Dani appreciated his kindness, but she knew her place. “You didn’t pay to talk. I’ll be ready for whatever you’d like to do next in just a moment.”
Gelan crossed his arms over his chest, his attitude commanding. Dani wondered if he ever relaxed his take-charge persona. “What we paid for is our decision, little girl. I could do with food myself. Let’s get you dressed and find a decent dining option. Do you like Joshadan cuisine?”
Wynhod swept up her skirt from the floor and held it before her to step into. Too pleasantly surprised to protest, Dani let him and the others dress her.
No customer had ever taken her out to eat. The treat was wholly unexpected. Delighted like the little girl Gelan referred to her as, Dani found the energy to bounce with anticipation as the men pulled their clothes on.
Chapter 5
Dani skipped alongside the Kalquorians on the streets of Ler, the metal links of her leash jingling merrily as they went. Gelan loosely held the end in the ‘O’ formed by his fingers and thumb, letting it touch as little of his flesh as possible. His dislike of having her tethered like an animal in public was obvious. None of the Kalquorians liked the leash and had argued against using it.
Dani’s insistence and logic had prevailed. Should she become separated from the clan on the streets, as a sex slave she was anyone’s meat. No penalties existed for fucking even an unwilling sex slave left unattended in public. Dantovon’s laws gave the indentured yet another reason to not escape their contracts.
Properly escorted, Dani let the dazzle and noise of Ler captivate her. Rainbow arcs of lights illuminated the city streets, creating a festive mood. Cacophonous music from street performers backdropped shouts from vendors and store barkers hawking their wares. Adding to the din, collared hookers hung over balconies of the myriad brothels, inviting the crowds below to come in and sample their pleasures. The constant hum of shuttles flying overhead was almost lost in the swell of noises.
Many vendors offered food. Aromas both mouthwatering and stomach wrenching wafted into Dani’s nose. Beneath the myriad of olfactory offerings lay the fetid vegetable stench of the nearby jungle.
Everyone around them seemed to be in a holiday mood. It reminded Dani of the illegal debauchery of Earth’s New Year’s Eve parties she’d attended. Male and female sex slaves of all species hung on the visiting revelers, laughing and drinking and, in some cases, indulging in public intimacies.
It started out exhilarating, but after walking through the wildness for five minutes, the massive Kalquorians clearing a path like Moses parting the Red Sea, Dani’s head began to throb. “Sure is a lot to process out here, isn’t it?” she shouted to her companions.
Gelan leaned slightly towards her. “Are you overwhelmed?”
“A little, but it’s nice to get out once in awhile.” Broken shards of something metallic lay in her path. Wynhod swept her up and carried her past it before setting her down to walk again.
Krijero looked fascinated and uncomfortable all at once. “Was Earth anything like this?” he asked.
Dani laughed breathlessly. “No way, not with all the religious laws in place. You could be thrown in jail just for kissing a somebody.”
Wynhod scowled. “Did that happen to you?”
Dani shook her head with a naughty grin. “No, though I did much worse. I got caught for indecent behavior only once. My father used his connections to get me out of trouble.”
“Lucky girl,” the Nobek observed. “We’ve heard stories of how extreme the punishments could be for your people for supposedly lewd actions.”
She shrugged. “My dad had to cover my brother’s troubles up a lot. He was a real wild one.”
Dani noticed Earther men across the street. They were younger than her, wearing the military uniforms of the now non-existent Earth army. Their scruffy beards and unkempt hair were at odds with their clothing. They stood at loose attention in front of one brothel, apparently the hired muscle of choice there.
The skip went out of Dani’s step at seeing her own kind. She huddled behind Gelan’s bulk, trying to stay out of the Earthers’ view. Shame overcame her to be in the company of the enemy. Kalquorians had killed a lot of Earthers during the war, even more when they’d invaded her planet. No doubt fellow members of her species would be insulted to see her not only as someone who offered carnal sins but openly consorting with their former foes.
