Lurin's Surrender

by Marie Harte

  The more she thought about that missing period on board Gren’s ship, the more she wondered if her dreams had in fact been real. She didn’t want to admit to herself, and certainly not to Lurin, that she’d imagined having sex with Gren.

  She tried to ignore images of herself and the large captain entwined, of Gren’s mouth covering her breast, of his large cock filling her again and again.

  She flushed and stared at the floor as they walked farther down the passageway. Granted, Lurin had awakened her body to pleasures beyond imagining, but could he perhaps have over-stimulated her sexual desires?

  She subtly glanced at the Jaron soldiers following them. She considered one or two of them attractive but had no urge to couple with any of them. Why then did she envision herself having sex with Gren? And why did the she feel more turned on than dismayed by the idea?

  She flushed, glad that Lurin’s concentration remained on Sara. Mara would hate for him to know she apparently lusted after Gren.

  And speaking of Gren, just then Vendon murmured something and scooted closer to him. Sara gave Gren a sultry glance and smiled, courtesy of Lurin. Mara found it absurdly amusing that she wasn’t the only one lusting after the hulking captain.

  The small entourage entered the palace through a series of curving passageways until they came to a set of large double doors, guarded on either side by two brutish Jarons.

  Vendon scurried forward and said something to one of the guards. In moments, the doors opened, allowing sunlight to filter through a dim hallway.

  The soldier behind her prodded her to move, and Mara glared at him over her shoulder before following the others down the hallway into a golden chamber. She stared around her, awed at the ornate architecture and overwhelming display of wealth fettering the walls.

  Dozens of paintings and crystalline statues littered the room, all showcasing the same theme—Nobless Cari in all her glory. In youth and at present, always without flaw, the woman appeared like a goddess in the art around her.

  Even her current position, resplendent on a velvet divan being waited on by two handsome, half-naked men, looked more like an artful display than reality.

  As if posing for the small group that awaited her attention, the nobless took her time selecting from a tray of sweets.

  “Vendon, so wonderful to see you again,” Nobless Cari said in a throaty voice. She slowly sat upright and rose, letting her sheer, silken gown flow down her legs as she stood to better impose her authority.

  “Captain Gren,” she drawled, her sharp eyes stripping him from head to toe. “I had no doubts of your success.” She turned to Lurin with a greedy smile.

  “Of course you didn’t,” Sara snapped. “You had this bastard under your thumb.” She gestured to Gren. “And Vendon would never think to betray you, would he?”

  “No, he would not.” Vendon shared a smile with the nobless. “The trip was uneventful. Sara, of course, fucked every man on board, including our captain.” He stared wistfully at Gren. “Apparently, Vez is indeed who you say he is, for once she had him she took no one else to her bed.”

  Mara thought it interesting Vendon didn’t speak of Lurin’s heritage in front of the soldiers. Did Cari want it kept secret?

  “Vendon?” Nobless Cari arched her brow.

  “Soldiers, dismissed. But not you, Gren,” Vendon ordered.

  Soon, only Gren and the nobless’ two massive man servants guarded her and Lurin.

  “Captain Mara.” The bitchy royal switched her focus. “How unfortunate that you involved yourself in this mess.”

  “Involved myself? You hired me to track Vez down and bring him in. What the hell is going on?”

  Nobless Cari stared down at her buffed nails. “I don’t recall doing so.”

  “You paid me twenty thousand beks upfront, or has that escaped your notice?”

  “Really? I’d venture to guess that if my legal advisors looked into the matter, we wouldn’t find twenty thousand beks. If anything, we’d probably find whatever payment Lurin Vez used to bribe your compliance in his attempted escape.”

  Mara could only stare, impressed at the woman’s gall. Damn, but she had the financial pull to get away with it. The thought that Mara, her crew, and Lurin were still in danger fanned the flames of her anger.

  “You’ve not only framed an innocent man, but you’re going to put me in chains as well? And you think you can get away with that?”

  “I already have. Really, Mara. Save the dramatics. You’ve been found guilty of conspiring with a murderer. The best you can hope for from Jaron law is a life sentence. At worst, you’ll be beheaded come tomorrow morning.”

