If you commit a crime on Vaharis 6, there’s more than one way to work off your sentence…
Grim prepares for his prison sentence after his family abandons him, knowing he’s going to have to make lots of tough choices in order to survive. But then someone comes for him, and Grim’s shocked to find that he knows his new keeper. He’s even more shocked when he learns why Duncan was willing to pay for his freedom.
Duncan fell first in lust and then in love with Grim years ago, but his status as a servant kept him from acting. Now, he’s the one with the money and power, and Grim is going to learn to obey and submit the way Duncan has always wanted him to.
Claimed
(Imprisoned, 3)
by
Victoria Vallo
A POISON GIRL PRESS BOOK
Claimed (Imprisoned 3)
Copyright © 2019 by Victoria Vallo
Edited by Howard Moore
First Publication: October 2016
Second Publication: August 2019
Cover design by K Designs
All cover art and logo copyright © 2019, Poison Girl Press.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
Chapter One
Grim opened his eyes when his cell mates both quieted down. Three days of listening to the other two men pleasure each other had left him feeling decidedly anxious. Sully, the smaller male, was pretty cute. He was human with a petite build and golden hair. The larger male, Eron, scared Grim a bit, leaving him very glad the two other men had already hooked up before Grim’s arrival in the holding pen on Vaharis 6. Eron was a Barrellian warbeast. Grim had always thought the “warbeast” part was just a nickname, but the race really referred to themselves that way, a point of pride apparently. The large male possessed bright blue fur that covered his entire body, a body that was heavily muscled. Faint red stripes circled some parts of his arms and legs and provided a nice contrast against the blue. He also had horns coming out of his temples and curving around to the back of his head. His eyes were bright green and practically glowed in the dark.
Eron seemed to be asleep, and Sully lay atop him, looking exhausted and content. Grim tried to ignore them, but he did wonder how Sully managed to take Eron’s huge cock. They typically only fucked at night, when the lights were all shut down, but Grim had caught little glimpses of Sully sucking Eron. He had to give the younger man credit for determination. Sully’s hand moved slowly over Eron’s fur, and he opened his eyes, catching Grim looking at them.
Grim looked away quickly and focused his gaze on the ceiling. He heard the bunk creak.
“It’s okay,” Sully said quietly. “He actually likes the audience.”
Grim looked over and saw Sully sitting up on the bed between Eron’s splayed legs. Sully wrapped one arm around the leg in front of him and lay his head on Eron’s thigh. “Good,” Grim said quietly. “Kind of can’t help hearing. And seeing sometimes.”
Sully gave him a sweet smile, as if he liked having an audience, too. “You like males?”
Grim said, “Yeah. I like both.”
Sully let his gaze roam over Grim’s body. “I notice you getting aroused at times.”
“Hard not to.” He glanced at Eron again. “I prefer humanoids, but yeah, you two get to me a bit.”
“But you never jerk off.”
“I don’t like an audience.” He paused. “But that’s my problem. Suppose I’ll have to get over it eventually. In here.”
“Yeah. Privacy is a thing of the past.” He glanced at Eron. “We’re both staking our claims, so to speak.” Sully lifted his head and leaned back. “We’ve both been in holding a while. Just a few more days before we’re sent into the main facility.”
“No one’s tried to contract with Eron? Seems he’d be a great candidate.”
Sully smiled at that comment. “Oh, they’ve tried, but he’s stubborn. Plus, he won’t leave me. We’ve bonded.”
“Bonded?”
“Yeah. Warbeasts mate for life. Most people don’t know that. They can fuck and pleasure each other, but once a male comes into you, you’re his and he’s yours. I let him take me my second night with him, let him come inside me the next day. I’m his now.”
“Did you know that would happen?”
Sully nodded. “Yep.” He caressed Eron’s stomach, running his fingers through the fur. “I think he’s beautiful. It hurt, at first, but he’s gentle.” He looked over and met Grim’s gaze. “Much gentler than it probably sounds at night. I’m just … a bit vocal.”
“You won’t leave him either?”
“Oh no.” Sully sat back against the wall when Eron shifted a bit. “On the inside, he’ll protect me. And I’ll be an asset to him, too. It’s a whole other world in there. We’ve both been in before. I’m small enough to help the smugglers, so we’ll be content enough. We both have a one-year sentence, but we’ll get be released earlier with bribes. And we’ll get the fuck out of here. For good.”
“Sounds like quite a plan.” Grim glanced to the cell door to see if anyone was paying attention to them.
Sully laughed. “The guards know about the smuggling and the bribes. Hell, they came up with most of it. The whole system.”
Grim eyed Sully. “How was it your first time?”
Sully frowned. “I found my way. When I came in, I was friendly. Accommodating. I found a big guy to take care of me. He was kind of rough, but as long as I obeyed, he never hurt me. Beat the shit out of anyone who looked at me wrong. Being with him kept me safe, at least.”
“But Eron’s different?” Grim watched the sleeping beast, wondering if he was actually listening to them.
