by Corin Cain
Tessa or I might be as willing as the Aurelians are, but in the eyes of the Aurelian Law Enforcement, they will be guilty of one of the most egregious crimes.
There will be no escaping Lord Oblog if he gets that footage. If Marcel and his battle-brothers can’t find a way out before this so-called spectacle, they’ll be forever at the mercy of this Toad Lord, for the rest of their long, long lives.
“I… I can do it,” whispers Tessa.
I turn to face her. My first thought is jealousy again – as if she wants to do this…
…but the moment I see how pale her skin is, and how she has tears in her eyes, I know that couldn’t be further from the truth.
There’s something dark within me – some mating frenzy of my own – that doesn’t turn my stomach at being the humiliated subject of this obscene spectacle.
Tessa, on the other hand, is just trying to do whatever will keep us alive.
“You saved me, Jamie. If it wasn’t for you…”
She’d be what? Raped by the man I’d spared her from back on the Elnor? The property of a sadistic Bullfrog? In Tessa’s mind, she’s indebted to me forever.
“I can do it,” she murmurs – as if trying to convince herself more than me “You don’t need to go through with this – it’s my turn.”
She only wants to spare me.
I was right to trust Tessa. She’s now ghostly pale at the thought of being fucked in front of this disgusting, jeering crowd – but she’s still found the courage to volunteer herself.
She knows how fucking huge the Aurelians are. She knows that whichever one of us is led up onto that stage and roughly taken, they most likely won’t be able to walk straight for days; ruined by the Aurelians as they descend into the beast-like mating frenzy.
But Tessa still clings to the last shreds of her humanity. The Aurelians might fuck that clean out of her if they take her, breaking her forever.
I want to believe that the three men have a plan to get us out of here. I want to believe it – but the way in which they’re standing, silent and indecisive, shows me that Lord Oblog is truly as in-control of this situation as his arrogance would suggest.
Could I do this? Could I sit back and watch Tessa be taken by the Aurelians?
Could I bear to be separated from them? Trapped with a circle of Toad guards surrounding me, sitting near the obscene Lord Oblog as he eagerly watches what would be its own kind of torture for me?
I’d be helpless, vulnerable, and forced to watch while these three Aurelians – my Aurelians – rut with Tessa on stage. I want to keep her safe…
…but it goes deeper.
The Aurelians are always staring at me possessively, but now I realize I’m the one who views them as somehow mine.
I couldn’t watch them fucking Tessa on stage. I wouldn’t care that they’re only doing it because they’re being forced to. I know I should be thinking of every means possible to get away from the Aurelians for all they’ve done – but somehow, I feel drawn to them.
I’ve stayed alive this long by trusting my gut.
As stupid as it sounds to my logical brain, right now my gut is telling me the Aurelians aren’t evil – they’re just in way over their heads.
“No,” I answer.
I look Tessa square in the eye as I steel myself.
“I can do it,” I insist. “I think… I think there’s some possibility we’re Bonded. I know how crazy that sounds, but…”
Tessa reaches forward and touches my arm, and I instantly understand that she doesn’t think I’m crazy.
“You’ve seen it, too. There’s something more between us – me, and the Aurelians. Maybe…” I gulp. “Maybe it’ll be less painful for me.”
I want to sound strong and certain, but it’s impossible. Those three towering Aurelians make me feel tiny and helpless in their presence
My only hope is that being taken by the Aurelians will be less painful for me than it would be for Tessa – hell, I was on the brink of it with Lucius, until his battle-brother interrupted us…
…but it’s not going to be easy.
The prospect of being taken hard by not one, but all three dominant, alien warriors fills me with anxiety.
I’ve seen the silhouette of their massive, throbbing cocks. To be skewered by such huge shafts might be the fantasy of the countless women – both rich and poor – who go flocking to join Aurelian harems; but not me.
I always stood on my own two feet. I’ve always made my own way in the universe.
Now, I’m at the mercy of others – the towering, inscrutable Aurelians, or the sadistic Toads.
