“Well things are about to change.” I finished.She flinched as the door shut, but she didn’t move. Her eyes locked with mine, her lips puckered, ...and her head came forward. I pulled back, ignoring the heaviness in my belly and the ripe, sharp stink of her arousal.“Do you know what it is that you want?” I asked.“Yes.” Her breaths were coming in rapid gasps. Beneath her shirt I could see her ribcage juddering up and down.“Do you want to be punished?” I asked sternly “Look at me!”Her head snapped. I couldn’t tell anyone - couldn’t bear the thought.”Jason hugged her closer, and she turned and said, “Jason promised. I’ll never have to leave him - sponsor or concubine. I trust him to protect me. I know I have to share. I know I’ll have to wait, but hear me. He’s mine and I’m his!”Governor Michael wanted to spend some time with his new communications team, so he had arranged for family members to split off and huddle with those guests of similar status. “Look,” he told the trio, “I know. Els moved past him as the attack on his partner momentarily relaxed the other slaver. Els thrust her sword through his eye. The slaver behind her would be turning. She let go of her jian, grabbed the slaver's short sword out of his hand, threw it over her shoulder before pulling her own sword out of his head, and rolling to the right.If not for the thought Gallis might make an appearance and teach her proper Sword etiquette in combat, Els would have laughed. She did not intend for the slaver's. Meanwhile, Jason was trying to figure out what he needed to do to have a chance to keep them safe.Based on Jason's military experience, yes, he had been a captain in the Confederate cavalry, there was no way that they could withstand a raid from all of the combined cattlemen in the immediate neighborhood. This could amount to 60-75 raiders at one time, and that was too much without trained soldiers. However, he did not think that the locals would think of something as radical as that. It was.