Page 1 of The Emperor’s Concubine (The Thibian Chronicles #1)

CHAPTER 1

“ G reat this is just what I need,” Callie Randall mumbled to herself as the heavens opened up to release a torrential downpour.

Driving in the rain was her least favorite thing in the world, but this trip was unavoidable.

She’d risk a hurricane for her children and one of them was sick enough to warrant a visit to the pediatrician. But when she’d set off tonight, she didn’t think she’d actually have to battle the elements.

At least her other baby, Paris was safely back home with her neighbor while she and London were gone.

Taking a quick look in the rearview mirror to check on London, Callie smiled. The little girl slept peacefully without an apparent care in the world. Sometimes Callie wished she could be two all over again, with no worries instead of being a single mother with twin daughters, a heavily mortgaged house and a struggling dance studio.

Though she didn’t regret having her beautiful daughters, she often wondered what might have been if she hadn’t fallen for Terrell’s bullshit. He was the perfect partner right up until the minute he learned of her pregnancy. He wanted her to abort the baby because they both had goals they’d yet to accomplish.

Both were dancers who wanted to travel the world with their talents. Callie had reluctantly made an appointment with a family planning clinic, thinking herself incapable of taking care of another human being at that point in her life. However, hearing two heartbeats on the fetal monitor quickly changed her mind.

Terrell couldn’t dump her fast enough. He made some platitudes about being there for the girls and sending financial assistance but he essentially ghosted her and his unborn children. Callie later discovered he was living out her dreams in Europe with the dance troupe she’d worked so hard to be a part of.

Alone and pregnant, Callie had left New York to go back home to the small North Carolina town she’d grown up in, only to hear her parents say they told her so. The first year had been a struggle, but when she got a small inheritance from a distant relative, she used it to get her own place and open up a dance studio. She had a few students and hoped that she’d eventually have more, but until business really picked up, she moonlighted as a waitress on the weekends.

Life wouldn’t be such a struggle if Terrell occasionally sent the child support he’d promised, but that sorry bastard always had an excuse. He’d only seen his daughters twice in the two years since their birth and then completely disappeared from their lives. Knowing what a spineless snake he’d become, Callie didn’t miss him but it sucked that her daughters would grow up without a father.

Breathing a sigh of relief when she pulled into the doctor’s office, she shut off the engine. Once she got an umbrella out and shrugged back into her raincoat, Callie walked to the rear passenger side to unbuckle London. “Baby, we’re here.”

London opened her big brown eyes, a dazed expression on her face, before she started to cry. “Hurts, Mommy,” she whined, cupping a small hand over her ear.

Callie suspected her daughter had an ear infection. Paris had the same problem just a couple weeks before. “I know it hurts, baby. That’s why we’re here at the doctor’s office. Now hold onto Mommy’s neck while I lift you up.”

“Do I get a lollypop?”

“Only if you’re really good. Can you be Mommy’s big girl today?”

London nodded, her pigtails bobbing. “I want a red lollypop.”

“We’ll see.”

With her daughter in one arm and her umbrella in the other hand, she raced to the big stone building, trying not to get wet. Once it was London’s turn to see the pediatrician, it was just as Callie had suspected—an ear infection. The doctor gave the toddler some ear drops to ease the immediate ache and Callie a prescription for the pharmacy. Not only did London get her red lollypop for being such a good girl for the doctor, she got a purple one to take home to Paris.

Callie felt a lot better once she and her daughter were back in the car, although the rain hadn’t subsided a bit. London sat strapped in her car seat happily licking her red lollypop while gripping the blue one tightly in her other fist. When Callie had suggested putting the extra lollypop in her purse, London adamantly refused, wanting to be the one to give it to her sister.

London was the younger twin by ten minutes, but she was the nurturer of the two, always making sure her sister was taken care of and content to let Paris take the lead. Paris was the more assertive twin, but just as sweet and had her caring moments as well.

Callie didn’t realize she could love two people as much as she did her twins. People often asked why she chose to name them after European cities, but in her mind, they seemed to be the most logical choices. After all, had she not gotten pregnant she’d be in Europe, dancing. But from the moment she held them in her arms, Callie knew she wouldn’t trade her little treasures for all the trips to Europe in the world.

