Chapter 1

The frosty winter air nipped at Lauren's face as soon as she walked out of the building. Waddled out of the building is more accurate, she thought ruefully, curving her hand over the ever-increasing mound of her stomach.

"Do you think I'm doing the right thing?" she asked Felicity.

Her best friend sighed and shook her head. The two of them had been best friends since the first day of kindergarten when Johnny Ellis tried to pull Felicity's ponytail and Lauren had punched him. When he tried to retaliate, Felicity had jumped in and Johnny backed down. Now, almost forty years later, it was still a matter of debate who had really been the heroine of the hour.

"Of course I do. You know how I feel about this. Even though your pregnancy has been going smoothly, there's no point in taking any chances. Spending the last month before the baby is born taking life easy is a rational decision."

"I suppose," she agreed as they set off across the parking lot, but Felicity's approval didn't entirely eliminate her doubts.

Anderson Robotics had a generous maternity leave policy and her boss hadn't hesitated to sign off on her request. The timing had worked out well since they were just finishing up a project - but that meant the initial phase of the next project would be handled by Rob. He was chomping at the bit to lead a project, sure that he could do a much better job than she did. She didn't mind the fact that he was ambitious. She did mind the fact that he was sloppy and wanted to rush ahead without testing all the variables.

"You aren't still worried about Rob, are you?" Felicity asked, echoing her thoughts.

"Not exactly. I mean, I'm not worried that my job is in danger. If anything they're going to be even more anxious to have me back. I am worried that I'm going to have a huge mess to clean up."

"And you'll love every minute of it." Her friend laughed and put her arm through Lauren's as they crossed the road and entered the park. "You love making order out of chaos."

"Usually, yes. But with a new baby as well…"

Not for the first time she wished she had family to help out, but her mother had died long ago and she'd never been close to her stepmother. She'd already interviewed several candidates from a nanny agency and they were all highly qualified, but they were still strangers. If only her mother were still around… The tears that came far too frequently these days sprang to her eyes.

"Stop that." Felicity squeezed her arm. "You're going to be an amazing mom. And even if it's not always easy, it will be worth it. I just wish I had the courage to do it," she added wistfully. "But John is so opposed to the idea."

She forced herself to bite her tongue. Felicity knew her opinion of her friend's long-time on-again, off-again relationship. John was also a doctor, but unlike Felicity, he didn't seem to have chosen that path because he cared about people. In her opinion he was both arrogant and selfish but she'd learned to keep her mouth shut. Mostly.

"You could always leave him and move in with me. Then we could bring up our babies together. They could be friends from birth."

"Don't tempt me."

Her friend's laughter also held a wistful note and Lauren crossed her fingers that maybe she was finally getting ready to ditch John. She would love to have her best friend close by. Content to have at least planted the idea, she changed the subject to the latest gossip at the hospital where Felicity worked.

As they strolled through the park, the evening air began to change. A faint mist crept in, veiling the surroundings in a soft, grayish haze. The sounds of the city – children's laughter, barking dogs, and the distant hum of cars – gradually faded away, replaced by an unsettling silence. Lauren's skin prickled, and she glanced around, scanning the park.

Felicity, oblivious to the shift in atmosphere, continued to chat about her coworkers, her laughter echoing through the stillness. As they crossed a small bridge over a dry creek bed, the mist grew thicker, swirling around their ankles like a living entity. Her heart rate quickened, and she picked up her pace, her eyes fixed on the houses beyond the park's edge. Her bungalow, with its cozy porch and welcoming lights, was only a few minutes away.

Felicity finally picked up on her unease, giving her a concerned glance.

"What's wrong?"

She hesitated, unsure how to articulate the anxiety settling in her stomach.

"I don't know… it's just… this mist is really weird."

Felicity nodded, blue eyes thoughtfully studying the mist-shrouded surroundings.

"It is kind of creepy. But we're almost home, right?"

She nodded, her hand instinctively drifting to her baby bump. A shiver ran down her spine as the mist caressed her skin, its dampness seeping into her bones. She quickened her pace, Felicity keeping step beside her.

As they drew close to the edge of the park, the lights of her bungalow beckoned, a warm and comforting oasis in the midst of the unsettling mist. Lauren's footsteps hastened, her heart pounding in her chest. She just wanted to get inside, shut the door, and banish the creeping sense of unease.

Just as they were about to emerge from the park, a dark shape materialized at the edge of her vision. A man in a dark suit, his features obscured by the mist, stood motionless under the trees, watching them. Her heart skipped a beat, a jolt of fear coursing through her veins.

