Page 26 of Tortured

“That will do nicely.”

He keeps the card and I pull at Koehn’s sleeve as the other male turns away. He shakes his head and I puff out my lips, seriously annoyed at this stupid disguise.

But when the other alien whips around and studies me closely, his sharp eyes studying me like I’m a bug under a microscope. I shrink back into Koehn and he glares at the male, growling.

He immediately smiles at Koehn and says, “I was just wondering if you’d like to put this little play toy up for auction. I’m sure she’d fetch a pretty penny. We don’t get many Mandovian females here. She would be very popular I’m sure.”

Koehn’s eyes flash and he growls under his breath.

“Alright. Obviously you do not wish to do that. We can still find you something else to tease your palate. Come along, Commander.”

He leads us out of the docking bay and Koehn moves close to me and I have to say that I’m thankful as hell that he’s here with me. The other aliens that we pass glare at me as we go by. At least the females.

The males are much worse. I prefer the death glares to the raw lust in their eyes.

Koehn glares and growls and I slip closer to him, pinching his wrist to stop him before he gets us kicked off of this ship before we get any information on other human females.

“Here you go. I’m sure that you’re going to be very comfortable in here. Someone will come and get you tonight when it is time for the auction. In the meantime, if you’d like, you can go up onto the casino deck and enjoy a nice round of poker.”

My eyes shoot to Koehn, my brow crinkling. He shushes me silently and then after the alien leaves the room he grins.

“Poker is a universal game. All the galaxy plays it. Just like chess.”

I purse my lips and he groans. “How about we find out how the shower is?”

I roll my eyes, shaking my head.

“Fine,” he huffs. “But we’re not roaming around this ship. It’s too dangerous.”

I plead with him with my eyes and he sighs. “Fine. But if something happens than we’ll have to leave before we’ve found out anything.”

I wrinkle my nose and he laughs. “You know, I never thought I’d miss your voice, my mate.”

I glare at him and he growls. “You are. Don’t even try to tell me otherwise.”

I whip my hand across my throat and he snorts. “I’m not cutting anything out, my kora.”

I lift a brow at him and he sighs. “My soulmate.”

I feel that low flutter again. His eyes flash and his nose flares.

Oh shit! He can smell that he’s got me turned on yet again.

“Don’t worry, mate. I promise that we will be perfectly safe. I’ve got you.”

I’m not worried about that. I’m worried that I’m gonna find myself lost in this male and never want to get home.

I still want to get home. Don’t I?

15

KOEHN

We’re both dressed up. I have on my full dress uniform of the Arkadian fleet with my Commander ribbons. The blue of the suit is the same dark blue as our planet’s sky and I remember it well. Before it was destroyed by the fighting.

It fits me tightly but doesn’t constrict and I move through the hallways and into the auction house with a calming hand on Lacey. Her eyes are huge and the disguise that she’s wearing makes them a bright neon green. Her glorious light hair is a deep purple with lavender streaks and her skin is a pale, soft aqua. She is a perfect representation of a Mandovian female and I see many males turn as we pass by. Until I glare and growl at them, baring my teeth.

I have rolled up my sleeves to an acceptable level which leaves a bare amount of my skin so that part of my mating marks are visible which immediately turns all the males away.

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