like her. Yes, did I.”
“You have? Take us to her, now,” Jyark says.
“Why? What in this for Tjai?”
“You filthy scumbag,” Jyark says, but I cut off anything further.
If this thing knows where one of my girls is, I’m going to find out. I grab him by the front of his shirt and jerk him off his feet, pressing him against a wall. I put my forearm across his throat and press.
“Where is she?” I ask.
“Once, I see once,” he says, struggling to get free, so I push harder on his throat. “Main market, not the other. She was in main market.”
“When?” I ask.
“Hours ago,” he says. “Early, at setup. I show. I show.”
I look over my shoulder to Jyark. His mouth is agape watching me handle his job for him, but that’s fine. It won’t hurt him to have a bit more respect towards me.
“Show us,” Jyark says. “Fast.”
I drop the alien then see Anzil grinning from ear to ear. “What?” I ask.
“Nothing,” he says, chuckling.
We follow Tjai back the way we came. He scurries through the alleys, obviously comfortable. His size and knowledge of the terrain makes it hard to keep up with him. He races around a corner, and when we get there he’s gone.
“Cursed Widows’ blood,” Jyark yells, kicking the wall of the nearest building.
“All right, let’s go back to the main market and look,” Anzil says. “If nothing else we can gather clues as to where the underground market is operating.”
“Fine,” Jyark snaps. “I want to get home. I hate this cursed place.”
Before long, we’re back in the open market. The crowds are somewhat more manageable now. We wander through the makeshift tents and stalls looking for any signs. Many of the stalls are filled with pretty baubles and fine cloths.
One stall we pass has armor. A chest piece catches my eye, so I stop to look. Anzil stops too, staying close. I feel the piece. It feels like thick leather, but the inside is padded, and surprisingly it looks like it would fit me.
“Ah, a fine piece,” the merchant says. “Perfect for the female.”
He has light blue skin, pure white eyes, and long black hair. When he smiles, his teeth are vivid green.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. I like it, but I don’t have money or any way to pay for it.
“How much?” Anzil asks, picking it up and testing the piece.
“Thirty-five,” the merchant says.
“Twenty-five,” Anzil counters.
“No,” I say, putting my hand on Anzil’s arm. “No, you can’t. I don’t need it.”
“Kiara,” he says. “There is only one thing I will allow you tell me no about.” The fire in his eyes makes it damn clear what that one thing is.
My mouth is dry, and I’m pretty sure it’s because my pussy is demanding all the moisture my body can produce. I’m so wet it’s leaking out. The dominance in his words makes me hot, and damn it, I want to fuck him more than ever.
I can’t. I won’t, because that would be stupid, but that sure as heck doesn’t mean I’m not thinking it. He and the merchant haggle back and forth until they come to an agreement. As we walk away, he’s carrying the armor in one hand.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I say.
“I don’t have to do many things,” he says. “I’m the primus, I have many freedoms.”
“You know what I mean,” I say.
“Yes,” he says, stopping. I turn to face him. He’s staring with an intensity that makes my heart beat faster. “You need to put this on.”
He unfastens the buckles that close the breastplate then settles it over my head. As he helps me to buckle it, his fingers brush the sides of my breasts. It doesn’t go unnoticed by either of us. We lock eyes; his lips part, and I part mine.
“Can you two hurry up,” one of the guards says.
It’s a good thing. If we were alone, we’d be fucking. I know it, he knows it, and the only saving grace is that now there isn’t the time. I don’t think there will be a time. I can’t let myself get tangled up with him. If we get free, if everyone is out, then I can see if there’s something more here than desire. Until then, all that goes on hold.
Despite all my rationalizations, I can’t deny my reluctance as I turn away from him. The weight that settles on my shoulders is somehow more than it was. Sighing, we follow the guards through the market.
We