Free Noble Monster: A Scifi Alien Abduction Romance Standalone (Jannan Raiders Book 1) by Zena Zion

many died. I am willing to estimate that at least half of the women who are captured by the slavers do not survive their ‘training’.” She looked up at the horned man.
    “Nothing that they did to me, and nothing that I saw done to others, inspired me to become obedient. It inspired me to fear you. It inspired me to hate you. The only reason that none of you knew this before is that it was in your best interests not to know.”
    Tears ran down her cheeks, and Kaelon put an arm around her. With his support, she found the strength to go on.
    “If Kaelon and I had not found each other, I would have died by now. I would have done so quite deliberately, goading one of you into pressing the execution button on my collar. You have been told that humans thrive when deprived of their freedom. I am here to tell you that the opposite is true. Most of us would rather die than live as slaves.”
    The horned man paled, and nodded. “Then, I for one am very glad that the two of you did find each other. It may shock you to discover that relatively few of us would knowingly live with such an atrocity.”
    She smiled through her tears. “It is easier now for me to believe that. We humans also have a habit of looking the other way when something terrible is happening. I think it is an affliction shared by many thinking beings. But things don't have to be that way. Your race doesn't have to die out, and we don't have to end up your enemies.”
    Kaelon spoke up again. “Anyone who is interested in witnessing the results of the final investigation, please contact my head of security. We will have the records in your hands by the end of this month.”
    Later that night, they sat together in his dining hall, enjoying a dessert of fruit and chilled drinks: sweet wine for him, some kind of fruit juice for her. Setting his goblet down, Kaelon's spoke.
    “Miriam is returning to Earth at the end of this month. She has been an excellent servant to me, but given the reality of what I have discovered, I can no longer refuse any of my servants who request to return home. I have done what I can to compensate her for her years of service. She will have more than enough gold to ensure a comfortable retirement back on Earth.”
    “I am glad. She never expected to see her home again.” Irina felt a pang of sadness at the irony of it all. In the end, Miriam had been right. Things had actually gotten better. But they had only gotten better because she, and then Kaelon, were willing to fight for a better world. “I should make sure to spend some more time with her before she goes.”
    He hesitated. But finally, he turned to her and cleared his throat. “I know that this world has been terrible to you. I know that you have said how much you wished to be free. Even now, there are those who will fight against the changes I am seeking to implement. Even now, there are those on this world who would try to treat you like a slave in spite of the fact that you are my mate. Because of these and many other things, I can no longer in good conscience keep you here.”
    She blinked in shock and set down her own wine goblet. “Kaelon….”
    “I don't know how I will live without you,” he said with a sad little smile. ” I suppose that I shall endure, as I always have. But I would rather think of you free and happy somewhere, then stuck on a world that you can't stand.”
    She took a deep breath. She had already made her decision. But making her decision and announcing it to him were two different animals, and she had to force herself to speak.
    “It's true, just a few months ago I would have jumped at the offer. But things have happened which have changed that.” She reached over and put a hand on his arm, feeling it tense with anticipation of her answer.
    “I don't want to leave you behind. And I know that you have to stay here. And even if I didn't care that I was about to leave behind the only person in this damn galaxy that loves me… I don't want his