Page 16 of Havik: Warlord Brides
“This female is scrawny. I requested a female of breeding age,” a voice said, full of static and distortion from the computer translation.
Thalia clenched her fists.
“She didn’t eat all her veggies when she was a kid but she’s fertile and healthy,” Nicky replied.
He motioned for her to turn around. Thalia blinked slowly and pretended not to understand. She had been dosed with something, after all.
Nicky narrowed his eyes and crossed the ring. He grabbed her, his fingers digging into the soft skin of her upper arm and forced her to spin slowly. “Take off the hoodie. Now.”
She unzipped and let the rain-sodden fabric fall to the ground. Her soaked T-shirt plastered against her skin, leaving little to the imagination. Self-conscious, she crossed her arms over her chest.
“No chip. Not registered. No one to report her missing,” Nicky said, yanking down her arms. “How much are you willing to pay for this delicacy? Non-traceable credits only. No trade. I’m not interested in your slutty aliens or whatever.”
A holographic figure leaned forward to get a better view, but he remained in shadows. What little was visible was a swath of pale skin, heavily inked with cryptic symbols. “The female’s coloring is alarming. Is the female toxic or venomous?”
“Yes,” Thalia said.
Nicky slapped her across the face with an open hand. “No. The color is a non-toxic chemical used as decoration.”
“Terran males prefer such coloration?” the shadowy figure asked.
“Oh, yes. It doesn’t look like much on her, but that color will warn off predators and keep your nest safe,” Nicky said.
The shadowy figure hummed and nodded. The inked symbols shifted and slid across his skin.
Alarmed, Thalia stepped back. “Not him,” she said.
Nicky clamped a hand around the back of her neck and steered her forward. “You’ll go with him or any fucking one who will take you off my hands.”
“Just kill me,” she whispered, realizing the depth of the shit she was in. This was happening and she couldn’t think of a way out of it. Not above crying or begging, her body refused to cooperate with the tears. She had no trouble managing the begging. “Please, Nicky, don’t give me to an alien. Please. I’d do anything you want. Please.”
Trying to twist around to look him in the eyes, his hand squeezed her neck and kept her firmly in place. His hot and fetid breath curdled against her ear. “You hear that? She’s so eager for you, gentlemen. She’ll be a good breeder for you.”
The bidding commenced. The aliens shouted out numbers too fast for the computer to translate. Eventually, Nicky nodded, satisfied at the price.
“She’ll be delivered when the funds are received,” Nicky said, handing her off to a minion.
They pushed her toward a large glass coffin. She recognized a stasis chamber, but she could not convince her brain that it was anything other than a coffin. If she went in, she’d never wake up.
Thalia went slack, forcing the minion to drag her full weight. She refused to go easily. He shoved her in, knocking her head on the edge of the chamber. “Ow! Fuck you,” she snapped.
The minion smiled, his broken teeth stained yellow and brown. “Sweet dreams.”
The door sealed shut with a hiss. Something pricked the back of her neck. A computer counted down.
Five…
Four…
Three…
Havik
The ship, while capable, was not fast. The journey to Earth stretched out. Frequent stops, necessary for fuel and repairs, added time. Teleportation gates might have shaved time off their journey, but Havik did not trust the ship to withstand the stress of using a gate.
“My hair will be white by the time we arrive,” Havik grumbled.
“We’d be there by now if we’d utilized a gate,” Ren said, his faith in the ship never shaken by frequent repairs.
