Page 91 of Stolen Slave

“No,” several of the bounties and their hunters said.

“You might be the first female beside their birthers they’ve seen,” I said.

“Never seen mine,” a hunter said.

“I’m a tuber,” a bounty said.

“Tuber?” Vya repeated.

“Grown in a tube, not birthed by a female,” the bounty clarified. “It’s common in species who are close to extinction and for those who want clones.”

Pity swelled in her scent again. “Would you mind if I watched more bounties being turned in?” She didn’t ask me but everyone else.

I could only recall once that a bounty volunteered to turn himself in. It had been when I was a youngling. Yet, at Vya’s softly spoken question, several of the bounties hurried toward the registrar without their hunters.

Smiling, I stood with Vya and watched as the number in the holding cells grew. The hunters lingered after they finished. Many stood by the warrant streams as if selecting their next bounty. But I knew they were simply lingering to watch Vya and listen to her softly worded questions.

When it was our turn, I removed the stasis panels from the cargo cube and started the reactivation process as I registered the warrants. Each bounty was moved into a cell before they became fully aware of their surroundings.

“Your chit has been transferred,” the registrar said. His gaze flicked to Vya. “No one is going to believe me when I retell this day.”

Rather than acknowledge him, she took my hand and weaved her fingers between mine.

“Are we done?”

“We are. Is there anything else you would like to see?” I asked.

“Nope. I’m ready for you to take me back to the ship.”

A hint of her arousal teased my senses, and my mating shaft, which I’d forcibly returned to its dormant position, jolted painfully.

“Wait,” Cenar said when we turned toward the exit. “We have entertainment prepared for?—”

“No thank you,” Vya said. “Please stop trying to detain me. It makes me feel trapped, and I don’t like it.”

Cenar paled and stepped back. “Apologies. The supplies we’ve prepared are waiting in the docking bay near your ship.”

No one else tried to stop us from leaving.

The docking bay we’d used was once again empty when we arrived.

“Is it always like this?” she asked.

“No. They’ve ensured your safety and dedicated this bay to our arrival.”

“Was I rude just now when I refused to stay longer?”

I placed my hand against the side of her face, letting my thumb stroke over her soft skin. Everything about her was soft. Fragile. Even her gentle thoughts toward males who’d likely never experienced anything like it before.

“Nothing you could do or say would ever be considered rude, Vya,” I said. “Your presence is something most will only ever know once in their lives. It will be a treasured memory regardless.”

“Well, that just makes me sad for them,” she said. And she felt it too. It soured her scent and prompted my need to do anything to bring her joy again.

I kissed her forehead and moved to load the supplies into the cargo cube with the empty stasis pods.

“What do you think of my occupation?” I asked as I worked.

“It’s interesting. Doesn’t seem too dangerous for the most part. Better than that other thing you did.”

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