Page 6

T he chain attached to the wall seems to have an ability to stretch, which allows me to roam around the room Darax shoved me into.

It’s clearly a bedroom. There’s a large circular depression in the floor filled with tangled blankets in jewel tones.

The rest of the room has little to indicate if this is Darax’s or not.

Understandably for a space ship, there are no pictures on the walls, but there’s also little in the way of storage I can see.

The single small unit which juts out from the bulkhead is locked and on it sits an odd, abstract sculpture. I lift it up. It has some heft to it. Possibly not enough to drop an enormous Sarkarnii, but I’ll bear it in mind.

The ship rocks from side to side, not quite unbalancing me, but enough for me to know the other ship has exploded and we were close enough to feel the blast.

I really, really hope Rosalie got out in the escape pod.

As I pass by the wall on the other side of the depression, a hidden door slides open, and I find it’s a bathroom.

And what a bathroom! There’s a deep bath, filled with water and clearly large enough to take Darax. The rest of the sanitary fittings are similar to those I saw on the other ship, albeit these ones are significantly cleaner.

Seeing the facilities gives me an idea. The stretch chain allows me enough room to be able to enter, and I find what I’m looking for. It’s a gel which Rosalie and I worked out was a type of soap. I slather it on my wrist and gently pull.

The cuff gives a little. I have to hope it doesn’t expand and contract like the chain or I certainly won’t get it off. I move it slowly and carefully before it finally slides free.

“Yes!” I cheer myself on.

“Clever little female,” a voice growls behind me.

I flinch violently, spinning to face Darax.

Has he got bigger? That can’t be possible, can it? He was already far too tall, far too wide and far too muscled.

“How…how long have you been there?”

“Long enough to watch you work.” He releases a mouth full of smoke with a sinful half smile, his gaze going to my wrist, dripping with goo. “Impressive.”

“Glad you think so.” I throw my shoulders back. “Maybe you’ll think twice about chaining me up next time.”

“Not at all. In fact, I look forward to it.”

Unable to stop the squeak which escapes me, I jump to one side as he closes the gap between us. I doubt I can get out of the reach of his claws, but I’m going to try.

But Darax doesn’t make any attempt to get hold of me. Instead, he strides past and into the bathroom, divesting himself of his laser rifle, a leather pouch, and his boots.

“Woah! Don’t mind me!” I quickly back out of the bathroom and hold up my hand to my eyes as he shoves his pants down, giving me a view of his muscular, scaly bottom.

It’s a good behind, as far as they go. Pretty mesmerizing.

“I don’t.” Darax turns to face me, hands on his hips.

This time the squeak I release is significantly louder as I get a full frontal view of…

Wait.

What?

Darax has the sort of form which would have made the ancient sculptors weep. His perfectly formed abs run into a deep ‘v’ at his waist.

But where he should have his junk? Nothing.

Nothing but a bulge covered by smooth, dark scales.

I’m genuinely lost for words, opening and closing my mouth like a fish. How attractive.

“Do you like what you see, female?” Darax rasps.

“I…don’t see anything ,” I whisper.

“Ah, you wish me to unpouch my cock?” he says.

“What? No!” I shriek, running across the room and turning my back on him.

“Shame,” Darax says. “I am told it is quite magnificent.”

I’m full of noises I didn’t think I could make today as a low whimper escapes me. I risk a look back at Darax, whose intentions I’m not entirely sure of, but rather than stalking me with his cock out , he is, in fact, sliding into the big bath with a loud sigh of satisfaction.

This was not what I was expecting. I thought there would be screams, chases, and…the other thing.

The sense of relief which rushes over me is tempered by the fact I’m right next to the statue. The big heavy one.

The one which might be enough to do some damage to a Sarkarnii. I pick it up and make my way around the room so I can get back to the bathroom without Darax seeing.

If I rush at him, if I get to him before he gets to me, I might be able to get him to find Rosalie’s escape pod. I might be able to force him to help me find her.

It’s a long shot, but I have to try.

“I suggest you put down the fertility statue before you hurt yourself, little snack,” Darax growls, his words taking on a hollow ring accompanied by splashing.

“Fertility statue?” I hold the thing out.

Now I look at it… it does resemble…a large member.

Why the hell did I not notice that before?

I drop the thing, and it rolls away, dropping into the bed pit.

Darax makes a noise which could be a laugh. My blood rises.

Mr. Muscles, Scales, and Claws might think this is funny, but then he’s the one with all the power in this situation.

I eye the discarded laser rifle.

It’s about time I changed up this dynamic.