Luken (Seduced by the Gladiators Book 2)

by Margo Bond Collins

  Luken

  Seduced by the Gladiators ~ Part 2

  Margo Bond Collins

  Luken © copyright 2017 Margo Bond Collins

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  About Luken: Seduced by the Gladiators 2

  She could gain a love three times as strong.

  When Hannah traveled to the lost colony planet of Lurra, she never expected to fall in love with Mikolaus. The more she learns about their culture, the more Lurra intrigues her—especially their marriage into quads, groups of three men and a single woman.

  In order to make her dreams of a life with Mikolaus come true, she’ll have to learn to love his triad-brothers, Luken and Domiku, as well.

  But the arrival of the Earth-2 diplomatic delegation is bringing change to Lurran society, and Hannah’s fledgling romances may not survive the shift.

  Still, for as long as she can, Hannah will allow herself to be seduced by the gladiators.

  Chapter 1

  In the city of Galicia, on the planet Lurra, Domiku, gladiator, shook with fear as his triad-brother Luken said to the Earth-2 woman, Hannah, “You should come with us to the house.”

  Domiku wanted to run.

  Mikolaus, the third brother in his triad, had just marched off into a meeting with the Lurran and Earth-2 ambassadors, leaving Luken and Domiku with the woman they’d just met—the one Mikolaus was dead-set on having their triad marry.

  The three of them—Domiku, Luken, and Hannah—stood alone in the street. Domiku glanced at his brother over Hannah’s head, hoping Luken would see the warning in Domiku’s eyes, would understand the panic rising in his heart.

  She’s so beautiful.

  I could love her …

  He swallowed convulsively. Luken wasn’t paying any attention to him. Instead, Luken offered Hannah his arm, leaving Domiku no choice but to join in.

  As they set out, Hannah patted his arm and said, “And folks wonder why I wanted to go off-planet.”

  Domiku blinked, startled. A quiver shook his body when her hand touched him and he struggled to get the words out. “Why did you want to go off-planet?”

  She pulled back to look at him; he studied her in return. Her skin was pale and smooth and her long red hair glinted with gold highlights.

  She ignited memories in his heart and mind.

  Memories he’d prefer never to visit again.

  “I wanted to go off-planet because I wanted to see more than E2 had to offer.” Her eyes brightened and her full lips spread into an inviting smile, momentarily disarming his fear.

  “You had no one on E2 who gave you reason to stay.” It wasn’t a question.

  “Exactly,” she answered. “There was no one.”

  Luken asked, “From what you’ve seen so far, how do you like Lurra?”

  “There’s no comparison,” she answered. “Lurra has life and color and texture and taste…”

  Domiku resisted the urge to look at her, despite the weight of her gaze upon him.

  “And there’s so much to learn,” she added.

  Domiku tightened his jaw, determined to ignore her look, her touch, her words. He all but gasped with relief when they reached the house and he could politely disentangle from her.

  Luken opened the door and Hannah entered. As Domiku passed his brother, the younger man gave him a knowing look. Domiku scowled a warning, but the boy merely smiled and lifted his shoulders with pretended innocence, then turned back to Hannah.

  “You must be tired,” the younger man said. “Have you eaten?” Unbuckling his knife belt, he placed it on the table next to his money pouch.

  Too late, Domiku realized what his brother was about to do. “Luken—”

  Luken ignored him, taking Hannah’s hand and saying, “Why don’t you lie down while I go get something to eat?” He picked up the money pouch and walked to the door. “Domiku will help you with whatever you need, won’t you, Domi?”

  Leaving no room for rebuttal, Luken slipped out the door.

  It was all too easy to forget how tricky Luken could be—he was older than he looked.

  Smarter, too.

  Domiku exhaled through pursed lips.

  I will thrash him for this.

  He managed to clear his tight throat. “I—”

  He couldn’t think of any words to say aloud.

  Hannah stood in front of him. He avoided her gaze briefly as she peered into his face. But she was persistent, and he could tell she was determined—

  To look into my heart.

  “What do you want?” he blurted.

  His words collided with hers.

  “Why do I frighten you?” she asked softly.

  Her quiet inquiry stunned him. He stared at her, his eyes hard and burning, the knife of memory rising through his gut to impale his heart again.

  I can’t do this again. He closed his eyes. When her hand touched his face, he flinched.

  “Domi,” she whispered. “What is it? Tell me.”

  She not only touched his flesh, she invaded his being. He sensed her compassion, her love surrounding him. He hadn’t been touched by a woman so intimately since—

  “Please, no,” he begged. He grabbed her hand and pulled it from his face.

  “It’s okay,” she whispered. She grabbed his other hand and pulled it to her chest. “See, it’s alright. I won’t ever hurt you. I understand—”

  “How?” he hissed through clenched teeth. “How can you understand, you don’t know—”

  “I know you’re afraid.”

  Shivering, he struggled to grasp her ability to see right through him at first glance. He couldn’t look into her green eyes. Instead he placed his forehead on hers.

