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cloth from him the best she could save her coverlet attire. A quizzical smile came to her face. A lord, eh? "Yes, yes, I’ll be sure to tell his … ah … lordship to hurry."
    "Very good, my lady," the servant answered. The gray tent flap fell in his face before he even finished.
    Olena turned, looking at her husband with renewed eyes. What exactly had she stumbled into? So Yusef was a lord, was he? That meant he would have money and men with money usually had things--things like spacecrafts and jewels and other valuables that could fetch a good price on the black market.
    If her crew still looked for her, as she knew they did, then they would be much happier to greet her if she were laden with gifts. It would be a nice gesture to them as a thank you for their loyalty. Maybe she could afford to take them to Quazer for a well-deserved vacation. Maybe she could even get the slave brands removed from their backsides as well. She tried not to grin.
    Setting the clothes on the bed, she dug through the pile with one hand. Her injured arm still pained her when she moved it. On top was a black tunic jacket, too big for her to wear. It was made from a soft cotton-like material, woven fine with simple edging. A silver dragon clasp held the jacket together in the front. The jacket went over an undertunic and a pair of tighter pants that were also severely black in color. On the jacket’s chest was the emblem of a dragon embroidered in silver.
    Olena grimaced, as she came to her clothing. "Ugh, another dress."
    Her gown was of a matching shade. Before putting it on, she carefully peeled the bandage from her wound. The cut was angry and red but, for the sake of her honor, she wasn’t allowed to do anything about it for three days. Only then could she disinfect it and help it to heal. Ripping her wedding dress on the floor, she tore the black silk into strips and tied up her arm.
    The tunic gown hugged tightly to her waist, dipping low at the chest in a very elegant way. Silver overlay fit at the shoulders and bodice, moving to trail over the back portion of the flared skirt. She too had the dragon on her chest, a smaller version than on Yusef’s tunic. The sleeves swung wide from her elbows to the floor, leaving her forearms exposed. She was glad her cut was high enough to be hidden from view by the sleeves.
    Slipping into the boots that had been delivered with them, she sighed in comfort. If she never saw a pair of slippers again, it would be too soon. Everything fit perfectly, but she took little time to wonder about it.
    She combed her fingers through her hair, pinning the bulk of it into a serviceable knot at the back of her head. It was slow going with one arm injured, but she did manage to get it back. Then, as she was placing the firefly into the top of the coiffure, she heard a low growl.
    Olena froze, gulping in sudden fear. She dropped her hand to her side. Slowly, she turned. That was not the sound of a man.
     
     
     
    Chapter Four
     
    Spinning just in time to see a flash of brown skin, Olena gasped in fright. Yusef had awakened in a dragon-like mood. Well, dragon-like wasn’t necessarily true. He was literally a human dragon. She had suspected he was a shifter, but she hadn’t been ready to see it firsthand.
    Golden eyes of fire stared at her as Yusef’s talon like fingers gripped her arms. She cried out in pain as he pressed into her cut. His beautiful black hair was the same, but his forehead had stiffened and pulled forward, bringing a low ridge down from his hairline to his nose. His breath came out in ragged draws of breath, rumbling with a growl in the back of his throat. All his flesh had turned as hard as armor and would be near impossible to pierce with a knife blade. Still, she wished she had a knife. She would have liked to give it a try.
    "Ah," Olena gasped as he squeezed harder.
    Olena clenched her eyes, trying not to cry out as he hurt her. Moisture pooled her vision and she squeezed it back, refusing