“Read my mind,” I say.
“Think of any color and a three-digit number,” he says. Easy. Pink. Four thousand five hundred and twenty-one.
“I said three, but pink. Four thousand five hundred and twenty-one,” he says.
“How…” I start to ask, but stop.
“Astra,” he smiles and steps closer to me.
The closer he gets, the more I want to touch him. I don’t know why, but I do. My mind keeps going back to just how large his erection was pressed against me. I wonder if there is a way I could experience it without pain.
“There is a way, and I have every intention of showing you,” Zev says, gently grabbing my chin.
“Zev,” Ren says.
“Shh,” I say, wanting Zev to continue. “How?”
“I want that crap they fed you out of your system first,” he says. “When you can truly feel that connection, I will show you.”
“What are you showing her?” a man asks. Zev sighs but doesn’t seem annoyed. “Zev!”
“This is my father,” Zev says. “He is an elder of Torvex.”
“Astra,” the man says. “Is he pressuring you?”
“No, sir,” I say softly.
“My name is Kiem,” he says.
“Zev is being annoyingly respectful,” I say, and he smirks.
“Good,” he says. “The meat is ready, Zev. Save the sex talk for later and feed the girl.”
“Come on,” Zev smiles. I nod, and he leads me through the room and into another.
“How long until we get home?” Marta asks.
“Two days,” a woman says before coming to me. “I am Nora, Zev’s mother.”
“Astra,” I smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Zev has me sit next to him before Nora sets two bowls in front of us. It smells heavenly, but I have no idea what it is. “Potato soup,” he says. “Soup will be a good starting place. The contents are soft from the broth, so it will require minimal chewing.”
“Uh… Okay,” I say, staring at the bowl.
“Drink this first,” Nora says, setting a glass of clear liquid in front of me. I know what this is, so I pick it up and drink it. I try to be respectful and not gulp it down, but it’s amazing.
“Go slow,” Zev says, resting his hand on my thigh. I relax and manage to slow my pace before setting my empty glass on the table.
“That’s… really good,” I say.
“That is plain water,” Zev says. “Until Ossara started messing with how humans get nutrients, this was vital for survival. The Great War poisoned the water for a while, but Earth has a way of restoring itself.”
“Why would Ossara tell people the water is unsafe?” I ask.
“Because where the mind control fails, the fear will keep everyone dependent,” he explains as he gathers soup onto a spoon. “Open.”
I open my mouth, and when the soup touches my tongue, an explosion of pure joy sinks into my brain, making me groan as I savor it.