Dani saw the clan take notice of her shrinking posture. They followed her nervous gaze to the Earther men and exchanged looks among themselves. She had the sudden terror they would make her announce herself to the former soldiers, to show off they’d possessed her in lewd acts. She cringed in anticipation of being humiliated.
Instead, Wynhod took her arm and pulled her towards a side street, away from the Earthers. “Let’s go this way. I think it’s a shorter route to the restaurant.”
Dani relaxed as they joined another stream of happy tourists, taking her from the expected judgment of her own kind. Still, she wished with all her heart she was with anybody else than the Kalquorians right now.
* * * *
The group entered the Joshadan eatery. Low lighting came from the glowballs centered on each communal table, their bluish light soothing after Ler’s hectic glare. Equally restful was the hum of low conversation and restrained laughter. Dani’s eardrums, abused by the cacophony outside, drank in the quiet.
Savory, sour, and sweet scents set her stomach to complaining. Servicing the Kalquorians had worked up quite an appetite. She looked forward to tasting the foods that emitted those heady aromas.
A Joshadan, half Dani’s height, greeted them with a welcoming smile. Stout and covered with forest-green hair all over, it waved its paws at the Kalquorians as all three bowed deeply to it. Dani couldn’t understand what it jabbered, but it seemed embarrassed by the respect her companions accorded it.
The Kalquorians straightened and followed the Joshadan to one of the long tables where many others gathered. Their fellow diners slid down the bench seats on either side, making room for them with good-natured hails. Dani sat between Gelan and Krijero with Wynhod on the opposite side facing them. A platter overflowing with a rainbow
selection of food landed on the table before them. The Kalquorians rose to bow to the sapphire-haired waiter who’d brought their dinner. Like the first Joshadan, it waved them off, discomfited. It left them to their communal meal.
“What’s with all the bowing?” Dani asked, bemused by the performance.
Gelan grimaced. “Our ancestors enslaved Joshada many years ago. Even though they have been free of us for millennia, the damage Kalquor did remains to this day. We offer our regret any time we encounter their people.”
“They seemed embarrassed by the gesture.”
Wynhod nodded in agreement. “The Joshadans are a tolerant race and have officially pardoned Kalquor. They are not people to take advantage of others’ shame.”
The Kalquorians had bowed as deeply to Dani when she’d first encountered them. She’d thought they’d been displaying old-fashioned Earther courtliness for her benefit, but now she wondered. Had it been an apology for Earth’s destruction?
Whatever. Bows didn’t make up for all she’d lost. Dani was nowhere near as forgiving as the Joshadans.
Despite the renewal of her anger, the feast before her demanded she swallow her pique. Dani peered at the assortment of bite-sized fare before her. “It smells good.”
Krijero plucked a purple and green tidbit from the platter and held it before her mouth. “Would you like to try this?”
Amused by his intention to feed her, Dani replied, “Sure.”
She accepted the morsel from his fingers and moaned as it fairly melted in her mouth. Creamy and rich, reminding her of goat cheese, it was a little bite of heaven. She decided not to ask what it was. If it was some gross part of an animal, Dani didn’t want to know.
Gelan offered her another delicacy, this one marbled pink and red. Dani snickered as he fed it to
her. It crumbled in her mouth, a crusty, savory bite. Wynhod waited to serve her yet another bit of food.
Before she let him, Dani giggled, “Who’s going to fan me and rub my feet?”
Gelan smiled his puzzlement. “Pardon?”
“Nevermind.” They were the clients, yet they insisted on serving her the meal. Far be it for her to correct their mistake.
Gelan swallowed a mouthful of his own. “Tell us about your life on Earth,” he invited.
Dani shrugged, speaking between bites. “I worked for my dad after I got out of college. I wasn’t ready to be tied down as a wife though he pushed me to marry and be respectable. Then he ran into some legal trouble, and we all had to be really careful after that.”
Krijero offered her something that tasted like chocolate. “Trouble of the lewd variety?”
