Kol smiled sadly. “Would you have slept on the floor in the corridor if your Vivi had been more afraid of you than she was?”
Quin’s entire countenance changed. “Yes,” he admitted. “I would have done anything, any single thing that my Vivi asked of me. I still would. I always will.”
“Then you understand why I sleep on the floor,” Kol answered.
“Let me at least give you a blanket,” Quin offered.
“I need to be ready to jump to my feet. It is no different than being on alert while out on mission. I will be fine,” Kol explained.
“If you should change your mind, I’m right inside.”
“I know, and thank you, my friend.”
Quin, still shaking his head, finally slipped into bed behind Vivi. He snuggled in tightly behind her, spooning her back to his front, slipping an arm across her stomach and curving his hold on her so that his hand rested across her chest.
He buried his nose in her hair, inhaling the scent that was life to him — his Vivi. He closed his eyes and settled in for sleep.
A cold nose bumped his hand, followed by a soft, plaintive yowl.
Quin opened his eyes and stared right into the glowing eyes of Kitty, not happy at all that he was there.
“Go away, Kitty. This is my bed.”
Kitty yowled at him again, though not as loudly as he normally would have.
Kitty nosed his hand again and leaned down as though he was going to slip between Quin’s hand and Vivi’s chest.
“You get between us, and I will lock you outside these quarters,” Quin threatened.
Kitty, not to be deterred, batted at Quin’s hand with a very large paw.
Quin decided to see what Kitty would do and lifted his hand away from Vivi.
Kitty immediately snuggled down beside her, his head against her chest, his softly furred back against Vivi’s front. Then, he looked up at Quin over his own shoulder.
“What?” Quin asked.
Kitty leaned toward Quin’s hand where it was still held in the air above Vivi and gently took Quin’s fingers in his mouth, pulling Quin’s hand down onto his own shoulder, in effect, making Quin hold both him and Vivi.
Quin shook his head and looked down at the shraler insisting that he be held along with his human owner.
“Unbelievable,” Quin muttered, settling down and snuggling up to Vivian again. He patted the shraler who started purring at the touch, and before too long both Quin and Kitty were as deeply asleep as Vivian.
And shortly afterward the door to Ada Jane’s room slid open. She stood there, wrapped in a huge comforter, thick, soft socks on her feet.
Kol jumped to his feet. “Do you need anything, my Ada Jane? I am here not only for your protection, but anything you need.”
Ada listened to the translation, just as she’d listened to the translation of the conversation Kol had had with his friend, Vivian’s husband. She shook her head. “No, thank you.”
“Can I help you in some way? Would you like to speak with Vivian? She is most likely awake. Quin just got home.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. She looked at Kol curiously. “You’re not going to go away, are you? You’re just going to spend the whole night out here.”
“I cannot leave you unattended. I must be here to protect you.”
“I feel bad that you’re sleeping out here in the hallway.”
“I do not mean to cause you distress. I am a warrior, an Elite Warrior Commander. This corridor is more comfort than I’m usually afforded on missions. I will be fine.”
Ada Jane stood there, looking at him.
“I appreciate your concern, though.”
Ada’s mouth turned into a definite smirk. Kol recognized it because he’d grown used to Vivi giving him the same expression when he tried to use slang or make funny remarks that didn’t quite make sense. Ada stepped back and to the side.
“There is a lot of room in here. I’d like to sleep in the bed, but I’m having a hard time relaxing. It’s just too much, and I’m overwhelmed trying to process all the different emotions. But through it all, I know you’re out here. I heard you speaking with Vivian’s husband. And I know you only want to protect me. So, would you mind coming in?”
Kol’s eyes rounded. His heart leapt with joy. His female was inviting him inside her private rooms.
Ada Jane looked over her shoulder at the rooms behind her, then back at Kol. “I’ll take the bedroom, if the couch is okay with you? There is a mountain of blankets on the bed, so I’m sure I have more than a few extras for you.”
