I had no doubt that he’d find out that I’d broken all the Aberrants free. He’d also learn that I’d practically sacrificed myself for them, putting myself out there as a martyr so that they had the opportunity to escape. He’d be angry.
As much as I wanted him to free me from Greyburne’s clutches, there was also a small part of me that was afraid of what was going to happen once he got me alone. That very same part also made me shiver with desire. It also made me wet.
I closed my eyes.
“Don’t worry, Nina. We’ll get out of here. All of us. In one piece,” Mari said bravely. I turned my head and looked back at her, smiling back despite the feelings of helplessness coursing through me. I’d been brave for her before and now in my moment of weakness, she was being strong for me.
The more I got to know the humans that had been exiled from Earth, the more I realized that we were different from those we had left behind. We were quoted as different, that we didn’t fit the predetermined molds that they’d determined for us. But they were wrong. We were more than just different, we were dangerous.
“Yeah. We will,” I answered just as fiercely.
Greyburne wouldn’t know what hit him.
* * *
We were left alone for a long time. Mari and the others entertained all of us with great tales of epic romances than spanned across the galaxies and across time. Despite my fear of what was to come, I could feel myself beginning to miss Vane’s quiet confidence and the way he owned a room. I missed his touch on my skin, the warmth of his arms surrounding my naked flesh and the strange things his soft words of encouragement seemed to do to my insides. He was cruel at times, his scalding palm quick to dole out punishment, but he was also kind. He’d never struck me out of anger. He’d never really caused me very real pain either and I knew that he’d never want to actually hurt me.
I wanted to hear the sound of his voice bursting through the doorway of the dungeon. I wanted to see him again and most of all, I wanted him to hold me again. Ever since I’d been exiled from Earth, I hadn’t felt at home but now I realized that Vane had given me one. Naked and by his side.
What I heard instead was the ominous squeal of an unoiled door hinge creaking open, announcing the entrance of someone from Greyburne’s crew coming inside. I turned my head toward the sound, seeing the scarred face of Greyburne himself striding purposely toward my cell. I struggled in my bonds even though I knew it was useless, knowing that I had to try one last time to escape before he got his hands on me.
He’d already threatened me once with making me his, but I wasn’t his to take. I belonged to Vane and I wasn’t about to give myself to someone else.
The rusty door to my cell screeched when he opened it with some sort of skeleton key that looked like it was several hundreds of years old.
“When I discovered this place some time ago, I knew I’d find a use for it eventually,” Greyburne muttered as he stepped inside the cage with me. I furrowed my brow as I stared back at him. What the hell did that mean? I had assumed that he’d jetted off into space somewhere and we were on his ship, but maybe I’d been wrong.
“Where are we?” I pressed.
He chuckled, the expression on his face revealing how very proud of himself that he was. If anything, I’d play that overconfidence. I’d make him reveal too much and use it against him when the time was right. If I’d learned anything from getting kidnapped by two different notorious space pirates, it was that they followed no rules. They did whatever they had to do in order to get the job done, no matter what it took.
“We never left Kraken Prime. I had my ship fly up high enough into the atmosphere to no longer be seen and we landed on the opposite side of the planet, in the middle of an old abandoned city that had been occupied several hundreds of years ago by who knows what. Right now, all of you are contained in one of the dungeons deep in the fortress meant to protect them from whatever monsters used to roam the lands of this forgotten little planet,” he answered.
“Well, that explains the use of an actual key,” I replied haughtily. It also explained the wet smell of dirt too.
“It’s rather a nice touch, I think. Makes me think of all the time that came before us, back when life was much simpler and no one traveled far from home,” he responded, his voice far away. Once again, he reminded me that there was a sliver of madness in his words.
Unhinged. Insane. Completely and utterly mad.
“What are you going to do with us?” I pressed next.
“I think the better question would be what I’m going to do to you next and the answer to that one would be whatever I want,” he replied, and a rather sordid look came over his face. It left me feeling uneasy and left a rancid taste in the back of my mouth.
“Don’t,” I growled, cold fury powering my courage. He had no right to take me and hold me prisoner. I’d die before I let him touch me.
He stilled for a long moment, just staring at me. My uneasy feeling at being under his appraisal amplified and I started to panic. Bound as I was, there was no escape for me. He could have his way with me. He could torture me with the devices lashed to the walls. I couldn’t stop him even if I tried. If he wanted to rape me now, I wouldn’t have a choice but to take it.
“You’re mine now, human,” he said finally, and a shiver raced down my spine. This time, his voice was laced with latent anger and I came to the conclusion that I would have to tread more carefully. There was no doubt in my mind that he would really hurt me if he wanted to and if I made him angry enough. He’d probably even kill me if he wanted to.
Sure, I was angry too, but I had to be smart about it. I couldn’t just insult the bastard and work my way out of this.
I watched silently as he reached for his belt, flipping his coat aside as he reached for what looked like a dagger. On the hilt was a jeweled design made of rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. He took a step toward the side of the bed, taking a moment to study the nakedness of my body as he did so. I shivered with disgust, but the resulting grin on his face told me he took it as something else. Desire.
He walked toward me with that knife and I stilled, but it didn’t matter. He took that heavy blade and traced the bare skin of my thigh, coming dangerously close to my pussy. I couldn’t move or fight back against him. I was left extremely vulnerable before him. All he had to do was flick his wrist just a little and he’d pierce my skin. This was dangerous and if he wasn’t careful, he’d kill me.
He grew tired of tracing the dagger along my legs and dragged it across my torso until the sharp edge glanced against my nipples. I swallowed heavily, feeling an intense jolt of fear and adrenaline course through my body.
Next, he continued upward and pressed the blade against my throat, staring into my eyes in a challenge I wasn’t ready to meet. Everything in his gaze demanded my submission, a firm reminder that he could end my life with just a simple twist of his wrist. He held my life in his hands, and he was making it known. There wasn’t a shadow of a doubt in my mind that he was capable of murder. I knew he wasn’t afraid to kill me. In fact, he’d probably even enjoy it.