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He had me try a couple different dishes before I settled on thechili. The dishes with noodles (at least I think they were noodle’s) reminded me too much of worms. The fruit was too sour and the texture too alien. Scraping my spoon along the bottom of the bowl, I pop the last bite it into my mouth and hum as I lick it clean.
“Another?” Vruk asks, already half out of his seat.
“No, but thank you,” I say, leaning back and patting my rounded belly. Now that I’m full, I want nothing more than to curl up and take a nap. That will have to wait. I have questions first. “How did you know to rescue me?”
Vruk slides another tall glass of water in front of me. “We—I mean,Ioverheard the raiders bragging they had a female on their ship, which is never a good thing to hear from a group of Rimphon raiders. You see, I’m part of a network of bounty hunters who specialize in cases involving trafficking.”
“How serendipitous for me,” I mutter, bringing the tall glass to my lips and letting the cool water sooth my still parched throat.
Suddenly what he’s just told me hits. He goes after traffickers!
“There are other women!” I blurt out. “Five others, besides me. We were all taken from our planet and auctioned off.” I turn hopeful eyes on him, “One is just a kid. Can you—I mean, might there be a way to find them?”
I can’t help the sting of tears when I think of Skylar, the frightened teenager who was tossed into my cage. I may not have kids of my own, but I couldn’t help going into mom-mode to try to take care of her. In a way, it kind of helped me to process my own shock at what was happening.
“Could you ask your bounty-hunter friends to look out for them too. Especially Skylar.”
Vruk’s expression turns stormy and serious and he reminds me of the way he acted when he cut away my binds and gave me his shirt. Just as quickly as his stormy expression appears it eases and he nods his head.
“Of course, but first I’ll need to know what planet you were taken from and what your people are called.”
“Thank you,” I sigh, leaning back in my seat with relief. “Earth. Our planet is called Earth and we’re...” What are we called?Earthlings?“Um, we’re humans, I guess.”
His eyes jump to mine and I swear he loses some of his lavender coloring. “Humans?”
I shrug, “Or Earthlings. Americans? I’m not sure what to go with.”
His heavy brows drop down over his silver eyes, “I am not familiar with your planet.”
“Figures,” I mutter, with a huff. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised no one would know about Earth or humans. Well, no one but the bad guys.
We fall into an uncomfortable silence for a moment. Vruk is miles away, lost to his thoughts and with my stomach full I’m growing sleepier by the second.
“You are exhausted,” he points out, jolting me out of my thoughts.
“I’m fine,” I say, even as I’m fighting to keep my eyes open. “I want to hear more about your friends.”
A low rumble comes from deep in his chest, as he stands and crosses the table to my side. “Later,” he tells me. Bending down, he lifts me into his strong arms, cradling me bridal style. “First, you need rest. There will be plenty of time to answer all your questions later. I will search for yourEarthwhile you rest.”
I want to argue with him, but it feels awfully good cradled like I am. Instead, my head falls against his heavily muscled chest and I catch myself slowly tracing my hand over the soft shirt he’s wearing. Remembering how he looked without it.
“You didn’t have to put on another shirt on my account,” I mumble sleepily.
His chuckle vibrates against my ear, “I’ll keep that in mind.”
I’m taken over by a jaw cracking yawn and then… I don’t even remember making it back to my room.
* * *
Vruk
* * *
After layingSasha gently in the too large captains bed it takes every ounce of my strength not to climb in beside her. She looks so small, as I pull the blanket up to her chin and tuck it around her. My arms ache to hold her while she rests. To tuck her against my side, so I can protect her throughout the night and draw her sweet scent into my lungs with each breath.
Shaking those thoughts from my mind, I force myself away from her. Out of her room and into the hallway. It’s been a long,longtime since I’ve felt the pull of a female. So long that I thought that part of me had been burned away by the brothels.
“How is she?” Brettin asks before I have fully seated myself beside him at the front of the cruiser. He’s still without his shirt and every muscle in his chest and arms is tense. His usual stoic expression Is even more stern, and he looks like he’s prepared to do battle depending on my answer.
