1. Jade

1

JADE

Jillian waves as she heads my way with a mug in her hand. Even with a slight baby bump, she moves with grace, her long legs practically gliding over the uneven grass.

It's hard to believe that her pregnancy is already showing, but I guess that makes sense since the gestation time for a Terran-Rakui baby is only six months instead of nine.

The scent of fermented herbs fills my nose as she plops down in the grass beside me and hands me the mug. "Drink, Jade. You need to lighten the hell up."

I take a sip of the amber liquid thinking it's some sort of celebratory tea. Bitter spice explodes on my tongue, and a pleasant warmth trails down my throat.

"The Rakuis have booze?" I gulp it down like a freshman at a frat party. "Why am I just learning about this now?"

Jillian laughs. "They call it mead and only bring it out on special occasions because it's powerful stuff. Better pace yourself, or you'll be shit-faced in no time."

Fuck pacing myself. If crash-landing on a primitive planet without technology isn't enough reason to drown my sorrows, finding out that me and the other Terran college students are subjects of a top-secret military experiment designed to knock us up with golden-scaled barbarian babies sure is.

I nearly drain the mug, enjoying the warmth as it spreads throughout my body. I haven't felt this relaxed since we crashed here. "Is there more?"

"Only for those at the party." Jillian grins, nudging me with her shoulder.

I'd been watching the celebration honoring the pregnant women at the communal fire pit with a mix of longing and resentment. Kenzie laughing as Trauhn spun her around while dancing, her brown waves cascading down her back. Jillian grinning as Remmel nuzzled her neck, his large hand cradling her rounded belly. Even prim and proper Professor Jacoby—who wants us to call her Jenn—was beaming radiantly, leaning into Reyzon's embrace.

Three Terran-Rakui couples. Three babies on the way.

Most of the time, I'm a bit of a loner and don't mind the solitude. But sitting in the dark on the sidelines while my friends eat, drink, and be merry with the Rakuis—and my birth mother—makes me feel truly alone. I'm grateful for Jillian's company.

"Ready to join the celebration?" she asks.

I shrug. "In a little bit."

"Zeleck's been asking about you. Lukka, too."

Zeleck is one of the older Rakuis, although he's not in the old-enough-to-be-my-father category. More like the hot professor you want to bang after class. Or, in Zeleck's case, under the stars.

And I'd totally do him if penetrative sex in the Rakui culture didn't mean a lifetime commitment. Or there wasn't a chance I'd conceive a barbarian baby the first time we did it.

"Lukka?" That surprises me. "I thought he was attracted to Prof—I mean, Jenn."

"He was." Jillian laughs. "But now that she's mated to Reyzon, he's decided he's attracted to you."

I shake my head at Lukka's flip-flopping. If Zeleck is the hot professor, Lukka is more like the high school jock who hits on a different girl after every football game. "You know I don't plan on staying here and settling down, right?"

My eyes land on Professor Grant. Alana. She catches my stare and offers a tentative smile, but I quickly look away, my jaw clenched. During all those months in the classroom, and all the hours we spent together in the technology lab, she knew the truth and never said a word. Not one word.

I'm her daughter, and she abandoned me at birth.

"I know that's not what you want," Jillian says. "But this is our home now. Earth Gov made that decision for us. At some point, you'll need to accept that."

"Maybe," I concede. "But I'm not there yet."

Why have Jillian and most of the others so readily embraced life on this primitive planet? It's not because they've forgotten how we ended up here…how Earth Gov betrayed us.

A Year of Interstellar Education was supposed to be the highlight of our college experience. The year-long, space-based trip sponsored by Earth Gov was touted as a prestigious and immersive academic program where we'd gain knowledge by visiting 12 planets in 12 months. But the program is really a covert military experiment that's using us as unwitting test subjects.

I'm one of the few Terrans who haven't given up on leaving UD237, and one of the few actually looking for a way to end Earth Gov's twisted experiment. I refuse to be seduced by the admittedly hot Rakuis. Especially Zeleck, who is constantly flexing his sexy muscles and staring at me with those dark and brooding bedroom eyes.

We weren't supposed to be on this planet…weren't supposed to fall in love with these barbarians or abandon our education and have alien babies. One way or another, I will find a way off this planet.

"No more sulking." Jillian stands up and tugs on my arm. "Tonight, we're having a party, so it's time to live a little."

I finally return her smile. "As long as living a little means drinking a lot."

Jillian drags me toward the fire pit. "Drink as much as you want, but don't say I didn't warn you."

I down the last few gulps of mead, ignoring the numbness spreading from my lips to my tongue, and lace my arm through Jillian's, letting her lead the way to the mead.

As we get closer to the celebration, the crackle of flames, the smell of roasted meat, and the sounds of laughter feel almost inviting. I feel myself letting go of all the tension and worry. At least temporarily.

"WILD PITCH!" Gia yells from the darkness. "HEADS UP!"