Theron's Hope (Brides of Theron) (8 page)

“Well Avery, I hate to say it’s nice to meet you considering the circumstances, but we are from the same planet. Do you have any idea what we are here for?”

“The little bit I was told in the infirmary was that we are going to be put up for some kind of auction.  However, I feel as if I was not told everything. They said someone was going to come and explain everything to us. How long have you been here?”

“I was brought in here several hours ago. No one else has been brought in until you. There are sixteen of us now counting you. I asked one of the other girls when they arrived.  It seems that all have been arriving within a few hours of each other.  Emma, over there in the corner with her black hair in a ponytail has been here the longest.  That is Laura, who is sitting next to Emma.  She was brought in right before me. Emma isn’t very talkative.  She just wants to be left alone but Laura seems to have gotten through to her. Every now and then, I can see them talking to each other.” Gracie took a slow breath. She knew she was talking nervously. “Don’t mind me though.  I start to talk and ramble on when I get nervous.”

Grace could not believe that she was acting this way.  She had to get a handle on her nervousness.  It would not do her any good to lose her wits.  She had to remain strong and confident.  She started to repeat “Just breathe, be calm” in her mind like a mantra.  She did not want to make this girl anymore uncomfortable or nervous than she already was.  She decided to try to change the subject.  Bring up some kind of small talk to get her mind off her current situation, so she asked Avery, “Where are you from?”

“I am from the New Orleans area and grew up on the Westbank side of the river with my two aunts. Where are you from?” Avery asked Grace.

“My family was from New York City.  I was sent to boarding school away from home as a child but I have since returned to the city.” Grace replied.   She didn’t like talking about her family much.  She hated the way people would react to her story.  It would feel like they pitied her loss in a way.  It was easier to avoid the conversation all together and most time she would, however, she did not think that Avery was going to let it go. 

“I don’t want to seem intrusive, but what do you mean your family ‘was’ from New York City?”

“It’s ok Avery. It just still hurts a lot to think about them. My father, mother, older sister and brother were all killed in the 9/11 attacks. My father owned a law firm that had offices in one of the Twin Towers. They were all there when the first plane hit.  Fortunately for me, I was away at school when it happened.”  She replied trying to keep her face as neutral as possible but she knew she was failing fast.  Avery looked at her with deep concern confirming her suspicions.  She had to hold it together.

“I am so sorry. I should have never asked a question like that.” Avery said sincerely.

Gracie smiled at her new friend, “It’s really okay Avery. It took me a long time to overcome the pain and grief of the attack. As each day and year goes by it does get a little easier. I still have my cousin Michael.  His parents, my Aunt Marion and Uncle Harold, assumed responsibility for me after my parents died. Michael runs the firm now. He is like brother to me and his wife Emily is great. They have three kids that I just adore and believe it or not, one more on the way.”  She smiled, remembering the wonderful trip to the beach.  No one could take those memories away from her.  She would hold them in her heart for as long as she lived.

Silence overtook both women after Gracie’s revelation. Breaking the silence again, Gracie offered, “Are you hungry or thirsty? One of those guys brought in some food and drinks a bit ago. I am not sure what any of it is, but some of it actually tastes pretty good.”

Grace watched as Avery looked over to the table with the food then looked back at her and then down at the glass in her hand.  She asked, “What are you drinking?”

“Honestly, I don’t have a clue, but it tastes like Kool-Aid. Want some? I’ll get it for you since I see that you have injured your ankle.”

“Thanks that would be great.” Avery replied with a smile.

Gracie made her way over to the table and poured a glass of the lime green liquid. She also put a variety of the food onto a small plate and carried it back to Avery.

“I figured you might want something to nibble on. There is no telling how long we may be in here.  This little round cookie thing is actually pretty tasty. Here try one.” Gracie held out the plate to Avery waiting for her to take it from her. 

Avery took a bite and her eyebrows raised a bit as she said, “Tastes like chocolate flavored vanilla wafers.”

“That’s what I thought too.
If given a choice, I am not one to go without eating for very long. I love food and will try just about anything you put in front of me. I have eaten…” Gracie stopped talking in mid-sentence when the door of the room slid open and a man walked in.

Gracie determined that since this man did not have another woman with him, he must be here for the briefing. 

“Females of the planet Earth, I am Aten, Theron warrior. I have been sent to inform you of what is about to unfold. All of you have been selected to become mates for the Theron warriors aboard this ship. We made an agreement with your country and arranged it so that we may select and obtain females from your planet to accompany us to our home planet.”

Sarah said quite loudly, “You have got to be kidding. This has got to be some sort of joke.”

“I assure you that this is not a joke. Each of you will be put up for auction and will be sold to the warrior that shows the most interest in you and bids the highest. Once you are in the company of your mate, he will then take you to your new home here on the mother ship and later back to our home planet Theron. Each of you will be escorted to the area where the auction will take place.  You will be guarded at all times by the two warriors that will escort you. They will remain with you until your mate takes you into his possession. Now, the warriors have gathered and we are ready to begin.”

