AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Jeeth snorted and shook his head. “If I leave one of us in a room full of Prizes, we might as well not bother defending you at all.”
As I looked over at them, I could already see the other gang members eying the Prizes… and to my chagrin, some of the Prizes were eying them appreciatively back!
Great way to keep them calm, idiots!
Jeeth turned to leave.
“Wait,” I said. “There’s something I need to know. Why did Thillak send you?”
Jeeth shrugged his massive shoulders. “You’ll have to take that up with him.”
He turned and barked orders at the other gang members. They slipped back through the doors and took positions in the outer room.
I didn’t know who this Thillak figure was, and I didn’t know what he wanted, but I sensed it was going to cost us and cost us big.
Not that it was the first time I had been indebted to an alien inmate I hardly knew…
15
LILY
FIVE YEARS EARLIER
I was sad to see Ohara go. I’d hoped he would turn around at the last minute and run toward me and sweep me up in his arms and—
What was I thinking?
Those things only happened in romance movies. This was the real world. Things like that didn’t happen. I was a Prize in a prison colony and that was all I would ever be.
No matter how nice Ohara treated me, no matter how much I liked him… I was a piece of meat. And I shouldn’t ever forget that. In a place like this, my life depended on it.
No sooner was I through the door than a gaggle of squawking hens — that is, the other Prizes — rushed me.
“Here she is!” one crowed.
“Tell us all the juicy details!” another squealed.
“And leave no rhoac unturned!” yet another said, fists curled in the tentacles atop her head.
I’d been at Ikmal for two weeks and not once had any of the other females paid me much attention. Although I was happy to finally be “one of the gang” I was at a loss as to what they could be so ecstatic about.
I took a step back and waved my hands to calm them down. “Hold up, hold up. What’s going on? Tell you all the details about what?”
I couldn’t believe it was the excitement of what might have happened between me and Druin. Some of the other girls had the unfortunate situation of having been Claimed by him before and it wasn’t an experience anyone wanted to hear about again.
“Everyone’s talking about it!” a lemon yellow-skinned creature called Gpidod screamed.
“About what?” I said.
“About the inmates fighting over you!” Gpidod replied.
The females’ eyes were wide with wonder, shock, and awe.
Frankly, I was amazed that the news of something like that had made it all the way to the Prize Pool. Of all the things the Prizes should be concerned about, gossip ought to be at the bottom of the list. And yet, despite the chance to make a few friends among the Prizes, I hesitated.
“I… I’m not sure,” I said.
“Don’t hold back on us now!” Gpidod said. “I’ve been awake half the night thinking about it!”