  Hannah put her hands on his shoulders. “I can feel your pain,” she said. “It was in your eyes—you wanted to run when Luken invited me here.”

  Domiku snorted. He shook his head, denying this goddess her power, all the while knowing it was too late. She’d seen into his heart from the first moment.

  “Will you lie with me?” she asked. “I am so tired. Just hold me. Please?”

  This woman was a prospect for his triad. By duty he was at her command. He sighed. “Upstairs,” he said. “Come.”

  He led her to his room, where she walked in and sat on the bed. She kicked off her boots and untied her girdle, tossing it to join the boots. Next came the tunic.

  Domiku stood paralyzed, immovable. She was lean and muscular. Her full, round breasts were covered in the lightest material, showing him her dark nipples. He hardened instantly, deeply surprised by his own reaction. It had been many years since a woman affected him this strongly.

  She crawled under the covers and called his name. “Domi.”

  He stripped to his brief underpants and crawled in beside her. Eminently aware of how hard he was, he tried to keep space between them, but she wiggled over until they were flesh-to-f
lesh.

  “Oh,” she breathed. “Thank you.”

  It didn’t take long for her deep breathing to tell him she was asleep. Slowly, he pulled from her grasp. Rolling over onto his back, he stared at the ceiling. “Zavia,” he whispered, remembering the last time he gave his heart to a woman. As he, too, drifted off to sleep, he remembered her.

  They walked in a park near the beach in the port city of New Biscay. The wind tossed her red-gold hair, and Domiku quickly leaned in to place a kiss on her shoulder. “Do you know how much I love you?”

  She stopped and pulled him close, laughing. “No, I don’t. Maybe you should show me.”

  He dipped his head to capture her lips, leaning against her until they pressed heart to heart, hip to hip. When he pulled from the kiss, he said, “We’ll need to form a triad if we want to be together.”

  “I don’t want others,” she complained. Her brow wrinkled. “What’s going to happen to us?”

  Domiku raised her chin with a finger. “We are going to live a long life together.” Kissing the tip of her nose, he said, “Now stop worrying. I have prospects for a triad. Just give me a little time.”

  Down the beach, a vendor was selling kites. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” He left her sitting on a bench, her red gold hair blowing in the sea breeze while he went to buy the kite.

  Domiku pulled himself from the memory. His jaws were clenched tight and a tear rolled from one eye; he dashed it away.

  If only that were the last time I saw her.

  Rolling away from Hannah, he sat on the other side of the bed, staring down at his feet. He held his face with both hands, his elbows supported on his knees.

  I thought I could do this. He glanced over his shoulder; Hannah slept soundly, her fall of red gold hair glinting in the pale morning light that came in through the windows.

  He looked away. She looked so much like Zavia.

  Silently he rose and dressed. Hannah needed only time to rest, so he went back downstairs. He paced the front room, unable to sit—but he didn’t want to leave her alone.

  When the door opened and Luken came in carrying a sack of supplies, Domiku growled threateningly and caught his triad-brother by the arm. “Don’t ever do that again.”

  Luken smiled and shrugged. “Do what, brother?” he asked, all innocence.

  “Think you know what’s best for me.” Domiku turned on his heel and stormed out.

  * * *

  Mikolaus watched Ambassadors Gray and Urkiza square off, just as gladiators would in the arena.

  “This is unacceptable,” Ambassador Urkiza announced.

  “I wholeheartedly agree,” Gray said.

  They stood face-to-face, each on one side of the desk, hands down and glaring at each other. The image of these desktop warriors taking each other on forced Mikolaus to smother a chuckle. He managed to put on a serious face. They were, after all, discussing the future of Lurra.

  Kazen, the self-proclaimed ambassador from the Outlanders, protested with a nod to Ambassador Gray. “Why wouldn’t you want him to come to the Outlands?”

  “It’s too dangerous,” Ambassador Urkiza said.

  “She’s right,” Mikolaus added.

  Kazen whipped around to glare at Mikolaus. “Then you come with us,” he dared.

  Mikolaus stared down at the marble floor. Hannah had asked him to keep an open mind, but the Quad structure—three men, one woman—had saved Lurra after the plague that had wiped out most of their women. He couldn’t help but feel that to abandon or alter Lurran structure would inevitably lead to collapse.

  Purely for Hannah’s sake, he glanced at Ambassador Gray, and said, “All right, I’ll accompany you.”

  “Hannah should come, as well,” Kazen said.

  “No,” Mikolaus said. “She’s already been to the Outlands. Why should she return?”

  Kazen gave Mikolaus a long, evaluating stare before answering. “She’s a prospect for your triad, correct?”

  Mikolaus shifted on his feet, then exhaled. Ambassador Gray’s face was growing dark at this announcement. “We …” His voice trailed off.

  “Mikolaus?” Ambassador Urkiza prodded him.

  “Yes, Ambassador,” Mikolaus answered. “Kazen’s statement is accurate. Hannah has expressed a wish to join with my triad.”

  “No E2 woman is going to stay on Lurra,” Gray declared, “as long as Lurra treats segments of its population with such disregard.” He sat abruptly at his desk and crossed his arms, his lips a thin line of determination.

