Hunted by the Alien Prince Read online

  Payton grunted. All they needed now was the “da-dum, da-dum, da-dum” music to set the scene and women in high heels running and tripping their way through a dark forest to call what they were going through a real-life horror flick. She eyed Min and Mary Ann. Mary Ann had on sparkly stilettos, and while Min’s heels weren’t as high, they looked expensive.

  Case closed. People were definitely going to die.

  “Hey, I’m all for being optimistic.” Yesenia fingered the collar around her neck. “But there’s no denying these. Spencer’s collar is back to normal. But we don’t know how this works or what they’re for. Maybe they track our emotions or something?”

  Kaylin lifted her arm to show the one-inch wide silver band around her wrist. “We also don’t know the reason for these funky wristbands.”

  Payton clenched her jaw. It was all so obvious. The collars were to punish, and the wristbands were to track. But she wasn’t saying anything else. The last time she did, she got the evil eye because she was scaring Miranda and the kids.

  “I don’t know about the collars. But maybe these are smartwatches?” Kaylin studied her arm and fidgeted with the wristband.

  “Not any smartwatch I’ve seen.” Danny tried to force the band from his wrist then finally gave up with a grunt. “These things are not meant to come off. Well, not by us at least.”

  “I think it may be counting down or counting up to something,” Min said as she studied hers.

  Payton wanted to ask if anyone here had pissed someone off. If they all had that in common, then her suspicions would be confirmed. Mike had saved up, or his parents had loaned him the money to participate in a human hunting game. But if she asked she would have to be prepared for all the questions about an ex she didn’t want to talk about.

  Esme frowned at her wristband. “How can you tell?”

  Min shrugged her petite shoulders. Her business jacket slid down her arm, revealing tan skin. “I don’t know. Just a gut feeling.”

  “I think she may be right,” Ben added. “I can’t read it. I don’t know what any of these icons mean. But this right here,” he tapped his band, “is the only thing that’s changing and I think the same characters keep coming up. Like a cycle.” He turned his attention to the real watch on his other wrist. “We should try to figure out how often the same character comes up. Compare it on a regular watch. It might be helpful in the future.”

  Miranda raised her hand. “I-I can do that. It’ll give me busy work and keep my mind focused on anything else besides...”

  Ben gave her a nod, not needing her to finish the sentence. “Do you need a watch? I mean, one that we know how to read and work?”

  Miranda shook her head and raised her other arm. “I have my own. I got it from a second-hand shop. It’s cheap, but it’ll do.”

  “Okay, we’re working on at least one problem.”

  The group took turns cataloging any food or weapons they had on them. It was only when they began discussing the timeframe they’d been taken that Payton really tuned back in.

  “Wait. Back-up. Did you say that you were getting ready for a Scandal watch party?” Kaylin asked Yesenia.

  Yesenia nodded. The waist-length braids she wore followed the movement of her head. “Last night, Thursday.” Her lips turned down and her brows crinkled as if in thought. “I was walking home from the corner store around seven thirty.”

  “Yesterday wasn’t Thursday,” Min said. “I got taken on a Monday. Mondays are my late nights at work.”

  “It was a Friday for me,” Esme said.

  “I was in the mountains for so long that my days were running together,” Ben said. “I don’t know when they got me. Whoever they are.”

  “So we all weren’t taken the same day?” Esme asked. “What did they do to us while they were rounding up everyone?”

  A hushed silence fell over the group. Payton cursed under her breath. She already didn’t like being abducted, but now it turned out her abductors had had her for a few days doing God knows what with her.

  “Well, I for one am tired of this crap. No one can keep me here against my will. I’m out.” Spencer pushed to his feet, then trotted through the trees, disappearing within the dark brush.

  “We should stick together,” Ben yelled after him.

  Mary Ann and Kaylin stood and watched him leave. “I-I think he has a point,” Mary Ann said. “I don’t want to stay here anymore.”

  “Wait. Do we have a choice in the matter?” Min asked.

