“Are they also human?”
“I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter.”
“I suppose you want to bring them along as well?”
“Yes. It’s only fair.”
His fantasy of having her alone on his ship was fading away by the minute. But she looked so determined, he knew she wouldn’t back down—and he didn’t like the idea of leaving any female at the hands of the Zameetans.
“They’re probably going to end up sleeping on the floor,” he warned.
“But we can bring them with us? Oh, thank you, Varga.” She threw her arms around him and kissed him—quickly, but with enough passion to make him long for the time when they could be alone.
“Don’t thank me yet,” he said grimly. “We have a long way to go before we’re safe.”
“I know you’ll get us out of here.” She gave him a trusting smile that made him pray he didn’t disappoint her.
Chapter Eleven
As Varga moved into the lead, he suddenly realized what Rummel had meant when he said it was too quiet. He could still hear the distant drone of the mining equipment and an occasional rumble from within the rock, but the tunnel itself was eerily quiet. In his visits to the mines with Ukhaan, there had been a constant hum of noise from the clatter of tools, muttered conversations amongst the miners, and jeering from the guards. While he was grateful that they had not encountered anyone, the silence filled him with unease.
A feline female with sleek dark fur occupied the next cell they encountered. Unlike the other cells, hers was not only clean but equipped with everything from sheets to pillows. She looked up when they approached, then came sauntering over to the bars with a lazy seductive walk, her tail twitching provocatively. Ignoring Joan completely, she ran an appreciative glance over him, lingering on his naked chest.
“You’re certainly an improvement over my usual visitors,” she purred. “I’m Saka. Did you come to play?”
Joan gave an adorable little growl as she stepped in front of him. “No, he didn’t.”
“Who are you? His pet?” The female’s tone was so dismissive that he had to fight back his own urge to growl.
“We’re escaping. Do you want to come with us? Or would you rather stay and… play?” Joan asked, her voice cool.
“Escaping?” Saka raised an eyebrow as she surveyed the small group. “With two pathetic females and a half-sized male?”
Joan shrugged and started to move away. “If you’re happier here…”
“No!” For the first time, the female’s cool assurance cracked, and he could read the desperation in her eyes. “What’s it going to cost me?”
“Nothing,” Joan assured her. “We’re all in this together.”
“If we’re caught, it’s going to be very bad.”
“I know.” Joan’s face softened. “But isn’t it worth taking the chance to be free?”
Slitted yellow eyes stared off into the distance. “Maybe this time it will work,” Saka muttered, in a voice almost too soft to hear, then gave a firm nod and squared her shoulders. “Yes. I want to come.”
He unlocked the cell, and she moved past him, cool and self-possessed once more. It wasn’t until he heard Joan’s quiet gasp that he looked after the other female. Scars covered Saka’s back, dozens of pale lines streaked through the dark fur. Joan’s mouth opened, but he shook his head. He was sure that Saka was no more eager to discuss her scars with strangers than he was to discuss his.
Joan reluctantly decided that Varga was right: there was nothing she could say that would change whatever Saka had been through. She was uneasily aware that she had rushed to judgment of the other female because of her apparently complacent attitude, but no doubt Saka had done whatever she needed to do to survive. Just as Joan had done.
Guilt washed over her again at the knowledge of how much easier her life had been than it was for these females, despite Ukhaan’s casual brutality. Would she have been able to survive if she had been thrown into one of these cells the day she had arrived? Even Polly, as troubled as she obviously was, must have a core of inner strength to have lasted so long.
“It’s not your fault, little bird,” Varga said softly. She looked up to find him watching her, a warm glow in his dark golden eyes.
“Am I so obvious?”
“Only to me.” He dropped a quick kiss on her head, then moved ahead to assume the lead position.
Her eyes followed him, admiring his broad shoulders and the strong muscles of his back rippling beneath the dark turquoise skin. Even the thin golden scars only added to his masculine beauty. Everything had happened so quickly since she’d woken up that she hadn’t had much of a chance to think about their encounter, let alone discuss it with him.
She could still feel the slight, pleasant ache deep inside and shivered with pleasure at the memory. Despite the circumstances it had been the most deliciously erotic experience of her life. Or was it because of the circumstances? Was it the danger they were in that made it so exciting? No, she decided as her gaze drifted down over a tight, round ass and heavily muscled thighs. She would want him no matter where they were.
“Are you with child?” Saka asked abruptly.
“No.” Another thing that Kevin had taken from her. As much as she had wanted to be a mother, once she realized his true nature, she had refused to take the chance on subjecting a child to his demeaning cruelty. He had castigated her for her failure to produce an heir for
