4. Mia

Breeders?!

My stomach heaves, bile rising in my throat, and if my stomach wasn"t already empty, I"d puke right here and now. Never in a million years would I have guessed that the word "delicacy" in this twisted, alien world meant something as horrific as "breeder." And what in the hell are spikes?

It doesn"t matter because there"s no way I"m having the orc king"s baby. No. Fucking. Way. The very thought makes me shudder in revulsion. I don"t care how powerful or attractive Renowlf might be, there"s no way his alien seed is taking root inside me.

Sex for survival? Sign me up because I"ve been there, done that, and would do it again if I have to. Desperation has a way of stripping you of your dignity and pride.

I'm not proud of it, but I slept with a guy once when I was in a financial bind. My landlord—his name was Andrew, and he was old enough to be my father—offered to cut me a break on my rent if I had sex with him. So, I did.

In retrospect, I should have filed a police report and found a new apartment. But I was only twenty at the time, and thought he was helping me. It didn't occur to me that he was taking advantage of me. I got what I needed and gave him something in return. Besides, sleeping with Andrew wasn't really a sacrifice. He was a silver fox and knew his way around a woman's body. It was only later that I realized he was a predator and I was his prey.

So yeah, I'd sleep with the growly king in the name of survival. But only on my own terms. With my eyes wide open, so I know what I'm doing and why. Letting him use my uterus to incubate his baby? That's where I draw the line. If Orgel had told me that I was snatched from Earth to become an alien's breeder, I'd have fought even harder to get away from him.

Better late than never, I suppose.

I jerk my wrists against the rope to get Orgel"s attention. Once his beady eyes are on me, I gather all my strength and drive my bloody knee up hard into his groin. My lips curve into a sadistic smile curves as I watch him double over, wheezing in agony from the brutal blow.

Good to know that alien balls are just as sensitive as human ones.That"ll teach the bastard not to underestimate me. I may be a prisoner, but I have my limits.

The crowd erupts into a raucous chorus of jeers, cheers, and laughter, clearly enjoying the show I"ve put on for them at Orgel"s expense.

"You'll pay for this, whore," he gasps out. I have no doubt that he means it, and I'm prepared to take whatever punishment he dishes out.

I smile with smug satisfaction, and don't even care that one of my skinned knees is bleeding again. When he finally pulls himself back to his feet, Orgel backhands me across the face. Hard. I'm knocked to the floor and stay there. Not because I can't get up. Because Orgel can't knock me down again if I'm already down.

When he smacked me, the only thing that kept me from flying across the throne room is the rope tethering me to my very pissed off captor. The same rope that cut into my wrists from the force of the blow, drawing blood.

Damn, that hurt. And I did not see it coming.

I bring my hands to my cheek, cupping the hot, already-swelling skin. Tears sting my eyes, but I blink them away. I won't give Orgel the satisfaction of seeing me cry, although I scoot away from him, putting as much distance between us as the rope allows because he's still furious and in obvious pain.

That makes two of us, buddy.

I'm not a small woman by Earth standards, but I'm tiny compared to these aliens, who tower over me. Orgel's hand is as big as my head, so when he smacked me, he got my eye, my cheek, and my jaw with a single blow. I taste blood in my mouth and already feel my eye swelling shut, although I don't think anything's broken. I won't look pretty for a week or two, but I should heal. Eventually.

Movement on the dais draws my attention, and I glance at the king with my one good eye. Through unshed tears, I see a visibly angry King Renowlf speaking quietly with the guard on his right, although I can't hear what they're saying. When the conversation is over, the guard nods. Then, he steps down from the dais and approaches me and Orgel with his sword drawn.

That's when I realize my mistake.

Orgel warned me not to dishonor him before the king. So, what do I do? Goad him into striking me by kneeing him in the nuts. I'm not a guest here; I'm a prisoner from a faraway world. I created a spectacle in the king's court and dishonored us both, and now I'll pay the price.

God, what was I thinking?

Oh, right. I thought I needed to show them all that I wasn't going to roll over, spread my legs, and offer my womb to the alien king without a fight.

Getting backhanded by Orgel was a worthy price to pay for inflicting a little pain on his privates. Losing my life over it? Totally not worth it. But it's too late to take it back; the damage is done. This isn't Earth, and I have no rights here.

When the guard looks at me and raises his sword over his head, I know the end is near. I spare a glance at Orgel, who's smiling triumphantly. Even he knows I'm toast.

Trembling, I squeeze my eyes shut and draw my bound hands to my chest, letting the tears I held back finally fall. My only hope is that my death is swift so I don't suffer.

I'm coming, Mama. I always knew we would be together again, someday. I just didn't think it would be before my thirtieth birthday. See you at the gates of Heaven.