Stolen by the Zandian - Renee Rose Page 0,14

have extra garments in a storage bin. I’ll find some that fit you.”

“But don’t you want to...” —I tilt my shoulders— “...enjoy the pleasure as well?”

“It would not be appropriate.” His voice is stiff. Almost as stiff as the rod in his trousers. “I’m your temporary master—just until we reach Zandia.”

“And what happens then?”

He turns away and rummages in a cabinet then places a stack of folded clothing next to me with a fluid tube and some nutrition packs. “Please get yourself together, and then we’ll talk.”

The craft interior isn’t large, yet I feel alone over here on the bench while he sits at his flight console, staring out at the blackness around us. There are now stars visible, probably millions of light years away. Funny how he feels even more distant.

Well, it’s better than a migraine... Taking a deep breath, I put on the sleek trousers and jacket. The boots fit me like a dream. And definitely an improvement over the Kraa cell.

Still, I don’t know if I believe him about Zandia. I’m not sure he’s telling me the truth.

But the buzzing pleasure still coursing through my body takes the sting away from captivity under his rule. It’s a thousand times better than being owned by the Kraa or likely by any other master who would’ve bought me at auction.

I eye his broad back and shoulders. The thick horns on his head that seem to move and change depending on his feelings. I make a note to learn to read what those changes mean. What would it be like to be mated to a male like him? A male whose punishments are far more pleasurable than anything I ever endured before.

A shiver runs through my body, and my sex clenches at the idea of him claiming me fully. But he said he’s just my temporary master. I don’t know what that means, but I don’t like it. Something far less pleasurable may await me on Zandia, and I need to be prepared for whatever that is.

I open a food packet and eat it while I sip on a fluid tube.

A few seconds later, the barest licks of sensation trickle along my temple. Fear lurches in my gut.

“Khrys?” I stand, fingers shaky on the fluid tube. My voice is high.

“What is it?” He whirls, expression concerned.

I touch my forehead. “It’s starting again. I need the medicine.” I hope to stars he will give me the dose I need.

“Veck.” He shakes his head. “Forgive me, I forgot.”

The relief I feel at his instant response brings on a streak of gratitude. Maybe I can trust this warrior.

He turns to the console and taps then stands up and strides to a cabinet across from his flight seat. “I have your medicine supply here.” He pulls out the sleek container. “I’ll bring it to you. Sit down.”

The whisper of pain deepens, little pinpricks. I press my palm to the top of my head, a useless move. Adrenaline races through my body. “Please hurry.” My vision starts to blur. The stars outside the glass viewports, little dots of distant light, morph into blobs.

“Here.” He’s at my side. His hands are strong but so gentle as he touches my face. “How much?”

“Four drops.” I close my eyes.

The bitter taste has never been so welcome. As the liquid hits my tongue, the relief is almost instantaneous: First, the aroma of herb and earth shoots into my nostrils, and then the pulsing pain flickers and flashes out. Gone.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, licking my lips, even though he didn’t spill. I swallow my own spit once, twice, to ensure that I’ve washed down every last remnant of the drug. When I look back, he’s staring at me, brow wrinkled. Behind his head, outside in the emptiness of space, the stars are back to usual.

“Better?” He screws the dropper cap back onto the bottle. His eyes remain trained on my face, checking me.

I nod. “Yes.”

He stows the glass bottle carefully into the case. “How does the medicine work?” He sits down beside me.

I watch as the small amber bottle nestles into the padding and shake my head. “They did something to my blood vessels in my head, the vessels feeding the brain. They constrict without the medicine, and it’s painful. The antidote is made from the pollen of a flower found on Dentron. The medicine widens the vessels, but it’s temporary.”

“And without the medicine, the headaches keep coming back?” He touches my forehead softly, then