  Gren glared at her to behave. Past him, Lurin stared blankly at Sara, still playing his part. But she felt a sense of warmth and comfort from his direction.

  “When I find the rest of your crew, I do believe I’ll add them to my collection.” Nobless Cari winked at her servants.

  Mara recalled Lurin’s vague description of the degradation he’d already suffered at the nobless’s hands. Normally cool-headed, Mara’s temper reached its boiling point, especially since she knew there was a very good chance Nobless Cari could get away with it all if just one part of Gren’s mysterious plan failed.

  “To hell with that,” Mara growled. In a burst of speed, she landed a fist in the nobless’s face before the woman’s servants restrained her.

  The royal shrieked in outrage while Sara laughed and applauded. Neither Lurin nor Gren moved to help, though Mara thought she saw a hint of strain on Lurin’s face.

  “Bravo, Mara. That’s at least one thing you’ve done right since capturing my Thesha.” Sara clapped.

  “You’ll regret that.” Vendon shook his head. “Felan and Maltor.” He motioned to Nobless Cari’s servants. “Take her downstairs.”

  As Mara struggled for freedom, she saw Lurin’s eyes blaze to life before fading under Nobless Cari’s sharp gaze. The woman stared at Lurin for several moments before shifting her attention back to Mara.

  “You’ll regret you ever met me, you little bitch.” Nobless Cari smiled and crossed to Lurin. “Let’s see how much fun we can have together, my Thesha. Boys, take her away.”

  Lurin strove to keep calm.

  “If one of those bastards hurts Mara, I’ll kill everyone in here,” he promised Gren, doing his best to ignore the bitch by his side.

  Gren quickly answered. “Easy, Lurin. I have it covered. Trust me. Don’t do anything stupid, not when we’re so close to the end.”

  “I know you can hear me, precious Thesha,” Cari murmured and stroked the other side of Lurin’s face with her long, painted nails. “Sara, make him heal my bruises.”

  Sara pouted. “Fine. Heal her, slave. And do it quickly.”

  Lurin kept Sara in character, making her defiant and sulky per Gren’s orders. It worked like a charm. As he healed the bruise clouding Cari’s eye, he noted Cari’s complete acceptance of the situation. Now to turn that to his advantage…

  “Amazing,” Vendon rasped, his eyes glazing over as he stared at Lurin’s nearly naked form.

  Lurin cursed Gren again for making him wear the ridiculous loincloth.

  “It’s a distraction we need,” Gren emphasised. “And you have to admit, you’ve got Sara, Cari and Vendon out of sorts.”

  Thinking he’d rather not be the centre of attention, Lurin forced Sara into an argument with her mother.

  “He’s mine, Mother. Mine. I found him, and I fucked him. You can’t take him from me.” Sara sounded desperate underneath the angry bluster, and Lurin realised she truly meant what he prodded her to say.

  “I don’t care, Sara.” Cari gestured Vendon to her side. “You might control Lurin now, but remember, I control everything else in your pathetic little world.” Cari sneered at her daughter. “What happened to you? You were my pride and joy before you started fucking everything on two legs. We Elarans do have an image to maintain.”

  Lurin felt the animosity brewing in Sara and let her
vent on her mother, using only a light touch to guide her.

  “Do you really think we’re so different? You think people don’t know what you do in the private recesses of the palace? About the whips, the women, the men? The little shows you stage to whet your perverse appetites? And who should know better about them than me? I am what you made me, after all. I simply choose not to hide who I am.”

  Cari’s lips tightened. She retorted something vile back at her daughter. Lurin tuned them out to concentrate on Mara.

  “Gren, where did they take her?”

  Gren seemed to have a hard time taking his gaze from the drama brewing between Cari and her daughter. “They took her to a level beneath us, to Cari’s private dungeon. Don’t worry. I’ve got men there as we speak.”

  “You’d better,” Lurin growled.

  “I have to say, this jealous streak you’re showing is really entertaining.” Gren’s humour irritated Lurin to no end.

  “Anyone lays a hand on her, and you’ll answer to me.” The real threat behind his words startled Gren enough that he stared at Lurin in surprise.

