Total pages in book: 182
Estimated words: 171288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
Also, she belatedly realized, she was walking a fine line here—if she continued to protest having V’rex as her Forever Mate, she might give away the fact that she wasn’t really hypnotized. Already all the NeverBreeder guards and the Glorious Leader himself were giving her inquiring frowns. Clearly, she had better settle down and tow the line if she didn’t want to end up recycled by the end of the ceremony.
Setting her face in a rigid mask of a smile, Penny took a deep breath and tried to center herself. She just had to get through this, she told herself. There was nothing else to do but just suck it up and take it to the end.
But God, how in the world had she ended up with V’rex, the dangerous space pirate, of all people as her Forever Mate?
Penny didn’t know, but she did know she was determined to survive. So she looked fearlessly—well almost fearlessly—up into her new husband’s eyes and waited for the next part of the ceremony.
“Well, now that we’re all settled down, we can continue.” the Glorious Leader smiled at the assembled crowd, who were watching intently. “Now we come to the next part of the Unification Ceremony—the saying of the vows.”
Penny waited impatiently, just wanting the stupid fake wedding to be over. Though considering what was going to happen to her at the end of it—her first Mandatory Breeding—maybe she ought to wish it would last forever, she thought uneasily.
She wondered what kind of vows they would be required to recite? More love, honor, and obey bullshit, probably. Or maybe “until death or recycling do us part.”
Yeah, right. Very funny, Penny—har-har.
“Brides,” the Glorious Leader who looked uncannily like the fried chicken magnate of “Eleven Herbs and Spices” fame, began. “Please repeat after me” ‘Forever Mate, I give myself to you. Please use my body as your own property. Thrust your shaft deep inside me and fill me daily with your seed.’”
What? Penny glanced in disbelief at the cult leader in his gleaming white suit. Did he really expect them to say that? In public?
Apparently, he did and the other brides were already repeating the vows dutifully.
Penny looked down at her hands—held captive in the huge Hybrid’s much larger hands—and mumbled the words, feeling like she was participating in some kind of porno.
“Brides,” the Glorious Leader said sharply, interrupting the vows before they got to the “fill me with your seed” part. “I notice that not everyone seems invested in this holy ceremony!”
Looking up, Penny realized he was glaring at her in apparent righteous indignation. The way the Glorious Leader—Colonel Sanders!—her mind insisted, was looking at her, made her feel like she’d accidentally swallowed a very large ice cube that didn’t want to go down her throat.
You’re one step from the sausage grinder, whispered a panicked little voice in her head. One step from being recycled. Careful, Penny—you’re on thin ice!
“S-sorry,” she stammered. “I just…it’s so…it’s embarrassing to…to say…”
“To ask your Forever Mate to breed you?” the Glorious Leader demanded, frowning like a thundercloud.
He looks like he found out somebody messed with his Original Recipe, whispered a little voice in Penny’s head and a hysterical giggle rose in her throat like a bubble. She swallowed it down hurriedly, aware that letting it out could mean her death.
Get hold of yourself, girl!
“How can you be embarrassed about your role in promoting the Glorious Cause?” the Glorious Leader demanded. “There is nothing wrong or immoral in what we do here! This is a holy breeding, you are asking your Forever Mate to perform on you! Do all of you understand that?” he asked, raising his voice and addressing the other brides.
“Yes, Glorious Leader! Oh, yes.” They were all nodding and staring at him with wide-eyed devotion—it was enough to make Penny sick to her stomach.
Her revulsion must have showed on her face because V’rex gave her a little shake. When she looked up at him, he had a stern look on his dark, sharp features and his pale gold eyes were filled with warning.
“Do it right,” he growled, so softly only Penny could hear him. “Unless you want to end up in deep shit.”
Penny looked at him in surprise and then narrowed her eyes.
“Are you threatening me?” she breathed, keeping her voice down too.
“No—warning you. This is no laughing matter, little girl.”
“I’m not—” Penny began but then the Glorious Leader raised his voice again.
“Let’s take it from the top, brides,” he said and glared directly at Penny. “And this time, I want you to all look up into your Forever Mate’s eyes and recite your vows like you mean them.”
The cold look in his icy blue gaze gave Penny the ice cube in her throat feeling again. Clearly this was her last chance.
Straightening her shoulders, she looked up…and up and up into V’rex’s pale gold eyes.