Page 63 of Soros
“I bid on her myself, but Zorlack was insanely rich and always got what he wanted. She was gorgeous and exotic with her human heritage.”
“Were my parents in love?” Star asked.
Ko’roz’s laughter made it clear how naïve her question was. “Your mother was terrified of him. Most women were. If not from the beginning, then when they realized who he really was.”
Star’s shoulders slumped forward, and when she wrapped her arms around her midsection, I rubbed her back and pulled her closer. “Don’t listen to him.”
“I should have known that you were a Zorlack. You look just like your pretty mother. Petite and fragile, but beautiful. She set the record for how much anyone had ever paid for a sex toy.”
“I told you to shut up.” This time Nerix growled with anger and asked Lios, “Can’t you place a mouth lock on him. He talks too much.”
Lion must have complied because after that Ko’roz remained quiet for the rest of the way. I wondered how draining it was to Lios, because by the time we reached base four inside the volcano, he looked tired.
“Are you okay?” I asked him once he had placed Ko’roz in the cell onboard theGreat Defender.
Lios stopped and watched me, taking his time before he replied. “I’m not sure what to answer.”
“You look worn out. It must be a lot for you to always carry the responsibility. Maybe you should consider a vacation for you and the team.”
“I need to hire three crew members and get Ko’roz to Fedaros. Those are my priorities.”
“I understand. Is it difficult to find crew members?” I asked him.
“Not if you’ll take disturbed and disillusioned soldiers, but I’m selective and I care about keeping a balance on my team. We’re working with different species and genders and our crew should reflect that.”
“Do you have any candidates?” I asked.
“Yes, a few. Malliko recommended a female pilot, which would be a great addition. My concern is just that she’s Nerix’s cousin and if she’s anything like him, I’ll have to pass.”
“You don’t like Nerix?” My voice lowered in case someone was close enough to hear our conversation.
Lios had green eyes like Nerix but in a different shade. He was serious when he answered, “Nerix is the best soldier any captain could ask for. At the same time, he’s a challenge and I’m tired of arguing with him.”
“I understand.” Placing my hand on Lios’ arm, I complimented him, “You’re doing an amazing job and I get that it’s not easy.”
Angling his head, Lios studied me for a long moment. “You’re focusing on me because it’s easier than processing what happened to you. Do you want my help?”
Removing my hand, I got a little defensive. “I was just trying to be nice.”
“Yes, and distract yourself from the internal pain and confusion that Ko’roz caused you.”
I had an eerie feeling that Lios was reading my mind when he said, “You feel responsible for putting Star in danger and you blame yourself for what happened.”
There was no need to deny it, so I nodded. “I do.”
His eyes were dark like moss in a dimly lit forest. “I blame myself for not believing that you had spotted Ko’roz. Logically, the chance of you meeting him randomly was so small that I couldn’t believe it to be true. If I had trusted you, none of this would have happened. You were raped because of me.”
His words made me jerk my head back. I hadn’t had time to process that getting tied down and having a creep sit astride me while trying to force me to open my mouth was rape. I had been so relieved that he hadn’t had a chance to penetrate any of my holes that I had concluded that I hadn’t been raped. Lios’ words hit me hard in my solar plexus and made me shake my head. “Nerix and Soros stormed in before he raped me.”
“No, Tania. They came before the rape escalated, but their actions still constitute rape according to the Federation. You were physically being held down and touched without consent. That’s something you will need to process. I can help you if you want to block the memory, but I must warn you.”
Tugging my sleeves over my hands, I asked, “Warn me about what?”
“Erasing memories is a delicate procedure and it can cause side effects such as loss of other memories. I would need to be well rested to do it, so it won’t be right now.”
“Let me think about it,” I said and ended our conversation when Zobran came walking up. The rings in his eyes looked darker than usual. Stopping in front of me, he bowed his head.
“I’m very sorry to hear about the pain and distress you suffered. I just spoke to Star and told her that she has my full support in any way she might need it. The same goes for you.”