She rolled her eyes at him. “You know, Earthers can find more kinds of trouble than just sex. Obviously that’s our biggie, but no, he had to resign his post over a fraud scandal. He was in Philadelphia on trial when Armageddon hit.”
Philadelphia had been one of the cities that went up in a poisonous mushroom cloud. No survivors.
Krijero brushed her cheek with the backs of his fingers. In a low voice, he said, “I am sorry for your loss. What of your mother?”
The mouthful Dani swallowed stuck in her throat for a moment. She forced it down. “The old lady was in Philly too. She was a long-time resident of the Psycho-Druggie Hilton there.”
Wynhod frowned. “I’m not familiar with those terms.”
Dani scowled. Why don’t I just pull off all my clothes and dance the Charleston on top of the table? It would be less humiliating than this conversation.
Dani tried to keep her tone flat, but anger managed to ooze in anyway. “My mother was institutionalized for mental illness and illegally self-medicating. I barely knew the woman. She was a drug addict for as far back as I can remember.” Before they could ask any further questions, she snapped, “All my family is dead, okay? All vaporized because your people invaded Earth.”
Gelan sat very still next to her, contemplating Dani with an expression she couldn’t read. Finally he said, “Even before the invasion, it sounds as if you had a hard life.”
She didn’t want their sympathy. Drawing herself up with stubborn pride, Dani informed them, “Not really. I had money and status, and most of the time when my brother and I got in trouble, my dad paid our way out of it.”
The Kalquorians looked at her, their eyes soft. Even Wynhod had an aura of compassion.
Forget it, you can’t fix my life. Your people took that opportunity away when they invaded.
Her voice tight, Dani deliberately closed the subject. She pointed at the platter. “Hey, can I have some more of that green and purple stuff? That’s the best.”
After a long silence, Krijero snagged the delicacy and fed it to her. “Of course, Dani.”
She was relieved when the conversation turned to the hunt they’d had that morning.
* * * *
An hour later they were back on the riotous streets of Ler, the men well fed and at ease. Dani’s disquiet hadn’t ebbed however. The conversation about her parents kept coming back, tainting the delicious Joshadan food and the care the Kalquorians took of her.
They did take good care of her. Solicitous at every turn, they’d made sure she’d gotten her fill of her favorite edibles. They had looked to her needs, doting on her like a queen. But all Dani could think about were her parents, dead and forever out of reach because of the aliens. Earth, reduced to a lifeless rock that despite cleanup efforts, wouldn’t be habitable again for decades, perhaps even centuries. Her carefree life in which she slept with whoever she darn well pleased and wore pretty clothes was all gone. Like the hologram of the green and blue dress they now passed in the storefront that looked as light as a dream and would have flattered her coloring much better than the gray bra and skirts she’d been stuck with.
Life was so unfair.
Gelan said, “You’re very quiet, little girl.”
Dani tore her eyes from the dress, the one she’d have bought without minding the price tag in another life. “Sorry. Thinking about stuff,” she answered, her tone short.
She saw the men exchange glances. So they’d caught her change in attitude. She didn’t care. Their kind had ruined everything, leaving her to whore her body out in order to survive. Despite the fun she’d had with them and the mind-blowing sex, Dani was ready for the Kalquorians to leave.
Unfortunately, they’d paid for her whole shift tonight, and she was theirs for several hours yet. Dani repressed a sigh and plastered a smile on for her customers. She reminded herself that if she dwelled too much on the evils of the Kalquorians, she would have a long night ahead of her.
Chapter 6
Back in the brothel’s playroom, Dani steeled herself for the now unwanted romp, concentrating on sending her mind away from her body as she did with most customers. She pulled the straps of her bra down.
“Dani.” Krijero’s warm hand cupped a shoulder. He turned her slowly to face the clan.
“Yes, Imdiko Krijero?” Polite tone. Please the clients, get the job done. Afterwards, she would spend too long trying to wash the night away in the cold water of the brothel’s shower. Just another shift. It would end eventually, though not soon enough.
