Sleeping With the Enemy by Kaitlyn O'Connor Read Free Book Online

would be more in the brig than outside it,” he said dryly. He lifted his head and surveyed the others. “Myune and Hybah have expressed a disinterest in acting for the greater good. They will be expected to keep their distance from the humans. I would like anyone else who feels as they do to express their feelings now.”
        Everyone shifted uncomfortably. Lonlea lifted her hand a little timidly. “I have a few things that I could contribute.”
        Relief flooded him. He smiled at her. “Thank you, Lonlea. It is much appreciated. Put them in the women’s quarters. They will appreciate them more.”
        He could have kissed her. Once she’d made the offer, the other women disappeared and brought back some of their prized possessions. To his mind, the accommodations still looked less than inviting, but he decided it would do. It was enough to make it appear that they’d made an effort to offer hospitality.
        After some consideration, he decided to send the droids to escort their ‘guests’ to the observatory. Given the reaction of the humans to their appearance, he thought it might be best to allow them as much time as he dared to come to grips with it.
        
    * * * *
        
        The hours that Sybil had spent in confinement had done very little to calm her. It had given her way too much time to think of unpleasant things that she might have to face and not nearly enough to accept that she would have to if and when the time came. The appearance of the creepy little gray beings, therefore, sent her spiraling toward panic.
        “We are to escort you to the observatory. Please to accompany us without struggle.”
        Sybil stared with pure horror at the creature that had spoken, wondering if she was the main attraction of the ‘observatory’.
        Try to preserve what dignity she had left, she wondered?
        Or throw caution to the wind and try to fight her way out of her predicament, knowing she didn’t have a chance in hell of winning?
        She swallowed convulsively several times and struggled to get up from the bunk she’d retreated to and had her answer. She was so weak with fright she didn’t think she could manage even a token resistance. That being the case, maybe she should just focus on trying to put up a good front and meet her fate with what dignity she could?
        It seemed like cold comfort, and yet, since there didn’t seem to be an alternative anyway shouldn’t she at least make the attempt not to shame her entire species by showing her cowardice?
        She thought they were going to have to support her. Her legs felt like rubber and her knees like water and her upper body felt too heavy to support. She managed, by grim determination, and a horror of being touched by the things, to walk unaided. Her relief was so profound when they reached their destination, however, that she nearly collapsed. Spencer appeared to be unconscious, but Kushbu and Rains were there already and appeared to be unharmed-badly shaken, but alert-and Powell was escorted into the room even as she arrived.
        Resisting the urge to burst into tears of relief, she moved as quickly across the room as she could and practically threw herself into Rains’ arms as if they were bosom buddies instead of bare acquaintances. Holly hugged her as tightly, conveying the desperation they both felt. “Thank god you’re alright!”
        “What happened to Spencer?”
        Holly Rains pulled away and looked down at the man. “We don’t know. He was lying on the floor when we got here.”
        At that comment, Sybil finally lifted her head to survey the room. She didn’t know what to think once she’d examined it. If it was an observatory, where were the windows? For that matter, given the fact that she’d been sure it would be some sort of torture chamber where the aliens could ‘observe’ while they were dissected, where were the gurneys?
        “It doesn’t look like I expected,”