Page 66 of What Makes an Alien a Dad?

I made sure to keep a few stands and shelves between us. “How much worse?”

“Maya, please, stop this destruction and cooperate,” Egus intervened.

“Why would I?” I had not a crumb of faith in them caring about either the baby or me. Giving them any control over my body would be a huge mistake.

“Fuck it!” Hezer shoved a stand out of his way and leaped toward me.

More of their equipment dropped and shattered, but he didn’t seem to care about that anymore. Getting me took priority over everything else for him.

I jumped out of his way, but Egus blocked my escape. I had no choice but to spin around and dash back to the rooftop.

The two exited after me. They were no longer running, confident that they could get me now. There was nowhere to run. The dome-covered terrace opened only to the aircraft landing platform.

“Now be a good human,” Hezer gritted through his teeth, “and do as I say.”

I panted, struggling to catch my breath after the mad dash through the lab.

“Will you really put your entire life’s work and your good reputation on the line for this?” I kept retreating along the landing platform.

The night breeze caught the hem of my gown, playing with the loose strands of my hair. If I climbed into the aircraft, they’d easily open it and drag me out. I really had no choice, cornered and pushed against the edge of the landing pad.

My heart raced. My lungs pinched with each shallow breath I took. Dull pain rolled through my stomach, spasming somewhere just below the belly button.

I gasped, gripping my side.

“Careful, Maya.” Egus stretched his arm to me, then turned to Hezer. “You stressed her out, Hezer. If she goes into labor now, we risk losing the baby.”

Hezer only smirked, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. “What a great setback in Thormus’s study that would be. We’d also get to examine the fetal matter that he’d never get his hands on.”

The fetal matter?

Repulsion shuddered through me, head to toe.

“You’ll end up in jail, you assholes!” I yelled.

Hezer didn’t look concerned, however.

“Egus has an excellent system to dispose of lab waste, including cadavers.”

My insides spasmed in horror. That would be all I would become after they were done with me—a cadaver.

“Maya,” Egus shook his head with a mournful expression. “It didn’t have to be like this.”

“No, it didn’t,” I spat his way. “Had you been a decent man, none of this would have happened. But here we are.”

He pressed both his hands to his chest, as if my words had wounded him. “We can still fix this. If you just do what we say—”

“If I do what you say,” I finished for him, “you’ll get whatever you want from me before killing me and quietly disposing of my body. But I can make it much more difficult for you to cover up my murder.”

I grabbed the frame of the opening in the glass dome and climbed onto the ledge outside of it.

“Maya, no!” Egus screamed in distress.

Hezer shook his head, his eyes widening. “Stupid human.”

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