"Umm, what?" I raise an eyebrow at Noe. "I'm not going to your gala if that is what you're implying." "I beg to differ." Noe steps closer to me. "You are my fiancee, and I will present you as such." I bark out a laugh. "Please! Didn't you just finish insulting my humanity? Thought you didn't want a weak human Queen?" Noe grits his teeth. "That is not what I meant, Lara. Please don't twist my words! I am only trying to protect you! Do you know how many enemies I have? What they would do when they discover I have a human weakness?" He sits down on the edge of the bed. A snicker escapes my lips."Well then, forgive me. Here I thought a man like you wants a woman as a trophy." Noe's eyes trail over my body, a sharp glint appearing in his eyes. "
"Be on your best behavior, Miss Lara. I know you humans can resort cave to your basic...needs." Odessa looks down at me. What the hell is this android's problem with humans? "Are you implying I am a Neanderthal?" I wrap my hand around her arm, pulling us to the side of an entrance. "No! Of course not. Merely that you humans can act like humans. It's not your fault. You can't help your urges." Odessa gives me a small smile. I swallow the snark that dares fall out of my mouth and just mirror her smile. "Very well." "We are almost there. Come." Odessa walks around to the entrance and through tall white curtains. "The Esteemed Westons would like to welcome you to their annual gala benefitting the humans of Saratoga. All proceeds from tonight will be distributed evenly to human crisis centers. Please grab a mask from a nearby server and enjoy your evening
"SHIT!" I scream as I rattle the handcuffs. I hated being restrained! Panic forms in my chest, and I start gasping for breath. Everything starts to close in. Memories of being shackled to a bed resurface. Aller would chain me up when I disobeyed him or didn't give him a cut of my stolen earnings. He would keep me in the room for days, shackled to a bed in the dark with a pot if I needed to relieve myself. My only friends, Fiona and Adrian, would sneak in with food and company. They were my calm in that raging pit. I focus on my childhood friends, concentrating on their features, their voices, and their laughs. Finally, my breathing begins to slow, and the pressure in my chest disappears.I take another deep breath before focusing on my restraints. I shift my wrists around the cuffs, feeling for any empty space between my skin and the cold metal. My right cuff gave a little when I kept pushing my wrist against it. I turn my wrist, spreading my fingers out. I slowly move my
A ticklish sensation spreads through my arm. I groan, waving my arm, trying to slap away whatever was touching me. The tickling only intensifies with my jerky movement. "STOP!" I mumble into the pillow. The tickling stops but is quickly replaced by a sharp shock. "Oww!" I shoot out of bed. Alarmed, I look around my empty room, trying to find the source of my annoyance. "Next time you ignore me, I will do much worse!" A voice crackles from above. My eyes land on my target, a security camera with an outstretched rod. How the hell did that thing tickles and shock me? Gods androids had too much time on their hands! Throwing the duvet off my body, I stomp in full view of the camera. "Is that really necessary? Watching me while I sleep!?" I raise a finger to the camera in a crude gesture."Can't be too sure with you. Remember, I fished you out of my pool. Go to your tablet; I have your assignment for the day."I dramatically roll my eyes as I make my way to the small tablet. A n
* Cough *Cough*I take in a deep breath, only to inhale thick dust. My body is screaming in pain. I groaned, trying to buck a piece of steel pipe off, but I almost passed out from the pain when I stretched my right leg. Fantastic. Now I will be at Weston's mercy. I look around for a makeshift crutch. Yahtzee! A thin rod pokes out of the rubble next to me. I gently pull it out of the wreckage, wedging it between two solid pieces of iron. I shift my weight on the steel pipe, wincing as I pull my weight on my left side. Once I am standing, I look around the messy warehouse. "YOU!" Darla's shrill voice calls. The dark-skinned woman glares at me. How can this woman look so meticulous in a pile of rubble? "Get up, bitch!" I hold my hands up, signaling to the android I am unarmed. "What are you on about, Darla?" I demand."Oh! You think it's a coincidence that one of my buildings happened to explode with your arrival?" Darla pointed her finger at me. "Darla, I had nothing t
When Evander greets the car escort at the front of the Weston Mansion, Noe's tender gaze disappears. "Get out of me!" he growls, pushing me roughly into the footwell. "OW!" What is his deal? He was the definition of hot and cold! I glare at him as he opens the back door. "Get her to Theta! I can't have her broken." He commands Evander as he pushes past him and answers a call. Evander's eyes snap to my disheveled state. "What happened to you?" His smirk turns to a sneer. Guess I'm not getting any sympathy from the younger Weston. "Nothing much, explosion, rubble fell down on me broke my leg, no biggie. How was your day?" I scoot across the bench, reaching the door Evander is blocking. "Could you..." I wave my arm in a shoo gesture. He curses at me, bending down and scooping me up. I let out a startled grunt, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Try to keep the noise down. I don't want anyone to s
Three days. Three days of being shut down in this mansion, and I'm done. I've never been one to stay still. It's why I make a great thief. I have gotten excellent at running. This place...was no better than the white lab I grew up in. I was one of the human children that were not born naturally. I was conceived in a test tube, a result of Terils mixing DNA for the "ultimate human." Guess they failed, considering I didn't pass the android assessment.The difference between my two prisons was the aesthetic. The Weston Mansion had amusements that distracted me, but it was still not better than being confined in a white room. In both chambers, I was an asset to be used as they saw fit. I hear the familiar heavy footsteps of the guards outside my door. Ever since Abigail was dragged into my room, Noe has kept guards around my room 24/7. Proof that my fiancee didn't trust me at all. I wouldn't expect any less, considering I was making secret alliances with Darla and Theta behind hi
"Are you ready, Lara?" Odessa's voice calls from the other side of the bathroom door. I stand in the bathroom, staring at my reflection. I pinch the delicate fabric underneath my fingertips and scoff at how it feels. Is this what humans wear for entertainment? How was this functional? I stare at myself, admiring the girl looking back. The gown is beautiful, an iridescent silver knee-length gown with an open back. Odessa showed me how to make a simple braid and wrap it around my crown to create a style for my hair. I suppose it's nice to look elegant. I rely on my uniform of black shirts and khakis and a ponytail when I need clothes, but I doubt it would be appropriate for what Noe has planned. I open the door, where the android female waits. "Ready."A small smile curl on the corner of Odessa's lips as her gaze sweeps over me. "Fantastic. You look beautiful. I suppose you clean up well."