Demanding agony pulsed on her temple waking her from the abyss. It took a moment for Molly to realize that she was hanging upside down. Her face burned which meant she had been in this position too long to be healthy. She shot a glance at Amy, smothering a moan as a wave of dizziness coursed through her. Squeezing her eyes shut, she willed the dizziness to dissipate.

"Amy?" she rasped. "MARC, status."

"She's alive, just unconscious. Scan yourself with the med-sensor," MARC commanded her, and because she was stubborn, she ignored him.

"Planet's stats? Breathable air? Gravity?" She groaned, trying to twist herself to undo the buckle, but the nausea rose...dropped...along her throat, and she hurried to swallow the bile.

"Breathable? Compared to Jasmine, it's perfect. Tons more oxygen than on Earth. Gravity is a little lighter so mind your step." He huffed, sounding like an electrical part had caught alight.

"Gee, thanks for the advice." Closing her eyes, she drew in calming breaths. She was in pain, irritated, and sick to her stomach. Could he not do this now? "You best upload a few dialects, just in case."

"A few?"

"Yes, MARC, the most popular. Why is my request a difficult one to comprehend?" The pain intensified, and she lost her train of thought, as if a fog had arisen and engulfed her inner voice.

"While you took your sweet time crashing the ship, I scanned the surface, and they're equally popular."

Molly opened her eyes, then wished she hadn't. It worsened the agony, intensifying the throbbing until her heartbeat pulsed behind her left eye.

"Closest dialect then?" Silence met her question. "All right, upload all of them."

"But—"

"For the love of coffee, MARC, your power banks are draining. I need you to go into hiber. Don't friggin' argue with me, just do it."

"Yes, Molly."

She screamed as shards of fire pierced her skull. Heat burned her nostrils as she gasped in breaths, willing herself not to faint. Pressure built up, then in an instant it vanished. The earlier pain from her headache returned, now bearable in comparison. Drops of her blood splattered onto the console. She raised her hand to wipe her nose, almost smacking herself in the face.

"Gravity difference, remember," MARC said, sarcasm in his automated tone.

She grumbled, cursing the genius who had invented the MARC onboard computer and thought a sarcastic tone would be an improvement. She unstrapped and caught herself, hanging with ease by her one arm, then swung over to Amy to shake her shoulder.

"Hun, time to get a move on. We've gotta find a way out of this. Who knows if the Vargosh followed us down. If we stay here, they'll find us. Y'know, to finish the job."

"Five more minutes," Amy mumbled.

"MARC's going into hiber; get your dialects and start out." Molly tipped Amy's chin up to study it for injuries. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I just blacked out when we hit the trees."

"Me to." Molly wasn't about to admit the console had a hand in knocking her out. "MARC? Got enough juice to right the pod?"

"Yes."

"Do it." The pod rumbled as MARC used its mini-thrusters to maneuver it.

She tightened her grip and held on until her feet touched the plated floor. "Thanks." Slapping Amy's trembling fingers aside, Molly unbuckled her.

MARC shut down the thrusters, and the pod's door opened. Fresh organic air flooded the compartment, and Molly inhaled it with gratitude. They could've landed on a planet with little to no oxygen. She probably had MARC to thank for selecting this planet, but she would never tell him that.

"Time to grab some things?" Amy asked as she rushed to the emergency locker.

All their stuff was in the remainder of the ship, somewhere back there, nothing but a smear against the cliff. Pieces of Amy's lingerie collection, along with one shoe would litter the crash site.

"Like what?" Molly tried not to frown, as she ran a gentle fingertip over her temple. Her touch stung, and she lowered her hand before Amy noticed.

"Weapons, med-sensors, comm bands?"

"Sounds good." Molly flashed a smile which transformed into a grimace as waves of fire throbbed anew.

"How are you feeling?" Amy gestured to Molly's face. "That's a nasty bruise you have on your temple."

Shit. Molly spun to assess the console, reading Jasmine's damage reports off the vids. "Just a headache, right, MARC?"

