As for natural reproduction, it was incredible to think that Earthlings used sex as a means to procreate. Hezara built their nests—high-tech incubators in secret vaults—and utilized the queens to fertilize each progeny without the female donor ever having to leave the confines of the incubator hub. The queens were considered too precious to live freely or be touched by anyone other than the procreation experts. Beyond the breeding center, females had become unnecessary, so history had taught the men of Hezara, but centuries later, the battle-hardened warriors had come to miss the pleasure of females in their lives. The Hunger had grown stronger with each generation. What had once happened with each passing of the moon was becoming more frequent and time-consuming. The Junta could no longer hide the problem of the Hunger.
Every ten days, Jago was overwhelmed by the urge to spawn his life force, his seed. His muscles strengthened and bulged, his heart roared with pounding beats until it was visible through his chest, and his cock would thicken and stay stiff for hours and hours. Kriss, being his nestor, followed the same pattern of days, and together they reached the Hunger and performed the rites. One day out of ten was sacrificed to the Hunger.
Their next Hunger was due in six days. Six days to decide whether Shayla could survive the demands of it.
Jago’s finger continued to trail down her flat belly. Shayla’s skin rippled with goosebumps.
“You’re not cold, are you?” he asked.
“No, sir.” Her cheeks flushed brighter. Was that a lie? Were humans prone to faking? Something was making her quiver. How easy would it be to tell if a human lied? The women were trained, not programmed, which meant they had the potential to exhibit the wrong output. Sexdroids rarely broke down and were easily reprogrammed.
Kriss’s hand chose a different route. He moved to stand behind her and his hand skated down her spine toward her furrow.
“Plump ass. Lovely curves,” he noted.
“Spread your legs, Shayla,” Jago said.
She swayed and slid her feet apart.
“Bend over, so Kriss can see.” Jago looped his hand around her neck and angled her head down. She folded over without resistance. “Good?” he asked Kriss.
“Open. Pink with the flow of blood.” Kriss crouched down to inspect her closer. “Folds are smooth. Come see for yourself. She’s remarkable.”
The young, plainly virile woman sucked a breath of air in and steadied herself.
She said nothing. If she felt humiliated by their intimate examination, she shouldn’t be. They’d claimed her when they accepted the Gift; he and Kriss had full access to her.
Kriss held her ample buttocks apart and Jago leaned toward her ass to see her opening.
“This wetness is natural.” Jago noted the sheen covering her outer sex lips. “It needs to be there to ensure she can accommodate our cocks.”
“So I gather. I’m just so excited that she needs to be stretched. When I think of those sexdroids, having to specify our cock sizes so that they fit, it’s amazing to think this creature will perform that task naturally.”
“Indeed, although her asshole will need to be treated carefully.”
Her legs were shaking, and she gripped her ankles tighter.
“Such a gift,” Kriss exclaimed as he rose. “To think we’ve been honored to have an Earthling.”
Jago slapped his nestor on his back. “We’ve earned it. We’ve led combat units into six worlds and taken a few wounds as a result. We’ve been due this for a while.” He tapped the girl’s back. “Stand, Shayla.”
She returned to her previous position—upright, head bowed, and hands behind her back.
“Keep your knees apart at all times,” he reminded her.
She shuffled her feet until her thighs separated.
“Good,” he said.
Earth, the barbaric planet, was required to send a steady flow of females and in return, Hezara provided protection from the Violence that stalked the galaxy. They sheathed the little planet with a force field and their vast space station orbited the planet, monitoring the space channels for any incoming threats, especially the Beasts that orchestrated the Violence. Since Hezara had discovered Earth, effectively overpowering it with their might, they’d left humans to their own devices. The planet had plenty wrong with it and interfering was unnecessary. All Hezarans needed were females.
To accommodate the wishes of Hezara, the leaders of Earth had decided that gifting their women was the best approach rather than having them abducted. If Hezara left them alone then what price was a few thousand women every year to pay for Earth’s protection? They were carefully selected, educated, and trained to be as perfect as possible, then in an elaborate ceremony, the naked women were handed over, sent to the space station, and from there distributed to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. So few in numbers compared to the men of Hezara—one real woman for every thousand men. They were a prized possession and valued as a luxurious commodity and without them, men had to satisfy their Hunger with sexdroids. Droids were hardly comparable, said the lucky few who’d experienced the difference.
“You understand what is to happen to you?” Jago asked.
“Yes, sir,” Shayla said.
“Then tell me.”