His to Command (Alien Masters Book 1)

by Kallista Dane

  After music lessons, her attendance was required at dinner. Harlots in training did not eat dinner with the others. Instead, they acted as servants, standing in silence behind the long table in the refectory until summoned by one of the Sacred Sisters to fetch more bread or wine. The wine flowed generously at the evening meal, since the Sisters knew Harlots would perform their duties more willingly when their mood was enhanced by potent spirits.

  After acting as serving wenches, AJ and the other Harlots in training had only a few minutes to gulp down their own dinner before the evening training session began. She hated those sessions more than anything else. Each of the Sisters would summon a trainee to her private quarters. Last night, AJ had been sent to Sister Miriam for the first time. She was young by Earth standards, probably no more than fifty. But without the hormone injections Earth women received, a woman of her age was no longer considered desirable by the men who came to the Lyceum. The skin on her face showed a few wrinkles and her figure was not as trim as it had once been, so she’d been designated as a Sacred Sister.

  Some of the Sisters welcomed their new position, since it meant they no longer had to spend their nights pleasuring an endless stream of strange men. But Miriam seemed to resent the Harlots in training. Miriam was especially cruel to AJ in class and she dreaded being alone with the woman, fearful of what was to come.

  Fearing what punishment Miriam might deem suitable if she were even a few minutes late, AJ left her own dinner untouched and dashed down the hall. She took a moment to catch her breath, then knocked on the door.

  “Enter.” Miriam’s voice was cold.

  AJ stepped inside the room, head down. “I am here for my training session, Sister.”

  “I know that,” the woman snapped. “Do not speak again unless I ask you a question.”

  AJ bit off a retort. Miriam seemed to be in an especially vicious mood tonight. She wore her usual garb—a long gown, this one deep blue. Plunging low in front to draw attention to her still-shapely breasts, it artfully concealed a thickening waistline. Her long black hair was twisted into an elaborate design, pinned in place by combs studded with colorful beads and crystals.

  Miriam walked around her, pinching a handful of skin here and there, plucking at the folds of AJ’s only gown, the black one she’d been given that first night. The woman gave a sharp tug to AJ’s long braid.

  “Give me your device, then get over there and bend across the bench.”

  AJ handed over the cold metal probe and leather straps, then headed to the center of the room. Each of the Sacred Sisters had her own private quarters. They had free rein in decorating their personal spaces, choosing from a dazzling array of goods merchants brought to the Citadel as tribute to General Tok. Whatever he didn’t want, he sent to the Lyceum.

  Miriam’s quarters were bare of any frills or soft touches. Her room looked as though she took her honorary title of Sister as seriously as if she’d taken vows in a convent. There was little in the room except a simple wooden bed frame covered with white sheets and blanket, a small chest, and a round table with two straight-backed chairs. It was as though her time as a Harlot had stripped away any trace of warmth or feminine grace, leaving behind a cold shell.

  All of the Sisters had a wooden bench similar to the one AJ had been tied to in the square. Miriam’s was in a place of honor, right in the center of the room. AJ walked to it and bent over, shuddering as Miriam pulled up her skirt to expose her bare bottom.

  Miriam walked away and left her there, allowing the tension to build. She headed across the room, rummaging in the chest before coming back with a jar of lubricant. Plunging the tip of the device into the jar, she made sure it was coated liberally before spreading AJ’s cheeks and pressing the tip against her tight bottom hole.

  The well-lubricated tip slid in easily. But as the device widened, stretching her tight hole, AJ bit her lip to keep from crying out. After a week of wearing the hated tool every night, she still hadn’t gotten used to the embarrassing and uncomfortable ritual. Miriam inserted it farther, working it around roughly. Suddenly AJ became aware of a burning sensation, growing in intensity. She gasped, instinctively jerking away.

  Miriam pulled the device out. “You’ve just earned yourself ten strokes from my paddle. You’ll count them and thank me after each one. Then we’ll start all over. If you move again, I’ll give you ten more—and then tie you down while I complete the insertion.”