"Concussion," he answered, and she glared at the console.

"Traitor," she whispered.

Amy sighed and handed her a comm band which she snapped onto her wrist. It vibrated as it synced with her pulse. She strapped the airgun to her thigh and slipped a dagger into her boot. The med-sensor Amy offered went into a pocket before she faced Amy who had found a pair of boots and tugged them on.

"MARC, go into hiber after you close the door behind us." Whatever awaited them outside, they at least had a safe harbor if there was nothing on this planet that could penetrate steel.

"I've set security as per usual," MARC said.

"Excellent." Amy jumped out of the pod, landing with a squish. "Now I have planet juice all over my legs."

"Good luck, Molly," MARC said.

She nodded despite him not being able to see her and peered over the edge to assess the three meter distance. The soft terrain was grass and swamp, along with the purple and green foliage. She sucked in the organic air, allowing it to fill her lungs while praying there was nothing parasitic awaiting them.

"Thanks, MARC." She jumped, landing beside Amy, the jarring sent shards of pain pinging around her eye sockets. The door closed behind them with a definitive click. She tested the gravity finding she felt lighter but not enough to let her leap into the sky, though that might have been awesome—the up, but not the down. Splat was still splat.

"I've scanned." Amy raised her wrist, and her comm band flashed green. "Closest village is northwest."

Images of her and Amy walking into a village with a take-me-to-your-leader message, teased her sense of humor. "I'm not sure going to a village is a good idea." She pressed a hand to her throbbing temple, closing her eyes against the bright pale-yellow sky. Dizziness assailed her, and she swung out her arm to steady herself.

"What then? Make a home in the trees? A cave? Survive on what food?"

"All I'm saying is that we do reconnaissance first. The biologicals might be cannibals or sacrifice women to a nameless god." Her eyes remained shut as she fought to ease the pain with controlled breathing.

"Or ... they could be large men, dark-skinned, covered in thick fur pelts with penetrating black eyes?"

Molly pinched her lips against a chuckle. "I wish. I'd be happy with something cognizant. Dealing with a species that has yet to master speech will be devilish hard." The shards spread outward, wrapping around her skull. She moaned and fell to a knee, crying out and grabbing her face as if to silence the pain. Hot droplets of her blood dribbled onto her palms.

Amy called her name from afar, with buzzing and hollow echoes smothering her voice. When Molly's senses returned, she found herself staring at the pale-yellow sky with Amy running the med-sensor over her.

"Honestly, Molly. It's just a concussion. I need you to wake up now!" The urgency in Amy's voice penetrated her lethargy, and she sat up in one smooth move.

Then squeaked at the thirteen men encircling them. Holy shit, Amy hadn't been kidding. Fear and awe roiled within her. She gaped, even as she stroked the airgun strapped to her thigh.

The men were tall, broad-shouldered, well-muscled with dark skin and black eyes. They had various shades of brown hair streaked with yellow and gold. Fur pelts adorned their bodies and massive hand-carved weapons hung from their large hands. Soft-skinned boots blended into harem-style pants in a leather-like fabric in various shades of brown. They were bare-chested for the most part, partially covered by their furs. Their gazes were intense, in an interested way, and not menacing. Instinctively she knew they wouldn't harm two alien women they had stumbled upon.

"Did you talk to them?" Molly asked as she staggered to her feet. The pain wasn't as intense, but the dizziness persisted.

"They're not responding, and their glances are ... admiring." Amy's voice softened into a seductive drawl.

"Really?" Molly shot a look at her friend who had an overactive libido. That Amy was lithe, graceful, blonde, and beautiful might have helped her form her appreciation of men. Their predictable adoration only reinforced her addiction.

Whereas, in Molly's case, she couldn't remember when last a man had shown any interest in her. She was tall, a brunette, and certainly not ugly, if she was truthful. She simply paled in comparison to the bright sensual beacon that was Amy. Molly spun in a circle, slow enough not to test her balance. Thirteen men, and yes, their gazes were admiring, just not of her. She was the wallflower on an alien planet. Great, the usual scene then.

