Page 10 of Chosen By the Dragon Alien

The room fell silent, the air heavy with the gravity of the situation. Cyprian’s expression was unreadable. Finally, he let out a long-suffering sigh. “Fivra, you owe the Axis two hundred thousand credits. That is the price that was paid to take you from the auction.” He pressed his hands together before him and gazed at her as if he were trying to impress a big thought to a young child. “You were going to be mated, yes?”

Reluctantly, she nodded. “I know how the mating act works. All Terian females who come of age are taught what happens between bondmates. My father promised to choose someone who was not cruel.”

“Someone you knew?”

“No. We are matched with males from other settlements,” she said.

“So, how is this so different?” His mouth turned down at the edges, as if he disliked the words he was saying. “Instead of one mate, you’ll have several, and I also promise that they will not be cruel. Instead of your purpose being producing offspring and toiling in a field, you will bring pleasure to others and yourself.”

Fivra dropped her gaze. “How long is this contract?”

“By my calculations, fivemig-cycles. In planetary dweller terms, it’s approximately seven years.”

She pressed her hands to her ribs as the air rushed out from under them.Seven years.

“If I had my way, I’d send you away from here, but Erovikdidpay a large sum for your contract and the Axis expects returns on their investments.” He leaned in and once again, his hand was on her face, tilting her chin up to meet his gaze. “I promise to introduce you to this life slowly, but you must learn the ways of Erovikandthe station. There are rules and customs that must be adhered to, for your safety as much as our reputation.”

Fivra nodded numbly, but she knew this was as good as she was going to get for now. Cyprian didn’t have to give her any grace at all. Hopefully, she could convince him that she was suitable for something else. Something aside from fornicating with strange—not cruel—males on a daily basis. “I will…try,” Fivra said, meeting his gaze and holding it for the first time. “But I can’t promise that I will make a goodcourtia, no matter how much time and training you give me.”

His expression confused her. He looked as if he was resigned to something he wasn’t pleased about. A look that almost appeared to be disappointment crossed his handsome features, even as he lowered his lips and brushed them over her forehead. Fivra held her breath, shocked at the spray of sensations that spiraled out from that point of contact. His fingers were still splayed on her cheek, her jaw. His breath came ragged on the gold flecks on her head. For a moment, it was all frozen, still. The scant space between them was charged with something unbearable.

Suddenly, he straightened. “Good.” His face was taut, hands curled into fists. He spoke roughly, as if there was an invisible rope around his neck cutting off his air. “We will begin your training tomorrow.”

SIX

Cyprian

Cyprian didn’t know how he was going to do this. His gaze flicked to the elaborate tapestry taking up one whole wall of Fivra’s suite. It was quite a contrast to the pretty little Terian attempting to walk across the room in a seductive manner. His gaze then settled on her once again, a sliver of amusement threading through his voice. “You’re still thinking too much about it,” he said, running a hand through his hair. Never, not once, had he encountered a female sounsexyin a way that made her utterly irresistible. Even now, he forced his hands to be still when they wanted to reach for her. He kept his body where it was, when all he wanted to do was close the space between them and see how they fit together.

It had been a full turn of the station’s cycle run—forty cycles in all—since Fivra had arrived. During that time, he’d given her space. He’d made sure her health improved by having Ria serve her nutritious food and ensuring she had access to Erovik’s extensive exercise center, where he knew Fivra enjoyed learning to swim in the pool and using the virtual walking course.

He told himself he was keeping an eye on her. Making sure she adapted to the station, but there was more to it. So much more. The truth was, he couldn’tnotwatch her. Every free moment he had, he needed to know where she was, what she was doing. Was she happy? Was there anything she needed? He was becoming obsessed—him. The director of the most elite brothel in this part of the galaxy.

Fek, he had no idea what to do with the attraction he felt for her. “If you’re going to capture someone’s attention—” he leaned closer, because he could “—the allure needs to be a natural state. Like it’s involuntary.”

“Doing this with my hipsisn’ta natural state.” Fivra’s back remained stiff as she tried to act out Cyprian’s instructions. She took a step forward, but nothing about it was fluid. A sharpness remained in her posture—her shoulders too rigid, her footsteps too measured. She simply wasn’t built for seduction. Or rather, seduction of clients. She was doing an excellent job of captivating Cyprian. So much so that the thought of her with another male put a sour taste in his mouth.

The outfit she wore had been a compromise, according to Ria. It was a two-piece confection of shimmering red-gold fabric. The top was snug and sleeveless. It ended at her ribs and revealed her midsection. The bottom was a skirt only in the most literal sense. It had slits on either side that ran straight up to the hip, revealing the length of her legs as she moved. It was one of the more modest options in her new wardrobe and it drove him to the point of madness.

“Stop.” He waved a hand and closed his eyes, partly to block out the mouthwatering view as she moved her hips in an attempt to walk with “allure.” He needed a moment to get his head together. She wasfekkingstunning. “You’re going to pull something if you keep trying this.”

Fivra paused. Her pink hair fell over her shoulder as she turned her head. A fleeting look of frustrated defiance crossed her face. It was her new characteristic look, one he noticed now that she was settled in and was no longer in a state of acute fear. He liked seeing her personality emerge—the real one. Not the terrified abductee. This Fivra had opinions. She had no trouble voicing them, either. “I’m not like the others here,” she muttered.

Cyprian sighed and leaned back against one of the plush chairs in the suite. “That is true. But if you’re going to deal with clients, you need to be…something else.” He hated saying that. Hereallyhated thinking of another male in this suite with her. Touching her. Using her beautiful body. Bringing her pleasure.Hewanted to bring her pleasure. No one else. Ever.

Fivra’s chin lifted a fraction, something that came close to pride in her expression. “I’m capable of many things, Cyprian,” she challenged, her voice a note lower than before, almost with a hint of menace. “Is there another way I can pay off the contract?”

He couldn’t think of one that wouldn’t take most of her life, but the closer the time came for her to be with a client, the more he pondered paying it off himself. It was becoming a problem, this possessiveness he felt for her. It didn’t matter how many times he reminded himself that she was not his. His body continued to be aroused when he was near her—fek. Just thinking about her made him hard. And his heart didn’t accept it, either.

He exhaled slowly. “No. Sit,” he ordered, gesturing to the low velvet chair near the window. “Let’s see if you know anything about lounging. Looking relaxed and inviting. That can be as seductive as walking.”

With a terse nod, Fivra lowered herself to the chair. She paused before sitting, omitting the usual motions he would have expected—no graceful fall of fabric, no flash of bare leg revealedby accident. Instead, she plopped down, straight-backed, with legs tucked neatly together under the slit of her skirt.

Cyprian rubbed his temple. “Not like that. If you sit like that, you’re giving nothing away. Not a flicker of intrigue, not a single reason to look twice.” He came forward and crouched in front of her, his hands taking her ankles and sliding her legs together to the side. “Try this. Angle your legs. Relax your shoulders.”

Her eyes fluttered as his fingers moved over her skin. Her bright blue eyes burned with quiet intensity. “Why should I want to be looked at like that?” she asked, her voice steady as ever. “Like I’m prey?”

His breath caught—just for a moment. There was something dangerous in those words, something that made his dragon fire burn in his throat and his cock stiffen in his pants. He shifted, feeling the tension between them grow heavier, more layered. “That’s the way the quadrant works,” he said, but even to him, the words felt shallow, insufficient against the weight of her question. “You’re not prey, you’re…controlling the prey. There’s a difference.”

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