Bound: Fallen World Series Book 1 Read online

  Shaking aside my thoughts about Cherry, I returned back to the current pressing need to escape from here. I grabbed one of the stools at the island counter and carried it over to one of the floor-to-ceiling windows. My heart raced; I knew the Vepar would be pissed if they came home to a broken window. But I wasn’t staying here if they were going to be stupid enough to leave me alone. With all my strength, I hurled the stool in my hands into the window.

  It smacked against the glass with an explosive thud, then bounced backward with such speed that I had to jump out of the way to avoid getting hit. Fear tightened around my chest. The stool rolled and slid across the kitchen floor until it smacked onto the counter and came to a dead stop.

  “Shit!”

  The window didn’t show a single blemish or crack. I walked closer and ran my hand over its smooth surface. They must have some kind of bullet proof glass. This had to be some kind of compound to keep people locked in the house… or something out? Humans hated the Vepar, so they’d have to think there would be someone who’d attack them.

  Regardless, unease sat in my stomach because it seemed getting out of here was an impossibility. Still, I spent the next hour checking all the potential exits of the house that I could find.

  Finally giving up, I headed back into the kitchen. I opened the fridge, shivering a bit at the chill. The shelves were filled with fruit and vegetables. I grabbed a banana and a bottle of water, then searched every drawer and cupboard. No knives in sight, and I rolled my eyes. No telephone in sight either. I made my way into a room that came off the kitchen. My stomach knotted with anticipation of finding Vepar secrets. In the room I found a King-sized bed perfectly made with black bedding. I padded over to the wardrobe and pulled it open to discover neatly hung clothes. Tailored pants, suits, shirts...This had to be Derrial’s room. The room had that tidy, perfectly organized feel to it, and I got the urge to mess something up just to see if he would notice. I controlled myself.

  There were no bedside tables or anything else in this room and of course the windows were unopenable, so I took another bite of my banana and rushed into another room, dropping off the peel onto the kitchen counter as I passed through it. I found an in-house gym, filled with weights, and I quickly moved onto the next room as I had no interest in exercising. Another bedroom, simple again with a large bed, tidy once again. The closet held jeans, tees, shirts and a couple of suits only. I fingered the leather jacket, smiling. Okay, someone had taste. The bedside drawers were empty. What the hell… it was as if these men didn’t actually live here. Where were their gadgets or anything about their planet... or anything at all? The next room sat empty, and I found no other doors downstairs or even a basement entrance.

  Gulping down several mouthfuls of chilled water, I headed upstairs. The bedroom I woke up in lay ahead, the door open, and bright light poured in through the windows. To my right sat two doors. The first one was a bathroom with the largest tub I’d ever seen, possible for three people to share comfortably. The feet were gold just like the small touches on the sink. Opening the cabinets showed nothing but packaged toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo and an array of toiletries, plus towels. Everything was expensive, brands that I had only heard of in celebrity magazines but never imagined being able to use on myself. Nothing that could help me to escape or defend myself in any way, however.

  The next door sat locked, and I stiffened, then tried the handle a few more times.

  “Maybe this is the secret room of mystery.” I placed my ear to the door and swore I heard a soft whirring sound as if someone left a fan running. What was in there? Maybe it was where they kept the chocolate and television. I laughed at how unlikely that was, but wishful thinking on my part. I bet they had a telephone in there.

  A quick check in the last room had me gasping. Shelves covered three fourths of the room, filled to the brim with books. It was like something out of Beauty and the Beast complete with a window seat that had a cushion, inviting me to sit there and soak in the sun while reading. In the middle sat a round table and three chairs, and I pictured the three Vepar sitting here, discussing new things they found in these books. I hurried inside, forgetting everything else, and ran my hands over the spines of the books, on various topics from governments, inventions, space exploration, and even one on the best slow cooked meals. Interesting. I assumed that belonged to the lady I’d seen earlier making my bed.