"Greetings," she said in general, and they turned as one to look at her. A few seemed surprised to find another woman among them, gaping at her or running assessing gazes over her. She nodded when their focus returned to Amy. Yup, the usual scene.

"Greetings, female." The largest man with the bearing of a commander shortened the distance between them. When she said large, she meant six-feet-seven tall with broad shoulders adding to the intimidation factor. Gold steaked through the long dark brown waves of hair falling past his shoulders. His black eyes darted over her, resting on her breasts straining her jumpsuit. That wasn't good. She wouldn't escape their attention once they had gone through Amy. Armed with her airgun and dagger, how was she supposed to protect them both. If only Amy wasn't without weapons.

Holding her wrist to her lips, she whispered, "MARC, stay on alert." The comm band flashed once. Relief didn't flood her like a hot cup of cocoa. That one flash could be MARC stating they were on their own. Her thoughts spun away as she drafted a letter of complaint to his creators.

Dear MARC manufacturers, how about you skip the sarcasm and tighten up on loyalty? She snorted, settling her gaze on the leader. "I apologize for the intrusion. We were attacked and were forced to ... land." She grimaced, doubting they understood her. Word choice was difficult with an inferior species. How could she explain that she was from the stars, that her ship crash-landed, and that other star travelers might arrive to kill them all? Would 'run, you bastards, run' work?

They would burn her at the stake as a witch or a deceiver. Worse, they would worship her as a god. Maybe then she could get laid, but then again, only under obligation, and no woman in the known galaxies would settle for a pity-fuck.

"You are property of the Sunkhu."

Ice warred with fire at his words. No, she must have misunderstood him. Slavery was no longer allowed within galactic law. "Property?" She stood her ground and squared her shoulders. If he meant to capture and force them to work his friggin' mines, she would fight to the death. They were not chattel!

"Mols, think of the Vargosh," Amy said in English. "They'd have to get through these giants..."

"Property." Molly shot her a glance, and her fingers hovered over her gun, considering the consequences and probabilities if she went down fighting. The hulk noticed her movements, but he remained unfazed which could mean one of two things. He didn't know what her gun did, or he was confident he could take her before she drew her weapon.

Having that massive body barreling toward her was downright fearsome. If he tackled her, he would break every bone in her body, and without the Jasmine's medical, she was doomed to a slow, painful death.

"We have our weapons and our comm bands. We've been in worse situations than this."

"True." Molly faced the leader. "Very well, we'll go with you," she said in Sunkhuni.

"I do not need your permission, female." His voice rumbled like distant thunder. Holy shit, now that was intimidating. He nodded at his men, and they gathered, closing around them. A wall of muscled chests barred their escape.

"Mols," Amy pleaded.

Molly sighed and raised her hands in a placatory manner.

"This one...," the leader growled. His men closed around Amy while he approached Molly.

She almost smiled at his caution, as if little her could take gigantic him. Just in case, she remained immobile, not making any sudden moves. Not that her skull would let her do anything quickly. He paused when his massive chest was a breath away from touching her. Smoke, leather, and something like pine surrounded her. She was surprised at his appealing scent, having expected him to stink of body odor, roast boar, and beer.

He looped an arm around her and tugged her closer. She whimpered. The jolt had her head spinning, and she threw out her hands to grab onto him, trying not to faint but also to hold him back. Not that she succeeded against his strength. Her heart leaped into her throat with nausea roiling in her belly. He scooped her into his arms as if she weighted nothing, but his touch was gentle. With one arm under her knees and another around her shoulders, his body cocooned hers.

Her world spun, intensifying her dizziness, and she shut her eyes with a gasp. His arms tightened, and she found herself resting her cheek against the scorching velvet of his bare chest.

"Molly?" Amy's concerned voice trailed behind her.

