Page 18 of Adored By the Alien Warlord
“No, thank you.” She rose, and her hand stretched out to me.
I pivoted and fled again beforeher fingers could touch.
Over the next few days, I made sure my mate ate well, and I brought her little things I hoped would make her smile. Otherwise, I didn’t visit her other than when directed to bring her upstairs to dance or return her to her room. I wanted Wortek to believe I didn’t care one way or the other about her.
The opposite was true. Her strength and determination to make it through this astounded me. Living in the desert taught us resilience, but this woman had come from a life much different than the one she found herself in now. Many would’ve broken. Instead, she’d found a way to hold her head high and dance with a touch of dignity on her face.
Finally, the night of Wortek’s special guest arrived. When I stepped inside the bar early that evening, I found Wortek snarling at the extra crew he’d hired to make the place look better. Other than a fairly clean floor and tables, it looked unchanged to me, but Wortek actually beamed when he saw me, gesturing for me to join him where he sat at the bar eating and savoring a drink.
I knew better than to sit beside him, but I strode over and stood within his view, complimenting him on how great the bar looked.
His grin grew sly. “Do you think it looks good enough for the king?”
So the Veerenad king was his guest? “I’m sure it is.”
Thousands of lizards lived in this city, though their population had not grown since the disease swept through. At the end of my shift, I walked through the streets, studying the wall encircling the city and theguards lining the top, seeking a way out where we wouldn’t be seen leaving. I’d noted how tight the streets were, how many of them lived in this small stretch of land.
I’d also looked around for any other human females. Maggie might not be the only one captured. But I hadn’t seen a single human, and I’d stopped often, listening in on various conversations. If there were others inside the city, I suspected I would’ve heard about it already. Many had spoken of Maggie and her dancing.
Firion had stayed with my clan for a night during a storm, and he told me he’d originally been on his way to negotiate a treaty with the Veerenad king. We planned to offer them land to expand into in exchange for them taking control of the rogue packs of Veerenads wandering well beyond their territory. A pack had captured Firion and Talia and made them work in the mines.
While Firion hadn’t concluded his trip, he still intended to speak with the king one day soon. It was long overdue. We needed to establish some sort of boundary to keep the lizard people from overrunning us all. If we couldn’t find a way to respect each other, we’d end up warring, something I was sure neither side would survive.
“When does the king arrive?” I asked.
“Before the middle of the night.” Wortek’s chest puffed. “He has important duties to attend to before he takes leisure.” He rubbed his palms together, his claws clicking when they touched. “He’s heard about thehuman female’s dancing and stated he wanted to see it for himself. After tonight, this place will be overrun with Veerenads. Everyone who hasn’t seen her will wish to, and those who already have are nearly as addicted to her dance as the effect of tetradon fever.”
“I’m sure she’ll impress him. That’s why I reminded her to wear the new outfit you gave her tonight.”
She’d mentioned the “gift” he’d given her for good behavior was a red sparkly gown that she said didn’t fit well. It was too tight. It hugged her body too closely. She hated it.
But she’d wear it.
If only I had found a way to get her out of the city before tonight. Each time I thought up a plan, I realized that while it might get us past the outer wall, it wouldn’t be enough to get us far enough away from Wortek. He saw Maggie’s value, and he’d do all he could to keep her here, dancing for him and the others each night.
“Go get her.” His gaze shot to the stairs. “Bring her up early. I want to make sure she understands how important this is.”
“Will do.” I loped over to the stairs and hurried down them, making my footsteps loud as I walked along the hall to let her know I was coming.
When I appeared in her open doorway, she was sitting on the bed dressed in one of the outfits I’d given her. The smile curving her mouth hit me like a blow to the chest. We were only friends. I’d never push her to give me more. I was honored enough that she’d give me a smile.
But oh how my heart ached to see it. To seeher.
The gods may have sent her to me, but I’d never be worthy enough to claim her.
“Davon,” she said, rising. Her face didn’t seem as stark and pale as when I first met her, and I told myself it was because I was making sure she had enough food, that she got rest. Her high color had nothing to do with my presence.
“Wortek wants to speak to you before his special guest arrives. It’s the king. He also wants to inspect you in the dress.”
“Funny how naked I felt wearing this.” She flicked the thin tunic and pants she’d danced in each night lying neatly folded on the end of her bed. “But this?” She held up the gown. There wasn’t much to it, and it sparkled, tiny facets on the surface catching the light. “Good thing it’s tight or it would flip over my face when I’m dangling upside down, exposing my underwear.”
Heat roared through me at the thought of something like that happening, and I chided myself for the way my cocks stirred in my pants. She was not an object to be admired. She was a female to be respected and adored.
“My underwear has seen better days.” Her sigh bled out as she lowered the red dress onto her lap. “I wash it out in the sink each night and put it back on while it’s still damp. I . . . don’t dare not wear something, though I’m well aware it’s not much of a barrier if someone wants to reach me.”
Could I find more for her?I’d look in the market for something that might work, though I didn’t have much hope of finding anything she could wear.
“I’ll step out while you change,” I said, backing out of her doorway.