Felicity's voice faded into the background as her focus narrowed on the stranger. She tried to keep walking, but her feet felt rooted to the spot. The man didn't move, his presence suffocating.

Her breath caught in her throat as a sudden sharp pain stabbed her neck. Her vision began to blur immediately, the mist swirling around her like a vortex, the stranger still watching. Felicity cried out but Lauren felt herself falling, her body crumpling slowly to the ground as everything went black.

Lauren's eyes fluttered open,her mind foggy and disoriented. She lay on a narrow, metal cot, her head pounding in rhythm with her heartbeat. As she struggled to sit up, a wave of dizziness washed over her, forcing her to fall back onto the cot.

Where am I?Her foggy brain couldn't provide an answer. She tried to remember what happened, but her memories were hazy and unclear. The last thing she remembered was walking home with Felicity… and then…

"Felicity?"

Her voice came out as a faint whisper but her friend's face appeared above her immediately, blue eyes dark with worry.

"Thank God you're awake!"

Felicity's voice shook as she helped Lauren sit up.

Her mind finally cleared enough to take in their surroundings. A small cell with white metal walls and two narrow bunks. Where were they?

One end of the cell was made of glass, and there was a man standing on the other side of the glass. The man from the park, except… he wasn't a man. Seeing him clearly made it so obvious she wondered how she'd missed it before. His skin was a flat plastic-looking white, more like a doll than a person, and his eyes had an unnatural red gleam. What she had taken for a suit was actually a uniform of some kind, and while his body appeared human enough, he had six fingers.

An alien.

Her breath caught in her throat as a shiver ran down her spine. Fear and panic warred for dominance, making her skin crawl.

"What happened?" she whispered, her voice trembling despite her effort to sound calm.

Felicity's face was pale, her eyes wide with fear as she shook her head.

"I don't know. I don't know what's going on or where we are."

Where we are?

For the first time she noticed a faint hum in the air and a hint of vibration beneath her feet. If they were on a spaceship, the ship was moving. Her mind stuttered at the thought, but she couldn't come up with another explanation.

The male on the other side of the glass hadn't moved. His eyes were still fixed on her, as if he were dissecting her. She shuddered and looked away, her stomach turning.

"Are you hurt?" she asked Felicity. "They didn't hurt you, did they?"

Although her heavy winter coat had disappeared, as had Felicity's, they were both fully dressed and she hoped that was a good sign. Felicity gave her a quick, tremulous smile.

"No, no, I'm fine. Are you all right? Both of you?"

Other than the continuing ache in her neck, nothing hurt, but she quickly put her hand over her stomach, relieved to feel a faint movement beneath her palm.

"You… you don't think whatever they gave us hurt the baby, do you?"

"I don't think so." Felicity's voice dropped into professional mode. "You've been unconscious, but your pulse and heartbeat have been steady. The baby is moving normally and you haven't had any contractions."

"We have no intention of damaging the product."

The cold voice made them both jump. She was quite sure he wasn't actually speaking English, but she understood what he'd said. A part of her mind wondered why, but she was more concerned about what he'd said.

"Product?"

He gestured at her stomach.

"You are the only breeding female we encountered on this trip." His smile revealed disturbingly pointed teeth. "You will prove a valuable resource."

She stared at him in horror, her arms automatically curving around her stomach.

"What are you talking about? Where are you taking us?"

"I have already answered the first question. As for the second, we are bringing you to a breeding compound." The cold gaze passed to Felicity. "After we auction off the other female. She is somewhat older than our preferred age, but many males favor her body type."

Felicity crossed her arms and glared at him.

"I don't give a damn what they prefer. Take us home at once."

The alien didn't bother to reply. After one more brief glance at Lauren's stomach, he walked away out of sight.

"Auction?" Felicity repeated, giving her a desperate look.

"Breeding compound?"

Both possibilities sounded horrific, and the fact that they would be separated made it even worse. No.

"I'm not going to let it happen," she whispered fiercely. "There has to be a way out of here. If I could get to a computer terminal…"

Her voice trailed off. What did she know about alien technology?

"We'll find a way," Felicity said, but Lauren could hear the uncertainty in her friend's voice.

"We have to. I'm not going to let them take my baby."

She reached out and squeezed her friend's hand, a surge of determination flowing through her. She was finally on the verge of having the baby she'd always wanted and she was damned if she was going to let an alien steal it away from her.