Just keep treating him like a spookedhorse, she told herself. After all, her equine pets outweighed andoutmassed her many times over and she still managed them quite nicely. Ofcourse, neither of them had ever tried to throttle her.

Trinsighed, thinking of them now. Her stallion, Swift, galloping in the pastures ofpurple grass and pink gana flowers inthe fields by her mother’s house…and her mare, Silk, tossing her glossy mainand neighing like thunder the moment she caught sight of Trin coming over therolling hills towards her.

Thetwo of them were old now and they had never managed to breed for some reason.Every time Trin spoke to her mother she was afraid one or both of them might begone but they carried on, always happy to greet her when she made one of herincreasingly infrequent trips home.

Butcould she really equate the Havoc she’d inadvertently bought to the largeequine pets she’d left back home? For all his voice didn’t allow him to speakmuch, he at least was able to manage a few words. And there was awarenessburning in his striking eyes—intelligence she couldn’t deny just because he wasmale. Intelligence and something else…some veiled threat or barely buried rageshe couldn’t name but also couldn’t discount.

Trindecided she would have to keep a close eye on him. Though she hated to admitit, Sidna was right about one thing—the Havoc was big enough and strong enoughto cause a lot of damage and injury if he went on some kind of a rampage.

Shepatted the stunner in the pocket of her black flight jumpsuit. She wasn’t goingto give him a second chance unless he earned it.

Chapter Five

Thrace losttrack of the time he spent chained to the narrow cot. He spent many long hourstrying to force the memories which had been unearthed like half-rotted corpsesback into their crypts. It wasn’t easy. Being restrained and unable to doanything for himself brought the past back strongly—too strongly to be deniedor ignored.

Tocounter it, Thraceinstinctively knew he needed something positive. Something to take his mind offwhat he had suffered, something to distract him from the agonies of the past.

Hechose his new mistress, Trin.

Notthat she was really his mistress—he sure as hell wouldn’t call her that even if she had bought and paid for him. He did accord her the title of “captain.”She owned the ship he was prisoner on and kept the crew in order and sheappeared to do it effortlessly—though he knew from personal experience it wasmuch harder than it looked.

Hecould hear her talking to various crew members from time to time since theirvoices echoed in the long, metal corridors and he had to reluctantlyacknowledge that she handled herself and her responsibilities well.

Hercalm self possession in the face of his own rage was also remarkable. Thracehad known fully grown males who cowered when he was in one of his moods. Trinsimply spoke gently and looked at him with those big, dark eyes, meeting hisgaze without fear or any anger of her own.

Allin all, impressive.

Notto mention fucking gorgeous—a fact he mostly noticed at night.

Thoughshe mostly dressed in the black flight jumpsuit which covered her considerablecurves, she always came to check on him before she went to sleep. At thosetimes, she was usually dressed for bed and her sleep outfits were considerablymore revealing than the jumpsuit—a fact that wasn’t lost on Thrace.

Trindidn’t seem embarrassed to walk around half dressed in front of him at all. Atfirst he’d thought she was deliberately teasing him. When she leaned over him,showing the creamy brown swells of her breasts or walked past his cot in aslip-like garment that barely covered her to mid thigh and showed her long,smooth legs, he was sure she was tormenting him on purpose.

Butgradually he came to understand she didn’t realize what she was doing. It wasas though she thought of him as an animal—one of her pet horses which she hadtold him about when she came in to tend and check on him.

Itwas fucking insulting and yet, probably not that surprising when he thoughtabout it. After all, she came from a world virtually without males. How couldshe know the effect she was having on him? She probably did think of him as a kind of pet. After all, he was completelydependant on her for everything—food and water and shelter. How else would shesee him?

Thracesupposed she wouldn’t be embarrassed to let a pet see her half-naked and itdidn’t bother her for him to see her that way either. The difference was, a petdidn’t get hard at the sight of his mistress half unclothed.

Ofcourse, at first, neither did Thrace.Being chained down and helpless was an effective damper for his lust—it was toomuch like his time with the old Master. The manacles around his wrists provokedtoo many painful memories.

Butas the days went by, he grew used to it—as used to it as he could, anyway. Andas he grew accustomed to being restrained, it actually became easier to pushthe old memories away and concentrate on his new reality. And on Trin.

Thesituation came to a head on the night when she came in, dressed for sleep in athin, see-through white gown that fell to her thighs and a silky robe to matchthat belted loosely around her small waist. The berry-dark points of hernipples were clearly visible pressing against the thin fabric and when she bentover, he could see a hint of the wispy little panties she wore underneath.

Gods! The sight of her lush bodyhalf unclothed as well as the sweet scent she always carried with her made hiscock ache. She moved around his small room, often brushing against him sincethe space was so close, doing something with a basin of steaming water.

“Whatare you doing?” His voice had finally come most of the way back though it wasmore of a hoarse growl than its normal timbre.

“Gettingready to give you a bath.” Trin turned to face him, a friendly smile on herface. “I have to go away tomorrow and Sidna, our medic, is going to be lookingafter you. I want you to feel as comfortable and clean and happy as you can—underthe circumstances.”

“Someoneelse is going to be touching me? Handlingme?” Thracedidn’t like the surge of panic the news caused in his chest. He’d gotten usedto Trin hooking him to the medi-bot—her hands on him no longer caused the floodof unclean memories that had threatened to drown him at first. But he didn’twant someone new—someone besides Trin—touching him while he was chainedhelplessly to the cot. Just the thought made his jaw clench and his entire bodyfeel tight.

“I’mafraid it can’t be helped but it won’t be for long.” Trin stroked his armsoothingly, as though he was an animal that needed reassurance. “I just have tocomplete these negotiations for our new shipment and then I’ll be back. Now,let’s get you bathed.”

“You’vehad me chained down for the Gods know how long,” he growled, deciding torevisit the issue later. “I suppose I’m starting to stink.”

“Notreally.” Trin frowned as she drew the steaming basin of water closer and dippedin a soft cloth. “Although you dohave a very distinctive scent—warm and spicy and…I don’t even know how todescribe it. A little bit like the leather saddle I use on my stallion, Swift.”

“Youtreat your pet horse like you treat me?” Thrace asked as she bent over him,unconsciously showing those full, creamy breasts again. Gods, he could seeright down her top to her nipples! “Wash him…” He cleared his throat. “Wash himwhen he gets dirty?”

“Ofcourse,” she said without a trace of irony as she wiped his chest and shoulderswith the warm, damp cloth. “And I rub him down when he’s sore after a longride. I take care of him because he’s my responsibility.”

“Theway you take care of me,” Thracemuttered. Her soft hand on his skin was doing things to him and the sight ofher full breasts so close he could almost touch them was maddening. Gods, shewas lovely! He shouldn’t want her—shouldn’t want the female who was his captor,his mistress, who had bought him body and soul and had him chained to a bed.But damned if he could help himself when he smelled her sweet scent and felther touch on his flesh.