Page 12 of The Dalgur’s Pet

He brushed his fingers through her hair, humming lightly. It was strange to see him up close, the vicious spikes poking out of his head like he was some sort of demon. The slitted pupils were eerie, as was the way he stared at her, like she was the most interesting thing in the universe. His skin was warm to the touch, but hard, not soft like her own body.

“Where are we going?” she asked when she built up the courage to speak again.

“To Occaro X7! Did you forget already?”

She hadn’t forgotten, just didn’t understand what he had meant by that.

“What is that?”

Vrix smiled at her, squeezing her tightly like she was his favorite toy.

“It is a very nice planet. You will enjoy it. We will be arriving in a few days, though we must stop to refuel first.”

“Why? Why are you taking me there?”

He blinked rapidly, as if he didn’t understand her queries.

“It is where we live now. Our home. Though, I suppose we can go elsewhere if you don’t like it. We’ve been trying to find a… pet… for some time now, but we have been unsuccessful.”

Unsuccessful.

Because they killed every human they abducted.

“Why do you want a human p-pet?”

What kind of sick experiments would they subject her to? Could it be worse than what they’d done to the other humans on their ship?

“Because it is enjoyable. We had intended on finding a new incubator, but…” Vrix trailed off.

A wave of nausea washed over Giselle, even though her stomach was grumbling with hunger.

“What do you mean by incubator?”

He narrowed his eyes.

“Well, the human womb is an ideal location for a clutch of Dalgur eggs. We deliver them through our sensory tentacles and inseminate them with our sperm. Artificial wombs work, of course, but a living one is much more pleasurable.”

She swallowed the bile bubbling in her throat, tried to focus on his warm arms around her body, his fingers brushing through her hair.

When she said nothing, he continued.

“You do not appear to have a womb, unlike other human females. Why is that?”

She answered, mumbling like she was in a trance.

“I had a hysterectomy. The pain… I have endometriosis and the pain was too much. I finally just decided to get the surgery, since I didn’t want to have children.”

“Hysterectomy?”

She focused back on his gleaming red eyes.

“Doctors removed my uterus and cervix.”

Vrix nodded.

“Ah, I understand now. I was confused when I examined you. You did not wish to hatch a brood?”

The words ignited the swells of nausea once more.