  Back in the bedroom, I found a pile of clean clothes waiting for me in the closet. Jeans and a frilly blue buttoned-up shirt, which was strange, but they looked about my size. A silky pair of underwear fell out from the shirt and I picked it up, noting how tiny the thong was, and heat crawled up my cheeks, thinking of the men picking this out for me. Had they been planning to bring me here all along, so they bought me clothes? Or was this from another girl who they’d kept a prisoner and she just happened to be my size? If that was the case, what happened to the women once they fell out of favor with these Vepar?

  I collected my clothes and marched into the bathroom, needing a shower and non-transparent clothes for when the Vepar returned. One way or another I was going to find out exactly what they wanted from me. And I wasn’t taking no for an answer.

  7

  I stared outside through the window of the library room, at the shadows spreading over the forest as the sun started to descend behind the mountains. Had Derrial been kidding about the alien wolf animals on loose in these woods? I didn’t know them well enough to understand when they were joking. But either way, the moment I got a chance to escape, I’d run out of here, ferocious alien animals or not. A little voice in my head reminded me of how easily they’d found me at the motel, but I shook the thought away. I wasn’t going to give up now or ever.

  My stomach growled, and I made my way downstairs, tying up my long hair into a ponytail, thinking that on the bright side, I didn’t need to visit the gym today. I wasn’t quite sure what day it was, but I knew that I had work coming up. I thought again how not showing up made my heart ache since everyone there had been so kind to me. I hoped they wouldn’t hate me for not being there.

  I sighed as I dragged myself down the stairs, remembering Thane’s words about me having to give my notice to my job soon. I clenched my hands. Ever since they’d entered our world, they pushed and pushed to control every aspect of our lives but kidnapping me and taking me to their remote home was a whole different level of control. Or was this the beginning of what their kind intended to do to all humans?

  I opened the fridge and stared at the food, not in the mood for more fruit and veggies. I opened the freezer and was happy to find several containers of what looked like premade meals, one of them ending up being lasagna. Perfect. I threw it into the microwave and waited. The lights in the kitchen automatically switched on, and I squared my shoulders, listening closely, expecting the Vepar to return. The house remained quiet. I decided the lights must be automated based on the time of the day, so I swung back around to the microwave which had just beeped, signaling my dinner was ready. The aroma had my stomach growling. A little part of me wondered if Derrial had made the food.

  By the time I devoured the entire container of food, I reclined back in my seat and sighed. Maybe I had it all wrong and the Vepar intended to kill me with boredom. No television or music, and my bag wasn’t anywhere in the bedroom upstairs. Did that mean they left it back in the motel, along with my house keys and cell phone? I hoped not.

  An hour later, the front door unlocked, and voices reached me. I climbed to my feet and moved to stand with my back to the floor to ceiling window, waiting, my stomach twisting with the unexpected.

  Thane strode into the kitchen first, his piercing blue eyes finding me in an instant. He smiled. “Missed us, pet?”

  I didn’t respond, but watched as he sauntered closer, followed by Derrial and Corran who both surprised me by offering me warm smiles. They seemed to behave as if this were normal behavior to have a prisoner in their home.

  “Where’s my ha
ndbag?” I blurted out.

  “In a safe place,” Corran answered, running a hand through his deep brown hair. It brought attention to his strong facial features and the thought crossed my mind how easily he could grace the cover of any magazine and have women all over the world fawn over him. Crazy how I hadn’t thought he was as attractive as the others when I first saw him.

  I shook my head in disgust at myself. I shouldn’t have had to keep reminding myself that these men weren’t human, that they might be wearing a disguise. Despite knowing that, I couldn’t stop from staring at them in awe, noticing the small things like how Corran had a dimple in his chin when he smiled, how his breathing picked up when he looked at me.

  “When do I get to go home?” I glanced from one man to the next, but none of them said a word. They all just stared at me without expression, giving nothing away.

  “That’s not how this works,” Derrial finally broke the silence. “First, you need to understand you are now ours, that you’ll never be free.” He glanced outside the window, and I followed his line of sight to the gray storm clouds rolling overhead. Something ominous was coming in… I was beginning to believe my grandma more and more about her superstitions on storms.

