Page 26 of Sasha’s Bounties

“Nothing has changed. We don’t want to let you go…” he drags his eyes up to mine and then looks back down at her. “But the decision is yours. If you wish to return to your home, we’ll see that you get there safely.”

Sasha looks down, watching her fingers twist in her lap. The pink coloring her cheeks is gone, and her lips have thinned from the way she’s pressing them tightly together. For a long time, no one speaks. We barely breathe.

When she starts to speak her voice is soft. So soft that Brettin and I catch ourselves leaning in so we can hear her.

“I—I have a farm, back home. It’s been in my family for generations, and I’m the last of my family who wants anything to do with it. Without me, my dad will be forced to sell it. It’ll go to someone else, a stranger who won’t care about it the way I do—did.”

Brettin frowns at me over Sasha’s head.Farm. Agriculture.

“There is no one else to tend it for your family?” I ask.

“No one else wants to. Just me,” her face is crestfallen. “And honestly, I wasn’t enough and I was probably going to lose it anyway in the next year because I couldn’t afford to hire any help. As much as I tried, it’s too much to take care of all on my own.”

“What if we were there to help you?” Brettin speaks up.

I want to laugh that he would even suggest such a thing. Neither of us know the first thing about agriculture. We were created to be sexual creatures. To live our lives in various brothels. When we escaped, we became bounty hunters. Paid muscle. What do we know about plants and soil?

“If you had our help, would that be enough?” Brettin asks again.

Sasha is quiet for a long time. She’s frowning and I can see her mind working, calculating the possibilities Bretting has presented to her.

“We have never been to a farm, much less worked one,” I warn her. “Rovos mentioned your planet was pre-spaceflight, so it could be dangerous.”

She waves her hand in the air dismissively, “I live miles from anyone or anything. People don’t just stop by, and even if they did… you guys could easily pass as human.” Her eyes flick to my horns. “Maybe with a hat. And I can teach you everything you need to know.”

Watching the spark that ignites in her eyes has my heart pounding in my chest.Yes. This is the right choice. Whatever makes our mate happy.

“Oh my gosh, would you guys really do this? For me?”

“Anything for you,” Brettin rumbles, nuzzling the back of her neck.

“Anything that makes you smile the way you are, right now.” I add.

CHAPTERTWELVE

Sasha

* * *

“Sasha, wake-up, love.”

I feel like I only just closed my eyes. My boys have been keeping me well sated during our trip back to earth. If I’m not eating or sleeping, one, or both, are between my legs. And I have absolutely zero complaints. Except for right now.

“Just five more minutes,” I moan, trying to pull the blanket over my head.

It’s Brettin’s deep chuckle I hear, just before he gently pulls the blanket back down.

“I know you’re tired,Imuri,but you’ll have my hide if I let you sleep and you miss what I came to show you.”

That perks my attention.

“Are we there?” I push myself up and rub my eyes.

“Come and see,” Brettin chuckles again, handing me a silky robe.

I’ve been well and truly spoiled these past weeks—or spans, as the boys call them. The first outpost we came to, Brettin and Vruk must have dropped a small fortune, buying me clothes, perfumes, toiletries, and anything else I so much as paused to look at. Then we made a quick stop at a planet called Pamia where I was able to see for myself that Bela and Skylar were safe and well. Imagine my surprise at finding a planet withhumans, although most of them weren’t from earth.

Turns out, our species is not as rare as some would think. We’re just good at hiding. And with good reason, after what we’ve all been through.

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