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“I have news for you, Mr. Bossypants. I can drink four of these a night and not have a hangover the next morning.” I summon patience, even though I’d really like to kick Brute between his thick muscular legs right now. “I’ve had a difficult two weeks and I’d really like to drink one more beer. Please.”
He lifts my stolen mug and peers at it with wide eyes. “You truly drink four of these in one sitting sometimes?”
“Yes, I swear I’m not bullshitting you. Now, please give it back.” I pinch the bridge of my nose, then reach for the mug. “If you don’t hand it over, I’m going to make an unpleasant scene. I’ll give you a hint—it’ll end with me pouring a mug of beer over your head.”
“If you dared such a thing, female, I would take a strap to your bottom.” He growls, but he surrenders the mug.
His threat, whether true or simply a jest, reminds me of the gossip I heard from Tim in the mess hall earlier. The comment the old man had made about Darrvasons beating their females to keep them obedient. I think of Ellie and my heart breaks.Please don’t let it be true.
I take a long sip of beer and avoid Brute’s gaze. A tense silence hovers between us as we nurse our beverages. I want to ask him about Darrvason customs surrounding mating, but I’m terrified of the truth.
What if I learn Ellie’s being harmed?
How would I handle the knowledge?
I’d have to keep it a secret. I couldn’t let my mother find out. I couldn’t even tell a friend for fear the details would somehow get back to her.
Brute shifts in his chair beside me, and I glance down. There’s about an inch of space between us, and I swear I feel heat radiating from his massive body. His scent reminds me of an expensive cologne my father once purchased while on a trading mission at an outpost. Pure masculinity. That’s the only way I can describe it.
The highhanded alien finishes his beer, then leans back in his seat and clears his throat. “You will refrain from walking the corridors alone, Jenny. As I’ve already told you, I’ll be watching.” His voice is deep and alluring, though his words cause frustration to swell in my chest.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m only alone sometimes while on Deck Twenty-Two. Like when I walk to the gym or…here. When I leave for Deck Fourteen where the classrooms are located—I coteach a class there with my mother a few days a week—an armed guard escorts us. Orders of the captain, apparently.” I slam my empty mug on the table and turn to him. “All that being said, I don’t know who you think you are to give me rules.” Perhaps the slight buzz from the beer is making me too bold, but at the moment, I don’t care. Ellie might be living in terror right now and there’s not a goddamn thing I can do about it.
And this asshole somehow thinks he has the right to order me around? I can’t let him get away with it.
But do I have a choice?
Would he honestly beat me if I disobeyed him again?
WouldJansonna’ssecurity officers attempt to intervene if he hurt me, or would they allow him to do as he pleased? I can’t help but wonder if the alliance is a farce and the Darrvasons hold all the power. As many ships as they have in their fleet, and as advanced as their weaponry is, I imagine they could simply steal as many women as they wanted without offering us any compensation. Why haven’t they done so already? Why help humankind at all?
Brute grasps my thigh once more. “It’s important both sides honor the terms of the treaty, female.” His tone is so sharp, I wince. “If you wander around the corridors alone smelling the way you smell, you might unwittingly tempt a male to claim you. If you’re in a group of people, or even just with your mother, you’ll be safer. If something happens, your walking companion can call for help.”
“Perhaps all the Darrvasons who are currently stationed on theJansonna, yourself included, ought to take hormone suppression shots. Surely your people have the technology to create such a thing.” I return his glare as best I can, but I’m suddenly mentally exhausted and want nothing more than to curl up in bed. I need time to think. Alone. It’s difficult to form a coherent thought with this beastly male breathing down my neck.
“No. We’ll be finished making repairs to your ship soon, and then the next batch of human females will be surrendered to us. Many of the engineers aboard theJansonnawill receive a mate from among the group of one hundred as a reward for their service. It’s important they are able to mate on the day they take possession of their females.”
“Nextbatchof females?Batch? We’re just a commodity to you, aren’t we?” Tears blur my vision. I can’t help it. Poor Ellie.
Brute makes a frustrated growling noise deep in his throat, though he doesn’t respond. I glance at the time as my fatigue grows, and I soon find myself covering a wide yawn.
“You are so exhausted, and perhaps a bit drunk, that you are becoming emotional.” Brute rises to his feet and gestures for me to stand. “Come. I will escort you to your quarters.” When I open my mouth to argue, he adds, “I highly recommend obedience.”
Chapter6
BRUTE
A few days pass,and I’m pleased that Jenny heeds my warning about not walking alone. Every time I catch a glimpse of her, she’s in the company of others. Usually with her mother and the armed security officer as they travel between Deck Twenty-Two and Deck Fourteen where the classrooms are located, though on occasion she walks in a group of younger females.
Despite her apparent willingness to obey my orders, I make a point to learn her schedule so I might check on her frequently. Fortunately, Captain Warren’s propensity for getting drunk and sleeping for most of the day works in my favor.
The vile human leader has meetings with his command team every day, though they are usually short. He also likes to make an appearance at trials, and when a criminal is sentenced to death, he makes a pretty speech about justice and the importance of harmonious living on the worldship before the convict is executed in a depressurization chamber.
I think of the song Jenny was singing when I entered the illegal bar the other night. She was singing in English and the lyrics of the song were indeed rebellious. Though her voice was beautiful, and I would greatly enjoy hearing her sing again, I hope she doesn’t attempt returning to the bar.
If she goes anywhere near that particular corridor, I resolve that I’ll follow through with my threat to toss her over my shoulder and carry her back to her quarters.
Sitting with her in the bar, drinking mugs of beer, was a strange experience and I’m not certain how I feel about it. It seemed wrong and highly improper, yet I thrilled at her nearness. Even now, my shafts pulse hard in my pants as I recall her sweet, enticing scent and the way she kept squirming in her chair. But in my culture, males do not spend time with unmated females like Jenny as I did last night. Such behavior would be unthinkable.
