The Varkari

Discussion

What could be upsetting to him that he almost lost control? He was not the one being bred like livestock. He was not the one that was going to carry an alien hybrid. Anger gripped me hard and I might have shown my own spikes had I any.

Then, I worried that he had found my mushroom caps. But when? I racked my mind for the times he was not with me and began to panic. What would the repercussions be for something illegal?

I felt sweat prickling along my scalp and wanted to curse at him with every colorful word I knew. Instead, I started on the meat and noodles focusing on the slightly nutty flavor despite the texture that he had tried to pair with the native seeds.

Yellow eyes watched my every reaction and I knew it. "The Varkari males are fighting over females now. Human females are too alluring, smell too good. They are calling for a new shipment."

Excitement gripped me. There was going to be a return to Earth. "And you are leading it?"

"No, I am not," he growled, this one less kind. Now, his eyes were narrowed, disapproving of my reaction. "The ship will be left to my second-in-command. I will be gone for one day to oversee their departure."

I did not even chew as he said the words, but I knew he could tell my pulse was racing with ideas. I could very easily run and lay low until the ship returned, hopping on and waiting until it left a third time. That was my only other option than killing him, right?

The thought knifing him while he slept, because there was no other possible way that an attempt would work, made me queasy. I did not have the guts to do it and after sleeping with him...it just seemed wrong.

"I have bred you many times, my mate. I will be back within a day. The house will be locked. Aldar will know that you are not permitted to leave. All cutlery and weapons will be removed. This is an opportunity..."

I sighed through my nose, dropping the pseudo-fork on the tray. "To demonstrate to you that I agree to be a compliant little wife? That this is my home, too?"

"Yes," he said.

Angrily, I snatched the jar of salve off the tray and left. Rahzgaur did not try to stop me. I went into the hall and stopped, my chest lifting and falling. My mind was scrambling. This was a damn test. What would he do if I did try to get free? He could only punish a prisoner so much. Pushing open the first door I came to, I found a study or control room with hologram monitors appearing at my entrance.

Knowing he was not going to let me stay in there for more than two seconds, I went to the next which was locked. The third ended up being a spare bedroom, lacking in personality and spartan. I sat on the bed facing the only window which was a small circle and hiked up my dress. The salve was chilly, but instantly started to tingle like the bath with a warming after effect like icy hot. Since it was slathered all inside my thighs and bits, I felt disgusting and did nothing but sit there for a long time.

Aldar moved along outside, head turning one way and another, occasionally stopping to listen. As far as I could tell, there were no paths in the yard that he had walked a thousand times, meaning he was likely venturing all over the property constantly. I wondered if I could bribe him with meat or something to get through. Though, I realized I had no idea which direction to go to get to where they landed the ship and despite how huge it was, I did not see it on the horizon.

Now that I knew what was in the jungle, and how quickly I had been located the last time, I felt like trying to wing Alien Planet Survival 101 was not feasible.

Then there was option number two. If I failed to escape while he was missing, I could try to rendezvous with Shonnie and we could attempt a joint venture. With how crafty she was, there was a good chance that she already had something lined up. Whatever fancy lord she had been promised to had to have connections, maybe even his own ship. That was viable. I would only get one chance regardless or it would be option three.