Page 18 of Claimed (The Captain’s Captive #2)

Trish had gotten used to Jordan’s caresses while she sat comfortably on his lap and read through her coursework; enough so it didn’t break her concentration anymore … until it stopped. She looked up to see what had caused the cessation in his usual handsy meanderings and froze.

The people approaching the dais were the last Trish had expected to see in the Wolf’s compound.

Moon Prime Richard Dillon headed the small group, and the other three followed behind him—all nearly as recognizable as the leader of the Moon government.

Secondary Prime Lorena Paulson was right behind him as well as the Prime Commander of the Moon’s Armies, Esther Marquis and the Minister of Earth Relations, Kenneth Pratchett.

They were four of the most powerful and influential people on the Moon, by dint of their offices, money, and relations.

The sight of them walking through the Wolf’s main room, their expressions unperturbed as they sauntered toward the dais, absolutely stunned Trish. It was as though her entire body and mind had frozen into place.

“Greetings.” The Prime came to a halt in front of the dais, his eyes on the Wolf.

The Secondary Prime also had her eyes on the Wolf, although the Prime Commander’s dark eyes kept flickering around the room as if looking for and assessing threats.

She was the only one who looked like she might be worried about their safety here in the bowels of the Wolf’s domain.

The last, Minister Pratchett, looked around too, but the expression on his face was different.

He looked as though he were searching for someone.

Eventually, his eyes drifted up to where Trish sat frozen on Jordan’s lap, and the minister practically leered at her as his eyes took in the way Jordan’s hand was back to stroking her thigh, his fingers sliding just under the hem of her dress.

Trish hadn’t felt so dirty since her first few weeks here at the Wolf’s compound, and, even then, she hadn’t felt so gross.

Something about his gaze filled her with revulsion.

She flushed and, holding onto the tablet with one hand, tried to yank down the hem of her dress with the other.

Trish could feel Jordan’s surprise, since she hadn’t done anything like that in weeks She waited for the smack of his hand on her thigh, resigned to it, but instead he straightened, his hand moving possessively around her body as he pulled her into his chest. Minister Pratchett paled and averted his gaze.

Trish peeked up at the man holding her and almost smiled when she saw he’d gone full Viking Warrior, his icy-blue eyes still glaring at the Minister, who now looked anywhere but at her and Jordan, who no longer stroked her but continued to hold her possessively, even as he sank back into his chair a little.

To distract herself from the unsettling fact that his reaction had made her feel rather warm and satisfied, Trish focused on the conversation between the Wolf and Prime Dillon.

It quickly became obvious the Prime was there to negotiate for the biannual contract between the Moon and the Wolf, which shocked Trish right down to her core because probably no one except the people in this room knew such a thing existed.

The Moon was supposed to be self-sufficient, but, as the Prime and Wolf negotiated, it became clear it wasn’t at all.

They needed food, water—even air, from the Wolf.

She also learned the alliances the Moon’s government had with various other groups on Earth didn’t provide them with enough supplies.

The Prime hinted at getting better prices from others, and the Wolf laughed at him and said the others couldn’t deliver the amount needed, whereas the Wolf could.

It also became clear that some of the supplies he’d been selling to the Prime were things he’d received from Cora and Josh, who were using the Wolf as a figurehead in this instance, as well, rather than doing separate bargains with the Moon officials.

As always, the Wolf was the face of the Earth.

In return for the supplies, the Moon’s leaders gave up proprietary information about their medicines as well as a vast sum of money.

Snuggled into the safety of Jordan’s arms, Trish felt him stiffen when the subject of medicines came up.

Laura had said her mother died during the pox plague.

Trish had learned from her classes that quite a few diseases had decimated the Earth’s populations after the Moonies left.

Curable diseases. The teachers had explained that the Moon officials thought the diseases would settle the population, which had become increasingly violent.

It seemed the Moon’s government still held back some of its medical advancements from the Earthers—which was awful.

Trish would have said the most brilliant scientific minds were all up on the Moon, but she knew now quite a few were also here on Earth.

Still, they’d be at a disadvantage compared to the Moon scientists, who had all sorts of funding and equipment available to them the Earthers wouldn’t.

Well … some of the Earthers might, thanks to the Wolf’s bargaining.

“Great! That’s done.” Minister Pratchett clapped his hands together as soon as the negotiations wrapped up.

The look of anticipation on his face increased.

“Where are the prisoners? I’ve been lusting after that girl’s ass ever since my son brought her home.

Couldn’t believe my luck when I heard you’d taken her.

” The way he said it invited the Wolf and others to join in on his cheer.

Instead, the Wolf looked at him with a blank, implacable expression Trish was sure hid revulsion. The others in the Moon group looked at the Minister with varying levels of disgust, though he didn’t seem to notice.

