Page 26 of Bought and Shared

A urora

There’s a knock at my suite door just as Colton is finishing up our tutoring session. Escorting him out, I see there’s a single package waiting for me on our front mat.

Reaching down, I pick up the package. It’s lightweight and wrapped in plain, brown paper. To my surprise, it’s addressed to me. Not knowing who would send me a package, I carry it inside, eager to see what the box contains.

Retrieving a knife from the kitchen cabinet, I begin to slice away the copious amounts of tape holding the edges together. Before I can get it all the way open, a ringing sound emanates from the box. Quickening my pace, I tear into the package and find an inexpensive cellular device nestled within.

My brow furrows as I hastily answer the cell before the person on the other line hangs up.

“Hello?” My voice is uncertain and high-pitched as I speak.

“Aurora,” a man’s voice replies, and it takes me a moment to recognize who it belongs to.

“Micah?”

Micah is the man my parents wanted me to marry before I’d been auctioned off to the Voltan. Both my mother and father are convinced he’s the man God has intended for my future husband, though I can’t think of one thing he and I have in common.

While I don’t profess to know about the inner workings of the divine, I never fully subscribed to this belief myself.

After all, why would God want Micah, above all others, to be my husband?

He’s thirty-two, nearly double my age, and hasn’t shown any interest in me up until recently.

Even then, I’d thought the arrangement was more about my parents pressing the man on the matter than it was about his desire to be my husband.

“Yes, it’s Micah,” my former intended greets me. There’s an awkward pause, before he adds, “How are you?”

That is quite a loaded question. The answer is more than just a bit complicated and not one I feel comfortable discussing with Micah, of all people.

“I’m well,” I answer shortly, defaulting to the stereotypical response out of habit.

“That’s good. I’ve been worried about you. I know what you’re going through must be…” he pauses, reaching for the right thing to say, but landing on the ever-cliche term, “hard.”

“I’m managing,” I answer diplomatically, more interested in why he’s calling than small talk.

“I’m sorry,” Micah unexpectedly states then, real sadness leaking into his voice. “I failed you, Aurora. I really did.”

Suddenly needing to sit down, I lower myself onto the couch. “Sorry about what?”

“About not stopping the Voltan from taking you to that sinful military base of theirs. I should have defied the draft and seen us wed before they ever had a chance to kidnap you.”

While I can understand his regret over how things ended between us, Micah is by no means responsible for what has happened to me. Nobody can stand up to the Voltan. They are far too powerful to fight, and Micah, despite what he may think, is no exception.

We all have made concessions where this new world order is concerned.

I might have fought it in the beginning, but I’m not so keen to do it now.

My life has improved significantly since I was drafted.

And, when this is all over, I finally have a real chance of doing what I’ve always wanted to do: leave my small community behind and travel to places I’ve only ever dreamt about.

Something that would never have been possible without the Voltan’s interference.

“You don’t have anything to be sorry about, Micah. Nothing that has happened to me was your fault. You couldn’t fight the Voltan. None of us could,” I reply in earnest.

Micah is quiet for a few seconds before adding, “I could have married you when you turned sixteen like your parents wanted. Unfortunately, one of the village elders was against it and denied my request. If I had married you then, none of this would have happened and your future wouldn’t be ruined today. ”

Icy cold fingers of dread skitter down my spine at his disgusting words. I’d come so close to being trapped in a loveless marriage at sixteen, and I’d never even known it. That fact terrifies me far more than the Voltan ever have.

And what was that part about my future being “ruined”? Did Micah think my only value lay between my legs? I’m oscillating between disgust and anger so aggressively now, I’m not even sure what to say.

“It’s all going to be okay though,” Micah responds when I don’t reply. “Despite what those aliens have done to you, I’ll still find it in my heart to forgive and love you.”

I don’t need his forgiveness or love. The very thought of what he’s implying makes my gorge rise.

I try to keep the venom out of my words when I say, “Micah, why are you calling?”

“I needed to hear that you were okay,” Micah explains, “and I wanted you to know all hope isn’t lost. When this is all over, we’ll still be married. Life, after a brief adjustment period, will go on as it did before.”

I don’t want life to go on as it had before.