  “I’m joking, Lurin. Stars, get a grip. Mara will be fine. It’s you we need to save.”

  “Well, what are we waiting for?”

  “Sernal, a neighbouring peacekeeper. He owes me a favour. As soon as he and his men show, we can tie this up.” Gren rolled his neck, the tension in the room obviously affecting him.

  Lurin felt slightly queasy himself. The effort to control Sara had worn his energy down so much that his safeguards had weakened, causing him to suffer from the brutal animosity and dark energy brewing between mother and daughter.

  He swayed on his feet, disrupting the fight. Then to his alarm, his vision greyed before blackness enveloped him.

  Gren stared at Lurin with real concern, not understanding how his grand plan could unravel so quickly. Dammit. He needed Lurin to control Sara. Gren couldn’t handle both Sara and her mother, not with all the hatred surging in the room.

  He’d done extensive research on Nobless Cari prior to taking this job, and what he learned made him cringe. Cari was not Thesha by any means, but she had a powerful darkness of spirit that could consume a lighter being if not countered effectively. Even now, he felt her drawing part of him to her, like a spell master from the gates of hell.

  Forcing himself to focus, he followed Cari’s order and carried Lurin to her bed. Vendon clumsily bent to help and ended up knocking into Gren, pinching his thigh. Grabby little bastard.

  Glaring at the sycophant, Gren watched Vendon scurry back to Cari’s side with satisfaction.

  The woman glowed, bubbling over with coils of malicious intent strengthened by Theshan healing. “Sara, go see how our prisoner, Captain Mara, fares below,” she ordered, countering Sara’s refusal. “Don’t worry, Lurin will still be here when you return, as will Captain Gren. Won’t you, Captain?”

  “As you wish.” Gren bowed, waiting for Sara to leave. Only he, Cari and Vendon remained, along with an unconscious Thesha who’d be no help at all. Time for Gren to take charge of the situation. Except he had a nasty feeling he’d missed something important. Cari looked extremely pleased with herself. And Vendon hadn’t blinked for a full minute.

  “Gren, I hear you’ve been most inhospitable to Vendon.”

  Cari and Vendon stared at him. A burning sensation flared from the pinch in his leg throughout his body, slowing his heart rate and clouding his mind. Vendon’s clumsiness had not been an accident.

  “What the hell did you do?” he asked angrily and stalked Vendon.

  He lifted the drun off the floor by his collar. Vendon moaned with what should have been fright, but instead sounded like arousal.

  “It’s a funny thing, Gren,” Cari said. “I have yet to see you naked, but I’d be willing to bet you have no blue marking on your groin.”

  Gren wavered and dropped Vendon, his strength suddenly deserting him. He sank to his knees. His vision blurred, and an incessant buzzing sound made his head throb.

  Cari knelt beside him, stroking his hair. “There’s nothing about you that even hints at the possibility you might be Thesha, yet I have a strange feeling that won’t go away.” She pushed him to his back on the ground, and weak as he was, he didn’t resist.

  “What did you give me?” he managed, feeling incredibly woozy.

  “It’s called shei-root, a priceless and unique herb I found on a sprawling freighter on the outskirts of the System. It’s supposedly from the Theshan homeworld. Strange that it should affect you.”

  “Please, Cari,” Vendon whined as he hovered near. “You promised.”

  She smiled, her eyes bright with victory. “So I did. You may disrobe him, but do nothing else. Not yet.” Gren watched helplessly as Vendon eagerly stripped him of his clothing. “Can you imagine, Vendon? Two Theshas at my beck and call? I’ll be more powerful than any other noble in the System!”

  Vendon’s greedy hands lingered over Gren’s flacid cock until Cari reprimanded him.

  “Don’t try me, Vendon. You can look, but you can’t touch. Not until I’ve broken him in first.”

  “Yes, nobless.” Vendon bobbed his head, still focused on Gren’s naked flesh.

  Cari ran her hands over Gren’s chest and down his abdomen. She rested her palm over his cock, and he couldn’t help his groan when he hardened despite his resolve not to.

  “Didn’t I tell you, Gren? Shei-root not only disarms, but also acts as an aphrodisiac. You’ll be a rock all night long,” she ended in a whisper. “Just wait for all the lovely things I’m going to teach you.”

