Surrendered Read online

  For a moment she thought he would try to contact her through their newly forged link, but Thorn’s mental voice remained silent. There was just that look…and then he turned his back and began speaking to the blond male whom he referred to as, “Commander Sylvan.”

  “Whew!” the girl with brown hair murmured, clearly catching the tension between Neh’sa and Thorn. “What’s the story there?”

  “She might not want to say, Sophie,” Liv said, frowning. Then to Neh’sa she said, “Why don’t you come with us? We have a guest suite all lined up for you and some fresh clothes too.”

  “Thank you,” Neh’sa said again. She was a little taken aback at their open generosity. The Mistresses on Yonnie Six mostly regarded each other with wary hostility—even friends could become enemies in a heartbeat if circumstances turned and the friendship was no longer convenient. “You’re…very kind,” she added.

  “You look like you could use a little kindness, hon,” Liv said frankly. She smiled at Neh’sa, “Come on—your suite is this way.”

  They led her down several twisting metal corridors to one of many doors. Liv had Neh’sa place her palm on the metal surface so it was keyed to her touch and told her no one else could open it without her permission.

  “You’ll be safe in here,” she told Neh’sa, eyeing her shoulder.

  Neh’sa realized the collar of Thorn’s shirt had slid open, revealing the place he’d bitten her. She couldn’t see it herself but it must look pretty bad from the expression on Liv’s pretty face.

  “Thank you,” she said, pulling the collar closed quickly.

  “Come on in and we’ll show you the amenities,” Lauren, the girl holding the small, sweet-smelling confections, said. “It takes a little time to get used to living on the Mothership.”

  “I don’t expect to live here forever,” Neh’sa said quickly as they went inside the small but snug guest quarters. “Although…I’m not sure where I can go,” she added. “Especially if it turns out I’m…I’m…” Her voice faltered and the last word came out in a whisper. “Pregnant.”

  “Oh, hon…” Liv put an arm around her shoulders and Neh’sa realized she was crying. What was happening to her, she wondered as the other woman led her to a plush sofa and seated her. She had somehow become a whole other person.

  She was no longer the self-possessed Mistress who was used to having her every word obeyed, the female who kept her calm no matter what. Now she was a blubbering fool who couldn’t stop crying. She had to stop showing such weakness! Back home on Yonnie Six allowing oneself to become emotional in front of others was considered a sign of fragility and mental infirmity.

  “I…I’m sorry,” she managed to say, swiping at her eyes as she struggled to get hold of herself. “It’s just, in the past twenty-four standard hours I’ve been betrayed by the one I thought I loved, kidnapped, forced to submit sexually for the pleasure of an angry male, and somehow bonded to the one who betrayed me in the first place. And…and I haven’t had anything to eat either,” she added, suddenly feeling sick and faint as her stomach twisted with hunger pangs.

  “Oh my God, you poor thing! And here I am with a whole plate of cupcakes and I never even offered you one,” Lauren exclaimed. She pushed the plate with its sweet-smelling confections towards Neh’sa eagerly. “Here you go—please take one.”

  “Take them all,” Sophie said, anxiously. “There’s nothing like a batch of Lauren’s delicious homemade cupcakes to make you feel better.”

  “Especially if you have low blood sugar,” Liv added. “Which you probably do if you haven’t eaten in so long. Here—try the salted caramel,” she said since Neh’sa was hesitating, uncertain which of the small confections to try first. “It’s amazing and it should perk you right up.”

  “None of them contain meat or the flesh of any animals, do they?” Neh’sa asked, picking up the small cake and sniffing it. It smelled delicious.

  “Oh, are you a vegetarian or a Vegan?” Lauren asked anxiously. “None of them have meat but I’m afraid you can’t make my famous butter-cream frosting without butter.”

  Neh’sa didn’t know what “butter” was but as soon as Lauren assured her there was no meat in the small cakes, she took a bite.

  It was amazing—sweet and creamy and moist and there were little salt granules sprinkled over the frosting that crunched between her teeth as she chewed.

  “Mmm!” she couldn’t help moaning, her eyes fluttering closed in culinary ecstasy. “Goddess above, this is amazing.”

  “Have another one,” Lauren urged her and Neh’sa realized she had finished the first one already, even down to the strangely chewy wrapper around the bottom part of it, which was the only part she didn’t especially like.

  “Um, you can take the cupcake paper off first,” Liv said tactfully, peeling it off a small pink cake and handing it to Neh’sa. “That part isn’t supposed to be, uh, edible. Try this one—it’s strawberries and cream supreme.”

  The second small cake was just as good—better actually, without the wrapper which was apparently not meant to be eaten. Neh’sa finished it off and then tried a deep dark devil’s food fudge cupcake and after that a blueberry surprise which turned out to have sweet purple-blue jam in the center.

  Finally, she began to feel more like herself again.

  “Goddess,” she said, taking a sip from the glass of water that Liv offered her. “Thank you so much. I don’t think I realized how hungry I was.” She bit her lip. “I’m sorry for my behavior earlier. I’m not normally so…emotional.”

  “Completely understandable. Having all those stressful events you mentioned happen and then low blood sugar on top of it would mess with anyone’s emotions,” Liv said firmly. She raised an eyebrow at Neh’sa. “Speaking of which, Commander Thorn told Sylvan when he called that you needed some…medical attention. I’m a nurse—a medical professional,” she added, seeing Neh’sa’s wary look. “Will you let me look you over?”

  “I…don’t know.” Neh’sa drew Thorn’s shirt tighter around herself. She suddenly felt embarrassed all over again. Of course, she was used to wearing revealing clothes in front of others—it was part of the Yonnite culture. But she couldn’t help wondering what these kind females would think of her if they knew all the things she’d let—no begged—Thorn to do to her.

  “We can leave if you want, so you and Liv can have privacy,” Sophie offered.

  She and Lauren started to get up but Neh’sa held out a hand to stop them.

  “No, stay,” she said, uncertain of why she was saying it. Maybe it was just that they were the first kind faces she’d seen in what felt like forever. She considered herself to be a fairly good judge of people—or she had before she’d let Thorn fool her—and she thought they seemed kind and understanding.

  “We’ll be happy to stay, Mistress Neh’sanna.” Sophie smiled at her warmly and she and Lauren settled back down on the couch.

  “Neh’sa—please call me Neh’sa,” Neh’sa said. She didn’t usually extend that invitation to any but friends but though she had known these women such a short time, they already felt that way to her.

  “Neh’sa, then. Would you please remove the shirt?” Liv asked gently. “I think I need to look at that shoulder.”

  Neh’sa let Thorn’s spare shirt pool around her waist in a puddle of red fabric. The torn lace gown still covered much of her breasts but her panties were gone so she made certain to cover herself there while Liv looked at the bite mark on her shoulder.

  “Did Commander Thorn do this?” she asked, frowning as she began to disinfect the bite with some kind of liquid that bubbled and fizzed when it touched the broken skin.

  “Yes,” Neh’sa said in a low voice. “When he…when he took me.”

  “Was that against your will, honey?” Liv asked in a low, firm voice. “Because I have a rape kit in my bag.” She nodded at the large black bag she’d been carrying over one arm which appeared to hold all her medical supplies.

  “No