“Yes. He’d be formidable in battle, but he’s kind. Haven’t you noticed? He gave you our blankets because, with his body heat, we sure don’t need them. And he told you the avoid that Agorian, the one that tried to kill the guard. He did those kinds of things for people when he was in before, and I remembered him right away. Made an impression, you know, in a place like this. He’d noticed me as well. You know, really noticed me.” Sully grinned. “Fucked up fairy tale. We were meant to meet this second time.”
Grim tried to smile. “Hey, if it works, it works.” He shifted on his bunk. “What about your last protector? He gonna be pissy about you being with someone else?”
“No. I got out before him. Eron did, too, but the guards told me he died. Big fight about six months ago.”
“So Eron won’t have competition?”
Sully eyed his lover. “No way. He wouldn’t let anyone take me. He loves me. And I love him, too. I’m happy just being near him.”
Grim didn’t know what to say, so he adjusted his pillow and put his head down.
“Don’t believe in love?” Sully asked a few minutes later. “Some people don’t. I get it.”
Grim shrugged one shoulder. “Eh. Never loved anyone. I don’t know.”
“But your family. That’s a kind of love, even if it’s not warm and fuzzy and tingly.”
Grim closed his eyes. “My family is letting me rot in here so I won’t shame them in public.”
“Sorry about that. Better to be rid of them then.”
Rolling to his back, Grim felt his stomach pitch. “I’m gonna have to find some way to survive inside. I’ll never get an offer from a keeper. Not unless it’s someone who just wants to fuck me.”
“I can give you pointers. Maybe get someone interested in you.”
Grim opened his eyes and looked over at the two men. “Someone like Eron?”
“I can try.”
Grim nodded, knowing he had no other options. “Spread the word then. I’ll … think about it.”
Eron opened his eyes then, confirming he’d been listening. He turned his head just enough to look at Grim. “How do you feel about tentacles?”
Grim swallowed past the lump in his throat. “I’m open minded,” he said, trying to sound sincere despite the way his chest tightened at the thought of what his life was about to become.
****
Duncan waited outside of the warden’s office. He didn’t know if he was actually going to see the warden or not, though. He imagined he’d be seeing an underling, unless the warden was in the habit of taking a bit off the top upfront. He thought that probable based on what he’d heard about the “reforms” the warden had put in place. Duncan had been on his guard from the moment he’d entered orbit around Vaharis 6.
Staring at the ugly painting across from him—it looked like trees, but he really wasn’t quite sure—Duncan turned his thoughts toward Grim again. He thanked every deity he could name that he’d kept some ties to Grim’s family and their household staff. The self-involved assholes were simply going to let their only child be killed or raped to death in this dreadful place, all for the sake of their “good name”. Duncan felt his blood pressure rising again. If he ever got the chance, he was going to take the entire family down, every last member. He’d served them for ten years, and the only thing that had kept him in their service that long was his love for Grim. It had started out as lust, of course, but it had turned into more over the years.
Duncan’s father had worked for Grim’s family on Candall, and upon his mother’s death, Duncan had gone to live there, too. Grim’s father had reluctantly allowed it and made Duncan, then sixteen, Grim’s “attendant”. Grim had been fourteen and very shy. The younger boy had been friendless and awkward in the extreme, mainly due to his parents and their dozens of restrictions piled on top of their elitism. Duncan had felt sorry for the younger man and tried to help him in every way possible. They’d shared a lot over the years, even sharing a bed often until the time when Grim had discovered girls. Then Duncan had started to distance himself, as it had been too painful both to give Grim advice on seduction and to listen to Grim fucking them in the very next room.
The worst had been when Grim had discovered that equal pleasure could be gained from sex with men. By that time, their bond had faded, and Grim had viewed him as little more than a servant. Grim had started taking any number of partners to his bed, but he’d long since stopped asking for Duncan’s advice. Duncan had forced himself to leave when Grim had become engaged two years ago. That union obviously hadn’t worked out, though Duncan hadn’t been able to find out why.
It didn’t matter. Duncan had made a fortune for himself, and now Grim would have no choice but to see him as more than a servant. Duncan would be his keeper, and Grim would finally belong to him. His cock grew hard as he thought about how wonderful it would be to finally have Grim at his mercy. He took deep, even breaths to calm himself. Footsteps approached from a distance, and a very pretty female wolf shifter came into the room and smiled at him. She opened the door to the warden’s office and gestured inside.
“The warden will be with you in just a few minutes. You’re free to sit in here. Would you like a drink?”
“No, thank you, my dear.” He smiled as he walked past her and into the office. Whereas most of the rest of the facility looked dull and dirty, the warden’s office was all shiny chrome and polished glass. Duncan sat as the girl closed the door. He looked at his data pad again and pulled up the file the prison had sent him when he’d contacted them the day before. He’d gotten the message from his old friend Loloth just before dawn, and he’d contacted the prison office the very second it had opened for incoming business. Grim’s mugshot showed a very tired and scared young man, and Duncan’s heart had thudded at the sight of him.