Trish put two and two together and felt sick to her stomach. The Minister was talking about Bella. He was Bella’s old boyfriend’s father: the asshole boyfriend who had cheated on her and then gone on television acting heartbroken when she’d been taken.

And his father …

Trish turned away from the Moon officials, completely revolted, and pressed her face against Jordan’s shoulder.

As if he sensed she needed comforting, one big hand began to stroke up and down the center of her back in a soothing, circular motion.

The other officials had looked disgusted by the minister’s statement, but none of them had protested or expressed concern for Alex and Bella.

They definitely hadn’t tried to negotiate for their release.

“They’ll be brought to you as usual.” The Wolf’s deep voice rumbled through the room. “You may go now.”

Trish stayed pressed against Jordan rather than watch them leave.

“What are the Moon officials going to do to Alex and Bella?” Trish asked nervously when Jordan led her from the hall, his big hand wrapped securely around hers.

After the officials had been escorted from the room, everything had moved on to business as usual.

Her imagination had gone wild, considering what the minister had said, although Trish hoped she’d misunderstood.

“Fuck them.”

Nope. She hadn’t misunderstood at all.

“But … but why?”

“Helps the Wolf keep them under control.”

Annoyance rose up in her as she trotted along beside him.

“I don’t understand—how does it help the Wolf keep them under his control? And can you please answer with more than a sentence?”

The slanted look Jordan gave her was full of amusement, the corners of his lips tilting up a tiny bit. Sometimes that look led to a spanking. Sometimes to other things. To Trish’s relief, he decided to answer her question.

Maybe she should ask more questions while they were walking through the halls of the compound rather than when they were alone.

“The first time we took Moonies, the Prime came down to demand their release. The Wolf put him in a room with them, pumped in a strong aphrodisiac, and taped the results. Then he gave the Prime a choice: go back home without them and continue negotiating with the Wolf for supplies in the future, or he could give up deals with the Wolf and the tape would be released.”

“The Wolf is the only person they know to contact, isn’t he?”

Jordan shrugged. “They have a few allies with fewer resources down here. But the ones they’d need to talk to all bargain through the Wolf rather than dealing with the Moon people directly.”

He turned, leading her toward the cafeteria rather than their room, which was a relief. Trish wanted to ask more questions. Jordan never got mad at her for asking questions, but, sometimes when they were alone, he’d decide he’d had enough questions and it was time for what he wanted to do.

“Why don’t any of the previous victims tell on them?”

“Their government drugs them as soon as we return them; erases all their memories. Or at least, enough of their memories that they don’t remember the officials’ visit.”

All the pieces of the puzzle clicked into place, the fragments of conversation and snippets of information coming together to create a whole.

The Moon’s population relied on the Earth—more specifically, the Wolf—for all the things it needed but claimed it produced for itself.

In return, they left the Earth pretty much alone.

Trish wouldn’t have been surprised if the diseases and violence that had swept across the world after the rich and powerful had moved to the Moon had been seen as beneficial for the Moonies—at least until the crime lords had begun to consolidate power and work together.

Now the people of the Moon were at the mercy of the Wolf for the very things they needed to survive.

More than that, the careers of the top officials were at the mercy of the Wolf, as well.

The government couldn’t kill the hostages—not when their plights were so well registered—but they could wipe their memories.

Keep them from talking about anything they’d learned concerning their leaders’ involvement with the Wolf.

Leave them floundering, without their memories, all so those with power could keep it.

She still had a few questions, though.

“Why is the Wolf trying to create a drug to counteract the Moon’s memory drugs?”

“Because we’re almost done needing them.

” Satisfaction colored Jordan’s voice. “Cora and Trace have been working on creating spacecrafts that can take us well beyond the Moon, to some galaxies we’ve identified as having livable planets.

We won’t have to placate them anymore, we’ve gotten almost all the information and research they have that we don’t, and we can be done with them.

The Wolf thinks the Moon population deserves a chance to know the truth and be a part of what we’re doing. ”

“You don’t?” Something about the way he’d said it made it sound like he didn’t.

Jordan shrugged. “Some things will be easier with the technology the Moon has, and with some of the more brilliant minds, but they’re not necessary. I’m not against giving them a chance anymore, though.”

“Why not?”

He shrugged again as they entered the kitchens, and the workers looked up to say hello.

Trish’s opportunity to ask questions was over.

As always, Trix and Chevie greeted her happily as they served her, and everyone chattered about the Moon officials’ visit.

From listening in, Trish discovered Jordan had told her a lot more about what was going on than the average person within the compound knew.

They had a general idea, but they didn’t know specifics or what the Wolf’s endgame was.

Why would Jordan tell her? Was it another test? Did he just not care if she knew?

Or did he actually trust her?