“She’s pregnant,” one of the freaks who’d stormed in last whispers.
The one behind him meets my eyes and he’s so awestruck, reverent almost, I look away.
“She is pregnant,” the one who’s apparently mated to Emery agrees. “And the mortling belongs to you.”
Oh, God. I am pregnant. And the father is an alien. My body roils with revulsion. What else have they done to me while I was asleep?
The alien in question seems to echo my sentiments. His large hands have dropped to his sides and he’s choking out the same thing over and over. “Rekk no. Rekk no. Rekk no.”
It doesn’t take an expert in linguistics to realize what he’s saying. “Yeah, you’ve said that,” I hiss. “Three times.”
He winces.
I leverage myself to my feet and ignore the helping hands of the others. Stalking to him, I bite out, “You did this to me?”
He blinks at me. “I, uh—”
I want to smack him and before the thought finishes, my hand collides with his cheek. The alien next to him growls and there’s an odd sound, like the cracking of fingers, but louder. Emery’s mate tries to grab my arm, but I evade him, grateful my reflexes are at least quick enough to do that. The father of the baby steps in front of the angry one to stop him from attacking me.
“We ought to toss you in a reform cell,” the angry one shouts.
I want to dig my nails into his face. I wonder if they bleed red. “Toss him in while you’re at it! Where I come from, we don’t allow rapists to walk free!”
The rapist sputters, “No. We are not Kevins. I would never.”
“No one physically violated you,” Avrell steps forward. “I was the one to inseminate the females.”
“What?”
Avrell’s tone is measured and calm. “The females were inseminated. I placed genetic samples from our males into the females in cryosleep. We do not mate with females without their consent. Ever.”
“So you just impregnate them without it?” I demand.
“Come on, Grace,” Emery says. “Just us. Let’s go. I’ll take you somewhere so you can eat something and catch your breath. I’m so sorry.”
The fight inside of me is still there, but I need time to think. I want time away from these…people…to come to terms with what has happened. Later, I’ll insist on seeing all the data, doing my own tests, but for now, I need the basics. Food, distance, time. I allow myself to be pulled away by the blond woman, but I see the man whose baby I’m carrying and stop.
“I may have your alien bastard baby inside me, but I’m not a monster. I can feel it kicking. The poor thing is innocent. But don’t think for one second I’ll let you be some deadbeat dad. If I’m forced into this, you will be too. Got it, freak?”
He nods, but I don’t plan on letting him get off so easily.
2
Sayer
It’s been two solars since Grace woke up and I was informed she was carrying my mortyoung. Two solars where I’ve tried to come to terms with this news. And two solars trying to calm Jareth before he explodes.
Like now.
He paces my room, ripping at his hair as he curses under his breath while I evaluate the algorithms Uvie created. I’ve been working on trying to locate Willow, still to no avail.
Willow.
The fact she’s not a little girl like Molly left her has everyone confused. Molly said she watched a sci-fi movie once and “gets” it. Aria’s been in lots of movies and doesn’t “get” it. I’m not sure we’ll truly understand until we speak to Willow.
We will find her and get to the bottom of this.
“Avrell,” Jareth growls, narrowing his eyes to slits. “I’ve done the calculations and Avrell rekking went against the commander’s instruction.”
I frown. “Calculations?” He’s usually tinkering with metal, not calculating figures. That’s more my realm for sure.
“Did you see how big Grace was?”
Nearly as big as Emery, who seems ready to give birth any day now.
“I did,” I say lowly, cocking my head at him. “What are you saying?”
He bares his double fangs at me. “I’m saying that if all the females were inseminated at the beginning, before Breccan’s instruction to cease trying to impregnate them, Avrell did it anyway. Later. After Breccan’s command.” He seethes with anger. “I’m going to inform the commander and Avrell will pay for this with time in a reform cell.”
When he starts for the door, I rise from my chair and rush after him. I grip his bicep, halting him. “Leave it for now. Breccan’s not an empty-nogged mortarekker. He’ll figure out what Avrell’s done. Stay out of it. We have enough chaos in the facility as it is. Besides, Avrell has been beside himself worrying over the alien who hasn’t woken despite being pulled from the cryotube. His focus needs to remain on her.”