Chapter Ten
WHEN MANDY AWOKE, it was to find herself draped over the shoulder of a very large man. They were running through a darkening jungle. When she braced herself on his back to look around her, she didn’t see anything familiar. The terrain looked slightly different, the vegetation dense, the scent not sweet, but musky, thick.
The male holding her was larger than her barbarians, and he scared the living crap out of her. She gave an experimental squirm, and he tightened his arm around her hips, holding her still.
“Shh. Easy female,” he murmured. “No harm to you or your young.”
She flopped down against his back, confused. Had he said something about young? She wanted to ask him but didn’t want more attention she could do without.
After more running that had her stomach sore from grinding into his shoulder, they finally stopped.
The big male put her carefully on her feet on the ground and steadied her when she swayed.
“Thank you.”
He nodded but didn’t speak.
The one-eyed creep who’d fought Zehn neared her, and the others circled close. Of the female who’d been with them, she saw no sign.
“I am Garnuk, your new master. Fleen and Haen are your second masters.” Fleen had the facial scar, Haen the slash across the chest. “We are the Nasuhl interior guard, the most powerful of our clan’s warriors.” He grinned, and she saw pointed teeth. “You, Earther, are our reward before we hand you over to our new allies.”
She had a terrible feeling about this. “Allies?” She glanced at the silent giant, curious they hadn’t acknowledged him at all.
Then Garnuk withdrew his whip and cracked it over her head.
She jumped.
“You will speak only when spoken to. Come and witness what will be expected of you until we make our exchange.” He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her with him into a small clearing. There, the female who’d been with them earlier waited, naked, on her hands and knees. She was all skin and bone and scars.
“Skehl, hold this one.” Garnuk shoved her back, and she fell into the giant. She froze when Garnuk started whipping the female and cursing at her, blood oozing from her old scars.
Mandy winced at each strike, alarmed when the woman keened with pleasure. Despite the appearance of loving the pain, those wounds had to hurt. And Garnuk seemed to thrive on each lash. He lifted his loincloth, nothing holding him back, and revealed a turgid cock. A true sadist.
“Watch and learn, Earther,” he rasped as he strode to the woman, wrapped the whip in both hands and looped it around her neck while he mounted her from behind.
Mandy turned her head away, unable to bear the sight. But she couldn’t block out the noises. When Garnuk ceased—a real two-minute wonder—the other two men had a go at the woman while he encouraged them. Skehl remained with Mandy, unmoving. She wanted to think he was acting protective even though she knew better. Apparently Skehl, though large and strong, wasn’t on the same power level as the others.
The males finished and started drinking together, then Garnuk started with the woman once more. This time he stared at Mandy as he worked her over, and she did her best to pretend she couldn’t feel him staring at her. “Good girl, Uftah.” He smacked the woman’s bloody flank and left her to celebrate with Haen and Fleen.
Covered in blood and other fluids, Uftah rose and sauntered to Mandy. The Nasuhl woman had the appearance of a victim, but the hard look she shot Mandy said otherwise.
Uftah slapped Mandy in the face. “Offworlder slut. You’re not good enough to suck my warriors’ cocks.”
Mandy stared in baffled horror. Despite her bruises, bite marks, and bleeding—hell, one of her eyes had swelled and a cut sliced her lip, not to mention the rest of her body—Uftah remained loyal to her clan. “You’re crazy, lady.”
Angered, the woman tried to hit her again, but Skehl brought his arm up to block her. “No.”
A simple word, but he attracted the others with it.
Garnuk, Fleen, and Haen surrounded them.
“Give us the offworlder and prepare for discipline.” Garnuk smiled and flicked his whip. “It’s been too long, Skehl. I think you missed this.”
“No.” Skehl put Mandy behind him. “No more.”
“Your father was nothing,” Fleen spat. “Your mother a whore. And you. A disappointing failure continuing to—”
Skehl roared and knocked Fleen into a tree with one punch. The others watched in shock as the giant defended himself from Haen then launched himself at Garnuk, who yelled to Uftah to fetch their backup. Uftah darted away.
