Nothing happens.
The idiots chuckle at me.
“Come, female. You will not do well to keep General Pious waiting.”
“No,” I growl, crossing my arms over my chest. I can’t believe I’m standing here naked, rebelling against them. This isn’t me. “I want clothes. I won’t go anywhere without something to wear.”
Gears turn and spin and the Caelum advance on me, closing the distance between us with inhuman speed. I let out a yelp as I dive out of the way. But I’m slammed in the gut and flung over a shoulder, before I even understand what the hell is happening. I pound my fist against the back of the Caelum carrying me, but he just slaps his metal palm against the back of my legs and hauls me out of the lab, my bare ass leading the way on display for everyone to see.
My screams and screeches are deafening, but they stop nothing. The guard totes me through the corridors of the ship like a pornographic potato sack, as the rest of his entourage walk close behind us, unimpressed.
They’re more than unimpressed, they’re completely reticent and impassive, void of any emotion. The loading docks my not be working so well, but Pious still seems to be in control of everyone’s emotions.
The swoosh of automatic doors comes from somewhere behind me. Great, this idiot just walked me into a room ass first—and who knows what else they can see—probably everything.
“Well. Isn’t that a sight,” a voice announces. It’s Pious. I can tell his deep metallic voice over anyone’s.
The guard drops me down the front of his armor and I tumble onto the floor.
I scurry to sit up and find Pious hovering over me. “Female. I took the liberty, while you were unconscious, to run a full diagnostic test on your entire anatomy. You carry no diseases, even if youhaveallowed yourself to come in contact with various degrees of them on Earth. Your constitution and your composition are impeccable.”
I stare at him, mouth gaping open. My plan to disgust him backfired.
“You, grounder, are a perfect specimen for me to use for breeding the next generation of Caelum.” Not only did my plan backfire, but it denotated right in my face.
“Never. I’m not breeding anything with you.”
“I thought you’d say that.” Pious crouches down and levels his vision with mine. “My planwasto extract your eggs and use your organs while you were safely kept silent in a cryo-tank. But Kate, you’ve made me change my mind.”
I made him change his mind? “How?” I whisper.
He shifts closer and leans his head toward my ear. “You see, Kate. I’m intrigued by the things you showed me in your memories. I think I want to keep you unfrozen for the breeding process.”
“That’s not going to happen,” I say steadily. “You’re lying. You wouldn’t touch me and you’re too afraid of taking off your faceplate, let alone the rest of your armor to do any of the stuff you saw in my memories. You’re a liar, and my sister isn’t even here and I’m leaving this tin can.”
“You’re my prisoner here, female. I’m your master now.” He stands up slowly, tightening his gloved fingers into hard fists. “Guards,” he growls. “Restrain my property.”
Two sets of icy alloy hands yank me up by the armpits and confine me in their arms. Fear spirals up inside me. “What are they doing?” I stammer, wiggling to break free of their hold.
“Holding you steady, my pet,” Pious says, sliding his broad frame an inch away from mine.
The guards are like vice grips on my arms and shoulders. Two more clamp onto my legs, stopping me from kicking out or collapsing down.
Pious reaches up and touches his index finger just under my chin, stopping my struggling dead.
“Don’t touch me,” I snap.
“So feisty,” he whispers, trailing his finger down the long expanse of my throat. I want to jump out of my skin so I don’t feel his touch. I buck and butt my head back, but the Caelum just stiffen their hold of me.
My heart rate speeds and the room spins. Oh God, please no. I don’t want him touching me. I scream out a cry and bite down on my tongue.
His finger continues its slow crawl over my collarbone and down the valley of flesh between my breasts and stopping to circle around my naval.
I want to lash out at him—curse and kick and punch at his face.
“And since you’re my pet, I’m going to allow you to roam free whenever we aren’t…mating.”
“I’m not going to mate with you,” I growl.
