Page 20 of Commander's Slave
Still, he couldn’t help the ache in his chest as he considered her crime and the reason for it. Compassion? Pity? He wasn’t certain of the emotion’s name, but it made his lungs constrict as he gazed upon her sleeping form. She was such a small creature, it was difficult to believe she had caused enough trouble on Earth to necessitate an elaborate cover-up.
He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, still eyeing the lump. If Betsy didn’t stop shaking soon, he would never get to sleep. At least that’s what he told himself when he slowly peeled down the covers, hushing her protests with a soft voice.
“It’s all right, Betsy. I won’t hurt you.”
“Don’t touch me.” Bravado filled her tone, but her near convulsions spoke to her increasing fear, along with her cold scent.
“Shh,” he said, stroking her head. “Come and lay next to me. I’ll keep you safe and warm.”
“I’m not cold, Master,” she said. “Besides, I think my idea of safe and warm differs greatly from yours.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I’m not here to service you sexually. I might be your slave, but in my mind I’ll always be free. My own person. And one day someone from Earth will come looking for me and bring me home.” She scooted to the edge of the bed and yanked the stolen sheets back.
“Betsy, no one will come looking for you. Even if they did, a shield has been placed around our planet to keep aliens out. A single ship or a fleet of ships, it is no matter. Nothing can penetrate the shields.”
“The miners—”
“The miners landed on my homeworld before the current shield was in place, and they foiled our scanners on their descent, making themselves appear to be a Kall trading vessel. It will not happen again.” Pain shot through his jaw as he clenched his teeth. He didn’t want to talk about the human miners who’d taken his family away. “Our defenses have improved greatly since the attack on our soil. You will not see Earth again, Betsy.”
“You’re wrong.” She drew the sheets up to her neck and curled into a tight ball underneath the covers. “I will see Earth every night in my dreams.”
Chapter 10
President Carson stood above Betsy,gazing down at her with a cruel smile twisting his lips. She tried to stand up, but she couldn’t escape the snowdrift. It was as though she were being pulled further into the snow with her every movement. If she wasn’t careful, the snowdrift would soon swallow her whole.
Tremors broke out all over her body. Her teeth chattered and she tried desperately to move her fingers and toes, hoping to keep the circulation going.
She glanced to the right and saw the lights of the refugee camp.
I’m close, so close. I just need to stand up and keep walking. I’ll be safe there. I’m far enough away from DC that I can finally hide and stay put in one place for a while.
Then she remembered her father. Why was he here, so far from home?
Confused thoughts sped through her mind. Hadn’t she been here before? Didn’t she already know what would happen? The wisp of a memory tugged at her brain but wouldn’t quite formulate. The knowledge she sought hovered just out of reach.
She stared up at her father. Why was he smiling at her like that? Why did he look cruel?
She fought back a shudder. He was her father. Surely he would help her.
Why was she even here, out in the cold, nearly drowning in a snowdrift?
She reached out a shaking hand to her father. “Please, Dad, help me.”
“Dad?” he said in a mocking tone. “You are no daughter of mine.”
“What?” She tried to sit up in the snow, only to sink deeper into the bone-chilling cold. Her fingers and toes prickled with an odd sensation. The tips of her ears burned, and her cheeks and nose felt scraped raw. “Please, Dad,” she begged. “Whatever I did to upset you, I’m very sorry. Please help me. I-I can’t get out of this.”
“All your life, you’ve been more trouble than you’re worth.”
The memories felt stronger. Hadn’t he spoken these very words to her once before? Then came the blow that stole her breath and made her chest ache with sorrow.
“I suppose it’s a good thing your mother isn’t around to see what you’ve become, to see what a mess you’ve made, to see what a fucking coward you are.” President Carson’s dark eyes flashed with rage. “To see what a disappointment you are.”
And just like that, all Betsy’s memories fell back into place.
The war. The treaty. The betrothal.
