Todd gave Nick a kiss on the forehead before closing the door to the compartment and left Nick alone to make himself more comfortable. Nick shucked his jeans and dug through Todd’s luggage until he found a pair of the soft, lightweight woven pants he liked to wear in the summer months. He relieved himself and washed up as well as a guy his size could in a sink before he stood and stretched while he looked out the window at the trees flying by. It was midafternoon. They wouldn’t be in a station until closer to eight in the evening.
The door snicked open, and wonderful smells of coffee and food wafted through. Nick immediately forgot about his grumbling stomach when an arm slipped around his waist, another hand curled over his hip, and lips pressed to his neck. Nick dipped his head to one side, giving Todd all the access he wanted to scrape his teeth up and down Nick’s neck. The gentle bites along his shoulder had his knees going weak. The growl of “You’re mine” from Todd went straight to Nick’s groin. Todd was caring and tender, but Nick liked it best when his more aggressive side came out. Todd made love like he hunted. The perfect predator, who knew not only exactly what Nick wanted but what they both needed.
Right now, Todd was as unsettled as he was; Nick saw that. Todd understood what they both desired. Nick needed to be owned, completely and securely, and Todd needed to prove to himself, if not to Nick, he could take care of his mate in every way. Nick had come to learn this was a basic driving force in his master. Nick liked Todd best when he simply took what was his.
“Y-yours,” Nick groaned. His ability to contemplate anything or speak coherently flew away when the hand pressed to the skin just below his navel snaked down under his waistband and wrapped around his cock. Two minutes, and Todd had him achingly hard, head bent back over Todd’s shoulder, panting out breathy pleas for more…take me…more.
Todd had the ability to get Nick straight to the edge in minutes when he wanted to, and he often kept Nick there for a bit. This was one of those times.
He’d use a nail and skim lightly along Nick’s cock then his tongue against Nick’s neck would match the same slow, lazy up-and-down motion as his thumb pressing lightly to Nick’s already twitching flesh. Todd had a knack for finding that ultra-sensitive spot behind Nick’s balls that made Nick’s breath catch in his throat and his body arch back against Todd’s.
Nick loved undressing Todd, revealing his body slowly. He took a moment to simply enjoy burning the image of Todd into his memory before he dipped his head, and lapped gently at Todd’s skin, cleaning beads of sweat, relishing the taste of salty musk and Todd.
They slipped and slid together, hands feeling, mouths tasting, bodies creating friction until they were both shuddering hard. Todd bent his head and skimmed his tongue over the round, fleshy part of Nick’s shoulder before tracing along the neck to the shell of Nick’s ear, tongue teasing, teeth barely touching, each contact sending jolts of electricity through every one of Nick’s nerve endings.
As his breathing slowed, Todd leaned back, pushing Nick a few inches in the other direction, and slid free but stayed close enough that Nick’s legs were still wrapped around Todd’s waist, ankles crossed.
When the world began filtering back into Nick’s brain, his arms and legs were wrapped around Todd, and his entire body quivered and twitched. His belly was a mess of sticky warmth, and more of it trickled down from between his legs. Lips pressed to the heavy roll of Todd’s shoulder, Nick moaned and clung to his master.
Todd’s soft laugh was a low rumble and set Nick’s body tingling all over again. “I’d say you needed that.”
“Nghnn,” was the most intelligent thing Nick could manage at that particular moment. Wriggling closer, Nick gripped Todd’s side harder and was rewarded with a tightening of arms around his shoulders and back. Right now, all Nick sought was the power and safety of his master’s embrace. Eventually Todd moved one hand up Nick’s back to brace the back of his head, fingers smoothing over Nick’s hair before tangling in and hanging on.
They stayed like that for a while, feeling one another breathe, holding tight and simply enjoying being together. After a while they washed as best they could in the small sink.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Todd, clad in just his jeans, motioned Nick to sit beside him. He’d pulled a thin cloth bag from his duffel. “We may as well get this over with. You’ll need it on when we get to the station. I’ll get us a private room with a bath so we can take a decent shower.”
