The Trader's Menagerie by L.A. Corbeau

Author:L.A. Corbeau [Corbeau, L.A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-03-23T16:00:00+00:00

23

A sliver of bright light slipped into the room, accompanied by the drawn-out whine of the door whose track was dying for a good slathering of oil. Xena drew in a deep breath through her nose, releasing it through her mouth in a feeble attempt to slow her racing heart. It didn’t matter how many calming techniques she tried; a shaky sense of calm wouldn’t help her out of the situation she’d landed herself in.

She was stuck behind bars, and now Ancyn was coming to deliver on his promise. Her nerves refused to settle as her heart threatened to burst out of her chest. Whether the wild thumping was from fear or desire, she didn’t know. It was hard to tell the difference anymore.

Her overactive imagination was to blame for the confusion, the damned thing working nonstop, conjuring fantasies of Ancyn at the most inopportune moments. Even now she could feel his hands ghosting over her, teasing her with sharp pinches and gentle caresses until it became unbearable. But instead of the dull ache she was used to, a new sensation bubbled in her gut, causing her to retch at the thought of Ancyn’s attentions.

She’d never anticipated seeing him again, even as she meddled in his seedy dealings from a distance. Their reunion was far from what she’d imagined: instead of some passionate and flowery reconciliation, she’d been brought to him, literally kicking and screaming. A taste of reality was exactly what she’d needed to break the spell of those persistent desires.

Instead of giving in and submitting to him, she’d found herself struggling, refusing to be swayed by his persuasive caresses. She’d been certain her wants and desires would win, knocking her common sense flat on its ass for the chance at a few moments of pleasure. That hadn’t happened. Xena was never more happy to be wrong in her life.

Ancyn was poison, and he never hid it. It was the reason she’d fled from him that fateful day when his duties called him away for a longer stint than usual. She hijacked a cargo pod with meager supplies, making a quick escape to a new life. She picked up work as a Trader until she was able to get her hands on a ship.

Time dragged on and Ancyn never came looking for her. She eventually commandeered a vessel: her beloved Aeneid. It had been one of the decommissioned models from the fleet under Ancyn’s direction.

She made sure to snag something he wouldn’t miss. She came to realize that he would never know she’d taken the ship – a decommission machine was so far below him, he would never be bothered to pay any mind to its disappearance.

And that was the trigger.

The catalyst to her whole scheme to thwart him from afar. The fact that he didn’t consider anything beneath him worthy of his attention – whether it was a shabby little ship, or some unfortunate person who crossed him. Or even the woman he claimed to love so dearly.

And

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.