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only one
feeling something. Kosen felt something for her too. If she could
only be alone with him again, she was sure that she could convince
him to help her. It was terrible to use his attraction against him,
but if that was what it took to escape a life of slavery, then that
was what she was willing to do.

    A quiet voice at the back
of her mind said that it wouldn’t be so bad. If he touched her, she
would enjoy it. There was no denying that. Her whole body responded
whenever his skin grazed hers or their eyes met and his were
holding a hint of desire.

    “ I will,” Kosen
said, so close to her face that his warm breath washed her skin.
Her body heated with the feel of it. “I returned here to see to it
that she ate.”

    “ Then see she
does.” Nostra bent to pick up the protein pack.

    Miali lurched forwards,
managing to hit Nostra in the head with her hipbone. He growled and
his fist slammed into her stomach, knocking the breath from her and
sending a shockwave of pain ripping through her body.

    She collapsed forwards as
much as she could, her hands jamming into the tight cuffs and the
metal collar scraping her jaw. Kosen’s hands shifted to under her
arms and he lifted her, supporting her body so the restraints no
longer bit into her skin. Why was he doing this for her? Nostra
would surely notice that Kosen’s actions went beyond stopping her
from damaging herself.

    Nostra tossed the pack
onto the crate that Kosen had moved to be in front of her. He
paused and looked over his shoulder.

    “ And
Kosen?”

    “ Yes,
Captain?”

    “ If you touch
Sasue again—”

    “ He was trying
to get to her.” Kosen interjected and Nostra’s eyes darkened. Miali
shrank back, afraid that the two men would fight. Pure anger
twisted Kosen’s handsome face, turning it dark. “If he tries to
break this door down again, I will see to it that he won’t be fit
to leave sickbay let alone touch a female.”

    Nostra held his gaze and
Miali expected him to put Kosen in his place. Surprise claimed her
when Nostra grinned, turning him even uglier as his scars pulled
against his skin and his sharp teeth were revealed, and then
laughed and clapped a hand down heavily on Kosen’s
shoulder.

    “ I am seeing a
new side to you, Kosen, one which I think I prefer. Make sure she
eats. We must be ready for market tomorrow.”

    Kosen tensed at the same
time as her.

    “ Tomorrow?” he
said. His expression betrayed none of the shock that she knew he
must have been feeling.

    “ Eryc has
informed me of something he had neglected to mention
before.”

    “ Now, Nostra. I
was not sure until I intercepted a contact she sent out a few days
past.” Eryc smiled at Nostra in a winsome way. Miali struggled
again, filled with a dark urge to hit him. Kosen had a knife. If
she could get out of the restraints and get hold of it, she could
kill Eryc. Her father and brothers had trained her well.

    Kosen’s body pressed
against hers. She stilled when she realised that their hips were
touching and his thigh was between hers.

    Her cheeks flushed when he
moved and his thigh brushed the apex of her legs.

    She hoped that the knot in
her hair was holding because right now it felt as though she was
flying.

    “ Take care of
our little princess,” Nostra said as the door behind him
opened.

    Her heart sunk into her
stomach.

    Eryc shot her a wide smile
and winked before he walked out of the door. She watched Nostra
leave, the door close, and then looked at Kosen.

    They were going to sell
her on the black market. Panic rapidly filled every inch of her and
she did the only thing that she could think of to convince
Kosen.

    She kissed him.

    Before he could move away
to lock the door, she clumsily pressed her mouth against his and
kissed him. Inexperience made fear pound in her heart. She was
still opening and closing her mouth, gaping like a Gavaelian carp,
after he had backed off a step.

    Miali slowly opened one
eye and then the other, dying inside