“The hucow guide says,” Yoane offered while tapping at a handheld tablet, “that you position the hucow over your lap facing down while naked, smack their bare bottom until they cry, then you put your cock up their ass and tell them they are a bad girl.”

“What the fuck?” I snatched the blanket off. “Where the hell did you all get that shit? A fucking porn site?”

They didn’t seem to understand the reference. Hovyk muttered angrily and grabbed the tablet from Yoane to review for himself.

Gyanys held up his weird-ass hand. “I don’t want to hear your complaining, Molly. You could have been killed.”

“Or, I could have fought and won.” I folded my arms across my leaf-covered chest. “Did you all hear me calling you for help?”

The five ants made a smirky tittering noise that I was beginning to recognize as laughter.

“No,” said one of the new keepers. “You were very brave for a hucow. I’m Hovo.”

“But foolishly so,” came an injection from whom I assumed was Yany. “Your pitchfork would have not slayed the invader.”

“You don’t know that,” I grumbled.

“We do,” Hovo smiled—kinda. I think it was a smile. “We are all retired soldier ants.”

“Retired soldier ants?” I echoed back.

“Yes! We have served our purpose to the colony,” Hovo said.

“But rather than sacrifice ourselves as food, our Queen has dictated that retired soldiers will become farmers that will generate currency that can be used to expand the kingdom,”Yany added. “That is why you are here. We bought you to help make money with your milk.”

Yany nodded. “The planetary treaty our queen signed with the wasps states we can no longer invade and conquer lands to expand our kingdom. We must use modern techniques to acquire future resources.”

“That’s enough prattle out of you two,” Gyanys reprimanded. “Go milk the aphids and get them out to pasture.”

Hovo and Yany were obviously underlings. They gave a curt nod and disappeared immediately.

“Why are you wearing a leaf?” Yoane asked.

I narrowed my gaze. “Why are you wearing overalls?”

“Because we must work. But you do not. There is no reason to cover yourself.”

I lifted my brows at his observation but bit my tongue. How did one explain the hangups of nudity on planet Earth without sounding silly? Humans were the only creatures that covered up in the name of modesty.

Gyanys leaned down to open the cage door. “Come out, little hucow.”

I shook my head. “No.”

He then had to nerve to look over his shoulder and say to Yoane, “She must not be as sentient as you believe. She cannot follow simple orders.”

“I can, but I don’t want to,” I snarked. “Free will.”

Suddenly, Hovyk was pushing Gyanys out of the way and pulling me out. He then swung me over his shoulder and began smacking my ass as he marched us out of the barn.

“Ouch! Stop!” I demanded, kicking and pummeling his back with my fists. “Put me down!”

“I can, but I don’t want to,” he threw back. “Free will.”

“Ooooo!” I screamed and resumed struggling.

And Hovyk resumed slapping my rearend.

I was obviously at the disadvantage. My strikes didn’t seem to bother the alien at all. Meanwhile, my tender ass cheeks were burning. When I stopped, he stopped.