  Payton paused. She’d stick with her earlier decision to stay with the group for now. The sun wasn’t fully up yet. Spencer would either get himself lost or attacked by one of the animals that kept making all those rustling noises out there. Spencer wasn’t brave, he was a fool.

  “We’ve been sitting around talking, but what about just leaving?” Kaylin asked.

  Ben held up a hand. “It looks like the sun will be coming up soon. We should wait until then to send scouting teams out. It’s dark, and we don’t know where we are, meaning it’ll be easy for us to get lo—”

  Spencer’s high-pitched scream broke through the night, silencing everyone.

  That jackass got himself attacked by an animal.

  Tension thickened the air as everyone waited. Whatever got Spencer might be coming for them. Payton gripped her knife tight in one hand and a stick in the other. A few seconds later, Spencer staggered into view. He stopped and leaned heavily against a tree, breathing hard and labored.

  “What happened?” Ben asked.

  “These are shock collars.” Spencer grabbed his. “There’s a marker a little ways off. Try to pass it, and it’ll feel like you’re being cooked alive from the inside out.”

  Kaylin and Mary Ann rushed over to help him sit and leaned Spencer against a tree. Reluctantly, Yesenia let him take a swig of the vodka she had in her grocery bag.

  “You said there was a marker before you got shocked?” Ben asked Spencer.

  Spencer swallowed hard then used his forearm to wipe a sheen of sweat from his forehead. “Yeah, big orange sticks in the ground. When I got close to it, my collar buzzed, and when I tried to pass, I was shocked.”

  Ben scrubbed a hand down his face and stopped at his chin. “We’re meant to stay in this area. We’ve been corralled.”

  Determination filled Payton. Whoever abducted them would find she wasn’t the docile woman they had bargained for.

  “So we know what the collars are for,” Esme said. “Now to figure out the wristband and what this thing behind our ear is.”

  Instinctively, Payton touched the half-inch in diameter and round, indentation behind her right ear. She’d noticed it before but assumed it was some kind of insect bite.

  “Well, I can tell you what I think it is,” Min said. Everyone turned toward her. “If you all aren’t fluent in Hangeul, then I’m assuming this is a translator.”

  “Hangeul?” Esme asked.

  “It’s my language. I was taken from Seoul, South Korea.”

  Danny let out a rough sigh. “This situation is getting crazier and crazier.”

  “I’d just assumed we were in Mexico.” Everyone turned to look at Esme. “That’s where I live.”

  “Wait.” Miranda held up both hands and looked as though she would throw up. “We aren’t in Ireland anymore?”

  “And everyone already knows I was in Afghanistan,” Ben added.

  “Well, hell.” Yesenia gave them all a confused look. “I knew right away I wasn’t in Brooklyn the second I woke up.”

  Payton choked on a breath. She’d assumed she was still in California.

  Ben tilted his head back and glanced at the sky. “And it just got crazier-er.”

  Payton slowly lifted her head. The sun was beginning to rise. But instead of blue or white clouded skies, the sky was painted in dark purple and soft pink. The sun also seemed closer and more prominent than it should’ve been. Someone gasped, and Esme turned. Another planet, a swirl of pastels, loomed over them, large
and imposing.

  “What in the actual hell?”

  “Wherever we are, it’s not on Earth,” Danny whispered.

  I guess I finally escaped Mike.

  Chapter Two

  Themba bu Kumkani, relaxed in the pilot chair of his two-seater shuttle. His feet were kicked up on the console as he read—or at least tried to read—the holo-file titled, Humans: Getting To Know Your Prey.

  Due to security reasons, all hunters had to dock their vessels on the space station then board a shuttle that would take them to their gaming lodge. When he’d arrived at the Turolois space station a few hours ago, he’d been told docking was on hold and encouraged to review several files that had been downloaded to his comlink. One file that wasn’t optional was the contract. The Hunt, an illegal business that abducted species from all across the galaxy and forced them into a game of skill and survival, hadn’t been in existence over generations without having an ironclad contract and non-disclosure agreement in place.

