use it could be a major problem.
Quietly, Alec followed Altan as they made their way through the corridors. Alec wasn’t familiar with this ship at all, and several times he felt like they’d traveled in a complete circle. Finally, they came to a security door. Altan stunned the only guard on duty and then unlocked the door and stepped inside. Alec followed quickly, dragging the guard into the room, unwilling to get caught loitering in the hallway.
“Jade, are you okay?” Altan asked the naked human woman tethered to the wall by her wrists.
She nodded and shook her head at the same time, and Alec figured that pretty much summed up the way he was feeling, too. Altan undid her restraints and handed her his coat. The jacket practically covered her from neck to knee, but as she stepped forward, she stumbled a little, and Altan pulled her into his arms for a moment while she found her balance.
“I’m okay,” she said quietly. Altan touched her face with his large hand, his fingers trembling slightly as he breathed deeply. Then he grabbed her hand and headed for the door.
* * * *
“Where are they?” John asked in agitation. He and Tara and Beiltar had reached the hangar bay without incident. The entire ship was practically deserted, and Beiltar had explained that all crew had been ordered to the viewing area so that they could not only witness the allocation ceremony but also the punishment meted out to collectors who thought to circumvent the breeding council’s authority.
Beiltar didn’t hint at what John’s punishment may have been, but John knew the breeding council well enough to know it wouldn’t have been pleasant. He held Tara in his arms as she continued to writhe with the drugs’ effects.
Tears misted his vision as she moaned again, the sound unpleasant and animalistic, not the sound of a woman in the throes of desire. Her eyes continued to dart around the area as if she had little control over where they landed or what they saw.
Beiltar signaled to him to keep quiet as they heard the approach of hurried footsteps. Tara moaned, and he pressed his lips to hers to swallow the sound of her agony. She kissed him back enthusiastically, but he tried to keep the contact brief and light. Tara had no control over her body, and he would never abuse the trust she’d placed in him only a few days earlier.
Beiltar stepped out of the transport craft, and John held his breath as he waited for either his return or the sounds of a fight. Neither happened, but the next person to walk through the door filled his heart and soul with such relief that he almost cried out his name.
Alec saw him, carefully placed the heavy sack he’d been carrying on the floor, and hurried to him and Tara. He kissed Tara on the forehead, his look of relief warring with the same anguish John felt. He leaned forward to press a kiss to John’s mouth.
“Is she okay?” he asked quietly.
“She’ll be fine as soon as the drugs wear off.” John knew it was more complicated than that but didn’t want to add to Alec’s worries at the moment. There would be plenty of time to worry about Tara ’s recovery once they escaped the ship.
“We managed to grab some weapons and supplies. Would it be okay to give Tara a sedative?”
Relief coursed through John. “Yes.”
Alec dragged the sack of supplies over to John. It looked like they’d practically cleaned out one of the medical storage lockers. He spotted a sedation rod easily, and Alec handed it to him to administer. Almost immediately, Tara sighed quietly and slipped into a fitful sleep, but at least she wasn’t screaming in frustration.
Beiltar stepped back into the ship with a young woman pressed against him. She looked about the same age as Tara but smaller, more fragile, but at least she didn’t seem to be drugged.
“Altan?” John asked Beiltar as the door slid closed. Beiltar shook his head. “He’s staying undercover. He hopes he can find more like us and maybe put a
Quietly, Alec followed Altan as they made their way through the corridors. Alec wasn’t familiar with this ship at all, and several times he felt like they’d traveled in a complete circle. Finally, they came to a security door. Altan stunned the only guard on duty and then unlocked the door and stepped inside. Alec followed quickly, dragging the guard into the room, unwilling to get caught loitering in the hallway.
“Jade, are you okay?” Altan asked the naked human woman tethered to the wall by her wrists.
She nodded and shook her head at the same time, and Alec figured that pretty much summed up the way he was feeling, too. Altan undid her restraints and handed her his coat. The jacket practically covered her from neck to knee, but as she stepped forward, she stumbled a little, and Altan pulled her into his arms for a moment while she found her balance.
“I’m okay,” she said quietly. Altan touched her face with his large hand, his fingers trembling slightly as he breathed deeply. Then he grabbed her hand and headed for the door.
* * * *
“Where are they?” John asked in agitation. He and Tara and Beiltar had reached the hangar bay without incident. The entire ship was practically deserted, and Beiltar had explained that all crew had been ordered to the viewing area so that they could not only witness the allocation ceremony but also the punishment meted out to collectors who thought to circumvent the breeding council’s authority.
Beiltar didn’t hint at what John’s punishment may have been, but John knew the breeding council well enough to know it wouldn’t have been pleasant. He held Tara in his arms as she continued to writhe with the drugs’ effects.
Tears misted his vision as she moaned again, the sound unpleasant and animalistic, not the sound of a woman in the throes of desire. Her eyes continued to dart around the area as if she had little control over where they landed or what they saw.
Beiltar signaled to him to keep quiet as they heard the approach of hurried footsteps. Tara moaned, and he pressed his lips to hers to swallow the sound of her agony. She kissed him back enthusiastically, but he tried to keep the contact brief and light. Tara had no control over her body, and he would never abuse the trust she’d placed in him only a few days earlier.
Beiltar stepped out of the transport craft, and John held his breath as he waited for either his return or the sounds of a fight. Neither happened, but the next person to walk through the door filled his heart and soul with such relief that he almost cried out his name.
Alec saw him, carefully placed the heavy sack he’d been carrying on the floor, and hurried to him and Tara. He kissed Tara on the forehead, his look of relief warring with the same anguish John felt. He leaned forward to press a kiss to John’s mouth.
“Is she okay?” he asked quietly.
“She’ll be fine as soon as the drugs wear off.” John knew it was more complicated than that but didn’t want to add to Alec’s worries at the moment. There would be plenty of time to worry about Tara ’s recovery once they escaped the ship.
“We managed to grab some weapons and supplies. Would it be okay to give Tara a sedative?”
Relief coursed through John. “Yes.”
Alec dragged the sack of supplies over to John. It looked like they’d practically cleaned out one of the medical storage lockers. He spotted a sedation rod easily, and Alec handed it to him to administer. Almost immediately, Tara sighed quietly and slipped into a fitful sleep, but at least she wasn’t screaming in frustration.
Beiltar stepped back into the ship with a young woman pressed against him. She looked about the same age as Tara but smaller, more fragile, but at least she didn’t seem to be drugged.
“Altan?” John asked Beiltar as the door slid closed. Beiltar shook his head. “He’s staying undercover. He hopes he can find more like us and maybe put a