Page 66 of Owned By the Hvrok

But even that—his determination—didn’t feel cruel.

It felt protective. Intentional.

And damn it all, she let him continue.

Bit by bit, the food became less offensive. The taste dulled. The texture stopped bothering her. Maybe it was the heat in her belly, the slow easing of hunger, or maybe it was the way he never once made her feel small, even as he fed her, spoon by spoon, like she mattered.

Bit by bit, those awful, green-skinned, slave-trading aliens began to fade from her memory.

Bit by bit, she reclaimed the act ofeating.

By the time the container was empty, she felt… full.

Full.Not just of food, but of something she hadn’t had in days.

Strength.

Warmth.

Hope.

She exhaled slowly, not realizing until that moment that she’d been holding tension in every part of her body. Her shoulders slumped. Her head dipped slightly, heavy with fatigue.

Outside the window, nothing but black. The sun—what passed for one on this strange planet—was long gone. The world had slipped into deep, all-consuming night. She couldn’t see the mountains anymore, only the faint reflection of herself in the glass and the occasional shimmer of snow catching the wind.

And thewind?—

It was howling now.

A low, rising keen that made her skin crawl.

Without him here, she would’ve been terrified.

But hewashere.

And he didn’t look worried at all.

He stood, collected the canister, and moved with that eerie, fluid grace toward the console. He disposed of it soundlessly, no clatter, no wasted motion. Every movement was precise.

Then he turned.

Motioned to her.

Up.

She rose slowly, muscles still stiff beneath the coat, unsure what he was asking, until he sat.

In the command chair.

And then, reached for her.

She didn’t resist as he pulled her into his lap. This strange, ritual dance between them… of gentleness, restraint, and power forgone—it had completely melted her resistance in a way she’d never expected.

Again, she thought she must be going insane.

But what did it matter now?

Her life as she’d known it was over, anyway.

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