  He’d been instructed to electronically sign and return the contract immediately. Themba had expected it to be extensive, but he wasn’t prepared for the pages and pages of rules and consequences. His eyes glazed over most of them.

  Blah, blah blah, a hunter cannot cause major injury to prey in Levels One or Two. Blah, blah blah, hunters cannot harm other hunters in Level One.

  Next, he opened the holo-file about humans. He’d been curious to read about the protected species. They were such a rarity. To hunt one human would’ve been interesting. He’d never thought an entire hunt would be devoted to them.

  His curiosity was quickly deflated. He thought they would be interesting, but humans were beyond boring. Such a juvenile species.

  Humans came from a distant planet in the galaxy. They believed they were alone in the universe because they occupied the only habitable planet in their solar system. But even if there were other habitable planets nearby, they didn’t have the technology to travel beyond their own moon. Interstellar travel opened new opportunities for a world and with it came cures for diseases, partnerships, and technological advancements. Earth lacked that development and because of this were deemed a Class ii species. They were smart but still in the process of discovering how their planet worked, and couldn’t harvest any energy from it yet.

  He really didn’t have high hopes that hunting them would prove very difficult.

  He flicked his hand across the words, and the next page displayed. This one had a diagram of a male and a female body. Themba couldn’t help his initial thoughts.

  So unattractive.

  So soft looking.

  Their skin appeared easily penetrable compared to the toughness of his. They were also so pale compared to him. Humans didn’t have whiskers either. Then there was the most significant difference between humans and his species. The sex organs.

  A human male only had one penis, and their females only had two breasts and one vagina. He read further and next to compatible species, his was listed. He couldn’t imagine how that would work.

  Themba had never seen a human in the flesh. There were less than a few thousand on various planets throughout the galaxy. The rest—all seven billion—resided on their home planet, ignorant of the ways of the universe, thanks to the Okuthyu, humans self-designated protectors.

  Due to their overpopulation and ignorance, humans were warmongers who practiced genocide to cull their population. Staring at the picture of the naked pair, it was hard to believe they could defend themselves. While Themba could spot some muscles on their bodies, they seemed very malleable.

  One thing he did find interesting was that humans came in all different shapes and sizes, ranging from big to skinny, from dark to light, and other slight variations dependent on the regions they were born.

  There were slight deviations in the Ngonyamas as well. Not as obvious as humans. One look at Themba and he could easily be identified as a Ngonyama. Red skin, thick dark hair, whiskers, retractable claws, and tail. No matter the slight differences between kingdoms, those were the physical characteristics shared by all.

  His species was built for what this very game was based on, even though they now lived in houses instead of sleeping under the stars. They were considered civilized and thousands of generations removed from primitive but to hunt was ingrained in his very being.

  He studied the female closer. Human females were so different than the females of his species. Ngonyama females were the aggressors in a relationship. They were fierce and strong and could hold their own against any male in battle. The Ngonyama female was in command, but she also accepted and expected her mate to be her protector.

  From studying the picture, he couldn’t see any of the human females being strong or aggressive.

  Themba’s comlink beeped with an incoming call. The name of his Kgosi came up. Themba instantly straightened in his seat, feet dropping to the floor. “Is something wrong? Do I need to return to Ipakethe?”

  The deep chuckle of his Kgosi’s voice came over the comlink. “Please tell me you aren’t trying to leave before the fun even starts.”

  “My apologies, my Kgosi. I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful. There’s much for me to do back on Ipakethe. It doesn’t seem appropriate that I’m here, soon to be running through jungles and wintery lands while you handle all that is needed by yourself.”

  “Drop the, ‘my Kgosi.’ I know you believe in calling me that as a show of respect, but you’re my younger brother.”

  “You’re still my Kgosi,” Themba countered.

  “A few years ago, when father was still alive, I was just Melisizwe.” There was an audible sigh over the comlink.

