Page 14 of Chieftain
I shook my head, trying to get the thoughts whipping through my brain to settle. Stick to the plan, find my friends, and get the hell out of here. If the Vaktaire, whatever they were, protected humans, they surely could help me find Willa, Clara, Pearl, Daisy, and Agnes. And if they were the good guys, then who were the aliens that kidnapped us?
So, the cat-aliens that were on the ship that blew up….”
“Cat Alien?" A slight furrow grew between Khaion's bronze brows, and my fingers itched to soothe it away.
“The one I saw... that spoke to me... looked like a hairless cat… with four boobs.”
Khaion grinned, a breathy chuckle escaping his lips. "Yes, I am aware the Trogvyk's anatomy is different from humans.”
“Trogvyk." I seared the word into my brain. "They are the ones that stole us from Earth.”
“Yes. Trogvyk are slavers specializing in human cargo.” Khaion gave a curt nod as he answered, a lock of bronze hair falling over his shoulder. It looked thick and silky and….Good God, Emmy, get a hold of yourself!You're lying in a pod in themiddle of space, hugged up by an alien. The last thing you should be doing is enjoying yourself. Focus on the plan!
“Do you know what they did with my friends? Where would they take them?”
“Not yet, but we will.” Khaion’s gold eyes met mine, his gaze holding promise and determination. “My crew deployed trackers on the four skiffs that departed before we intercepted the Trogvyk ship.”
Relief made me tremble, and the arm around my waist tightened almost imperceptibly. Those smaller ships held Clara, Pearl, Daisy, and Agnes, so finding them might be easier than first expected. But what about…
“What about Willa?”
“Willa?” The furrow appeared between his brows again, and Khaion lowered his face, studying my expression. We were so close his warm breath wafted over my cheeks, holding a scent reminiscent of wine and chocolate.
“Willa and me… the alien cat lady said we were special… sold to royalty or something like that. When the ship lost power, the alien cat-lady and another cat-man took us to the room where you found me. The cat-lady... female Trogvyk dragged Willa into one pod, and the other guy was trying to put me in the other pod…." The memory made me shudder, and Khaion's body tensed in response. “I fought him… I didn’t want to get in the pod with him. I knew he would take me somewhere bad. There was an explosion, and something hit me on the head. When I came to, he was splatted under part of the ceiling. I heard what sounded like fighting, so I hid in a cabinet until it got quiet. I tried getting into the escape pod when you showed up."
“What of the deceased male we found in the Medi-lab? Was he your friend?” Soft fingertips brushed back an errant curl lying on my cheek. The pelt on his fingertips felt like velvet against my skin.
“Male? I didn't know there was anyone on board but us.” I started to ask more, but the way Khaion’s expression flashed with revulsion dissuaded any further curiosity.
“My crew is going through the data recovered from the Trogvyk ship. Hopefully, they can pinpoint a navigational setting for your friend’s pod." Khaion said as he gently pulled another curl away from my face and placed it over my shoulder. His touch was gentle, reverent, as if he held a precious object.
“And if they can’t.” My voice was raspy and painful. It was a question I didn't want to ask. I had to ask.
Khaion regarded me for a moment, his golden eyes shimmering.
"Despite your fragility, humans are prized sex slaves," Khaion gave a grunt that spoke volumes regarding his thoughts on the practice. "Human females are usually purchased for private use or to work on hedonism ships. We have many spies who alert us of the arrival of new humans in any sector." Khaion shifted to lie on his back. The movement made me realize that all the time we'd lay pressed together in the pod, he held himself so that his crotch hadn't touched me.
I couldn’t decide whether to be grateful or upset about that fact.
“Hedonism ships?" I feared I knew precisely what Khaion meant. A ship like that wouldn't be for the pleasure of my friends.
“I believe your common Earth term is brothel.” The color of his cheeks deepened a shade.
My stomach lurched at the idea. "Sex sells, even in space," I mumbled. The concept of my friends servicing dozens of slimy bug or cat-shaped aliens made me want to vomit. Maybe they'd get lucky, and all the aliens would look like Khaion. Having sex with someone like him might not be too bad… not too bad at all.
Shit! Get your mind out of the gutter, Emmy!
I needed to focus on the plan, find my friends, and get the hell back to Earth. In the vastness of space, the task felt akin to riding a tricycle up Everest. But Khaion would help me. I knew he would.
“I have to find my friends. Willa and I made an oath before they took her. We would find our friends and get the hell back home. Will you please help me find them?”
“We will find your friends, tiny human.” Khaion laid a closed fist over his heart. “I give you my bond as a Vaktaire warrior." His expression flickered from determined to solemn. "But returning you to Earth isn't possible.”
“What? Why?” for the first time since waking up in his arms, a sliver of trepidation skittered down my spine. On instinct, I placed a hand on his chest near the comforting thud of his heart. The sight of my youthful skin provided the answer. “It's because they made me look twenty again, isn't it. Can't they just stick me back into the machine and turn me back into my real age?”
“Real age?” Khaion looked down to where my hand lay over his heartbeat, then met my gaze.
“I’m older than I look," I admitted with a soft snort. "Practically elderly in Earth terms.”
