Her energy, which had been a dull, monotonous hum of little significance, sparkled to life. Shocked, her hands went still in the bubbles crowning my head.
“Beau,please,” I said, making no effort to mask my Tritan accent, unable to bear another glance at the door where Aliciawasn’t. “You hate me, don’t you?” I laughed, but it was a hopeless sound laced with grief. “Now is your chance to be rid of me f-forever.”
“Leave us!” she barked, and for a moment, the pleasure slaves stood in a ring of shocked silence. Oblivious to the revelations unfolding before them. And then, “Go!” Beau shrieked.
They fled, abandoning us without further questions.
Trained to obey.
Only Cal remained. Silent. Holding my leash, protecting Beau from the dangerous creature wearing a muddy disguise that couldn’t stand up to a little soapy water.
“Please,” I whispered and hiccupped. My gaze fixed to the ceiling. “I can’t be a slave.”
Beau pulled her gnarled fingers from my hair, gathered a bucket of warm water, and rinsed the suds away.
“Holyshit,” Cal whispered as my heritage was revealed. Silver-blonde hair floated in the murky water, exposed for the first time in years.
The door banged open.
But I didn’t bother to look.
Too late.
She’d come back too late to help.
“Oh,” Alicia breathed, arriving at last.
I squeezed my eyes shut, for there was nothing else to say.
Nothing to be done that could undo this discovery.
And as my senses sparkled with the kiss of dark flames, drawn to the approaching storm of volatile, elite energy, I wished for the training to become a pleasure slave. To spread my legs in service to the empire instead of the alternative.
The doors opened once more, and this time, I couldn’t seem to stop myself. Watching through the eyes of another, I turned my head and found the very last face I wanted to see when I was soaking wet. My every modest curve on lewd display. Nipples pebbled tight with a cold wash of fear.
“Lord Rawlings!” Beau called and dumped another bucket of water over my head, rinsing away the very last of my flimsy trickery. “Sir, you must come! See for yourself.”
The captain didn’t hesitate. Crossing the distance between us with sure steps, fingers flicking the buttons at his wrists, he rolled his sleeves back. Never so much as blinking away from my watery gaze. Feasting on the horror written all over my face.
With every step closer, the tempest brewing in his bottomless glare darkened. Lashing at me with a thing I didn’t recognize.
At first.
But when he was close enough to touch my lips with the pad of his thumb, I knew.
It washunger.
“I-I’m sorry, sir. I meant for the discovery to be yours,” Beau said with a bow, stepping clear.
For several long moments, I was breathless. Sick with anticipation.
“What is your name?” he asked at last, running gentle fingers through my hair. His dark gaze torn from my face to watch the white ends flutter in the water.
My lips parted on a ragged sob, a choked hiccup. But nothing else came out.
He hushed me, then. Cupping the back of my neck with one hand, brushing his first two fingers over my lips with the other. “I want to hear you say it.”
“Mila,” I whispered because all hope was lost.
