Page 62 of Bred By Sor'en

Famous last fucking words too, but we’ll get to that in a moment.

The next few moments are a toss between Sor’en ranting, hurling threats toward dangers unseen, and a holo page that seems to set him off even more. By the time I finally manage toall but shove him from the door, even my hope that he doesn’t poison someone is dwindling rapidly.

And time passes incredibly slowly with nothing to do. I’m officially in the phase of the pregnancy where I’m supposed to ride it out in solitude, for the better part. Small trips to the city for things I need or my mate forgiving, but even then, it’s a rule of thumb to stay home.

I’m bored. Like,reallybored. The shimmering door and the peaceful field of flowers loom beyond it like a siren's call. I’m halfway there before I even catch myself, my back aching like hell. Realistically, I should go back to bed. I could browse the datapad Sor’en bought for me. Unfortunately, Xyreliths never quite picked up on the Intergalactic Viewing Broadcast, so watching TV to numb my mind is out.

It sets in then, every horrific event that brought me here. How terribly I had lived before this. What a blessing it is tofeelbored. To be safe enough to have nothing to do, nothing to steal, nobody to scam, and nowhere to run. That… I quite love the monster who stole me from Vortara Space Station. That I love being his mate and that I get to work with him now, with the pretty flowers in the field. Instead of the door, I move to the window instead, expecting to feel more guilt, more melancholy as I debate burying Mom out there in the field.

It's not where she wanted to go.

But if what the Xyreliths believe is correct, it's got to be better than perpetual nothingness.

I’ve kept her in limbo for these past ten orbits.

I sigh, a deep tendril of sadness worming into my gut when something flutters deep inside me. My sigh is cut off short, my head and hand snapping to my large belly in shock. When the flutter gets stronger, turning into a proper kick, tears spring to my eyes like an overflowing faucet. “H-hi baby,” I whisper. “That was odd.”

That makes up the last of my mind for me, and for a moment, I understand her desperation to comfort me. The lies and empty hope Sofaxi whispered as I had curled in her lap. She had wanted nothing more than to give me a life. A proper life.

My lip wobbles as I stroke my belly, where my little Xyrelith baby has gone still again. In a roundabout way, my momdidgive me that life. It was the desperation to make it to Lunareth that brought me to The Solar Breeding Agency, that brought me…home. My chest is tight with emotion as I lift my head back to the window of my home. To my mom's home, if she’ll forgive me.

I can’t go… things are different now.

I can’t leave Sor’en. Can’t leave my baby, nor could I even consider taking him from his people to the empty, horrid, dangerous bowls of space.

Where so many will hate him simply for being him.

My eyes catch on something outside the window, a bundle of flowers that must’ve slipped off the cart. A loud, throaty groan leaves me as I rush out to grab it. Knowing how quickly they waste without proper preparation. The simple act of bending my back feels like I might as well snap my damn spine in two. I’m somewhere between a bend, a squat, and a wiggle halfway to the ground when all fucking hell breaks loose.

The dome splits above my head.

I wobble, losing my balance and falling hard onto my butt as my eyes open in horror at the scene above me. It's another ship, nose piercing the safety of our dome, but this one is different only in the symbol that graces the side.

Three planets orbiting a shield. A bold TIA nestled in the heart of that shield.

The Intergalactic Alliance.

I roll over onto my hands and knees, unsteady as I try to get myself up. Two more moments pass before I manage it, and several things happen all at once. The ship's nose opens witha maniacal groan. My mate appears down the field from me, Melion at his side, and something sharp pierces my neck.

I hiss, my hand slapping against the prick, finding nothing there, but my legs are heavy as I stumble a step toward Sor’en. He doesn’t come to me, and I don’t understand why until a heavy thud lands behind my back. Until seven winged Riarthians, all heavily armored, their skin untouchable as they barrel into my mate, taking him to the ground. I scream as two rough arms jerk around my stomach, pressing painfully into my large belly as they take me to the sky.

I watch in horror as the ground shoots further and further away, clinging to the person holding me all the while screaming to be released. My eyes scan the ground in a panic, but like before, hell has opened up within our dome. Xyrelith males phase in, their shimmering swords ready as leathery wings and our people clash. I panic, searching for Sor’en, for Melion as the sky suddenly closes.

No, not the sky but the nose of a ship. I’m thrown to the ground, crying out as I grip my belly.

“I had been surprised to see you within his home, you know. The Xyrelith had never seemed interested in needs of the flesh.”

The rough voice slithers over my skin like bile down my throat as I lift my head, finally meeting the reddened eyes of a familiar Riarthian. I’d only seen him once before that night on Sor’en’s holopad. His gaze is no less distressing in person. “How fucking dare you!” I hiss. “You have no right!”

He laughs at that. “No need to yell. So long as your mate comes willingly, we shall house you and your hideous child together on the ship.”

I sit back on my butt, whatever they shot into my neck is making me more than a little woozy, and standing is entirely out. “Why are you doing this? What do you even want with him?”

“I want him to get back to work. It seems he can’t be trusted to do so without the proper…incentivenow that he’s stolen you.” He laughs again, his clothing pulling a little too tightly over his stomach. As if he never bothered updating the dark green and gold of his uniform to match his expanding frame.

“Back to work?” I breathe, flinching at the horrible sounds from around me. My heart slams around in my chest so hard I fear it’ll knock me over.

“Naturally, he didn’t tell his breeder. Your Xyrelith works for me. Something of a mercenary, if you will. I point, he kills, scrambling minds, the lot.”