail against his.

  “I should apologize. I won’t hurt you. You’re my bride and I’ll look after you.”