  Miriam fetched a round wooden paddle about twice as large as the dreaded hairbrush she wielded in class. The first harsh whack had AJ sucking in her breath.

  “One,” she muttered through clenched teeth. “Thank you, Sister.”

  Miriam pulled back her hand and delivered another strike. The paddle was only large enough to cover one cheek at a time. But instead of alternating, Miriam concentrated on the same spot again. AJ hissed, forcing herself to stay in place.

  “Two. Thank you, Sister.”

  When the third whack connected, searing the same location with another lick of flame, it was all she could do not to jump up and jerk the paddle out of Miriam’s hand. She was bigger and stronger and could easily have overpowered her. But doing so might get her imprisoned or killed by Tok’s guards. AJ reminded herself she was a soldier on an undercover mission, drawing on her years of training to get her through the ordeal.

  Miriam switched to the other cheek, raining down whack after whack. AJ couldn’t help groaning. She swore the paddle was dipped in molten lead, branding her flesh with every stroke. Her muffled cry seemed to please Miriam and the woman made the next blow even harder. Somehow, she managed to count each stroke out loud and thank Miriam afterward without howling or giving way to a flood of tears.

  AJ heard a thunk as the paddle hit the floor. “Now—stick your ass in the air and spread those legs wider.”

  Miriam’s fingers dug into her burning bottom, parting her cheeks. She felt the tip, probing, then the sudden entry. This time there was no mistaking it. Miriam had coated the device with the same oil Thelo had used, creating a burning sensation inside her rear passage. The farther it penetrated, the more intense it became.

  She couldn’t hold back a moan. Miriam laughed. “I’m tired of seeing you parade around here, acting like you’re better than all of us, looking down from on high. You enjoy having all the men watching you, counting the nights until you are finally pronounced ready to take your place among the Harlots. We’ll see how cool and composed you are tonight!”

  Miriam fitted her with the leather straps, making sure to yank them extra tight so there was no chance the device could slide out. Then she attached the red tail, giving it a few sharp tugs. Miriam did it all with such an air of self-satisfaction she must have known that every movement of the device set off a fresh wave of biting heat.

  “You will sit beside me tonight, so I can grab this tail whenever I please.”

  They headed out the door to the Great Hall, where all the other Harlots were lined up outside, ready to be presented. Most of them sported tails of one sort or another, some made of brightly colored feathers, some sleek and covered with fur. A dozen men lounged around the room already, relaxing on cushioned benches or sitting at one of the many round tables. Wine flowed freely, along with a potent drink made of fermented fruit and berries mixed with honey.

  As the Harlots entered, the men looked them over, making their choice for this evening’s companion. AJ saw eyes widen when she walked by and they caught a glimpse of the red tail swishing back and forth between her cheeks with every step. She spied Dianna across the room, already clasped in the sweaty embrace of a drunken miner. She’d witnessed enough sessions by now to know the young woman was in for a rough time tonight.

  Miriam dragged her by the tail over to where a sweet faced young Harlot was being pawed by a guest. Swarthy and balding, the man looked old enough to be her grandfather.

  “You are Elias, are you not? May we observe your session tonight? This Harlot in training would benefit from se
eing the kind of pleasure a discerning, mature man like yourself enjoys.”

  The man looked them up and down. AJ saw the leer on his face at the idea of showing off his sexual prowess in front of an audience.

  “Certainly, Sister. I remember her from that night in the square. Thought she could walk among us dressed as a man.” He gave Miriam a nasty grin. “I’d be happy to help train this one.”

  Miriam led the way to one of the private rooms lining the corridors outside the Great Hall. The room had no windows and only a single door. Like all the others, it was decorated in an opulent fashion. Thick carpets in deep, rich colors lay scattered about on the stone floor. Benches cushioned with thick pillows stood here and there and the walls were hung with intricately woven tapestries from all over Neodyma. Hanging lanterns flickered and glowed and a brazier of fragrant incense smoldered on a small table. But the centerpiece of the room was a massive bed standing in the center of the wall across from the door.