After pulling his woven pants over his hips, Nick nodded and silently sat beside Todd, hands in his lap, eyes cast down.
“Hey, Nick, don’t do this to me, please?” Todd’s finger skimmed up his neck and hooked under his chin, prodding Nick’s head to lift and turn in Todd’s direction.
“They took mine.” He couldn’t help the tears stinging his eyes and brushed them away with the back of his hand. It was silly, being so attached to an inanimate thing, but he couldn’t help it.
“No, buddy, no one did. I’d never let that happen.” Todd opened the small sack and slid a plain, stiff black collar free. He bent and twisted it a few times, then shrugged helplessly. “It’s not going to be as soft or comfortable. I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.” Nick nodded and sat still while Todd placed the state-issued collar around his neck. “Where’s mine?”
Todd smiled brightly. “I figured now was a good time to send it out to be cleaned, and that frayed bit near the catch fixed. When we get home, it’ll be waiting for you. I promise.” He spent a minute adjusting the snugness and moved the collar around on Nick’s neck until satisfied. “How’s that feel? Comfortable?”
“I guess.”
“It doesn’t look so bad. It’s thinner, simple, sort of sexy.” There was no way Nick could stop the scowl and glare. Todd laughed and coughed to cover it. “Well, I guess not nearly as much as the one I gave you.”
They spent the rest of the afternoon going over the files provided by Clarke, learning their roles and finally eating the lunch Todd had retrieved earlier. As soon as the train arrived at the station, he and Todd left, and, true to his word, Todd had a private room for them. After a long shower together, they had food delivered in, then curled together on the soft bed and slept until it was time to reboard, the trip continuing.
* * * *
Todd sat staring out the window as the train pulled into the final stop for him and Nick. Well, now it was him and Nick, an older man of maybe sixty by the name of Jeremy, a middle-aged woman named Pam, and a girl about Nick’s age whose name he thought was Karen, but he couldn’t quite be sure since she’d barely spoken above a whisper.
With practiced skill and a long-ago-established habit, Todd scanned the area immediately surrounding the station, picking out a few locations in case he needed them later. Never could be too prepared.
His heart bled for these people, though the woman, Pam, seemed far less affected than the other two. Todd got the feeling she and her owner didn’t have any sort of relationship beyond owner-slave, and the hint of scars and old bruises led him to think Pam had come here from a more abusive life. Unlike the other two, her owner’s sudden death was a reprieve and a chance at starting fresh and new. She might have been flirting with Todd—he wasn’t paying much attention—but the grouchy looks Nick kept giving her tipped him off.
Mostly, he ignored Nick’s bouts of jealousy when they occurred. He’d long ago decided that would be something that never completely went away—his young mate’s ingrained insecurity and fear of being replaced by another lover in Todd’s life. Now Todd was resigned to the fact the best he could hope for was what he’d fought long and hard for and accomplished. Those times were now very few and far between. Todd couldn’t help wondering, was that what had happened to Pam? Her owner relegated her from a position of some sort of partner to one of simple slave in favor of someone new?
Todd’s stomach churned, imagining Nick living his whole life with Todd, being cared for and protected, sheltered, only to be handed over to
the state sanctuary as an older man, like Jeremy.
Thankfully, they arrived at the Chancellor’s Estate later on the same day that the others boarded the train, so he and Nick had been able to share Todd’s compartment until the other slaves arrived, early that morning.
The too-wide, too-bright-eyed look Nick gave him when they met the other slaves had Todd herding the group of them to the dining car. No one complained when they took a booth and had coffee and some pastries and hung out there before having a long lunch. Then he found a place near the transport car where they could all sit. By the time the train was slowing as the station approached, Todd was quite proud of himself, having kept the entire lot of them out of the tiny compartments reserved for the unowned slaves.
