Stolen Desire (Outlawed Realm) (3 page)

Zekin looked over. “A colony where you’ll be safe.”

Paige dug her fingers into his hand. “Where are we? What is this place?”

“E5.”

What in the hell was that? A government installation where scientists conducted classified studies and had pleasure slaves on the side? That made absolutely no—

Wait a sec. Suddenly, Paige recalled Zekin mentioning E1 when he’d first come into her room.

“I’ll do all I can to bring you back to E1,”
he’d promised her then.

Instinctively, she held back. Just as quickly, Zekin yanked her forward.

“Don’t fight me,” he warned, “or you’ll end up like the others you saw outside the guards’ outpost.”

Paige shivered so badly, her voice shook. “Did those bastards throw the bodies out there after they murdered those people?”

“Only some. The others they pushed out there to die.”

“
Why?
”

“They weren’t useful any longer.” Again, he glanced over. “When one of the guards found you and brought you here, they got rid of the other woman. That’s what they do when they tire of females from your realm, or the pleasure slaves they haven’t already killed.”

Paige was about to pepper him with more questions. Instead, her mind snagged on one word—realm.

“You mean country?” Maybe she’d been wrong about his nationality. It wasn’t Greek or Middle-Eastern but Russian. Could be this was Siberia. In a weird sort of way, that made sense. “Is that what you meant—my country? The USA? America?”

He regarded the landscape past her. “We have to hurry before the other guards return and see us.”

Paige couldn’t imagine how that was possible. The material covering them was the same tint as their surroundings, making them virtually invisible…unless the guards had some kind of special eyewear, like night-vision goggles, that allowed them to see what the naked eye couldn’t. “How far is the colony?”

“Past that body of water.” He gestured toward what appeared to be an enormous frozen lake ringed by drifts.

As Paige scanned the area beyond it, searching for some sort of building, a flock of birds flew over the lake. At least she thought they were birds. Their thick feathers were an ashy white, their wingspans enormous, like nothing she’d ever seen.

They flew in an odd formation, not the usual V pattern, but in a perfect circle. Paige couldn’t help but stare at the phenomenon. How in the world did they do—

A thunderous crackling sound interrupted her thoughts, and the again screeching wind.

She flinched. Zekin released her hand and moved in front, his body pushing hers back, shielding Paige as something shattered the ice from beneath the center of the lake. Within seconds, a creature pushed through, hurling its milky body upward. The waves that followed it froze instantly in the raw air, the ends of the water curled over like a fine crystal sculpture. As massive as a blue whale, the creature surged from the lake, a horn protruding from its snout, no doubt what pierced the ice. With blinding speed, it penetrated the circle made by the birdlike creatures.

Shrieking wildly, they scattered, but it did no good. The whale-like thing swung its monstrous head back and forth, gulping several of the creatures before gravity pulled it back down to the water. A thin sheet of ice formed instantly, hiding its exit. Harsh winds toppled the frozen waves as easily as if they’d been a house of cards, then pushed them against the snowdrifts, returning the scene to the relative calm of a few minutes before as though none of the carnage had occurred.

Paige continued to hyperventilate. What kind of fucking nightmare had she stumbled into? Was it possible she’d been drugged and was hallucinating? If not… Aw crap, she didn’t want to think about that.

“There’s nothing to fear,” Zekin assured. “The thing has had its fill for the moment. It won’t harm—”

Her embrace stopped him. She clung to Zekin, her face pressed against his back, praying he wouldn’t push her away. “Don’t leave me, please,” she begged.

Her fiancé, Johnny, had done that, calling off their wedding after she’d worked so hard on the plans and getting him to want her. He never apologized. He’d just told her the score, saying they could still live together. As if she’d want that. Before he’d bugged out on her, her mother and then eventually her father had also left. She’d had no one for too long and by God, right now, Paige needed the warmth of Zekin’s body, the security and comfort of his size to preserve her sanity. To give her hope that they’d both get through this.

“Please,” she repeated.

