“So, you’re saying I get to keep my knife?”
“Yes. And I’m going to get you another one. Maybe two.”
“I would appreciate that,” I said.
Before he could respond, there was a sharp rap at the door.
“Enter!” Bokkan called out.
The door opened to reveal his commander, Guldan. Bokkan turned to face him, the tension returning to his body.
“I spoke to the four soldiers who sent you here. Did they tell you what we discussed?”
“A bit,” Guldan replied.
“Okay, then let me reiterate. If anyone touches Leda, with or without her permission, I will remove their fingers. If they bed her, again with or without her permission, I will remove their cock. She is my guest and is under my protection. Anyone who does not treat her as such will be whipped. I explained all of this to them last night but it seems my words didn’t sink in. It is now your job to make sure they fully comprehend me. Do you understand, Guldan?”
His commander’s eyes moved back and forth between Bokkan and me before he answered, “Yes.”
Bokkan moved closer to him. “I’m not sure why you decided buying a human female to pimp out to my soldiers was a good idea, but it wasn’t. Even if she signed a bargain, it was highly likely they would accidentally harm her. Maybe even permanently injure her. That is never acceptable, even if a human agreed to come to our realm.”
His commander’s back straightened, his shoulders growing rigid. “Understood.”
“You’re dismissed,” Bokkan barked out.
The commander left the room without looking in my direction again. It was clear that he was unhappy. No, not just unhappy. Pissed off.
I could only hope that this wouldn’t come back to bite Bokkan on the ass. Or me. As far as I could tell, I had no status here other than whatever Bokkan was willing to grant me.
I fucking hated being helpless. As a kid, I’d never been given choices. What I ate. What I wore. Where we lived. Where I went. Never was I given a choice. It was whatever my parents wanted all the time. What I wanted or felt never fucking mattered. When I left their home, I swore I would never, ever be under someone else’s control again.
Yet here I was—powerless.
My hand drifted down to the blade at my side, my fingertips dancing over the handle of the dagger. Maybe not completely powerless. I could defend myself if I needed to. I had a weapon, and Bokkan had promised to provide me with another.
“You need to eat.”
Bokkan’s gravelly voice broke through my thoughts, and I focused on him. “What?”
“You haven’t broken your fast,” he repeated. “You need food.”
“That’s why I came downstairs.” I noticed the way he stared at me and shrugged. “Sorry if I wasn’t supposed to.”
His jaw bulged, and I thought I heard his teeth grinding. “Within my home, you may go where you wish, unless it’s Masu’s quarters. She prefers her privacy. While I doubt she would harm you, she would probably give you an earful about respecting her space and her quiet time. And probably make sure your food was cold for a few days.”
Despite the lingering tension in the room, I found myself smiling at his words. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
Bokkan’s eyes roved over my face, the flexing jaw and furrowed brow gone. I shifted uncomfortably. I didn’t know him well, but he seemed perceptive. I wasn’t sure what he saw when he looked at me, but I worried it was too much.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked.
I shrugged. “Well enough once I got warm. I guess I should thank you for not letting me freeze to death.”
“You do not have to thank me. Just try not to argue tonight when I tell you it’s best if we both sleep in the bed.”
Remembering how warm and comfortable I’d been when I woke, I knew I wouldn’t. I tried not to think about the way Bokkan’s scent had clung to the bedding as well. The spicy, slightly smoky scent of him reminded me of spiced apple cider and campfires. He smelled like autumn to me.
“I’ll do my best.”