  Gren managed to roll his head to the side, only to see Lurin still unconscious on the bed. He didn’t understand how he’d failed so miserably, when his plan had been working so well. He could only hope Mara found a greater success in her situation.

  With one final effort, he closed his mind and body to the world around him and sent his spiritual self on a quest to find help, fast.

  Chapter Twelve

  Mara cursed Felan and Maltor with an extensive vocabulary built over several years of hunting the scum of the System. For the most part, they ignored her, but when they finally reached their destination, instead of dropping her and leaving, they closed the door behind them and ogled her with reptilian grins.

  “I think she needs a lesson in manners, Maltor. What say you?” Felan leaned against a black stone wall lit dimly by charel crystals.

  The room was larger than the prison cell she’d expected. But when she saw the reason why, she couldn’t contain a gasp of horror.

  Maltor crossed his arms over his chest and blew her a kiss. “I agree, Felan. Captain Mara, you shouldn’t have struck our Mistress.”

  He idly crossed to a rack holding various tools designed specifically to inflict pain. Reaching up, Maltor grabbed a short whip studded with spikes along its tip.

  “This is one of Nobless Cari’s personal favourites.” Maltor flicked the whip to within an inch of Mara’s face. “It will definitely leave scars, in case you were wondering.”

  Mara swallowed the knot of fear choking her and told herself she’d been in worse situations. None came to mind at present though, and then her mind completely blanked when Felan dropped his trousers, his cock stiff with excitement as he eyed Maltor and the whip.

  “Do it, Maltor,” he said and began stroking himself.

  Maltor laughed. Several lightning-fast strokes later, Mara wore a tattered shirt. A small cut welled with blood above her left breast, now exposed due to Maltor’s handiwork. That she hadn’t been cut much at all spoke of his expertise with the weapon. Perfect. A crazy pervert with a whip. Just how I’d planned on spending my day. So much for Gren’s plan.

  Talking to herself wasn’t helping, but she needed something to keep her mind off the nasty whip and her guards’ apparent lust. She’d just discovered the pleasure and beauty of sex with Lurin. To dirty what she’d experienced with a rape… She didn’t think she could handle that.

 
They neared and she braced herself for the worst, prepared to fight to the death if need be. She raised her fists and balanced on the balls of her feet when a most welcome interruption arrived.

  “Who dares command my cell?” the gravelly voice preceded the menacing form that entered the dim room.

  Shadows played across the krell skull he wore over his face as a mask. The krell’s large horns and three rows of teeth made the intruder seem more demon than man. He wore a thick black vest and tight black trousers. The boots at his feet were gray and tipped with what looked like human bone. Mara wanted to run screaming from the room. Talk about going from bad to worse.

  Felan and Maltor bowed respectfully.

  “Forgive us, Master Utal, but Nobless Cari ordered us to bring the woman here. We thought to teach her a lesson for her earlier disrespect to our Mistress,” Maltor explained.

  Utal’s eyes looked black under the mask, and his next words confirmed that he had no soul. “Then use the hooks instead of that pussy whip.” He nodded to a black, three-pronged hook barbed at the ends that hung on the rack.

  Maltor handed him the whip in his hand and turned with Felan towards the rack.

  The whip in Utal’s hand cracked. It cracked again and a second thin line of blood trailed down Felan’s face, then his back as more strikes landed in astonishing speed. Felan dropped to the ground in silence. Maltor finally shook off his surprise and ran towards the rack, only to receive a similar punishment, which left him too wounded to move.

  Mara stood frozen in shock, not wanting to move and draw attention to herself. But when Utal bent over Maltor, she knew she’d never get a better opportunity. She gathered her courage and bolted for the door.

  Master Utal moved in a blur. Caged by his massive strength, Mara fought for freedom, ignoring his words until he shook her hard.

  “Relax, Captain, it’s me,” Catam’s voice sounded hollow from inside the skull.

  Almost afraid to hope for salvation, Mara stopped resisting and looked into his eyes. He let her go, reached up, and removed the skull, breathing deeply as he did so.