“Where are you right now?” He leaned down, propping his hands on his thighs as he brought his pretty purple eyes level with hers. Dani couldn’t figure out if she wanted to escape the intense stare or drown in it. Krijero looked self-assured for a change, not awkward at all.
“Here with you.” She frowned. His question didn’t make sense to her.
“Maybe physically, but you’ve gone somewhere else in your head.”
His tone sounded so concerned. As if her distance mattered.
“What do you care?” The words fell out of Dani’s mouth before she could stop them.
“I care because I’m worried you’re upset about something. What’s wrong, sweetling?” He continued to look at her with that patient interest, as if he had all night for her answer.
Dani swallowed. She knew her mental state didn’t worry him in the least, except what it might do to the rest of his night. “Nothing of importance, Imdiko. It won’t affect my performance. I promise you will be satisfied and get your money’s worth.”
“Perhaps if we were the kind of men you’re used to, but we’re not, Dani. Kalquorians are very protective of women. Not only are we committed to females’ physical wellbeing and sexual fulfillment, but emotional welfare must be addressed as well.” He stroked an errant lock of hair off her face.
Unexpected tears prickled Dani’s eyes. She blinked hard, holding them back. “You have no reason to worry about me. I’m just a whore.”
“Is that how you see yourself, sweetling?”
“What else would I be?”
Krijero smiled, the expression as warm as the hand he stroked her face with. Dani basked in it despite herself. “What about smart and fun? How about resourceful, brave, and loyal? Aren’t you those things?”
She clenched her fists at her sides. She would not let him in. Not an alien whom she’d only met the night before. “No one cares about that. All anyone cares about is what they can get from me, whether it’s sex, money, or staying quietly in the background and not causing a fuss.”
Damn it. Her stupid mouth had run off again, telling more than she wanted anyone to know.
“I’m sorry that’s what you’re used to. You’re worth a lot more than that.”
Dani jerked away, out of his reach. Screw this. She should have stuck to the terms of her contract. “Go away. Just leave. The brothel won’t refund your money, but I will.”
She stared hard at the floor, waiting for them to go. Holding back the tears that flooded her eyes, doubling her vision.
“Your parents were good at that, weren’t they? Pushing you away, leaving you on your own, and using money to make up
for it?”
Dani didn’t remember launching herself at him. The next thing she knew, her fists were pounding Krijero’s chest as hard as she could hit while she cried, “Shut up! Shut up!” over and over in harsh sobs.
The huge alien took her abuse, standing still as her blows thudded against his body until her fury exhausted itself. Then he gathered her to himself, holding her, stroking her hair as she cried. Other compassionate hands joined in the soothing, petting her arms and back. Dani buried her face in the hollow of Krijero’s shoulder, needing any shelter. Even that of an enemy.
That’s why when he lifted her chin and pressed his lips to hers, she melted into the kiss. Clinging to the man she’d just attacked, Dani dove into the illusion of his concern, the lie that another person might care.
Her clothes fell away, tugged free by the surrounding Kalquorians. They lowered her to a cushioning mat on the floor, tender fingers and mouths caressing her grief away until she gasped with need.
But when Dani reached for Gelan’s crotch, his sexes straining the fabric of his pants, he drew her hands away. “No, little girl. This time is for you. Relax and let us show you how it should be between men and a woman.”
“You’re my customers.”
“Then serve us through letting us serve you.”
The Dramok made no sense to her. None of them did. Her storm of anger should have sent them stomping to Pob, demanding a more compliant playmate or their money back. Instead, Gelan’s kiss swept her away from care, his tongue lapping the whole of her mouth with thorough grace. Wynhod’s lips worked delicately on her breasts, suckling with a sweetness that brought fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. Krijero gently mouthed her womanhood, sipping her juices with reverence as if partaking of a rare elixir. They fed on her body, but it was her arousal that gorged on the feast, growing with every taste.
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