Sloane Read online

  Sloane

  The Mark Series - Book two

  D. A. Stafford

  All Rights Reserved

  This work of fiction may not be reproduced in any form or in any means, in whole or in part, without written permission from the author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Characters, events, places and names depicted in this book are the product of the author's imagination and used fictitiously.

  Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events, businesses, or names are purely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2019 by D.A. Stafford

  ISBN:

  Imprint: Independently published

  Cover design by pro_ebookcovers

  “Well-behaved women seldom make history.”

  - Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  It’s been three weeks . . . three long weeks, and that’s no exaggeration, because Arenian weeks are ten days long. She’s incredibly happy for her friend, Jessie, but she’s just anxious to see her. Ever since Sloane woke from stasis, it had been a whirlwind of deranged councilmen, a poisoned prince, Jessie’s marriage to two princes, and two men following her every move like cats ready to pounce on a mouse.

  When she first came out of stasis, Sloane’s body was extremely weak. Although her body had retained the nourishment it received before she went into stasis, she was extremely thin and sickly from the cancer that had ravaged her body. In the beginning, Sloane had to use a wheelchair, because she’d tire so easily. She even had to attend Jessie’s wedding and the reception in a wheelchair. During the reception, she had a slight disagreement with Lian and Lyon’s family—well, mainly their mother. The men soothed her after her run-in with Uri, but that was neither here nor there.

  Sitting in a wheelchair and being waited on hand and foot was the ultimate slap in the face. She’d been self-sufficient since before she was ten years old and didn’t need anyone’s help. The RaBatt servants would bathe her, dress her, clean her room, bring her food, and deliver her to her least favorite activity . . . physical therapy.

  One would think with all the medical advancements the Arenians possessed, physical therapy would be obsolete, but apparently not. Being royal master healers, Lian and Lyon were, for lack of a better word, her drill sergeants for the time being. At the start of her physical therapy, they were both extremely gentle with her, having her raise her arms above her head ten times and calling it good for the day. It took more of her energy to get down there than it did to actually do physical therapy. On the third day, Sloane had had enough and gave the men an earful for wasting her time. She told them both in no uncertain terms that she’d get other healers for her therapy. After that, the kid gloves were off.

  Lian and Lyon would bark orders for Sloane to do this, that, or the other to try to build her strength. When she was a little further along in her therapy and alone in her room, away from prying eyes, she’d do leg lifts and pace her suite. She finally got to the point where she was able to do lunges, sit-ups, and jog in place. She liked pushing herself. The sooner she was better, the sooner she could contribute to this society. She wasn’t going to be beholden to anyone, especially a man. Just as it was on Earth, she’d stand on her own two feet here on Arenia.

  In a very short time, she’d learned that Arenian women are these delicate rose buds waiting to be plucked from the stem by several Arenian men to live happily ever after. Arenian females don’t do anything. They don’t work, don’t teach, they aren’t entrepreneurs or philanthropists. They sit at home, make love to their husbands, and bear offspring, while their husbands cater to their every whim.

  So, if the women don’t do anything, how could a female get hurt badly enough to necessitate physical therapy? The answer: they don’t. Sloane not only had to do physical therapy, but had to do it with twenty to thirty virile Arenian men ogling her.

  The palace hospital was for the most severe medical cases. Arenians have little sickness, since they’re able to rely on healing units to correct medical issues. The healing units had even cured her cancer. So that only left accidents. Such calamities left some men with severed appendages, while others were close to death. Grave injuries like those required the men to be placed in stasis. The males at the palace undergoing therapy had been hurt in farming accidents or transport accidents, or even bore battle wounds inflicted on the practice fields.

  In the beginning, her five-foot six-inch frame was very gaunt and she was intimidated by the hulking men watching her. She felt like an exotic tiger on display for zoo patrons to take pictures of and admire. The only issue was that it wasn’t just admiration the men were throwing her way; it was sexual innuendo. Although she appreciated the attention, Lian and Lyon didn’t seem to.

  When the men would try to help her, give her flowery compliments, or allow their eyes to linger on her too long, Lian and Lyon both would growl and move the men to other rooms. After about five days of the brothers yelling at the ogling men, they decided it would be better to continue her therapy on a more one-on-one . . . on-one basis.

  As the days went by, she slowly regained her strength. Sloane thought it was due to the diet and supplements the brothers had prescribed for her. It was difficult at first, but nothing she did in life was ever easy, and she seemed to progress better with the individual sessions. The problem with the individual attention they gave her was, in fact, the attention. Each day, the brothers would take turns stretching her out before she started therapy, then again when she finished. She felt they made sure they touched her as much as possible, even if it was to correct her form on one of the exercises she was doing. The slight caresses and close proximity left her wanting more. More physical contact, male attention, or touches, she didn’t quite know.

