“It was the, uh, drumming sound. It startled me—that’s all.”
“Oh, that’s just the Unification Music, my sweet,” Mother Toone reassured her. “For what’s a ceremony without music?”
The heavy drumbeats sounded like some kind of funeral march to Penny—much different from the light, lovely strains of Pachabell’s Canon she was used to hearing at the beginning of a wedding.
But then, this was no ordinary wedding. She was about to be given to a stranger for life—or at least until she could escape from this horrible Compound.
Because I’m still going to escape, Penny promised herself. I don’t care what he does to me—I won’t let him break me! I won’t let him stop me from getting out of here!
It was easy to say brave words to herself, but the reality of the drumbeat of doom, which echoed all around her from the Compound’s hidden loudspeaker system was undeniable. Before this day was over, she was going to be assaulted—probably more than once. And it was going to happen over and over until she could get away.
Penny thought of the gray, hopeless tone of Claudette’s voice when she’d talked about being raped daily during the Mandatory Breeding Hour and told Penny she would “get used to it.” The Compound had broken Claudette’s spirit. She had given up any hope of ever getting out of here.
But I won’t let that happen to me, Penny swore to herself. I won’t give in to despair—no matter what the bastard they give me to does to me, I won’t let him break my spirit. I won’t—I won’t!
She was still vowing this to herself when they came to the steps of the Amphitheater and she felt the hands of the NeverBreeders on either side of her, guiding her downwards into the huge stone bowl.
The drumbeats were even louder in here—BUM-ba-ba-ba-Bum-ba-ba-ba-Bum… They almost drowned out the noise of the crowd assembled on the stone bleachers to watch the Unification Ceremony. But they couldn’t drown out the sound of Penny’s own panicked heartbeat, drumming in her ears as she slowly and blindly descended the steps.
Who was waiting for her at the end of this blind journey? Would he be cruel? Would he delight in ‘doing his duty’ and breeding her? Would he be rough? How much was it going to hurt?
A thousand questions filled her mind but there were no answers, just the steady beat of the drums, the murmur of the crowd, and the frantic pounding of her heart.
At last the steps came to an end and they were on level ground again. Penny was horribly aware of the way her breasts and pussy were on full display as she walked. The soft, spicy breeze tightened her nipples, which were wet with the sticky, slowly leaking nectar and she could feel the long grass strands tickling her thighs with each step as they framed her bare crotch.
God, it all was so horribly embarrassing. But at least she wasn’t the only one in this position, she reminded herself. All the other women were dressed exactly the same way she was for the Unification Ceremony. They—
Suddenly, they came to a stop.
“Now, here we are,” Mother Toone whispered in her ear. “You’re standing directly across from your Forever Mate, my sweetie. And oh, he’s a handsome one. I’ll leave you now, for the ceremony is about to begin.”
There was a soft sound of retreating footsteps and then the NeverBreeders on either side of her were gone and she was alone with her husband-to-be.
Heart pounding in her throat, Penny stood there, feeling horribly exposed and uncertain. Like many women, she had imagined her wedding day since she was a little girl.
But all she could think, as she stood there waiting to be given to a complete stranger, was that this wasn’t how her wedding was supposed to go at all…
Thirty-One
Penny couldn’t see the man across from her, but she swore that she could feel him. He seemed to radiate heat like a furnace because she could feel his warmth against the chilly, tight tips of her nipples, even though they weren’t touching.
That was about to change though.
“Brides, raise your hands,” someone called. It was the familiar voice of the “Glorious Leader.” Automatically, Penny obeyed, lifting her bound hands in front of her.
“Males, take your Forever Mate’s hands in yours,” the Glorious Leader instructed.
Warm, rough hands enfolded Penny’s. They were big—so big she felt like a child holding an adult’s hand at first. The size difference made her bite her lip. How huge was this male they were giving her to? Though all the breeders in the Compound were humanoid, they varied greatly in size and appearance. Was her “Forever Mate” some kind of alien giant?
“Now, brides,” the Glorious Leader continued. “Repeat after me—Forever Mate, I give you my hands, bound in submission, to show my obedience to you.”
Penny mumbled the words through numb lips, as the as-yet unseen man across from her continued to hold her hands lightly but firmly.
“I come to you blindfolded to show that I give my heart blindly, in perfect trust and perfect love,” the vows continued. Penny repeated them, her heart still beating in her throat.
“And now, males, if you will repeat after me,” the Glorious Leader continued. “Forever Mate, I accept your love, your trust, and your body as my own property to do with as I please.”
The man across from her rumbled the words in a voice so deep it seemed to vibrate Penny’s entire body. God, that voice had to be coming from a big chest, she thought and again she wondered,
How big is he?
“And now the first stage of the ceremony—the meeting—is complete,” the Glorious Leader said. “It is time for the second stage—the unveiling.” He raised his voice so that the assembled audience could hear him. “The male breeders will now remove the blindfolds from their female’s eyes so that they can look upon their Forever Mates for the first time!”
Oh my God,