  I gripped my hips as Thane and Corran headed into the kitchen. One began making coffee, the other pawed at something in the fridge. What exactly did Vepar eat anyway? Humans?

  “Fine then,” I said. “I’m yours. Now, can I go home?”

  Derrial burst into a laughter so powerful and loud, it could have been the thunder booming overhead. I guessed he was mocking me with his chortle once again.

  Just sharing the room with these three had me burning up with rage, and I wanted to throw a chair at them. “Why the hell can’t you just speak straight and tell me what’s going on? Keeping me here is called kidnapping and it’s illegal on Earth.”

  “We have always told you the truth, but you choose not to listen,” Corran said, just as he had back in the botanical gardens with his stupid riddles.

  I huffed and clenched my teeth, then stormed across the kitchen, my footfalls punching the wooden floorboards. How could I be near these three a second longer when all I wanted was to attack them? I glanced around, needing alone time. I opted for the small library as that place had a similar calming effect on me as the Botanical Gardens. Right now, I needed a bucketload of tranquility to extinguish the inferno in my veins.

  I paced back and forth in front of the window, unable to appreciate the gorgeous view outside, unsure if I wanted to cry or scream. What in the world did the Vepar mean by ‘understand I was theirs’? Like in a cult? Or was it as simple as starting to show them I accepted their kind in my life, smiled more often, complimented them on their looks and their ideas for the world… I sighed at myself. Clearly, not their looks, but other things. Though I wasn’t a fool to believe when they said ours it meant simply having them as my friends. I somehow suspected this was far deeper, something to do with the way they lived on their home planet, wherever that was considering they hadn’t told anyone, and it was evidently much farther than where humans had been able to travel.

  The floorboard creaked behind me, and I spun around to find Derrial walking through the doorway, closing the distance between us in a few steps. Determination seared his features, his golden hair perfectly framing his face, all tanned skin and high cheekbones.

  My heart catapulted to my throat, but I stood there, lifting my chin in defiance even if I trembled all over. I refused to show him any fear.

  He was on me in seconds, his body pressed against mine, staring down at me, and his hands clasped my arms hard. I backed away, but he followed until my back hit the wall.

  “Let me go,” I pleaded, my voice cracking.

  He paused for a moment, studying me, and a blaze burned behind his green eyes. But with the bulge nestled against my stomach, I understood exactly his intention. He held me as he’d done downstairs, except now something else crossed his face as if he barely contained himself from attacking me, and that terrified me.

  Was that what they meant by being theirs… offering myself to them without hesitation? With our bodies glued together, and the sheer size and strength of him, I stood no chance to push him away. He’d leave when he wanted to, when he was ready.

  “Back on our planet,” he began, “when we select a female, it’s for life.”

  I swallowed hard, processing his words. They chose me to be theirs for life? Fuck! So many questions circled my mind, but none of those fell from my lips. “Why me?”

  He gripped my chin and lifted my head higher to face him. “You remind me of me, desperate for freedom, never giving up the fight, even when you know there’s no way out.”

  “Then please,” I begged, ignoring my curiosity about what freedom he needed. “If you understand, release me.”

  He was shaking his head before I finished the words, his grip easing from my chin, his hand falling to my shoulder. His fingers grazed the tender spot on my neck. “You’re not listening again. There’s nowhere to escape. You’re safer with us.” His voice rose, yet he lowered his touch to my collarbone.

  I hiccupped a breath. “Yes, there is.” Despite my words, desire swept through me as it had downstairs, twisting my thoughts into knots.

  “I can smell your arousal.”

  Heat crawled up my cheeks, and I shoved my hands into his solid chest, but he wouldn’t budge.

  His body pushed closer, arms locked around me, his chest rising and falling quickly. The expression over his face was of pure ecstasy and urgency, and when he lowered his mouth to my neck, licking me, my sex clenched. It shouldn’t have, but something about him set me on fire.

