Page 7 of Riv's Sanctuary

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 and 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.