Taming the Raven's Son (Galactic Lust) (4 page)

Yes, indeed, I’ve arrived. Accommodations extraordinaire.

She snuggled against the comfortable bed, rubbing her
stomach and thighs across the magnificent texture.

“You’re awake.”

She recognized that voice. Her stomach knotted as her blood
heated.
Jacob!

“He watches,” he murmured. “He listens.”

Gingerly, she turned to lie on her back. Jacob loomed above,
standing at the side of the bed. In the dimly lit room, he appeared enormous.
His presence distracted her for a second before the sting in her backside
caught up with her sleep-muddled mind. “Ouch!”

He extended his arm and held his hand open. “Come with me.”

“Why?”

“We need to begin.”

She accepted his hand and he drew her from the bed. She
glanced down, wondering if he stood on a step. He appeared much taller and
wider than the last time she’d seen him. Large, bare feet dwarfed hers. Pants
hugged his long, muscular legs with the waistband riding on his hips. His naked
torso rippled with muscles up to his bulging chest and arms.

Her vulnerable position turned her stomach. Being alone with
Jacob caused more nervousness than being restrained and naked in front of a
group of people. With the group, there had been the possibility of someone
coming to her rescue. Alone, she would have to rely solely on Jacob. Most of
the men she’d known weren’t honorable. Why would Jacob be any different?

“What’s wrong?” He caressed the back of her hand with this
thumb.

She couldn’t describe the shivery chills racing through her
spine and up her neck. She’d never experienced them before. “I believe I’m
ill.”

“You’re hungry. I plan to feed you. Come.”

He didn’t tug or pull her along. She followed because in
truth, since he’d mentioned it, she’d realized she was starving. She hadn’t
eaten in at least a day. He stopped next to a massive table. One place setting
lay waiting with a variety of succulent items steaming and on display.

She glanced at his face, waiting for an invitation to sit.
Instead, he pulled a chair close with a large pillow on the seat. He opened his
hand, gesturing for her to take that seat. She appreciated the soft cushion.
However, she couldn’t reach the dinner plate.

He seated himself in front of the plate stacked with food.
Of course he would. He’d probably feed her scraps. Her appetite dwindled until
he fingered a large piece of juicy meat. Holding it by the bone, he drew it to
his lips. Sage swallowed, wanting to act like a heathen and tear the
tender-looking morsel from his fingers.

He blew to cool it before tasting it, all while she adored
it from a foot away. She glared. She couldn’t stand being made to watch as he enjoyed
himself and she starved.

I hate this! I hate this! I hate this!

Less than forty-eight hours ago, she’d been able to eat as
she wanted, do what she wanted and obtain what she wanted with the press of
button. People lined up to catch her attention in the hopes of a promotion.
She’d done the same as she rose through the rank and file. At this point in her
life, this whole situation was beneath her. She’d paid her dues, studied harder
than the others, proved herself to be more clever than her peers while she
caught the eyes of those who could promote her. Waiting for leftovers was
undignified, utterly deplorable and unreasonable!

Unacceptable
.

His fingers stroked hair from her face. She focused on
Jacob, who’d been gazing at her. “The meat isn’t too hot. Nor has it been
over-spiced. It won’t burn you.”

He offered the food by bringing it to her lips. She accepted
a large bite and when the flavor spread over her taste buds, her eyes rolled in
delight.

“I’m glad you like it. Sometimes the food can be overwhelming.”
He then whispered, “Or spoiled.”

He’d tasted it first to make sure it was safe? He offered
her more and when she reached for the meat-covered bone, he pulled it away.

“A first meal with a woman should be special. It allows a
simple trust to form.”

She questioned him with her eyes as she chewed.

And what about a first beating? Yep, that was special
too.

He held the meat for her to take another bite. The flavor
continued to amaze her.

“You see,” he said, wiping an errant piece of meat from the
corner of her mouth with his fingertip. He licked the bit of food from his
finger in a casual, slow manner. “By allowing me this honor, you must trust me
to give you only what’s safe to eat.”

She swallowed the tender, flavorful bite. “Honor?”

