by Celeste Raye
Mariana argued, "I belong to no one! I'm free. You can hire me, but you can't own me."
"That's where ya got it wrong, girl. Ya owe me your life, and unless ya got the money to buy it back, you're mine."
"Not now, Mariana," Tika whispered as she opened her mouth to fight back. "Arguing will just get us killed. We'll live our own lives, don't you worry. I'm a weredragon, remember? I'll protect you as soon as that man teaches me to control my abilities. He'll have to now."
Left alone with the pair, Tann stated, "It looks like you both got your wishes. I'm sorry to say you'll both regret it soon enough, if not already. You should have listened. Torbin means it when he says he owns you. There's no way out.
Chapter Six
Tann
Tann realized his life was a tangled mess. He had no clue as to how to unravel it. It had taken months of dubious unethical dealings to get the pirates to even consider him as a potential recruit. More months had passed, and though they had allowed him in, he still wasn't trusted completely. Now, he'd given them more ammunition against him, all because of some silly little girls who thought it would be fun to be a pirate. Didn't they understand that pirates were the bad guys?
He wished for someone to confide in, just one person he could tell the truth to who would aid him in restructuring this mess. He had a good buddy at cop central, but communication wasn't allowed unless he had dire information or a raid that was about to become reality. Even the information he supplied couldn't be by COM link. It had to be encoded messaging, which he couldn't do from this rattletrap he had been commanded to steal and hide. Fortunately, the crew it belonged to had gotten drunk, bet too much money and lost, then ended up locked away by the way station manager. So, this pile of rust didn't matter much to anyone at the moment. By the time it did, the bounty inside would be sold, and the ship itself would be unrecognizable.
Tann had flown it, shaking and rattling ominously, to this dark spot on the man-made planet. Somewhere, in the living quarters of the ship, the girls were washing off the stench of sweat and rotted trash. He hoped they found clean clothes amid the junk in the private cabins since theirs were torn and too stained ever to come clean.
His heroic attitude and soft heart had gotten him into trouble once more. A real pirate would have laughed at Torbin's threats and asked if they could do the honors of using the girls before he killed them. But, not Tann. He had the stupidity to challenge his leader, and here he was, stuck in no man's land babysitting two clueless children. Was the littlest one telling the truth? Was she Naga or had she surmised that he would help her if she pretended to be one? He'd know soon enough. He could hear their footsteps echoing down the walkway.
The pounding on the metal doors was a reminder that he needed to change the lock settings and program in his and the girls’ palm prints. Otherwise, getting into all the spaces in the ship was going to be a royal pain. It was one of many jobs that required his immediate attention. The supposed training would have to wait. He used the command center to open the doors and keep them that way, although he couldn't count on them to not suddenly clang shut of their own volition. Repairs were needed everywhere.
Tika entered first. She was almost shiny due to how much scrubbing she'd done. Her hair was a soft brown, and it had a slight curl to it. Her face was young, yet wise. She was no stranger to street life. She'd found clothes of a sort. The pants she wore were actually cargo shorts that reached her ankles. The shirt was faded and covered with flowers. It hung almost as long as the shorts, but at least she was clean. Her shoes were still wet from her efforts to wash them. Obviously, the crews' shoes would have been large enough for both her feet to fit into one. Tann felt pity and obligation roll over him. It made his anger rise.
Mariana made his jaw drop. She looked nothing like the child he had thought her to be. Her long, sunshine blonde hair hung to her tiny waist. Big blue eyes watched as he perused her body. This was no child. Her breasts were full and pushed against the low scoop of the tank top she wore. It was tied in a knot at her waist, accentuating the curve that became her hips. The jeans she had confiscated must have belonged to a narrow-hipped crew member, for they melted over her hips quite snuggly. Tann felt a sudden, undeniable, and unwanted surge of desire. Even her bare feet drew him in.
