by Selena Kitt
Dread filled me. I clutched at the bars of my cage so hard, I was sure they’d finally break. Long ropes slithered down the opening and armed men in mismatched armor came sliding down.
“Hell, this couldn’t be happening again.”
Defeated, I slumped against the bars of my cage and curled into a protective ball. I thought the slavers beat everything out of me, but fear returned to me like an old friend. Hands trembling, I buried my head into my knees, hating the gauze of my stupid costume—a fucking piece of silk to cover my privates and nothing else.
Angry shouts rang out. I didn’t care to look. D’alik’s hired muscle would come pouring out of their quarters, toting plasma rifles. For once, I hoped they’d win. Better to stay in a hell I know than one where I’d needed to relearn the rules. More screams and shots sounded. Plasma shots bounced, or found unwilling targets.
I tried tuning it all out, but it was no use. There was more shouting in that language I’d learned bits and pieces of.
“Kill all the guards, don’t leave any evidence behind,” a voice barked.
“Death comes for us all in the end,” I whispered to myself.
Something wet splashed against my back. Blood, I realized a second later, cringing. The door to my cage rattled and I scrambled away from the enormous pirate easily shooting at the lock.
“Don’t be scared, pet. I’m not going to hurt you.” This bastard wasn’t the biggest monster I’ve seen, but the black body armor and full face metal mask didn’t exactly scream cuddly and safe.
“Go fuck yourself.”
One of the space pirates came up to him. “Jelal, D’alik is dead.”
“Didn’t I tell you bastards to leave the fucker to me?”
“Holt got trigger happy.”
Jelal shook his head. The mask made it hard to tell if he was pissed, annoyed, or both. With a dismissive wave, the lackey left. “Where were we?” he asked, as if we were on a damn first date.
“My answer remains the same. Go fuck yourself.”
“You’re a spirited little thing, aren’t you?” Jelal’s accent sounded a little off. Not a native then, but judging by his equipment and the way the other pirates looked to his command, he was the leader. He loomed over me, a huge monster, and judging by the bulge in his trousers, Jelal wanted a bit of fun.
I lied about not wanting to live. My gaze darted to the empty space behind Jelal, silently calculating my chances of escape. Even if I managed to get pass this asshole, would he order his lackeys to chase after me? After five years in captivity, I might look the same—lean and slender, but I’ve sorely been lacking in exercise. Being pounded on fours on a nightly basis didn’t count.
“Don’t even think about it, pet. You won’t get far. Don’t you know? My crew landed on this shit hole of a planet for you.”
“What?” If Jelal mean to distract me with lies, it worked. Before I could formulate a snarky reply, Jelal easily scooped me in his arms like I didn’t weigh a thing, and tossed me over his broad shoulder like a sack. Curling my hands into fists, I pounded at his back and kicked at him, but it did little good.
The air whistled and I bit back my lips. Jelal’s smack on my left ass cheek made me groan. Only a thin bit of flimsy cloth separated his gloved hand from my flesh and I felt the impact of that first blow as keenly as the unexpected second. I squirmed over his shoulder, shocked not but the spanking, but how strangely aroused I’ve gotten.
Christ, how fucked-up was I?
I thought sexual slavery killed any form of desire I could muster for another living being, but it seemed I was dead wrong. Perhaps it was the strange and tender way Jelal ran his gloved hand over the area he’d recently swatted, or the way he pinched the skin. Ted suddenly came to mind and it felt like ages, since I last thought of him. Tears welled in my eyes. Ted knew, the moment we first met. He understood my needs, how I loved a little bite to my pleasure in the bedroom.
This stupid space pirate rendered me all sentimental during a kidnapping and made me drop my guard, even for a bit, but it won’t happen again.
“Don’t make me punish you again, pet,” he said. “Are you going to behave?”
“Yes,” I answered meekly.
I didn’t know why all the fight had gone out of me. No, not entirely true. To win against his man, I needed to fight the battles I could win. I’d bid my time and somehow, Jelal would make the mistake of letting his guard down. Once that happened, I’d make my move. Maybe even shove a plasma rifle into his head and watch it explode if I’m lucky.
“Very good, pet. We’re off to a wonderful start.”
I couldn’t tell if he was playing with me. Saying ‘fuck you’ again sounded counter-productive to my escape plans, so I bit my tongue.
Once we’re alone—and I had a feeling we would be, judging by how he became easily possessive over me, I’d find a way to strip that ugly mask off. For some reason, I wanted to see the face of the monster who decided I was a prize worth owning. There were plenty of more exotic pleasure slaves here. I’m not the only human either, but his words rattled me. Jelal said he came here for me. Not to liberate me, surely, and the crafty bastard probably only said it to distract me.
“Jelal, the port authorities’ enforcers are coming,” said a pirate.
“I’ve acquired what I came for. Did the men empty out the contents of D’alik’s treasure room?”
“Of course, captain.”
Everyone knew D’alik kept his most prized possessions in a private vault under the House of Exotics. Of course, this prick and his crew were after that. Did I think for a moment Jelal was after one well-used and second-hand human slave?