A woman from the estate sanctuary met them, as did Todd’s—or rather, Tyler’s—new boss. Nick hung back with him while the woman, whose name Todd didn’t catch, got the other three settled in a wagon with the few belongings they’d brought. She seemed kind and efficient, yet Todd couldn’t help his alternating feelings of panic and protectiveness at the thought of turning Nick, his Nicky, over to some stranger, no matter how sincere and professional she appeared. The reality of the situation—that he wouldn’t see his mate until the following evening, wouldn’t be permitted to speak to Nick or know he was safe and well for almost a day and a half—hit Todd like a hard, sharp spear between the eyes.
As Nick waited his turn, his gaze shifted to Todd, and he hung back. The wild-rabbit expression Nick wore nearly broke Todd, making him want to grab Nick and take off. Pulling in a few deep breaths, Todd shoved away the thought rampaging through his head: separated. He and Nick would be separated, apart. Putting a hand on Nick’s shoulder, squeezing lightly, Todd said in a low voice, “Go on. It’ll be okay. Just a day.”
He got a look from Nick that clearly read he questioned who Todd was trying to convince, himself or Nick. Another gentle squeeze and a slight nod, and Todd released him and watched as Nick shuffled to the wagon and climbed in, but not before turning to look at Todd over his shoulder for a few seconds before his head and gaze dropped and his shoulders slumped. A pit opened inside Todd and widened with the distance put between him and that wagon.
“McCabe.” A voice behind him demanded his attention. It wasn’t a shout, or even loud, but a voice that certainly required immediate notice.
Todd turned to find himself face to face with a man nearly half a foot shorter than he was. Large, round wire-rimmed glasses perched on a blunt nose. Thinning, very fair hair covered a shiny scalp. He was a slight man, certainly not someone Todd would imagine as one of the commanding officers of estate security.
“Yes, sir. Mr. Witze?”
“Larry.” He stuck a hand out in front of Todd, firm grasp and a hearty shake. Todd was smiling at Larry in no time; he instantly liked this man. “Those your bags, son?”
“Huh, yea—yes.” Todd scooped his and Nick’s bags off the depot floor and nodded curtly. He dragged his gaze from the receding wagon to the bags and back to the road again.
Witze clapped Todd’s shoulder with a harder grip than his handshake had been. “I can see I’ll have to give you the speech right off. Normally I don’t have to do that for at least a few months.” Head dipping toward the wagon, Witze asked, “They give you any trouble?”
“No. Hell no. They were all fine, great.”
This time Witze jerked his chin to a waiting carriage and looked Todd up and down with such scrutiny, Todd had to resist the urge to make sure all his clothes were where they were supposed to be, properly zipped and buttoned up. “You got attached to that tall kid.” There wasn’t even a hint of question, and Todd swore to himself. Making a mistake like that, allowing his emotions to show, was inexcusable and nothing short of a rookie move. He was better than that and knew it.
“He got on the train, up north, the same day as I did and seemed really lonely, needed looking after.” He put his best sympathizing expression on his face and hoped this guy would buy it. “I couldn’t leave him all alone in those rooms they use for transport. It didn’t sit right with me. Poor kid looked so lost.”
After climbing into the carriage, taking Todd’s bags from him, and loading them under the seat, Witze settled on one seat, Todd on the one opposite. At once he missed the normally ever-present warmth of Nick’s body when they rode anywhere by carriage. His brain jumped to how sometimes Nick would lean against his side, fingers moving lightly over Todd’s thigh, or sit on the carriage floor, shoulders pressed between Todd’s legs, and sometimes rub Todd’s knee.
An approving smile spread over Witze’s face. “I have to say, I seriously questioned the wisdom of putting someone as young as you into this job, but you’re not like the other kids in your age group that come here. You’re more settled, a grown-up. I like that.”
“I’ve been pretty much on my own since I was about twelve. My dad was off working a lot. I had to take care of myself for weeks at a time sometimes.” Todd didn’t add he’d been a full-fledged independent sentry by the time he was sixteen. The youngest ever, as far as he knew.
