Noble Monster: A Scifi Alien Abduction Romance Standalone (Jannan Raiders Book 1) Read Online Free

her.
    Now and again, she had noticed him staring at her with open desire. But he had done nothing about it at all, past a few abortive attempts at seduction. After his complete attitude of entitlement when they had first met, this was even more confusing than anything else he did.
    A tap on the door told her that Miriam was waiting for her outside. Miriam was the head of the house servants, a tall, older Jewish woman with black and white hair pulled back into a braid, and shrewd, dark brown eyes.
    She came in a moment later, looking as neat as always in her black livery. The only member of the servants who did not wear that simple trouser uniform was Irina herself. The matronly woman stopped in the doorway, and took a good look at her. “That's not half bad.”
    “I was just thinking that. Any pointers on handling tonight?” She was very nervous at the prospect of wandering around in a slave's collar at some party of Kaelon’s, surrounded by the rich and powerful among the beast-men.
    “Since you're Kaelon's property, you should be protected from any of the rowdier guests. Attempting to use a slave such as you is a grave insult to the host. Kaelon is respected and feared by almost everyone. Chances are, none of them will even try it. So don't worry.”
    “That's not very comforting.”
    Miriam offered a sad smile. She had told Irina a bit of her story. She had been captured twenty years ago. A former Merchant spacer, Miriam had instead ended up the sex slave of Kaelon's father, Morven. He had kept her as entertainment for a few years, before discovering that she was infertile and could not be used as breeding stock.
    After that, she had been demoted to an ordinary servant. She admitted to Irina in private that this was an arrangement she could actually live with a lot better. “Well, I certainly understand your concern. However, you have to admit that our Lord has been unusually kind to you.”
    “Sure, for a damn slave owner.”
    “Be careful! If you're overheard talking like that--”
    Irina smirked. “They’ll what? Kill me? Good.”
    Miriam stared at her, her expression troubled. “I understand that you're unhappy over your captivity. But you really could be doing worse. Kaelon has been kind to all of us.”
    “ K aelon keeps other thinking beings as slaves like a fucking monster, Miriam. This entire planet is inhabited by monsters, who have a savage culture. Don't talk about his kindness to me.
    I don't believe it for a moment, because I haven't been stuck here long enough that I have had to rationalize this crap in order to save my sanity. And I don't plan to live long enough to see myself have to do that.”
    “That's ridiculous. You need to stop talking about killing yourself and start talking sense. Once you’re dead, you're dead. Then there's no hope at all.” Miriam stepped inside to help her put her hair up with gold pins that just matched the gilding on her collar.
    “What hope exactly do we have, Miriam? Hope that that nasty boys club that runs Earth Command might actually stage a rescue or negotiate a release of prisoners? Hope that the beast-men will suddenly grow souls and consciences and decide to let us go? I'm not going to criticize you for wanting to hold out hope for something, but you need to back off of me.”
    She submitted to the assistance regardless, sighing as she saw that she actually looked quite good. It was dangerous to look too attractive around beast-men. Kaelon might not have touched her yet, for whatever reason, but she didn't trust his guests.
    Miriam made a low noise of frustration in her throat. “You are far too young to be considering suicide.”
    “It's my right to choose to die free rather than live as a slave. If dying is the only act of free will that I can make, then you bet your ass I'm going to make it.”
    “I'm starting to think that I should bring this up with Kaelon. I don't want you ending up dead because you're adjusting badly. You need to be more