She stared at the bathing chamber, closed her eyes, and breathed out. She was in for one hell of a journey; she knew that without a doubt. And she didn’t know if she was okay with that, or if she should run at the first opportunity she had.
4
“Do you think she’ll fight us on this?” Lukin asked as he lounged on the chair by the observation deck.
Thorque shrugged. “It would be the appropriate response, given the life she has clearly led.”
Brawn looked over at his brothers. They were eating rehydrated sticks of Hekka boar meat, and although it would sustain them, it was a far cry from a piece of fresh meat. He explained to his brothers the worry she had, and although her reaction to what they wanted from her was understandable, she’d need to accept her fate.
Living out there in the world without someone to protect her, to make sure she was well fed, taken care of, and above all else safe, meant she’d have to accept what they wanted from her.
“She seems strong,” Lukin said but kept his focus on the view before him.
Before Brawn could respond, the sound of soft footsteps had all three of them standing and facing Minka. She stopped when she saw them and took a step back. The scent of her unease came at him like a whip to his chest, and although he wanted her to be comfortable with them, he also understood where she came from.
But what he was grateful for was there was no fear that came from her, although she had every right to be afraid of them. She glanced among them and then looked at the window directly behind them. He knew she was probably overwhelmed by all of this, and he could see the stunned disbelief on her face at the fact that they were already in space and headed straight for Hades.
“Oh,” she breathed and moved closer.
Her tiny hands were clasped together in front of her, and the scent of her freshly cleaned body as she moved by them had Brawn’s cock getting harder with need. He wanted her, needed to breed with her, but he knew that forcing the issue would only have her running in the other direction.
“I didn’t know we were already off the planet.” She stopped in front of the observation window that covered one wall of the dining deck and then lifted her hands and placed them on the glass. “It’s warm in here,” she said almost absently.
“We can adjust the temperature,” Brawn said. “If it’s uncomfortable for you.”
She shook her head but didn’t turn around. “It feels nice actually. That planet was colder than normal, and more times than not, I had to huddle with the humans...” She stopped talking and curled her fingertips against the glass.
They would need to talk about where she had originally come from and how she had gotten on the planet in the first place. Brawn looked at Thorque, who watched her with intensity, and the scent of his brother’s need for this human female was just as strong and potent as his.
Lukin was chewing on a Monel stick, which had calming properties and an almost euphoric sensation after the person ingested it. His eyelids were at half-mast, and although that was most likely from the Monel and the drugging effect, Brawn could also see it was his brother’s arousal that was taking control.
He shouldn’t have taken the Monel, although Brawn knew he probably thought it would help curb his desire for Minka. Clearly, it was having the opposite effect.
“How did you get on Arambria?” Lukin asked.
She had yet to turn around, but she did answer. “I was taken off of Moira-Ten by a slave trader ship.”
Fuck. She had been going to the auctions but somehow landed on the planet of Arambria. Humans were a dwindling race because of their weakness, and their lack of intelligence and technological advances compared to the rest of the galaxy.
But because of the thinking of some species—most really—that humans were inferior. There were aliens who searched for them, took them away, and sold them as cattle, slaves, even breeder pets.
“The auction ship went down on Arambria, and when some Razzora Beasts attacked, a handful of the humans escaped. We had found a cave to live in that was remotely safe, but the day you found me was when I lost the only person I cared about.” She glanced over her shoulder at them. “He died saving my life, and when I needed help, the others just went back in the cave and forgot about me.”
There was no hatred or sadness in her voice, but there was this tightness that he recognized well. She was hurt deeply but trying to hide it.
“Anyway, that is my story, and if not for you being at the right place at the right time, I’d be little pieces inside that damn beast’s stomach.” She faced the window again and straightened her shoulders.