Page 3 of Bred By Zyros
It has to.
There will be no more quiet ones bred from me.
two
Melody
“Talk to you later, Lonora! Wish me luck!” I wiggle my brows at her for extra effect, my white dress swishing as I dart down the narrow hall before her voice calls out to me again.
“Melody, hang on!”
I don’t hesitate, whipping back around to head back to her despite the metaphorical ticking of the clock needling at my pulse. She needs a friend right now. I only wish I had more time to be one for her. I remember how nervous I was the first time. We meet around the corner, my heart jolting as we almost slam into one another.
Her pretty, slender brows are pitched together. “Why are you doing this?”
I just smile. “It seems like a really cool way to help people. It’ll be okay, I promise. This isn’t my first go. You might even get mated!”
Her pretty dark eyes are sheening with tears, her smile watery as we wave bye to each other again. I get the feeling my words aren’t a comfort to her. Truly, I get it. Most of the humans signing up for breeding programs don’t do it because it soundsfun. I’m more of an outlier, the exception, not the rule. I hope she gets out of it whatever she needs, that they’re kind, whoever they are that’s lucky enough to get paired with an absolute smoke show like her.
My lips purse as I try to shake away the odd feeling in my chest that comes with the thought. I’m not made of luscious curves and big breasts that jiggle enticingly. I’m not slender and willowy either. My body is basic, if not a little heavier set, stomach soft, skin stretched, and my chest—
Nope, stop right there.
You could be like those models from Old Earth and still look bizarre as all heck to whatever is about to rut you. Those rules don’t apply to me anymore. There’s something comforting about that. Perhaps it’s why I’ve never bothered with human males. Somehow, that was more intimidating than being dicked down by something that looks only vaguely humanoid.
I think that says more about human men than me.
I steel myself, my breath coming in harsher as I run down the twisting halls. My implant shows me the way with its finely lined bluish arrow, but I barely pay attention. I’ve been here enough times to be familiar with the maze-like path. Excitement bubbles in my gut, and I have to clamp down on my bottom lip to keep the squeal at bay as soon as I burst into the small main room that houses the agency. It stands out in stark contrast to the sleek metal walls and streamlined design of the space station, even the crappier inner rim. It’s almost intentionally clunky, mundane, like something from an Old Earth movie set.
“You’re late, Melody Arnold,” spits a wobbly underwater voice.
My head snaps up to Thlorinzae, the Oozarian woman sitting behind the desk, her plastic tube top making her spill out at odd angles.
I just nod. “I didn’t see your message until this morning.” Imagine my surprise, submitting another application to be a breeder last night and waking to a summons this morning. They’d sent me the holo page in less than an hour after I’d submitted.
“Your match has been waiting.” Her mate offers; I smile at him despite his surly tone. They’ve never treated me differently than this, so I assume slightly annoyed is the baseline and don’t take it personally. Also, I make them a lot of credits, so there’s that.
“What species is he?” I blurt out before sucking my lips into my mouth, my excitement again getting the best of me.
They both ignore me, only a small smirk from the Oozarian female, and I already know, despite the apparent time limit, she’s going to do her littledragging it out thing. It’s like a kink for her at this point. “You’ve been placed with aspeciesthat resides on a class 3B planet. It will be done via natural copulation, under a standard one-year contract. No extra ceremony or traditions, such as but not limited to, bodily modifications, DNA modifications, physical enhancements, or adaptations.”
“3B, huh? Are they quite primitive then? You said they were waiting; this usually takes far longer. Have they agreed to me?”
She lets out a long-suffering sigh. Apparently, I’m ruining her edging. A blobby finger from behind her slams the holo pad to display my new partner. My gasp nearly drowns out the sound of his name. “Zyros was not picky about his breeder, only that he be supplied one quickly,” he offers, not hiding his annoyance with his female, his eyes cutting to her while he speaks. “Like your last two matches, there’s a slight risk of being recognized as a mate, but it is very unlikely.”
I nod absently, staring at the male on the hologram.
Zyros.
My hand itches to grab my holo pager and message Lenora. My poor lady parts wither underneath the soft material of my agency dress.
Thlorinzae speaks next, taking up her usual mantel. “Zyros is a Vrircik. He resides on his home planet of Nyssara, in the second quadrant. Although expect to spend some deal of time traveling with him to different ports as he is a…merchant of sorts.”
“Selling what?” I don’t take my eyes off the large male, his chiseled, sculpted chest and vibrant iridescent coloring making my pulse flutter. His tail coils underneath him, the tip twitching in irritation. Down his middle, the otherwise vivid emerald green of his shiny scales fades into a heavy teal that matches the shoulder-length strands of his hair, neat but left to hang into his face. So much so, it almost softens the sharp angles of it, almost, but not quite. His severe lipless mouth is turned into a scowl that looks soul deep. His slitted eyes track everything, two of hisfourmuscular arms crossed over his chest.
“Crystals, to my knowledge.”
“And my compensation?”
