Page 24 of Gladiator's Captive
I handed it over to Rager after one last look. His large palm closed around the precious stone and he stared, dumbfounded for a few moments.
“This is worth more than just a passage out of Valcan.” Rager sounded as incredulous as he looked. “How did you come in possession of a jewel like that? Even Arenius is not wealthy enough to possess such a thing. This is worthy of the emperor’s court.”
“It was.” I couldn’t fight the sadness that seeped into my voice. “My mother was noble-born. She defied her own father to marry Arenius. This was hers, an old family heirloom. This is the only thing I have left of her.”
Silence descended between us as Rager slid my necklace into the pocket of his leather pants. As the star ruby disappeared, something ripped inside my soul.
This was the last remnant of the woman I had been. The last remnant of the woman I had hoped to be.
I had sealed my fate. There was no going back.
Emotions raged inside of me and I opened my mouth to talk, not really knowing what I would say, but I stopped. Rager had already forgotten about me and the star ruby. He left me momentarily in the shadow of the boulders with a quick gesture to wait. I was only too happy to oblige, wrapping myself in the darkness even if I knew full well that Rager could see me anyway.
I wasn’t left alone for long and soon, Rager came back in the nook between the boulders. I couldn’t see his features clearly, but the way his eyes shone made my mouth dry up.
Something was wrong.
“I have to make sure the outpost is secure. You will wait here,” Rager stated, as simply as if I had lived all my life following his orders.
I bristled at his tone, but refrained from showing it. I remembered all too well the sting of his belt and I wasn’t eager to feel it again.
“I will come back for you once it’s safe.”
“Why? I thought the outpost was deserted.”
Green eyes stared, unblinking. A cold suspicion made its way into my guts, traveling up to my brain.
“It’s not deserted anymore, is it?”
Rager shot me a sharp, annoyed glance. This was all the answer I was going to get. I didn’t need more, not with the murderous glint in Rager’s eyes. He was going to kill them.
“Do you have to? Those men did nothing to you.”
Something shone in Rager’s eyes and the corner of his mouth lifted, exposing a long, white fang.
“They’re innocents.”
“There are no innocents in the Galactic Empire anymore,” Rager replied, the corner of his mouth still exposing his fang. “And you should remember what happens to your backside when you don’t follow my instructions. You wait here for me, no matter what.”
“Is that what you mean by being yours?” A fool, I was a fool to tempt him, but the words slipped out anyway. It stung too much to have become no more than a possession. “You expect me to always obey, no matter what?”
Rager leaned in until his breath fanned my face, his alien eyes as fascinating as the deadly stare of a snake about to strike. His hand shot out, too fast for me to avoid, closing on the nape of my neck. He forced my head back and to the side, exposing my throat in an animal gesture of dominance that was as clear as the growl coming from his throat.
“You will obey me. You will stay here where I know you’re safe.” That voice, soft like velvet, cut through the night like a whip. “Or I will make the punishment you received earlier look like a caress.”
A tingle traveled down my spine all the way to my belly. That unfamiliar arousal awakened again, the one that only Rager’s presence seemed to be able to bring.
“Say it.” Those fingers dug in the flesh of my jaw, hard, not enough to be truly painful, but enough to leave no doubt. He was in charge, and I would suffer the consequences if I disobeyed.
“I will stay here.” I bit my words, not bothering to hide my resentment.
Rager inched even closer, his face hovering above mine. If he moved even an inch more, he was going to kiss me. My pussy clenched and wetness spread between my legs. I saw in his eyes that he could smell it on me and shame burned my face, but I kept silent.
“No.” Rager’s word was a slap in a velvet glove. “Say it like you mean it. With respect.”
I held his gaze, but not for long.
“I will stay here.” This time, there was no bite in my tone. “I won’t disobey you.”
