She’d forgotten in that moment of self-pity the night before when she said she’d never known love.
Though the trainers separated any slaves they suspected of forming bonds with each other, the children had formed bonds, nonetheless. They comforted each other after punishments, protected one another’s emotions and souls, even when they couldn’t protect each other’s physical bodies.
Remembering them renewed in her the vision that had died on Jesel—a free human race. She still believed it could be done, wanted to participate in the liberation of her people.
It strengthened her resolve. She still did have a purpose beyond her own basic survival. She must escape and find a way to help others to escape. There had to be a way. If only she could stop Rok’s craft from entering Ocretion airspace.
She knew nothing about spacecraft, but maybe there was a way to disable this one—enough that he’d have to land somewhere sooner rather than later. Create a slow leak in the fuel supply, perhaps.
She climbed off the sleeping platform and pulled Rok’s shirt on. She liked that he’d worn it, that it belonged to him.
Like she did.
No—he wasn’t keeping her. Was that what made her heart squelch so? She’d finally been claimed by a master whose touch she wanted—craved, actually—but he didn’t have any interest in keeping her around? Worse, he planned to send her to her death so he could claim the bounty on her head.
Jagged pain slashed her chest. She had to escape. Either that, or she had to make him change his mind. Somehow, escaping seemed the less daunting task.
She ate the food. It had the deadened taste of food that had been reconstituted, but wasn’t horrible. She wondered what and when Rok ate.
The door slid open, and the alien in question leaned against the frame, looking sexy as hell in a skintight black undershirt and matching black flight pants. His gaze fell on her, cool and assessing.
“How are you feeling?”
A riot of emotions rippled through her. She realized she didn’t know her role. He didn’t like when she “played” at slave, nor could she bring out the steely revolutionary who’d stolen his ship. She didn’t owe him anger after the kindness he’d shown her the night before.
Thankfully, he let her off without answering. “Care for a shower this morning? I imagine you need the washroom, at least.”
She exhaled. “Yes, please. That would be wonderful.” A new shyness made it too difficult to look at his face, so she settled into her usual slave-gaze in the direction of his feet.
He caught her chin when she approached and lifted it. His expression held curiosity, and he seemed to see right into her soul. She shifted on her feet and swallowed.
He lowered his head and brushed his lips across hers.
She went still. A kiss. The tenderness of it rocked her right down to her bare feet.
Rok groaned against her mouth and shifted the hand at her chin to the back of her head, holding her still as he deepened the kiss. His other hand gripped her ass, squeezing hard.
She lifted her thigh to wrap it around his legs, and he immediately palmed her entire ass and lifted it higher, until her core met the hardened bulge of his cock through the flight pants.
“Veck, little girl. I’m hard for you already.” He inhaled deeply with his face at her neck. “Your scent drives me mad. You’d best get to the washroom fast before I decide you need a hard veck up against this wall first.”
She wasn’t sure she didn’t need a hard veck up against the wall first, but her bladder protested so she ducked past Rok and padded toward the washroom.
~.~
Rok waited for his little slave to emerge from the washroom, her freshly washed skin just as intoxicating in scent as it had been before her cleaning. She still wore his shirt, which he adored on her.
“Have you ever played walnees?” he asked.
Her blank look told him she had not.
“It’s a strategy game. Come, I’ll teach you. It’s fun.” But as he led her to the exercise/game room, the lights flashed a warning amber and the mechanical voice of the flight computer announced, “Approaching space debris. Repeat, approaching space debris. Adjust flight course immediately.”
He grabbed Lily’s hand, and they sprinted to the flight controls. Mierna was already snapping her safety harness in place in the copilot’s seat.
Janu and Jaso sped around the corner, followed by Gaurdo and Depri.
“Everyone buckle in,” he barked and shoved Lily into a seat, yanking the harness down around her.