The possessive pronoun hit her like a physical blow.
Ours.
Not “under our jurisdiction.” Not “our responsibility.”Ours.Like property. Like cargo. Like something to be claimed and disposed of at their convenience.
The wolfman’s muzzle shifted into something that might have been satisfaction. “The CEG holds no sway here.”
Elsa’s mind scrambled. CEG. Confederation of Earth Governments. They’d signed treaties with the IPA—the Interstellar Protections Agency—to ensure safe passage for human vessels. Protection for human explorers.
Apparently, those protections ended at the edge of known space.
She turned to Yarx, desperate for something—anything—that might soften the weight of the other wolfman’s declaration. “Isthat true?” Her voice came out barely above a whisper. “You’re just going to hand us over?”
Yarx’s amber eyes held steady. No pity. No apology. Just weary acceptance. “It’s the truth. I’m here to make sure you’re well enough to stand before the Alpha King.” He paused. “That’s all.”
The finality in his voice made something crack inside her chest.
Before she could respond—before she could beg or argue or do anything that might change the trajectory of this conversation—Yarx stepped closer. His gaze shifted to her hair, tangled and wild where it fell over her shoulders.
“Hold still.” One paw lifted, claws extending slightly. “I need to check how your head healed.”
Elsa jerked back instinctively. Her hand flew to her skull, fingers brushing against—
Cold metal.
Smooth. Unfamiliar. Embedded in the soft skin just behind her ear.
Her heart stopped.
“What is this?” The words came out sharp with alarm. Her fingers traced the edge of the device, panic rising like bile in her throat. “What did you do to me?”
“Universal communicator.” Yarx’s tone suggested this should have been routine. Expected. “I implanted them in each of you before putting you in the Tear Domes.”
The casual way he said it—implanted—made her stomach lurch.
“You’re prisoners,” Yarx continued, his expression unchanging. “But it’s easier to handle you if you understand your orders. If you know what’s expected of you.”
Elsa’s fingers lingered on the device. The implications crashed over her in waves.They put something in my head. While I was unconscious. While I was helpless.
“You had no right—”
“You’ll find you have no rights here.” Yarx’s amber gaze hardened, cutting through her protest like a knife through paper. “But if you want to make it through this, I’d suggest you save your energy for what’s ahead.”
The green-eyed wolfman shifted his weight. The movement drew Elsa’s attention back to him, and she found him watching her with that same cold assessment. As if cataloguing her reactions. Measuring her worth.
“What’s ahead?” She forced the question out through numb lips.
Neither of them answered.
The silence stretched. Blue light pulsed from the walls. Somewhere in one of the other domes, someone stirred—a flutter of movement behind the translucent barrier.
Yarx’s ears swiveled toward the sound, then back to Elsa. “Rest while you can.” His tone shifted, taking on the kind of finality that ended conversations. “When your legs work again, you’ll be presented to the Alpha King. Until then, stay here. Don’t move. Don’t cause problems.”
He turned toward the green-eyed wolfman. Some unspoken communication passed between them—a flick of ears, a subtle shift in posture.
The larger creature’s lips pulled back again, revealing teeth that caught the blue light. “I’ll be outside.” His gaze slid back to Elsa one last time. “Don’t test my patience.”
Then he was gone, his massive frame disappearing through the doorway with that same predatory grace.