She removed her hand from his leg, earning a low growl from him, then pointed to him. “Luka.”
He stared at the hand she’d just removed from his knee.
Alice waved a hand in front of his face to get his attention. She pointed to her mouth and said, “Luka,” then to his mouth and said, “Luka,” and finally, she hovered her hand over his knee.
He followed her movements with his eyes. She pointed to his mouth again and waited.
He blinked a few times but finally repeated, “Luka.”
She cheered quietly, balling her fist in success before placing her hand on his knee again.
Luka purred quietly, and his gaze shot from her face to her hand. He raised his eyes to the ceiling in thought, then looked at her again and said, “Luka.”
She laughed lightly. “You are a smart guy.” She placed her left palm on his other knee.
Shifting in his seat, he chanted, “Luka, Luka, Luka.”
Alice actually laughed out loud. “Okay, tiger, but we need to get you to say some new words.” She placed her hand in front of his face. “Hand.”
He looked at it for a moment and rattled his hands securely locked in place and repeated, “Hand.”
Alice eyed Luka, wondering where to touch him as a reward. An odd combination of guilt and arousal assailed her as she examined his half-naked body. Even beaten and bruised, he was still magnificent. His broad, hard chest was covered in tanned, smooth skin. The small white tattoos that ran over his body begged for her to trace them with her finger.
“Hand,” he repeated firmly.
She reached out and traced a small curving tattoo that ran along his chiseled abs. Luka began purring again, and the tightly corded muscles of his stomach flexed under her touch.
As she followed the tattoo with her finger lower and lower, she heard a groan escape him. When she reached his pant line, she gasped and pulled her hand back. A massive erection was clearly visible through his thin pants. She looked up at him and found his eyes were black again.
In a low, rumbling voice, he growled, “Hand.”
She let out a nervous, high-pitched laugh. “Yeah, maybe if you come up with an escape plan, I’ll give you a hand.”
Alice swallowed and forced her gaze to remain fixed anywhere but his lap. It must be torture to feel constantly aroused and have no way of relieving yourself.
She looked up at him miserably, hoping he could understand the position she was in. “I’m sorry, Luka. If you weren’t drugged and you asked me to fool around with you, I would without a second thought, believe me.”
A booming, gravelly voice echoed from the ceiling again. “Resume touching him.”
Alice reached out quickly, worried Luka would be shocked again if she didn’t. “Also, they’re watching.” She began massaging his arms and shoulders, shooting a glare at the camera. “Having your arms stretched like this must hurt a lot.”
Luka’s eyes closed, and he groaned as she rubbed his sore muscles.
Alice thought back to the voice that’d just commanded her to touch him. It hadn’t been Helas’ voice. Had he left? Where did he go if he wasn’t always here?
Chapter 4
Everything was a haze. Disorganized thoughts came to him in bits and pieces, but he couldn’t hold on to any of them. Every time he tried, an overwhelming lust blanketed his mind, leaving a dull, painful ache in his body.
Soft hands running over his burning skin was his only respite. He could sense her. Hear her. His mate.
While she was near him, he found he could focus. When she spoke, her voice felt like cool honey dripping down his aching body.
He couldn’t understand her words, but when he spoke, she touched him, so he focused all of his energy on pushing back the dark cloud of lust that wiped away his senses and identifying the items she indicated. Hand. Door. Alice.
She was touching his shoulders now. Running her soft palms over his back. He tried to remember where he was, how he’d gotten here, but every time he did, his mind would devolve until a single thought remained. Take her. Take your mate.
He focused on her hands and her soft words. Concentrate on her.
She was his lifeline. The only thing connecting him to his unclouded mind.
He felt cold metal circling his wrists. Although he couldn’t remember how they’d gotten there or why he was restrained, he was thankful. If his hands were free, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to control himself.
Chapter 5
Alice had been keeping track of her days the only way she could without a clock, by counting her visits with Luka. Assuming she’d been brought to him every day, she’d counted two weeks in this place.
She looked forward to those visits more than she could say. Luka not only offered her comfort, with his deep voice and familiar icy-blue eyes, but he also made her feel like she wasn’t alone. Whenever nightmares plagued her or when her anxiety rebounded out of nowhere, Alice knew she could wrap her arms around his neck the next day and he’d soothe her. She’d cried into his shoulder a handful of times now, becoming less and less embarrassed about it the more it happened. He’d nuzzle her neck as she wept and lightly purr, somehow knowing, even through his haze, how to make her feel better.
After her visits, Sal, Gishen, or Helas would bring her back to her cell, where food would be waiting. If Helas brought her back, as he had today, he’d speak to her about the day’s progress and occasionally, depending on his mood, answer some of her questions.
Today, Helas sat quietly in
