Dragon Betrayed (Immortal Dragons Book 0)

by Ophelia Bell

  All it took was the buckle sliding closed for her knees to bend and she was kneeling on the floor in front of him, still facing the mirror.

  “Show me,” he said. “Make yourself look like a slave.”

  His tone wasn’t even commanding, but she didn’t need to be ordered to carry out his request when she wore the collar.

  With the power of a thought, Belah shifted her appearance, watching her reflection as she transformed. Her upswept black braids disappeared, leaving behind a bare, shorn scalp. Her skin darkened from the honey-bronze she preferred to a more sun-darkened shade, befitting one of the women who worked the barley fields. The fine trimmed nails at the ends of her fingers grew ragged, and she turned her eyes from their deep, vivid blue to a dark, earthy brown. The shape of her face grew more angular and just slightly gaunt and her body slimmed, her breasts becoming smaller, tipped with dark brown nipples.

  She craned her neck and peered up at Nikhil behind her, eager for his approval. He cupped her cheek and smiled. “Good little beast. I think we can fulfill your obligations to your pets and entertain ourselves in the process.”

  “What are you going to do? I can’t just wander down there looking like this. The guards would have me executed. Or they would try to, anyway.”

  Nikhil retrieved a length of rope and attached it to a ring at the back of her collar. “You won’t be going alone. The empress has a new slave for her harem who needs to be broken in today. She’s entrusted me to deliver this lovely Nubian beauty to the harem chamber and let her pets initiate her to their mistress’s preferences. Of course, I will be there to oversee—and maybe even participate—so I can give the empress an accurate report of the slave’s performance.” He tugged gently at her collar. “Rise, little beast. It’s time.”

  Belah stood and waited while Nikhil dressed himself in the outfit he regularly wore to court. She admired how very official he appeared, right down to the stern, businesslike expression on his face. The nobility in his bearing struck her for the first time and she wondered if the shift in mindset to that of a slave was affecting her on a deeper level. He had let his short-cropped hair grow over the months, so that now it draped in dark, silken waves over his shoulders. His garments were no different than she was used to, but looked even brighter in contrast to the drab skirt he wrapped around her hips after divesting her of her finer gown. He left her bare-breasted as a slave would be, and smudged charcoal over her scarabs to dull the shine. With the same blackened fingers, he lightly touched her cheek, rubbing more dark color in places until she truly appeared as though she’d been pulled out of the fields and brought to the palace.

  He led her down a circuitous path through the palace, away from her chambers and down hallways that were rarely traveled and smelled musty with disuse. Exiting a small doorway, she found herself in the kitchen garden, only a stone’s throw from the pregnant bank of the Nile, churning from the winter rains.

  Finally, they made their way through the bustling courtyard where the servants worked, and Belah forced herself to bow her head and slouch to avoid raising any suspicion. She felt strange in this new shape, unused to the cool air flowing over her bare scalp.

  Surreptitiously, she absorbed the mood around her. No one seemed the least bit interested in her, but she was pleased to witness how deferential all the servants were to Nikhil’s presence. The respect they showed him was tinged with fearful awe, and she heard low murmurs of stories of his exploits on the battlefield as he led her past. Here and there, she also caught bits and pieces of rumors that he was favored by the empress and that she was so fond of him they wondered if he would become her consort soon. The idea gave her a rush of pleasure and pride at how much they seemed to revere him already. Perhaps it was time to move forward with her plan to have him marked.

  They entered the palace again through the servant’s entrance, and from there they bypassed her throne room and walked silently down the hallway toward her harem.

  Belah kept her gaze cast to the floor while Nikhil explained his purpose to the guards outside her harem’s doors. She remained as still and obedient as any slave, in spite of the growing heat between her thighs at what was to come.

  “She looks too skinny for one of the empress’s pets,” one guard said.

  “That’s easily remedied,” Nikhil said. “She has good bones and a nice, firm backside.” He emphasized his point by grabbing one cheek through her skirt and squeezing hard enough that Belah yelped in surprise and glared up at him. Putting on a show for the guards wasn’t part of what she’d envisioned for the day. Her guards were expressly forbidden from laying a hand on her pets.