“I won’t,” he murmured. “It’s all right.” With his hands on her wrists, Zekin gently pulled her arms from him but didn’t step away.

If he had, Paige would have followed. Out here, she had no shame, no pride, just an unbearable need to be close.

He turned to face her, then hesitated only a moment before wrapping his arms around her in a sheltering caress. She couldn’t stop shaking. As he ran his hand down her back, he whispered, “You’re safe.”

No, she wasn’t. Neither was he. Not out here in arctic-land. Deep inside, Paige was terrified they weren’t on Earth any longer. It was crazy to even consider that, but how else to explain all of this? How could either of them survive? Why had he even risked his life to rescue her? Who was he? Where had he come from?

She pressed her cheek against his shoulder. The transparent material covering her face was exactly like skin, letting her feel his solid frame, his heat. She snuggled, unable to stop herself, indulging in this small, welcome intimacy as the world went crazy around them.

The wind died for a moment, then picked up again, slamming against her body as it screamed past. Clouds continued to sink, weighted with snow.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

His hand stalled on her back. “For what?”

Being scared and being a burden, asking too many questions, not knowing how to make this better. All her life, Paige had done whatever she could so people wouldn’t leave her. Didn’t work. They always had.

“Getting you into this,” she finally said.

If she hadn’t had those stupid drinks at Rozie’s, if she hadn’t gotten involved with Johnny—a damn fool who couldn’t commit to marriage much less save her ass out here—none of this would have happened.

“You had nothing to do with this,” Zekin said. “It was my choice to come.”

Paige lifted her face.

He’d rescued her because it was something he had to do, not a suicide mission his superiors had sent him on? Why? Paige wasn’t foolish enough to believe she meant anything to him, expect as another human being he didn’t want to see harmed or killed.

That was enough. Rarely had she been important to anyone, especially a stranger. Gratitude washed through her so quickly, Paige found it difficult to breathe. Her chin trembled with emotion. No matter what came down, she wouldn’t let on how scared she was or make things any more difficult than they already were.

She murmured, “Thanks for getting me out of there.”

He nodded, then released her, taking her hand once more to lead her to the colony.

Before he could turn away, Paige touched his chest lightly and promised, “I won’t let anything happen to you either.”

He lifted his brows in what appeared to be surprise, then worked his mouth to hide his smile, which he seemed determined to stop. Just as a soldier would. He’d been dressed like one in his camouflage gear. He behaved as one would. Resolute. Fearless. An unemotional rock.

He was still a man, though, not a machine, with warmth flaring in his dark eyes.
Nice.
Paige smiled at the unexpected connection between them. Sure, it was small. But it didn’t feel like they were strangers any longer, nothing more than rescuer and rescued.

The precious moment between them didn’t last. Zekin regarded her as though he didn’t know what to say or do. At last, he mumbled, “We need to hurry.”

They’d stopped for no more than a minute. Still, Paige wasn’t about to argue with him. “Whatever you say… We can run if you want. I might even beat you to the colony. I’m really stoked to get out of here, so you better keep up.”

He laughed, then appeared surprised he had. After a quick glimpse of their surroundings, he continued in the same direction they’d taken before the sea creature had crashed through the ice.

A light dusting of snow now covered the lake’s surface, the worst of the storm heading in their direction. Within minutes, it reached them, offering no chance to outrun it. Flakes as huge as a man’s fist hit them at an angle, with some adhering to Paige’s facemask.

She brushed them away. More fell. Her hand stalled in midair. What she’d thought were snowflakes didn’t melt on contact. The intricate designs began to move on their own. The spokes were actually legs that protruded from translucent white bodies. A faint blue pulse throbbed within, signaling a heartbeat.

Holy crap, these were freaking bugs. Big, creepy, cruddy
bugs
.
They slithered over the transparent covering on her face and down her body.

Paige forgot her promise to run or move at all. Her migraine drained away, replaced by stark terror. Bouncing in place, she flapped her free hand.

Zekin turned to her. The things were crawling over him too.