Callie couldn’t wait to get home to see Paris, get in her pajamas and cuddle with her girls. When she was away from her kids, she always missed them. So, she decided to take a shortcut on a back road.

Halfway home, the rain let up. “That’s good at least,” she muttered to herself. It was getting dark and driving at night was bad enough without the slashing of water on her windshield.

“How are you doing back there, London?” she asked, looking into the rearview mirror again to check on her daughter.

“Good,” London answered between licks.

Callie glanced over her shoulder to make sure London wasn’t making a mess, and when she looked straight ahead again, she was surprised to see a blinding white light. It was so glaring in fact, she couldn’t see where she was going and ended up swerving off the road. Panic sliced through her as she lost control of the vehicle. The more she tried to right the wheel, the more out of control the car went.

In the backseat, London began to cry, obviously sensing her mommy’s plight.

“Hold onto your seat tight, baby,” she cried out trying to keep the panic out of her voice for the sack of her child, but it was no use.

They were going to crash.

London screamed. “I’m scared mommy!”

Tears streamed down Callie’s face. Was this the way things would end?

Despite her efforts, but her little sedan hydroplaned off the road and slammed into a pile of boulders. As her face made impact with the airbag, her last coherent thought was of her babies.

Callie woke up with a pounding headache and lights shining in her eyes. She winced as she turned her head away from the brightness. Where was she? Her last coherent thought had been that she was a goner, but somehow she was alive. Or was she?

Had she died and gone to heaven? For some reason she didn’t expect heaven to be quite like this. Heaven was supposed to be pain free. And what was that funky odor?

When her eyes finally adjusted to the light, they widened in surprise and fright. Standing over her were two creatures with orange skin, green tentacle like hair, and tusk-like teeth.

These…beings, reminded her of the aliens in the old sci-fi programs she used to watch with her dad. Their faces were covered in blue dots, and instead of noses they had snouts. What the hell? This had to be a dream.

No, a nightmare.

The problem was, a dream never smelled quite like this. It was the pungent cross between sweaty feet and ass. Suddenly, it dawned on her that London was nowhere in sight. Where was her baby?

Shooting to an upright position, Callie tried to slide off the metal table, but large scaly hands pushed her back down. One of the monsters made slurping, and snorting type noises. She wasn’t sure if he was trying to communicate or eat her.

“Where’s my daughter?” she screamed, panic starting to take over.

Again, the creatures grunted and made those strange noises. She nearly passed out when one of them put his forehead against hers, its green eyes starting to glow. Fright stilled her movements, but only for a moment. Struggling against the hands that held her tight, Callie’s maternal need to be with her daughter overrode any fear running through her. “London!” she yelled.

There was no response.

She prayed to God that her daughter had survived the crash. Just the very thought of losing her child filled her with dread. The orange men grumbled. When one of them pulled out what looked like a piercing gun and placed it against her arm, she attempted to pull away, but he was much stronger, holding her in place.

The creature pulled the trigger. Callie squealed, prepared to scream her lungs out in preparation of the pain she was certain would come. However, the sensation was along the lines of receiving a tetanus shot. What had they just done to her? Did they just infect her with some alien disease? Would the anal probing come next? She clenched her ass in self-preservation.

“Stop struggling, human, and you won’t be harmed.”

Hearing the raspy, guttural voice stunned her. What the hell? The creature still made those strange grunting noises, but this time she understood exactly what he said. Licking suddenly dry lips, Callie trembled. “What…what do you want from me? Where’s my daughter?”

“Any questions from here on out will be asked by either Rzxie,” the apparent leader said pointing to his companion, “or myself. I am Theki and you will address me as Master until you’re sold to a new Master. I expect obedience in all my slaves. As for the young one, she’s resting. She’ll remain unharmed as long as you’re cooperative.”

“What have you done to her? Slave? Are you kidding me? Wait a minute… I understand you. How…”

Theki rolled his eyes, and made an impatient click with his tongue. “At least the language chip, I’ve implanted is working. Like I said before, you will be silent and speak when you’re spoken to, or I’ll make sure you’ll work in the teriulium mines.”

