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She will need some sustenance, I mused, wondering what her kind ate and drank, before I cursed myself. I was spending way too much time thinking about the alien creature in my bed.
With my cock finally returned to a semi-normal state I ordered the booth to set the drying cycle. A warm breeze washed over me, with ahint of forest that made me yearn for my protectorate, Astrionis. It had only been one moon cycle—month—since I left, but already the lure to ride through the thick forests of Astrionis was a physical ache.
In lieu of other clothing—I would be caught dead before I wore anything the Cryons offered, and I hadn't planned on staying the night on Colynth so I hadn't brought anything—I put my leather breeches back on before I stepped out of the bathing chamber, where I had lingered far too long.
My anticipatory grin at seeing the merrily lying on my bed died on my lips when I found it empty. Crumbled sheets bore witness to her having been there and the spot where I had left her was still warm to the touch.
Thinking she might have awoken, but doubting it, I walked into the adjoining living room, only to find it just as empty.
"Attendant," I called out to the wall unit with barely suppressed anger, while I pulled out my comm from my pants pocket.
"It is my pleasure to serve you, Lord Protector Garth of—"
"Where is she?" I barked, not letting the room attendant in the hall finish hissentence.
Into my comm I snarled, "Get the guards ready," knowing Ryggs was up, awaiting my orders.
"I'm sorry Lord Protector Garth of Astrionis, the slave has been moved back to the slave quarters. Sir Priough assumed you were done with her."
I wasn't sure what irritated me more, the suspicion that the Cryons had watched me, because otherwise how could they have known I had beendonewith her, or Priough's impertinence of assuming anything about me.
"Bring her back, immediately."
"I'm sorry, Lord Protector, that exceeds my authority but I would be more than happy to—"
"Get Priough," I hissed in barely contained anger.
"The guards are on their way," Ryggs promised, having overheard my conversation with the attendant and was probably as baffled as I was over my reaction to the missing merrily.
"I can send a replacement slave unit," the attendant suggested, and my fist landed on the room comm's screen. Before the glass shattered, I watched the Cryon I had been speaking to startle.
I grabbed my dagger and sword, and barefoot stormed out of my quarters. If the urge to find her shocked me, I was too busy thinking of how I would tear this place apart until I found her, to notice.
Down the hallway, my eyes landed on the weaselly Cryon I had been talking to huddled behind an encircling array of desks.
I scaled the first one, nearly kicking him in the process, before I held the business end of my sword against his throat.
"Where?" I barked.
His skinny throat pulsated and his cheeks puffed out in distress. He managed to lift his hand though, to point at the elevators.
"Eighth floor below." His chirping sounded more like a squawk and a small scream was cut off when I lifted him by his scrawny neck and threw him over his desks against a wall where he had the good sense not to get up again.
"You heard that?" I snapped at Ryggs.
"Got it," Ryggs confirmed, and I heard the unspoken question through the comm, but had no answer for it.
Why indeed did I care for the merrily so much so that I was turning nearly frantic in search of her? Who was she to me other than one of the many unfortunate slaves in the nonempire-controlled sectors?
I could have told myself that I was merely looking out for a slave, but that would have been a lie. And I never lied, especially not to myself.
So why thenwas I so driven to find her?
Because she is MINE! A voice inside me screamed and I raised an eyebrow as I entered the elevator, giving the verbal command to take me down.
MINE?
The realization hit me like a slap to the face, but I preferred to think of her as my property for the time being. Crough had given her to me, not for a night to enjoy, but for…yeah, how long exactly? My snide self inquired.
