Page 22 of Gladiator's Captive
Chapter Twelve
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Serena
My mouth was pasty and my throat itched as I opened my eyes. I had no idea how long I had slept, my mind fuzzy like this night in the desert had lasted weeks and months and not mere hours.
Rager’s hold was strong, his arms muscular and warm against the cold of the desert night. I had no idea how long he had been walking, holding me in his arms like a sleeping baby, but the sky had a deep blue tint and the horizon was painted a bright red against the black of the land. The desert stretched endlessly, the rocks creating crevices and sharp shadows, dry bits of vegetation sprinkled throughout, catching the red tint of the rising sun as if on fire. I had never seen Valcan like this.
It was breathtaking.
How is he still walking? I know the rumors, but he’s just a man.
I watched him in the growing light, walking with me in his arms like I weighed nothing, unaware that I was awake. The alien curves of his face were feline, animal-like and glorious in a primal way. The way his hair, more fur than hair, flew behind his head and all the way to that line on his back. His feline gaze reflected the low light of the early dawn, focused and emotionless.
But he wasn’t all emotionless, was he?
As I stirred to a heightened state of consciousness, the soreness in my body reminded me of Rager’s passionate lovemaking. The way he took me, like there was no other woman in the great Galactic Empire for him. He was totally focused, taking possession of my entire body like I never thought a man could, like dominion and surrender mixed into one. Like there was no end and no beginning.
But there is an end here. He’s going to leave me behind as soon as he can.
But I could never go back. The realization came to me as I watched Rager walk under in the dawn. Somehow, the fates had thrown me into the Muharib’s arms, away from my father and his schemes. I wasn’t going to offend them by refusing their gift. Because this was what it was. A gift, the gift of a freedom I had never even dreamed of.
But how will I convince him not to send me back?
Rager wasn’t a man who changed his mind easily, and the memory of his punishment still stung my backside. I surely didn’t want to give him a reason to hurt me again, but I was done following orders blindly as well.
I need Rager’s help to get away from Arenius. But how can I convince him to help me?
What could I offer him that he couldn’t take for himself? I was defenseless, useless out in that desert. I had nothing he needed. My thoughts kept racing around in my brain as Rager walked on, but nothing I could think of made sense.
Finally, Rager stopped walking beside two large boulders, his features obscured by the deep shadows, only his green, reflective eyes showing. He put me down gently, all in silence, his gaze far away toward the horizon. Seeing things I couldn’t see, hearing things I couldn’t hear.
As I moved to the side to try to see what he was looking for, the weight of my mother’s necklace shifted in the pocket of my dress and a flash came to me. I had something Rager needed, something he lacked to escape Valcan, no matter how well he planned his escape.
I can’t do this. This is too much.
But I had no choice. This was the only thing of value I owned.
“What’s your plan, anyway?” The words left my lips casually even though my heart beat a crazy race. “You escaped, but you’re not free yet. You’re just on the run.”
Feline eyes shot me a fast glance, but Rager didn’t answer. His jaw tightened by just a fraction and I knew I was on to something.
“You’re going into the desert, far enough that no one will come looking for you, I get that. But this can’t be your goal. Live out the rest of your days alone in the desert.”
Finally, Rager turned toward me, giving me his full attention. It made me want to cower and beg, but somehow I held still.