“We’re leaving then.” Jelal walked right out of the House of Exotics’ heavy double doors.
Gutsy bastard.
Outside, the usually busy street was emptied out. No customers cruised the streets. No personal crafts were in motion either and I soon understood why. Craning my neck while being on his shoulder proved to be difficult, but I managed. A sleek silver airship—which bore the distinct shape of a Terran stingray, hovered a couple of feet from the House of Exotics. With the exception of the black skull painted on the hull, it sure as hell didn’t look like the typical craft space pirates used. Beyond the ship, I glimpsed agile cruisers with the insignia of the H-383 space port enforcement agency painted on their wings.
“Fuck,” cursed Jelal.
The ramp of his ship lowered and coils of rope sprang out. Grabbing one, Jelal’s other crew members did the same. A couple of them quickly lashed heavy duty ropes over what looked a like a titanium-made attached with air lifters.
The first cruiser in formation fired, hitting the side of Jelal’s ship. More shots followed, but the ship stood its ground, its force fields soaking up all the damage.
“Get us up. Now,” Jelal hollered.
We began to steadily rise from the ground. Positioned to look directly into the ground, my stomach threatened to hurl out the meager contents of my lunch. I shut my eyes instead. The night breeze raised goose bumps on my bare skin and made us precariously sway left and right, doing little to help my constitution. I nearly panicked, grabbing onto the fabric of Jelal’s body armor.
His back muscles tensed, but his voice came out steady, soothing even. “Hush, pet. Don’t be afraid. I know you’re afraid of heights. Just a bit more and we’re safe.”
My eyes fluttered open. “How the fuck would you know I’m terrified of heights?”
A scream tore out from me. Beneath us, the House of Exotics looked like a tiny spec of dust. I didn’t stop until strong hands pulled Jelal and me over the ramp. We ended up with Jelal lying on his back and me straddling him. I swallowed, suddenly aware of the hard muscles of his upper chest and the fact my ass sat directly over his erection.
“We’ve just met and you’re already so bold, pet?” Jelal asked.
Good-natured laughs followed, but I wasn’t interested in looking at any of his rag-tag crew. I reached for the mask, but h
e grabbed my wrists. Breathing deeply, I stared at the eyeholes underneath the metal. Strange black eyes stared back at me. They had no whites to them, telling me Jelal was a user of L-11 or what the underworld drug cartels called Limitless, a drug that enhanced one’s senses and reflexes. I scooted away from him, discomforted by his proximity.
“Daunted, pet?” he asked, rising to his feet. Not wanting to remain on the ground, I stood as well.
“By a bastard who thinks I’m his just because he stole me from my cage?”
Someone whistled. Another told Jelal to teach me my place. I lifted my chin, meeting his strange eyes. Instinct told me Jelal wouldn’t hurt me, not if I didn’t cross the line. Why I suddenly thought him a better fate than my previous existence in a cage eluded me. Gods of the Galaxy, I couldn’t fall for my captor, yet I was. Everything about Jelal intrigued me, beginning with why he decided to assault a pleasure house when he could lay siege to something more profitable, like H-383’s Exchange House or banks. He clearly had the ship, crew and equipment.
Plasma shots hit the side of the ship, breaking the force field and making the floor wobble. I nearly crashed into the nearest wall, but Jelal caught hold of me, wrapping his muscled arms around me.
“Get us the fuck out of here,” Jelal shouted.
Still in his embrace, I could do nothing but let him lead me away from the loading area to a narrow corridor. He led me past turns and twists, while the ship rocked and swayed, but he didn’t let me fall. Stopping in front of a door that read ‘captain’s quarters’, Jelal inputted a password into the touch panel and led me in. By then, the port authority cruisers stopped attacking the ship.
“Entering hyperdrive, captain,” reported a voice through the room’s interface.
“Carry on,” Jelal said, releasing me.
Not sure what to do and since Jelal hadn’t told me where or how he wanted me, I sat on the edge of the bed, silently daring him with my eyes to tell me slaves weren’t allowed to sit on furniture without their master’s permission.
Jelal regarded me for a second. “Are you going to make this difficult or easy, pet?”
“Easy. Besides, in a twisted kind of way, you saved me from a life of monotony and I needed a change of environment,” I said, tone light. A rough sketch of an escape plan started to form in my head. For some reason, Jelal wanted me and I’d use his attraction against him.
Seduce, deceive and get the hell out of his ship.
Gods of the Galaxy, what a fucking laugh. How’d I manage all that, I didn’t know. I’d take one step at a time. Even if I managed the impossible, where would I go? Back to Terra, where Ted and my parents think I’m dead? In a way, I was.
“Thinking deep thoughts, pet?”
“That’s none of your business.”
Jelal’s figure blurred. In less than a second, he stood in front of me, gripping my chin and forcing me to look up at him. My heart skipped a beat and my skin felt fever-hot. What the fuck was wrong with me? If Jelal hit me, things would be much easier.
