His heart was still pounding like a piston, though. He might not be claustrophobic, but he sure didn’t like tight enclosed spaces. Oh, hell, Pierce admitted to himself, maybe he was claustrophobic after all.
“Companion 2000, I detect elevated heart rate and oxygen consumption. Is there a problem?” The soft feminine voice in his ear nearly gave Pierce a coronary.
“What the…who are you?” he demanded, looking around in the dark as though he could see anything. He couldn’t, of course, but the soft voice continued anyway.
“This is the voice of your containment system as you very well know. Please explain the reason for elevated levels or I will be forced to dispense a calming agent into your air flow.”
“What? Wait a minute—there’s been a mistake!” Pierce protested, still pushing on the lid. “I am not a Companion. I’m human and I got in here by mistake. Open the lid and let me out!”
“Negative, Companion 2000,” the soft female voice said in his ear. “Shipment is scheduled for tomorrow. Free time is therefore suspended.”
“I don’t want free time, I want to get out!” Pierce shouted. “Let me the fuck out!”
“Now dispensing calming agent,” the voice said.
Pierce took in a deep breath to shout some more and choked on the sickly sweetish scent that suddenly permeated the air. Son of a bitch—the stupid coffin had gassed him!
“No,” his voice sounded weak, even to him. “No, let…let me out.”
“You will be released when your new mistress opens the lid upon delivery,” the smug female voice of the sarcophagus informed him. “Until then, you will be kept sedated during shipment. Pleasant slumber, Companion 2000.”
“I’m not…not a Compan…” But he lost consciousness before he could finish the word.
Want more? Get the rest of COMPANION 3000 on December 5!
The Priestess and the Thief
Kindred Tales, Book 30
Available December 2020
Turn the page for sneak peek.
Prologue
It came back to her often in dreams…
“Are you a virgin, little priestess?” he asks, his dark, unreadable eyes searching hers. They are in the small, dim closet together. Outside the clatter of the human celebration—a holiday called “Christmas”—is loud and happy.
But in the closet with him, the sounds are muted. Ellilah can hear her own heart pounding in her ears. The drugged punch he has forced her to drink is fizzing through her veins and she can feel the hot desire flowing through her body.
Her desire has always been a source of shame to her. She runs hot—as hot as the males in her family, she thinks. At least, all her brothers Joined with their mates young and several of them were bonded before they got joined—a great scandal on Torl Prime, her home planet.
But with males, of course, the urge to fornicate could be excused. Males have needs, after all, and as long as her brothers Joined with their brides before the brides’ bellies started to show, what harm was really done?
Of course, it’s different for a female—at last on Torl Prime. Elli knows she shouldn’t have desires at all—shouldn’t long to be touched and certainly shouldn’t touch herself at night, after lights out when everyone is supposed to be asleep. But she can’t seem to help it—she’s always been drawn to self-pleasure…to desires of the flesh.
Like her knack with zorels, it’s not considered ladylike or proper in a female. It’s the reason she was sent to the Mother Ship to be a priestess in the first place. Or maybe her stepmother just wanted to be rid of her.
Either way, Elli has barely been here a week and already she is breaking the rules…Sneaking out after curfew to attend the human party. Joining in their festivities when she ought to be back at the Sacred Grove, meditating quietly instead.
Being around male warriors at all is grounds for punishment. For she hasn’t completed her Novicehood yet. And she has yet to partake in the Ceremony of Shriving and drink the Mortem Amore which will kill, once and for all, any desires of the flesh still lurking in her soul…
“Are you a virgin, little priestess?” he says again and this time Elli answers him.
“Yes,” she whispers, looking up into those unreadable eyes. She wishes she knew what kind of Kindred he is. He looks like a Beast Kindred, with his braided beard and shaggy mane of black hair. But his eyes are dark, not golden as he looks down at her.
“I will not take your chastity,” he murmurs, tilting her chin up to his.” But forgive me—I must test the effectiveness of the potion.”
Then he