I don’t want to look at him. I don’t. I try hard not to, but my eyes slide to him anyway. Our gazes meet, and my limbs lock up tight.
Sharp, exotic features fill my vision, thick arching brows and lean muscles covered in ridges and scales. Not several yards from where I’m standing, waiting for him to come forward and chain me, I’m transfixed. I couldn’t run if I wanted to. And I want to.
I want to run far, far away.
He’s beautiful, a deadly beauty meant for one thing: to lure idiotic prey like me.
Standing beside the other two, he’s the tallest. His tail lifting him high off the ground. He may not be packed with muscles like the male with a cowl, but he’s built. I don’t think my little knife is going to help me.
“Just two?” the blue one balks. “Two to fight over? Do you know how many of us are waiting in the trees? Three was not enough! It will be a bloodbath!”
“Enough, Vagan!” the yellow and black one says. “We will not take a gestating female from her mate. The females are not to come to any harm, and that goes for the one out of our reach.” He glares at the men. “For now.”
Collins shakes despite his best attempts to hide it.
Vagan snarls but doesn’t argue further.
“So we still have a deal?” Peter asks.
I hate him.
“We have a deal.”
“Hand over the box, and we’ll leave you to it.”
I hate Peter even more—if that’s possible. I want to wring my hands around his neck and squeeze.
The black and brown alien thrusts the box at Peter. “Take it then and leave.”
In a blur, the next few minutes rush by. Daisy loses it when Peter and Collins enter the skiff, refusing to listen to her pleas. I stand stunned, fearful to move, wanting more than anything to grab my knife and fight. It’s not until the skiff takes off and a tense silence returns that I acknowledge the three very big, very scary males staring at Daisy and me.
Their eyes feast on our flesh. Their stances are rigid and ready.
My chest constricts, and I turn my head away.
I shuffle to Daisy’s side and help her stand, grabbing onto her tightly, locking my fingers.
“We need to be brave,” I whisper, clutching her. “It’s up to us now.”
It’s up to me. I outrank Daisy by a lot. She’ll look to me for guidance.
I swallow my fear and stare back at the males.
“W-What now?” I ask, squeezing Daisy’s hand.
“Now,” the red one smiles wickedly, addressing me, and only me, “we hunt.”
Four
Soft Flesh
Gemma
I drag Daisy behind me, rushing through the forest. The trees are thick, the bushes so full my clothes tear, caught and ripping on branches at every turn. My skin opens up as sharp twigs abrade my flesh.
I don’t know if we’ve been running for hours or minutes.
I don’t see the forest or anything in it. I see him. His intense, serpentine eyes and sharp lips. I see the blue male’s hard, bright orange cock, too long to fit in any human female without terrible discomfort. It was in that moment that I knew Daisy and I were to be nothing but slaves, or worse to this strange species. They don’t want to eat us, or experiment on us... They want to use us.
A twig slices my cheek and I flinch, stumbling over my feet. Daisy catches me, and we surge forward.
Fuck reasoning with them.
Another large branch slaps me in the face, and I fall back stunned. Daisy tugs on my arm and forces me to keep going. “Don’t stop! We can’t stop!”
I love her more than anything at that moment. Shaking the pain away, I rush after her. I’d kill for her.
I hear hissing behind me.
“Daisy,” I gasp. “They’re catching up!”
“Don’t stop!” she cries.
The hissing grows louder, and with it, the clash of males fighting. Their animalistic roars fill me with fear.
Spotting a ledge up ahead, we head straight for it. Daisy hits it hard, letting me go and pulling herself atop first. I catch her foot and push her the rest of the way up. When it’s my turn, I jump and haul my body up, thinking Daisy will grab my hand and help me. But when she doesn’t, I claw the rest of the way over the rocks.
Rising to my feet, I search for her, but she’s nowhere to be found.
“Daisy?” I gasp between breaths.
No answer.
“Daisy!” I shout.
A shrill scream answers ahead of me.
“Daisy,” I whisper, yanking my knife out from under the lip of my pants, where it’s strapped to my leg. “Daisy!” I scream, hoping she’ll answer me. “I’m coming!”
She doesn’t scream again. I call her name a dozen more times… but nothing. I don’t stop shouting, even when I know she must be gone. I eye my surroundings wildly, hoping for signs of passage or tracks. A few minutes pass, my mania gaining momentum.
She’s been caught.
And calling for her will bring the aliens down on me.
“Fuck,” I breathe, coming to a stop. I try to stabilize, resting my hand on the trunk of a nearby tree wrenching my eyes shut. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” I’ve lost her.
Hitting the tree several times with my fists, I calm a fraction.
I can’t stay here.
Looking around, there’s forest on every side. I don’t know what to do without Daisy. We never even had the chance to discuss what to do if we got separated. I can’t even see the sky. I have no idea where I am or what direction I should run.
Tears bud in my eyes.
I won’t be a broodmare.
I won’t.
Shaking, I lift my knife and point it at my chest. I tremble, gripping the knife’s shaft with sweaty palms.
I press the tip into me and grit my teeth. My hand shakes. “Do it,” I whisper. “You can do it.”
Something hits my hand, and the knife goes flying.
My eyes snap up