Kol smiled. “Vivian loves blankets and tries to make sure each female rescued has their own small mountain of them.”
Ada nodded her understanding while pulling the comforter tighter around herself. “So, did you want to sleep inside?”
“Yes! Yes, thank you. I would be honored to sleep in your space and protect you while you rest in the next room.”
Ada smiled. The first real smile she’d even been able to produce since her last memory of smiling on Earth. Her whole face lit up, and Kol’s heart wrapped itself around her for all eternity.
“Thank you for coming in, so I can sleep better.”
“Thank you for trusting me, my Ada Jane.”
<<<<<<<>>>>>>>
Rokai ahl stood at the door to the cruiser he and Gaishon had ‘borrowed’. He waited while the ramp was extended for them to disembark, before the airlock released and the doors swished open vertically.
There before him, standing at the far edge of the exit ramp, was Navon. He was practically giddy with excitement over Rokai ahl’s visit. “Rokai ahl!” he squeaked out. “I am honored to welcome you to our home. Please,” he said, waving his hands about, “make yourself comfortable. We offer you sanctuary for as long as you like.”
Rokai looked around himself disdainfully. This place was filthy. This male was filthy. The males he’d hired to work for him, because obviously these were paid muscle, not loyal military, were filthy. They were in all stages of dress and undress. Some shaven, some not. Some furred, some horned, some not even remotely humanoid. But they all had one thing in common. Their talents were easily purchased for monetary gain.
Rokai looked to his right, to Gaishon with a completely unimpressed look on his face. “Shall we stay, or should we look for another place?”
Before Gaishon could answer, Navon piped up. “Stay! Why would you consider going elsewhere?”
“I see nothing but dirt. And men. If I am to rest easily, I require female companionship,” Rokai quipped.
“We have female companionship. They are kept apart from my males for obvious reasons.”
Rokai raised an eyebrow, not commenting.
“You will see. They are trained in the pleasures I enjoy best. You will be most satisfied. They can service and endure any number of activities in the pursuit of unimaginable pleasure and pain. And if they don’t, it’s not a problem. We’ll send out a patrol to bring back more.”
Rokai looked at Gaishon, Gaishon nodded. “We stay.”
“Very well. We’ll stay for now. Where are our accommodations?” Rokai asked.
“You will, of course, stay in my personal home with me. I won’t hear of you accepting any less in the way of accommodations.”
“Are the females there?” Rokai asked.
“The best are,” Navon answered.
“The best trained?” Rokai asked.
“No, leave those for the hired hands. These are the least experienced. Some of them yet untouched. Some are from worlds we’ve only heard of, never seen. They are the softest. Their skins the most delicate. Their mouths a wondrous thing to sink yourself into once you’ve whipped them into submission. Their sexes, unsullied, just waiting for your seed. You, my most esteemed friend, may have your choice,” Navon offered, thinking his words seductive to Rokai ahl.
Rokai’s stomach turned. He couldn’t believe no one had killed this mother-fucker yet. He was a sadistic, sick fuck, and the
universes would be a better place without him or his ‘hired males’. He thought of Rosie trapped in this male’s hold, and it was all he could do to control himself long enough to execute his plan.
“Show us to your home, then. We accept your invitation,” Rokai said.
“Yes, yes! Come right this way,” Navon answered, clearly excited to be hosting Rokai ahl.
As they were led through the corridors of the bulky, dull-metal building Navon considered his home, Rokai decided to dig a little deeper. “Do you purchase all your females at auction?”
“Oh, no. By then most of them have been sampled. We prefer to acquire them if at all possible. Though occasionally, we do come across those offered for sale. Instead of purchasing, we ask for a lease. We test them. If they are intact and untried, we will purchase them. If they are experienced, no longer innocent, I’ll sometimes play with them for a while before allowing my males to share them. There are only a few who wish to partake, which is actually quite a blessing. They are somewhat more brutal than I’d imagined they would be. Ah, oh well, it is what it is, and if the females survive, I’ll return them to their original owners, telling them their females did not perform well,” Navon said, braggadociously, as though Rokai would be impressed with his ability to abuse and rape females.