  Glancing between the two guards, she sensed their avid interest, but they kept themselves tightly restrained. When they opened the doors to the harem, she could feel their eyes on her as sharply as their envy of Nikhil for being permitted entry into a place they considered sacred.

  The doors thumped shut behind them, and Belah’s senses awakened as they always did whenever she entered this room. The aromas evoked a sense of hunger—part spicy incense and part raw sex. Usually the energy in the room rose to a crescendo at her very presence. Today, the mood was more subdued, the residents listless and uninspired compared to past visits. They seemed uninterested in her, which left her aching with guilt over how long she’d been away. She suddenly wished she could shed her false persona and rouse them with her usual greeting.

  Good morning, sweet pets. Tell me your dreams so that I may make them come true.

  Slowly, her pets’ attention redirected to the entrance where she stood just behind Nikhil, partly blocked from their view. His own aura pulsed with curious interest as he scanned the room, but it wasn’t until he glanced back at her with a sly smile that his aura swelled with fresh arousal reflected by the bulge beneath his clothing.

  Turning back to the room, Nikhil took a breath and said, “Your mistress has sent me with a gift today. This lovely little slave was bestowed on her by a southern king, and she wishes for you, her pets, to welcome the girl and introduce her to all the ways in which to provide for the mistress’s pleasure.”

  The first member of her harem to venture forward was Zeb, their de-facto leader, followed closely by Nyla, whose hand was gripped lightly in his.

  Belah kept her eyes downcast while Zeb inspected her. Her skin thrummed with excitement at simply being regarded so intently and so openly by the most prominent and virile male in her collection. Still, in spite of Zeb’s stature, he was softer around the edges than Nikhil. All the members of her harem were soft, gentle, yet thorough lovers. How would they behave under Nikhil’s command?

  “You have your mistress’s permission to break her in completely,” Nikhil said. “Anything you think the empress would like the girl to experience. We both know quite well what she likes, after all.” Nikhil’s voice pitched low at the end, as though he was sharing a secret with Zeb.

  From under her lowered lashes, she saw Zeb smile. “Well, then… the first thing we need to do is see how much endurance she has. When the mistress is hungry, she requires us to last quite a long time.” He glanced back at Nyla. “My love, why don’t you pretend to be our mistress for today? She always preferred you among the females.”

  Nyla nodded and came forward, squared her shoulders and tossed back her hair, then reached up and touched Belah gently beneath her chin. “Hmm, you are a pretty little slave, but we don’t wear collars once we’re admitted to the harem.”

  Belah barely heard what she said. When Nyla came close, all she was aware of was the full, rounded bulge of Nyla’s pregnant belly and let out a sharp, involuntary gasp. Had she been away so long that she missed her two favorite pets breeding? Tears pricked at her eyes and she blinked rapidly to avoid letting them loose.

  “Oh, honey, no,” Nyla said, caressing her cheek and completely misinterpreting Belah’s distress. “It isn’t anything to be afraid of. The mistress is very
good to us, you will see. But first, I think we need to bathe you, get some of this dirt off before we show you how things are done here. Let’s get this collar off and I can show you around.”

  Nyla’s fertile fragrance was intoxicating to Belah, and she let the young woman unbuckle her collar and let it fall to the floor. “What’s your name?” Nyla whispered.

  “B-Bekha,” she said, almost wincing at her near-mistake.

  “I’m Nyla. And that is Zeb. We will take good care of you until you’re comfortable with us.”

  Belah smiled shyly and let Nyla lead her into the room. She was already halfway down the steps into the large room, being led toward the doors out into their private courtyard where the bathing pool lay, when she thought to look back to Nikhil. He was whispering something to Zeb, who nodded and glanced in her direction with a wide grin. The flesh between her thighs tightened and warmed with arousal. Nikhil was always full of surprises and she couldn’t wait to find out what he had in store for her today.

