her that she might be risking any lives but her own.
“And for all I know,” the commander continued, “you intended to crash it into the Heptoral , kamikaze style.”
“I wouldn’t do that!”
“So you say.”
She swallowed her arguments. He had no reason to believe her and every reason to doubt her. But, good Lord, under guard twenty-four hours a day, and they’d be able to watch her bathe and use the bathroom… Would their pheromones reach her through the containment field? Did it even matter now?
“Commander, there has to be some other way,” she said desperately.
“As I said, you may take three Garathani mates who will assume responsibility for you in continuous shifts.”
She gaped at him, her mouth working soundlessly. Three?
“Yes, three,” he said. “That way one of them will be guarding you at all times.”
“Neither of these options is acceptable,” she declared.
“Miss King,” Minister Cecine thundered, “you are lucky to have any options at all, considering the peril you placed my daughter in.”
“Why don’t you just beam me back to the surface? I’d be out of your hair forever then. You’d be happy—I’d be happy.”
“At this point your happiness is of little interest to me. What is of interest is the safety of the people on this vessel, and your returning to the surface with whatever information you may have gleaned here is not an option.”
She looked away from the minister, knowing her protests would, as always, fall on deaf ears. Licking her lips, which were suddenly bone dry, she asked carefully, “Would I have to…”
“Have intercourse with them?” When she gave a jerky nod, Kellen said, “It would be advisable for your protection. If they don’t each claim you at least once, you would be open to a situation like the one you helped put Monica in.”
“Just once? That would be enough?” She swallowed hard, trying to blink away images of herself being bent over and used repeatedly by three huge aliens. The curling sensation in her stomach was not arousal. It wasn’t.
Kellen watched her inscrutably for a long moment before answering. “Miss King, the laws of our new order specifically prohibit females from refusing their mates sexual congress unless they are pregnant or otherwise physically incapacitated.”
Her first instinct was to object, but the commander’s thoughtful tone made her hold her tongue while he continued. “However, given the circumstances, the council might grant you a special dispensation from that requirement, provided you agree to cooperate fully with each initial claiming—and by fully, I mean enthusiastically . If these males voluntarily relinquish their right to take you at will, I’ll expect you to make that one time worth their while.”
Well, that was better than nothing. “Who would choose these mates?”
“Any male may petition to be your primary mate,” Kellen said. “Upon approval by the council, he, in turn, would select secondary and tertiary mates.”
“I don’t have any say in the matter at all?”
“If you have some preference, Miss King, now would be the time to voice it, but I can’t make any guarantees.”
Her face flamed, knowing Shauss was watching her.
“And when this crisis on Earth is over, I’d get to go home, right?”
“When and if the crisis on Earth is resolved to our satisfaction, and when and if you are deemed to be no longer a threat, you would be given the option to dissolve your bond and return to your home planet.”
Jasmine bit her lip. God, this was crazy. The idea of having to have sex with not one but three of these giants was enough to make her babble like an idiot. But at least she’d have the possibility of escaping at some point. In a cell, under constant surveillance, she’d have no chance.
“So how will this work? Do you show me a list of potentials or something?” she asked uncertainly.
“Two males have already filed petitions to mate you.”
She stiffened.
“And for all I know,” the commander continued, “you intended to crash it into the Heptoral , kamikaze style.”
“I wouldn’t do that!”
“So you say.”
She swallowed her arguments. He had no reason to believe her and every reason to doubt her. But, good Lord, under guard twenty-four hours a day, and they’d be able to watch her bathe and use the bathroom… Would their pheromones reach her through the containment field? Did it even matter now?
“Commander, there has to be some other way,” she said desperately.
“As I said, you may take three Garathani mates who will assume responsibility for you in continuous shifts.”
She gaped at him, her mouth working soundlessly. Three?
“Yes, three,” he said. “That way one of them will be guarding you at all times.”
“Neither of these options is acceptable,” she declared.
“Miss King,” Minister Cecine thundered, “you are lucky to have any options at all, considering the peril you placed my daughter in.”
“Why don’t you just beam me back to the surface? I’d be out of your hair forever then. You’d be happy—I’d be happy.”
“At this point your happiness is of little interest to me. What is of interest is the safety of the people on this vessel, and your returning to the surface with whatever information you may have gleaned here is not an option.”
She looked away from the minister, knowing her protests would, as always, fall on deaf ears. Licking her lips, which were suddenly bone dry, she asked carefully, “Would I have to…”
“Have intercourse with them?” When she gave a jerky nod, Kellen said, “It would be advisable for your protection. If they don’t each claim you at least once, you would be open to a situation like the one you helped put Monica in.”
“Just once? That would be enough?” She swallowed hard, trying to blink away images of herself being bent over and used repeatedly by three huge aliens. The curling sensation in her stomach was not arousal. It wasn’t.
Kellen watched her inscrutably for a long moment before answering. “Miss King, the laws of our new order specifically prohibit females from refusing their mates sexual congress unless they are pregnant or otherwise physically incapacitated.”
Her first instinct was to object, but the commander’s thoughtful tone made her hold her tongue while he continued. “However, given the circumstances, the council might grant you a special dispensation from that requirement, provided you agree to cooperate fully with each initial claiming—and by fully, I mean enthusiastically . If these males voluntarily relinquish their right to take you at will, I’ll expect you to make that one time worth their while.”
Well, that was better than nothing. “Who would choose these mates?”
“Any male may petition to be your primary mate,” Kellen said. “Upon approval by the council, he, in turn, would select secondary and tertiary mates.”
“I don’t have any say in the matter at all?”
“If you have some preference, Miss King, now would be the time to voice it, but I can’t make any guarantees.”
Her face flamed, knowing Shauss was watching her.
“And when this crisis on Earth is over, I’d get to go home, right?”
“When and if the crisis on Earth is resolved to our satisfaction, and when and if you are deemed to be no longer a threat, you would be given the option to dissolve your bond and return to your home planet.”
Jasmine bit her lip. God, this was crazy. The idea of having to have sex with not one but three of these giants was enough to make her babble like an idiot. But at least she’d have the possibility of escaping at some point. In a cell, under constant surveillance, she’d have no chance.
“So how will this work? Do you show me a list of potentials or something?” she asked uncertainly.
“Two males have already filed petitions to mate you.”
She stiffened.
Similar Books
