Page 53 of Ice Planet Barbarians

“Even if we do manage to somehow take over the ship, there’s no guarantee we’ll be able to get ourselves back home or that they’ll take us. They could lie to us about it, and we’d be no wiser.”

“What do you want to do?” Josie asks me. “You keep asking us. Tell us what you are thinking.”

My hand goes to my stomach. “I’m kind of biased in one direction because . . . I’m pregnant. With Vektal’s baby. He’s resonating for me, and apparently it means that, despite the fact that we’re not the same species, he can get me pregnant. So I want to stay.”

The moment I say it aloud, I feel cleansed. Of course I want to stay. I’m coming to care for Vektal. I might even love the big guy. And I’m carrying his child. It’s not his fault I was kidnapped by evil aliens and now I have to get a ‘cootie’ as Megan calls it. He’s done nothing but love me.

“Pregnant?” Tiffany repeats. “In a week? Seriously, girl?”

“Damn, girl, we can’t leave you alone for five minutes,” Liz says. “Dead serious this time. I feel like if you leave our sights again, you’re going to show up with a litter.”

A hot flush comes over my face. “To be fair, I thought he couldn’t make me pregnant if it was interspecies sex.”

“A Great Dane can still make a Chihuahua pregnant,” Liz points out. “Guess which one you are.”

I make a face at her. “I didn’t want to say anything to influence you guys.”

“Like, hey, someone buttered my roll while you guys were waiting for me to return, and he left a few crumbs behind?” Liz cracks.

Ouch. “I’m sorry. I—”

“Don’t be sorry,” Kira says, butting in. She touches Liz’s arm before Liz can make another comment. “It’s just been rough for us.”

“Trust me, showing up pregnant was a surprise for me, too.”

“So we’re staying?” Josie asks.

I look at the tired, exhausted faces of my fellow captives. “If you guys are decided, yes.”

“If a guy shows up with a hamburger, he can plant as many babies in me as he wants,” Liz declares.

I hear shuffling outside and low murmured conversations. I sigh and look at Liz. “Did I mention that some of them learned English from the old ship?”

“The offer stands,” Liz says with a grin. “Should we wake up our test tube ladies?”

I eye the wall and feel a bit of anxiety. “They’re really going to hate us, aren’t they?”

“Why?” Kira says. “It’s not like we kidnapped them. We’re giving them an out.”

“An out that involves cooties and mating an alien.” I point out.

“You’re not complaining,” Liz says. “If they treat us half as good as Vektal’s been treating you, it’s not a terrible thing. And it beats being cattle, doesn’t it?”

I nod then touch my stomach. “I guess we wake them up, then. Maybe we should warn Vektal and the others that there are eleven of us.”

Around me, eyes widen.

“You haven’t told them there are six more?” Josie asks.

“Oh shit, they’re totally going to think it’s Christmas around here,” Liz says and starts to laugh. “I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces.”

VEKTAL

Just when I think my mate can surprise me no more, she brings something new.

“So, Vektal,” she says, sidling up to me as I return with my men and a freshly-slain dvisti for the humans to char into inedible food. “Can we talk for a minute?”

The other men shoot me envious looks as my mate touches my arm and my khui begins to hum. One of the men resonated earlier as well, but no one is stepping forward. I don’t blame them. With the humans undecided as to if they will stay or go—a thought that is like a knife to the gut—no one is sure how to act.

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