Rokai walked along beside Navon, trying his damnedest to keep his unfeeling mask in place to cover the disgust he felt.
“Why have you never invited me here to play?” Rokai asked.
“I’ve only just assumed my rightful place, you know,” Navon confided. “Before that, my uncle ran the refueling station, refusing to be recognized as our own entity. I had to forcibly remove him and hire my own males to help protect my interests. And you know, it’s not everyone who enjoys the play that I do,” Navon confided.
“Have you always played in such a way?” Gaishon asked.
“Often I was the recipient, rather than the giver,” Navon said, his voice tightening.
Rokai wasn’t sure if the tension was due to his no longer being the recipient, or if it was due to having been at one time.
“Do you prefer receiving?” Rokai asked, sounding shocked.
“It is of no consequence now.”
“And why is that?” Rokai asked.
“My uncle is no longer able to provide what I need.”
Rokai understood very well what Navon was hinting at. His uncle had used him much in the same way he was now using the females under his control. Only now, he was in control, and his uncle was no longer interested in giving him what he needed.
“Can you arrange a session for this evening? I wish to learn of your techniques,” Rokai asked, just as they arrived at the rooms that Navon guided them to.
“You wish to sample the females we have?” Navon asked, leaving the unspoken question hanging in the air for Rokai to acknowledge or not.
Rokai knew immediately what Navon wanted. “Yes, I do. And who knows? I may decide to provide some much needed relief to an old friend.”
Navon’s eyes glittered with the thought of Rokai binding him and whipping him until he bled before sinking his cock into his body, or better yet, into his mouth. There were not many as strong as Rokai ahl. He was one of only a few who could master him as he needed. Maybe if he found a little relief, he’d not kill quite as many females as he had recently. It truly wasn’t his fault. He just needed an outlet for all the stress he’d taken on since becoming Prime Minister of his own planet.
“I shall arrange a session for this night. I trust you will be most satisfied and feel generous in the gifts you bestow upon us all,” Navon purred.
“Be sure that all who have been taught this manner of pleasure in the last several revolutions are in attendance. I wish to learn as much as I can before I embark on my own methods.”
“As you wish, Rokai ahl. If you should decide to explore my home, please, be my guest. You are welcome here. Nothing you wish is out of the question.”
The door closed, and Rokai turned to face the room. It held one bed, one large, overstuffed and ruffled bed, covered in the most gaudy pink coverlet he’d ever seen. The windows, if one could call them that, were merely scenes of strange worlds painted directly onto the walls with pink and white ruffled curtains attached to the walls as though the scenes were actually windows.
“This is atrocious!” Rokai exclaimed.
When Gaishon didn’t answer, he glanced toward him and found Gaishon staring at him with a horrified look on his face.
“What is the problem?” Rokai asked.
“Did you just promise to fuck that… that… whatever the hell it is?” Gaishon asked.
“Yes. But I’m not. I just need him to believe that I will.”
“That was your plan?” Gaishon asked.
“No. I had no plan. This one just presented itself.”
“To fuck this thing is part of your plan?” Gaishon reiterated.
“You are not listening. I am not fucking him. I am not fucking anyone. I just need his guard down, so I can take advantage of him. Have him assemble all the males who’ve abused the females in one room, and then we’ll kill them. Him, though, Navon? Navon, I’m going to whip with the same bladed strips my female was beaten with. I’m going to use the poisons on him, force him to tell me how to reverse the effect, then I’m going to cut his heart out.”
“Oh. Well, that sounds more like you. You had me worried for a little while there,” Gaishon said, relieved.
Rokai just shook his head. “You’d think you would know me better by now,” he said, moving toward the door. “Come, we have much to explore.”
