Ral's Woman by Laurann Dohner Read Free Book Online Page A

correct.”
    He took her to the bathroom. Four men were ordered by Ral to
leave so she could have privacy. When she was done he walked in and used the
bathroom. Three different men walked in. Ral pulled her closer to his body and
jerked his head at her to not look. She shot him an eye roll but kept her gaze
on Ral. She didn’t want to see three men piss. She’d give Ral privacy if she
thought he’d let her out of his sight. They washed up before leaving the
bathroom. Ral took her to the eating room.
    “Eat fast.” He handed the plates he filled with food to
Ariel. He got them mugs of water. She eyed the room. It was packed, unlike the
morning before. The room was unusually quiet. Ral sat on the bench at the end
of the table, spreading his thighs wide. He inched back on the bench to make
room for her to sit.
    Without him needing to tell her, Ariel slid onto his lap
between his thighs. They ate fast. Ral gave a nod at men around the room. She
glanced up. Ral’s people were tense. She could almost feel it in the air. She
wondered what in the hell was going on. She glanced up at Ral. He looked down
at her and smiled.
    “Ral?”
    “Trust me and ask later.”
    She shut her mouth and nodded. Ral wanted them to be on the
move. She left the eating area with him. He didn’t walk toward the mine though.
He gripped the blanket over his shoulder, took her hand and headed toward doors
marked with words she couldn’t read. The markings looked like wiggles with some
scratches. The hand holding hers tightened. He paused to look down at her.
    “Stay with me. If something goes wrong, we will have to run.
Run with me. Swear it to me, Ariel. I won’t lose you and I will die if they
take you from me because I will fight to keep you regardless of the odds.”
    Fear hit her. What in the hell was going on? Ral opened up
the door that led to a smaller hallway. Ral jerked her forward and they nearly
ran down the hall. It ended at one of those platform elevator things with the
raw rock walls. Ral stepped onto it pulling her into his arms.
    “Do not touch the walls.”
    “I won’t.” She shivered. “It would be like touching an
electric cheese grater at the speed these things move up and down.”
    “Cheese grater?”
    “Never mind. I was talking to myself.”
    The platform slowed. Ral sniffed the air as he jerked her forward.
They ran down halls until they came to another large door. It looked like the
crush door she’d walked through when Yoz had taken her to the mines. The door
swished open. Ariel was a little surprised to see that one of Ral’s men stood
there.
    “We are ready. The rest follow.”
    Ral nodded and took off without warning. His hand on Ariel’s
tightened as he yanked her behind him. She ran for all she was worth across the
large room to another large door. Ral paused and looked back. Ariel glanced
over her shoulder to see dozens of Zorn run into the large room with more on
their heels. The room was filling with Zorn.
    The man who’d let them into the room finally shut the other
door. There had to be well over a hundred Zorn in the room with a few other
species she hadn’t seen before. The other non Zorn looked as confused as she
felt. There were only a handful of them, all of them were females.
    “Let’s do this.” Ral nodded.
    The doors opened. Ariel spun to see what the room they were
going into was. She gasped when she eyed the largest ship she’d ever seen
parked in what appeared to be open space. She saw the glass dome then. It was
barely noticeable with deep space as a background.
    More Zorn men were by the ship. They waved frantically at
everyone. Like a stampede, the Zorn started to run. Ral gripped her hand as he
jerked her closer to his body. They both ran for the large ship.
    It was a space ship. She understood that. She wondered about
what was about to happen. Comprehension hit her as they neared the ship. They
were trying to escape. Shock tore through her as they ran up a ramp and into
the belly