I love you?
Okay, that was simple. Direct and utterly terrifying, but simple.
I love you, and I want to stay.
She bit her lip. That was better. Clearer. Still terrifying, but not as terrifying as the thought she was trying to ignore. But it formed in her head anyway.
I love you, even if you don’t?—
Movement in the shadows made her head snap up.
She squinted, trying to see through the darkness.
“Who’s there?”
Three lathar stepped out of the darkness, blocking her path back to the square. They were huge and wore rough, tattered clothing… a kind she hadn’t seen any of the colonists wearing. And their eyes...
They were cold and hard. Filled with hatred.
Her stomach dropped.
“What do we have here?” The one in front smiled, malevolence shining in his eyes. “The breeding stock wandered off alone.”
She took a step back. Then another. Her boot slipped on frost as her heart hammered against her ribs.
“I was just leaving.” Her voice was steady. A minor miracle. “My... Goraath is waiting for me.”
“Is he?” The man was right in front of her now, close enough she could smell him. And he stank. Sweat and something sour, like he’d showered in rancid milk a week ago. The other two spread out, flanking her, and cutting off any escape.
“The great warrior, reduced to rutting with human filth.” He spat on the ground near her feet. “How far the mighty have fallen.”
Warrior. The word snagged in her brain. But there wasn’t time to think about it because the one in front grabbed for her and her body made the decision before her mind caught up.
She ran.
She was small, fast.
But they were faster.
A hand clamped over her mouth before she could scream. The palm was rough. Calloused. It tasted like salt and dirt but she bit down as hard as she could. Someone swore and an arm wrapped around her waist from behind, lifting her off her feet like she weighed nothing. She kicked back, and felt her heel connect with something solid. There was more swearing.
She twisted, clawed at the arm around her middle. Got her teeth into flesh again. The grip loosened for half a second and she screamed?—
A fist slammed into her stomach.
All the air left her body. She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t scream. Could only hang there, gasping, as they dragged her deeper into the dark.
She was slammed against a wall hard enough to rattle her teeth. Stone scraped her back through her jacket. One of them pinned her arms while another grabbed her jaw, forcing her head back.
“Why are you doing this?” She whimpered, fear stealing what little strength she had. “I haven’t done anything to you.”
The alien that held her snorted as he looked down. His expression was annoyed, distant, like a bug had tried to initiate conversation.
“It’s not about you. We’re sending a message,” he said, his breath hot and sour on her face. She tried not to gag. “To the colony warriors who think they know better. You don’t belong here. None of you do. Pollution. Contamination.” He spat the words like curses. “Our bloodlines survived for millennia without human filth. They’ll survive without you too.”
“Please—” The word tore out of her, desperate and small.
He laughed. “They always beg.”
