His expression grew stubborn, and just then she noticed that green tattoos framed his brow, temples and jawline.
The other man stood and turned in Bralix’s direction, completely unbothered by his nudity, and Samulin gasped at the green shading along the man’s shoulders and spine. It wasn’t the extent of these markings that surprized her, nor the fact that it was a vibrant green, but that the tattoos seemed alive, similar tothe camouflaging ability of some octopuses she’d seen on nature documentaries.
“Oh shit,” she whispered, turning her eyes to the woman who’d generously shared her bedsheet by wrapping it around the both of them. “They’re not human.”
CHAPTER FOUR
“Bralix, I thought we’d agreed—you’re not just grabbing a random woman off the street. These aren’t just common cattle; they’re as sapient as we are.”
Bralix glared at his brother. “Oh come on; I won’t deny they’re intelligent pets, and some of them can be trained to do… moderately basic tasks. That hardly makes them sapient. Nef’eal have wandered the stars for thousands of years; theseprimateshave only just barely come down from the trees.”
Phyrax planted his hands on his hips. “Don’t confuse these humans with the over-domesticated human breeds we have back home,” Phyrax said. “When our ancestors started selectively breeding humans, they didn’t select for traits such as intelligence, and their young are not encouraged to learn language. For Crion’s sake, our domesticated breeds come from human bloodlines captured twenty thousand years ago. You cannot compare a human such as Emery with our pets back home.”
Bralix took an angry step in his brother’s direction, and as usual, Phyrax didn’t back down an inch. “If it is wrong to capture humans, then by all means—go put your pet back where you found her.”
“I’m not taking her back—she’s mine.”
“Then you have no moral high ground to lecture me, brother,” Bralix said, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Phyrax.”
Bralix glanced at Emery, who was huddled with Samulin under the thin sheet. He didn’t miss the look she cast in Phyrax’s direction; he just wished he knew what it meant.
“You must let your brother make his own mistakes; how else is he going to learn?”
Phyrax’s eyebrow arched, and Bralix didn’t trust the look that passed between him and Emery. “Perhaps you’re right. What did you have in mind?”
“I think,” Emery said slowly, “Bralix should go settle his guest into her new accommodations—get her more comfortable.”
For a moment, Phyrax and Emery seemed to have a silent conversation using just their eyes, and Bralix had the distinct impression he was missing something.
“I think you’re right,” Phyrax nodded slowly. “Bralix, you can show your guest to the hold.”
Bralix watched him suspiciously, then turned to the two humans huddled in the sheet. “Come here.”He held out his hand, palm up, and waited.
“It’s okay,” Emery whispered to Samulin, giving her a hug. “Dhavedadmeanscome here. He won’t hurt you.” She released Samulin and stepped aside, leaving his human standing alone, naked and nervous under his gaze.
Samulin hugged herself, visibly trying to make herself smaller, and after a few tense moments, she approached hesitantly to stand before him, her eyes fixed on his hand and her body tense as if ready to flee.
He laid his hand gently on her shoulder, then slid his hand up to warm her nape with his hand. “Veine groone,”he praised.
She trembled under his hand, and the knowledge that she was afraid of him, that she thought he might harm her, left a bad taste in his mouth. He wasn’t averse to dispensing discipline in order to train livestock, and in so doing, ensuring their well-being, but he’d never harm them.
He gave her a moment to settle, waiting for the trembling to subside and for her to release a deep breath, then steered her out of his brother’s quarters and back to the cargo hold. Samulin was dragging her heels, obviously reluctant to return, but he took his time, counting any co-operation as a win. With enough handling and repetition, she would become accustomed to his touch, and obedience would become a habit.
They entered the cargo hold, and careful to keep himself between her and the doorway, he released her. Behind him, Phyrax and Emery stood watching them from the corridor, Phyrax tapping away on a tablet he’d brought with him from his quarters.
Samulin quickly put several paces’ distance between them, then watched him warily as she quickly picked up the covering from her bed that he’d put down on the floor for her to sleep on, and wrapped it around herself. He’d allow it; she’d learn soon enough that nudity didn’t make much difference to human pets.
He was still watching her, his arms folded across his chest, when the door to the corridorwhooshedshut.
He placed his palm on the biometric scanner, but the door remained closed. Frowning, he punched in his access code manually; on the third try he managed the correct code, but the door still did not open.
“Phyrax!” He called, thumping the door with his fist. “Can you open the door?”
No response.
From the corner of his eye, Bralix saw Samulin pause her pacing to watch him warily.
