"It hurts. I thought he cared about me and I thought I was special to him. I fell for the asshole," Casey admitted softly. "At first I was pissed when I realized he wasn't returning me home. When he first kidnapped me I--"

"He what?"

Casey slowly explained how she met Argernon and how she ended up aboard the jumper.

She blinked at Ariel. "Then we were attacked and I thought he was going to die. I stayed at his side on that damn small bed for three days praying he'd live so I could tell him that I love him. I was such a damn idiot. I should have known. We were two different worlds apart, literally, and it's not like I really got to know him. How in the hell could I have fallen for someone so damn hard and so damn fast anyway?"

"I understand. I fell for Ral like that. I fell in love with him the first time he made love to me, I swear. He was amazing. He was so protective and masculine and he comforted me. I was kidnapped by a race of these lizard people and Ral fought a bunch of other Zorn men to win me."

"Wow."

Ariel smiled. "Not that we haven't had our ups and downs, we have, but I love him. He's like breathing air to me. He will do anything to make me happy and he makes sure I know how much he loves me."

Sadness settled in Casey. "Argernon said he'd make me happy."

"They are different from human guys but with Ral I find that's a wonderful thing. I'm so sorry, Casey. Maybe he was going to send them to another household. You could talk to him."

She shook her head. "Let him talk to Bara or Din or Valle. He's got three of them."

"They have a high sex drive. I can attest to that. Zorn men are a walking hard-on." A grin split Ariel's lips. "This has its advantages. Trust me. My sex life is over the top and it never gets boring or old or slows down." She rubbed her stomach. "I was afraid Ral would lose interest in me when I got a big belly, but he thinks I'm sexier the bigger I get. The man has me totally addicted to having sex every few hours every day." Ariel eyed Casey. "It's a culture thing here as to why Argernon would have three women in his household."

"He's just a male slut."

"He's second in line to rule this entire planet. He's like a prince. I've learned a lot since coming to Zorn. I thought women were mistreated and kind of had slave status when I came here but that's not true. Women have a hell of a lot more say and control over their lives than you'd think. They are raised without jealousy of other Zorn women sharing a household. Their bodies can't handle sex as much as the men need it, so according to the Zorn women I've spoken to, they like having other women to take that burden." Ariel snorted. "They call being oversexed a burden. I don't think they enjoy it as much as we can."

"That bites for them."

Ariel chuckled. "Totally. Zorn women only get jealous of bound women because they are allowed to have children and are in charge of the households. Most women though are willing to give that up to be house helpers because being in a good home means power and prestige to them."

"How is cleaning someone's house and being a bed warmer amounting to powerful and prestigious?"

"I'm with you there, but think about all the women who marry rich guys for their money.

It's the same here in that way. Zorn women actually could all bound to Zorn men if they wanted to but the truth is that most of them would rather live in a house with one or two other women if the man has the equivalent of money here. They get the best houses, the best food, the best of everything, and they like sharing the duties with other women."

Casey eyed Ariel with a frown. "Do you have house helpers at your house? Do you let him touch other women? I won't judge or anything. I hope I'm not being too nosy. I just can't see myself ever living that way and being happy. Are you?"

A chuckle escaped Ariel. "We have a house helper. I'm thrilled she's there. She's an older woman, much older, and she treats me like the daughter she always wanted. As far as loyalty, well, if Ral touched another woman I'd castrate him." She winked. "Not that he would. I can't get enough of him. He's got no reason to stray."

"Did he have house helpers when you came here?"

"He'd sent them to one of his brothers' houses. His father sent one to our house after I arrived though. She actually stripped naked and went on her hands and knees, shoving her ass in the air, waiting for my husband to mount her. I was so upset. We couldn't communicate because the damn translators couldn't read English yet. It was so damn frustrating. Try telling a guy if he mounts the bitch on the floor shoving her ass at him that you'd never let him touch you again with hand signals." Ariel snorted. "It was hell and I stormed out. He chased me down and he never touched her."

"I'm having his baby. My life is so fucked up."

Ariel sighed. "Talk to him. Put your foot down by telling him what you need. He could have returned you to Earth. Hell, he didn't have to take you with him. He carried you through the woods and kidnapped you. If his father finds out he took you against your will he's in deep shit.

He broke the law to bring you here."

Shock hit Casey. "What?"

"All human women bound have to do so willingly. It's against the law to kidnap an unwilling woman and bring them to Zorn. He took you and bound you without giving you a choice, Casey. If you want to hang him by his balls, you could tell his father what he did."

"Would his father send me back to Earth?"

Ariel's gaze dropped to Casey's stomach. "No. I won't lie to you." Ariel looked up. "I can't see their father letting you take off with his grandchild and hell, your baby wouldn't be safe on Earth. You know that. When I realized I was pregnant I knew that no matter whatever happens with Ral that I couldn't ever go home again. My child would be a freak. Can you say media frenzy, everyone trying to use my kid as a step to fame, and pure hell for my child?" She rubbed her stomach. "Here on Zorn my child is just like everyone else's children. They don't care that I'm human or that my child will be part human. They know about other races on other planets and accept them. Just being part Zorn makes them fully Zorn in their culture."