“From now on, pet. You belong to me—that body, needy cock, and eventually your heart and soul will me mine.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “You ask for too much. Why would you want me? I’m second-hand goods with nothing left to give.”
He touched my chin with gloved fingers, his expression behind the mask hard to read, but somehow I sensed sadness in him.
“Everything I’ve done, is all for you.” Jelal then shocked the hell out of me. Kneeling between my legs, he rubbed his face into my left thigh, right across the D’alik’s slaver brand, the metal cold and harsh. He didn’t stop me when I touched the edges of his mask. With one swift motion, I tugged it off, unmasking my captor.
A sob caught in my throat. I reached out, hesitant at first, but he pressed his hand over mine, encouraging me to touch and explore. Harsh white lines marred his sun-kissed face, scars earned from numerous battles perhaps. I traced the bridge of his nose, broken a couple of times, and he let me thumbed his eyelids. I breathed out the one word I’d never thought I’d say again. No denying it this time. Years changed both of us, altered his physical appearance, but the same man who I fell head over heels for stared back at me.
“Ted.”
“It’s been awhile since anyone called me that,” he answered, kissing the brand, his tongue rough and slick.
Disbelieving, I ran my fingers through his short dark hair. For the next couple of moments, neither of us could speak. A thousand questions raced through my head. He rose to claim my lips. Ted, no, he was Jelal now, but he was still mine and I was his.
Jelal clasped the back of my neck, and plundered my mouth, all tongue and teeth but I didn’t care. Long remembered electricity flickered between us, sending jolts down my chest and groin. I responded, needing him, wanting him. Once his lips touched mine, he reignited something inside me I thought I’d lost—my ability to love.
When he pulled his lips away, I stared at him, still unable to find the words.
“Hush, baby. Let our bodies do the talking,” he whispered against my ear. With one jerk, he ripped the fabric covering my dick.
“Wait, I want to see you too. Please?”
A familiar smile curved on his lips, sensual yet cruel at once. He peeled off his gloves, and let me take off each piece of armor until he stood in front of me, glorious and nude. Like his face, the rest of Jelal was hewn with muscle and scars. A stranger stood in front of me, but I knew bits and pieces of Ted remained in there.
It didn’t matter though, because we could finally make up for lost time. I no longer needed to cling to my fantasies of Ted, finding and building a family with someone else, because he didn’t move on. He kept on searching for me, and in the process, changed to someone harder and harsher. Ted became a monster for my sake, but I didn’t love him any less.
“Fuck, Seth. The look in your eyes makes all those endless years of searching fucking worth it.”
Seth. I hadn’t heard my name for so long it felt odd hearing it from Ted’s lips.
Falling to his knees again, Jelal took my thickening cock in his mouth. Threading fingers into his hair, I gasped at the hot suction of his mouth. Jelal took me inch-by-inch, bobbing his head up and down. I groaned, unable to remember the last time any man gave me head. In the pleasure house, I was always at the giving end, and never on the receiving.
Gods of the Galaxy, Jelal looked so fucking perfect too, his intense gaze never leaving mine.
“I won’t last,” I admitted, moaning.
Jelal drew his mouth out, pushing me on the bed to kiss me again. I tasted the combination of him and me on him. He reached between our bodies, continuing the job with his hand, working up a furious rhythm.
“Come for me, Seth. Do it now,” he commanded.
With a pinch of my glistening tip, I came, shuddering and seeing stars. My come spilled over his fingers and coated his ribs and stomach, but he didn’t seem mad.
“Don’t fall asleep now, pet. We’re far from done.”
I opened my bliss-filled eyes at me. “Believe me, baby. I want you in me. Remind me this is all real, that I can be finally yours.”
“Sit up, help me get ready, baby.”
I sat up until my face was at the same eye-level as his prick. Seeing his massive member already standing at half-mast, I licked my lips in anticipation. Jelal let out a rumbling chuckle and speared his fingers in my hair. I opened my lips when he pressed his tip to my mouth. Swirling my tongue over the pre-come on his tip, I took my time, savoring the taste of him. Using my hair as a handle, Jelal took over and I let him fuck my mouth. Close to bursting, Jelal pulled out his shaft, although I could see it strained the limits of his control.
“I missed you so fucking much,” he said.
I planted a kiss on his tip. “Me too, baby. I still can’t believe we’re both here. Finish in me?”
“Fucking glad to.”
“How do you want me?”
“On your back, because I want to
see your face when I fuck you.”
I obeyed, unused to this position. Most of the time, clients took me standing up or on fours. There was something profound and intimate being able to look at my beloved face’s like this. Jelal pulled out a condom and lube from the drawer beside the bed, before taking position. He rolled a condom over his dick and lifted my legs over his broad shoulders Jelal smiled, gaze on mine as he lubed his fingers.
“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. No one can touch you after this, Seth. Any fucker who does, I’ll rip their heads off.”
“Christ, baby. Your words turn me on.”
Grinning, Jelal lubed my opening, before sliding a digit in. He curled, reaching my prostate and making me gasp.