If only he’d taken the chance when they were still young, things might’ve been different. But once they’d drifted apart, the chasm had seemed too wide. Grim’s family had cut him off a year ago, according to Loloth, and Grim had turned to gambling to finance his lifestyle. His debts had then led him to stealing, which was what had landed him in jail on Vaharis 6, according to what Duncan had been told. But he’d taken that information as only one basic possibility. His work had him in constant contact with bounty hunters and men like the warden, and he knew records were often twisted to suit someone else’s needs. Duncan had no idea what might’ve brought Grim to this planet, but he’d soon find out. He suspected Grim had followed a lover here. That made him angry. He couldn’t fight the jealousy any longer. He would make Grim his and erase the memory of every other lover’s touch, no matter how long it took.
A side door opened, and the warden came in, all smiles and extending an eager handshake.
“I’m very excited to have you here. I understand you’re a wraith.”
Duncan managed a polite smile. He’d grown used to others being so fascinated by something that, to him, was as ordinary as the color of his eyes. “Half-blood, but yes. I’m not as powerful as my mother, as my father was human, though I do well enough.”
“Well, we could always use someone like you around here. You’re in the security business, I see. Makes sense, of course.”
Duncan tried to maintain his smile. Wraith was the everyday name for his mother’s race, the wraithelials. Their species had the ability to leave their bodies for indefinite periods of time and travel. Full-bloods could even go as far as other planets, with practice and training, but Duncan could only manage a few hundred miles at most. “Yes, it comes in handy. I’ll certainly pass the word along to others. You’d make a fine offer, I’m sure, given the importance of this facility.” He wanted to be done with this conversation, but he knew he needed to keep this man happy. For now, at least.
“Good! I would certainly make very generous offers. There are many perks to working here, now that I’m in charge.” He looked to his files on the screen at his left, obviously remembering Duncan was there to hand over large sums of money. “Your young friend is very lucky to have you. His family told me to fuck off. Literally—those were the mother’s words. Seemed offended I’d dirtied their com system by even contacting them.”
Duncan smiled. “Yes, they’re like that. Very above themselves. You’re lucky to have only had limited contact with them. They’re tightfisted and would’ve been difficult to negotiate with. A waste of your valuable time, really.” He noted how the warden seemed to puff his chest up a bit more with each carefully aimed compliment.
The warden then shook his head in dismay, though it seemed feigned to Duncan. “Some people. And an only son. What are they thinking? No price is too high to pay for a human life.”
Yes, of course you’d say something like that. “Yes, which is why I came to try to help Grim. I’ve known him since he was fourteen. What kind of friend would I be if I left him in here over so small an offense?” He hoped his own choice of words would sink in with the warden. He could afford to pay a small fortune for Grim—and he would if he had to—but he wasn’t about to pay more than Grim’s crime was worth, if he could help it.
“Yes, exactly so. What kind of person would just leave another in such a state? His family is one of the first on Candall. More money than the leaders of some poorer worlds could dream of. I understand they have a social position to maintain, but they could always spin it in a charitable way to enhance their status. Make it look as if they went and saved their lost lamb and all.” He looked to his files again. “Twenty-six is a bit old for your parents to be coming to your rescue, but still. They could’ve done something for him.”
Duncan turned his gaze to his data pad. “I see here his sentence is six months. But the sum he stole is not so much. And it was recovered. What influenced his judgment?”
The warden he
sitated a moment, but then he seemed to shift his strategy. “Noticed that, did you? Yes, the judge knows the family. Apparently Grim broke some family heirloom, and the elderly matriarch was in a fury.” He smiled as if they shared a secret. “We have to leave such things out of the records, though, of course. In your business, you understand.”
“Yes, I certainly do.” Grim should only have served about a month or maybe two for the petty amount he stole, which was all recovered anyway. The amount of his previous debts was not listed, but Duncan didn’t wish to draw the conversation out too much by asking.
He wanted Grim, and he wanted to leave. But if he seemed too eager, the warden might guess how he felt about Grim, and then he’d have to pay dearly to rescue him from this place.
Duncan had done his research, if hurriedly. He reached for his stylus and pulled up a blank screen. After writing a figure, he held it up. “That’s my offer. I don’t expect any trouble from him. We’ve known each other for twelve years.”
The warden eyed the sum and scratched his chin. “Hmmm. I’m not sure how it would look if I let him go outright for that sum.”
Duncan had known this part would be coming. “What if I consent to a tracking bracelet? If I lose him, you can have him back.”
The warden pulled up a file and studied it, though Duncan knew it probably had nothing to do with this negotiation. After a long moment, he made a counter offer. “The tracking bracelet and another thousand.”
“Hmmm.” Duncan made a show of gazing at the ceiling, as if doing sums in his head. “Yes, I think that can be arranged.”
The warden smiled. “Excellent. We’ll draw up the contract and get him ready to go.” He leaned forward and whispered, as if someone might overhear. “He’s been in a cell with a Barrellian warbeast. No telling what he smells like.”
Duncan smiled back. “Yes, no telling.” But he frowned once the warden had left the room.
Claimed (Imprisoned Book 3) Page 1