Callie wanted to protest, but what she had to say was halted by the narrow-eyed glare Theki shot her way. If this was a nightmare, she wished to hurry up and wake up from it.

“Do I make myself clear, human?” the alien asked.

She could only nod, her mind racing a mile a minute.

Theki’s beady eyes narrowed to slits. “I don’t read minds. Do I make myself clear?”

“Y-y-yes,” she stammered.

“Yes, Master!” he roared, making her jump.

“Yes, Master,” Callie obediently repeated, though she was seething inside.

Callie’s only knowledge of slavery was what she’d read in history books and stories passed down from her ancestors who’d experienced it. Never in a million years did she think she’d ever become a slave. Being enslaved to aliens on another planet seemed to add another layer of shit on top of an already terrible situation.

The creature turned to his companion. “Rzxie, this one is feisty. Her mouth says one thing, but the eyes say another. Perhaps we should keep her for ourselves and break this spirit of hers.”

“Theki, stop trying to frighten the child.”

It surprised Callie to hear a feminine voice emit from her second captor’s throat. On closer inspection, the one called Rzxie was shorter. Her slender build was graced with gentle curves. Other than those small differences, she looked exactly like Theki. What were these things?

“You know as well as I that human women are highly sought after in Thorzak, especially the exotic ones. Look at her dark skin and eyes, and this hair.” Callie had to hold herself tightly so as not to flinch when Rzxie reached out and touched her locked hair. “It’s so soft. This one will fetch us a high price indeed.”

“I’ll have no more of her lip. I must see to the rest of the cargo. Tend to her wounds and see that she’s fed,” Theki instructed his partner before turning back to Callie. “I had better not hear of any more transgressions or you’ll regret it.” Then without another word, he swept out of the room, leaving her alone with Rzxie.

Callie didn’t realize she’d been holding her breath until she released a long sigh. Did she dare say something to Rzxie? She didn’t seem as stern as her counterpart but there was no telling with these creatures.

Thoughts of her daughter, however, gave Callie the courage to put voice to her fears. “Please, could you tell me what’s happened to my daughter?”

The alien’s lipless mouth curved into the semblance of a smile. “She’s sleeping now. I gave her a light sedative to calm her down. When your vehicle collided with that obstruction, you got a pretty nasty bump on your head. But because the little one was strapped tightly in the back, no harm came to her. She was crying when Theki and I came upon you. Don’t worry about her. She’s been fed and well taken care of.”

“How can you tell me not to worry when you won’t let me see her? You plan to sell me and expect me to be calm? And what the hell is that damn smell?” Callie could contain her curiosity no longer.

A vibrating noise erupted from the alien’s mouth, which Callie could only assume was laughter. “We’re Adieaen. I suppose our scent would be considered to most humans. Thirty-three percent of our make-up is sulfur.”

Rzxie claimed only a third of their bodies was made of sulfur, but Callie’s nose said one hundred percent.

Callie fought to keep bile from rising, but she found herself gagging.

“I anticipated this.” Rzxie handed her two small white balls. “Here, put these in your nose and the scent shouldn’t bother you so much.”

“This is going to work?” Callie asked, eyeing them suspiciously.

“Of course they work. I’m wearing them now. You humans smell awful, but don’t feel bad. It’s the preservatives in the foods you eat on your planet. Once you’ve been detoxed, the odor won’t be as unpleasant, and you’ll garner a high price on the auction block.”

She stunk? Callie didn’t know whether to take issue with that or laugh. She supposed to these Adieaens she was the strange one. Taking Rzxie’s offerings, she stuck them up her nose and, within seconds, the air became bearable to breathe. “That’s much better, thank you. I need to see my baby and make sure she’s all right.”

Rzxie shook her head. “You’re just going to have to take my word for it. She’s being well taken care of and, as Theki said, it will remain that way as long as you cooperate.”

“Where are you two taking us? Why are you doing this? I need to get back to Earth. I have another daughter waiting for me to get home. She’ll be worried. Please. Is there anything you can do? I’ll give you all the money I have if that’s what you two want.”