  She didn’t often participate when her pets were initiating a new member to their numbers. Zeb was in charge of the initiation and she preferred to give the new additions time to acclimate to their surroundings and their harem-mates without her scrutiny. She believed it would be easier for them to become comfortable with their peers if she weren’t hanging around watching. Zeb was always honest with her about his opinions afterward. The day after she’d brought Nyla to them, she’d seen right through his admiration for the young woman and had hoped the pair would find love together.

  “Come,” Nyla said, eyeing her with a smile. “You can take off your clothes now. I promise not to bite.” She shed her own loose-fitting robe and stepped down the stairs into the clear water of the pool, beckoning to Belah to follow.

  Belah paused and smiled shyly before letting her skirt fall to the ground. Nyla’s appraising look made her blush. She’d never been under such scrutiny by one of her pets before. They were always deferential and ready to do her bidding, but she decided she liked seeing this more direct, critical side of Nyla. She would make a good mother.

  In fact, Belah decided that if the day went well and she had the right opportunity, she would love to secretly bless Nyla’s unborn child. This would be the perfect opportunity for such a thing. It might be her last chance to do it, too, if Nyla and Zeb decided to leave the harem before the child was born.

  Her expression must have turned sad, because Nyla approached her again with a concerned look and tugged at her hand. “Come in… the men won’t bother us if we don’t want them to, but part of the initiation requires you to be with all of them at least once.”

  Belah nodded silently and tentatively descended one step into the cool water, then another while Nyla watched.

  Nyla led her farther into the pool and urged her to sit on one of the raised wooden benches that lay just beneath the surface in the shallower end. She swam to the edge of the pool and came back with a floating tray shaped like a little boat, laden with clay pots and a soft cloth.

  The young woman eyed her jewelry with interest.

  “You must have been a treasure for your former master,” Nyla said. “Those are very pretty jewels. Did it hurt to have them attached?” She reached out one finger and gently touched the scarab that dangled from the tip of one of Belah’s nipples.

  “I like that it hurt,” Belah said, deciding honesty might keep things interesting.

  Nyla’s eyes widened. “Really?” She scrunched up her nose cutely. “I don’t think I would like that. Especially not down there.” She gestured to the gleaming jewel that caught the sunlight from between Belah’s legs. “I mean, I look forward to the pain of childbirth, but that’s an honorable pain. I don’t know if I could endure it for any other reason.”

  “It doesn’t hurt now,” Belah said. “It actually feels nice, especially when I’m with a man. Or if you touch me like that.”

  Nyla’s gaze shot to Belah’s. A soft pink blush rose up her cheeks, but the pretty young pet didn’t stop touching. Instead, she reached for a round aromatic bar of soap, lathered it between her hands, and spread the suds over Belah’s breasts, then cupped both small mounds in her hands and worked the soap in slowly. She stared in fascination at the tips of Belah’s breasts and toyed idly with the small rings. Each little touch sent fresh zings of pleasure straight to Belah’s core.

  “This doesn’t hurt?” Nyla asked.

  Belah shook her head. “Not a bit,” she said and moved to reach for a cloth. Nyla stopped her with a hand on her wrist.

  “No, no. If I were the mistress, I would do all the washing, from top to bottom. So just be still and let me, okay?”

  Nyla wasn’t lying. Belah relished pampering her pets in just this way—drawing their pleasure out slowly made it all the sweeter when they released their Nirvana for her to consume. Belah dropped her hand back to her side and let Nyla continue soaping up her body. After a moment, Nyla urged her to stand on top of the submerged bench and turn so that the young slave could gently wash her backside and the backs of her thighs. Nyla was gentle and thorough, and took her time rubbing the lathered soap up and down her legs. She moved around to Belah’s front, sliding her hands back up her inner thighs and taking care to gently spread apart Belah’s folds to soap between. Belah let out a soft sigh when Nyla’s fingers stroked over her swollen clit.