  The pressure built within me, and I loathed that I enjoyed the way his mouth tenderly kissed my skin, how the warmth of his quickened breath covered me in goosebumps. Sweeping up and over my chin, he reached my lips, pressing himself against me. He kissed me softly at first as if testing my response, but something about having such a powerful man needing me undid me.

  His hands dropped to my hips and he pulled my lower lip into his mouth, sucking on it, tasting me. I squeezed my thighs together, falling beneath his attention, drowning in desire. I shouldn’t want him, I shouldn’t be inching my hands up his hard chest, looping them behind his neck, or lifting myself on tippy toes. But I did all that. I was losing myself to a Vepar.

  As if my behavior gave him the approval he seeked, he kissed me faster, taking my tongue into his mouth, a moan brushing over my throat in response.

  I kissed him back, desperate to unleash the building pressure strangling me. He reached up and his fingers snagged into my ponytail before pulling out the elastic. My hair fell around me in waves.

  He gripped the back of my thigh and placed it around his hip, nudging himself between my legs, taking me, dominating me while we both remained fully clothed.

  Was this how we were meant to be? I parted my lips for him, and when he tapped my other leg to wrap it around him too, I held onto his thick arms while he pinned me between himself and the wall. I hated myself for the way I was embracing him between my thighs. His heavy muscles shifted beneath my palms, and I stroked them, but it wasn’t enough when I desired skin to skin, to slide over his naked body.

  I moaned with desperation, begging for more. All rational thinking disintegrated when he grabbed my ass, rubbing himself against my sex. I pulsed down there in response. He ground faster, his kisses relentless, and sweat collected across my lower back.

  Moisture pooled between my legs, breathing came with difficulty, and my nipples ached painfully against my shirt. I’d never had a man dominate me this way.

  He grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked my head back as his teeth nicked the flesh of my lip. A coppery taste flooded my mouth, and I winced.

  Derrial licked and sucked my wound ferociously as if tasting my blood drove him wild.

  He arched my neck back and found my throat, his teeth raking over my flesh, sinking them into my shoulder b
ut not breaking the skin.

  I gasped, the pain sharp, but not excruciating. If anything, it flooded me with an excitement, and I moaned for more. I hadn’t been with many men, so I didn’t have the chance to explore what I enjoyed sexually, but apparently dominant men turned me on.

  Pain and desire blended into an emotion I didn’t understand, but I wanted more.

  I chewed on my cut lip, tasted the metallic blood as it bubbled, but Derrial returned and captured my mouth. A wave of heat engulfed me, shaking me at the core.

  “You want this, you live for this,” he whispered. “That’s why you’re ours.”

  His words sent a deep shock through my soul.

  “Derrial,” I breathed. I shouldn’t have allowed this, should have fought to take back control, should have hurt him.

  But I didn’t want to, and I groaned again as he continued to rub against my heat. I was dripping wet and squirming beneath him.

  His body curled over mine as he ground so hard he left a wake of vibrations over my sex. One minute I brushed the edge, and then I fell in, all my weight wrapped in his arms. I climaxed, convulsing, and my screams muffled against his mouth.

  He grunted too, then finally stopped with an unsteady exhale.

  Coming up for air, I gasped, not able to find any words for what had just happened. The silence between us grew unsettled after the noise of our moment, but reality slowly slipped through my mind. What had I just done? A tight knot formed in my stomach, making me feel like I was going to throw up.

  I wriggled out of his hold, lowering my legs, and he released me. My knees were jelly beneath me like I walked on a ship deck in a roiling sea, and I had to let the wall hold me up until I found my strength.

  Unable to look at the Vepar, I sidestepped past him, wanting to run, to escape, to never see him again as I burned up with embarrassment at how easily I gave myself to him...how my body responded to his. I’d had a freaking orgasm with both of us still dressed.

  My body still trembling, I ran toward the parted door from him in shame. And this time, no one came after me.