Page 31 of Kidnapped By the Beast (Beasts of the Kindred #11)

LEXI

“T’linga?” Lexi called, her voice echoing oddly in the shadowed row of shops. “Are you down here?”

Silence answered and Lexi frowned. She’d been looking for her friend for almost thirty minutes now, going further and further into the market to try and find her but so far, no luck. It was like T’linga had completely disappeared.

She turned in a slow circle, realizing the market had changed around her.

The bright colors, the laughter, the cheerful babble of bartering voices—all of it had faded behind her.

The air in this section of the market was dimmer, the light filtering through sagging tarps stained with old smoke.

The sweet scent of candied fruit and spiced nuts was gone, replaced by acrid fumes.

There was a metallic tang in the air, with an undercurrent of something rotten that turned her stomach.

Her skin prickled.

Well, congratulations, Lexi. You’ve officially wandered into the alien version of the bad neighborhood. Now how the hell do you get out of here?

The stalls here were nothing like the bright bazaar in the part of the market she’d come from. They all seemed to be selling something dangerous or off-putting.

At one stall, gleaming knives and blades were displayed on black velvet, each one curved or hooked in sinister ways.

Some had jagged, serrated edges, others were smooth but etched with runes that seemed to pulse faintly in the low light.

One massive blade had a handle carved from what looked like bone.

The vendor, a pale Terian with sharp teeth, ran his fingers lovingly over its edge until a bead of purple blood welled up. He licked it off and smiled at her.

Lexi shivered and moved faster. No thank you—she didn’t want anything to do with that.

The next stall was stacked with bottles and vials, their contents swirling in strange colors—inky black that seemed to suck in the light…

glowing green that cast a sickly halo around them…

viscous crimson that clung to the glass like blood.

Labels in curling Terian script marked each one.

She didn’t need a translation to guess they were either potions or poisons or some combination of the two. Again, no thank you.

Lexi moved on.

The next stall made her cheeks heat instantly.

A row of Terian-shaped mannequins displayed various harnesses made of many straps studded with metal spikes.

There were also clamps of every size, some glowing faintly as if electrified.

Rods of translucent crystal hummed and vibrated faintly, stacked beside rings bristling with tiny barbs.

A padded bench with shackles at both ends stood off to one side, obviously for demonstration purposes.

Lexi swallowed hard. Great—an alien BDSM emporium. Just what I needed to see today. At least she was glad Dr. Brandt wasn’t here with her—this display might give him some new ideas on how to “stimulate her nectar production.” Just thinking of that made her blush harder.

She walked on but everywhere she looked, the goods grew more ominous and overtly sexual.

A merchant displayed a rack of long, needle-thin instruments that gleamed under the torchlight.

He was explaining in a low, pleased voice to a customer that they could pierce “just beneath the nipple for maximum nectar yield.”

Another offered belts designed with rigid rods built in—meant to keep a woman spread open while she was “milked from both ends,” judging by the lurid sketch on the sales banner.

Lexi’s stomach twisted. She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly feeling horribly exposed. The green top she wore, the one she’d been so relieved to find, seemed to glow like a neon sign under the dim lights. She really needed to get out of this section of the market.

And that’s when she noticed something strange about the other women she saw around her.

All of them, without exception, were wearing green breast coverings. Dark emerald…pale mint…lime…jade. And the men in this part of the market were staring at them with open, hungry interest.

Lexi’s unease sharpened into dread. What was going on here? It felt wrong—dangerous somehow. She needed to get away.

But before she could turn back the way she’d come, a tall Terian man stepped directly into her path. His skin was deep violet, his four eyes gleaming like polished stones. His smile was slow and predatory as he looked her up and down.

“Well, well, aren’t you a pretty little thing,” he murmured. “How much?”

Lexi blinked.

“I—I’m sorry, what?”

“How much to have you, little off-worlder?” His gaze swept over her chest, lingering in a way that made her nipples feel tight and conspicuous.

“You may only have two breasts, but they’re luscious enough to be tempting.

Drinking nectar from an off-worlder would be a unique experience.

So—how much coin to let me fuck you until you squirt? ”

Lexi stared at him in disbelief—she had never been propositioned like this before. For a minute, she couldn’t even speak. But then she found her words.

“Excuse me? Are you asking to buy me? Because the answer is ‘no—absolutely not.”

The Terian man tilted his head, studying her with mild confusion.

“But…I’m offering to pay.”

“I am not for sale!” she snapped, hugging herself tighter.

He pointed directly at her chest.

“Then why are you wearing that?”

“What are you talking about?” Lexi demanded. “Wearing what? I’m dressed like every other woman here!”

“Yes, I know.” He gave her a pitying look, like she was slow. “You’re dressed like a whore.”

