I wake up and realize I've drifted off at some point. My hair is nearly dry, my stomach is growling, and I'm alone. I'm still thirsty, but as I sit up and rub my eyes, I don't know how long I've been asleep. One minute? Five? An hour? I put a hand to my breast, and my khui is still purring strongly, which means resonance hasn't yet been fulfilled. "Sessah?" I call out, yawning again. "Did you get the water?"

"He's a bit occupied," says a cold voice.

Goosebumps prickle over my skin. I clutch at the fur I'm lying on, pulling it to my naked breasts. Kvasaht's voice came from behind me, and I turn, staring at him. My heart's pounding with terror. I didn't hear him come down here, and my tunic is a few feet away, between where he stands and where I'm seated. That means my knives are, too.

At this moment, though, I'd give every knife I own just to know where the fuck Sessah is. I glance around, but I don't see him on the edge of the pool…or anywhere. "Sessah?" I call again, hoping he's above. "Can you hear me?"

"Like I said, human." Kvasaht's voice is cold. "He's occupied. He won't be coming, no matter how many times you call his name." He gives me a tight smile. "I'm surprised you have any voice left, truly. The both of you have been caterwauling for hours as you mated."

He was listening in? I swallow hard, repulsed. "And I suppose you jerked off listening to it instead of giving us privacy like a normal person would?"

"Privacy? For liars? Why should I give you anything?" He moves forward, wearing all of the heavy furs that we've let him borrow. In his hands, I see a piece of metal whittled down to a sharp, sleek blade. He must have been working on that while he was gone, and I could kick myself for spending all day in bed with Sessah when we should have been watching out for Kvasaht. The cat-man takes a step toward me, his nose wrinkling. "You reek of his seed, female. Go wash up."

I ignore him, trying to gauge how far away my clothing is. I'll need to pick one of the seams to pull my knife out, but I've practiced that move a dozen times. I can do that. I just need to get my tunic in hand. I clutch the fur to my chest, hiding my body from him as he circles me, and listen for other noises in the cave. I don't hear anything beyond my singing khui, the cascade of water coming from the falls in the pool, and Kvasaht's feet as they strike the stone floor. "What did you do with Sessah?"

"He's alive for a bit longer, but not by much." The cat-man circles around me, touching my hair. "Just until he tells me where the crashed pod or the ship you're hiding from me is located. I wouldn't get too attached if I were you, though. He's not going to be useful to me after that, no matter how much you beg."

My throat closes up, and I want to gag. "I'm not going to beg."

He plays with a lock of my hair and it takes everything I have not to jerk away from him. "Good. I hate useless begging. Unless you want to tell me where your ship is and spare us all the business of me torturing your lover?"

Oh god. "There's no ship."

He reaches out and slaps my face lightly, his claws scratching at my skin. "There you go, lying again." He tsks. "I guess you really don't care for that lover of yours after all if you don't want to spare him. Suit yourself."

I jerk away when he touches my hair again. "There's no fucking ship. How many times do I have to say that? We're stranded just like you are."

He makes a face, mocking me. "There's no ship. We were both left behind and freed ourselves. There's nothing wrong with our story at all." Kvasaht leans in, grabbing my face, and his claws dig into my jaw. "Do you think I was born yesterday, human? Do you think I don't know how this galaxy works?"

Shit, I don't know how this galaxy works. Neither does Sessah. "We're not lying to you. There's no ship. Sessah can't give you information about a ship because there isn't one."

"Then he'll die messily," the cat-man says, flinging me away from him.

"And me?" I ask, edging toward my tunic. "Are you going to kill me?"

He laughs, the sound rumbling out of him. "You? Of course not. Human cunt is worth a fortune to the right buyers. And if I can't get off this planet, as you keep claiming, well, I'll need a distraction to keep me busy, won't I?"

Tags: Ruby Dixon Paranormal
Source: readsnovelonline.net