“Don’t be silly, human. Your money is no good to us. I may not yet be a mother myself, but I can understand the concern you have for your little ones. Unfortunately we can’t go back. We’ve already crossed over the threshold of our Universe and should reach Adlene shortly.”

“But I want to go home. No. I need to go home. My baby is back there. I can’t just leave her.”

“That can’t be helped. You belong to Theki now, and it’s his decision what to do with you.”

“Don’t you have a say? Can’t you help me? I don’t think you’re evil.”

The orange alien shrugged. “Of course I’m not. I’m just doing my job.”

“And your job is kidnapping innocent people to sell them?” Callie challenged.

Rzxie bared pointy teeth and flared her snout. “Watch your tongue, human. I may be a little more lenient than Theki, but modulate your tone with me.”

Common sense told Callie she should be careful around these unpredictable entities but when it came to her children, all logic went out the window.

“You and your friend must be out of your minds if you think I would just sit here calmly when you tell me that you’ve taken me away from all I know and love and plan to sell me to God knows who. Hell, aliens aren’t supposed to be more than just a figment of a bunch of sci-fi authors’ imaginations.”

“I can understand your anxiety, but there’s nothing we can do about that. I can assure you, however, that if you behave, you’ll be well taken care of, as will your child.”

“Why?” Callie asked, trying to make sense of this entire mess.

“It’s what we do. Theki and I are Hunters. We scour different planets for slaves to sell on the market. At the moment, Earthlings have become a hot commodity in our Universe. Humans are one of the few species who are sexually compatible with most of the beings in Thorzak.”

Callie’s heart seized in her chest. She hoped she’d misinterpreted the alien’s meaning. “Sexually compatible? I’m not really sure I follow you.”

Rzxie sighed, as though she were trying to explain a simple matter to a small child. “Hmm, let me put it in terms you’ll understand. You know how your kind has different antigens in your blood?”

“Huh?”

“A, B, AB blood, that kind of thing.”

Callie slowly nodded. “Oh yes, of course.”

“It’s my understanding that humans can donate blood to each other, but it has to match. Am I correct in that?”

“Yes, but I don’t know what that has to do with anything.”

“Most blood groupings can only donate to those with the same type. However O negative carriers can donate to anyone. Humans are like type O negative blood. Not only are you equipped to mate with several species in our Universe, you can also successfully carry their children as well.”

“Carry children? Whoa! Is that what’s expected of me?” Callie placed her hand over her heart as she visualized an alien clawing its way out of chest to be born, like a scene from a sci-fi horror movie.

Rzxie held up her hand. “Let me finish, human.”

The ominous tone in the alien’s command made Callie freeze.

Rzxie continued. “On the planet Tetian, for instance, chemical warfare has left many women on the planet barren. Couples wishing to have children take human females as slaves to bear them children. On Gusitivus, it’s forbidden for women to go to their mates as virgins. To learn the arts of pleasing men, the girls are trained with human males. There are a handful of other planets that use humans for many purposes. And there are even some beings that look humanoid in appearance. Perhaps, your new owner won’t look much different than the men on Earth. A beauty like you normally has no problem finding a good home. On quite a few planets concubines are treated like queens.”

Callie’s mouth gaped open as she tried to take all of this in. Was this for real? These aliens had kidnapped her for the sole purpose of selling her on a slave block like a piece of meat. At this point she would have preferred the anal probing, at least that way when they were finished with her, she’d be free to go home afterwards and pretend this was all a bad dream.

“Are you telling me that I’ll never be able to go back home. You’ve taken me and my child against my will, just because?”

“That’s not true. We’re taking you because you happen to fit what we’re looking for. Dark skinned women have increased in popularity on the auction block. For some reason, their brand of looks is in right now. Perhaps in another year or so fair skinned women with pale hair will be the rage once again, but for now, we go with what will bring us the most money. You’ll fetch us a pretty penny—you and your female child.”

A tear seeped from her eye when she thought of the possibility of never seeing her precious daughter, Paris, again.