Trying to determine if he could feel me the same way I could feel him, I held eye contact, fighting not to blink in the face of all that power. The raw, explosive energy searching for an outlet.
Anelite.
Not just here, but my new owner.
My eyes flicked to the edge of the state, catching for an instant on a battered door before snapping back to the predator dressed in a man’s flesh.
Claiming a key ring from Jasper, he knelt and said, “What’s your name, little slave?” Voice a soothing hum that only wound me tighter.
Still, hardly daring to breathe, I waited until he’d finished unlocking my chains and cuffs, then burst into action. Heart hammering with desperate energy, I came to life despite the fire crackling between my ribs. I tried to dash away—only to be caught and pinned by strong arms.
“Not so fast, pet.”
I choked on a scream, clawing and scratching at any exposed skin I could reach. Struggling until his arms tightened. Until something popped. Somethinginsidethat felt like an icicle shattering on the coldest winter day. Brittle.Fragile.The pain so intense, breath froze in my lungs. Limbs held stiff as sweat bloomed across my nape, stinging where it seeped into the lash mark. Any lingering fight extinguished in an instant, I went rigid.
To his credit, the captain eased off as soon as my demeanor changed, though I was already shaking. And against my ear, “I asked you a question.”
“She hasn’t spoken yet, sir,” Jasper said with a helpful shrug. “Perhaps she’s simple.”
“Ah.” The captain turned, bringing me with him to face the slaver. “So, not only were your men outsmarted by a girl, but she was also an incapable one. Do I understand you correctly?”
Jasper offered a greasy bow. An elegant little flourish. “A point well made, sir. May I ask what you’re planning for her?”
Nose wrinkled, the captain pushed me back, inspecting me with a narrow glare and wrinkled nose. “First order of business is a bath. I’d like to see what’s under all this filth.”
“And then?” Jasper prompted, eying me maliciously.
“Easy, slaver. I can’t tell if I have a diamond or a lump of coal just yet. Why the interest?” the captain asked, propelling me toward a door.
“She’s caused me a lot of trouble over the years, and nowthis,” Jasper said, gesturing to the scratches on his face. “I owe her a debt.”
A tremor raced through my muscles as the sweat dripped and dripped. Pain and fear competing for the right to make me shiver.
The captain frowned. “Why not settle this so-called debt before the auction?”
“Bad form to sell used slaves! Well,” Jasper chuckled, “that, and I had a deadline to keep. Debts of a different nature to settle.”
The captain hummed, herding me through the door I’d meant to use as an escape.
Stumbling, nauseous and cold, my mind began to skip. Wandering, only peripherally listening to the conversation flowing around me as I looked for a means of escape.
“If she’s a suitable pleasure slave, I’ll let you know. She might be more profitable in the fighting rings, so no guarantees,” the captain said, directing my path. “Though, if my men continue to perform like they did today, I’ll make her the only pleasure slave they have access to.”
“It was a bad day, Captain Rawlings. Have a heart,” Marco cried, clutching his chest. “What do you think it will do for company morale if she’s—”
“I will personally ensure you never use another pleasure slave, soldier,” the captain snapped, voice tight with warning. “Pleasure slaves are a reward for your efficiency in combat, not something you’re entitled to. And because I pay for them and train them, I can also prevent your access to them. Don’t fuck with me today, Marco.”
I chanced a glance at Marco and found him flushed, cheeks pink beneath a ruddy tan. Captain Rawlings, the elite, must be a force to be reckoned with.
And he was my new owner.
Sucking air between clenched teeth, I took shallow breaths as I was driven through the streets at a clipped pace. But with every step I was forced to take, my ribs jolted and bumped. My vision blurred around the edges, ears ringing a high-pitched whine. And then my head began to tilt—heavy on the left, my ears filled with bubbles as my lips tingled. Face going numb.
A bathhouse swam into my line of sight, but I was barely keeping pace. Halfway to senseless when the captain pushed the door open.
Squealing laughter and perfume assaulted my already-reeling senses. My breath fogged with the sticky heat of a public bath, and I stumbled. Gagging on humid air, my palms struck the hard concrete.
Hauled up by the back of my rough-spun shirt before I had a chance to react, I was set on my feet as strong fingers dug into the whip lashes, opening the wound where the flesh hadn’t even begun to mend.
