Retribution (Kall Alien Warriors #3) - Sue Lyndon Page 0,20

floor, crying on her hands and knees.

He ceased pacing and knelt next to her.

As he observed her sorrow and took in the sight of her punished back, he experienced a strange tugging sensation in his chest. Remorse? Compassion?

Conflict roiled within him.

She sniffled and wiped at her face. Lifting her head a notch, she met his gaze, her eyes gleaming with both fright and pain. “Is-is it over?”

He nodded, unsure of what to say. For the briefest moment, an apology rested on the tip of his tongue, but pride kept him silent. She’s human, he told himself. She’s human and you owe her nothing.

He moved closer and ran a hand gently over her back. When she gasped and stiffened, he murmured, “It’s all right. I’m simply checking to make sure no skin is broken.”

Only two of the red stripes had formed large welts. He found himself breathing a sigh of relief. Once he finished inspecting the marks, he lifted her up and guided her to the bed.

“Please no.” She attempted to pull away from him. “No no no no.” She stared at the bed with alarm, and it took him a moment to realize what it was that scared her.

“I am not going to force myself on you, Layla,” he said. “I’m simply helping you into bed.”

She turned in his arms, facing him. “Do you swear it?” She didn’t look up as she spoke, and her quivering intensified.

“I swear it.”

He helped her onto the bed and frowned to discover she didn’t have any covers. Goosebumps prickled her skin and her shaking was getting worse. He glanced at her torn shirt and then her pants. She could only get half-dressed right now, and he very much wished to cover her immediately. He stepped back and removed his uniform shirt.

She stiffened and peered at him with caution in her eyes, but he only draped the black shirt over her body. Small as she was, his shirt almost covered her entirely. At the very least, it shielded her nudity, and it covered the shame of what Zamek had just done.

“Layla,” he said, and her name felt strangely intimate on his tongue, for it was the first time he’d spoken it without anger.

Her eyes drifted to his again. “Yes, General?”

“Rest for a bit. I will return soon.” He exited her cell and made haste for the medical bay, his mind whirling with confusion and guilt.

Trembles besieged her body. Layla couldn’t seem to stop shaking or crying. She wasn’t sobbing anymore, but the tears now trickled silently down her face. Her back stung and if she had more strength, she would go to the bathroom and check the damage in the mirror.

She inhaled a deep breath. Then another one. And another, until the terror of what had just happened to her began to fade. It was a gradual process, but eventually her tears dried up and her shaking lessened somewhat.

General Zamek’s masculine scent surrounded her. She shouldn’t like the way he smelled, but damn it to hell she did.

She ought to toss his shirt to the floor and put her pants and undergarments back on, but his shirt was warm and she felt oddly protected while covered with it. If that wasn’t fucked up, she didn’t know what was.

So she remained on the bed, with his thick black uniform shirt sheltering her from the cold and concealing her nudity.

Confusion swept through her when she replayed what had happened. Why had the general stopped strapping her so soon? She’d expected to be beaten to within an inch of her life. It had hurt—badly—enough to bring her to tears, but she’d expected much worse.

And she certainly hadn’t expected him to help her into bed and cover her with his own shirt.

Did he feel guilty? Had any of her pleas gotten through to him? Talking about Shessema and how she might view his actions had been a grave risk, but maybe it had worked.

But she was still in this cell. She was still his prisoner, and they were bound for planet Kall. The chances of her seeing Earth again were slim.

I’m so alone.

This thought kept repeating in her mind. Everyone she’d ever cared about was either dead or so far out of reach they might as well be gone too. It was a frightening realization—knowing she would never see anyone from her old life again. Not even Betsy. Even though they were headed for Sumlin District where Betsy lived with Commander Edek, she doubted she would have the freedom