Page 27 of Alien Captain's Prisoner

“Oh, I’m not joking,” Sawoot warns. “I’m beingextremelyrational. We’re prisoners on an Aurelian ship, and we’re facing forty years behind bars – if we live long enough to get thrown behind them. We’ve got to use every advantage we have – and if Captain Aelon’sintoyou, that’s potentially useful.”

She sits up on the bunk bed. As our resident expert on the subject of Aurelians, it’s worth listening to her ideas – no matter how much they make me bristle.

“Think about it, Tasha,” Sawoot continues. “Aurelians are all prideful bastards, and they’re all protective of human females – verging onpossessive. If Aelon fancies you, he’s not going to let you just slip through his fingers. He won’t just hand you over to the authorities…”

“No – but if you’re right, he’s not going to just let us go, either.”

Sawoot nods in agreement.

“Listen,” she continues. “I had a friend who was in a harem for a few years. Those Aurelians didn’t want her to leave when she asked to. Shit – she said they’d probably have kept her against her will if it wasn’t for Queen Jasmine’s laws.”

Queen Jasmine had been the one to dictate that any human woman who’d served in an Aurelian harem for three or more years was entitled to a full education at an Aurelian institute of higher learning; and that the Aurelians who owned the haremhadto let her leave to pursue that education if she requested it.

“They’re crazy possessive,” Sawoot continued. “My friend said that if any other man had evenlookedat her the wrong way – well, let’s just say that they’d lose more than just theeyesthat had offended her. The Aurelians would kill to protect her – or even just to protect her honor.”

I shudder. I’m not sure if that sounds like chivalry or psychosis.

“You can use that to your advantage,” Sawoot insists. She leans forward, as if her mind is already formulating a plan. “What else did you learn about the Captain? His name’s Aelon, right?”

“Yes, Captain Aelon,” I nod. “I don’t think he’s aligned to the Aurelian Empire, but he doesn’t seem to be Rogue – or he’d have…” My cheeks burn. “Well, if hewasinto me, he wouldn’t have gone through this rigmarole. He’d have justtakenme, if you know what I mean.”

Sawoot eyes flash.

“Oh, I knowexactlywhat you mean.”

She does, does she? I think about it myself. Captain Aelon is arrogant, infuriating… and relentlessly sexy. The thought of him forcing himself on me – taking me whether I wanted him to or not…

…it’s disgusting. Repellent…

…but it also makes my breath quicken and my nipples harden. I imagine that towering commander tearing my clothes off… Throwing me onto the bed… Bending me beneath him as he claims me with his huge cock.

Fuck, what is wrong with me?

Flustered, I shake my head and look back at Sawoot. She’s sitting on the bunk, her tongue stuck against her cheek as it is any time she’s scheming and plotting.

“Tell me,” my first officer eventually looks up. “Is Aelon alone? Or does he have a triad?”

I grimace. “A triad – and they’re even worse than him.”

I pace up and down the cell, getting my thoughts in order. I don’t want to mention the shameful punishment I’m facing, since that would make it all too painfully real and inevitable. I need a distraction.

But my mind keeps returning to the spanking I’m facing.

A spanking! I’m a master criminal and a starship captain, and I’m going to be spanked like a miscreant little minx! It’s so humiliating to have all of my skills, experience and expertise – as a criminal, entrepreneur, and pilot – forgotten and ignored; all in favor of making me squirm and gasp and cry out at the hard, punishing hands of one of those towering Aurelians.

Speaking of which – which one of those towering bastards will mete out my punishment?

Will it be Captain Aelon himself? Arrogant and imperious, calling me names as he turns my backside red with firm spanks of his huge hand.

Or will it be his battle-brother, Vinicus – who oozes raw, beastly power. Perhaps Iunia, who seems so aloof and reserved – so different than the other two members of his triad.

I shiver. What is it going to feel like to be spanked in front of a crowd of leering, hungry Aurelians? Not to mention my own crew. I still feel a hot surge of anger when I remember how Chris snickered and laughed as I learned about my fate. I was saving him from agony at the receiving end of an Aurelian lash and he saw fit tolaughat me?

I shake my head. I can’t think about it - not right now. I’ll drive myself nuts.

Instead, I look back up at Sawoot and answer her question.

“The other two members of his triad are a couple of brutes – warriors to the core. They’re called Iunia and Vinicus – they could practically be twins.”

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