I concentrated on keeping my breath even. I was tied up tightly. The Vandar who’d been tasked with bringing me to the Raas’ quarters had seen to that, although I’d made it as difficult for him as I could. When I agreed to come on board willingly, I’d never agreed to being tied up to a bed. Not that I had much say in the matter, and as long as the Vandar kept his word and did not destroy my ship, I would deal with it.
Come to think of it, as long as I was stuck on a Vandar ship, I should make the most of it. The horde warlord who’d taken me was not the one who’d taken my sister, but he knew who had her. His brother, Raas Kratos. Maybe if I played my cards right and played along with what this Vandar wanted, he would take me to her.
Faking it was no problem. I’d faked affection and desire and euphoria so often I wasn’t sure what the real things felt like anymore.
When he opened his eyes and met my gaze, I gave him my most seductive smile. “I’ve been waiting for you, Raas.”
He jerked back, standing and taking a step away from me as if my words had scalded him. “Waiting to scratch me?”
I laughed, the artificial sound high to my ears. “Only if you drive me wild with pleasure.”
Crossing his arms, he frowned down at me. “You injured my majak when he brought you to my quarters and restrained you, and now you are fine with it?”
I shrugged, experiencing a flush of satisfaction that I’d drawn blood from the warrior who’d dragged me to the bed and shackled me to the bizarre bedposts topped with what looked like round axe blades. “I’ve had some time to reconsider.”
He waved a hand at me. “So, you do not mind this now that you’ve had the chance to…reconsider?”
I shook my head, wiggling my hips at him. “Not if you’re here.”
He turned swiftly and stomped to the door with his tail swishing, pressing a panel to the side of it. I took his distraction as an opportunity to scan the room, which looked exactly as it had when I’d been brought in—shiny, black floors with a smattering of sleek, hard furniture bolted to them. I’d been putting up way too much of a fight to notice the wall of glass that looked out into space, or the fire set into the obsidian walls. That had not been burning when I’d fallen asleep, and I was pretty sure the glass had been covered by a screen. Which made me wonder how long I’d been out.
A voice crackled through the panel. “Yes, Raas.”
“Ask Jorl what he gave the female,” the Raas said, glancing back at me and then bending lower to the panel. “What type of sedation did he give her when he brought her to my quarters? She is having a reaction to it.”
I lifted my head off the pillow. Had those fuckers drugged me while I was sleeping?
There were muffled voices mixed with the sounds of static before another voice came on. “Sedation, Raas? I gave her nothing.”
He twisted his head to look back at me, his eyes narrowed. “Nothing? You are sure?”
“I would never do anything like that without your permission, Raas. Even if I wanted to more than you could imagine.”
The Raas grunted out a half laugh. “Understood.” He pressed the panel again and let out a breath before turning.
I relaxed slightly. I didn’t feel doped up, although it amused me that the Raas thought I was.
“I promise you I’m not on anything,” I said, lifting my head to watch him stalk toward me. “And your warrior didn’t give me a sedative. He was too busy licking his wounds.”
The warlord’s pupils flared. “I saw the mark you left on him.” He reached the side of the bed and looked down at me, then dragged one finger up the length of my arm until he reached my fingers. “What happened to your claws?”
A shiver went through me at his touch, heat pulsing between my legs. “I guess I don’t mind being tied up with you as much.”
He shook his head and his dark hair swung around his face. “That is not it. You had no problem striking me on your ship. Or telling me you’d choose death rather than be my whore. Now you would spread your legs eagerly for me?”
I flinched unconsciously, and his eyebrow twitched up.
“There it