“There has been no mistake. Theprophecy is quite clear,” he says firmly without looking back at me. Ihurryto catch up with him. Itugon his sleeve to get him to stop. He looks back at me wide-eyed and gasps.
“You honor me with your touch,” he says and deeply bows again.
“Please listen. I am not who you think I am,” I blurt out. Idon’twant to playalonganymore.
He brings the sleeve Itouched tohis mouth. He kisses the spot and rubs it over his face. I school my face into something neutral, but that might have been one of the most repulsive thingsI’veever seen in my life.
“This robe will forever bear your blessing upon me. Today truly is a special day,” he says and continues down the hallway.
Dammit.
The next room is the biggestone of the day, and the entire floor is covered with blankets and pillows. Idon’tlike the look of this at all. I carefully step between the blankets. Before I can turn and try to talk my way out of this, threebrethren step in, completely naked except for the thin cord around their waists with bells hanging to the side of their dicks. They are in varying states of arousal, and I force my eyes to stay up.
“Okay.I need to get back to my room.” I sidestep my way toward the door, but they are still standing between me and my escape.
“It is our honor to bring youpleasure.You must receive our seed,” one of them says.
“Uh, you guys have fun without me.” I pause at the door and turn back. “And no one calls it ‘seed’! At least call it ‘cum’ or ‘jizz’ like normal people!”
Boss steps in front of me and blocks my path.
Great. NowI’mstuck between the horny triplets and the boss.
“What seems to be the problem, Shimmering Brook?” hesays.
Idon’tknow why he looksconfused. I’ve been very clear from the beginning. This is not happening. Of all the bizarre cultures and religious fanatics I could’ve encountered, it seems I found the one with a breeding kink.
“As your deity, I am telling you that I do not wish to receive any…pleasureorseed.”
The word feels gross on mytongue,and I gagonit.Invokingtheirgoddess and taking advantage of their misunderstanding feels even worse. But at this pointI’mdesperate to get back to my room and away from these weirdos.
“But the prophecy requires?—”
My final thread of patience snaps.
“Am I the goddess or not? I want to go back to myroom. Now.”
“Yes, Magnificent One.” His gaze sharpens, pinning me in place. Sizing me up.
I narrow my eyes right back.
That’s it. My mind is made up. Before I get the fuck out of this terrible place, I am going to turn every single one of these brethren against Boss.
FOURTEEN
Tai
Wherever they’ve got Bri, I hope she’s getting better treatment than this. All I’ve got is a dirty blanket and a rusted bucket. The smell wafting off the bucket makes its purpose unmistakable.
It’s not the first time I’ve been locked up. I’ve been in my fair share of station brigs growing up. When times were really bad, I’d purposefully get caught breaking some minor rule so I could get tossed in a cell just for the guaranteed bowl of noodles that came with it.
I must have been eight or nine years old the first time. I had run away from the outpost for orphans where I was supposed to learn a trade. We were shipped off to the Star Ash Collection Orbital, “SACO,” to do a dangerous and underpaid job nobody wanted. Bots were too valuable. We weren’t. The only thing more dangerous than harvesting the collapsed star matter for production was the threat of my fellow wards.
SACO taught me one thing: the weak are at the mercy of thestrong. I was scrawny and underfed and learned very quickly I would rather strike out on my own than stay there.
My first stop was Westgate Orbital IV. That first night the station manager caught me breaking into his office. It was a dumb move, but being tossed in the brig was a mercy compared to what he could have done. Stations are little kingdoms, and managers do whatever they want.
This one happened to be a good one. While we walked to the brig, he talked to me. He asked me about my upbringing and made me an offer I wasn’t ready to accept.