"Just dizzy." She peeked at the leader's partially hidden features. He looked human with his dark beard emphasizing the blush-pink of his lips. Her gaze flew higher, as the grays and greens of the trees fringed the yellow sky. She couldn't say how long he carried her, but her entranced gaze returned to the leader's face no matter how many times she dragged it away. With each step he took, the better she felt. The med-sensor stimulated the body to heal. The healing wasn't instantaneous, and symptoms lingered long after a scan.

"I can walk," she said, but the man glanced at her then ignored her.

A while later, they entered a hand-hewn rock tunnel. The air cooled her heated cheeks but not the shame burning through her. The jungle's humidity had her sweating more than normal, and her polymer jumpsuit was struggling to contain the moisture pouring off her body. Through twists and turns of the tunnels, they broke into a vast cavern. Sunlight streamed through a massive gaping hole in the rock, brushing its heated rays over an ancient tree in the center of the cavern. It stood proud and breathtaking, dominating the village with its meters wide trunk and deep purple foliage.

"It's beautiful," she said, seeing places her toes would find footholds, her fingers notches. She used to climb trees when her parents had lived on Ganymede. They had farmed apples for a while. Nostalgia tore through her, cinching her heart tight enough to squeeze a tear past her defenses. She thrust the sorrow deep, not willing to face her past.

The leader drew to a halt as villagers chatting excitedly while crowding around them. He lowered her to her feet, and she found her balance easily. But she refused to focus on the pang of need coursing through her at the sudden loss of his warmth.

Get a grip, Mols.

"This is what you found, Anzar?"

The leader's name was Anzar? It suited him, as strong sounding as he looked.

"Yes, Narro, and their sky egg," he said to the elderly man that stood a distance ahead of the people. Gray streaked his brown hair, but age hadn't impacted his physique and posture much.

"Two females ... you did well." He flashed a mouth full of teeth and two sharp incisors. The sight of which propelled dread through Molly, as if vampires existed.

"Shall we begin the game?" Anzar raised his voice for his men to hear him.

"Game?" she echoed, but he once again ignored her. Her fingers curled into fists, and she fought the urge to stamp her foot or hit him, though truth be told, she would prefer to do the latter.

"I see many are eager ... yes, we shall play." Narro spared Amy a glance, before resting his focus on Molly.

At the elder's words, the men roared their enthusiasm. Molly searched for Amy, flashing her an 'oh-shit' look. This didn't sound good, and she didn't know how to extract them from whatever this was.

In English, she called across the mass of masculine muscle. "Didn't I say cannibals?" She arched an accusing brow at her best friend.

Amy flicked a dismissive hand. "You're paranoid. It's probably a friendly game of alien tic-tac-toe."

"Right, and those vampire teeth are for crushing nuts?"

Anzar's large hands cupped her upper arms, and he pinned her with his dark gaze. "You will run and the male who catches you, keeps you." His focus traveled her face to her breasts and lingered there.

"Keeps us for what?" Molly folded her arms across her chest.

He licked his lips as if he was hungry. There was no way she would allow anyone to help themselves to one of her limbs. He raised his fingers to brush a curl off her face, before dropping his hand to rest on her shoulder. The heat of his palm penetrated right through the fabric.

"As his mate."

"His what?" She staggered back a step, taking herself away from his confusing touch. Like hell! She hovered her fingers over her gun again.

"Mols, is he serious?" Amy's voice was thin as she shuffled closer to her.

Molly spun in a circle, searching for the cave entrance that seemed to have melted into the rock walls. Where she was certain they had walked, there was nothing but jagged cliff.

Anzar let out a battle roar that chilled her blood. He ripped off his fur pelt, bearing more of his muscled chest. Her cheek tingled as if it remembered where it had been. She was a little dazed at the sight of his many ridges carved into golden toffee.

"Run," he commanded with a sensual smile.

Hot damn! Her heart stuttered. He was magnificent. She had never seen such a striking man.

