Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 55108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 276(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 276(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
“Stop,” I murmur in her ear, once we’re in the Med Pod 2. The tech comes in to check, and I nod at him. “We’re fine. Stay with Enya in Pod 1.”
I sit on a hover bench and shift her into my arms on my lap. “Listen, little human. We are not selling or trading you or Enya. I can’t tell you why we needed to get the young, but you’ll find out soon enough. Zandia is a safe place for the both of you.”
Veck this situation. I wish I could tell her that Enya’s real mother waits back on planet, heart in her throat, dying of anxiety and need. But I can’t. It’s not my place to do so, and my honor prevents me from breaking the promise.
“You’re safe, but you must respect us and our rules. If you wish to be granted asylum on Zandia, you will behave. On a starship, you don’t attack an officer. That’s grounds for imprisonment. Certainly for punishment.”
“But of course it is.” She turns her chin and scowls at me. “And then you’ll eject me into space and watch me explode.”
“Actually, you’d go flat, not explode,” I correct her automatically. “As your lungs compressed. In about forty-five seconds. What I will actually do is this.”
In just a breath’s time, I attach a pair of magna-cuffs to her slender wrists, and I link them together in front of her. “See? Simple. Just to keep you from, you know, accidentally destroying something critical while you have a tantrum in front of one of the finest Zandian captains in the galaxy.”
“Let. Me. Go.” She struggles mightily but is no match for the cuffs.
“No.” I keep my voice even. “You’re in my custody now, little human. I’ll release you when I deem you safe for the Zandians on the ship.”
She struggles for a few more moments, then collapses against me, panting and trembling. A lot of fight for such a small, fragile creature. I admire it.
I stroke her hair. She turns her face to mine, studying me with what my sensors say are widened eyes. Her pulse rate remains high, and yet her muscles are loose and she leans into me, not away. Interesting.
I like having her bound and on my lap. I like it a whole vecking lot. And curse me if I’m wrong, but I think she’s beginning to enjoy it, too. She’s oddly relaxed for a being who’s just been manhandled and cuffed on a stranger’s ship.
“Right, because there’s an excellent chance I can hit you with my hard head and knock you unconscious, and then pick the lock on these with a metal clip that I find lying around on the floor, and then take over the starship and fly it to safety.”
At first, I’m confused—then I realize it’s that odd human way of communicating—sarcasm. She’s joking with me! That must be a good sign. I’ve learned that humans do this only with beings who give them a certain level of comfort. They never do it with people they hate or distrust. But it won’t get her a free pass to do whatever she wants.
My time in the med bay back on Zandia gave me, shall I say, somewhat of an expertise in the art of joking with humans.
I consider this. “My head is harder than yours, and the cuffs can’t be opened with random junk. And your previous comment about exploding in space lets me know that you probably don’t have even the most basic knowledge about stellar exploration and ship operation, so… no. No chance.”
She snorts in surprise. Clearly, she did not expect me to engage like this. She grins then hides it immediately.
“Well, that’s just mean.” She narrows her eyes. “You could at least let me think I had a fighting chance. That would be the gentlemanly, honorable thing to do.”
“Maybe I’m no gentleman.” My response is automatic. It’s true—my cock is hard under her delectably soft ass. I allow myself the indulgence of stroking her thigh. Veck, this human is sexy. It’s completely inappropriate, but I want to strip her naked and explore her curves with my tongue.
“Maybe you’re not.” She breathes out and tilts her head upward. Her nipples have hardened to peaks under her tunic.
“I need to discipline you for your behavior.” My voice is low and husky. I don’t want to terrify her or make her feel we’re like the Ocretions, but I do need to establish mastery over her. It’s for her own good. Otherwise she’ll have a much harder time fitting in on Zandia and King Zander may not grant her asylum.
“Discipline?” She doesn’t sound afraid. She sounds... interested.
“That’s right, little human.” My cock is like iron. “An important lesson. A little pain mixed with pleasure. To help you understand your place here.”
“Hmmm.” She moans softly.