Enslaved Read online

  “Well, that’s good anyway. I never wanted to act like a bitch mistress from the Seven Hells to begin with.” Trin sighed as he pressed his thumbs to the delicate arch of her foot. “Goddess, you’re good at that!”

  “Glad you’re enjoying yourself, Mistress.” Thrace grinned at her. “Just your devoted slave here, doing everything I can to give you pleasure.”

  “Very funny.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “You were very convincing back there with Lady Tam-tam you know—telling her how you, uh, fell in love with me when I bought you.” She cleared her throat and his cheeks got flushed again. “You had her completely fooled.”

  “I wasn’t trying to fool her—I was telling the truth,” Thrace pointed out. “About the way you bought and rescued me, I mean.” He grinned at Trin. “Of course, you’ll notice I didn’t mention anything about the way you kept me chained to my bed for the next several days.”

  “Or the way you tried to choke the life out of me,” Trin reminded him but a little smile was playing around the corners of her mouth. “Or the way you rescued me from B’Rugh and a fate worse than death. Ugh.” She shivered.

  “Well, she doesn’t need to know everything,” Thrace said.

  “She especially doesn’t need to know that we’re only together until we do this deal.” Trin spoke casually but her words caused a strange hollow sensation somewhere in the pit of Thrace’s stomach. Which made no sense.

  “Of course, the deal,” he muttered, frowning.

  “I’m worried about it,” Trin admitted. “I don’t think Lady Malroth was too thrilled that we got her room and Lady Tam-tam’s instant affection. It might ruin everything.”

  “I doubt it,” Thrace remarked. “She seems like a shrewd businesswoman and you’re offering good quality crystals for a very fair price. She’ll still want the deal. Get her alone after the reception tonight and talk to her then.”

  “All right, I will. And I hope you’re right.” Trin looked at him. “I know you hope so, too. Even though I’m not required to treat you like dirt, this can’t be easy for you—being my slave and having to act like you’re madly in love with me. I mean it’s just…silly.” She coughed.

  “Uh-huh. Ridiculous,” Thrace said softly, though he didn’t know who he was trying to convince—her or himself. “Anyway, we’ll be out of here soon. Until then, let’s just play our parts. And let me find out how we’re supposed to behave.” He let her small foot slip from his hands and stood up. “Wish me luck, Mistress—I’m going on a fact finding mission. Or, if anyone asks, I’m searching for some calming mint oil to rub into your temples because you feel a headache coming on.”

  Trin smiled. “You’re too much, Thrace. Okay, be careful. I think I might just lay down here for a little while and take a nap.” She yawned. “I don’t know why but I’m so sleepy.”

  “Aftereffects of the passion berries,” Thrace told her. “It’s all out of your system but it still leaves you feeling drained. Sleep while you can, I’ll come back in time to wake you for the reception.”

  “Okay…” Her eyes were already closing and her long, black hair was spread over the blue and gold embroidered pillow. The thin lace panels covering her breasts and sex showed her warm brown curves and her beautiful face was tranquil and serene.

  Thrace couldn’t help thinking what a lovely sight she made lying in the center of the sleeping platform like a princess out of an old story. On impulse, he took her hand in his and bent to place a soft kiss in her palm.

  “Oh!” Trin opened her eyes and looked at him uncertainly.

  “Sleep well, Mistress,” he murmured. Then, reluctantly, he let her go and left.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Wake up, baby. Time to get moving.”

  The deep voice in her ear was familiar. But who could be calling her ‘baby’? Everyone she knew called her by her surname, as was the custom on Zetta Prime. Well, except for her mother who called her by her first name, Lonnara. So who…

  Thrace. It’s Thrace, a little voice in her head whispered. Sure enough, when she opened her eyes, he was sitting beside her on the bed holding a turquoise lace and Neptharian silk gown in his hands.

  “What’s that?” Trin asked groggily. Goddess, she felt like she’d been sleeping for a hundred cycles and her head throbbed like a rotten tooth.

  “Your outfit for tonight. I just resized it. Sit up and put it on—the reception is in fifteen minutes.”

  “That soon?” Trin sat up in a sudden panic but the motion caused a spike of pain to pierce her brain. “Goddess of Judgment, my head.” She put a hand to her forehead and winced.

  “Here. Hold still.” Large warm fingers were suddenly at her temples, rubbing something cool and soothing into her throbbing flesh.

  “What’s that?” Trin muttered.

  “Calming mint oil of course. Told you I was going to get some. Breathe it in—it’ll help.”

  “I thought that was just your cover story,” Trin said, inhaling deeply as he instructed. A cool, faintly sweet scent reached her nose at once. And to her relief, it did ease the headache. “That does help.” She looked at him. “Did you know I’d have a headache when I woke up? More aftereffects of those damn passion berries?”

  He nodded. “Afraid so.”

  “Well how much longer am I going to keep having them? Feeling so fatigued and waking up with my head pounding…” Trin frowned. “I mean, it’s ridiculous—I barely took one tiny sip of that wine!”

  “It was laced with three berries,” he pointed out. “That’s enough for three people your size. “You’re just lucky you didn’t drink any more.”

  “But isn’t there a way to get rid of all of it—after effects and all?” Trin demanded. “You should know—you said the passion berries were native to your planet.”

  He shrugged obliquely.

  “Sure—the same thing that’s the only cure if you take the second and third sips.”

  Trin bit her lip. “You mean…penetration and…and insemination?”

  “Uh-huh.” His eyes were half-lidded now for some reason and his deep voice was a soft growl.

  “That’s…unnatural.” Trin felt her heart pound at the thought…I am one of the Unpenetrated. I have too much self respect to allow such a thing. Besides it’s wrong. Allowing a male to penetrate you with his shaft was like a slap in the face of the Goddess—or so said the priestesses who served in her temple. And while Trin had outgrown many of her childhood beliefs, some were far too ingrained to get rid of. Not that she wanted to. “It’s unthinkable,” she said firmly.

  “Not for a lot of females,” Thrace pointed out. “It is the way most people–hell, most species—reproduce, you know.”

  “Well not my people,” Trin said sharply. “I don’t want to be penetrated anymore than you do. It’s…wrong.”

  He winced and sat back.

  “Point taken. All right, let’s forget about it then. I have plenty of mint oil if you get another headache.”

  “Thank you.” She smiled at him. “That’s very thoughtful. So what did you learn about our roles here?”

  Thrace shrugged. “Not that different from Yonnie Six, really, except there’s no punishment involved. Well, no punishment by pain anyway. I am still expected to wait on you hand and foot and drop to my knees and kiss you to show reverence when we’re announced at the reception…that kind of thing.”

  “I’m sorry about that.” Trin bit her lip. When she’d first had the idea to buy a male slave to act as her prop during situations like this, she’d been thinking that males were big dumb brutes—more animal than anything else—so the idea of one of them subjugating himself to her in public hadn’t seemed like a big deal. After all, her stallion, Swift was quick to come running and was happy to perform a few tricks for the treats she always carried in her pocket. Trin had imagined training a slave much the same way.

  Now she had a slave—albeit a temporary one—and she knew he was sharply intelligent as well as proud and strong. Asking Th