Page 60 of Grulen

“Why is she like this?Is she insane?”Niksen’s eyes clouded.Concerned looks filled the other Orkites eyes as they witnessed Morgan’s distress.

“No, you stupid bitch.She was forced to work as a sex slave on Delizas after being kidnapped from Earth.Then later she was captured by the Zuvgran and experimented on.”Kara’s hard expression softened as she looked at Morgan and her voice lowered.“Honestly, she holds it together really well most of the time.We’ve never seen her like this.”

“I thought pleasure workers wanted the jobs.”

Fraddar shook his head.

“There’s only one relatively small section on Delizas where the pleasure workers choose to be there.The rest of the planet uses slaves.Orkite males only frequent the establishments without slaves.”

Niksen whispered.“I didn’t know.”

“There is much you don’t know, Niksen,” Krinir said sadly.“I know you did not mean to harm the human, but your careless attitude towards pleasure mating obviously struck painful memories.”

Lezon ran into the cargo bay.He dropped to his knees next to Abby.

“What happened?”He ran a scanner over Morgan as the nurse quietly filled him in.

“Morgan, it’s Lezon.”When she didn’t reply, he said to Abby, “I can sedate her, but I don’t want to upset her further.”

Morgan heard it all through a distorted tunnel of sound that bounced around her but the words didn’t register.The words “no means no, otherwise it’s rape” played over and over like bad soft muzak in her mind.Despite her yearning and panic, she couldn’t find a way out of the horror funhouse of her brain.

Chapter 17

“MayItry?”Staladasked quietly.Goddess, it hurts to see her pain.

Abby and the Jalaxian exchanged glances.They scooted back and made room for the Svesti.

He sat cross-legged on the floor in front of Morgan.Reaching out slowly, he placed his hands lightly on her knees.His tail slid to embrace her ankle.An acrid note overlaid her usual appealing scent.His nose twitched at the bitter smell.

“Breathe, Morgan.You’re safe here.”He inhaled deeply and loudly and held his breath for several seconds before exhaling slowly.Repeating the measured breaths, he tentatively moved his hands to cover hers at her waist.“You’re safe.No one will hurt you.Come back to us.”

Incrementally, Morgan’s breathing relaxed.Peering through her hair and raising her red-rimmed eyes, his heart clenched when recognition lit her eyes.She crawled into his lap and burrowed her face against his chest.His arms automatically surrounded her, and he held her close.He bent to whisper in her ear.

“I’ve got you.You’re safe,ciebala.”

She hiccupped and snuggled closer.His tail stroked her calf, and his hands lightly caressed her back.

“When you can move her, take her to her quarters.She needs peace and quiet right now, but she should not be left alone.One of us can stay with her if she wants.”Lezon spoke quietly.

Her hair tickled his bare skin when she violently shook her head.

“No.”

“No what,ciebala?”

“I don’t want anyone else.Would you please stay with me?”His ears strained to hear her barely audible voice.

“Of course.”His answer rumbled low in his chest.“Can you walk or should I carry you?”

“I don’t want to see pity in everyone’s eyes.”Tears clogged her words.

“There’s no pity, but I will carry you anyway.Hold on.”Stalad maneuvered so he could stand in a single fluid motion to lift their bodies upright.Adjusting her weight against his torso, he used his arms to support her as he walked while his tail rubbed her back.When he reached the residential corridor, he waited until she noticed the lack of motion.

“I need you to unlock your quarters.”

She waved a shaking hand over the security scanner.He instructed the computer to adjust the lighting to fifty percent.

“Where do you want to sit,ciebala?The couch or your bed?”

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