  One time, she came for therapy and the entire place was empty, except for Lyon and Lian dressed in no more than what Sloane would consider to be equivalent to black boxer briefs. All their golden skin, tight with muscles, was on display for her. The sexy men convinced her that it would be beneficial if they joined her in the exercises on occasion, to show the advancements she’d made in a short time. Their lack of clothes had her drunk on lust in no time.

  Ever since her first encounter with the healers, Sloane knew they wanted more from her, thinking she was their one true mate. It’s not that she wasn’t interested in the men, but that she was broke. Broke emotionally, broke physically, and even broke financially. She couldn’t get attached to any of the men here. The whole planet was trying to procreate, for God’s sake. How could she put her needs in front of the survival of two species? So, after this last group session, she decided she’d continue her therapy on her own.

  Before she was sick with cancer, she was an avid runner. It was an individual hobby which always seemed to clear her head and ground her thoughts. One day, when she finally felt she was up to it, she donned her old jogging shoes from Earth and headed out the palace doors. As she was about to start her trek, Lian and Lyon stepped in front of her path with frowns on their faces and arms cros
sed over their expansive chests. Lyon spoke first, “Aya . . . Sloane, this is not part of your prescribed therapy. We cannot permit this.”

  If she could’ve shot lasers out her eyes, she would’ve. “Last time I checked, I was the queen and kings’ personal guest and permitted to do what I wanted, when I wanted. Are you saying I’m no longer a guest?” Sloane hissed the last word past her lips.

  It was Lian’s turn to rebut, “Of course not. What Lyon is trying to point out is that you haven’t been on the grounds by yourself and although the palace is relatively safe, there are still dangers within these walls.”

  “What kind of dangers?”

  “Plant and wildlife you may not be used to. Some plants look so beautiful you may want to touch or smell them, but may be poisonous. Small animals here may look harmless, but have rows of sharp teeth to tear through your flesh.”

  The descriptions Lian was giving frightened her, but she didn’t want to show her fear. “I wasn’t going to go too far anyway.”

  Lyon spoke up. “We’ll run with you. This way, we can point out dangers and get some exercise as well.”

  “Uh, I’m . . . not comfortable with that.” It had been years since she was able to jog. When she was diagnosed with cancer, she tried to keep going, but her treatments made her weak, and after her hair fell out, she didn’t feel as comfortable out in the public eye as she once was.

  “Do you not enjoy our company?”

  “Jogging is kind of my thing. It’s something I like to do by myself.”

  “Lian and I can respect that. We’ll follow you at a distance.”

  “No! I mean . . . no, thank you. I would like to do this on my own.”

  Both Lian and Lyon looked at her with scowls on their faces. Lian finally spoke. “What are you afraid of?”

  “I’m not afraid of a damned thing. I just don’t need two physically fit men following the inept Earth woman around.”

  Lian and Lyon recoiled as though she’d slapped them. “You’re not inept. You’re one of the strongest females we’ve had the pleasure of knowing. We’d like to get to know you even better, but you push us away.”

  “I-I . . . don’t know what to say. I’m sorry. I know you think I’m your ayah or something, but I think your Goddess has it wrong this time. I can’t get involved with you, or any Arenian males, for that matter.”

  “Why do you fight us on this? We smell your arousal when we’re near. We know you’re interested in us. Why can’t you just accept the truth? You were made for us. We’re pretty sure we proved it to you at the princes and princess’s reception.”

  Sloane turned her back to the pair as tears threatened to overflow. Sucking in a deep breath and burying her feelings, she whispered, “Because I can’t.”

  Lyon had a bigger bite to his words. “You mean you won’t.”

  “I’m suddenly tired and need to go back to my room to lay down. I won’t sneak out and go jogging by myself, but if you could find a treadmill of some sort, I would greatly appreciate it. If you don’t know what that is, Riley can explain it to you.”

  Chapter 2

  The men watched Sloane head back into the palace with her head hung low. They were crestfallen. Sloane was, again, pulling away from them. Why couldn’t she accept her destiny with them? Their hope was that once Jessie had left with the princes for their honeymoon, they’d have a better chance to woo her.

