How I wish to deny this temptation of this double full moon.
With great reluctance, I release Lyra and move back to the kitchen where my other mate waits.
"Don't wait on the porch for me tonight. Stay inside and lock the door. Don't open it for anyone." I grab his shoulders and lean into him. "I mean it, mate—no one."
His nod is all I need to see, and with great hesitance, I step outside and march off into the woods, vowing to seek something small and easy. Something that won't call me away from the den for long. Something that will sate this aggression and allow me to return home swiftly.
It'sbeenabouttworotations since I left the den and my mates and I'm not having any luck finding any prey close by. If I'm being honest with myself, I expected this result. On nights like these, most prey animals are hiding, since the light of the moons is too bright and they risk exposure.
Not to mention that I rarely, if ever, find anything close to the den, as my scent markings deter most prey. The only beasts that venture close are predators, and that sort of hunt is not what I'm looking for tonight.
A loud bang is followed by a high-pitched scream. I grind to a halt, my heart pounding, and swiftly turn and sprint back to the den. I'm praying with all I have that the sound traveled and didn't actually come from our home, but the twisting in my gut tells me otherwise.
Fuck!
I race through the trees and hear another scream, this one more masculine in nature, and my stomach sinks. The moment I push through the treeline, I growl so loud that one of the five aliens on my porch startles, whipping around. In his grip is my female, my Lyra, and the bastard was dragging her by her hair. I can't see Olo, and I fear what that means.
Roaring, I charge the alien who is no doubt in charge, the one who knocked on our door just three cycles prior. Everything happens so fast, it's all a fucking blur as I claw and punch, ever mindful that I don't hit my mate. I'm aware of the abuse my own body takes, but I don't stop. My wrath is in the pilot’s seat and the pain is dulled.
Next thing I know, I'm on the ground, twitching and gasping.
"Turns out you had my property, after all," the ugly alien gloats as he stands over me.
"She's not yours," I spit through numb lips. "She's mine. Mated and bound.”
Olo cries out, and I'm not sure which scares me more: his shout, or Lyra's silence.
"Hmm, well, she's been bought and paid for, making her mine. Now…" The alien bastard steps away, and I follow him with my eyes, the only part of me that seems to actually move freely. “Who’s this?”
He’s studying Olo, who I can just barely see.
I growl. "Also mine." The alien steps closer to Olo, and I fight to free myself from this paralysis. "Back away." I'm slurring now, the words barely audible.
What the hell did I get hit with? When did I even get hit with it?
There's an odd whistling noise and a yelp. Olo drops to the ground with a thud I feel in my bones.
The alien moves away from my mate, only to stop before Lyra, who is no longer being dragged. She's as limp as Olo and I are.
“This is disappointing.” The creature sighs like we’ve greatly inconvenienced him. Gods, I want to tear out his throat so badly my teeth ache. "Are these marks on my property due to this bond you spoke of?" He doesn't wait for an answer; it's not like one’s coming. I couldn't speak now if I tried. "Shame. Are your offspring born with these patterns? Hmm… Scan them all."
My eyes are feeling heavy now, and try as I might, I can't keep them open for long. There's a couple beeping noises I’m assuming come from the scanner the alien spoke of. I want to see, but it’s impossible with my eyes glued shut.
I sense someone hovering over me, and the beep this time is much louder. A new voice says, "All three are human, though there are genetic modifications that were not present in the female previously. The cause of this anomaly is unknown."
Someone grumbles under their breath, probably the “master” of this alien band.
"These changes aren't optimal, but perhaps I'll still have a use for you. I did pay a lofty amount of credits for you, and you were supposed to be an investment. Bring them all; I'll see if my clients are interested in a new breed. These modified humans might still earn me plenty of credits, and if not, I'll resell them and hope I recuperate a hefty portion of my investment."
The footsteps are fading, and so is his voice. "Perhaps I can breed the modifications out after a few generations. So much to think about… And to think I still can't leave this backwards planet and go home. I imagine you can't reproduce with anyone but this mate of yours, and that's another problem. My plans to breed you to my top-tier males may no longer work…”
I don't know if it's because the alien moved too far away, or if it's the fault of my fading consciousness, but those words are the last thing I hear before darkness consumes me.
Chapter 10
Lyra
ThemomentIwake,I know something is wrong.