The women in the room were taking the news with a degree of disbelief. Grace saw some of them start to cry, others were trying to console the nearest person to them, and some of their faces just went blank and showed no emotion at all. She knew that initially she signed on for an adventure but this was bizarre.   She was really starting to believe the scenario that William wrecked the car and she was in a coma in hospital in the city.  No way could any of this be actually happening. 

The two warriors came into the room and walked straight up to Emma.  Laura immediately came to her aid.  Emma fought and kicked at the warriors that tried to drag her away but it didn’t  matter what she did, she was going to go with them whether she liked it or not.  Laura eventually realized that she had to let Emma go as she tried in vain to help calm her down.  Her interference was just causing Emma more grief.  The warriors picked up Emma, one grabbing her feet and the other grabbing under her arms.  They left the room while Emma screamed out for help.

Grace and Avery moved closer to each other unconsciously.  They grasped each other’s hands and watched as one by one, each woman was taken from the room.  Some of the women fought it but most left without a fight because it did nothing to ease the situation for the women that were still waiting in the room.  They appeared to be taking the women out of the room in the order they were abducted.  Soon, Grace and Avery were the only remaining people in the room.

“Avery, I’m really scared. I feel like I am about to be sick.”  Grace was starting to buckle and she really did not want to lose control now.  It was crucial that she keep it together.  She needed to stay strong.

“I know. I feel the same way. Maybe this will turn out good. I mean they wouldn’t be going to these extreme measures to obtain mates if they planned on hurting us, right?”  Avery was trying to boost Grace’s confidence.

“But to be put up for auction? How degrading is that? They are selling us to the highest bidder!”

The moment she finished that statement the door slid open.  Once again the two warriors came into the room, approached them, and looked at Gracie.  The whole time they looked at her, she kept thinking that she needed to keep it together.  I got to keep it together for Avery’s sake, she thought to herself. She turned to the girl that had been her rock for the last hour and gave her hand a squeeze.  “I guess it’s my turn.” Gracie said to Avery with a forced smile, more for Avery’s benefit than herself.  She gave Avery a quick hug then stood up and walked out of the room between two huge Theron warriors.

She was led down several hallways that all had green walls. Green was supposed to be a calming color.  Most spas she had been to used greens and browns to make the person within them feel calm.  She was far from calm and the color of the walls weren’t helping.  Her thoughts were rambling in her head.  She was screaming out contradictory orders to herself to run away but she quickly realized that she couldn’t run.   She had no idea of where she was or how to escape.  There was no escape now.

At the end of the hallway she was currently traveling down there was an arch and she could hear a noise that resembled the sound of a party in a small club before the band would start to play.  All of the voices were echoing off the walls and too many words spoken at one time made it hard to figure out what anyone said.  It was moot anyway since she did not speak their language.   They finally reached a brightly lit room packed with Theron warriors.  Now, she was really starting to get nervous.   The men led her through the arch and out onto the stage, beckoning her to sit on a stool in the center of the room. Silence came over the crowd as all eyes turned in her direction.

Zane had been enjoying a couple of drinks with his friends Zeb and Brylon.  They were talking about who they were going to bid on and making small jokes.  The woman Zeb was interested in would have some trouble.  It turned out that she physically harmed one of the warriors on the ship and Zane had just completed extracting what was left of his eye.  The warrior, being well enough to participate in the auction, had made it known in the clinic that he would bid on Avery and in the process exact his revenge on her for the assault to his eye.  He hoped that Zeb was as determined to win Avery as he was to win Grace.  Lars would kill Avery if given the opportunity. 

They had just completed the fourteenth auction
and Grace, the female he wanted would be up next.  He couldn’t wait to see her and make sure she was alright.  He really did not want to bring her to the holding room in the first place but that is what the council required.  Besides, he had to get her out of his presence.  He found himself immediately tongue tied when she was around.  As the warriors brought her in and she sat on the stool, he walked closer to the stage.  She would know that he was here and that he wanted her.

Grace frantically looked around the room.   These warriors were huge and the mere number of them in one room was intimidating.  She scanned them for one familiar face, Zane, the man with the aqua eyes.  As he stepped up as close as he could get to her, she finally caught sight him.  He gave her a reassuring smile, one that helped her remain calm enough to sit still and not fidget as she was known to do when she was in the spotlight.   This was just another reason she preferred printed news over broadcast news.  She kept her eyes locked on Zane’s
as the auction began. 

One of the warriors stood up beside her and motioned to quiet the crowd.   All the warriors looked in his direction and then upon her.  Zane could not believe his eyes.  She was looking at him, staring at him even.  It was almost if she was looking for some assurance that he would step up for her and save her.  He decided when he first laid eyes on her that she would be his mate and no one else would have her.  He tried to tell her that with his eyes.