“I stand by my statement.I am not coming back to Amtha Prime.”
“I could order you to come.”
“Not if I am in season, and as a Terran, I cycle every twenty-eight days.The nullifiers that are available don’t last long on me.Too hormonally active for living with your population.I am thinking of a permanent solution.”
His eyes widened.“No.”
“Your people allow me to work with you, but I am not one of you.I know that now more than ever.If Chloe and Dytura allow me to remain on this ship as pilot, I will.If the Zowoth won’t have me, there are any number of Hmrain who want to keep their consorts safe.I make an excellent bodyguard.”She smiled.“Hey, can I borrow Baket if I am feeling frisky?”
“No.”
“Fine.Hired dick it is.”
His eyes went red again.
“Look, you have your choice of females; I have the capacity to have my choice of males.That’s how it works for the warriors, right?You can have as many partners as you can support and as are willing to remain with you.I figure I should be able to manage four if I keep up a half-decent income.”
Baket dropped to the ground.
Arven sighed.“He’s gonna wake up with a headache.”
“I know, but Aken-Var is pushing hard to tuck me into his collection, and I need more than he is willing to give.”
Arven snorted.“I have heard the rumours.It sounds like hegavefor days.”
“Yup, as did I.And then I was dumped into the women’s quarters by his major domo and told my next appointment with him would be in sixty days.My appetite had thrown off the normal schedule.”
Arven blinked.“I thought that part was an exaggeration.”
“No.That was what it was.”
“That was when you clawed up your face.”
“And body.I used brooches that had been dumped in my cell, and I started to replicate my original scars.The ones on my back were the hardest, but the jewels made cutting easy.”
“How did you manage so much?”
“I didn’t make a sound.I had four hours between delivered meals, so I started as soon as breakfast was delivered.Lunch was normally slid into my cell, so that left me extra time, I left a blood trail on my lunch tray and that is what gave me away when I slid it under the door before dinner.”
“Wait.Cell?I thought the quarters were open with gardens and hobby spaces.”
“Not if you have tried to break out.Then, they keep the pretty things in boxes until their attitude improves.Mine did not.”
Arven grinned, his glossy green skin bright.“What happened when they saw you?”
“Ah, the infamous thing that I said?”She snorted.
“It is what you are known for.”
“Play time is over.I would like to get back to work now.Where’s my crew?”She paused and said, “Oh, and someone needs to mop in here; it’s a mess.”
Arven laughed, and Baket groaned and sat up.“He was pissed!”
She laughed.“He will just go have some fun and games to take the edge off.He has plenty of playmates.”
Arven’s eyes flared.“But none who can take me like you.Thank you for the information.I did wonder how things unfolded.”
“Aw, you got better at hiding the eyes.”