There’s no question which side I’d prefer to be at the mercy of – but once Aurelians descend into the mating frenzy, they lose all concept of what ‘mercy’ even is.
If they truly lose themselves to the mating frenzy, I might not survive the experience. The three of them stand well over seven-feet in height, and each of them weighs at least four-hundred-pounds; all of it pure muscle.
When – not if – they lose themselves to the mating frenzy, all their pent-up rage, frustration, and lust will be unleashed upon me like a volcano erupting.
The Toads are in no rush for us to decide, however. In fact, the Bullfrogs are watching the spectacle with interest – as if this is part of the spectacle itself.
Lord Oblog rubs his slimy hands together, whispering something to Lord Qavar. The Toad Lord gurgles in mirth as he hears it.
It doesn’t take a genius for me to put this all together. The fact that Tessa and I, leashed to our Aurelian ‘masters,’ even have a say in which of us will be fucked reveals everything.
The fact that we’re whispering about which one of us will be fucked on stage – like a piece of property – has already proven Oblog’s theory that we’re not truly slaves.
But at this point?
It doesn’t matter.
Unless the Aurelians have some genius plan up their sleeves – and togas don’t even have sleeves – then the only other way we’re getting out of here is as corpses.
“I’ll do it.”
“A-Are you sure?”
Tessa whispers gratefully to me, before adding:
“I can do it, honestly.”
Once again, jealousy surges inside of me, but I ignore it. I know that part of Tessa is curious about the Aurelians. In the safety and security of their living quarters, perhaps she’d even been lusting after them. It’s pretty impossible not to, as my encounter with Lucius demonstrates.
Tessa feels that they saved her, and she’s eager to pay them back – but she wouldn’t know what she’s letting herself in for if she does.
Tessa might think the appeal of Aurelians is just a fantasy – but when you have thousands of pounds of muscular, alien flesh pressing you down and fucking you with every ounce of their monstrous strength, it’ll all become painfully real.
Tessa’s forced bravery is a thin veneer, and the edges are already cracking. If I let her do this, I fear it will break her for good – and drag her down to a place from which none of us will ever be able to recover her.
So, I turn to face Lord Oblog. He meets my stare. The defiance of my gaze tells him all he needs to know.
“I see you have decided.”
His voice has suddenly lost all its glee. I’ve taken the power away from him, and like a child whose toy has been confiscated, he’s angry and frustrated.
But while the Toad Lord might enjoy the sadistic thrill of forcing Aurelians to do his bidding, he didn’t get to his elevated position in Toad society by making his decisions based on emotion. To become one of the ten most powerful Toads in the universe requires cunning, and cold ruthlessness – not letting his feelings rule him.
“Bring the other woman to me,” orders Lord Oblog.
Tessa shudders. I give her a gentle touch on her shoulder, and my breath catches as I remember Ling touching me in that exact, same way right before she turned that last corner and met her end.
Fate
has taken me full circle. I now fill Ling’s shoes.
Will I share her fate?
Lucius takes Tessa’s elbow and leads her up the steps toward the throne. At the top of them, he reluctantly unfastens the leash from his wrist.
Then, Lucius mutters something to the Toad Lord – low enough that only Oblog can hear him. Finally, he hands the leash to the Toad, and I watch as Oblog’s cruel face twists into an obscene smile.
With a click, he attaches Tessa’s leash to his wrist. She gives me a terrified, pleading look, begging me to save her.
I make a promise to myself.
I won’t leave this ship without you.
I only hope the silent promise is conveyed in my eyes.
It was heartbreaking to watch a tall, proud Aurelian Warrior forced to do the bidding of a disgusting Toad. If we weren’t surrounded by Sentinels and Bullfrogs, I know that bastard’s head would have been bouncing down those steps by now…
…but we’re firmly in Lord Oblog’s territory now.
Lucius strides back down the steps, his eyes black with rage.
“What did you say to him?” I hiss, as he passes me.