“Yes,” he replied, offering her more. “This is an important
first step in a relationship.”

Before she bit down, she glared at him. “You can’t have a
relationship with a
plaything
.”

He placed the meat to her lips until she took another bite.
“I’ve never referred to you as a
thing
. I never will. The bond between a
Master and his meek is sacred and treasured.”

“I bet.” Damn if he didn’t make her take another bite. He
kept her mouth full so he could do all the talking. It didn’t surprise her in
the least.

“It’s obvious you don’t want to be here. But yet, here you
are. A gift.”

“A thing,” she managed between one bite and the next.

“A woman to be cared for, nurtured and respected.”

“Great speech. Touching. When do you bring out the leash?”

“Disciplined,” he said, placing the bare bone onto the
plate.

She took her time chewing the last bite before forcing it
down her constricted throat. One word had ruined her appetite. He sipped from a
large metal goblet before placing it against her lips. She drank until the meat
dislodged from her throat.

Holy blazing inferno, it’s dissolving my throat!

She choked as the burning liquid scorched a path straight to
her stomach. Jacob placed a glass to her lips. She stuck her tongue into it,
discovered water and grabbed it with both hands. She drained the contents in
record time and leaned against the back of the chair.

“Forgive me. I didn’t find it too strong. Your palate must
be more delicate than I imagined.”

While panting and regaining her breath, she glared at him.
The vile bastard sported a smirk. She couldn’t tolerate any more. With nerves
stretched beyond comprehension, she rose. Enough was enough.

“You haven’t been excused.”

Oh I haven’t?

The act of being fed wasn’t humiliating enough? She could
survive on a few bites of meat. She would have to because if she remained
seated at that table, she couldn’t guarantee there’d be a good outcome. In
fact, she needed sleep more than she needed food. She’d deal with him later.

He stood, captured her wrist, turned her and wrapped a bulky
arm across her belly, trapping her. The meager hold she’d managed on sanity
slipped away. She couldn’t negotiate in this position. The only option he’d
left her was to fight. She used her legs and feet to kick his shins as hard as
she could. She had to be doing more damage to herself because he was made of
boulders! She didn’t care. She needed a toehold on the situation. She needed an
advantage.

“Please stop,” he said as he walked effortlessly toward the
bed. “You’ll hurt yourself and Sovereign has already denied us the use of a med
unit. If you break one of those delicate feet, it will have to mend the
old-fashioned way.”

A second later, when her heel connected with the wooden bed
frame, a loud crack stopped her short. She waited for unimaginable pain but a
dull ache presented in her right ankle instead.

His grip tightened when they stood next to the bed. As he
laid her down, he asked, “Where does it hurt?”

She sat up and looked down. She attempted to rotate her
foot. When she could barely move it, she flopped back on the bed. He reached
for her damaged ankle and she tried to roll away. He grasped her thigh, holding
her in place. He probed the ankle none too gently before grabbing her foot. “It
will have to come off.”

Panic descended before her mind cleared. She’d overreacted.
She’d attempted to hurt him all while he remained calm. Chances were he
wouldn’t hurt her now. Regardless, she tried pulling away.

“I was only joking. Settle down. You’ve sprained it, that’s
all.”

“And now you’re a doctor.” She couldn’t stop the contempt from
escaping any more than she could escape this place.

He stroked her insole and she flinched, bringing the toes of
her foot up and to the side. The sudden motion caused her ankle to turn, which
proved his point. She hadn’t broken it. The dull ache increased, but it wasn’t
intolerable.

“This is the beginning of a relationship?” she asked,
choking on the words. Her sarcasm and chiding kept tears from running down her
cheeks. She must remain strong, fearless and determined. It’d kept her on top
in the corporate world. It’d keep her safe here too.
Show no weakness
.

He straightened to tower over her with an unwelcoming frown
turning his lips. “Unfortunately, it’s the beginning of ours.”

“And where could it possibly fall from here? You’ve beaten
me, stripped a layer of flesh from the inside of my throat and broken my ankle.
You’re not very good at this whole
Master
thing, are you?”

