Chapter 15
Lena stirred, yawning deeply as her eyes fluttered open.
It took her a moment to realize where she was; on a strange ship, in the arms of the Thren who had abducted her. Screl was grinning down at her as she curled into the crook of his arm, a tentacle petting gently through her hair.
“Did you give me something?” she asked, immediately suspicious.
Screl narrowed his eyes.
“What do you mean?”
“To sleep. You know, a muscle relaxer or whatever.”
“No, I did not.”
Lena reveled in the energy filling her body. She was still a little sore from last night, but otherwise refreshed and alert, even without a single sip of traxaccino. She didn’t know the last time she’d felt so ready to start the day, at least not without a medical aid.
“Did you sleep well, little human?”
“Not bad, I guess.”
Screl shook his head, tsking.
“Why must you lie to me?”
In what galaxy did he have a right to accuse her of anything?
“Why did you have to kidnap me?”
Screl’s eyes widened for a split second before he resumed his nonchalant look, though she knew she had flustered him because it took him a few moments to compose a response.
“I… may have acted without thinking.”
“May have?” she repeated, eyes narrowed into a glare.
“I asked you nicely first, didn’t I?” he said with a shrug, only infuriating her further.
“And I said no.”
In a flash of movement, Screl scooped her up and positioned her so that she straddled his lap, reminiscent of last night.
The silky sheets covered his lower half, but she knew what prizes she’d find underneath, two cocks ready to give her exactly what she wanted.
Tentacles restrained her arms as if anticipating her reaction, and she didn’t even bother to fight it.
Screl leaned forward, craning his neck so his whisper prickled the skin under her ear.
“Don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy waking up with me on top of you. I can be inside you next time, if that’s how you’d prefer to start your day.”
A flare of anger pulsed through her, and not just because of his vile words. No, what was worse was that she did want that, enjoyed the lewd way he spoke to her.
“I hate—” she started, but Screl cut her off with a tentacle over her mouth.
“Don’t say that again,” he said, his voice deadly serious. “Because if you do, I really will have to punish you.”
Lena wanted to scream, her body already reacting to his threats as if they were something she wanted. A craving that could never be satiated.
Screl gave her a sly grin, pulling her toward him just enough so he could spank her ass hard, the sharp bite of pain zinging up her spine as arousal settled in her core.
Slowly, the tentacle over her mouth retracted, and he eyed her as if daring her to defy him.
“You are awful,” she growled, and he chuckled.
“I know I am. And you can’t resist it.”
She swallowed hard, trying to contain her frustration at the truth of his words. Eventually, she let her muscles relax, and he released her restrained arms, not arguing as she slid off his lap like a reprimanded puppy.
Shrugging off the guilty thoughts, she turned back to Screl, ready to change the subject.
“You said you had a surprise for me.”
She hated the way hope filled her, when surely the surprise would be sending her back to Henios. Which is what she should have wanted, should have been begging for, but she could think of nothing she needed less.
“I do,” Screl said. “But first, you must eat.”
Though there was no indication that he had called someone, a moment later the door whirred open and another Thren appeared with a tray. He walked over as Lena scrambled to cover herself with the sheet, setting the food on the bed and swiftly exiting without a word.
Screl nodded to the tray, and she dragged it toward her, trying to ignore the heaviness in her chest as she picked at the usual breakfast foods.
He’s taking you back today. Of course, he is. He had his fun with you, and now you’ll never see him again. Every sweet thing he says is a lie to keep you appeased, so he doesn’t have to deal with your pathetic tears when he leaves you.
“You’re really not going to tell me what the surprise is?” she asked, glancing at Screl, who was watching her intently.
“If you are so eager to know, we will be visiting Botune today.”
So, not returning to Henios? She tried to stifle her excitement, sure it was some sort of trick, some way to hurt her.
“Oh?” she asked, not wanting to seem too interested despite the fact that this would be her first chance to see an alien planet.
If he was telling the truth.
“Does that please my little pet?”
Lena bit her lip, focusing her attention back on the last strip of bacon.
“It sounds… nice.”
She hated how quickly she’d let herself get attached, had allowed this male to infiltrate her emotions, her life. It felt right, sitting here in bed with him, enjoying an interesting morning and a delicious meal.