Swallowing hard to maintain his composure, he declared, "Good, you're clean and ready to work. This ship is a piece of shit, but for now, it's home. So, we have to make it better. During your rummaging for clothes, did you find anything of use: tools, programming, keys?"
"There was an electronic notebook in the room where I got these clothes," Mariana admitted. "I think it's a log of supplies, you know, food and water. Do you want me to go get it?"
"Absolutely. We have to eat and drink, so knowing what's left will help us." Having her out of sight might bring down his soaring blood pressure. He was relieved to see her disappear down the hallway.
"I don't think there's much," Tika piped up. "We had a lot of breakdowns on the trip. It took three weeks longer than it should have."
"Maybe they accounted for that. Surely, the crew knew this vessel had issues and would take a long time to get to its destination. The fresh food is probably gone, but there might be canned goods. It's worth checking out," Tann told her.
"What if there's nothing? Will we starve or die from lack of water?" Tika's face showed panic.
"No, little one," he soothed. "I'm good at finding sources of food and water. Civilization isn't as far away as it seems. I would just prefer not to show my face for a few days until we get the spaceship's security up and running. We're a target for pirates, and I'm your only protection. Torbin really doesn't care what happens to us. If we survive, it's a bonus for him."
"What's my job?" Tika asked.
"Why don't you see how many rooms are unlocked? Search them for technology, food, clothes, coins, or anything else we could use. Bring some of it back. Take one of the electronic notebooks from one of the command stations to log in which rooms contain what. Are you literate?"
"Yes, and I know how to use the notebooks. I'm not ignorant, you know," Tika spouted in anger.
"It wasn't meant as an insult. I deal with pirates, remember? About half of them can't read, so it's faster to ask those questions when assigning duties," Tann explained.
"Whatever," she replied, stomping out of the control room as Mariana returned.
"What was that about?" she asked, sending a shiver down Tann's spine. Now that he had discovered she was the adult she claimed to be, his libido wouldn't let him forget it. Only a few pirates were female, and it was difficult to tell the difference in them from the males. The other women he came into contact with were like Lolita, which held no appeal for him. He saw gorgeous, rich, curvaceous ladies enter the big casino or theaters all the time. However, they were far away and out of his league, so they were easily dismissed. Mariana was in close proximity and had no masculine qualities that could make her be confused with a male.
Sighing, he answered, "Tika's a typical teenager. Everything's dramatic. I made the mistake of asking if she was literate. She acted like it was an insult."
"It was," Mariana argued. "Just because we're refugees it doesn't mean we're untaught. Tika's human father loved her. It was his wife that didn't. She was a testament to his infidelity with an alien. Before you ask, I am very well educated. My master indulged his daughter by allowing me to be schooled at her side."
"Your master? You were a slave? Why were you freed?"
"I freed myself, not that it's any of your business," she retorted.
"You're a runaway! Great, now there will be more in pursuit of us."
"No one knows I'm here, except Tylina. She'll never tell. It was she who aided in my escape," Mariana declared. "She didn't want me sold to the highest bidder, and her father wouldn't let her take me as a wedding gift."
"You were a troublemaker, I assume. So, he was going to auction you off."
"No, my mother and I were never rebellio
us. I was simply worth a lot of money. One man had already offered 5,000 pieces of gold." Mariana blushed as she admitted, "It was due to my purity. My mother made a deal so that I wouldn't be touched until my eighteenth birthday."
"He was selling your body, your purity, to the highest bidder?" Tann was outraged. As a cop, he knew slave owners often misused the slaves for sexual gratification. Sometimes, it was a mutual agreement. However, the thought of selling a woman's innocence to the highest bidder made him sick. "What of your friendship with his daughter? Didn't it matter to him?"
"The money meant more. As far as he was concerned, he'd fulfilled his promises and obligations to her and my mother. He'd allowed our friendship, educated me alongside her, and kept me from his guests. Now, it was time to profit from his benevolence."