Run? She was trying to. Run away so a man could catch her? Her mouth dropped open, then her brow furrowed. Her? As in Molly Lambert?

"Why?" she asked. No man wanted her for a mate, not on any stations and docks, certainly not here on this primitive planet, and not by the way their gazes lingered on poor Amy. Molly leaped the distance between them, cupping her elbows. "I can't get us out of this, Amy. I don't know what to do." She chewed on her lip, her anxiety pounding her heart, none of it helped by the warmth of Anzar's chest pressing her back.

She glowered at him, jabbing a finger into his chest. "No, this is wrong. We should be able to choose not to participate. We're not trophies, we're women, humans with hopes and dreams."

"I'm sorry, temaar, this is our way. Females are scarce, and each male longs for one such as you." Anzar's eyes darkened as if he was sorry, but with his chest bare implying he planned to participate, she couldn't trust his sincerity.

"Friggin' hell, Amy. They mean it. I can't kill them all. It would be slaughter, and they have women here..." She sucked in a sob. "And if we survive that, they'd claim you anyway. You've got to run, sweetheart, run like the Vargosh are on your ass."

"And you?" Amy nibbled on her lip in concern, as she swayed back and forth on her toes.

Molly shook her head. "They don't want me, hun. You know that."

"But..." Amy shot glances behind her at the eager males, bouncing and laughing as if they had a right to a slave.

Molly followed her focus and grimaced. "Frigging barbarians. Listen, I'll get out of your way. They've no idea how nimble you can be."

"Okay..." But her face was pale with her cheeks flushed. Her body trembled, mimicking the shivers racking Molly's body. She could do nothing to save her friend. Pleading with Anzar had gotten her nowhere except for his pathetic excuse. Tradition, her ass.

She pulled out her airgun and checked the battery life. Three bars, more than enough to kill. Amy cupped her fingers over Molly's, forcing the barrel of the airgun down.

"Put it away. This might be something innocent, Mols, like one night of serving the winner a meal."

"Or warming his bed." Molly tacked on. "Anzar said mate."

"Oh, I hope so." At Amy's husky voice, Molly slapped her friend's arm.

"Really? Give your libido a rest, will ya?"

The villagers had migrated to the outskirts of the clearing, excitement discernible by their chatter and chants. The men participating had taken position at the entrance as if to start this 'game' on equal footing. Anzar had joined them, as well, towering over them all. His unflinching gaze rested on Amy and Molly, as if he had a target in mind.

"Molly?" Amy whispered. "What will you do?"

"Climb." She gestured to the tree.

"That's silly. You're just delaying the inevitable. You have to come down at some point." Amy flicked out her hands as she danced on her toes.

"I know, but you'll see. They'll all chase after you. I'm sorry I'm not—" Molly bit her lip. "That I can't save—"

"You're beautiful, Mols!" Amy grabbed her by the cheeks. "Just smile more."

Molly shrugged her hands off, sidling back to allow Amy more room and to place her closer to the tree. To reach it, she would need to sprint. "Yeah, that will make my breasts bigger. Hell, a smile might even help me lose fifteen pounds."

Amy tutted, but when a horn sounded, and the men bolted toward them, she took off leaving Molly standing there...alone. She sprinted for the tree. A shadow fell across her, and she burst forward, mocking the feeling that she was hunted. She clambered up the tree with surprising ease considering she hadn't done so in years.

Silenced descended over the crowd for a few seconds before their cheering resumed, more vibrant than before. She shrugged and climbed upward, aiming for as high as possible. There were many branches and just within range. Footholds and grips were frequent. It was an enjoyable climb, one that had her soul singing of freedom even as her thighs burned from the exertion. She reached a strong thick branch and straddled it. Once secure, she searched for Amy. Molly chuckled as her friend darted between their grasping fingers, used to avoiding swats and groping fingers at the dusty bars on the docks and stations.

"That's my girl. Make 'em work for it."

"Female," Anzar roared from the base of the tree.