  Urkiza shot the other ambassador an irritated glance, stalked over to a chair, and sat. She, too, crossed her arms, and glared at the floor in silence.

  Kazen leaned against the wall and gazed out the window, also crossing his arms, and retreated from the conversation.

  Mikolaus closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Ambassadors,” he said. “It seems the only solution requires each of us to do that which we do not want. Ambassador Urkiza, if I may speak to you, please.” She rose and followed him across the room.

  “We have no choice but to negotiate.” Mikolaus pitched his voice low.

  She eyed him up and down. “Do you speak for Lurra’s interests, or your own?”

  As ever, her words were sharp but honest. “Both,” Mikolaus said. “Lurra needs the EDA. At this point, all we’re doing is letting Ambassador Gray see the armpit of Lurra. Perhaps it will be good for us all to go?”

  Astonished skepticism filled her eyes as her lips drew into a thin line. “What if—”

  Mikolaus cut in. “Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it.”

  Ambassador Urkiza drew back. Animosity rolled off her like stink from a three-day dead body.

  “Elizabete,” Mikolaus pleaded. “The conditions that spawned the Quad no longer exist. With the EDA involved, E2 will respond favorably with immigration. Lurra must look to the future … even if it means letting go of the past.”

  Her rigid stance held for long seconds before she finally relented. “All right. But I want your report when you return.”

  “No. You must come with us.”

  “I—”

  “You represent Lurra. For you not to go would send the message you don’t care. That’s not good for negotiations.” Mikolaus gave her a hard look. “We’re all going to do exactly what we don’t want to do. There’s no other way.”

  She snorted with disdain, glancing over her shoulder at Gray, who remained stone-faced, arms crossed, staring at his desk.

  Mikolaus leaned forward to catch her eye. “Otherwise, Ambassador, they’ll go home and close the wormhole forever.”

  The Ambassador squared her shoulders. “Fine.” She walked to Ambassador Gray and announced. “Ambassador, we will all go to the Outlands. Mikolaus, Hannah, you and I.”

  She turned and left the room before anyone responded.

  Mikolaus whistled through pursed lips.

  I hope things are going better with Hannah and my brothers.

  * * *

  Mikolaus approached his home, exhausted from his dealings with the ambassadors Gray and Urkiza. “Give me a gladiator’s arena any day,” he mumbled.

  He walked in, surprised to find Luken in the kitchen cooking. “Is Hannah upstairs?”

  The younger man’s mischievous smile flashed across his face.

  “She hasn’t run off again, has she?” Mikolaus asked warily.

  “No,” Luken took a taste from a pot he stirred; the kitchen was filled with the amazing smells of his cooking.

  Mikolaus waited for Luken, knowing the other man was preparing more than dinner.

  “No,” Luken said, “she hasn’t run off. But Domi has.”

  Chapter 2

  Oh, my ass hurts. What did I do?

  Hannah rolled over with difficulty, waking slowly, pulling her body and mind from a deep slumber. With her eyes still closed, she inventoried a variety of additional physical complaints clamoring for her attention.

  My legs. What the—? />
  She opened one eye and didn’t recognize the darkened room. With a slight whimper, she closed that eye again and brought her hands to her face.

  Suddenly, she heard voices—male voices talking.

  Downstairs.

  A heated conversation.

  She held her breath and strained to hear, but the words were muffled. At the sight of her silver tunic and black lace-up girdle, memory came rushing back.

  “Kazen. The Outlanders,” she murmured aloud. “Right.”

  She looked out the window at the falling dusk. She’d slept all day. What have I missed while I slept?

  She sat up and placed her feet on the floor.

  Think, she demanded of her sluggish brain. She looked back at the bed. Domiku. I laid down with him.

  But he’s afraid of … what?

  Hannah shook her head. The voices from downstairs were shouting.

  She put on her tunic and girdle and carried her boots. Quietly she eased out the door, following the voices. At the foot of the stairs, she stopped, listening.

  “I didn’t have any choice in the matter,” Mikolaus said. “Domiku is just going to have to get over—”

  “How do you intend to enforce that?” Luken interrupted. “The possibility of changing the triad structure may cause many triads to fall apart. Ours could be first on the list.”

  “What am I supposed to do?” Mikolaus asked. “Urkiza will negotiate for the women Lurra needs. E2 and the EDA will comply, if for no other reason than to reassert their exclusive trade deals with Lurra. I’ll go along, but I question the cost—and in the end, who knows if we’ll we say we negotiated a deal that served Lurra?”

  Hannah sank back against the stairs. Mikolaus’s words sent a chill down her spine.

  He doesn’t trust the EDA.

  She shook her head in dismay.

  Does he not trust me? Or am I just a woman from E2 breaking up his triad? Am I not worth the cost?

  “What you should do first is find our triad-brother,” Luken said. “I suspect he’s out drinking, and you know why.”

  Mikolaus exhaled heavily. “I had no choice—you know how that is, Luken.”