  Sloane’s chance encounter with their parents at the royal reception three weeks ago had been less than stellar. When Princess Jessie had let it slip that Sloane was their ayah, the reaction of their mother, Uri, was dismal at best. They had hoped to have more time with her before they introduced her to their parents, but the situation was thrust onto them, and it didn’t go as they’d hoped.

  ~~~~~~~

  Sloane didn’t tolerate the chilly greeting their mother had given her. In fact, they were shocked when Sloane had risen from her mobile chair and walked away from their parents without bowing to the high councilmen’s family. Her defiance was noted with a high tilt of her chin as she walked away.

  They didn’t have long to dwell on the slight to their mother, because it was the first time Sloane had gotten up from her mobile chair under her own power and walked. The men followed closely and waited for her bravado to fade.

  As they followed her through the double doors that the doormen held open, they immediately noticed two things. First, her clipped pace slowed dramatically, and second, her scent changed from outrage to fatigue in an instant. Luckily, they were there to catch her as she collapsed.

  When Lyon swept her up in his arms, she was as weak as an eema. She’d tried protesting, but all she could manage past her lips was, “No.”

  Lian responded immediately, “You’re in an unsuitable position to protest.”

  Sloane’s response had been a soft growl of frustration.

  She was beautiful in the revealing bonding gown they had bought her. It was a maroon, two-piece gown that left most of her back bare to their touch and matched their attire to show she was theirs. Lyon walked their beauty to her chamber. Upon arriving, Lian opened her door and Lyon scooted past with her still in his arms. Lian secured the door as Lyon gently laid her down on her bed. Lian sat down beside her, while Lyon grabbed a nourishment drink for her to sip.

  Lian tried to stroke her hair, but she shied away from his touch. “We just want to comfort you. Please allow us this one concession.”

  “I appreciate your help, but I just want to be alone.”

  Lyon sat on the other side of Sloane and they helped her to a sitting position, so she could sip some of the nourishment liquid. As she consumed the drink, they took turns caressing her back and hair.

  When she finished, she politely shrugged out of their hold and settled back on the bed. “I’m fine now. Thank you for your help.”

  They looked at each other with smirks on their faces. “You’ll not dismiss us so easily. You’ve fatigued yourself beyond capabilities, so Lyon and I will need to care for you for the rest of the night.”

  Sloane’s stunned expression quickly fled, and a mask of determination was securely slid in place. It looked like they were about to have a very upset female on their hands.

  “Again, thank you for your help, but I’m more than capable of going to bed myself.”

  “The nourishment drinks can be disorienting to the mind when you’ve pushed yourself beyond your abilities. We don’t want you to hurt yourself on accident, so we’ll monitor you.”

  Lian and Lyon could scent her anger and embarrassment. “One of the RaBatt servants can help me.”

  “The servants are not healers and would need to call us anyway to help. Both of us staying will help eliminate a delay in your care if the need arises.”

  Sloane huffed a breath. “Fine. So now what do we do?”

  Lyon spoke first. “We take this time to get to know one another. For instance, how do you like your new home so far?”

  With a perplexed look on her face, she chuckled, “Although I haven’t seen much of it, what I’ve seen is beautiful.”

  Lian and Lyon smiled at her. Lian spoke next, “It seems most American-Earth women worked. Did you work?”

  A somber look crossed her face, “I did. I was a teacher. I taught second graders at a local elementary school until I got sick.”

  “What’s a second grader?”

  “Schools usually have twelve grades to go through before you graduate. I had smaller children to teach things like mathematics, English, geography, and history.”

  “Children as in male and female offspring?”

  “Yes. In America, it was required for both boys and girls to go to school.” Shock crossed her face. “Do you not educate your females?”

  Lyon smiled, “Yes, of course we do. In fact, they’re highly educated. Arenians just educate them separately from the males.”

  “It wasn’t uncommon to find an all-boys or all-girls school. It just wasn’t the norm.”

  They co
uld see she was becoming more confident in her responses as the nourishment helped restore her strength. She was even as bold as to sit up and reposition the pillows to support her weight.

  With a stern chin and resolve in her voice, Sloane spoke up. “It’s my turn to ask questions. Are you wealthy?”

  The men bristled at the question. “Does it really matter? We’ll take care of you no matter what happens.”

  “You didn’t answer the question.”

  In unison, they answered, “Yes.”

  The brothers could see the disappointment cross her face. Princess Jessie gave them a small sliver into Sloane’s past and her family’s wealth, but also told them it was Sloane’s story to tell.

  She sighed. “I guess that explains your mother’s reaction to me. I thought she might be racist, but now I know it revolves around the pesky thing that makes every world go around: money.”

  “Sloane, although our mother is a little particular, she’s fairly typical of Arenian females. Our fathers were lucky in that they found their ayah. The bond between them is strong, and although she’s female, she’s just as fierce in protecting her mates as they are regarding her. This protection also transfers to her offspring.”

  “If they didn’t find their ayah, our fathers would have taken a female as their mate from the most prominent family. That female would not only enjoy the wealth our fathers had to offer, but she would have expected it. It’s a consolation prize for her hardship in taking partners who aren’t her true mates,” Lyon finally finished on a whisper because the shock was evident on her face.

  “I-I . . .” Sloane cleared her throat. “I’m not sure where to start with that information. So, if a female doesn’t find her mates, she just auctions herself off to the one who can give her the most?”

  Both men nodded slowly.

  “I’m sorry, but that’s messed up. They’re all just money-hungry bitches who don’t deserve the men they’re with.”

  Lyon jumped in immediately. “That’s why it’s so important for the males of our planet to find their ayah. It’s why Lian and I need you. You’re our ayah.”