Page 82 of Stolen Slave

Warning buzzed along my skin as I looked back and saw a creature with four arms and a tail that flailed wildly behind him. He was covered in nappy fur that looked like it had blood in it and smelled bad.

Fear shortened my breath and made my hands tremble as his surprised gaze swept over me from head to foot.

“Female? Human?” He threw his head back and laughed. “He stole you from the Wsoau, didn’t he?”

His reaction was confusing.

“The Wsoau stole me. Khorahn saved me,” I managed in a hoarse whisper.

The creature nodded. “Yes, no female would willingly work in their sorry bathhouse. I promise I will not return you to them. However, I will need to take Khorahn from you. They are paying too much for me to retrieve him to refuse.”

The private bounty.

My gaze swept over the creature again. He hadn’t made any threatening move toward me, but his bulk indicated he could easily overpower me if he wanted to.

“I need him.” My voice shook. “I don’t know how to work this ship.”

The creature nodded again. “You can accompany me on my ship if you wish. After I deliver him to the Wsoau, I will care for you.”

Even though he wasn’t doing anything to make me feel threatened, I still felt it. A lot. And that made me regret ever telling Khorahn to stop scent-marking me. That and the guy’s smell. My eyes were starting to water.

“I would prefer to stay on Khorahn’s ship with Khorahn.”

“Anerman Cu Behan,” Khorahn said from behind me. “Forceful seizure of a ship without a public warrant is against the systems’ laws and will add to your list of punishable crimes.”

Anerman chuckled. The sound was so deep it vibrated in my chest.

“I understand now why you left me behind. This is a prize worthy of forgetting everything. Even systems laws, is it not?”

As he spoke, I edged back toward Khorahn. His hand settled on my shoulder, comforting me.

“My beauty, it would be safer if you returned to our sleep bay.”

“Our?” Anerman asked. “Are you breeding her? I heard they are compatible with over seventy percent of the systems races and have a lunar fertility cycle ensuring quick procreation.”

His gaze returned to me.

“Are you already carrying his young?”

“No.”

“I will gift you my ship and all within it if you agree to carry my young.”

The idea of doing anything with the guy in front of me made me gaggy.

“I don’t know anything about ships, so they have no value to me,” I said, hoping the answer was a diplomatic enough refusal.

“Perhaps you will change your mind when Khorahn can no longer act as your protector.”

I did not like the sound of that. And neither did Khorahn, apparently, because he stepped around me protectively.

The other male chuckled again. “For your safety, back away, pretty female. I have some chit to settle.”

I hurriedly backpedaled and saw the man launch himself at Khorahn. His tail wrapped around Khorahn’s neck at the same time one set of his arms wrapped around Khorahn’s torso. He lifted my savior off the ground and squeezed as he started punching Khorahn’s head.

Khorahn’s muscles flexed throughout his back and arms. Anerman grunted as his grip behind Khorahn’s back began to slip. The tail around Khorahn’s neck squeezed harder.

Compared to the two fighting, I was squishy and very breakable. My gaze darted around, looking for anything I could use as a weapon. However, everything was securely attached.

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