“I’m not scared,” she blubbered, then clenched her jaw as one of the insects skittered across her mouth. She shuddered at the feel of it moving on her lips, taking its time before reaching her cheek. She held back a gag and swallowed hard. “It’s okay. Everything’s great. I’m not scared.”

Quickly, Zekin brushed the gross things from her even as others scrambled over him.

Paige slapped them from his shoulders and arms. “Are you all right? Are they biting you?”

“They can’t get through the barrier we wear.” He grabbed her wrist, stopping Paige before she knocked them off his chest.

The cloud passed as quickly as it had arrived, raining the things on one of the monstrous drifts.

Thousands of them roamed the ground, in no hurry to get out of the way. After all, this was their gruesome territory. Paige bit her bottom lip at the crunching sounds they made, their brittleness as she and Zekin walked over them. Trying not to retch, she moved faster than she would have believed possible, her full attention on Zekin’s broad back, narrow hips, long muscular legs, rather than the surrounding area. She didn’t want to see anything but him.

At last, she didn’t want to see anything at all.

Zekin wondered if Paige had closed her eyes and figured she had, given how she ran into him, her shoulder bumping his back.

“Sorry,” she cried.

Zekin nodded in acknowledgment, not certain she noticed or could even comprehend his response given her panic. She huffed as she tried to keep up with him, and stumbled again, her body ramming against his. He staggered briefly before regaining his balance. To keep both of them steady, Zekin wrapped his arm around Paige’s waist to help her across the foreboding terrain.

In the distance, he heard the faint rumbling of an ice tsunami, the spitting and crackling sounds warning this dimension’s creatures to flee or risk its mammoth weight pulverizing them. The mountain of ice was faintly visible now and moving quickly past the enormous drifts. Zekin figured they had just enough time to reach the route to the colony before the tsunami arrived.

Paige swallowed loudly, then gulped air at his quickened pace, the sounds transmitted from her facemask to his. She rested her free hand on his chest. “Thanks for holding on to me. I’m having trouble walking… Thanks.”

The heat of her fingers quickened Zekin’s already rapid pulse. Her gratitude soothed and humbled him. She still had no idea what they faced but trusted him far more than when he’d entered her room, a cage decorated with rich velvet, silk and candlelight, built by the guards. Thankfully, none of them followed now. If they had, Zekin wouldn’t have been able to fight all of them off. He’d used most of his darts at their outpost. With only a few shots left, he had only his fists for added defense.

Tightening his arm around Paige, Zekin held her close, keeping her as safe as he could. He’d promised her that. Although he was a criminal on E2, sentenced to imprisonment and death in this harsh realm, he wasn’t a man who went back on his word, even if it meant murdering others.

There’d been a time in Zekin’s life when he would have experienced horror and remorse at what he’d done to the guards. No more. Paige’s anguish when he’d first seen her told him all he needed to know. No matter what it took, even if it meant his life, he had to help her.

He recalled how she’d looked when he promised to bring her home. Something had shifted within her, the emotion sparking briefly in her eyes, a hazel shade that complemented her pale skin and light blonde hair. She wore it parted on the side and chin length, the ends turned up slightly.

Hardly the kind of female the rulers craved. Zekin sensed the guards had abducted her because she’d been available, unprotected. Unlike the female pleasure slaves who were designed to be perfect women, Paige wasn’t beautiful. Her features were ordinary…until she smiled. A radiant smile, the most dazzling he’d ever seen.

It had reached her eyes, and, strangely enough, had touched his soul.

Zekin wasn’t certain what to make of it. He’d been raised in a culture where emotions weren’t allowed. Duty to the realm mattered above all for the populace. Only Vakar, their highest ruler, and his inner circle were exempt. At least when they visited E4’s Pleasure Palace, created for their basest desires. Few of Vakar’s subjects knew the place existed. For the majority of the citizens, there was no indulgence in raw lust, no displays of love, anger, joy. Their conditioning precluded that. Order ruled.