Page 91 of Ronan

Bruk is assigned to keep watch for the middle of the night shift, which means he’ll likely go to sleep early to rest beforehand. Two of the others are a couple and share the furthest tent, often retiring to their quarters right after dinner. If I can get Khuth out of the way, it only leaves four.

Better odds than I’d expected.

When the meal is over, my offer to help clean is refused. I grab a crust of bread and force a mean smirk on my face as I walk to the cage and pass it to Cameron. To my surprise, he’s maintaining his terrified prisoner personaeffectively, subdued and silent, only nodding his thanks for the bit of food.

“You’d think they’d be more grateful,” a deep voice behind me booms, and I turn to find Bruk watching me.

“They never are,” I say with an air of superiority, and he steps close enough that I have to tilt my chin up to look him in the eyes. “It’s a pity this one is critical to the mission, because he’s been nothing but a pain. A mouth to feed and the cause of too many sleepless nights, making sure his scrawny ass doesn’t run.”

Bruk snorts. “I wish they’d run… chasing them is the only bit of fun I get these days.” He steps closer to Cam as I fist my hands at my sides. “Think this one is dumb enough to run?”

“Probably,” I say honestly, and Bruk laughs, but it’s an evil, mocking sound.

Desperate to draw him away from Cameron, I turn back towards the rest of the group and Bruk reluctantly follows. Khuth smiles at me as we approach, and I get one step ahead in my plan. “Could I trouble you for that tank of gas now while I’m thinking about it?”

“Oh, it is no trouble at all, Regalis.” He practically purrs the fake name as he grabs my arm again, standing far too close, and this time I can’t help it as I glance at Cameron. Pure rage shines in his eyes as he stares at the way Khuth touches me. Before anyone notices, I try to communicate silently,begginghim to give me time. Cameron finally pulls his lips into a furious grimace as his head sags back towards the ground.

I hate everything about this.

The danger I’ve put him in.

That he has to witness this man’s hands on me.

I hate it all.

I hatethemall.

We stop at a supply tent, and I’m only half listening to Khuth’s chatter as he fills the van’s tank with gas. He stores the empty can, then shocks me as his hand lands on my hip. “Want to get this started early? I like to play with my food,officer,and sometimes it takes me hours before I’m ready for dessert. I’ll give you a night neither one of us will soon forget.” His fingers drag inward until I snatch his wrist, stopping him before he reaches my cock. Brows knitted, he yanks his hand away with a frown. “What was that for?”

Trying to save face, I glance around us. “Your friends are right there.”

“Aww, are you shy, pretty boy? We can go to my tent. They won’t see us, but I can’t promise they won’t hear.” He winks and takes my hand, leading me through the camp with a swing to his hips.

Bruk is nowhere to be found, and I can’t decide if that’s a good thing. Three of the others sit around the dining table, while everyone else has retired to their tents for the night. The sun’s dusky rays are dying on the horizon, and I’m desperate to kill time so I can work under the cover of darkness.

“Got anything to drink in this camp? I haven’t had good whiskey in ages.”

“Need to get drunk to get it up?” he teases, dragging his fingers along my hips again. When I meet Cameron’s eyes, I’m convinced he’s going to chew his way out of those metal bars from sheer anger and determination.

Khuth pulls out an amber bottle, taking a long swig before he hands it to me. “Nothing fancy, but it’ll do thetrick.” I put it to my mouth but only allow enough past my lips to leave the smell on my breath. We kill a few more minutes as the sky fades to a deepening navy blue.

Khuth won’t let me dally any longer, and he’s almost dragging me by the hand as he leads me to his tent. Inside, he turns me around and pushes, and I allow him to knock me onto the cot. His weight is repulsive as he climbs on top of me, grabbing my left wrist and pinning it over my head.

Disgusted with myself and furious that I’m in this position to begin with, I play along, allowing my free hand to drag up his leg as I search for the key. When I feel nothing, I tuck my fingers into his front pocket, hoping he’ll mistake the touch for one more intimate. He leans forward, pressing his body into mine as bile bites the back of my throat.

“Looking for this?” he whispers in my ear, right as metal bites around my wrist. The handcuffs close with a click, the other side attached to the aluminum frame of the cot. A familiar key dangles in front of my face as he heaves a disappointed sigh. “I wondered, you know, but I really,reallyhoped it wasn’t true.”

“What the fuck are you doing?” I growl, yanking my arm, but the cuff catches and digs into my skin.

“You’ve become quite famous,Ronan,” he purrs, and I pull my lips up in a sneer as I try again to pull my arm free. “Did you really think they wouldn’t spread the word? An officer of your rank disappears after the charred remains of a commander are found from his last known location. You believe they’d just sweep it under the rug? No, pretty boy—those reports were sent to every base. We’ve all been on the lookout for a solo Anunian in a military-issued van.It was the human that had us confused. There isn’t even a whisper of a human being involved.”

“You’re going to regret this.” There’s a deadly calm to my words, another promise that carves its place on my heart.

“Oh, I don’t think I will,” he purrs, swiveling his hips on top of me as I bare my teeth. “And there’s no reason we can’t have a little fun before they execute you. Traitor or not, I bet you give it really good, don’t you? Anunians always have the best tricks in bed.”

A low growl builds deep in my throat as he leans forward, grinding against me as he puts his mouth to my ear. “After I ride you senseless and get my fill of that magic cum, I’ll go fuck your pretty human out there until he’s screaming and crying. Split him right in half, and you’ll be helpless to do anything but sit here and listen while I destroy him. He looks like a fighter. It’s always so much better when they fight, don’t you think?”

He nips my ear, a tiny, sharp pain that’s the final trigger of my blinding rage. My muscles shriek, twitching and popping with an energy I can’t control, and furious crimson flashes swim in my vision. “You don’t mind if I take him for a ride… do you?”

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