After coming to Fort Kent and meeting my Voltan masters, I’m a different person now.

For better or worse, and I wholeheartedly believe it’s for the better, there’s no going back.

I’m not that same shy, sheltered little girl that was ruled by her parents.

I’m a woman now, have been for some time.

The only difference is that I see the truth of that now, and I intend on living as one.

It’s a moot point though. This arrangement with the Voltan will last for two years.

When it’s finally over, I have no intention of getting within a hundred miles of Micah or my old life.

Grand gestures aside, I know the man isn’t going to wait for me to finish out my contract.

I suspect he’ll move on within months and probably marry a girl even younger than me.

The disgust at this point overwhelms me.

I might not be able to stop him from doing this to someone else, but I sure as hell can stop him from doing it to me.

“Look, Micah, I think it’s best you move on,” I tell him, carefully keeping my tone neutral.

There’s a tense moment where Micah processes my words.

“Why’s that?” He presses, anger already building in him to the point of spilling through the phone.

“Because I’m not going back to the community after my contract with the Voltan expires. I’ve decided to go to school,” I explain, hoping he’ll see reason, but knowing he probably won’t.

“Why?” He can barely contain his rage now. It snaps over the line like a live wire as he speaks the single, anger-fueled word.

“Because, if this experience has taught me anything, it’s that I need to be able to take care of myself,” I explain, like I would to a clueless child. “I’ve decided to go back to school and get a job so that I can support myself going forward.”

Micah doesn’t like my answer. It’s clear he finds it downright offensive. “Who put these ridiculous ideas in your head, Aurora? The Voltan? Did they make you think you’re some kind of modern-day, liberated woman who doesn’t need a man!”

“My decision has nothing to do with any man,” I curtly reply, done with this pointless conversation now. “For the first time in my life, it’s about me and what I want. And I want to go to school and travel. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

It feels good to say that out loud. Too much of my life has been spent kowtowing to other people’s desires. That all changes today.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you, Aurora,” Micah angrily retorts, “but you were raised better than this! Your parents are going to be so disappointed when I relay what you’ve told me.”

“I’m a grown woman, Micah. While I don’t relish the idea of disappointing my parents, I can’t live the life they want for me. I have to honor my own path.”

“These aliens have messed with more than just your body,” he mocks cruelly. “They’ve gotten to your head as well. You’re not even making sense anymore. You’re not the girl I once knew!”

I shrug, already tired of this conversation before it’s even over.

“Maybe that’s because I’m no longer a girl, Micah, I’m a full-grown woman.

Look, I appreciate the phone call, but I’m okay.

You don’t need to worry about me anymore.

I’ve got to go. It’s almost dinner time and Oren will be arriving soon to take me to the mess hall. ”

“Is that your “Master’s” name?” he sneers, bitterness dripping from each word.

Wanting to shock and upset him a fraction of what he’s done to me today, I saucily return, “One of them. Have a nice life, Micah,” before hanging up.

The sound of his spluttering on the other line is one of the most satisfying experiences of my life. Tossing the phone into the box, I take it to my bedroom and dump the entirety of it into the closet to dispose of later.

Oren

Hitting the intercom, I instruct my secretary to call Lieutenant Crom and have him sent to my office.

“Right away, Sir,” the efficient soldier answers, before dutifully picking up his cell and making the call.

Within minutes, the Lieutenant is knocking at my office door.

As soon as he enters, I tell him to take a seat as I finish up my text to Knox.

Though my squad mate is no longer in the field working on special assignment, he isn’t off the case altogether.

Right now, he’s meeting with one of his many informants, finding out what he can about the traitor known as Judas.

When I set down my tablet and look up, Crom respectfully says, “You sent for me, Sir?”

“Yes, Lieutenant. My squad mate has informed me of something rather upsetting that happened to our companion this afternoon,” I begin, leaning back in my chair and studying the man’s expressionless face.

“If I recall correctly, you’re talking about Aurora Pleasant, Sir.”

A quick nod of my head confirms his assumption.

“Yes, Sir, some of the human men were rude to both Aurora and her friend Cadence today. I made sure to correct the most grievous offender,” Crom relays.