Retribution (Kall Alien Warriors #3) - Sue Lyndon Page 0,39

me strange?” She shot him an incredulous look.

Annoyance flared inside Zamek. The little human ought to be more grateful that he wasn’t planning to treat her as a true slave. Yet she questioned his decision as if she knew better than him. His palm twitched with the urge to smack her bottom.

He growled. “My servants are loyal, however their opinions are none of your concern.”

“I’m sorry but I still don’t understand. What am I supposed to do? Hang around your house all day dressed in pretty clothes while eating your food?” Color rose to her cheeks. “Then wait for you to come home and warm your bed?”

He tightened his hold on her face. “You had no problem warming my bed earlier today and you seemed appreciative of the clothing I brought you.” He glanced down at the bed on which they sat, realizing it wasn’t even his bed, but he didn’t correct his word choice.

“We shouldn’t…” Her voice trailed off and she gave him a sorrowful look. “We shouldn’t do this.” She gestured between them. “You’ll eventually take another wife, I’m sure, and I don’t want—”

He grabbed her shoulders and squeezed hard, and she stopped speaking.

“Shessema was my second wife,” he said. “Second wife.”

Her eyes grew wide and she appeared increasingly worried. Ancient gods, how he longed to wipe all worry from her mind.

“I’m sorry. I-I didn’t realize. But still, in time, I am sure you’ll wish to marry again. I-I know that you don’t have children. Merokk mentioned that to me. Surely you’ll want to settle down with a Kall female and start a family. Keeping me as your mistress is not a good idea.”

“You claim to be an expert in Kall culture, yet you actually think I’ll take another wife?” He scoffed. “Perhaps you didn’t study our superstitions well enough.”

Her eyebrows drew together. “What superstitions? You mean ancient Kall religion? I studied that a great deal actually and—oh my God.” She grew quiet for a moment and eventually gave him a sad look. “Most of your people would believe you are cursed, isn’t that correct? And most Kall fathers wouldn’t permit their daughters to marry a cursed male.”

“Exactly,” he said, and the emptiness inside him increased, opening like a great black void from which there would be no escape. Even some of his warriors and commanders gave him strange looks now and then, and he knew it was because they believed he was cursed to have lost two wives in such a short time period. He’d lost his first wife, Ghemma, only two moon cycles after they spoke their vows. She’d fallen ill just days after they got married and started fading quickly. He never even got the chance to truly know her before she died.

“So since you cannot marry again, you wish to keep me as your mistress?” Moisture shone in her eyes.

“I don’t own slaves, Layla, though most males of my station do. The practice of owning slaves has always disturbed me. Yet now I will own one—you—but I cannot stomach the idea of treating you as a slave. But owning you and registering you as a slave is the only alternative to eventually killing you, and doing so will keep the local council from questioning my actions. At least I hope it will. As you know, humans are not permitted on Kall as tourists at this moment, nor for any other reason. Every human currently on my homeworld is a slave. Well, aside from the small number of human females who are married to Kall warriors. But all others are slaves.”

She pursed her lips and appeared deep in thought, and fluxx how he wished he could read her mind at this moment. What would he do if she refused to be his mistress? What would he do if she preferred to be kept as an actual slave? Didn’t she realize he would treat her well if only she accepted his terms?

He gripped her shoulders harder. “Say something, human.” He gave her a brief shake. “Say you will agree.”

“It’s my choice?” she asked, a look of disbelief stealing over her.

Should he give her a choice? The thought of her enduring hard labor everyday alongside the paid servants who worked his vineyard put a bad taste in his mouth. And most of his servants were large males, capable of accomplishing physical tasks that Layla would likely struggle with.

“No,” he said, infusing his voice with authority. “No, it is not your choice. It is my choice, and I