Free Quiver by Viola Grace Page B

shocked.
    “As a wife. Apparently, it is Nyal tradition.”
    Her father paused. “I don’t think it is the worst idea.”
    Anna and her mother stared at him. Anna whispered, “What?”
    “My mother, my grandmother, and all the women in my family going back through time have been horribly used when the time came upon them. You read the journal. Several were put to the torch after they were raped. I don’t want that for you. I want you to be with someone who will understand what is going on with you. Someone who will be with you until it is over.”
    Anna looked at her father’s concerned expression. “How many other men were there in the family?”
    “Not enough to protect them.” He tensed his hands.
    She suddenly saw the fear that she had never noticed in his expression, but now that she saw it, it was more than the caution that a man had for his daughter. He was genuinely afraid for her.
    “Do you want me to go, Dad?”
    Tears started to stream down his face. “No, but you have to. My mother... it took her years to recover from what happened to her. She was in and out of hospital until she went through menopause. It didn’t stop the assaults; it just set up an endless round of attacks on her by guards, patients and doctors.”
    Anna was shocked. Her grandma had always been so pleasant, so calm. Gran had stroked her hair and told her to be strong before anything else. Anything else could be changed, but inner strength was what was important.
    She had never imagined that her calm and graceful gran had been through such horrors and come out the other side sane. Gran had always told her that pride could be taken, humiliation given, but strength could wipe that away as if it had never been. Surviving would make her stronger.
    She couldn’t imagine how many generations had gotten that same instruction. Her grandma had learned to hold herself together after everything that Anna had read in the journal had to have been taught to her by her own mother. The relief in her writing when she had a son had been genuine. She thought the family curse had been broken until Anna came along.
    Anna looked at her mom and dad, sucking in a deep breath. “I will go.”
    Relief and sobbing broke out, and they huddled together in a hug before Anna picked up the phone. A moment later, she hung up. Recruiter Norz was sending a car with a female driver.
    Anna was leaving home.
     

Chapter Two
     
     
    The staff at Lunar Base rushed her to a medical facility before escorting her to an outbound shuttle.
    Anna didn’t know what to expect, but the nine-foot lavender aliens who seemed to have no interest in her whatsoever were a bit of a shock.
    One of them bowed low, which was an impressive feat. “Lady, I will take you to your chamber.”
    She smiled. “Thank you. I wasn’t expecting you to speak my language.”
    It bobbed its head again. “One of us had to learn. I was chosen. Please, come this way.”
    Anna followed it down a long hallway, and when they stopped in what looked like a cargo bay, she looked around. “Where are we?”
    “This is your sleep chamber. You will be in stasis while we travel. It would be beneficial for you if you were still in heat when you arrive. As you have four days left, we wish to preserve that time. Please, step in.”
    The creature touched a wall panel, and it slid open. Inside was a harness that would support her and hold her. She swallowed and stepped inside. Norz had told her that it would be best to follow all directions until she couldn’t be fired into space.
    Anna settled, and the door was closed. She saw her mocha skin and whimsically purple hair for a moment before her mind went blank.
     
    * * * *
     
    His Imperial Highness, Caalos Renix, looked at the document on his desk and smiled. “Hydra, come and read this!”
    His wife came around the corner, waddling in that cute way that had begun only a few days earlier. She was nearing her time.
    “What is it, Caalos?”
    He grinned when she