Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 108211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
“What it’s about is bringing you and that whore, Goodie Bo-long to justice!” snapped Chief Stern-son. “Which means you aren’t going on the Moon shuttle, Missy—you’re coming with me. I’m placing you under arrest for having indecent and carnal relations with a Manimal!”
50
CADE
The large female who was talking to his mate seemed to be getting agitated. Then she waved something in at his mate—a weapon? Cade thought it must be. At first he had believed they were only talking, but now he saw that his female was being threatened and a low growl rose in his throat.
He stepped forward, intending to make the enemy who was frightening his mate pay, but suddenly something sharp bit him in the throat.
He growled in surprise and raised his hand to bat the stinger away, but suddenly the world around him was blurry and strange.
“Cade!” he heard his female gasp. “Oh my God, what did you do to him?”
“Don’t worry, he won’t be harmed,” the one who had threatened her snapped. “You’re the one who’s going to pay for your depravity!”
Cade didn’t understand this, of course—he only heard a lot of yelling. Then his female was hovering over him, worry written all over her beautiful face. He wanted to reach out to her, to tell her everything would be all right and he would protect her no matter what. That he would give his life to save hers.
But before he could even lift a hand to her, everything went black and he knew no more.
51
ANDI
“What did you do to him?” Andi knelt by the big Hybrid who had collapsed on the floor.
Her heart was pounding and she was crying with fear and fury. There was a small, black dart sticking out of the side of his thick throat. Andi plucked it out and threw it away before cupping his scratchy cheek in her palm.
“Cade? Cade, please be okay!” she begged brokenly. “Oh, God…”
“Get her up!” Chief Stern-son barked and suddenly two women were dragging her up and away from the big Hybrid.
“Let me go! Let me go!” Andi struggled and fought but they were both extremely strong.
“Oof! Better stun her, too,” one of them grunted, as Andi managed to elbow her in the stomach. “Make her easier to handle.”
“Good idea—do it,” Chief Stern-son nodded.
The deputy pulled a weapon and something sharp pierced Andi’s upper arm. Immediately, the world began to look fuzzy around the edges.
She peered myopically down to where the thing had bitten her and saw it was a black dart, like the one that had brought Cade down.
“Noooo…” she whispered, her words coming out slurred. “No, you can…can’t. Hafta…to get Cade back to…to the Mother Ship…”
But then the blurriness spread and everything started spinning around her. Andi tried to fight the drug they must have given her, but her body betrayed her by going limp.
“Oof—she’s damn heavy!” she heard one of the women complain.
And that was the last thing she heard before darkness ate the world.
52
ANDI
Andi woke up with the worst headache of her life.
“Ohhhh!” she groaned, clutching at her temples which were pounding like a second and extremely painful heartbeat. “Oh my God, that hurts!”
To her surprise, someone answered her.
“I’m afraid we’re both going to endure a lot more pain than just a little hangover headache from their drugs,” a familiar voice said.
Turning her head, Andi saw it was Goodie Bo-long. She was sitting on a narrow cot in the cell beside Andi’s. Wait—she was in a cell?
“What is this place?” she asked, looking around in confusion at the iron bars, the dirty floor, and the bucket in the corner—she really didn’t want to know what that was for.
“In the town jail, of course,” Goodie Bo-long said dryly. “It’s rather ironic, don’t you think?”
“Ironic?” Andi blinked. “What?”
“That I created and released the Magroagaricus trisporus and so was able to lock up all the men I hated in my life, and yet now I find myself locked up because of my accomplishments.” Goodie Bo-long sighed dramatically.
“I don’t think your accomplishments are why they locked you up,” Andi said, wincing as she sat up on the narrow cot she’d been lying on. “Chief Stern-son said the charges against me were ‘having indecent and carnal relations with a Manimal.’ I’m pretty sure you’re in here for the same thing.”
“You’re right, of course—the stupid prudes!” Goodie Bo-long got up and started pacing. “I’ve given them everything they could ever want! Freedom from the men oppressing them—freedom to have a life outside their home—freedom to fuck any and every male who takes their fancy and how do they repay me? Like this!” She gestured at the dank jail cell around them. “I’m telling you, it’s not fair!”
“What are they going to do to us, do you think?” Andi asked apprehensively. “And what are they going to do to Cade? They took him out right before they got me.”