"Slaves can't simply run away, especially valuable ones like you. He'll keep looking. Tylina will be pushed to the limit to give your location, as will your mother," Tann replied.
"My mother is out of his reach. Tylina owns her now and has sent her to her betrothed's estate. Tylina, herself, was with her father at the time of my escape. He is her alibi. To suspect her would be to show himself as a fool. He won't question her for that very reason. There is nothing linking me to Delti Utopia 6."
"You're very clever. Perhaps, you can be a pirate. It appears you're more devious than I gave you credit for. I should know by now not to underestimate anyone, even someone as easy on the eyes as you."
Mariana froze at his words. He liked her looks? Did he, too, see her as fresh meat? Was that all men thought about? She'd seen him as different. He'd saved their lives, standing between them and death, literally. He hadn't moved to touch her, even now that he had learned she was pure. Lord knew he could have done whatever he pleased. He was twice her size and had muscles to spare. He also had dragon fire as a threatening weapon. So, had his words meant nothing? Was she safe? Wariness claimed her.
Tann saw her freeze. What a fool he was to allow his tongue to run away with itself. He had frightened her. She saw him as a potential threat, and it hurt. Up until that moment, she had given him her trust. One sentence had broken it. He could apologize, but she wouldn't believe him, and it might make things worse. If he tried to say he didn't find her appealing, she would either call him a liar or think less of herself. Neither would regain her trust. He just kept digging his hole deeper. Soon he'd bury himself. He shouldn't have taken this assignment. But, if he hadn't, he wouldn't have been there to save Mariana and the others. What a conundrum!
"Hey, you guys," Tika called out as she returned. She was dragging a big crate and was out of breath. "Help me with this. I think it's spare parts for the computer controls. I don't know if they're old ones that were removed or new ones we can use."
"Let's get a look at them," Tann stated quickly. He was glad for the distraction. From the look of relief on Mariana's face, she was as well.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you," she finally spoke again. "The crew stopped counting what they had left a week ago, but even at that, there should be five or six days worth of food in storage. It won't be tasty, but it will keep us alive."
Chapter Seven
Mariana
Mariana was smart enough to know that plans often went astray, but they usually held some facsimile of the original, no matter how twisted out of shape they became. But, it would seem, not this time. She had expected to get off the spaceship, find a place to hide, and eventually work her way into a pirate organization. Instead, she'd run into the pirates before stepping foot on the ground, faced down a death sentence, and been saved by a Naga. Sadly, that was just the beginning. She'd regrouped, accepting that Tika wouldn't leave her side, and gone to ask Torbin, the pirate leader, for a place in his organization. Her life, along with Tika's and the Naga's were threatened because of her again. She'd talked fast and made promises she wasn't sure she could keep, but it had worked. At least she thought it had, until she was told she was a slave all over again. Was that her fate? To always be someone's property? It was ridiculous!
Then, there was the Naga, her watchdog. Sometimes, he was kind, as when he saved her. Other times he preached at her like a parent. Moments ago he had let her know that he noticed her body and yet he didn't try to lay a finger on her. He was suddenly all business. She was so confused and out of sync with her plans. Where was there to go from here? According to Tann, she wouldn't be able to hide from her former owner forever, nor would Torbin ever let her go. Her freedom had lasted for only a month, and it was spent in a trash heap.
She couldn't let it all get to her. After all, Tika now depended on her. At least the child was happy with her situation. She followed Tann around like a puppy. He'd shown Tika how to reboot the computer and change the locks so that units recognized their handprints. At the moment, he was teaching her some lessons on how to be a weredragon: mostly their code of honor and history.
Mariana was treated differently. He acted as if she was an eyesore or a pain to be around. As often as possible, he sent her to work where she was out of his sight. While they had worked on reprogramming the computers, she'd cleaned three cabins for their use. Now, she was gathering all the food and bringing it to the level that contained those cabins. It was obvious that Tann preferred her absence, but why?
"Let me carry the crate," Tann said from behind her. "You've packed it too full for you to lift."
