Page 75 of Stolen Slave

Hooking my hands around his neck, I ran my fingers through his hair and just held on as he calmed me in a totally new way that I absolutely loved.

After a few minutes, I opened my eyes, and he pulled back to meet my gaze.

“Thank you, and I’m sorry I?—"

He dipped his head and lightly brushed his lips against mine.

“You have done nothing deserving of an apology.”

Staring up into his blue eyes, I found myself nodding.

How lost was I in Khorahn? I didn’t know, but I owed it to us both to find out what was real and what wasn’t.

Once we reached the kitchen, he put me down, revealing he’d ditched his pants, not that I minded, and showed me how to use the food dispenser so I could feed myself whenever I wanted. However, he also made it clear that I didn’t need to make my own food. He would make it for me whenever I wanted.

“Is it possible to make anything besides the oatmeal? Not that worm dish, though.”

He chuckled lightly. “Mtinash sent some recommendations that you could try.”

He tapped a few buttons, and the machine started to hum.

“What kind of food is it? Human food?” I asked.

“I believe so. He sent another comm request to the Oebri you contacted. Since your presence was confirmed, the Oebri were willing to share more specific information regarding your dietary needs.”

Khorahn reached for the finished bowl of food and turned toward me.

“They also provided a direct comms link to the human representatives on the Senwar trade station. They asked that you contact them regarding your well-being within the next flare. They likely wish to ask how and when you were taken and if there are others with you.”

I looked down at the food blankly for a moment until I realized what I was staring at.

“Is that spaghetti?” I grabbed it from him and had a spoonful in my mouth a second later. My eyes almost rolled back in my head. “So good.”

In silence, he watched me wolf down several bites before I realized how I had to look. Rather than apologize, I motioned toward the table as I swallowed.

“What happens to you if I call them from the ship? Mtinash made a big deal about not being found.”

“They may try to locate the ship,” he said, sitting across from me. “However, it wouldn’t be to forcibly remove you. They would simply wish to verify your safety, which you can insist they do through a comms link rather than in person.”

I thought of how it felt to talk to the Oebri on the comms link and weighed the risk to us versus the possible risk to other abductees. I didn’t remember being taken, only waking up in that bathhouse. While the other girls who’d been there with me hadn’t survived, who was to say they were the only ones abducted with me?

“I think I should call them,” I said, “as long as it won’t put you in a bad position.”

“I will be fine,” he said.

He watched me finish my spaghetti, and after ensuring I didn’t want more, we went to the room with all the monitors and controls.

“You can sit here,” he said, motioning to the only chair.

“What about you?”

He flashed me a smile. “I will stand here, off-screen.”

I looked at all of his deliciousness and nodded. Then looked down at myself.

“Maybe I shouldn’t be naked.”

“Wait here.”

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