Nodding, Witze rubbed at his chin. “That explains a lot. You’ve been hired as my second-in-command of the orphan sanctuary, and I think we’ll get along just fine. Let me explain a few things. My job is to make sure the slaves are safe and treated well, in some cases retrained to prepare them for being re-homed. I expect my rules to be adhered to and followed to the letter.”
“Yes, sir.” Something inside Todd warmed and unclenched. The man’s tone and sharp gaze told Todd that Witze took his job very seriously and put the well-being of his charges first. That offered a small amount of comfort to Todd about how Nick’s life would be while they were here.
“The purpose of the sanctuary is to find these slaves new homes and new owners. This is completely different from the villages that test and train them according to aptitude and customer need, then sell them. These are all adults. They’ve lived in different situations and had different levels of freedom. They need to be taken back to square one and taught to act formally again.”
“I understand,” Todd said when Witze paused, obviously waiting for some response from him.
“So, they are given a list of rules and expectations, mostly the basics. No sitting on furniture, no eye contact, no speaking unless spoken to, following orders immediately and without question, you get the idea. They’re given time to adjust, of course, and it’s only repeat offenses that are really punished.”
Todd couldn’t help the inward wince. All the things he’d worked so hard to convince Nick not to do, all the habits he’d actively tried to break Nick of. Still, he had faith in Nick. His skills and confidence had grown by leaps and bounds in the time since their trip through West Caldera, and Nick was far better prepared to blend in. He would adjust for the short term. “What sort of punishment is there?”
“These people have been traumatized enough—many are in mourning. We don’t want to compound that. We want them to work through it and continue with their lives. They lose privileges, among those the right to interact with estate employees, attend functions, and attend to their duties. We don’t ever beat them, though on occasion I have allowed the withholding of meals, but unlike the villages, these slaves are fed three times a day. If there is a severe infraction, physical altercations or something of that sort, we have small seclusion cells behind the main dorms they spend twenty-four hours in. The goal is to make them resalable, not break them. I won’t tolerate abuse of any kind. The orphans are given instructions right from the beginning that any kind of abuse is to be reported directly to me. If any of them ever requests a meeting with me, it’s granted, no questions asked.”
“Good.” Todd relaxed back against his seat.
“All employees are encouraged to interact with the slaves, and after your deployment here, if you choose to take a slave, we’re very helpful in making all necessary arrangements. There’s an unwritten rule around here that if one person takes an interest
in a slave, the others stay clear. Just remember, those slaves are people. They have feelings, and they’ve been hurt in one of the worst possible ways, if you ask me. Fifty dollars’ filing fee and ten minutes’ worth of time for some paperwork, but people are assholes and never understand what happens to their slaves if they don’t leave them to someone. So, here they are, left out in the cold, so to speak, abandoned by the one person who they trusted their lives with.
“You’re permitted to go in, spend time with them, make friends, but do make them follow the formal rules. How you treat one in the privacy of your quarters, what rules you want followed, is your business as long as there’s no abuse, just as long as they behave appropriately in public. Some of them are very fragile, and under no circumstances do you ever let one think they’ll go with you when you leave if that’s not the case. Am I clearly understood, McCabe?”
“Crystal clear, sir.”
“You’ve obviously taken a liking to that boy, and when neither of you are on duty, feel free to spend as much time with him as you want, but do not lie to him. You do not screw him because you can and let him think he’s got a home with you when you leave if that’s not the case. If you do, you will answer to me. Trust me when I say, that’s not what you want to have to do.”
Todd didn’t doubt that for a second.
Chapter 4
Within minutes of entering the orphan sanctuary, Nick realized this was an entirely different world from that of the village he’d grown up in and Todd had taken him from. He and Todd had been bound as children, neither really having a choice in the matter. The people here weren’t bound to anyone, not anymore. No one was forced into any sort of life.
The dorms were bright, cheerful, and comfortable. There was a central common lounge area for socializing, and from what Nick saw, the socializing was heavily encouraged. A small kitchen took up one end. There were couches, tables, and chairs. Games of chess and backgammon and decks of cards were strewn over the tables.
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