Better than the grogginess she felt after her sleeping pills, or the electrified exhaustion after a night with zero sleep.
The way he’d fucked her last night and bathed her afterward had relaxed her enough to knock her right out, something she’d never seemed to figure out how to do on her own no matter how many methods she tried.
When she was finished with her meal, she eyed him shyly, a flush heating her cheeks at the way he gazed at her. The memory of last night was crystal clear, the way he’d forced more pleasure on her than she ever thought possible.
Embarrassment flooded her when she recalled the way she’d begged for his cum. What the hell had come over her? And the way he’d so vehemently refused and meticulously cleaned her seemed strange, but perhaps it was a Thren thing.
Somehow, after everything he’d done to her, he drew the line at creampies.
Screl pressed a kiss to the top of her head, then slipped out of the bed and dressed in a pair of black pants and a thick black shirt, his tentacles peeking out from the hole in the back.
He took her tray and went to the wall where the door should be, pressing a tentacle to the smooth chrome and greeting a Thren standing on the other side.
They exchanged items, the tray for two wrapped packages, and Screl returned to her with a grin on his face.
He set the packages next to her, and she furrowed her brows in question.
“What’s this?”
“Something for the trip,” Screl said simply, clearly eager for her to open the gifts.
The first bundle was soft, wrapped in silvery paper, and she tore into it, more interested than she wanted to admit.
She was greeted with thick material, a black jacket trimmed with gray stripes and a matching set of pants.
There were also undergarments and socks, which was a first, and a soft, gray t-shirt.
Much different from the skimpy escort dresses she’d gotten used to.
Lena continued to eye him with suspicion, but heaved off the bed, dressing in her new outfit.
Screl watched her intently, his gaze roaming over her as she covered herself with fabric.
The clothes were form-fitting, but loose enough to feel comfortable, and she wondered where Screl had gotten them.
The second package was a box with black boots, somehow exactly the correct size, and she was grateful for the modest clothing for her trip to Botune.
“How do I look?” she asked, her voice a playful purr.
“Stunning,” Screl said with a grin.
Lena beamed as she stepped around the bed, taking his offered hand and letting him usher her from the room.
God, she really was falling for it hook, line, and sinker.
She should be fighting and screaming, begging to go back to Henios, but instead she grinned like a schoolgirl, eager to see where the day would take them.
Screl’s large hand dwarfed hers, and her body hummed with need, recalling the sensations of his tongues between her thighs, his tentacles brushing over her skin.
His ridged cock spreading her wide while the other ground through her slick arousal.
Something she desperately wanted to experience again, and it took everything in her power not to ask him to undress her right there in the hallway.
Since when had she become so mindlessly obsessed with sex?
But deep down, it wasn’t just that. What she felt with Screl went far beyond her one-night stands, even more than anything she had experienced in a longer-term relationship.
An intense sense of connection that threatened to overwhelm her at any moment, like she’d be willing to drop everything if it meant being with this male forever.
It was terrifying, but she tried to hold the cruel voice at bay, the one telling her she was worthless.
Even if it were true, she wanted to enjoy whatever time she had with Screl, enjoy her first—and maybe only—trip to an alien world.
She could despair when she was back on Henios, alone once more, but for now she just wanted to be happy.
It wasn’t long before they stopped at a docking area with a large window, a view of Botune taking up most of the space, closer than it had appeared back at the station. The glittering iridescent dust that encased the planet was absolutely stunning up close.
Screl walked them through a set of double doors, opening up to some sort of shuttle bay. The small ship he escorted her to had that uniquely Thren minimalist quality to it, though it was similar enough to the shuttlecraft she had traveled to Henios in.
Two pilots sat in what she assumed was their version of the cockpit, and one other Thren was already seated.
Screl motioned for her to sit next to him, and she obeyed. His hand rested on her thigh, a single tentacle slowly wrapping around her neck, and a strange sense of peace enveloped her.
Lena tensed.
“What are you doing?”
“I do not want you to become sick,” Screl said. “The atmosphere of Botune can be quite unrelenting for a small shuttle. I am giving you biologics that will calm you and reduce your nausea.”
“Could you please ask me before injecting me with stuff?”
He paused for a long moment before responding.