Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79927 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79927 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Iyanna laughed, not at all offended.
“Yes, I’m female—a woman,” she clarified.
“Ahh, very good.” Dr. A’flerzz sounded relieved. “Onzze I mistook a male of your zzpecies for a female and he was mozzt offended.” They shook their head. “Zzo much drama. I don’t know why more zzpecies can’t be zzenzible like us and combine both zzexes in the zzame body.”
“Oh—you’re both male and female?” Iyanna asked, clearly surprised.
“Yezz—though we do not exhibit any zzexual characterizztics until it izz time for a mating flight,” Dr. A’flerzz said. “And then we either zzprout a zzperm tube or a zzperm rezzeptor.”
“But how do you know which to, er, sprout?” Kiera asked. She had wondered about the sexual cycle of the Ba’ltzians before, but had thought it might be rude to ask. However, since Dr. A’flerzz seemed willing to talk about it, she was inclined to be curious.
“Pheromonezz,” the Ba’ltzian scientist said simply. “Now if you ladiezz would come with me, I have much to show you.” They nodded at Iyanna. “Many of our animalzz have zzpecial dietary requirementzz that involve plantzz which we grow right here for them in our greenhouzezz.”
“I’m always interested in new flora,” Iyanna said, smiling eagerly. “Now I wish I had brought some collection cubes.”
“We can zzupply you with anything you need,” Dr. A’flerzz assured her. “Azz long as you promizz you will take proper care of any zzamples we give you.”
“Oh, I will!” Iyanna was beginning to look as excited as Kiera was.” me. I will give you a tour of our facilitiezz since Dr. Washington hazz not been here before.”
As Dr. A’flerzz led them deeper into the large, maze—like ship, Kiera nudged her friend with an elbow.
“Well? Didn’t I tell you this would be fun?”
“You did.” Iyanna laughed. “You really know how to show a girl a good time.”
“I do, don’t I?” Kiera grinned at her. “Much more fun than brunch and a thrifting trip—though that’s fun too.”
“Yes, but it can’t beat a whole ship full of alien plants and animals.” Iyanna looked so excited that Kiera’s heart soared. If there was anything she loved more in this world than having an adventure with a good friend, she didn’t know what it was.
She had no idea that the day was about to take a twist she never could have seen coming.
2
BRUX
Brux lay with his head on his paws, staring through the metal bars of his cage in abject misery. How long had he been here? He no longer knew. His ability to tell the passing of time was fading and blurring along with the rest of his sentient thought.
It was a problem that happened with Lykan Monstrum when they lost their mate…and Brux’s mate had been gone for over a year now. Or was it two years? Four? Five?
He no longer remembered. He only knew that his mate was gone, and he was alone. His spirit was no longer tethered to another’s and so he was devolving…losing the sentient part of his mind and becoming more and more animal every day.
He’d lost his bipedal form months ago—now he had no choice but to go on all fours. He had paws instead of hands…claws instead of fingers. He’d even sprouted a long, bushy tail, which he didn’t usually have in his bipedal humanoid form.
He was covered head to toe in gray fur, but that was normal—even in his more evolved state, he never lost his warm pelt. But it was thicker now—heavier. His kind were meant for living in high mountain forests and arctic landscapes, not being cooped up indoors. The creatures who had found him—who looked like giant insects—kept their floating hive building too warm for comfort—he was always panting and drinking water to try and cool down.
At least they gave him plenty of food—even if it wasn’t very tasty. Crunchy and hard—it tasted like protein dust, but it kept him alive. Not that he cared to live in this devolved state.
Though he could no longer think very well, one idea was floating around in his head and growing stronger every day he stayed here—this life wasn’t worth living.
He might as well fade away completely and allow himself to go to the Goddess. If he did, maybe he would find his mate again. But would he recognize her? Even though he still missed her badly, her face had faded from his mind. All he had left of her was the memory of her arms around his neck as she hugged and held him…
As these miserable thoughts floated through his head in a hazy way, his ultra sensitive ears caught the sound of a door opening somewhere. Visitors, no doubt, come to see the other inmates of this prison.
The sound didn’t interest him until his nose caught a whiff of something different floating through the air. Brux lifted his head off his paws…what could that be?