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He made an agreement sound as he searched through the medication box that was still in our cabin. He pulled out several vials and held them out to me.

“Which one is appropriate?” he asked.

I saw a familiar one and plucked it from his grasp. Popping the cap off, I downed the contents and then slumped back against the nest’s fluffy rim of pillows.

There was a chime, and Narmuna’s voice sounded over the ship’s open comm system. “We are next in the queue to leave. I’ve already input a course to the nearest station with a reputable medical facility that has open docks. We’ll be there in less than a rotation.”

“A rotation is a full day, right?” I asked.

“It’s one full day-night cycle,” he explained.

That shocked me. “We’re going to get to another station in only a day?”

“Narmuna is probably going to use a private gate,” Tolly said.

My jaw dropped. Everyone used space-time gates, but the large public ones cost only a minimal amount. Using a smaller private gate was prohibitively expensive for almost everyone but the most luxurious of yachts, exclusive cargo, or militaries with a big expense account and small fighter ships.

While I was distracted by calculating the wealth they were about to spend on me, Tolly gently pulled off my refurbished slipper. All thoughts of gates and cost left my brain when I got a look at my poor foot.

“That’s bad,” I said, wanting to cry even as the pain killer from the vial was taking effect.

My foot and ankle were red and badly swollen. I didn’t think they could get that big without bursting.

“I wish I’d killed them when I had the chance,” Tolly growled.

I let out a watery chuckle. “I think the Marpers took care of that for you.”

The medication was muting the pain and making me feel sleepy. I relaxed into the soft nest and let my eyes fall closed, careful not to move my leg off the stack of pillows Tolly had placed it on. I felt the bedding shift a little, and then Tolly's warm heat was carefully curled around me, his purring filling my ears.

“I’m sorry you’re in pain,” he whispered.

I opened my eyes and tilted my head on the pillow to meet his eyes. “In a way, I did it to myself. But I don’t regret it. I found Sloane. She wasn’t going to survive a trip with the Vicpors. At least now she has a chance.”

He sounded a rumble of agreement before going back to purring.

“I don’t understand why you’re not angry with me,” I murmured, reaching up to touch his cheek. Running my fingers over his scent glands was comforting.

“You're not to blame. This was all my fault,” he said, repeating his words from earlier.

That really didn't make sense. “Because you abducted me?”

He sounded a short rumble of amusement before going back to the purring. “In a way. Much like you don’t regret today because you found Sloane, I can't regret running away with you. The mistake I made was not telling you about our plans sooner.”

The pain medication was making my thought process slow so I wasn’t sure I understood him. “What plans?”

“You are as worthy as any Talin to freedom and independence,” he began, then launched into a plan where I’d pretend to be their pet but I’d actually own myself. On top of that, they were going to give me an equal portion of the ship!

“That’s…that’s…good,” I whispered, no longer able to keep my eyes open. The medication had been more powerful than I expected. I couldn't hold my arm up any longer. I let it fall onto my chest covered in his scented oil. “I’ll think about it, if you promise to give Sloane the same choice.”

Then I was out.

Tolreum

“I promise. Sloane and any other human we find will receive the same offer we gave you.”

It was clear Opal was fast asleep. I wasn’t sure she’d heard me, but that didn’t matter because she was right. Sloane deserved the same treatment.

I didn’t want to leave, but I needed to talk to Narmuna and check with Mieshorum about the other human. I also needed to make sure he knew I’d promised Opal that Sloane would be offered the self-ownership deal. I wanted everyone to be in agreement when Opal woke up.