Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 134725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
He decided to call his father-in-law to have the poor thing picked up. Perhaps a change of scenery with plenty more room to run would help the animal forget his grief.
At the very least, he and his newborn son might get some sleep. Sleep wouldn’t help with Zane’s grief, nor with the gaping hole of emptiness, but it might help his mind clear, so he could figure out the best way forward, raising his newborn son on his own. Without a partner. Without his baby girl to brighten his days.
CHAPTER 1
TANYA
This sounds crazy, but it’s true.
Jessica Rabbit got me sent to outer space.
Well, a Jessica Rabbit costume did.
And I’m only hours away from contracting a mysterious space flu that will kill me, unless I can work up the nerve to convince the most gorgeous male I’ve ever laid eyes on to have sex with me.
He needs to take my virginity, otherwise ... I’ll die.
I’m shy. Painfully shy.
How on Earth, scratch that… how on Planet Phallyx will I get through this?
CHAPTER 2
ZANE
4+ Years After the Prologue; Less than 2 Hours After A Ship of 38 Earth Women Have Arrived on Phallyx
A dozen men waited near the western gate at Zane’s father-in-law’s property. Some stood appearing calm and pensive. Some were engaged in conversation with one another. Others were stretching, as if preparing for battle. A few were doing what Zane was doing: sizing up the competition. Those were the ones who Zane considered his biggest threats.
Zane, leaned against where he knew the gate would soon slide open, would appear casual to anyone watching. He was not. Casual was the opposite of what Zane was feeling. He was preparing, based on the calculations made when he’d arrived and realized this would be a different afternoon than what he had initially planned for. Very different.
Most of the men would not know, having never been to this gate, where the opening was. Zane’s mind and body were gearing up, ready to do battle, if needed. His position meant he would cross this threshold first. That, coupled with his running speed meant he would have the advantage. And he’d surmised every advantage would be needed, because of the ridiculous set-up today and because on the other side of the gate, she was there.
She.
Tanya.
The flame-haired beauty that would be theirs. Zane’s and Ollie’s.
He glared at the gate, hating that it was the barrier to having what he’d been craving for weeks. The gate was not the only barrier, though. There were the men that waited, too… men who were filled with want. He could smell it on them, despite that several were doing their best to appear casual and relaxed. He saw through the façade and knew that meant they were the most dangerous… the ones with cunning as well as strength.
There were an equal amount of additional competitors to worry about, too, and they were outside a twin gate on the eastern end of the property.
Zane’s temper flared, though he hid it. Zane knew he was taking a risk being involved with this first round of matchmaking efforts, but it was becoming more and more evident this was set up as a strategic circus and would undoubtedly become a blood sport event. The government was using this first event to gauge the behaviors of not only the men involved, but the women who’d just arrived as well. What happened on this day and what would happen in the upcoming few days would begin to set the standards, rules, and laws around the matchmaking efforts and competitions in the future.
When those gates slid open, it’d be anyone’s guess what would happen, but Zane had suspicions of what the likely outcome would be after his conversation with Spar Blackstar, his father-in-law.
Spar told him the women had been outfitted with their trackers and translators as well as their ear jewelry (that came from Zane’s lab) en-route and as soon as they arrived, they would be given a mild aphrodisiac that would trigger ovulation for the men who wished to get their Earth brides pregnant immediately --- which was what the government wanted: a rise in population as quickly as possible. Eventually, these women would ovulate at the will of their husband, but today there would be medical intervention for those who wanted help.
Spar told Zane which aphrodisiac was being used when Zane inquired. Zane felt his jaw tighten. That wasn’t wise. That specific aphrodisiac was mild for the women, yes, and might help with quick ovulation for the men who wanted that as it would otherwise take time for these women to grow in tune with them. PD470 was milder than many other options, but the issue was that it would also trigger a hormone surge for any man who got a whiff of the associated pheromones. And that, along with what these males were already experiencing – competitiveness and excitement at the prospect of a mate, a life partner, of sexual satisfaction with partner? A recipe for disaster.