by Kora Knight
Shuffling over, he glared up at the Kríe. “Miros,” he bit out. “Don’t let him do this. We’re not fucking cattle to be sold.”
Miros looked at him and sighed. “The king likes you, Alec. He will treat you well.”
“I don’t want him to treat me well. I wanna get the fuck out of here.”
“Just remember,” Miros continued, as if Alec hadn’t even spoken. “As of late he has been dealing with many hardships, so his temperament at times may be… erratic.”
Alec stared at him angrily, then glanced at the king. “Well that’s just fucking great. Hand me over to a goddamn head case.”
Miros eyed Zercy, too. “As long as you do not try his patience, everything should be fine.”
Alec scrubbed his face. “This can’t be happening. We can’t stay here, Miros. We have families, people who need us.” Not entirely true, as he’d lost his parents in a car accident, but the rest of the team probably had loved ones. Besides, he had a sweet job that he didn’t want to lose.
“Alec.” Miros’ timbre was laced with regret. “This is not up to me. I am sorry.”
Alec started to tell Miros to shove it up his ass, but the sound of Noah’s rising voice distracted him.
“Gesh. Don’t do this. Don’t fuck me like this.”
Alec glanced over in time to see Gesh’s jaw clench tight. “Noah. I am giving you to the sovereign king. You will never want for anything again.”
“I’ll want my fucking freedom. Will he give me that?”
Gesh frowned. “You do not want freedom here. It is far too dangerous. For your kind, it would only bring death.”
Noah glowered. “I think that’s a little dramatic.”
“No.” Gesh shook his head. “There are creatures here that would end you in the blink of an eye. Or keep you to torture for sport.”
“Didn’t seem that dangerous when we were traipsing around with you.”
“Because they smell us, fear us. Avoid my kind. But even then, we still go out in numbers.”
“Then let us stay with you.” Noah’s eyes turned pleading. “Just until our people come to get us.”
“Mah.” Gesh shook his head a second time. “Our occupation is precarious. You would be a liability.”
“We could stay at your home, then. Out of the way. Help out with chores and shit.”
Gesh’s face turned grim, as if he’d love just that, but didn’t have the faith that it could work. Palming Noah’s cheek, he stroked it with his thumb. “Meesha.” Precious one. “You could be happy here. So much happier than with me.”
Noah shoved his hand away. “Don’t you dare play that card. That you’re selling me for my own good. You’re making a fucking profit off us! You don’t give a flying fuck if I’m happy!”
The higher his voice rose, the more pained Gesh appeared. “Mah.” Again, he shook his head. “You are special. I care. I do.” Touching their brows, he cupped Noah’s face with both hands. “I did not expect to. It had not been in my plans. If things were different, I vow to you, Noah, I vow I would keep you forever.”
Noah clutched Gesh’s big wrists, his urgent tone spiking. “Keep me forever now, Gesh. Things don’t have to be different!”
Without warning, he lurched up and crushed his lips to Gesh’s. Gesh froze. Eyes wide, he stared at Noah’s closed ones. But he didn’t move his hands, and he didn’t pull away. Instead, he just stood there as Noah kissed him incessantly, pressing their mouths repeatedly together.
It was passionate. It was affectionate. But most of all, it was desperate. As if the thought of never seeing Gesh again terrified Noah more than being sold.
What was also pretty telling, was the shift in Gesh’s demeanor. That subtle softening of his rigid stance. The way his mouth had begun engaging Noah’s. Awkward at first, but Gesh caught on pretty fast. Which gave Alec the impression the Kríe hadn’t ever kissed before. At least not like that, with a lover. Gesh pulled Noah closer on a low, distressed growl. Holy shit. Alec’s pulse picked up speed. Was the pack leader having a change of heart?
The king’s guards approached. Time had run out. Alec glanced to Bailey and Jamis, who looked exceptionally stressed. Even the twins beside them exuded anxiety. Not that it kept the Kríe from staying nice and quiet. Guess all the fun last night had them too worn out to speak. But then, Naydo remained pretty tight-lipped, too. Though in fairness, he did appear exceptionally distraught. The way his sad eyes stayed ever diverted from Zaden’s face…
Alec regarded his second in command as Zaden intently scanned their surroundings. Knowing his friend, Zaden was scoping out exit routes. Unfortunately, such knowledge wouldn’t do him any good, unless those guards decided to untie them. Which Alec seriously doubted they would. But old habits die hard, and truth be told, Alec had already located them all, too.
He shook his head, disgusted all over again. Had these Kríe no fucking ethics? No moral code at all? Were they seriously okay with human trafficking? Granted, Alec’s guys were probably the first humans they’d sold, but Jesus, they’d just shared fucking beds!
He wanted to bellow a stream of foul curses. He wanted to punch them all in the face. But most of all he just wanted to get his men to safety, and rid them of this whole fucking nightmare.
To his right, commotion began to arise. Alec turned, then froze in astonishment. Gesh was shoving the guards away, not letting them anywhere near Noah.
“Do not touch him. I have changed my mind. This one is not for sale.”
The guards paused, surprised, as if in all Gesh’s transactions, he’d never once rescinded on a deal. Further down the hall, talking with his treasurers, the king stopped and looked their way.
One of the guards hustled over with an update. “My liege. He wishes to repeal a sale.”
Zercy frowned and gestured something briefly to his aid, then turned and strode brusquely over. Arriving, he glared at Gesh. “What is this business that delays my affairs? I thought negotiations were over.”
Gesh squared his shoulders. “Apologies, Your Fairness. I made a mistake. This golden-haired human is not for sale.”
The king regarded Noah, then chuckled coolly. “Mistakes are unfortunate and meant to be learned from.” His eyes slid harshly back to Gesh. “The transaction is complete. He is mine now, scavenger. If you want your pet back, you must buy him.”
