8. Chapter 8

When Zil gets into a room, he puts me on a bed. Maybe this is his room. I remain on the bed, not knowing what to do about this. Do I scream? Do I fight?

I don't think Zil put me into the captain's room, but when he puts me here... Does that mean...?

"Hazel, right?"

"Oh, yes." I grab the bed sheet. Is this happening?

"Roll over."

Fuck...

I ask, "Are you sure about that?"

"You heard me."

I roll over. I can only hope he isn't a nasty male, but... Fuck my life...

He grabs my T-shirt and pulls it up along my back until most of my back is naked. The cold air teases me. I close my eyes, waiting for him to strip me naked.

His hot hand rests on my back. He strokes me. My heart seems to stop when he...

Oh... he is running his finger along the whipping marks.

It doesn't take long before his hand leaves my back. Is he going to take off the rest of my clothes?

"Stay there."

Okay...? But I can't even see what he is up to when I'm on my stomach. Who is to say he has my best interest at heart and why will that even be the case?

There are a few light cranks. Maybe he opens and closes a drawer or two. Is he looking for a whip or something like that? Do these uzains have those in their room, too? Or maybe some kind of weapons, they must have that if they are kidnappers and may have kidnapped more before they put their hands on me.

Something cold is on my back. I flinch when he starts rubbing something on my back. What does this mean?

It doesn't take long for my skin to heat up. Is that because of the stuff he is putting on me?

He asks, "Where else did you get hit?" His voice is so cold that... it feels like I've done something wrong.

"I think it's all on my back."

"Okay." He is probably rubbing medicine on me. Should I thank him?

When he is done with me, he climbs onto the bed. The bed shakes because he is such a big guy. This bed is a lot larger than mine, which fits him. But I don't want to be on a bed with him. This is scary.

He sits next to me and watches me. "Look, you're here now."

I suppose so. Does he enjoy stupid questions and statements that much?

He sucks in a breath, as if it is hard for him to utter a word. "You'll be healing up soon."

"And you'll be whipping me again?"

He lifts his brows. "Do you want that?"

"Hell no! Who would want that?"

"I figured." He has a weak smile, but the rest of him...

Maybe I shouldn't ask, yet... "Say, I thought the captain would put me in his room. But I'm here with you."

"You're mine now."

"What?" I sit up even though the light burn on my back is still there. "Who said that?"

"Me." His eyes narrow on me. "And I think you are smart enough to understand."

"All I know is you kidnapped me and now you think I'm yours. What do you even mean by that?" I'm not fooled by his tiny nice act. He is still evil.

"I didn't kidnap you. If you want to stand a chance to get out of here, you'll know to work with me."

I suck in a breath. "No way. I don't understand what's happening at all. Maybe I'll if I understood what you and the captain argued about, but I don't."

He gestures for me to move closer to him. I... Have my doubts, but... I inch over and he wraps his arm around me. He is tall, and that puts me right to his chest. He takes a deep breath again, which... confuses me.

He whispers in my ear. "If you aren't mine, the captain will take you."

"Doesn't sound too different. Both of you, uzains, males, took me away from my life."

He grunts. "I'm different from him."

"Yeah, for you, sure, but for me, it's all the same."

He grabs my throat, but as if touching fire, he lets go of me right away. "He whipped you."

And Zil tried to help...

"I don't know whether you are going to hurt me next."

"I won't unless you force me to."

"I still don't understand what you want from me."

"You are my mate now."

I kick his side. He grunts, seemingly in pain with that wince. He lets out a low growl but he doesn't do anything to hurt me. I mean... I don't think my kick is that powerful. But he seems to be in a lot of pain.

I stare at his stomach. He is half-naked, like all the other uzains I've met on this spaceship. But with his skin color, I can't figure out whether his side is swollen or red. "Um... Do you want the medicine? Is that from your fight with the captain?"

He feels his side. "It's not that bad."

"Okay. How bad are my lashes...?" I move my hand to feel it, but he holds my hand.

"No, don't touch it. Let the medicine do its thing."

Fine... I'm not going to argue that with him. "Okay... But was I bleeding?"

"No."

Silence lingers in the air. I want to get out of here, but he is right there watching me.

He says, "You are going to be my mate. Everyone will see you as my mate. This isn't up for discussion. I don't care what you think about that."

I open my mouth to protest, but he covers my mouth with his hand.

He says, "Now, lie down and sleep."

I thought he was going to...

Sleep doesn't sound that bad.

I lie on the bed like he said. He lifts his brows at me. I mean... what else am I supposed to do? To be asleep at once?

He gets off the bed. "I'll get another pillow."

"Looks like you didn't prepare well."

He halts and turns around at me. "If I were you, I'd keep my tongue in check."

I stick out my tongue at him. "What are you going to do about that?"

I haven't figured out what he is planning and what this thing is all about, but... I hate every bit of this. He seems to mean that he is here to help me, but I don't believe that, not a slight bit.

He groans. "You know what I can do to you."

"What?"

"You aren't remotely scared."

"Yeah, so? Are you going to whip me like the captain did? Make me scream?"

He sneers, and it feels like I said something wrong. "Shut up before you get yourself into more trouble." He leaves before I can say something back.

Maybe that's how I get myself into trouble. Even though I didn't even say much when I met these uzains. That's not fair.

But he is gone, so maybe I'm not getting into trouble for a short while until he fetches a pillow.