Riv's Sanctuary: A Sci-fi Alien Romance by A.G. Wilde (best books to read TXT) 📕

adjusted and she took in more of the surroundings, her anxiety increased.

Something in a cage close to her that looked like a massive snake with three round heads hissed at her as she began to stand.

“Sit.”

A firm hand pressed against her shoulder and she looked up to see the zookeeper’s eyes still darting around.

He wasn’t even looking at her.

What was his problem?

He was up to something, or something wasn’t right.

It was still early, it seemed, because there weren’t many buyers.

This was a guy who cut corners and tried to save a buck at every turn.

Why would he bring her out now when there wasn’t a good chance of him selling her for much?

The Sphynx cats beside him also had their eyes darting around, as if they were keeping watch.

Curious.

As Lauren frowned, a few beings caught sight of her and walked over.

The zookeeper leaned in, his breath brushing against her skin.

He pressed his torture remote into her side.

Great. She hadn’t realized he had the thing.

“Don’t even think about running.”

She knew what that meant.

Running would mean collapsing on her face as each and every cell in her body caught on fire.

The first time it happened, she’d thought she was going to die.

The second time wasn’t better either. Neither were the third, fourth, or fifth times.

“You have no alien status here. You run. You get caught. You go to the mines.” The zookeeper’s mouth twisted in a smile. “You choose.”

Settling back in her box, she said nothing.

It wasn’t the first time he’d mentioned the mines and, frankly, it didn’t sound like a place she wanted to be.

Instead, she focused on the beings beginning to surround the box.

It was a group of the same species of alien. They were all black with sharp edges, as if their bodies were made of blades compacted together. Standing at over seven feet, she supposed, they were taller than even the zookeeper.

Their dark eyes were focused on her and Lauren swallowed hard.

She couldn’t see any emotion in those eyes.

And they were male. She could see very clearly they were male.

“What sort of creature is this?” One stretched forward to touch her and the zookeeper grabbed the alien’s arm.

Lauren’s wide eyes flew to the zookeeper.

Wasn’t he brave.

Or maybe his torture remote didn’t only work on her? Because seven feet of blades wasn’t the sort of alien she’d want to be in an altercation with.

“No touching. Touch it after you buy it for as long and as much as you want to,” the zookeeper said, and the suggestion in his tone made her pale.

The alien’s thin mouth twisted into a leery smile, and a shiver ran down her spine as she watched the others smile as well.

“A set of credits,” the alien offered.

A set? Just one?

Was that all they thought her life was worth?

Lauren glanced from one to the other and she moved back against the walls of the box.

Nope. She’d seen this movie.

Heck, she’d directed it in her head during her year with nothing else to do, and she knew how this was going to end.

She’d have to try to make a run for it. Fuck the pain that would come. She’d crawl through mud and excrement if that meant she had a chance of safety.

As she gripped the sides of the box, ready to make a run for it, another being caught her attention.

Four eyes blinked at her as the alien’s big, bubble-head tilted to the side.

He was skinny, shorter than all the aliens around her box, and looked as if even she could beat him up.

Nevertheless, he pushed between the tall bladey aliens to come to the front and blinked at her, all four eyes scanning her from head to toe.

“Two sets of credits,” he said.

Lauren stared at him.

He didn’t seem as bad as the others. Her hands relaxed a little on the box.

The tall, dark aliens looked at each other.

“Two sets and fifty,” one of them said.

The zookeeper’s eyes lit up a little.

“The creature can speak and follow instructions as well.” His gaze jumped from one potential buyer to another.

He was trying to up their bids.

Lauren scowled at him. Such a piece of shit.

Hadn’t he earned enough because of her? She’d been in his zoo for a whole year.

“What we want to do with it will not require speaking…” one of the tall dark aliens said.

“…or following instructions. The creature will do what we want… willingly or not,” another chimed in.

Shit.

She knew what they were suggesting and it made her want to puke.

“Four sets of credits,” the thin green alien said.

The zookeeper grinned and the tall, dark aliens glanced at each other.

“For that price, we can get three Umongals.”

There was a pause as they looked at her again, then, with a sound of annoyance, they walked away without making another offer. The small green alien’s mouth moved as if he was smiling a little.

“Sold to the Torian.” The zookeeper pulled out some sort of device and completed the transaction as Lauren watched the green alien with interest.

She couldn’t read him.

She had no idea if he was good or bad, and that was worrisome.

So far, from her experience, there was little good in this universe. Most beings seemed bad…

Hopefully, this deal wouldn’t make things worse.

“Goodness me, you are heavy.” The voice came from above as the green alien carried her in the box.

The scent of the creature market was now behind them and Lauren could now see other parts of the marketplace.

It was a colorful exchange, full of shoppers and stalls on each side of the wide road.

“What have they been feeding you to make you this heavy?” the alien continued.

Was he calling her fat?

“I can walk, you know,” she said, but the alien only looked at her as if he couldn’t understand.

He made a sound in his throat, his four eyes flicking from her to the surroundings then back, as he gripped onto her box.

She felt like a puppy he’d just bought from the pet store.

A huff of a dry laugh came through her