ALIEN ABDUCTION (Captured by Aliens) by Jaide Fox Page B

said, scooting away from her.  “You speak for
yourself alone--not for the rest of us.  We can handle ourselves.” The other
women murmured their agreement and gathered in the far corner around Jane--except
for Cassie, who stayed where she was beside Ebony.
     
    “Well, it
looks like you’ve done a fine job of alienating your fellow women,” said
Cassie, glancing over at them where they whispered in the corner.  “I can’t
help you against those men--you know that.  You’re on your own, Ebony.”
     
    Ebony
raised her head.  “On my own?” she whispered.
     
    Then she
turned and looked straight at Cassie.  “Well, hell, I like that a lot better
than having to worry about saving all of your asses.”  She grinned.  “As
of right now, as far as I’m concerned, it’s every girl for herself.”
    ***
     
    The other
men returned with stacks of wood and started a fire in the hearth on the far
wall.  The room became a little smoky from the poorly working chimney, but one
of the men poked around in the flue for a bit and eventually pulled out an old
bird’s nest.  Then the smoke cleared out and the women quickly gathered around
to soak up the heat.
     
    Soon
after, as darkness fell, the hunters returned with cleaned poultry and leather
pouches full of nuts.  They spitted the birds over the fire, and after a short
while they all enjoyed having fresh meat in their bellies.  They wasn’t enough
for them to feel full, but at least they were no longer starving.
     
    Ebony
truly appreciated having something besides the tough, dry jerky to eat.  She spent
some time cracking nuts and munching on them until the last of her hunger
subsided. 
     
    At last,
the women laid themselves down to one side of the warm hearthfire to sleep.  The
men stretched out and formed a pattern around them.  She could see Damon blocking
the door with his body, while Fallon lay directly across from her near the
hearth.
     
    As the
sounds of wakefulness died away, replaced by quiet snores, Ebony lay on her
back on the hard-packed earthen floor.  Her mind raced, preventing sleep, and
her body ached from the concrete-like floor.
     
    Ebony
hated to admit it, but she just wasn’t cut out for roughing it.  She missed
having simple luxuries and a soft bed to sleep in, even if it meant she’d
eventually have to produce a baby for a pig.  She belonged in a city, not at
wherever the hell these rebels were taking her.
     
    Finally
she heard the tell-tale sound of Fallon’s raucous snoring.  She cracked an eye
open and glanced across the short distance between them.  She could have
reached out and touched him to make him stop snoring, if she’d wanted.
     
    The man
must have sleep apnea or something with the god-awful racket he made.  It
seemed louder and more obnoxious than ever before.  Maybe the smoke from the
fireplace made his sinuses worse.
     
    Ebony sat
up and glared at him, watching the rise and fall of his chest.  She rolled onto
her knees, carefully creeping closer to peer at his sleeping face.  She
squinted at him, trying to see if he was as deeply asleep as he appeared--and
suddenly his eyes popped open.
     
    She
gasped and reared back, but he caught her arm and dragged her down to the floor. 
Ebony scuffled with him, trying to get away without waking up everyone else in
the room, but she had no chance against him.  Fallon subdued her movements
almost instantly, rolling on top of her in front of the smoldering fire.
     
    He dipped
his head down, placing his lips so close to her ear that she could feel the
heat of his breath tickling the shell.  A chill rippled down her backbone.  “Trying
to escape again?” he asked, his warm breath puffing over her sensitive flesh.
     
    A few of
the others stirred in their sleep, but otherwise remained quiet.
     
    Ebony
squirmed, fighting against the chills gripping her nerves in an unbidden, but
delightful, wash of heat.  She craned her head away from his mouth, glaring up
at