  Although AJ hated witnessing the intimate physical contact between Harlots and their guests, the Sisters considered it the most important part of her training. She’d been forced to watch as Harlots had intercourse with men or pleasured them orally as Dianna had done to the guard. Every time, she realized how unusual Kaden’s attention to her had been. So far, none of these men acted like they cared about the pleasure or even the physical comfort of their Harlots. They ordered the women to perform various acts and then left once their own satisfaction was complete, sometimes without even a word or a glance at their companion. The more AJ saw, the more she understood why Miriam had become so bitter and hard.

  No sooner had they entered the room than Elias tore off his clothes, revealing a pudgy body and a flaccid penis. He grabbed his Harlot by the back of her neck.

  “On your knees,” he demanded.

  The Harlot obediently knelt in front of him and took him in her mouth. He grabbed her head, grunting and groaning as she coaxed it to an erection. Miriam dragged AJ over to a bench and sat down, yanking on her braid and forcing her to her knees. Then she took hold of the red tail that protruded from between AJ’s freshly spanked bottom cheeks, making sure the man had a clear view of it.

  Elias divided his attention between the Harlot’s efforts and AJ’s tail, being stroked and teased in a suggestive fashion by Miriam. Once his member had swelled to a semi-rigid state, he ordered the Harlot to get on her knees on the bed. He stood behind her and bunched her gown up around her waist. Shoving aside her bushy brown tail, he grabbed her hips and rammed himself into her pussy. She gasped, then began moaning and writhing against him. AJ could see the look of distaste on her face. She’d witnessed enough sessions by now to know that the passionate noises and gyrations were all an act on the part of the Harlot, carefully executed to create the illusion that Elias was the most virile partner she’d ever had.

  Meanwhile, AJ found herself honestly squirming and panting from Miriam’s manipulations. Every tug on the tail sent a fresh wave of heat through her back passage. Watching the performance in front of her drew her thoughts to Kaden’s masterful seduction. She closed her eyes. Imagining that it was his hand tugging playfully on her tail turned the torment of her bottom hole into delicious teasing. The wave of heat spread to her vagina.

  Her eyes snapped open at a wild cry from the Harlot. Elias had withdrawn from her vaginal slit and seized her tail to yank the device out of her back passage. He was trying to cram his now-stiff member into her rear.

  “This is why you wear the device.” Miriam kept her voice low, but there was no chance she’d be heard over Elias’s loud grunts. “Your ass is being trained to readily receive a Master’s rod, no matter how long or thick it may be.”

  Although she was horrified, AJ couldn’t tear her eyes away. Before coming to Petra, she’d never dreamed that males and females would ever indulge in such an act, let alone find pleasure in it. Elias’s fingers dug into the Harlot’s bottom cheeks. His cock, now swollen and hard, slid nearly all the way out each time before he rammed it into her back passage. To her surprise, the Harlot’s passionate response looked genuine this time. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her mouth open wide. She bucked back against him at every thrust, as if to take him in deeper.

  AJ found herself making involuntary movements back and forth as Miriam continued to manipulate her tail. The intense heat from the oil infused her lower body and she could feel the dampness building between her thighs. She pictured Kaden thrusting into her from behind, taking her in this fashion. His thick member would be hot, as hot as the fire burning inside her rear passage. And his hands would be busy, stroking the hard nub he called her clit until she ached to feel his tongue on it again.

  A sudden spasm rocked her. She gasped as her muscles involuntarily clenched around the horrid device.

  AJ didn’t know what might have happened if Elias had not chosen that moment to let out a harsh cry, shuddering as he spilled his seed after just a few strokes. He pulled out immediately, slumping against the Harlot’s back, then turned to his audience.

  “Well, Sister, do you think your new slut learned how a real man behaves?”

  “I thank you, Elias, for allowing us to witness your display of masculinity. I’m sure it will be impossible for any of us to erase it from our memory.”

  Miriam’s voice was smooth but AJ had been around her long enough to pick up the underlying disdain. Elias preened, unaware that he’d just been labeled as an inadequate sexual partner.