“I warned that slimy bastard that if he so much as lays a hand on Tessa, I’ll kill him.”
My mind races. That warning raises the stakes. Toad are cowards, but they’re calculating cowards. Even safe on his own ship, I know Oblog won’t discount Lucius’s threat.
Whether that helps or hurts our situation, I’m not sure.
Fuck.
I need to get out of this throne room – and now. If I’m near Oblog for another second, I might just throw up.
Marcel faces down the Toad Lord.
“Do you require anything else of us?”
There’s no questioning tone in his flat sentence. Marcel wasn’t asking – he was telling. His fists clench, and he draws me closer. I don’t know if it’s anger, or his protective instincts – but I’m grateful either way.
“That will be all,” Oblog waves a slimy hand dismissively. “Go rest, Aurelians. You need to guard your strength for the show tonight.” Then, that mocking laugh. “Don’t worry, your other woman is safe with me – for now.”
Oblog yanks the leash and pulls Tessa closer to him. She chokes on the collar, grabbing at her throat. My hands ball into fists – and while I know I’m powerless to do anything right now, I make a solemn promise to myself that I’m going to be the one who shoves a blade through Lord Oblong’s flabby, gelatinous throat.
Marcel then turns, stiff and formal, and strides silently toward the doors. The leash around my own neck goes taut, and I’m forced to wade through the water behind him.
As we leave, Lord Oblog triumphantly declares:
“Everyone in this room is invited, tonight! Watch these three, proud Aurelians turn into animals before your very eyes!”
The Toad Lord jeers as we leave, and I know he’s trying to provoke the Aurelians. The Bullfrogs laugh in their grunting, low tones, adding fuel to the fire.
Marcel finally stops, right in front of the towering doors as they open for us.
Without a word, he scoops me up and flings me over his shoulder – and I get one last look of the chortling Toad and his cohorts as we leave.
The only two Toads not laughing are the two Bullfrog guards at the door. They hold their axes ready, eyeing us like predators.
I know they can feel the tension and rage resonating from the Aurelians – like deadly waves from the heart of a dying neutron star.
The ship-wide intercom crackles as we turn the corner. Oblog’s voice crackles over the intercom in the Toad language. Whatever he’s saying, from the way Marcel tenses when he hears it, it can’t be good.
Oblog must be announcing the show.
It’s too much of a coincidence that the Toad Lord would address the ship right after our meeting. He’s telling his men to come watch the three proud Aurelians ravish their helpless little slave. He wants to lord the power he has over the three, proud warriors; and to drive their humiliation home as deeply as he can.
A Toad suddenly stumbles around the corner in front of us, and then stops – frozen in his tracks. His bulbous eyes widen as he gazes up at the terrifying sight of the three Aurelians, and the slimy creature hops away in terror.
I can hear his feet splashing all the way down the corridor, echoing his lopsided pace as he escapes. After Marcel so calmly decapitated the Toad guard earlier, they must be terrified of what the Aurelians might do if wronged or slighted.
The Toad’s escape might be undignified – but no more than my predicament. I’m being bounced up and down with each stride of Marcel’s long legs as he carries me to their living quarters.
Lucius slams his hands against the door button, and with a hiss we’re welcomed back to the only place I’ve felt safe on this Toad mothership. The dry, merciless heat of the Aurelian’s living quarters is a welcome change to the wet, clammy atmosphere throughout the rest of the ship – the air that clings to you, leaving you sticky and uncomfortable.
Marcel sets me down, unclipping the leash from my throat and tossing it aside. The veins of his huge, muscular neck are twitching and his temple is pounding with barely contained rage.
The three Aurelians are anger incarnate right now – whereas I’m shocked by how steady I am.
My mind feels…
Clear
For the first time since I’d watched my best friend die horribly, my mind is clear.
If the Aurelians are going to stew in anger, someone needs to push them towards rational thought.
“We need to get Tessa off the ship,” I declare matter-of-factly.
