“I’m sorry that you cannot return to them.”
“I am too. They weren’t happy when I married Kevin, and he did his best to keep us apart. I was such a fool. I married Kevin because I thought he was like my father, but I missed one essential detail. Dad was bossy because he cared. Kevin was bossy because he thought he was better than everyone else. That’s one of the reasons I panicked yesterday. I should have known you weren’t like him.”
Varga had picked her up and carried her to the bed while she was talking, but now he frowned. “Who is Kevin? And what does that mean—married?”
“He was my husband. Marriage is… kind of like mating, I guess.”
His frown turned to a look of horror. “You are mated to another male?”
“Not anymore.”
She smiled but he looked even more appalled.
“Humans do not mate forever?”
“You should be happy about that,” she said lightly, but when his face didn’t relax, she sighed. “I hoped it would be forever, but it didn’t work out. I was so wrong about him. Fortunately, he finally found someone else.”
“He left you for another female?” The shock had been replaced by anger.
“Yes, thank goodness. It took me three tries before I found someone who convinced him to leave me.”
Varga still looked stunned. “You found another female for your mate?”
“Of course. I knew he’d never let me go unless he thought he was trading up. Uh, getting a more desirable female,” she added when he looked confused.
“There could not be a more desirable female,” he growled and rolled her under him. “Understand this, Joan. No other female will ever convince me to leave you.”
“Good,” she said, breathless at the heat in his eyes. “Because I’m never letting you go.”
Chapter Twenty-One
“You weren’t kidding about it being an ice planet,” Joan said, leaning forward to watch the planet approach. She had joined Varga on the bridge as they prepared to land on Hothrest. From what she could see, the entire planet was covered in white.
“Does that concern you?” Varga asked, studying her face. “I told you we did not have to stay.”
“No, I’m actually curious to see what it will be like. Do you really think your friend would consider me to run the restaurant?”
“I am convinced of it. You’ve managed to keep everybody on the ship happy.”
She grinned and shook her head, but it had been somewhat of a challenge. Although Issar was always polite, it soon became apparent that he had little interest in anything other than slabs of animal protein. Since fresh meat was in short supply, she had to be creative. On the other hand, both Taliane and, surprisingly, Rummel, preferred vegetables. Polly was completely unpredictable, but Joan had noticed that she tended to prefer more comforting, carbohydrate-heavy foods. At least they all enjoyed sweets, and Saka had turned out to have a surprising gift for creating pastries.
“If I do get the job, I want to hire Saka.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. She really is very talented—and I think it would be good for her.”
“As much as you take me to task for wanting to take care of you, you do exactly the same thing,” Varga pointed out, his eyes warm with laughter.
“I know.” She sighed. “If only I knew how to take care of Polly.”
The other female worried her. She still wouldn’t bathe, and even the stoic Issar moved away when she approached. Only Rummel seemed unperturbed and continued to share the small crew cabin with her.
But it wasn’t just her filthy appearance. Polly’s moods were increasingly unstable. She could converse intelligently enough for a period of time, but the strangest things would set her off and the results were unpredictable. She might start to moan and rush off to hide in her cabin, but she could also snarl and start looking for a weapon. Varga kept the few weapons on the ship under lock and key, but Polly was just as likely to seize the nearest decorative object and hold it threateningly. She hadn’t yet gone as far as to attack anyone, but Joan was afraid that something would eventually send her completely over the edge.
“She may be beyond your help,” Varga said gently.
“I know. I don’t suppose there’s such a thing as a psychiatrist on Hothrest?”
He tilted his head and frowned and she realized that the word had not translated. “A head doctor? Someone to help her mental state?” He still looked puzzled. “I do not believe I have heard of such a thing, except perhaps… There was some talk of mental assistance in one of the inner systems. It is not something you would find here.”
“You think a world that allowed slavery would be prepared to handle the results,” she muttered.
“They do not expect slaves to be freed,” he reminded her. “The new Emperor is attempting to enforce the laws regarding the acceptable treatment of slaves. Some have speculated it is the first step towards emancipation, but even if that is true, it will not happen quickly.”
“But you said they don’t permit slavery on Hothrest, right?”
“Not on the large part of the planet that is under Hothian control. But the port operates under Imperial law so it is not forbidden there.” He tugged her down into his lap. “I know your instinct is to rescue all of those less fortunate than yourself, but you must not interfere with anything you see while we are in Port Eyeja.”
“I’m not sure I can do that,” she said honestly.
“You must. As a former slave, your position is somewhat tenuous. I will never let anything happen to you, but if we were forced to flee into