  Elias dressed quickly and left without bothering to spare a glance for the woman who’d suffered his attention. With a weary sigh, the Harlot closed her eyes. Her body sagged down onto the bed.

  Miriam busied herself with unfastening AJ’s leather straps and removing the tail. It seemed the woman had lost interest in tormenting her further. With one quick move, she pulled the device out of AJ’s back hole, handed it to her and ordered her to return to her dormitory for the night. Shuddering, AJ realized that unless she found a way to gather the information she needed about Tok’s operation and then plan an escape, she’d soon be the one having to endure the pawing and poking of total strangers night after night.

  Chapter Seven

  The next morning AJ decided it was time to take action. Now that she was nearly through with her training, another task would soon be added to her daily list. Each Harlot had an assigned chore to perform to keep the Lyceum and the Citadel running smoothly. AJ knew she’d go crazy if she had to be cooped up inside these walls much longer. Strangely, being indoors hadn’t bothered her on Earth. There, she lived her entire life in an artificial atmosphere. Winter and summer did not exist. Trees and shrubs were artificially created, never shedding leaves, never growing beyond a prescribed height.

  But here in Petra, a riot of color bloomed outside her window every day. She luxuriated in the cool breezes in the morning, followed by the heat of Neodyma’s twin suns, Phalys and Zalix, at midday. Twilight brought the sweet fragrance of night-blooming Moon Lilies on gentle currents of air. One night, it rained a few drops. The next morning the air smelled crisp and fresh. Tiny droplets of water glistened in the early morning sun. They magnified the dazzling hot pink color of the flowers blanketing the wall outside her room.

  She yearned to feel the kiss of sun on her skin, to touch the flower petals and find out if they were as velvety soft as they looked. Besides all that, if she was allowed to be near the outer walls of the Lyceum, she might find a way to sneak out from time to time.

  AJ dressed quickly, slipping on a pair of the flat leather sandals all the Harlots wore while doing their chores and taking lessons. The hated platform shoes were reserved for times when they appeared in public before the men of Petra. She made her way soundlessly to the kitchen, where she found Dianna already at work, slicing sweet bread and fruit for the Sisters’ breakfast.

  “AJ!” Dianna’s face lit up with a smile. The two women had become friends, taking every opportunity to exchange a few words in private.

  “I need you
r advice, Dianna. I want to know how I can be assigned to work in the garden.”

  “Sister Sophia is in charge of the garden. Here—why don’t you take her breakfast tray to her? You can ask her if she will take you on. But be careful. Kneel when you ask. Better yet, beg her… or else she may decide to punish you. Harlots are not allowed any say in what we do. Ours is but to serve.”

  AJ nodded and thanked Dianna, then hurried along the hallway to Sister Sophia’s room. Unlike the Harlots, once a woman attained the honor of being a Sacred Sister, she was allowed to take back her name as well as have her own quarters. AJ had heard rumors that along with instructing or punishing them, some of the Sisters used their private quarters to take their own pleasure with the Harlots.

  She knocked softly.

  “Come in.”

  AJ balanced the tray on one hip and opened the heavy wooden door. Sophia had one of the nicest rooms she’d seen so far. A wide window looked out over the walled garden at the rear of the Lyceum. Stone pathways wound through the lush greenery and a fountain in the center bubbled and sparkled in the morning light. Rows of vegetables flourished in raised beds, interspersed with a wide array of flowering plants. Fruit trees and grapevines lined the walkways.

  Inside, the room was as colorful as the view out the window. Sophia surrounded herself with chairs and benches piled with soft cushions in vivid colors. Small copper vases here and there held fragrant bouquets made up of the most perfect specimens culled from her garden.

  AJ had seen Sister Sophia at mealtimes, but since she was required to keep her eyes downcast, this was her first opportunity to really look at the woman. One surreptitious glance told AJ Sophia had once been a great beauty. Lush curves, soft features. But now that she no longer bore the burden of pleasing the men of Petra, she’d allowed herself to indulge her appetite in other areas. Her face was round and her once-lush curves had become even rounder. But her blue eyes were sharp as the jagged crystal peaks looming in the distance outside the window.