Gesh narrowed his eyes. “As you wish. I will bring you three flyers’ worth of fresh meat and hide.”
Zercy scoffed crossly. “I do not want flyers. I want slaves. And many. Bring me a score of our northern enemy and we will see about selling you your pet.”
“A score!?” Gesh thundered. “For one human male?!”
The king eyed him darkly, clearly vexed by his outburst. “Yes. You are right. My guards can accrue those. Bring me more humans instead.”
Gesh stilled. “More… humans?”
Zercy’s gaze moved to Alec. “Yes. That is my price.”
“But, my lord, their kind. They are very rare.”
“Yes. I remember. Possibly the rarest. Though, for your sake, let us hope there are more.”
“Tah,” Gesh muttered. “There will be. They are coming.”
Noah’s eyes shot wide. “You son of a bitch! Don’t you fucking dare!”
Alec’s heart stopped in his chest as he turned to Noah. “You told him about the others?”
Noah paled, shaking his head. “I didn’t—I wasn’t—I told him before he tricked us. I told him about our ship… and its beacon.”
Alec bit back a curse. For all intents and purposes, they’d just set a trap for their rescuers. All Gesh had to do was wait for their arrival. Hopefully, he’d get bored a couple months down and assume they weren’t ever coming.
“Twelve months,” Gesh growled, glaring at Zercy. “I will have you more humans in twelve months.”
Alec bit back an even bigger curse. Goddamn it. So much for Gesh getting bored. Guess Noah told him about the time frame, too. Hell, knowing Gesh, he
’d probably take that beacon and plop the thing down at his crib. Easiest catch ever, you’re welcome very much.
Noah winced miserably as the rest of the team groaned.
The king just smirked with a shrug. “Then you will have your pet in twelve months, too.”
“Give him to me now, and keep the others as collateral.”
Zercy laughed. “The others are hardly collateral.” Again, his dark eyes slid back to Alec. “They are mine. Every one of them. Mine and mine alone.”
Alec shifted under his scrutiny, heart hammering in his chest. God, that stare. Like Zercy wanted to eat him alive. Starting with Alec’s cock as an appetizer. Crazy thing was, despite Alec’s unease, he also felt a tingle of anticipation. A kind of dark excitement he couldn’t explain. Like the king was luring him. Turning him on. But what the hell? That couldn’t be right. Sure, this Kríe could probably rock him like Miros had. But it was different, this feeling. Not like with Miros, where the two of them had just wanted to get off. No, this wasn’t what friends with bennies felt like. This was way different. This was more. Ugh. It made no sense. An aftereffect of that plant? All Alec knew was that somehow, someway, Zercy was already under his skin. Rubbing at his hot spots. Making his brain stupid. Why the fuck else would Alec’s dick be hardening from just the mere weight of his gaze?
Oh, God. Oh, hell. This was so not good. He did not need this kind of complication.
Zercy grinned, then turned and gestured to his guards. “Take them to the bathhouse, and then to Sirus. Tell him to get started. To run every test. I want to know everything there is to know about every single inch of this species. And I do mean everything. Inside and out.” He cast Gesh a final condescending look. “I have other matters to attend to. This scavenger makes me late.” Turning on his heel, he casually strode off, not sparing another look back.
Alex cringed at the ominous implications of his orders as images of alien probing blitzed his brain. Holy son of a bitch. What the fuck had they gotten themselves into?
“I said do not touch him,” Gesh growled to his right as the king’s guards once again approached. Of course, they didn’t listen. Just continued on task with two assuming control of the leash. “I said do not touch him!” Gesh tried to shove them back, tried to fend them off, but was quickly restrained by more guards. And still he fought them, fangs bared furiously, as Noah was wrenched from his side. “Do not touch him!” he roared. “Let him go! He is mine! Do not touch him! Let him go! He is mine!”
Naturally, his pack bounded into the fray, too, as if they’d long since been chomping at the bit. And maybe they had. They’d certainly looked primed, ready for a formidable fight. And man, did they give one, throwing punches, slashing claws. Tossing heavy Kríe to the ground. Unfortunately, like Gesh, they were quickly outnumbered, swarmed by way more guards than they could handle.
Chet, too, fought valiantly, determined to protect his charge. “Get your paws off us,” he barked, shoving and shouldering. Head-butting countless Kríe in the face. “I said lay off, goddamn it! Let go!” But the king’s guards swiftly overpowered him, too, even with Z and Alec joining in. Next thing Alec knew, all three of them had been wrenched into unyielding, submissive holds.
He could still hear Gesh bellowing, though, as guards dragged him away. “I will come for you, Noah! I vow it! I will come!”
Alec’s chest went cold as Kríe led his team toward an exit. He’d failed his men in every way. Who knew what fate awaited them now. Considering the instructions Zercy gave to that Sirus guy, it certainly wouldn’t be rainbows and unicorns. More like exam tables with restraints and scary tools.
Oh, God. Search and Rescue, hurry the hell up. And for the love of all that’s holy, don’t get captured.
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KRÍE CAPTIVITY?
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And be sure to keep an eye out for the next exciting, full-length installment coming out later this year! So many new and intense relationships, as well as the progression of already established ones. What fiery passion is in store for Alec and Zercy? What will become of Gesh and Noah? And of course, just as importantly, what will happen to the Search and Rescue team Nira has so intently been waiting for?
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For those who love gay-for-you contemporary, check out my other series, too.
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LOSER TAKES ALL
TEST OF ENDURANCE
SIDELINE SUBMISSION
PRIZED POSSESSION
BRINGING IT HOME
AFTERGLOW