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Authors: Enslaved III: The Gladiators
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care,” one of them called out to her. It was the tone that snagged her attention. Unlike the „offers ‟ the others—except for the Hirachi—had flung at her, it didn ‟ t sound like a threat. It was said quietly, almost soothingly—for her, not for the entertainment of the others.
Her pulse leapt. Should she consider it, she wondered? She certainly needed someone and the Hirachi hadn ‟ t exactly jumped at her offer.
It unnerved her so thoroughly when she finally flicked a look at the red-skinned aliens, though, that it wiped the thought completely from her mind. They didn ‟ t just look more savage than the Hirachi, they looked like demons! She didn ‟ t get more than a vague impression of the faces once she ‟ d spied the horns curling on either side of their heads and caught the full impact of sunburn red skin and bodies so massively muscular and ropy they almost looked more as if they ‟ d been peeled of flesh than that their skin was that color.
Feeling her eyes widen with horror, she glanced away quickly. “That ‟ s…That ‟ s…So kind of you to offer,” she managed faintly. “I already told Balen, though….”
The comment—or her reaction—pissed them off. They pushed away from the bars abruptly and left. She didn ‟ t know whether to be relieved or not. She needed allies! She wasn ‟ t trying to make enemies.
And the worst of it was she didn ‟ t know that any of the Hirachi would take her up on her offer!
She was still berating herself for her cowardice and lack of judgment when she caught a flash of yellow skin at the door. The Hirachi were the only aliens with that particular color.
Relief immediately assailed her. One of them, at least, had come back. She had another chance.
Maybe this time she wouldn ‟ t screw it up!
32
She glanced that way as casually as she could although every muscle in her body had tensed.
It made her belly flutter when she saw it was Dakaar. He smiled at her a little tentatively and she felt both better and worse—better than he still seemed inclined to smile at her and worse because she knew she must have really insulted him. “I thought you were angry with me,” she said questioningly.
His smile fell. He frowned and she wondered abruptly if her speech patterns sounded as choppy and hard to understand as theirs did to her. “I no angry. Thought you misunderstand.”
Loren slipped off the bed awkwardly, trying to balance the tray and hold on to her blanket at the same time. Unfortunately, she ‟ d succeeded in getting up without exposing herself before it occurred to her that she ‟ d missed an opportunity to try to seduce him with her feminine charms!
Damn it!
She considered „losing ‟ it when she knelt to set the tray down at the door, but discovered she simply couldn ‟ t bring herself to do anything so blatant. When she straightened, she saw that the others had joined him. “I don ‟ t think I did,” she said a little stiltedly, forcing herself to move a little closer. “You said that you would protect me—because it ‟ s the way of your people to protect the weak. And I said that I would…take care of your needs the best I could.” A blush mounted her cheeks at the lie that trembled on her tongue. “It ‟ s the custom of my people. A man offers what he has to offer and a woman offers what she has in return.”
It wasn ‟ t until she ‟ d voiced it that it occurred to her it wasn ‟ t a lie. Maybe it was a very simplified version of the truth, but it was still true.
Unfortunately, it had occurred to her after she had that she wasn ‟ t in any position to offer the only thing she had in trade. “I meant it. I still mean it…but….” She broke off. “Lecur said he would give me to the winner of the games. There ‟ s nothing I can do about that,” she said anxiously, hoping they ‟ d understand and not consider it a breach of promise.
On impulse, she settled her hand over Dakaar ‟ s where he gripped the bar.
Her pulse leapt. Should she consider it, she wondered? She certainly needed someone and the Hirachi hadn ‟ t exactly jumped at her offer.
It unnerved her so thoroughly when she finally flicked a look at the red-skinned aliens, though, that it wiped the thought completely from her mind. They didn ‟ t just look more savage than the Hirachi, they looked like demons! She didn ‟ t get more than a vague impression of the faces once she ‟ d spied the horns curling on either side of their heads and caught the full impact of sunburn red skin and bodies so massively muscular and ropy they almost looked more as if they ‟ d been peeled of flesh than that their skin was that color.
Feeling her eyes widen with horror, she glanced away quickly. “That ‟ s…That ‟ s…So kind of you to offer,” she managed faintly. “I already told Balen, though….”
The comment—or her reaction—pissed them off. They pushed away from the bars abruptly and left. She didn ‟ t know whether to be relieved or not. She needed allies! She wasn ‟ t trying to make enemies.
And the worst of it was she didn ‟ t know that any of the Hirachi would take her up on her offer!
She was still berating herself for her cowardice and lack of judgment when she caught a flash of yellow skin at the door. The Hirachi were the only aliens with that particular color.
Relief immediately assailed her. One of them, at least, had come back. She had another chance.
Maybe this time she wouldn ‟ t screw it up!
32
She glanced that way as casually as she could although every muscle in her body had tensed.
It made her belly flutter when she saw it was Dakaar. He smiled at her a little tentatively and she felt both better and worse—better than he still seemed inclined to smile at her and worse because she knew she must have really insulted him. “I thought you were angry with me,” she said questioningly.
His smile fell. He frowned and she wondered abruptly if her speech patterns sounded as choppy and hard to understand as theirs did to her. “I no angry. Thought you misunderstand.”
Loren slipped off the bed awkwardly, trying to balance the tray and hold on to her blanket at the same time. Unfortunately, she ‟ d succeeded in getting up without exposing herself before it occurred to her that she ‟ d missed an opportunity to try to seduce him with her feminine charms!
Damn it!
She considered „losing ‟ it when she knelt to set the tray down at the door, but discovered she simply couldn ‟ t bring herself to do anything so blatant. When she straightened, she saw that the others had joined him. “I don ‟ t think I did,” she said a little stiltedly, forcing herself to move a little closer. “You said that you would protect me—because it ‟ s the way of your people to protect the weak. And I said that I would…take care of your needs the best I could.” A blush mounted her cheeks at the lie that trembled on her tongue. “It ‟ s the custom of my people. A man offers what he has to offer and a woman offers what she has in return.”
It wasn ‟ t until she ‟ d voiced it that it occurred to her it wasn ‟ t a lie. Maybe it was a very simplified version of the truth, but it was still true.
Unfortunately, it had occurred to her after she had that she wasn ‟ t in any position to offer the only thing she had in trade. “I meant it. I still mean it…but….” She broke off. “Lecur said he would give me to the winner of the games. There ‟ s nothing I can do about that,” she said anxiously, hoping they ‟ d understand and not consider it a breach of promise.
On impulse, she settled her hand over Dakaar ‟ s where he gripped the bar.
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