The Aurelians are clouding their judgement with emotion right now. Their pride is hurt after they’d had their dominance challenged by the Toad Lord - in front of the Bullfrogs, no less. Aurelians are a fiercely proud species, and Lord Oblog is using that against them – knowing he can manipulate the Aurelians by keeping them furious and off balance
Lucius ignores my words.
Instead, he strides to the enormous dining table and slams his heavy fist down across the surface of it. The crack fills the room and the thick wood splinters like matchsticks beneath his powerful blow.
He punches the table again and again, cracking it first in half, and then into splinters. His knuckles are bloody and raw by the time he’s finished. Then, Lucius grabs a chair and flings it across the room – all the way into the kitchen. The wood splinters against the wall.
Finally, he stands there panting with exertion. Every vein in his body is filled with blood right now, and his muscles are pumped and tense
“Stop that!” I cry. “You’re not helping anything by doing that! Get your mind straight, Lucius!”
He turns to me, venom in his eyes.
“We’re going to fight our way out. We will not rape you!”
I swallow.
I suddenly realize that for all their strength, and power, and the lethal Orb-Blades they wield, I’m suddenly the one with the power. If I gave the word, the Aurelians wouldn’t think twice. They’d try to cut their way through the legions of Toads and Bullfrogs to find a way off the ship.
With the violence apparent in Lucius’s body and the hatred burning in his eyes, I don’t doubt for a second how far he could wade his way through Oblog’s crew – leaving behind him a sea of blood. He and his battle-brothers would cut down everyone and everything in their path, whether Toad-meat or Sentinel steel.
They might even get me off this ship alive.
But there’s no way they could save Tessa – no way.
She’s the prisoner of Lord Oblog right now, and my skin crawls just at the thought of it. He’s one of the most powerful Toad Lords in the confederacy – one of the ten ‘Fingers’ of the Toad King – and his quarters would be guarded like a fortress. For the Aurelians to assault them would be suicide.
But the alternative is to flee without her. I’d be sentencing her to the same fate we’d tried to rescue her from. Okay,
so Tessa might not be tortured or punished by Lord Oblog – there’s no profit in that – but I have no doubt that Oblog would quickly pawn her off to the Bullfrog who’d wanted to buy her in the first place.
If the Aurelians fled, with me in tow, there’d be no incentive for him not to.
I gulp dryly.
“There’s no other way. We have to go through with this… performance.”
I struggle to even find the right word.
Performance.
That’s a euphemism for being ravished by three huge, hulking beasts in front of a baying, jeering crowd of Toads and Bullfrogs.
But what choice do we have?
“We have to do this – or Tessa dies, or worse.”
I can only picture my new friend, terrified as she’s trapped in the clutches of that sadistic Toad Lord. To flee would be to commit her to a fate worse than death
Quint is silent, watching me coldly. His mind is clearly working through the situation.
Marcel shakes his head slowly.
“Jamie, that is one line we cannot cross. It’s not the Aurelian Law Enforcement Kill List that I fear. If we do this – we can never come back from it ourselves.”
I meet his huge, grey eyes. I imagine the chiseled perfection barely concealed beneath his flowing toga. The fabric already reveals a swathe of his broad chest and the powerful muscles of his immense shoulders.
Marcel’s jaw is clenched like steel, his teeth set in a grimace.
The leader of the Aurelians makes me feel so small compared to his immense bulk – so helpless and vulnerable. There is a part of me that wants this feeling – that wants this fate. If I give myself to the Aurelians, it will allow some small part of me to take control – to choose my fate, instead of merely accept it.
Not to mention, the pleasure dress hasn’t stopped shimmering and squirming against my body. I can’t help but focus on the feeling of the tiny little tongues lapping against every inch of my bare skin, and as I tremble at the sensation, my mind is filled with the imagine the three Aurelians standing before me – totally naked.
I visualize Marcel’s thick, flaccid cock dangling between his powerful thighs – and his balls aching, and full of seed that he’s desperate to unleash inside me.