“What are we exploring?” Gaishon asked.
“We are making sure there are no other females hidden away on this godforsaken rock than those locked away by Navon. And we have to find his uncle also.”
“He dies first?” Gaishon asked.
“He does indeed,” Rokai answered. “The perversion started there, so we start there.”
Chapter 21
Rosalita woke early after a restless night of Rokai wandering in and out of her dreams. She dressed and headed straight for the commissary, her intention to find Rokai ahl. If one wanted to eat, they went to the commissary. So by her reasoning, he had to waltz through there at some point. Halfway there, she realized she did have another option available to her — Vivian. She could ask Vivian if she knew where Rokai was. As Rosie mulled it over in her head, she decided against it.
“I’ll just try other options first. Don’t want anyone else in my business,” she said aloud, firmly.
Entering the commissary, Rosie looked around. No sign of Rokai. However, the other males she’d flirted with were there, waving her over, wanting her to sit with them. She took a step, then remembered Rokai’s response to her sitting with them before. She didn’t want to push him away anymore. She wanted to speak to him, really talk to him and see what was going on in his head.
She smiled and waved at the two males, but opted to take a seat with some of the other girls. She hadn’t spent much time with them in the last few days. In fact, the last few days had been nothing but placing herself into positions to be able to, hopefully, run into Rokai ahl.
“Ladies,” Rosie said, taking an empty seat beside Synclare.
“Rosie! Been missing you, girl. What’s been happening?” Synclare asked.
“Nothing much. Just trying to get a hold on things, ya know?”
“I do. You okay?” Synclare asked.
“Yeah. I think I am. I’m better than even I expected. Ya’ll? We all acclimating?” she asked, taking the time to look at each one of the women seated at the table.
“We’re getting there, aren’t we, ladies?” Synclare asked.
Several nodded and agreed, but two made no move to even lift their eyes to connect with either Synclare or Rosie.
“It’s better than it was. Anything is better than it was. At least now we are protected. We are safe, and as soon as it can be arranged, we’ll get to go home. Just re
member that anything is better than it was,” Rosie said quietly.
Even the two silent women nodded their heads in agreement.
Rosie happened to glance over at the same time Vivian was entering the commissary. Her customary smile was in place, and she greeted everyone she passed, and her Kitty padded along at her side. It was impossible to miss the three large males following subtly along behind her.
“She looks so happy,” Synclare commented.
“She does. She’s a good person, I think. I’m happy for her,” Rosie said, still watching Vivian.
“I want to be her one day,” Synclare confided.
Rosie spun around and looked at Synclare with a shocked expression on her face. “You want to marry her husband and be princess of whatever it is she’s princess of?”
“No! Oh my gosh, no! I just want to be that self-assured again. That confident, that happy. I miss that me,” Synclare explained.
Rosie smiled and hugged Synclare for one brief second, thinking of how Synclare was the rock that held the other women together since Rosie had stepped away. “You’re closer than you think.”
The two women shared a smile, then, Rosie had to go. Being with all the women she’d shared so much trauma with was too much for her to handle some days. She was much better on her own. “You know where to find me if you need me,” she said to the group as a whole. “Be happy each day. Find one little tiny thing that makes you smile and hang on to it. Eventually, you’ll have a whole handful of happy.”
She didn’t wait for them to reply, instead she hurried to get in line behind Vivian. She stood there quietly until Kitty turned around and noticed her. He licked her hand and rubbed his head on her hand.
“Hello to you, too. I hear you’re a big old floof ball,” Rosie told the cat-creature.
Vivian turned around to see who Kitty was taking it upon himself to irritate first thing this morning. “Oh, Rosie! Good morning!”
“Good morning, Vivian. How are you today?” Rosie asked.
“I’m good, really good. You feeling any better? Your back healing?” Vivian asked, dropping her voice to a whisper.
“Most of it, but the parts in the middle just won’t heal.”
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