Her cheeks burned.

“I am not!”

But then a movement caught her eye. Just a few feet away, another woman in a green top stood at a stall with a Terian man. Lexi froze, straining to hear as their conversation drifted over.

“…three volents for a suck,” the woman was saying briskly, her voice edged with a purr. “Five if you want me on my back. Seven if you want me bent over. Ten for both holes, and nectar enough to drink with it.”

The man grunted, countering with another figure. The woman chuckled, sliding her hands up her breasts. With a practiced flick, she tugged down her green covering, baring four heavy purple breasts tipped with dark nipples.

“See these?” she murmured, tweaking one between her fingers until a bead of golden nectar welled up. She offered it to the man on her fingertip. He sucked it off with a groan, his eyes darkening.

“Fifteen if you want me to let you drink while you fuck me,” she whispered, guiding his hand to squeeze one breast. “Twenty if you want me to milk myself while you pound my cunt from behind.”

Lexi’s stomach lurched. The prospective customer was openly mauling the Terian prostitute’s breasts while she rattled off her menu of services like she was selling hot dogs at a baseball game.

“Oh my God,” Lexi whispered, horrified. It all clicked at once. The vendor’s strange look and the way he’d been surprised at her choice, saying he’d thought she was “respectable…” the women wearing green clothing…the Terian man approaching her, asking “how much?”

Green is the color of prostitution here! She realized. I’ve been walking around the market in the alien hooker uniform!

Her hands flew to the ties, yanking the covering off. She clutched it in one fist, panicked to be rid of it.

The man in front of her smiled wider. “That’s better,” he said approvingly. “Now you’re ready.” He seized her arm in a bruising grip. “Come. We’ll find somewhere private.”

Lexi’s heart slammed into her throat.

“No—that wasn’t why I took my top off! Let me go! I’m not what you think I am!” She tried to wrench free, but his fingers were like iron.

“Can’t wait to get my mouth around those tits,” he growled. “Imagine sucking nectar from pink nipples—I can’t fucking wait!”

Lexi pulled hard against his grip, but couldn’t get free. She looked around wildly. The crowd streamed past, not even glancing at her. Nobody cared that she was about to be dragged behind a stall and raped!

Oh God. Nobody’s going to help me—I’m on my own!

“Let me go…let…me…go!” she panted, still fighting.

Her free hand scrabbled around the counter of a nearby stall, searching for a weapon.

Her fingers closed around the first heavy thing she touched—a strange glass contraption that appeared to be a tangle of tubes filled with glowing liquid.

It looked like a cross between a bong and a lava lamp. Not a baseball bat, but close enough.

Lexi gripped it and swung it with all her strength.

CRACK!

It smashed against the side of the man’s head. He dropped her arm at last and staggered back with a howl, clutching his skull.

“You little bitch!”

“That’s what you get!” Lexi snapped and turned to run.

But before she could bolt, a shrill whistle pierced the air. Two massive Terians in metallic breastplates shoved their way through the crowd. Authorities—a little late, but finally they were here. Relief poured through her.

“Thank God,” she gasped, pointing at the Terian man still rubbing his head. “This man tried to rape me!”

But the purple-skinned bastard was already shouting over her.

“Lies! This off-worlder bitch attacked me without provocation. I only approached to make an offer for her services, and she struck me!”

Lexi’s jaw dropped.

“What? I’m not offering any services!”

But the man wouldn’t shut up. He jabbed a finger at the green scrap still clenched in her hand.

“She was wearing that, officers! Everyone knows what a green breast covering means.”

The officers looked at each other, then at Lexi. Their expressions hardened.

“Right,” one said flatly. “Let’s go to the Magistrate.”

“Wait—what?” Lexi yelped as they each grabbed one of her arms. “No! Take him! He’s the one who grabbed me! He—”

“She was advertising herself,” the man repeated, rubbing his head. “Then she assaulted me when I tried to buy.”

“That’s not true!” Lexi shouted, struggling as the officers dragged her bodily from the stall. “I didn’t know what the color meant! I’m not a prostitute! I’m not even from here! How was I supposed to know that wearing green means you’re a hooker?”

But nobody was listening. The officers hauled her through the market, and people shopping simply watched with detached curiosity.

Lexi’s heart pounded painfully against her ribs.

Oh God. This is really happening. They think I’m a hooker—and now I’m getting arrested for it!

Panic swelled hot and sharp inside her. She fought to keep from getting dragged away, but the grip on her arms was unbreakable. The Terian officers were strong.

And as a stone building with the words, The Halls of Justice loomed ahead of them, Lexi realized with cold certainty that she was in more trouble than she had ever imagined.