  As the firstborn, Melisizwe had known from a very young age that he would one day take on the mantel of Kgosi, King of the bu Kumkani Kingdom. Themba was the Nkosana, Prince, and while he had many duties, none compared to what Melisizwe faced. Lately, there were brief moments where Themba saw melancholy in Melisizwe rather than the hard, but fair ruler he’d become since their father passed on.

  Recognizing his brother was going through something that Themba wasn’t privy to, he said, “Thank you, for securing my place in The Hunt, Melis. It was a very generous gift.”

  “I don’t want you to worry about me or the kingdom while you’re gone. It’s about time Mxolisi pulled his weight around here anyway.”

  Themba chuckled. Mxolisi, the youngest of the three brothers, spent most of his time tinkering with gadgets. He would rather do anything else besides learn about politics or involve himself with the inner workings of the kingdom. Their father had never pressed him to participate and allowed him to do as he pleased. The duty of the kingdom fell solely on Melisizwe and Themba.

  Themba and Melisizwe had been the ones to break the news to Mxolisi that since Themba was leaving off-world, to partake in a much-needed reprieve before his union, Mxolisi would have to stand by his Kgosi’s side as his second. Mxolisi hadn’t been happy about that.

  Melisizwe and Mxolisi had many days of strife ahead of them. The Hunt could last for as short as a few days or as long as a few months. The timing depended on the hunter and how long they wanted to stay in the game. Themba didn’t have a timeframe in mind. He planned to stay until he was either bored or Melisizwe needed him to return to help with the bonding ceremony preparations.

  “Good luck with that,” Themba said.

  “It’s going to take every meditation practice I know not to take a chunk out of his skinny neck with my teeth.”

  Themba released a burst of laughter. “He probably tastes horrible. But if you do bite him, try not to kill him. Father asked us to take care of him.”

  “That’s the only reason he’s still alive.” Melisizwe’s chuckling tapered off. “But seriously. Enjoy yourself. Don’t worry about any of the particulars of the bonding contract.”

  “I’m not worried. I know you’ll fight for an arrangement that’s best for both families.”

  Joining the bu Kumkani Kingdom with the re Bacuzil
family would be a boon for both Themba’s family and his kingdom. The re Bacuzil’s were one of the most profitable, non-royal families on the planet and they were being courted by all five kingdoms. That they’d chosen the bu Kumkani Kingdom to align with was an honor.

  While the re Bacuzil’s weren’t royalty, they had the wealth and prestige of a great house. They owned the largest precious jewel mines on their homeworld Ipakethe, and their spice company was profitable with buyers spanning the reaches of the galaxy. His own kingdom was rich as well. Themba and his brothers had personal wealth, so that wasn’t the reason for the union. It was the re Bacuzil’s connections and alliances that most interested his Kgosi.

  “How do you feel about nightly fellatio?”

  “I’m very much agreeable to it.”

  “Great. I added that to the contract.” Melisizwe chuckled again. “I jest. Now, tell me that you plan to catch and release?”

  Most hunters were here to find suitable mates, companions, or security staff. Themba didn’t have use for any of that.

  “Yes, just as you did when you participated a few years ago.”

  Melisizwe had been in The Hunt right before he’d taken the mantel of Kgosi. He’d been so excited when he’d returned that he’d told Themba every detail in confidence and at the risk of breaching his contract. After Themba had accepted the union with Chikondi, Melisizwe had presented him with a coveted spot as a thank you.

  “Take your time. Assess your surroundings. You don’t have to worry about tracking prey on your first day. Any you find right away won’t be worth your trouble anyway. You’ll want to hunt Level Two prey. That’s where your skill will be tested.”

  “What about Level Three prey?”

  Themba turned his gaze toward the window where he had an unobstructed view of the space station. It was a megastructure of bright lights and twisted metal hovered over the planet.

  Lights from the space station hit a spot on the dome that covered the planet, creating a rainbow effect. Eager to start his adventure, Themba wished he could see part of the planet below, but the dome’s dark tint prevented that.