  When Nyla urged her to turn again, Belah saw they had a small audience standing at the edge of the pool. Zeb and Nikhil stood side by side, watching avidly. Nikhil had removed his shirt and was as bare-chested as any of the other male pets, though he stood out among them with his height and powerful build. The other men were fit and attractive, but not one of them watched her with such raw hunger as she saw in Nikhil’s eyes.

  Nyla urged her back down into the water and helped her lie back and submerge herself to clean her face and head. She let the young woman support her while she floated on the surface, looking up at Nyla’s pretty face.

  “They’re excited to try you out. Such a pretty new slave is a treat for us, you know. You’re the first one who’s come since I joined the harem.”

  “What was it like for you?” Belah asked, genuinely curious about the process.

  Nyla’s eyes sparkled as she glanced at the crowd at the edge of the pool. Her gaze landed on Zeb and Belah saw another flush tinge her cheeks.

  “When I was initiated, they started by rubbing sweet oils into my skin from head to toe. All those hands on me was nice. They rubbed it into every part of me to make sure I was ready to take each one of the men. The women kept rubbing me all over while the men took turns filling me and taking their pleasure. I had to endure it for hours, to hold back my own release until Zeb told me I could. You see, the mistress likes it best when we are needier—when we hold back so long that it’s like a… a storm cloud finally letting loose the rain.”

  As she spoke, her hand traveled up and down Belah’s torso, scooping water and rinsing the last bit of soap off her skin. She dipped her hand between Belah’s thighs again and spread her open letting the water lap at her hot flesh.

  “I think you’re ready,” Nyla said when her fingertips found Belah’s slick core and slid inside and back out. “You’re excited about this, aren’t you? Is it the big warrior who brought you that you like the most, or one of the other men? You can tell me if it’s Zeb. If he is the one you like most, I can tell him to get you started.”

  Belah let her feet find purchase on the ground again and surveyed the group of her pets as though trying to choose, though she already knew the answer.

  “No, Zeb is yours. I want him,” she said, pointing at Nikhil. “Do you think he’ll want me?”

  “I have no doubt,” Nyla said in a low voice. “All the men look ready for you, but him especially so.”

  Nyla twined her fingers with Belah’s as they made their way out of the pool. The entire way, Belah’s eyes remaine
d locked with Nikhil’s. His dark depths were filled with a stronger lust than she had ever seen there before and she let her mind reach out. What she found hidden behind that gaze was an almost terrifying primal craving—a need that burned deep within him to finally fully conquer her, body and soul, and she was ready to give him everything.

  Chapter Eleven

  The small crowd of Belah’s pets parted, allowing Nyla to lead her back into the harem’s quarters where she was pleased to see the sunken central seating area had been arranged with more pillows and soft, colorful blankets.

  Nyla directed her to kneel atop one low cushion and Belah obliged, her skin tingling with anticipation as all her other pets came in and arranged themselves against the cushions around her. Some of the women reclined against the men who began idly caressing their breasts. She wanted to look around to find Nikhil, but forced herself to face forward and wait. After a moment, Zeb entered her field of vision, carrying with him the ornate wooden box that held her favorite toys and oils. He set the box down and opened it ceremoniously for Nyla, who extracted one of the small bottles and handed it to one of the waiting men by her side. She passed around a couple other bottles of scented oil, then turned to Belah with a smile.

  They began with warm, slow caresses, slick with the fragrant oil sliding over her shoulders and back. Several pairs of hands roamed over her body, front and back. She had no idea which of them were attending to her backside, but Nyla and Zeb diligently massaged the oil into her breasts and belly. They moved in tandem, one on either side, each murmuring the words of a familiar song in harmony with each other.

  The rhythmic touches and the sound of the song lulled her and she found herself relaxing more and more. Even when a pair of hands behind her cupped her backside and spread her apart, she only sighed with the pleasure. Another hand slid down between her cheeks, rubbing the oil in little circles around the tight opening. In front of her, Zeb pressed both large hands to the insides of her thighs, urging her to spread them wider, so she did. Nyla slipped a hand between her legs as well, helping Zeb spread her folds apart and rubbing more oil between to mingle with her already copious juices.