Page 19 of Kenan's Mate
Kenan says nothing as we approach the town, and I welcome the silence.
The houses are similar in style to his, constructed with large gray stones reminiscent of medieval castles, but smaller, of course, than Kenan’s massive estate. I suppose being a prince has its benefits.
As I already know from glimpsing the town from the bedroom window, all the roofs have solar panels or gardens covering them. Though I’m sure the Kleaxians are much more technologically advanced than humans, the town possesses an antiquated feel. Perhaps it’s the lack of cars.
“What do you think of the town, Laylah?”
I open my mouth to tell Kenan it’s beautiful, and though my lips move, my throat doesn’t vibrate and no sound issues forth. Eyes wide, I stop walking and try to speak once more. My heart speeds up.
No matter how many times I try to talk, I’m unable utter a single syllable.
“If swallowed, a Kleaxian male’s seed renders a female physically speechless for several days. It’s considered a merciful punishment among my people.” His gaze darkens and he tugs on the leash. “Come along, little human. I think once you witness how other females are treated, you will agree that breast whipping and face fucking are in fact lenient punishments.”
Chapter Eight
To say I’m shocked would be an understatement.
Everywhere I glance, Kleaxian males are leading naked or scantily clad females around by leashes similar to the one around my neck. The females who aren’t wearing a collar still follow close behind their mates. I deduce the males dressed in black, like Kenan, are his soldiers—the very warriors who helped vanquish the human males from Tallia, attacked theStargazer, and closed the wormhole.
Most of the females have flawless skin, but a few have bruises and angry red markings. I stumble past a woman who recently endured a whipping that left her back covered in thin, welted cuts. My legs weaken, and it’s all I can do to follow Kenan into the bustling marketplace.
Vaguely, I’m surprised by how much he looks like a full blooded Kleaxian, and he’s even the tallest in the crowd. I wonder if it’s due to his royal blood. Maybe the Kleaxians of the highest class who also possess royal blood are always taller than their subjects.
My gaze scans the crowd further. The females don’t speak often, only if their mates turn around and converse with them briefly. The Kleaxian language sounds so strange to my ears, I wonder if I’ll ever understand Kenan’s tongue. At least he speaks English. I can only imagine what the other human women are going through, being unable to communicate easily with their new mates.
The Kleaxian females aren’t much larger than me. Their skin is a lighter red than the males. All the Kleaxians, both males and females, have black hair. I carefully scan the throng and spot five human women. They’re on the far edge of the crowd, though, and I’m unable to determine if they have bruises or marks from a recent whipping.
All the males we pass incline their head to Kenan and say the same thing.Huloon ruhosta. Maybe it means “Good morning, Your Highness.”
I’ve never felt more like an outsider.
I don’t belong here, not in this town and not on this planet among this frightening alien race.
Please let our visit here be short.
Kenan leads me into a stall containing items of clothing. Pretty, feminine dresses and male Kleaxian apparel hang on racks and on the walls. He speaks with the owner and it soon becomes apparent he’s shopping for me. The owner, similar in appearance to Kenan, but shorter and with only six fingers, an indication that he belongs to the lower class of Kleaxians, scans me with a device that aims tiny green lines as it passes up and down my body.
When the owner steps too close to me, Kenan grabs my arm and growls. The shorter man backs away and bows his head in regret, his hands trembling at his sides.
If I had use of my voice, I would tell the shop owner not to worry and thank him for his help. But I can only give him a brief apologetic look. I wonder if he suspects the shameful reason for my silence.
As we leave the stall, Kenan says, “He’s going to make you a new wardrobe. I sent a servant to town early this morning to fetch this ready-made dress for you, but you need a sizeable wardrobe with perfectly fitted dresses, and you shall have it. You are, after all, a princess.”
I nod, but I don’t feel like a princess, and my heart goes out to the naked women on the street whose mates, for whatever reason, aren’t allowing them to wear clothing. It’s probably best my voice is gone, because I long to express my outrage for the other females.
We travel through a crowded square, and Kenan pulls the leash so close to him, I’m almost walking beside him. I avert my eyes from the other females.
Will Kenan ever parade me naked through town? Or flog me until my back bleeds?
When we make it through the horde, the dock comes into sight. It’s crowded, too, but not as busy as inside the town. My hair sticks to my neck under the heat of the sun. Tallia is as sultry as Florida in August, though, back home, I typically kept my hair in a ponytail.
Back home. I’ll never see home again. My throat tightens.
We board a boat not much larger than a two-person canoe, and Kenan releases my leash after I sit down. He sits across from me and presses buttons on a panel next to his seat. As the boat drifts off, I dip my hand into the cool water and give an inward sigh of relief. Wherever we’re headed, I’m grateful for the breeze and to have finally escaped the crowded town.
Mourning the loss of my voice, I gaze at him as the boat travels by a larger vessel whose occupants are pulling a net bulging with crab-like creatures from the water. Will I really be unable to speak for days? Before I try to test my voice again, Kenan breaks the silence.
“Despite what you saw in town, Kleaxian males do indeed treasure their mates.”
