Page 37 of Savage Union

“I guess youdolook like a Catamite,” he murmured. “Or at least you look like you come from Cata Prime.” He shook his head. “And here I was thinking you looked familiar because you resemble someone I know.”

“I do?” My heart jumped into my throat. Oh Goddess, if he found out who I really was and that I’d been fooling him…

“You do.” He frowned. “Are yousureyou don’t have any ancestry from Cata Prime?”

“Maybe,” I said cautiously. If I could give him a different reason to think I looked familiar, that would be good. “But even if Ididhave some Catamite blood in my veins, that doesn’t mean I’d want to be treated like one,” I added quickly.

“No, of course not.” Turk shook his head. “Come on—we can talk about it later. Right now I need to get to the bottom of this.”

And he led me down the metal corridor.

17

TURK

Iled the boy down the corridor and back to my private lift. His clear amber eyes were bloodshot from weeping but he seemed calmer now.

It was a damn good thing for him that I’d come back down to the crew deck when I had. Though to be honest, I still couldn’t say why I had done it.

It was the strangest fucking thing—I’d been getting dressed in my quarters when suddenly a feeling of almost panic had come over me. A feeling that something terrible and irrevocable was about to happen if I didn’t quickly get back below decks.

I hadn’t stopped to question the feeling. After years of captaining a smuggling ship, I’d learned to trust my instincts and I’d never had such a strong one before. I couldn’t even wait to take my lift—I went straight down the tube because it was faster.

The minute I’d climbed down the Gensen’s tube, I heard someone shrieking. To be honest, it almost sounded like a female voice—which was impossible because we didn’t have any women on board. The feeling had gotten even stronger and I had run as fast as I could towards the ominous sound.

I’d gotten back to the shower room just in time to stop a rape in progress. I felt a surge of rage when I remembered the sight that had met my eyes. The huge, hairy Jerx—that fucking animal—pressing the helpless boy to the wall with his dick in one hand, trying to shove it in.

My hands curled into fists—I didn’t tolerate such things on my ship! Rape and abuse might be standard on other deep space vessels, butnotaboard The Illyrian. What the fuck made Jerx think he had the right to treat a fellow crewmember that way? He was definitely in for a rude awakening—as was Gurflug, if he really had perpetuated the rumor that Cass was a Catamite and there for the crew’s pleasure to use whenever they wanted.

It occurred to me that I was feeling extremely protective—even possessive—of the slim boy I’d hired to navigate. Which didn’t make any sense—I didn’t even know him and besides, I’m no lover of males, as I believe I mentioned before. Still, the feelings persisted. Even though I didn’t know the boy, I wanted to take care of him—to protect him.

Enough. I told myself I was just upset about what had almost happened and the insubordination I now had to punish. The boy really didn’t have anything to do with it—he was just a victim in all this, that was all.

But I still couldn’t understand why I’d had such a deep, visceral feeling that I had to get down below decks and rescue him…

My thoughts were interrupted when we crossed through the bridge and entered my Ready Room. I cast a grim look at the whipping cross and coiled pain whip in the corner of the room and then looked back at Cass, who was staring at me with wide, frightened eyes.

“Captain?” he asked in a soft voice. “I don’t know…don’t understand…”

“You’ll see. Sit there.” I pointed at the chair behind my desk.

His eyes went even wider.

“In…inyourchair?”

“Yes, I said impatiently. I wanted him well out of the action. “In my chair. Go on—sit.”

Without another word, he obeyed. My white shirt seemed to swallow his slight frame and his amber eyes were wide and worried.

He didn’t need to be afraid, of course—it was Jerx and Gurflug who were going to be on trial. I opened my mouth to tell him so, but just then there was a knock on the Ready Room door.

“Come,” I said and Jerx came in, followed by Gurflug who already looked upset and offended.

“Captain, I really must protest this summons!” he began in his thick, burbling voice. “I was just getting settled in my bunk for the night. I need my sleep if I’m going to navigate properly!”

“Yes, I’m sure,” I said dryly. “Did you tell Jerx that Cass here is a Catamite I hired to service the crew?”

“I…you…” His bulging purple eyes blinked rapidly and his rubbery lips opened and closed several times. I knew at once by his reaction that he had done it—his scent proclaimed it as well as his expressions. Clearly he was trying to think of a lie that would keep his hide safe from my pain whip.

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