Jacob gazed down on her, contemplating turning her over his
lap to redden her welted ass cheeks. In all his years he’d never met a more
disagreeable, rude, stubborn, utterly delectable woman. Her frown accompanied
by the glistening tears conveyed her struggle to remain in control. Bravery and
pride dictated her actions. He’d known women like her. Women who’d served in
the Governance. Female soldiers were trained to hide their emotions at all
costs, especially fear. They’d been conditioned to fight and die if necessary.
Her strength ignited a fire in him that was not entirely composed of anger.

She lay sprawled on his bed with his shirt covering her and
acted as if she were dressed for court and sitting in judgment of him. Damn, he
wanted to curb her brazen behavior. After thinking a moment, he would indeed
love to curb it, not destroy it. This woman was the most free-spirited female he’d
ever met. Fire coursed through her veins. Passion too. He could see it and
sense it in her as well.

“Ryker,” Sovereign yelled, entering his rooms.

Jacob turned to afford his captor a proper greeting.
“Sovereign.”

“Is your plaything settling in?”

Jacob smiled and crossed his arms. While he needed to appear
pleased, he couldn’t afford to seem happy. He knew Sovereign had watched their
recent interactions. On most worlds, her behavior would’ve been met with a
heavy-handed spanking at the very least. Her rear end wasn’t up to any more
discipline, so he thought about a reply.

“I don’t think she likes me, Sovereign.”

He smiled. “How will you deal with that?”

“By demonstrating patience. It’s her first night with me.”

“Are you man enough to handle her properly?”

Jacob didn’t even flinch at the verbal jab. “I’m not sure
what you mean, Sovereign.”

“She needs discipline!”

“She has welts upon her ass, a burned throat and a badly
sprained ankle. If I discipline her further, she won’t last the night.”

Sovereign started toward him. He wanted to say her throat
and ankle hadn’t been hurt during any form of discipline. But to do so,
Sovereign would need to admit he could spy within the room. He wouldn’t do
that. He wanted to keep his secret so that Jacob would supposedly speak his
mind within the confines of the walls. He afforded a place of safety where
Jacob could make plans. No, Sovereign wouldn’t admit to spying. Not when he
could learn of potential plots for an uprising.

“You’re correct.” Sovereign walked to the side of the bed.
He reached toward her and she shoved his arm away. He backhanded her face
before grabbing her throat. “Teach her some manners quickly, Ryker, before I
step in and teach her myself.”

Jacob’s teeth gnashed together. He wanted nothing more than
to crush Sovereign’s skull.

The bastard released her and walked to the door. “At least
she knows not to scream.”

The door closed and Jacob glared at it for a moment. He’d
kill that bastard. Soon. Although he couldn’t physically rip him to shreds,
he’d see him dead. He turned to find Sage curled onto her side, her knees
tucked to her belly. One palm held the cheek Sovereign had hit. The other
grasped the shirt to her chest.

Jacob sat down and placed his hand on her hip. She jerked as
a scared sound emerged from her throat. He stroked her repeatedly, silently
apologizing for not protecting her. “Let me see your face.”

She shook her head and squeezed tighter into a ball. He
rubbed her side and hip as he contemplated what to do. He’d need to start over
with her. He needed to gain control of her. Sovereign would continue to watch.
If he didn’t see progress, it would give him an excuse to remove her and do
horrible things to her.

He stood and walked to the relief room where he gathered
some basic medical supplies before returning to her side. He laid them on the
bed next to Sage. “Roll onto your back. Let me see the damage.”

She shook her head. This time however, a fine trembling
manifested over her entire body. He rolled her onto her back and straightened
first one leg and then the other. “Your ankle needs to be wrapped for support.
If you try walking on it as it is now, the pain will be unbearable.”

She sniffed and he made sure to pay attention to her ankle.
He didn’t want to see her tears, not after she’d bravely kept them from
surfacing. He felt guilty enough as it was. As he wrapped the cloth, tremors
passed through her. He wanted nothing more than to hold her. If he could
believe her, she’d been through a few massive ordeals recently. He knew for a
fact she’d almost been killed. Yet she hadn’t shed a tear.