Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
I feel a rush of excitement and nervousness low in my belly, along with that feeling I’ve had before, a sort of familiarity I can’t quite entirely identify.
“Come here, you,” he says. “We need to speak with you. The rest of the ladies can help themselves to food in the galley. There’s plenty of it. There’s also baths and beds and places to nap pretty much anywhere you might care to find them.”
“You want me?” I point a finger at myself.
“Oh, very much,” he says.
I hesitate for a moment, but then I follow him back to the depths of the ship where a little cave-like room contains all the big aliens who rescued us. I am a little confused as to what’s happening. They all seem to know me, and they all seem somewhat excited to see me. I can feel a sort of chemistry with all of them, but I can’t be fucking all of them, right?
Is this why I couldn’t form a bond with any male human when I was in the village? Does some part of me know that I am already taken? It feels like the mystery isn’t going to be a mystery for much longer.
“So. Hi,” I say as I face the three of them.
They look at one another, and then back at me. There’s something in the air, something unspoken that they seem to think they share with me, and I can’t remember to save myself.
“We found you again,” the Minotaur says. “I hope it’s for the last time. We were so worried it was going to take years again.”
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I really don’t remember any of you.”
The pretty blond man lets out a frustrated sigh. The other two seem to be in better control of their emotions. There’s warmth in the Minotaur’s tone and the kind of relief nobody can really fake.
“So we know each other?”
“We love each other,” he says.
“Wow,” I reply. “That’s really sweet, but…”
“That’s okay,” he says. “This time, you made a video before you ran away.”
He presses a button on a machine, and flickering light appears on the opposite wall, creating a moving picture synchronized with audio.
I see myself sitting in a chair. The video is at a bit of a weird angle, and my voice is hushed, as if I don’t want anyone to hear me. I am wearing a very fancy silver dress, and I am looking cute with my hair in pigtails, and my eyes made up with silver and black liner to match the dress.
“Hey, me,” I say. “I’m me, and so are you. So if you’re, I mean, I’m seeing this, it’s because I ran away from my owners…” I make a weird expression with my face as I say that last word. “Anyway. It’s because I ran away and probably got my head fucked up by whoever is fucking up heads down on Earth. But it also means I’m watching now. So, hi, me. You’re in the middle of a plot in which aliens are abducting women from Earth to fuck against their will. The three aliens who are probably pissed with us right now are good. Their names are Kronos—he’s the one that looks like he could be human if it wasn’t for the sharp teeth and the crazy muscles; Sharp, he’s the dragon-y looking one; and Boss, he’s the Minotaur. Anyway, they’re on our side, so don’t freak out when they catch me again. They’re going to beat our ass. Let them. They’ll probably make it hot. Also, you stole their ship. So. They kind of have a reason to be pissed. Okay. Good luck!”
I look out of my peripheral vision to see how the aliens react to that. Boss smirks. Kronos looks a bit pleased with himself. Sharp doesn’t give anything away, but I get the sense he is also amused.
“I don’t know what to say,” I say when the video ends, which is right after I embarrass myself. “So you’re telling me, or rather, I’m telling me, that I keep running away to try to stop these evil aliens from abducting women and selling them for sex and food to other evil aliens?”
“Yes,” the Minotaur, Boss, says. “And you belong to me and these two.”
I look at the other two. Looks like a pretty boy hunter and a snake man. Snake man has stern dad energy. Pretty boy hunter has very sharp teeth and an air about him that makes me think he is probably more dangerous than he looks.
“Belong,” I say. “That’s a strong word. Makes it sound like you own me. Did you buy me at some point? Was I for sale?”
The question is a trap, because obviously I am not for sale. I am a free human. I come from the wilds. I am a survivor among women. I am absolutely fucking not a human for sale.