Stolen and Seduced - Christine Pope Page 0,277

lord as he’d just instructed her. It would be no fun training her if she obeyed his rules too quickly.

When Adriana woke the next morning, it took her a minute or two to remember where she was but the rattle of the chain on her wrist brought her back to reality fast. She stretched, glancing at the empty space beside her. The blankets were rumpled and stirred a vague memory of Kaljeet climbing in beside her in the middle of the night.

Sounds of running water reached her from the bathroom so she closed her eyes and drifted back into delicious sleep.

The next thing she knew, he was leaning over her, unlocking her wrist cuff. His touch was as gentle as it had been the day before, totally at odds with his crazy demands for submission and obedience. She smiled, hoping to encourage more kindness and fewer demands.

As he grinned back at her, black flashed through his hair.

“Your things are here.” He pointed to her footlocker at the end of the bed.

She leapt out of bed like she was five years old and it was her birthday. As soon as she opened the locker, an inner quiet settled over her. Her books, her clothes, the few souvenirs from different missions, connected her to who and what she was.

She felt less marooned.

Kaljeet stood a few feet away, watching her sort through her locker.

“Anything missing?” he asked.

“My sidearm. My knives. My throwing stars.” She looked at him coolly.

“Those have been added to my collection. If you’re a very good girl, I might let you have one of them back.”

Not trusting herself to say what was on her mind, she simply said, “Right.”

“Everything else is as it should be?”

“It is.”

“Good,” he said. “I expect my people to be honest, because without laws, what are kingdoms but savage bands of thieves and scoundrels?”

She resisted the urge to point out that she was his prisoner, so what did that make his realm of Senne? A savage band of kidnappers and enslavers?

As she headed for the bathroom, he handed her the tunic he wanted her to wear. For a dangerous moment she considered arguing about the ethics of being denied her personal freedom but decided against it.

Then, as they were leaving the bedroom, he said, “It’s time for my people to meet the woman who may be their next regent.”

Regent. Maybe her translator implant was faulty. A regent had power. She certainly wouldn’t be wearing cuffs and a collar, intended to restrain her, if she was a regent. Not in any sense of the word regent that she knew.

Regent echoed through her head as she took Kaljeet’s arm and followed him down to the courtyard.

She was furious with herself for the frowns and silences she’d shown. While under his control she needed to be smarter than that. If he could read her moods, he could use them against her, no two ways about it.

He’d made it more than clear he could control both if he wanted. He was a wily opponent and she needed to persuade him that she was bending to his will.

At his insistence, she draped her hand on his arm lightly and was happier for his support than she wanted to admit. They followed a labyrinth of passages, down several narrow stone staircases, to ground level. He led her past a huge kitchen, bustling with cooks and serving staff. They passed through the Great Hall to the outside courtyard. He stopped in the doorway as they looked out over the gathered masses.

Adriana saw her crew members scattered among all the Devmaereans and Kedrants. They called and waved to her, all of them smiling happily. They were dressed in tunic tops like hers. She didn’t know if they’d been allowed to wear trousers or not.

As more people became aware of Kaljeet and her standing there, the chatter and laughter subsided. Kaljeet took her to a table set up on a dais. There were two other couples at the table, but the middle two seats were unoccupied. Kaljeet held out a chair for Adriana before addressing the crowd.

“This breakfast is a special celebration to welcome the incomers from the unknown planet called Earth. I’m glad to see my people have been generous with their hospitality. I know our star travelers are weary and much in need of nourishment and rest. Thank you, kind residents of Senne for including them in your community.”

He nodded at Adriana to stand. “I’m honored to introduce the ship’s commander, Captain Adriana