Molly leaned to the side and peered at him. Her heart pounded a different rhythm at the sight of him glaring at her. His brown hair cascaded back from his face, and his piercing black eyes met hers with a sadness she didn't understand. "You can come down now. You are safe from the game."

"Huh!" She huffed, rolling her eyes at him. "I know I'm safe, idiot." The height gave her a false sense of bravado. "I'm not a female men want. I tried to tell you this, but no, now I'm up a tree."

"If you know you are safe, then you can come down."

Well spotted, Anzar. She fought a smile. "Are you kidding? One man gets Amy, leaving many looking for second best." She thumped her chest. "That would be me."

"Second best?" He squinted at her in confusion, then with a sigh, he launched himself up the tree. His skill was mesmerizing to behold, and even as he neared her, her heart pounded with eagerness. With chest muscles rippling, he swung himself onto her branch then straddled it, as well. "Mother Tree has shown you favor. Few are allowed to touch her."

Molly almost snorted at this, but she could see he believed it. She wasn't one to mock another's belief no matter how irrational it sounded to her. He stroked the branch with his long fingers, and it glowed beneath his touch. With a gasp, she held out a trembling hand and did the same. Beneath the bark, it pulsed energy into her palm. It felt cool and soothing.

Welcome, dear child.

She jerked, raising her wide-eyed gaze to Anzar. "It ... she's beautiful," she stammered, sharing a stunned smile with Anzar.

He stared at her for a few moments with a rumble rising up his throat before he nodded. "Her favor means you can choose your mate. It is a gift rarely bestowed upon a female."

Right, come down, it is safe? But hey, the terms and conditions state you must choose a mate. She wasn't falling for it. How about no mate? "You can climb her. Why haven't you chosen your mate?"

"Females are scarce. I share in the chase with my males. My chieftain status should not grant unfair advantages." He held out his hand to her. "I could reach across and pull you into my arms. I give you the choice to trust me."

"But if you touch me, you claim me?" She glanced between his hand and his black eyes, not knowing what she expected to see.

"No, I do not lie, temaar. You have been blessed... chosen," he said, sincerity echoing in the depths of his voice, in his gaze.

Temaar? That was twice he had called her that. It sounded like an endearment, but even the word slave could be whispered with affection. She sighed and slipped her hand into his. His fingers curled around hers, tugging her closer. He spun her and pulled her against his chest wrapping his arms around her waist. "We shall watch the setting sun paint colors across the sky."

Nestled against his warmth again, she relaxed. Her fingers had taken to stroking the soft hairs on his forearms. She didn't like that he was here with her and not down there, even though, a part of her hated the thought of him with Amy.

Despite fighting the rising tide of irritation and jealousy, she twisted to look at him, settling her gaze on plumpness of his bottom lip before hastily looking away. "You are missing out. With your height and long strides, you would catch Amy easily."

"I do not like her sky hair. Duro will catch her. He is a good male."

Joy burst from her chest to her belly like the rays of the sun, drenching her with warmth. She dipped her chin to hide her smile. "Then why participate?"

"For unity's sake."

Tribal support. She snuggled deeper into his embrace, liking the way his voice vibrated through her. "What happens to me now?"

"The elders will assess Mother's purpose in choosing you."

She tilted her head to glance up at him, finding him looking at her. His gaze shifted, and he rumbled. She followed his focus to her jumpsuit, where it had torn at some point in the last day, and proudly displayed one of her breasts. Gasping, she pulled away from him, clutching her jumpsuit closed. Heat burned her cheeks at the realization that it wasn't a simple peek he had seen, but the entire breast. How she hadn't felt its exposure was unknown to her.

"Sorry, I must've torn it climbing." Silence met her apology, then he grabbed her hips to pull her against him.

Despite her resolve not to succumb, she sank into his embrace with her fingers stroking his forearms again. Her eyelids drifted shut then fluttered open then shut until she allowed the temptation of sleep to lull her.