After jumping a foot from his sneak attack, she became angry, "I guess I can't do anything right according to you. Is that why you keep sending me out of your sight? Do my mistakes offend you in some way? Don't be alarmed. I'll deal with my own faults. I'll turn this into two crates and bring it up. Just go back to where you're happiest."
"I wasn't criticizing. I was making a statement of fact. You don't offend me. I have my own reasons for staying apart from you. Let it be. Move over and allow me to take the crate. It's late: only four hours until dawn. We all need a meal and some sleep."
Mariana wanted to argue and refuse his help. She was too tired and hungry to allow her wants to overshadow her needs. He was right; they needed food and rest. Was it only last night that she'd arrived at the way station? None of them had eaten or slept since the spaceship set down. She was surprised they had any wits about them at all.
"Fine, take it," she said, moving aside. His arm brushed hers as he bent to lift the crate. The muscles were solid, as hard as any rock. He was warm and smelled of musk. It caused a tickle in her belly and a tingling in her toes. There was a hitch in her breathing that she prayed he hadn't noticed. Was this what attraction felt like? Perhaps, it was best that he sent her away all the time. Right this second, she wanted to plaster herself against his heat. Jerking backward, she slammed into the wall.
"Be careful," he growled. "I've never been good at treating injuries." He tossed the crate up onto his shoulder and walked out, still grumbling.
"Where's Tika?" she asked, running to catch up.
"She's filling the water flasks from the main tank. There's plenty. I think the crew preferred liquor and seldom showered, so water's not a problem."
They ate in silence, Tika struggling to keep her eyes open. "Go to bed. I'll clean up the mess. Tomorrow we've got to empty the trash compartment: your home away from home. If you left anything you need in there, you better claim it before we dump everything."
"None of us had a bag. We came with only the clothes on our backs," Mariana told him.
"The cabins and crew quarters are all unlocked. Feel free to gather any clothes or supplies you want before the pirates come to pick them over. The captain's room is off limits. Torbin has a claim to that, always. Don't harbor gold or coins. Any you find should be piled on the command center floor. It will be split according to rank. You'll get your share unless you try to hide what you find. The same goes for jewelry. You really don't want to face death a third time."
"Pirates have an honor system?" she inquired.
She felt his tired laughter vibrating in her chest.
"
I suppose you could call it that. I call it self-preservation."
Mariana stumbled out of the tiny cabin. The bed hadn't helped the ache in her bones, but it was a lot better than the floor of the trash compartment, and it was private. She peeked into the cabin across the narrow hall and saw that Tika was still soundly asleep. She wouldn't have dared open the door to the cabin Tann had claimed. Fortunately, it was unnecessary. He'd left it open. It was empty. If it wasn't for the shirt placed over the bottom of the bunk, she wouldn't have known he had been there at all.
She proceeded to the nearest washing station to splash her face and comb her tangled hair. Her mind was preoccupied with finding clothes and objects she could claim as her own, so she didn't hear the shower running. The sudden silence as it was turned off brought her out of her reverie. She backed up but didn't get out before Tann stepped from the shower.
His black hair was dripping, and all those powerful muscles glistened with water. His bulging arms had tattoos; one she'd seen on several of Torbin's men. She guessed it proclaimed which pirate group he belonged to. However, the one on his magnificent chest was clearly chosen by him. It was a replica of him in dragon form. She had heard that only the elite among the Naga marked themselves in this manner. Why would a member of the elite become a pirate?
Her gaze lowered, taking in the ripples on his abdomen. She could only describe them as yummy. Lower still, she found he was covered with a drying cloth. He held it tightly around his waist. Mariana unconsciously licked her lips. She heard a growl in response. Raising her eyes, she met Tann's. The gray had become almost black. His gaze burned into her, setting off sparks around her pounding heart.
"Don't look at me like that," he warned. "You have no clue what it makes me want to do to you. Leave, while you have the chance."
