Page 89 of Stolen Slave

She turned her back on him. “Show me what you do when you come to a Helix station.”

She may not have left her planet understanding the ways of the systems, but she was quickly learning.

I smiled at her and grabbed the handle of the cargo cube that held all five of my bounties. Due to the gravity reducers, it floated just above the floor and weighed very little as I towed it through the docking bay. Vya kept pace alongside me, and Cenar kept pace with her.

He expounded on the features of the Helix station—the grow bays, the galley stocked with human-grade foods, the access-protected hallways, and a room he’d prepared for her if she wished to rest—all while I strode toward the docking bay exit.

“Thanks, but I’m already well-rested,” she said.

The exit door opened at our approach, and we entered an unusually vacant hallway.

“It would be safer if you rested, beauty,” Cenar said.

Vya looked up at me. “Would it?”

I considered the Oebri.

“Unlikely. I don’t think it would be more dangerous, though, either. You don’t seem as affected by this one.”

She glanced at Cenar and smiled slightly. “You’re right. I don’t feel a thing from him.”

Cenar made a small amused sound. “You’ve almost completed your bond with this one. Bonded or not, I would still happily serve you in any way you require.”

I felt a surge of hope and jealousy. Were Vya and I truly almost bonded? Did that mean she would stay?

“No serving needed,” she said. “Lead the way, Khorahn.”

I turned down the hall that led to the registrar’s bay. As we neared, the door opened, and another of my kind strode out. When he saw me, he smirked. When he saw Vya, he froze.

“Impossible,” he said. “It actually worked?”

Vya glanced at me. “What worked?”

The male answered her. “His founder has been cloning himself to extend his life until he or one of his clones attracted a breeding female. You’re human, right? Extremely fertile?”

She glanced at the male, her annoyance plain in her scent. “So I’ve heard.”

“I can give you a dress with more links, a ship with more plants, and more chit than this tuber can,” the male said.

“No thanks. I’m a picky eater and like how Khorahn tastes.”

The male frowned and glanced at me.

“Her teeth are blunted,” I said.

I read the concern in his gaze and fought not to laugh as I pulled the cargo cube past him.

He said nothing more as he watched us enter the bounty registrar’s bay. Inside, it wasn’t as empty as the hallways. Other hunters stood with their bounties, only a few of them in stasis, as they waited for their turns with the registrar.

My gaze swept the space. Most of the bounties were in stun restraints and subdued as they waited. However, a few struggled with their captors.

“It is not safe for a female to be here.”

Every eye turned at Cenar’s words.

Vya’s fear spiked as she found herself the center of everyone’s attention. Her gaze darted around the room, and she stepped closer to me.

“Tell me I’m safe,” she said softly.

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