Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 58483 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58483 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
I was dead, and I knew it.
But then the son said the words that changed my life: “I saw it. She went under and didn’t come up. Just some red, her blood, and then nothing.” He spreads his legs and crosses his arms. “But they are replaceable, Father. If you allow me, I will attend auction and purchase you another. I am ready to take my place with you. I am ready to grow up.”
He locked eyes with his father, and the two of them gazed for a long time. After a beat, Master stepped back.
“You heard him.” His voice was almost jubilant. “My son has seen it. Let us go.” He fell back to walk alongside the young. “Find me a replacement as soon as you can.”
The Ocretion visitor cursed under his breath and waved his hand. Good riddance. “Well, no matter,” he said. “I will choose another.” Still, he looked back once more, one last glance around the tarmac.
“You will choose any one you want. I will let you take two.” Master grinned and put his hand onto his son’s shoulder. “My young and I will see to it.”
And that was the last I saw of the Ocretions before I climbed into a spare sack on the pallet of goods waiting for upload onto the Zandian ship.
I look back up at the Zandian now. “Nobody knows I am here.”
He examines me for a long second, and it’s like his eyes drill into my skull. Does he know I’m lying? If he mistrusts me, will he shoot me out into space? Bring me back to the Ocretions? I hold my breath and look as earnest as I can.
Finally he looks away. “Give her food and more medical care,” he says in Ocretion, the language in which we converse, and I let out a tremulous breath. “I will question her more when she is stronger.”
For some reason, those words make my body burn.
I’m just nervous, I think. My fate lies in his hands now. Those strong, capable hands.
The Zandians like humans for mates, Leylah told me. Would this being like to have me? For the first time in my life, the idea of mating is not unwelcome.
To disguise my nerves, I sip again from the fluid tube he’s provided. Already there is a pack affixed to my arm, flashing red lights. It’s giving me medicine, they said, which can help me heal from my weakness.
I follow the purple warriors who beckon. My hands are bound loosely with magna-cuffs; there is enough slack to hold my water tube and lift it to my mouth. Not enough to fight, should I need to do so.
Of course, surrounded by several powerful warriors—armed—I’d stand no chance.
Plus, I begged asylum. So I keep my pace to theirs, and go where they lead.
* * *
Drayk
“How in the veck did she get onto our ship?” I run a hand over my jaw and scowl. “We have better protocol than that.” The beautiful human was nearly dead when I found her. A thought that makes me as angry as the security breach.
“It was unexpected.” My second in command, Tarak, sighs. “The goods were unguarded for a few minutes during shift change. She must have used that time to get into the crate.”
“And the motion sensors? The holo-feed?”
He clears his throat. “Ah, it seems—disengaged temporarily.”
“We can not let that happen again. If it were some other being, better armed?” I shake my head. “We must revisit our security training.”
Ark, our security lead, drops his head. “I disengaged to avoid alarms during loading because”—he lifts his chin and meets my eyes—“I will ensure this never happens again. I swear it.”
“Yes, you will.” I glare at him, then nod. A forgiveness and an expectation at the same time.
I glance down the galley and turn to Tarak. “Do you believe her story?”
“Even if it’s true that she stabbed you accidentally, she’s still lying about something.” He grimaces. “Human trait.”
“I’m going to find out what it is,” I promise. “And then I’m going to teach her that humans begging asylum don’t lie to Zandians.” My cock hardens at the thought of punishing the lovely stowaway.
“She could be a spy.”
“It’s unclear why she would attack me. She was desperate to get away. That much rings true.”
“She’s exquisite.” Ark, looks down the hall, as if trying to catch a glimpse of her. He’s not wrong—that perfect ebony skin, her gorgeous eyes and long lashes, her full, pretty lips? Yeah, she’s the prettiest vecking female I’ve ever seen. “And think of our luck—other crews go out and encounter danger and battle to obtain human females. Us? They come right to us, like magnets! Without any effort!” He chuckles. “If we stayed longer, maybe we’d have obtained two or three.”
I withhold my urge to snarl at him. For some reason, I feel protective of her already, even though I’ve known her for all of a few moments, and she’s a deceptive stowaway who poisoned me and then tried to pretend it was an accident. “She’s trouble, is what she is. If the Ocretions know we took off with one of their slaves from Romon-3, at this time? Tension is high enough already between us. They could follow us and attack.” I pause. “And right now, Ark, I need you to review safety protocols and ensure that we have no further breaches while she is on board.”